Night of the Moonjellies (1992)

Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasta (1992) is a true story. It takes place in New London, Connecticut. Most of the story is about a refreshment stand called Mar-Gra’s owned by Shasta’s grandmother and her sister. Marc helps out during a long, busy day at the stand. He is a child, yet so his jobs are filling jars of condiments and straws while grownups prepare hamburger patties, fried clams, and lobster rolls. 

At the end of the day, at the end of the story, Mark and his grandmother “headed out to the dark sea” on friend Tyler’s boat, the Periwinkle. They’re in search of a tiny moonjelly that Mark found on the beach earlier in the day. Tyler knows where the stranded moonjelly belongs. Indeed, “Thousands of moonjellies stretched along the sea in every direction.” In the author’s note at the end of the book, we learn that the scientific name for moonjelly is Ctenophore. “They usually grow no larger than a child’s Riski and in New England are most plentiful in late summer. . . Moonjellies are harmless. They are also bioluminescent, meaning they are able to create light, like fireflies.” 

This book won the Marion VannettRidgway Honor Book Award in 1993. The paintings in this story fill every page with a soft, colorful narrative, appropriately representing the author’s fond memories. 

As Warm as the Sun (2019)

As Warm as the Sun by Kate and Jim McMullan (2019) fooled me at first glance. The title font was so similar to Don Freeman’s Corduroy books, that I thought he was connected to this story. He’s not. The illustrations, which appear to be watercolor, fill each large page with colorful pictures of a French Bulldog, Toby, in his home environment. The text font is large and there’s only one or two sentences per page. The plot is simple. Life is good until another French Bulldog joins the family. There’s something about this book that left me satisfied. Was it the color pallet, the minimalist text? I don’t know. Maybe I just like dogs. 

The Table Where Rich People Sit (1994)

The Table Where Rich People Sit by Byrd Baylor (1994) causes me to pause and reflect upon the tangible and intangible in my life. The narrator is a young girl who’s called a family meeting to talk about how little money they have. She wonders why her father doesn’t “notice my worn-out shoes” or that “my little brother has patches on the pants he wears to first grade.” They sit at a handmade table made from discarded lumber as she challenges them to get better jobs. Her parents pan for gold “in the rocky desert hills or back in some narrow mountain gully where all the roads are just coyote trails.” Her parents suggest she write down the value of the things in their lives. Watching sunsets, hiking, and looking for eagle nests is worth twenty thousand dollars. Hearing coyotes howl is worth another ten thousand. And so it goes. Their lifestyle adds up exponentially. This is a book to ignite conversation, for sure. Peter Parnell’s unique illustrations are well suited to this story. They are abstract and breathtaking. 

The Three Golden Oranges (1999)

The Three Golden Oranges by Alma Flor Ada (1999) is the retelling of a popular Spanish tale. The author’s note at the back of the book reads, “The popular story of Blancaflor, the youngest of three sisters who is bewitched and held prisoner inside an orange, has taken many forms over time. . . Oranges were brought to Spain by the Arabs who held kingdoms in southern Spain from 711 to 1492.” I’m not a fan of stories based on spells. This one is actually a morality tale in which two brothers model vanity and greed while the third is virtuous. The virtuous one has his wish granted. Regarding the other two brothers, “No one really knows what happened to Santiago and Tomás. . .” Reg Cartwright’s illustrations fit the artificial atmosphere of this book. They are grand,  filled with color, and a bit cartoonish. 

*Infinity and Me (2012)

*Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford (2012) is one of those daring picture books that tackles a numerical concept. It received a “Notable” book award from the Association for Library Service to Children. Uma is a young girl who looks up at stars in the night sky and wonders how many there are. “Maybe the number was as big as infinity. I started to feel very, very small.” After asking her peers and her grandmother what infinity means, she comes up with some metaphors of her own. Gabri Swiatkowska’s unique illustrations assist Hosford in bringing the idea of infinity down to earth and close to home. This is a brilliant book and reminded me of author/illustrator Mitsumasa Anno. Hosford and Anno invite young readers into the world of numbers. 

