Picture Book Review - Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman

Hello friends! Back at the blog after a little break to catch my breath from 30 Days of Diverse Picture Books. I really, really enjoyed the series and hope you did too. It was a great opportunity for me to call out some of the many fantastic diverse books that we've read over the past year. And, based on the response, I'll be back doing the series again next year!

On to tonight's pick, which is one we actually read a few weeks ago but I held onto because of the 30 Days series consuming my attention. Sprout has always been super interested in science and nature, and as he grows that interest is only deepening. He loves loves loves science-y facts - actually that's something his kindergarten teacher said during our recent conference, that he always shares facts and that she checks them later and he's always right. (Boo-yah!) So based on that, and knowing how much he'd enjoyed Swirl by Swirl, I felt pretty certain that Joyce Sidman's Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold was going to be a hit.

And naturally, it was. The poetry in Winter Bees is just lovely, simple enough for the target audience, but complex enough for adult readers to enjoy. The illustrations by Rick Allen -- rarely do words fail me, but these images left me speechless, thanks to the depth of detail, the texture, the emotion that is evoked. Sprout and I together stared at a picture of a den of hibernating garter snakes for at least five minutes -- and I'm terrified of snakes, for crying out loud! -- so that should tell you a little something about the magnificence of Allen's craftsmanship. Pair these pictures with Sidman's deft wordsmithing, and then spice them up with a juicy sidebar on each page that is loaded with scientific facts and you have a recipe for an absolute jaw-dropper of a book.

I really see Winter Bees as a great way to bridge the gap between art-lovers and science kids. This title is equal parts of each, all beautifully done, and is bound to sway skeptics on either side to find something to appreciate. Sidman and Allen received a Caldecott honor for their previous collaboration Dark Emperor, and for my money Winter Bees could easily go all the way this year.

Make Winter Bees part of your collection at home, school or library - it's a purchase well-served, for you and the kiddos!

Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman
Ages 5-9
Source: Library
Highly recommended

Picture Book Review - Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle

It's a rainy rainy day here in Northwest Washington, which is actually pretty unusual for us in July. Contrary to what the rest of the world thinks, it doesn't rain every single day here, and the summers can be quite lovely. But a little mid-summer rainstorm is pretty common, and is kind of nice to clear the air and freshen the vegetation. Plus, Sprout thrills at the sights and sounds of a good ol' summer thunderstorm (so does Mom!).

That's the spirit behind Elizabeth Bluemle's whimsical new picture book Tap Tap Boom Boom. I was so excited to read this one because we've loved Bluemle's other books, especially the delightfully be-bopping How Do You Wokka-Wokka?. And with this outing, Bluemle's paired with one of our favorite illustrators, G. Brian Karas, whose The Village Garage is a staple of our fall reading list. So we went into this one with pretty high expectations.

As you might imagine, in a work from two artists who are as dedicated to diversity as they are to their craft, Tap Tap Boom Boom hits all the right notes. Bluemle's all about the wordplay, making her books terrific (if tricky) to read aloud. In this outing, two young boys are playing in their urban neighborhood when it starts to rain. Everybody notices, because this rain starts out small but brings dark clouds and the threat of a big storm. And the promise comes true, because the tempo of the storm picks up quick, with rain, lightning and thunder! Our boys better get undercover pronto, which in the city means running down to the subway, where everyone gathers to ride out the storm. It pretty quick turns into a party, complete with music, pizza, and lots of friendly chatter. And after the rain? Why, a rainbow, of course, plus plenty of new friendships formed through circumstance.

Tap Tap Boom Boom is a great book to share when talking about community and friendship. We love the message that people of all stripes can be friends, regardless of their background or circumstance. There's nothing like the occasion of shared experience to bring people together, and Bluemle absolutely nails the spirit of sheltering out a storm. And the illustrations by Karas, featuring a nicely diverse cast, are the perfect match for the rhythmic text, a blend of collage and sketch that suits the situation to a T.

Young readers will feel like they're right in the center of a sudden storm, in the heart of the city. Next time the rain threatens, don't be surprised if your kiddo wants to go out and about -- Tap Tap Boom Boom makes a rainstorm cause for celebration!

Tap Tap Boom Boom by Elizabeth Bluemle, published by Candlewick Press
Ages 3-5
Source: Library
First line: "Tap tap, dark clouds. Tap tap, damp air. Tap tap, cold drops of rain dot hair."
Recommended

My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood by Tameka Fryer Brown

The other day, Sprout came home in a mood that was way out of sorts. He's usually pretty easy going, but this particular night he was grouchy in the extreme. Right from the get-go, he made it clear that life wasn't going his way -- by complaining about dinner, throwing his coat, stomping down the hall (because right off the bat, we advised him to spend some cooling-off time in his room).

