*Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures (2020)

*Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures by Tricia Springstubb (2020) is a truly lovely story. And I enjoyed Elaheh Taherian’s collage illustrations. Everything about this book is heartwarming. There’s no conflict. There’s no drama. Candlewick Press doesn’t drag readers uphill through anxiety towards some kind of conflict resolution. This is a gentle tale of inter-generational friendship. A young child named Kahlil  lives upstairs from an elderly gentleman named Mr. Haggerty. They share a backyard and get to know each other. Springstubb subtly weaves a theme of words across her pages: Kahlil needs help reading some words in his books, and Mr. Haggerty needs help remembering the names of things. The story ends with “One of the best words of all.” 

*The Tiny Seed (1987)

*The Tiny Seed is another gorgeous book by Eric Carle (1987). This is one of the few books that I’ve seen by Carle with few creatures in it. The star of the story is a seed that travels over many landscapes. Colorful trees that show off red, orange, green, and yellow leaves decorate a horizon, but there are no animals in the green fields. Snowy mountain peaks and hot desert sands are minus inhabitants. A single bright yellow fish punctuates a deep blue/green ocean. A lone mouse,  one dog, and multiple butterflies and birds complement the seed as it eventually grows into a giant flower. And, of course, seeds burst forth from the flower at the end of the story, so the cycle of plant life is complete. 

Mama Cat has three kittens (2002)

In Mama Cat has three kittens, Denise Fleming found a way to showcase her art and create a simple story with a satisfying twist. Very young children will love the bright yellows, greens, browns, and even blacks that fill large two-page spreads. A black mama cat (brightened with blues, purples, and white) has a black, calico, and orange tabby kitten. Two kittens copy Mama doing typical outdoor-cat things (except hunt), but the tabby naps through it all. Every page is energetic. This book is so brilliant that it could be read at a nursery school circle time and the children would see the action easily. I recall watching a presentation that described Fleming’s complex process of illustration. She puts a lot of work into her pictures and the results are stunning. 

*The Aritist Who Painted a Blue Horse (2011)

*The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse  is my favorite book by Eric Carle (2011). The multicolored title promises that brightly colored content awaits inside the book. That promise is fulfilled. Eric Carle’s animals fill large two-page spreads. The text’s only mission is to label the pictures. First, we meet the artist standing at a canvas. “I am an artist and I paint . . .a blue horse and . . .” Each page is magical. The blue horse canters across the pages, brown mane and tail flowing. A red crocodile bears sharp teeth in an enormous open mouth. A yellow cow shines brightly against a night sky with stars. A pink rabbit, green lion, orange elephant, purple fox, black polar bear, and polka-dotted donkey all remind us that an artist sees the world in a special way. Eric Carle validates the artist on the last page: “I am a good artist.” 

The most significant part of this book is the back matter. Eric Carle shows us Blue Horse I, (1911) by Franz Marc! There's a one-paragraph biography of Franz Marc and an explanation of why Eric Carle created this book. When he was a young painter, his art teacher at the time defied the Nazis by showing him forbidden “modern impressionistic or abstract art.” Carle is quoted, “‘My green lion, polka-dotted donkey and other animals painted in the ‘wrong’ colors were really born that day seventy years ago.’”

*Chatter, Chirp, Bark & Buzz (2015)

 Eric Carle works his visual magic again in Chatter, Chirp, Bark & Buzz  (2015). The print I have is a "Me Reader" book designed to work with a sound pad. Each page of text has an icon that apparently corresponds to a button on the sound pad. We see page after page of Carle's wonderful creatures: birds in the park, farm animals, forest friends, jungle buddies, an eagle, sea mammals, a house party, and garden. I'm thrilled whenever Eric Carle can publish because he's one of my favorite illustrators.  

*Leonardo's Horse (2001)

Leonardo’s Horse by Jean Fritz and Hudson Talbott (2001) is a masterpiece. Young readers will appreciate the reading level at grades 1 – 4. Middle and high schoolers can research the many references to Leonardo de Vinci, his endeavors, his contemporaries, and the setting in which he lived. This book condenses a huge amount of information into a cohesive, easily readable story. The gifted and talented child struggling in a one-size-fits-all educational system may identify with Leonardo.