When I Was Young in the Mountains (1982)

When I Was Young in the Mountains was Cynthia Rylant’s first picture book (1982). Diane Goode’s illustrations earned it a Caldecott Honor. This is a slice-of-life story. It’s without a rising action, conflict, nor resolution. Just a few sentences per page describe a way of life characterized by hard work and simple, joyful pleasures. It’s told by a young girl who lives with her grandparents and younger brother. Grandfather works in a mine. Grandmother makes cornbread. The girl pumps water from a well, swims in a dark and muddy watering hole, shops at a small country store, and takes a bath in a metal tub. It’s an idyllic perspective. “I never wanted to go anywhere else in the world, for I was in the mountains. And that was always enough." 

The Summer My Father Was Ten (1998)

*The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson (1998) is a powerful story of intergenerational conflict and reconciliation. Every year, when a father plants a garden with his daughter, he tells her about an awful prank he pulled when he was ten years old. He and his friends destroyed an old man’s vegetable garden. He feels terrible about the incident, but doesn’t have the courage to apologize immediately. But he does when the opportunity presents itself, and this sows the seeds of a long term relationship with the elderly gentleman. The gorgeous watercolors by Andrea Shine make it a beautiful book.

No More Water in the Tub! (1995)

No More Water in the Tub!  by Tedd Arnold (1995) is a some fun silliness. The first sentence is, “In a bathroom near the top floor of a tall apartment building, William was ready for his bath.” We can assume this is foreshadowing; somehow the flood illustrated on the cover will reach the floors below. And it does. Arnold playa with language to turn this premise into a fun read. On the floors below live Mabel who floats on a table, Sue and Vern who cling to a fern, and Uncle Nash who rides a box of trash. Arnold finds a way to transform this plumbing disaster into an heroic response to an accident in the Ferlingattis’ apartment. The ending is still a few pages away.

Yellow Umbrella (2001)

Yellow Umbrella by Jae Soo Lia and Dong II Sheen (2001) is a wordless picture book with accompanying CD. The pictures are umbrellas in many colors, all seen from above. There is a page of sheet music with lyrics for the song “Underneath the Sky” at the back of the book. The CD has 15 tracks, which I could not listen to because I don’t own a CD player. It’s a fun idea for a book.

Matthew and the Midnight Tow Truck (1989)

Matthew and the Midnight Tow Truck by Allen Morgan (1989) sure is fun--if you can set aside a fear of strangers. This story about a young boy helping out a tow truck driver in the middle of the night is a delight. Matthew plays with his tiny tow truck and cars right before dinner. After dinner, he can’t find one of his vans. Poor Matthew. He and his mother search the house but cannot find it. Matthew must go to bed and look for it the next day. Then, at night, Matthew wakes up and discovers that a tow truck driver needs his help. This, of course, is actually a dream. It would make a cute story all by itself. Nevertheless, it leads to the discovery of his missing van. Art by Michael Martchenko fits this book perfectly. I wish the cover art showed the truck driver’s face. Instead it’s in shadow, making the story look a bit scary. 

The Lost Music: Gustav Mole’s war on noise (1991)

The Lost Music: Gustav Mole’s war on noise by M. Twinn (1991) is a bit overwhelming. Gustav Mole is a mole and a composer. Where he lives is becoming a noisy neighborhood. “An urban sprawl of new dwellings and factories filled every gap in the landscape. . . Gustav could scarcely concentrate on his compositions.” And his four children stopped playing their instruments. They listened “to the Stoney Crows on their personal stereos.” They ate fast food and attended concerts in the stadium. One day, the members of C.A.L.M., Campaign for All Lovers of Music, asked Gustav for help. So Gustav sets out on a world tour with his children. They meet musicians in France, Hungary, Africa, and more. His family listens to many, many instruments until, at long last, they agree to play their own again. The end of the story is a World Festival of Music, a Bill of Silence, and a Manifesto for Music. Pictures by Kathryn Meyrick fill every page and successfully meet the challenge of showing a large number of musical instruments.