The whole evening got me thinking about moods, and how outside circumstances can influence our outlook on life. Who among us hasn't had their whole day lifted by some unexpected good news, or ended up in a terrible frame of mind after being stuck in traffic? It happens to little guys too, let's not forget. . . I had to remind myself of that, once Sprout calmed down and was able to verbalize what was going on with him (a falling-out with one of his best buddies had put him in an instant funk). We've all been there.

Tameka Fryer Brown examines the changeability of moods within one single day in her recent picture book My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood. I'd seen this one being talked about on the blogosphere, and was anxious to review it, though I thought it would be pretty similar to this title that I reviewed just a couple of months ago. Happily, though the mood/color connection was reminiscent, Brown's book is a stand-out all on its own. And it features illustrations by Shane Evans, whose artistic style we really love, making Cold Plum all the more distinct in its own right.

Jamie, the main character in Cold Plum, is having an up-and-down day. It starts off pretty good, in a "cold-plum eating / grape-juice drinking" purple kind of way. Then he runs into some trouble with his older brothers, and Jamie's day swings over to a stormy gray. It's better when he colors with his little sister ("Jell-O green"), worse when his brothers make fun of him ("brooding black mood"), and ends up being pretty okay, "cool, blue okay" as Jamie does the dishes after a really awesome dinner with his family.

Evans plays with Brown's vivid, snappy words -- poems really -- by creating spreads that are color-drenched and deep with tone and texture. Each page stands on its own as a representation of the specific mood Brown's getting at. I really like brown, the color that the author uses for Jamie's determination to stop being pushed around by his big brothers. "Planted. . . fierce. . ./ Not backing down -- Grrrrrrrr! / Big, strong brown / I win!". Love, love, love this image of brown as a strong, determined boy standing up for what he believes in. This is a terrific, subtle reinforcement for kiddos like Sprout, who not only have shared Jamie's feelings, but also share the same skin color.

Read My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood and enjoy the rhythm of the text as well as the images it evokes. Then take a break to talk with your kiddo about feelings, moods and the ways we choose to react to the happenings of our day. There's a lot of opportunity here, for discussion as well as expression.

My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood by Tameka Fryer Brown, published by Viking
Ages 3-6
Source: Library
Recommended

I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me by Sandra L. & Myles C. Pinkney

Well hello again! Seems I took a bit of a blogging break the last couple of weeks, however unintentional. I've had a few other projects that have been taking up my attention. But no matter what, we're still reading, so I've got plenty of books to share.

Increasingly we're finding chapter books really capture Sprout's attention -- and yet, we still manage to check out the same huge load of picture books from the library, which thrills me no end. I honestly don't want to be one of those parents who pushes their child toward "serious" reading or toward one format of books over another. As I've shared before, Hubs grew up being not much of a reader, until he discovered graphic novels, and those have been his "gateway drug" into other forms of literature. So I happily check out whatever random pile of books catches Sprout's fancy on any given day, being sure to include a few of my own picks, however surreptitiously.

One thing I always try to do with our library selections is inject a good mix of diversity into our choices. No surprise there, right? But it does take work to make your bookshelves reflective of the world we live in -- because of course the titles that get the most press are those that make up the prevailing bulk of mainstream publishing, and that means white, white, white. So we all have to dig a little deeper and see what we can find to add some color to our reading selections. Fortunately, if you do look, it's possible to be rewarded with some excellent diverse kidlit without much effort.

One tip I like to share with parents and teachers is to find an author you like and then explore his/her catalog -- often writers who choose diverse subject matter or who populate their books with characters of color do so intentionally and thoughtfully, and their body of work usually demonstrates that. Today's book is one I came across because we've loved the previous collaborations by Sandra and Myles Pinkney. I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me doesn't disappoint, either -- it's every bit as stunning as their book Shades of Black, which is one of our all-time favorite titles.

In I Am Latino, the Pinkneys again turn their attention to a specific part of the population with a joyful celebration of the uniqueness of Latino people and culture. Framed around the concept of the senses, Sandra's poetic verse calls out ways to "sense the beauty", from the melody of language to the rhythm of music to the richness of foods. Myles again illustrates this title with his evocative photography, showing a diverse section of Latino boys and girls in situations that accent the story. Sprout's favorite photo is toward the end, where a young boy is smelling a plate of empanadas. "I bet those taste so so good, Mom!" he exclaimed the first time we read this (Hubs and I assured him he was right on the money there!).