We meet Leonardo as a teenager, a child who is remarkably different from his peers. Lucky for him, his parents appreciate his talent. They send him to Florence, Italy, to study art. “He could never be just one thing. He was an engineer, an architect, a musician, a philosopher, an astronomer.” Multiple interests and responsibilities combined with the limitations of his moment in history make it difficult to manifest all his dreams. His lifelong aspiration to cast a 24-foot horse never materializes. But Leonardo’s passing in 1519 is not the end of the story.

More about this book is on my Wordpress blog.

*Pancakes, Pancakes! (1990)

The magical manner in which Eric Carle combines color always makes me smile. Pancakes, Pancakes! gives him the opportunity to assemble a magnificent rooster crowing beside a bright, orange and yellow morning sun. As the rooster crows, "Jack woke up and thought, 'I want a pancake.'" Alas this does not mean reaching into the refrigerator or driving to the local restaurant. For Carle to create animals, Jack must cut wheat and load it upon a donkey. He then takes the wheat to a miller where it's turned into flour. Carle gives us chickens to provide an egg and cow to give milk. After churning butter, Jack finds jam in a dark basement full of colorful jars (color muted by the darkness). A cat, dog, snail, and a few birds add color here and there. Finally, Jack and his mother mix together the ingredients into a bright yellow batter that cooks up into golden deliciousness. 

Something, Someday (2023)

Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman (2023) describes hope becoming action and action creating change. The text is philosophical. Christian Robinson took Gorman’s  invitation to put her words into any context. As a young child of color notices a  pile of trash, the text begins: ”You are told That is not a problem. But you’re sure something is wrong.” The story validates the young child’s perspective, despite messages they receive to the contrary. This child cleans up the trash.  Two more children help transform the small space into a garden.”Together, working. Together beginning, over and over And over and over. Until you’re  no longer beginning, You’re winning.” I think this is a story with the potential for many interpretations. I look forward to seeing how other illustrators place Amanda Gorman’s universal story into a variety of contexts.

Birds from Head to Tail (2018)

 Birds from Head to Tail  (2018) is filled with gorgeous collage illustrations, just as the cover art promises. The pages pose questions and then answers. The first page reads, “What bird has a head like this?” We see the powerful head of a great horned owl. Its big eyes stare at us. Turn the page and we read a short paragraph with a few facts about this beautiful bird. Turn the page and the text reads, “ What bird has a beak like this?” Turn the page and we see the bird in its entirety, a hummingbird with its long beak dipping into a flower. And so it goes for an eagle eye, kiwi body, tern wings, flamingo legs,  blue-footed booby feet, and peacock tail. Each colorful bird appears with some environmental context. Stacey Roderick and Kwanchai Moriya created a  brightly colored, eye-catching book.

This book reminds me of What DoYou Do With a Tail Like This?  I wrote about this similarity in a WordPress post.

*The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus (2014)

 The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant (2014) is a fun read. Peter Mark Roget wrote lists, so some of the narrative in this book appears in list form. The title page is accompanied by definitions in a sidebar. Five stages of Roget’s life appear as a list of portraits beside 23 words, for example, BORN, BABY, INFANT, TADPOLE, CHILD, YOUTH, LAD, YOUNGSTER…”, you get the idea. At age eight, Roget began his own book of lists. It grew as he envisioned a book with all the ideas in the world. Much later in life, Roget’s two children encouraged him to pursue his dream, and, in 1852, the first edition of his Thesaurus sold out. Melissa Sweet’s fabulous collages and mixed media illustrations keep the book in your hands to gaze at her complex designs. Back matter includes a list of events in Roget’s life and the time in which he lived. Delightful author and illustrator notes add a personal touch. There’s a bibliography, suggestions for further reading, sources, and even a page from Peter Mark Roget’s original publication. 

Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane (2008)

Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane is a soulful introduction to the childhood of a jazz legend. Carol Boston Weatherford focuses on the  auditory. Her pages describe the sounds in John Coltrane's world: the ukulele, steam engine, dance, big band, and more. These references invite—demand—that the reader learn relevant  history to fully appreciate this succinct text. Her story rewards those who expand their background knowledge about John Coltrane and the 1930s. 

The lengthy Author's Note, Selected Listening, and Further Reading references at the end of the book will appeal to the middle grade reader. Sean Qualls succeeds in representing sound.  His illustrations are not childish and so respect the older reader. 

My Picture Book Talk lesson is here.  This lesson includes several links to YouTube videos to whet the appetite of children curious about John Coltrane's music. I watched the documentary Chasing Train on a streaming service; however, it is also available through my library network. 

This story is read aloud online by INDY E.C.H.O. OURStory Time. 

Mouse Mess (1997)

 

Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley (1997) needs it's large, rectangular shape to display the vast number of crisp, colorful images that fill each two-page spread. An ambitious mouse scatters food across a kitchen counter and we see the mess up close, from the mouse’s point of view. As the cover art shows, this mouse dances with pleasure as it rummages through dry cereal, cheese, fruit, jam and peanut butter, sugar, olives, and condiments. Riley’s rhyme works, and the story is funny. When this happy go lucky mouse empties a canister of brown sugar, it builds a castle! Mouse is amazed at the mess, not comprehending its own handiwork. Mouse takes a bath in teacup, mouse goes back to bed into a sardine can.

The artwork is explained on the dust jacket. The illustrations are collage and watercolor; and I agree that each collage is “playful and exuberant”.

 

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (2003)

 What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page won a Caldecott Honor award in 2004. It’s cover art hints at the beauty and creativity inside this book. I say hints because the book isn’t just gorgeous collage, it also has content.

This large picture book is a first step into the nonfiction world of wildlife. I love the format: it challenges us to think of parts and whole. A two-page spread shows only one part of five creatures  and the next two-page spread is the big reveal.  We wonder which animals own the noses, for example. A contemplative pause on this page encourages engagement. A page turn answers the question—the noses belong to a platypus, hyena, elephant, alligator, and mole. And, we learn what these creatures do with their noses! Next we’re asked, “What do you do with ears like these?” And we learn about the bat, jackrabbit, hippopotamus, cricket, and whale. By the time we finish the book, we’ve met 30 different creatures. And there’s a bonus! Four pages of backmatter provide a paragraph of additional information about each one. 

Wabi Sabi (2008)

 

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein is a skillful tale about “a way of seeing the world that is at the heart of Japanese culture”. The main character is a cat named Wabi Sabi. This is the story of her journey to learn the meaning of her name. It’s written with both prose and haiku—in “the haibun form, where short prose passages set up each haiku.” Reibstein provides backmatter and translations of  14 Japanese haiku that appear throughout the book.

The collage art by Ed Young is exceptional. His  illustrations are wabi sabi artworks; unfortunately, they lose a bit of their potency on the flat page. Many thanks to BooksVideosTV for introducing us to Young, his art, and specifically, an account of how he created art for this book. The older student and adult will benefit from reading Mark Mitchell’s blog for more information. 

This magnificent book is read aloud by Read Aloud with Ms Caudle .

 After reading wabi sabi: the japanese art of impermanence by Andrew Juniper, I interpreted Wabi Sabi’s journey as representing the tea ceremony. Juniper writes that participants in the tea ceremony “leave  their petty world behind”, perhaps the city that Wabi Sabi passes through.  He references “livid autumn colors of maple leaves”, which we see in Young’s illustrations. I now see the wise, old monkey as the tea master. “The perfect clarity of mind and seamless movements of the master evoke a hypnotic effect in the participants, who then can become one with the mind and spirit of the tea master.” (Juniper 40) After the tea ceremony, Wabi Sabi understands the meaning of her name.