*The Art Room (2002)

 *The Art Room by Susan Vande Griek (2002) is a poetic story rendered gorgeous by Pascal Mileli’s illustrations. Just look at the breathtaking cover art! Magnificent. This setting is the early 1900s.  On the first page, a mother and her two children read a newspaper ad for Miss M. Emily Carr’s art classes. It's the book jacket that says this story is about “famous Northwest Coast painter Emily Carr.”  When I search for Granville Street, Google Maps takes me to Vancouver, BC, Canada. The narrative consists of long, musical sentences. In Miss Carr’s art room “We perched on stools while Sally perched on Miss Carr; and we copied casts of hands, heads of friends, as ‘out artist’ danced and sang her way through the room, pointing out, rubbing out, aching, naying or demonstrating, getting us to make paint fly and paper come alive.” It’s a story of a day spent in art class and it’s simply magical. 

*When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana (2018)

 *When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana by Michael Mavin (2018) is a powerhouse. This is a biography of Carlos Santana’s life, told directly to him.  For example, the first line is, “When you were born, your tía abuela called you el cristalino, the crystal one.” It’s a desperately difficult life. It begins with listening to his father play the violin. As Carlos grows, he tries several instruments without success. “But it was a way to make money, so your father forced you to learn more songs. Mozart. Brahms. Polkas. Boleros. gypsy music.” Then one day Santana hears a guitar and his parents get one. “It was battered and bruised and beautiful.” And the chronology continues in the rich colors of Jose Ramirez’ illustrations. Ramirez embeds dates into the pictures to help provide a timeline. A thread throughout the story is Santana’s fear of never being good enough for angels to sing in his music. This inner drama finds resolution quite separate from his multiple public awards. 

Brothers of the Knight (1999)

 Brothers of the Knight by Debbie Allen (1999) is a fun story about the 12 (yes, 12) sons of The Reverend Knight. They sneak away every night for some harmless fun. Their father is "a very good man, a leader in the community, who preached a powerful sermon every Sunday." A subtle, but key, characteristic is that he doesn't allow his congregation to "do too much shoutin'. Thought it was undignified." The Reverend is puzzled by the children's messed up shoes every morning. A series of housekeepers cannot solve this puzzle. Then, a small woman dressed in bright colors and carrying very heavy luggage, shows up on their doorstep. You guessed it: enter a Mary Poppins type personality. Her name is Sunday, and like Mary, she's privy to a little magic. Unlike Mary, she leaves but then returns. Kadir Nelson's illustrations are energetic. I love how he creates 12 personalities for the 12 boys. A fun feature of this story is that the narrator is the family dog. 

Come to the Ocean's Edge (2003)

 Come to the Ocean's Edge by Laurence Pringle (2003) is another book that basks in the beauty of the beach. The first page is a foggy dawn. We begin the day with a peek at gentle waves close to shore, larger waves far away, and gulls as shadowy forms flying "like ghosts in the mist." Turn the page and the sun begins to shine. "Sanderlings race a wave up, up on the beach." Soon a few people arrive and explore the tide pools. When families leave at the end of the day, illustrator Michale Chesworth reveals sea life below the ocean's surface. And then, it's a new day. "Once again the cries of gulls, the rhythm of waves, and the scent of sea air call people to the edge of something vast, wild, and mysterious." When I first came upon a book like this one, I was enchanted. Some artists render the multi sensory experience of the ocean so well. Chesworth does fine work with this limited text. To experience the ocean's edge is a gift.