I love I Am Latino not only because it introduces kids who aren't familiar with Latino culture to some basic traditions, but also because it's an affirmation for kids who see themselves in these pages.  Maybe they see the food their grandmother makes or have a family photo that resembles one in the book. Maybe they've never thought about what makes their heritage special, or maybe they've grown up with family members who keep them closely tied to their roots. It doesn't matter, really, because this title works on many levels for whoever is reading it. Ultimately, the Pinkneys' message through I Am Latino and their other books is that there's pride in heritage and being connected to your history. And also, that there's power in affirming the beauty we see around us.

You may not find I Am Latino readily available on your bookstore or library shelves. But take a little extra time to look for this one, regardless of your family background -- it's simple, strong and a great celebration of Latino heritage. This is a terrific title for even the youngest readers.

I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me by Sandra L. & Myles C. Pinkney, published by Little, Brown
All ages
Source: Library
Sample: "Use your senses. / You will see Beauty -- Magnificently / I am Latino. I am the Beauty!!!"
Recommended

30 Days of Picture Books - Planes Fly! by George Ella Lyon

We're at Day 12 in our 30 Days of Picture Books. Are you loving what we've read so far? I have to say that this is probably my favorite blogging project of the entire year. It's an excuse for us to crack out our TBR list and request some titles we've been eyeing, and to revisit some of our favorites from the past several months. The only problem is narrowing the list to just 30 titles!

Tonight's pick has been described by Sprout as "super awesome", and I have to concur (what can I say, the boy has good taste!). George Ella Lyon is a poet, and she brings a poet's sensibilities to her work. That unique perspective definitely comes through in her recent picture book Planes Fly! This is a lyrical celebration of all kinds of aircraft, perfectly captured in Lyon's simple yet powerful verse. You name the plane, she's covered it, including commercial aircraft, seaplanes, and even Air Force One. From the first lines ("Planes have engines. / Planes have wings / lifted by the air that sings."), it's clear that this is an author that's not only skillful in her craft but also knowledgeable about her subject. It's a combination that's enough to make young aviators swoon.

And while I'm mentioning swoon-worthiness, let's talk about these illustrations by Mick Wiggins. Tinged with a flavor from vintage advertisements, these pictures definitely make you feel as though you're just about to wing off to somewhere fabulous. Wiggins manages to convey the wonder of flight in a way that suits Lyon's text to a tee. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Sprout's jaw absolutely dropped when he saw the spread with an aerial firefighter spraying water over a forest aflame and smoking. And on a second look-through with Daddy, he delighted at all the small details he found, like the picnickers on a bluff and the tiny shadow of a jumbo jet soaring above the landscape.

Planes Fly!, and with this informative and imaginative title, your little ones can too!

Planes Fly! by George Ella Lyon, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone {The Children's Bookshelf}

What is it about rhyme that's so appealing? I'm not sure, but you can't argue the fact that books that rhyme are not only more fun for kids to listen to, but also a lot more fun to read. Rhyme is one of the cornerstones of early literacy, as it helps kids begin to isolate and identify the individual phonemes, or sounds, that comprise words. As kids become aware of sounds, and start to associate them with letter groupings, they are that much further along the road to reading. So rhyming books are more than just cute, they are educational too!

I can still recite from memory a few of the early rhyming books we read with Sprout when he first joined our family. Recently he's begun to experiment when we read a rhyming story, trying to guess from the context and from the sounds what word might be next. It's so incredible to see these pieces of the literacy puzzle sliding into place for him, and as a a result I've begun to keep my eyes open for even more library picks that incorporate a strong rhyme scheme.

Today's pick does just that, besides being a great one for developing global citizenship. In My Granny Went to Market, renowned Barefoot Books author Stella Blackstone teams up with illustrator Christopher Corr to present a colorful excursion to marketplaces all around the globe. Readers jump right into the action on the first page, when Granny buys a flying carpet to sail around the world doing her marketing. (How much do you wish you had one of those to do your errands with?)