A little research into haiku reveals controversy over how it’s taught requiring a specific syllable structure. The English haiku in Wabi Sabi all have the 5 – 7 – 5 syllable form. Translations of the Japanese haiku free readers from this structure and allow them to attend to on other aspects of the poetry.

My Picture Book Talk for this story is here.

The Mixed-Up Chameleon (1975)

     The Mixed-Up Chameleon  (1975) surprised me mid-story--the cover art doesn’t foreshadow the ending. And, Eric Carle has found a novel twist on a familiar theme. In the first few pages, we meet a chameleon and learn that its color changes. Then, when it sees a zoo, we see Carle’s fantastic animals. The physical structure of each page changes as the chameleon imagines life as a different creature! This innovative idea was worth owning the book. Furthermore, the chameleon's hilarious transformation is ingenious. As expected, in the end, the chameleon returns to itself.

     Notice the hyphen in the title! "When a phrasal verb is made into a noun, it is hyphenated. Phrasal verbs themselves are never hyphenated." * And "When two or more words are used together to modify another word, a hyphen is often needed to show that these modifying words are acting as a single unit. . . almost always hyphenated when they precede the noun . . ." * So, is mixed-up a phrasal verb acting as a modifier in this title? 

     Stephanie D'Anna Tennisluvr4lyf in First Grade has The Mixed-Up Chameleon Writing Activity. Justine Greenlee has The Mixed Up Chameleon Comprehension Questions.  Miss Fitz's ESL Store has Mixed Up Chameleon Tracing and Colors Exercise. 

* Help Your Kids with Language Arts. New York: DK Publishing, 2013. 106. 

* Ibid. 107.

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse (1969)

      Most of Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse (1969) is anecdote about envy. Alexander leads a lonely and dangerous life. The human residents of Alexander's home "scream for help or chase him with a broom." In contrast, it looks like the life of a wind-up mouse is safe and loving, so Alexander sets about trying to become one. The ending is heartfelt; how sad that the wind-up mouse, Willy, will be thrown away. Alexander's change of heart is conveniently admirable and self-serving. I wonder what children would say about three critical details: Willy has no agency; Alexander spends days and days away from his friend; and toys are being thrown away. These are fertile topics of conversation.  Leo Lionni's  illustrates this inspiring story in his unique and magnificent style. 

     Alisa Ridgell has a Comprehension Club worksheet for this story. Kayla Smith has an Author Study. Jessica Lusano has a Leo Lionni Creative Ideas Resource.

"Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth (2002)

     "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth--don't you just love that alliteration! And let's draw little readers' attention to the quotation marks, too! Notice the green in the sloth's body? That may be Eric Carle's representation for algae that grows on their fur. 

     This story reminds us that slow is OK. The sloth is a slow-moving creature in a world where every other creature moves quickly. Even a turtle passes by. Yet the sloth is perceptive and self-confident. The reader is pleasantly surprised and impressed with the sloth's answer to his neighbors' questions. Its usual silence conceals a wealth of knowledge and deep self-respect. Children who identify with the sloth will experience validation. Children who move quickly through the world will gain priceless insight – seeing the world from someone else's perspective.

    

10 Little Rubber Ducks (2010)

      Eric Carle is one of my favorite illustrators. His distinctive style of paint and collage in bright colors is remarkable. The book 10 Little Rubber Ducks gives Eric Carle the space to create creatures that live in and by the sea. When a cargo ship carrying a box of yellow rubber ducks encounters a storm, "A big wave lifts up one of the boxes and throws it into the water. The box opens, and 10 little rubber ducks fall out." In a subtle but substantial way, the plastic birds look different from nature's beautifully expressive species. 

     Young artists may enjoy Art with Jenny K's video How To Make Your Own Texture Paper -- Eric Carle Style. Rhiannon Salas has an Eric Carle Inspired Welcome Sign for a bulletin board. If you're reading several books by Eric Carle, Katharine M. Norris has a survey, Which Eric Carle Book Was Your Favorite?