*The Scarecrow's Hat (2001)

 *The Scarecrow's Hat by Ken Brown (2001) is an ingenious story. The title and cover art beckon the reader without a hint of what the story is about. It doesn't take long to figure out Chicken's brilliant plan. And Brown's splendid watercolor paintings fill the pages with personality. Chicken covets Scarecrow's hat. Scarecrow says says they would trade the hat for a walking stick any day. Chicken happens to know that Badger has a walking stick. And so the pattern repeats itself. Badger would love a ribbon. Chicken knows someone with a ribbon. And so on. We meet Crow, Sheep, Owl, and Donkey. Everyone gets what they want. Except Duck. Duck isn't going to get the hat that Chicken worked to hard to get.

Doctor Rabbit's Lost Scout (1979)

 Doctor Rabbit's Lost Scout  by Jan Wahl (1979) is a frightening drama made less harrowing by the Wahl's choice of animal characters. A collection of young wildlife are on a camping trip with their troop leader, Doctor Rabbit. On the first page, Doctor Rabbit sits outside a tent, a full moon in the night sky, while his charges sleep inside. The text reads, "Summer's night shimmered. Lightning bugs glowed like soft silver buttons. Tall grasshoppers danced while their skinny legs sang like fiddles." Then, a sleepwalker leaves the tent. "It was Spotty Chipmunk, walking with eyes staring open." Miss Mouse, the scout nurse, follows him--until she doesn't. In the darkness, he's lost. All the members of the troop wake up and join the hunt for Spotty. It takes much longer to find him than I expected. I began to worry that they wouldn't. But, of course, they do, thank goodness. I like Cyndy Szekeres illustrations. She captures happiness, fear, worry, grief, and then jubilation on all the little furry faces.

*Mr Archimedes’ Bath (1980)

* Mr Archimedes’ Bath by Pamela Allen (1980) is a brilliant book. There’s very little text and it’s in a large font. That’s ok because the pictures tell the story. Mr Archimedes puts “just a little water in the bath, as he always did, and this time he measured the depth.” He’s wondering why water spills out of the tub when he and his animal companions climb in. When they all climb out of the tub, the water level drops. Each animal takes turns not joining the others in the tub, and yet, the water still rises. He finally figures out that they are the ones making the water level rise and fall. “The friends had so much fun that night, jumping in and out, making the water go up and down, that they made more mess than ever before.” This is the Arcimedes’ principle.

The Tower of Life (2022)

 The Tower of Life: how Yaffa Eliach rebuilt her town in stories and photographs by Chana Stiefel (2022) is a true story. At the beginning of the book, we meet Yaffa as a young girl living in a small Jewish town called a shtetl. Life is good. Yaffa’s grandmother is one of the town photographers who took photographic portraits of many residents. “And on the eve of each Jewish New Year, people from all over Eishyshok would mail their treasured photographs to their families around the world with greetings for good health and happiness.” Then the German tanks and motorcycles arrived. Yaffa and her family escaped. Eventually, she married and moved to America where President Jimmy Carter asked her to help build a memorial for the Holocaust. Yaffa traveled the world searching for photographs of the former residents of her town. At back of the book is an illustration of Yaffa’s “Tower of Life “ in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum with references. Susan Gal’s illustrations present Yaffa’s story in somber colors that capture the seriousness of history. 

The Dangerous Alphabet (2008)

 The Dangerous Alphabet by Neil Gaiman (2008) is a horrid looking book populated by creepy characters. It’s a book for children living a nightmare or looking for frightening dreams. An excessively long sentence, which is a forward to the story, describes it as “A piratical ghost story in thirteen ingenious but potentially disturbing rhyming couplets. . .” Two unhappy children ride in a tiny makeshift boat through underground sewers filled with scary creatures. I think it may be a story about child trafficking, but I’m not sure. Four devious looking men lure one of the children with candy on the page for the letter e. “e’s for the Evil that lures and entices;” On the page for the letter u, there are several children tied up and chained: “U are the reader who shivers with dread;” These terrifying scenes are the work of Gris Grimly. This is the first time I threw a book in the garbage.