And believe you me, Granny is getting around - Thailand, Switzerland, China, Australia and more. Each spread is bursting with Corr's folk-art infused illustrations, so vivid they'll capture the attention of anyone who picks up this title. The rhyme scheme is great here, keeping the pace moving just as quickly as Granny, who jets off somewhere new with each turn of a page. For kids who are working on their counting, Blackstone adds a nice device wherein Granny buys a increasing number of things at each stop -- the entire list is repeated at the end of the story for a great skills review. And the endpapers are also part of the fun. Kids can trace Granny's route from country to country, following the trail of colored dots as she picks up each new item.

You'll find yourself flipping back through this title when the reading is done, too. Sprout likes all the small details included in the pictures, which really add a sense of depth and texture to the story. Last time we read this, he spent quite a bit of time examining Granny's carpet in the different frames, which I couldn't quite figure out -- until he pointed out that Granny's stash of goods grows in each new picture. Smart kid, that one, but it just goes to show that kids pick up on so much more than we adults.

Next time you head out the door to market, ask your kiddos what you should bring back on your flying carpet. I'm willing to bet at least a few of Granny's goodies make it onto your list too! :)

My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone, published by Barefoot Books
All ages
Source: Library
Sample: "She bought the flying carpet from a man in Istanbul, it was trimmed with yellow tassels, and made of knotted wool."
Recommended

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12 Days of Christmas Picture Books - Under the Christmas Tree by Nikki Grimes

It's Day 6 of our 12 Days of Christmas Picture Books Series. Do you have your Christmas tree up yet? We've had ours up since Thanksgiving Weekend, which is I know crazy early for some people. But we LOVE the tree, love the holiday cheer it brings to the house on these long dark winter days. We not only put our tree up early, we leave it up until after the Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas holiday in early January. And I'm always sad to see the tree go, even when I'm ready to move on with the freshness of a new year.

Today's pick is a gorgeous effort by poet Nikki Grimes and illustrator Kadir Nelson, Under the Christmas Tree. This one is a bit unusual in that it isn't a story per se, but rather a collection of poems about the various aspects of the Christmas season. The subjects here are interesting, not your average fare, which makes them even more intriguing. I love the pieces that personify certain symbols of the Christmas tradition, like the poem that takes the point of view of the angel atop the tree ("She's happiest there / Poised for flight.").

Each poem comes vividly to life through Nelson's signature work, brilliant and bright and sentimental. It's really wonderful to see all these cozy scenes, peopled with brown-skinned characters, the visual representation of Grimes's jewel-like poems. The love and care of family, the spirit of the holiday season, the joy of giving, and the wonder of children are all here, and it's all perfectly captured in word and picture.

Perservere when you're looking for this one, as it's older and not easily available anymore, but definitely worth the hunt. This would be a great choice to share a bit at a time, as a family - there are 23 poems in this collection, so almost one per night of advent, though some are quite short. Of these pieces, some are simple, most are thought-provoking, all are lyrical, and just right for reading around the Christmas tree.

Under the Christmas Tree by Nikki Grimes, published by HarperCollins
All ages
Source: Library
Sample: Special Visitors: "One kissed my forehead / When he thought I was sleeping. / Yes! There are angels."
Recommended

30 Days of Picture Books - Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman

It's Day 9 of Picture Book Month. Today we're thinking about the senses. Picture books are an incredible way to teach kids about the different ways we interact with various stimuli in our environment. Seems a bit strange, though, right? How in the world can we exercise the five senses through picture books? 

It's true that unless you have a touch-and-feel, scratch-and-sniff book you're not going to have those senses engaged while you're reading. But, I would argue, using picture books as a vehicle for experiences with elements in the real world is a powerful means to not only emphasize senses like smell and touch, but also to find ways to yet again connect literacy with life. You can do this through a series of planned activities (like all those awe-inspiring Pinterest moms do), or very simply through thinking and talking about the books you read. Choose books that emphasize certain characteristics, then as you're out running errands or playing on the playground, look for elements that were represented in your storytime choice.

Today's choice is an amazing one for connecting all five senses via the written word. Joyce Sidman's Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors might seem like it's all about visual stimuli, but one read-through will show you how Sidman engages all our senses through her beautiful poetry. Like this snippet, from the section about fall: "Red splashes fall trees, seeps into every vein of every five-fingered leaf. / Red swells on branches bent low. / Red: crisp, juicy, crunch!" Reading this, we can not only see the scene Sidman describes, but we can feel it, hear it, taste it. And if you want to bring this alive with your little one, follow up this reading by a trip to the apple orchard. As you pluck a juicy piece of fruit off the tree, remind your kiddo that red tastes "crisp, juicy, crunch!". Then you can talk about how red sounds, how it smells, how it feels. Suddenly colors are more than just colors, they are phenomena that engage all the senses.

