A Quiet and Soothing Tale for the Holidaze

Kuma-Kuma Chan written and illustrated by Kazue Takahashi.  Museyon Press, 2014. $12.99.  Recommended for ages 2-5.

"I sometimes wonder what Kuma- Kuma Chan does during the day?

Japanese author and illustrator Kazue Takahashi poses a seemingly simple question in this  2001 Japanese book, newly translated into English. However, the deceptively simple answers and accompanying illustrations reveal an important, almost Zen-like quality that should resonate with all of us.

 Kuma Kuma Chan ("cute little bear") lives alone in the mountains, in a place difficult for visitors to reach. So how does he spend his day? Well, after waking up, he fixes himself a big salad with lettuce and tomatoes from his own garden. As he pours milk in his coffee, he draws small pictures.  He carefully sweeps the  house and does some shopping.  Then a nap is in order. Later, he gazes at the clouds and listens to the falling rain. In the spring,  he pulls weeds, and in the summer he needs to cut his fur to stay cool.  Fall is good for love songs and winter would is perfect for reading and following a patch of sunlight around the room.

Alone, but not lonely, Kuma-Kuma lives an unhurried, simple but purposeful life, free from all the clutter and distractions of our modern world. He enjoys his solitude and finds joy in his routines, taking time to live in the moment, and observe what's going on around him.

Visit Good Reads with Ronna to see my full review. Thanks to Ronna Mandel for allowing me to review this book and keep it for my library. 

Give Thanks for Illustrators

What a treat our K-3 students had last week! Keika Yamaguchi, illlustrator of Puddle Pug and Sick of Being Sick, talked to our four K-3 classes (nearly 100 students) about her work as an illustrator. She also read the book Puddle Pug, and left each class with some original artwork.

During her presentation, Keika displayed some of her childhood drawings and told the students that as a child she didn't think she was a good artist- so her parents did drawing assignments for her. When she received so many compliments on "her" artwork, she became concerned that someone would discover her secret. So she practiced and grew better. She led the students in a discussion about what they found difficult (one boy said learning how to play baseball) and let them know that practice would help them improve. When Keika was five, she and her family moved from Japan to the United States. While learning English, she used her art to make friends

Using slides and original art work, students were able to follow Keika's illustrative process for Puddle Pug from early sketches to revisions to final product. Students were delighted to find out that Keika actually played with mud, splattering it on paper to see what it ooked like so she could paint it more realistically in her illustrations.  

Students had time to ask questions and found out that Keika is working on two picture books due out next year. She showed the students a few illustrations from each book. 

Lastly, based on students suggestions, Keika created a poster sized Percy for each class, adapting each one to students' responses to her questions.

Keika's informative and kid-friendly visit was engaging, well paced, and enjoyed by all. In addition to learning more about the illustrator's role in a book, students also learned a few valuable life skills: something difficult can be perfected with practice and there's a process involved to many projects that requires creative exploration and revision before completion.

For days after the visit, parents told me how much their children loved the visit. Our annual book fair coincided with her visit and her books sold like hotcakes!

We look forward to a future visit from our new friend, Keika

Visit Keika's website to learn more about her work.

A new series for young independent readers ... from the team that brought you Rapunzel and Calamity Jack.

Princess in Black by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Candelwick, 2014. Reviewed by parent and library volunteer, Jasmine George.

The Princess in Black is a charming read that turns the typical princess tale on it's head.  The book tells the story of Princess Magnolia, who at first glance seems to be your run of the mill, frilly dress-wearing, sparkly tiara-sporting princess.  She is at her castle enjoying scones and hot chocolate with the very traditional and very nosy Duchess Wingtower, when her monster alarm rings.  After awkwardly excusing herself, she sheds her frilly pink dress and becomes the Princess in Black; a wall-scaling, horse-riding, monster-wrestling heroine.  As the Princess in Black, she must contend not only with protecting the kingdom from the monsters who occasionally venture out from beneath the ground in search of goats to eat, she must also work to hide her secret identity from the prying eyes of Duchess Wingtower.  The Duchess believes everyone has something to hide, and is determined to prove that Princess Magnolia is not as proper and perfect as she seems.  This book is less about challenging gender roles and more about challenging expectations in general.  Best suited for children ages 4 to 8 years, The Princess in Black is sure to delight as it invites readers to explore their own self-identity and explore the ways in which they do or do not fit the perceptions that others (parents, teachers, etc.) may have of them.  

Thanks to Candlewick Press for the giveaway copy and to Jasmine George for reading and reviewing it. Please visit their  Princess in Black website. for more information about this book including "Seven Things You Didn't Know About the Princess in Black." Also Visit Shannon Hale's Official Website to learn more about the author and her books.

Flashback Friday: a swashbuckling tale with an unlikely heroine

Bloody Jack: being an account of the curious adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, a ship's boy by L. A. Meyer,  Harcourt, 2002. Highly recommended, appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Set in 18th century England,  a thirteen-year-old orphan, Jacky Faber, signs up as ship's boy aboard the HMS Dolphin. Spunky and clever, Jacky quickly learns that life aboard an 18th century British navy vessel, chasing pirates, can be dangerous. But that's nothing compared to what might happen if someone figures out that Jacky is really a girl. For those children who enjoyed Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avon, 1990) and are ready for something more robust and mature,  I highly recommend Meyer's swashbuckling and adventurous sea tale.   His attention to historical and period detail gives the story an authentic voice without overwhelming it. Oh, and Jacky is in touch with her feminine side-- there's a bit of romance, too. The tenth title in the series, Wild Rover No More was released posthumously and that is how I found out that (much to my shock and dismay) that Meyer passed away this past July. The last title, ironically, hints that Jacky's luck may have (finally) run out.

 Publisher's Weekly  wrote a brief but engaging article about him and included a wonderful story on what inspired this series.

Percy Jackson's POV

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan and illustrated by John Rocco. Disney/Hyperion, 2014. $24.99. Recommended for ages 9-12

When approached by a New York publisher to “tell all” about the gods, Percy Jackson asks:

“Can we do this anonymously? Because I don’t need the Olympians mad at me again (Percy Jackson, p. ix).”

Despite his understandable concerns (irking the gods can be dangerous to your health), Percy, in typical teen fashion, humorously narrates nineteen stories about the Greek gods, weaving in snarky comments and observations.  Surprisingly, blending these dark and grim stories with irreverent humor makes the myths (a little) less horrific.  Here’s Percy’s interpretation of an exchange between Kronos and Rhea concerning their children and ...um…. Kronos’ food choices:

“He [Kronos] stuffed Hestia in his mouth and swallowed her whole.

Just like: GULP. She was gone.

As you can imagine Rhea completely freaked.

“My baby!” she screamed …”

“Oh wow,” Kronos belched. “My bad …(p. 23).”

Percy’s title for each myth, not only reflects his wit and humor, but lets the reader know how Percy will interpret that myth.  Demeter Turns Into Grainzilla puts a spin on a pop culture monster (Godzilla) when Demeter becomes a monster after her daughter, Persephone, is abducted by Hades.

Read my full review at Good Reads with Ronna