I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about Pamela Zagarenski's whimsical illustrations that accompany Sidman's poems. Each segment of the book features a season, and Zagarenski adapts her mixed-media paintings to bring the color described to vivid life. She conjures up a summer breeze on the dock for yellow ("Yellow melts everything it touches. . . smells like butter, tastes like salt."). She gives us winter green in frosty evergreens ("Green darkens, shrinks, stiffens into needles."). And in spring, as colors burst forth everywhere, she shows us white highlights ("White can be quiet, too: delicate petals filled with light smell white."). Simply gorgeous imagery, words and pictures alike.

If you want reading to be the more than just a bedtime ritual, help your little one make connections with what you read and what they hear, smell, taste and touch. When we do this, we're building readers whose imagination takes them far beyond the printed words on the page, into pictures of their own devising. And who knows where that influence will stop?

Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Picture Book Review - All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon

We're gearing up for a crazy fall around our house. School has begun for me, so I'm back juggling classes along with work and family responsibilities. As it's my second-to-last semester, I'm also taking comps for my degree, so that will knock out my free time for an approximately three-week period. And my husband recently started a business, so he's busy getting that up and running along with all the rest of his other tasks. Plus then there's Sprout, always busy but even more so now that he's got a social life of his own -- there's always a playdate, birthday party or swim lesson at least one of our weekend days.

With all that's going on, it seemed like we might just need a bit of a breather to gear ourselves up for things. So we scheduled a little getaway to the San Juan Islands, a few days to play on the beach, read, explore, sleep in and make s'mores. (Actually Sprout's one-and-only request for this vacation is that he wants to eat ice cream. Done and done, little man.)

And since we've been talking about this getaway for a while, it seemed like the perfect time to crack out one of my favorite recent picture books to share with Sprout. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon is a heady dream of a book that celebrates life and interconnectedness of people and place. It came to mind for me because I've always felt sure that Scanlon and illustrator Marla Frazee set the book on an island - it has that meandering pace that reminds me of vacation and leisurely time with family and friends.

The book starts out with a narrow focus - two curly-headed kiddos digging and building on the shore -- and gradually expands outward, encompassing multiple groups, couples and singles and families, who all encounter the glorious day together and yet separately. Each spread gives us a different perspective on the day, from the older gentleman feeding the birds to the family in a rowboat to the lady walking her dog, all of whom are converged on the same scene but from different angles. Nature is a character here too, as through Frazee's jaw-droppingly gorgeous illustrations we can feel the wind sweeping the sky, blowing up a sudden summer downpour. And then, as night falls on this idyllic day, we feel the closeness of the characters coming together in one terrific gathering, playing music, talking and laughing. Really, you just want to pull up a chair in this scene and join the gaiety.

What makes All the World so unique, and to my mind so incredibly lovely, is the way Scanlon's text and Frazee's illustrations are paired. A strict reading of the text provides the spirit of what happens, in terms of a simple, moving poemic jewel. And Frazee's drawings on their own are terrific fun to look at (Sprout likes to pick out familiar elements in every scene, looking for the daddy who has cocoa skin, like him, and the mama whose skin is pink, like mine). But it is in the intersection of these elements that the book really comes alive, and becomes something that transcends the genre. It is an affirmation, a nod to the elemental truth that all parts of our world, however small, are intertwined in myriad ways. All the World is an amazing book for pre-readers to look at in particular, because so much of the story is carried in visual form. And, too, this is a book for everyone, a thoughtful consideration of the way we are connected to one another and to the world we all share.

All the World was a Caldecott Honor title in 2010, and it's not much of a stretch to see why. It seems to me that this is the kind of book that will endure for a long time to come, not just because of its award status, but also because it speaks to universal themes. And even more than that, it's a true joy to read and to share with a child, the finishing touch to a day's activities that will leave little ones with plenty of fodder for joyous dreaming.

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, published by Simon & Schuster
All ages
Source: Library
Sample: "Rock, stone, pebble, sand / Boy, shoulder, arm, hand / A moat to dig, a shell to keep / All the world is wide and deep"
Highly recommended

Bonus: Kirkus Reviews interviews author Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrator Marla Frazee

Poetry Review - A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer

It's nearly summer! By the calendar at least, if not fully by the weather forecast here in Northwest Washington. We've had a couple of warm days already, though. During one of them, Sprout and Daddy happened to be out at the park just at the perfect moment when they were testing the splash pad, and Sprout got to have an impromptu run-through-the-sprinklers moment. Other than that we haven't had the chance to do a lot of summery things yet, but we're definitely looking forward to them: more bike rides, popsicles, picking strawberries, playing in the wading pool, watching the fireworks. Blissful.

In keeping with the spirit of the season is Marilyn Singer's new book A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play. Singer's the author of a number of well-loved books for children, including I'm Your Bus, which Sprout loves for its transportation theme, and A Full Moon is Rising, last year's gorgeous book that takes a look at how different cultures incorporate the phases of the moon. What I loved about the latter title is that we can dip into it at any point, reading the page or pages that catch Sprout's fancy. And isn't that the best thing about poetry - the way each individual piece shines like its own unique gem?

In this latest title, Singer is celebrating life after the last day of school. And who wouldn't be anxious to hear that final bell ring, if they were enjoying all the wonderful fun that bursts forth from Singer's terrific poems? The poems vary in length and subject, everything from a boy who's playing catch with his dog, to a game of double dutch, to a romp through the backyard sprinkler ("Get wet! Jump out! / And always SHOUT!"). Each one perfectly encapsulates a summer experience that brings me back to those seemingly endless summer days, riding my bike with the neighbors or waiting and watching for the temperature to get warm enough to go swimming.

And the very best part of Stick, in our estimation, is that the book is entirely peopled with multicultural characters. There are kids here in every shade of skin tone and hair color, all frolicking together through Singer's delightful poems and enjoying the bounty of summer. LeUyen Pham did the illustrations here and as usual they are a true joy to look at. Not only does she capture the wicked fun these kids are having, she also evokes a retro vibe that will remind parents of their own summer days.

A Stick is an Excellent Thing is a winner for lots of reasons, and one that you'll love including as part of your summer reading routine. Oh, and for reluctant readers it's just the thing to keep those skills up over the break. Once they read one or two of these snappy pieces, they'll want to read the whole book (and so will you!).

A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer, published by Clarion Books
All Ages
Source: Library
Sample: "This bubble I'm blowing, / this bubble is growing -- / this bubble of ginormous size. / It's as big as a plate. / You can watch it inflate. / This bubble will win me a prize!"
Recommended

Bonus: take a peek inside the book at the Seven Impossible Things blog

Poetry Review - A Child's Calendar by John Updike

Somehow the Fourth of July has come and gone again. We were fortunate to have beautiful sunny weather here all weekend, somewhat of a rarity in Northwest Washington, so we were able to get some yard work done and then enjoy the fruits of our labor. We had planned to take Sprout to his first-ever fireworks display yesterday but a day of playing in his wading pool, chasing the dog, blowing bubbles and throwing the ball in the back yard had him completely worn out even before his regular bedtime. But there's always next year!

Having a little one around the house makes it even more fun to mark holidays and the passing of seasons. A great title for doing this is A Child's Calendar, a collection of poems written by John Updike (yes, that John Updike) and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Each month is celebrated in its own poem, with the highs and lows of the seasons and holidays captured in simple, readable verse. Updike's knack for imagery takes a playful turn; of March, he says "The sun is nervous / as a kite / that can't quite keep / its own string tight." How well that sums up the fleeting glimpses of spring that March offers, teasing us with its promise of brighter days ahead! I also love his take on October (my personal favorite month): "Frost bites the lawn. / The stars are slits / in a black cat's eye / before she spits."

And these effortless yet succulent bits of poetry are made even more fun by the charming illustrations. I know, charming -- overused as a descriptor, but so perfect for these artistic snapshots. If you have any familiarity with Schart Hyman's work then you'll recognize her vividly color palette and wry humor at once. But what makes this title special for our family is that the illustrations depict a multiracial family, with hair and skin of all colors. The family here enjoys making Valentines, watering plants and picking flowers, taking a long walk on a November day. I love the underlying subtext: here is a family just like any other, complete with that one kid who strips down to nothing while playing in the ocean. I remember reading once that Schart Hyman was one of the first illustrators to depict multiracial families -- another reason to enjoy her work, besides her gorgeous scenery and the raw emotion she paints into every character.

This is the kind of book I wish we'd see more of, one where there's no heavy-handed message about racism or acceptance, just a gentle glimpse of a family enjoying the year in one another's company. A great addition to any family's bookshelf.

A Child's Calendar by John Updike, published by Holiday House
All ages
Caldecott Honor title
Sample quote: "November: The stripped and shapely / maple grieves / the loss of her / departed leaves."
Recommended