fiction favorites…The Avion My Uncle Flew

The Avion My Uncle Flew, by Cyrus Fisher, illustrated by Richard Floethe

The following day Albert wheeled me into a little parc. He asked to be excused a few minutes. He said he wanted to buy some tabacco across the street. A tall man happened to walk by me and went on and returned and sat on one of those iron benches the French have in parcs. He was one of the tallest men I’ve ever seen, all bones, with a white face and a beard that was lopsided. I mean, it grew thicker on one side than the other. He had greenish eyes. He watched me with those greenish eyes. They made me uncomfortable. I wished Albert would hurry back.
“Bon jour,” he said in a voice soft as mucillage.
I said, “I don’t speak French.”
At that, his eyes opened wider. “Don’t you now?” he said, in English just as good as mine. “I’m surprised at that, my young friend. If I had a son as intelligent as you appear to be, I’d quickly teach him French and take him with me and show him a good time instead of foisting him off with a stupid hotel porter.”
It never occurred to me to ask him how he knew I was with a hotel porter.

Johnny Littlehorn,13,  injured in an accident at his Wyoming ranch, is newly arrived in France. The war in Europe has just ended, but his father still works as a liason in Paris, so Johnny and his French-born mother are joining him.  It’s a wretched business, as far as Johnny is concerned. Why, these French people don’t even know enough to learn a “proper language to speak — I mean, a language like the kind of language you and I and sensible folks speak.”  In short order, Johnny’s injuries are seen to by an army specialist, and he is sent to the village of St. Charmant to live and recuperate with his Uncle Paul.

Strange things begin to happen, though, from Johnny’s earliest days in Paris. A sinister stranger talks with him, seeming to know far more about him than is possible. Monsieur Fischfasse introduces himself to Johnny by one name, yet his father seems well acquainted with him by an entirely different name. What’s more, this foreboding fellow seems to be following him to his uncle’s place.

What can he want? And who is the Nazi spy said to be lurking in the mountains near the town? And are they in cahoots?

Johnny is up to his eyeballs in espionage, danger, and the surprising joys and friendships he finds in this place where they speak such a confounded, nonsensical language! It’s a rip-roaring adventure, including a breathtaking flight in a glider…but I won’t give it away.

This is a Newbery Honor book from 1946, and one of our family favorites. One of the most unique novels, it introduces the reader to increasing amounts of French as the story develops. The plot device in which Johnny is challenged by his mother to write at least two full pages in French by the end of his stay, allows us to learn a bit of French vocabulary along with him. In our family, we read this book aloud, and since I can speak French, my kids learned to comprehend each new bit as we went. The story culminates with 3 pages entirely written in French — Johnny’s letter to his mother. It’s quite a triumph for readers/listeners to be able to comprehend the entire letter! For those with absolutely no knowledge of French, your pronunciation will be a definite challenge! but independent readers will likely learn to recognize the words as they go and comprehend the written French.

Nazi spy thriller, French language primer, and a story about bravery and one boy’s choice to not allow his circumstances to defeat him, this book truly packs in adventure, suspense, and humor.  Great fun for a wide age range of listeners, or capable readers from mid-elementary and up who aren’t afraid of those French words.
It appears to be out of print…sad! There are some used copies for sale at this Amazon link:

The Avion my Uncle Flew (Puffin Newbery Library)

the magic of a poem…a list of five poetry books for young children

I had so much fun looking for poetry collections for National Poetry Month in April, I couldn’t help but post some more.

Reading poetry with children is a splendid way to sharpen our senses, taste the deliciousness of words and patterns and rhythms, and simply enjoy interesting wonder-fying thoughts. Whether they’re funny or beautiful or sad, poems enrich us.

These five books cater to the very young, with short poems and outstanding  artwork.

A Child’s Book of Poems, collected and illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa

Whatever Gyo Fujikawa illustrated is worth the having, and this collection of poems is packed with her captivating work.

Both her line drawings and her paintings usher us into an enchanting, blissful world of beauty and nature, imagination and playfulness, kindness and contentment. Her multi-racial children, their pleasing bustle, and the emotions found in their faces and postures, win us over, make us pour over each small drawing, and cause us to imagine ourselves in the place of the child on the page. Each tiny detail she tucks in is long remembered.

This collection of poems contains the most classic poetry of today’s list of five, and perhaps the largest number of poems. There are poems from William Blake, Robert Browning, Lewis Carroll, Emily Dickinson, Kate Greenaway, Keats, Longfellow, Shakespeare, Stevenson, Tennyson, Wordsworth, and quite a few from Christina Rossetti, among many other well-known poets. The pages are prolifically illustrated, some with double page, full color enchantments, some with numerous, masterful, ink drawings. 

This is such a beautiful book, and will suit children ages 3 to 12 very nicely. 

Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry, collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, illustrated by Polly Dunbar

This package of delight for toddlers lives up to its name — it’s a fantastic choice for a first book of poems.

Bursting with vivacious color, charmingly capricious children, and buckets of happiness, it will draw children in like a candy store window.

Polly Dunbar’s illustrations are adorable and winsome and happy. Every single page sings out with love, and lovely multi-racial families, and sunshine and fair weather, yet there is a lovely distinction to the pages — each one is unique and enticing, making it a cinch for children to recognize the page with their favorite poem.

The poems, printed in colorful letters and friendly type,  are geared for the youngest of listeners. It’s a wonderful selection, arranged as we walk through the day from morning wake-up until bedtime, by some of the best and dearest children’s poets — Dorothy Aldis, Aileen Fisher, Nikki Grimes, Mary Ann Hoberman, Margaret Mahy, A.A. Milne, and a host of others. Playful, silly, and sweet — I really love this book.

To Baby With Love — collected and illustrated by Jan Ormerod

I am a huge Jan Ormerod fan, and the little fellow in his stripey sleeper on the cover of this book is a clue as to why. What a charming baby, in such a comfy pose, with plumpness in all the right places!

This slim volume is another happy choice for the very youngest listeners — even under-twos will love it.  It holds just five poems! You can read the whole book, and then read it again…and again. The poems, simple and familiar,  are What Are We to Do?, Two Little Dicky Birds, Chickens, Five Little Ducks, and Turtle. 

There’s often only one line of a poem on a  page, so Ormerod drenches these tiny treasures in rapturous color and bold designs. I think you have never met a more winsome piglet or proud mama hen, not to mention the expressive children. Warm, bold,  cheerful — that’s the feel of this charming little book. It would make a great baby shower gift, if you can find a copy.

Poems for the Very Young, selected by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Bob Graham

Bob Graham’s loose, humorous, home-ly, style makes me smile instantaneously. So, having his jolly illustrations profusely gamboling about  this book gives it a splash of good humor right off the bat.

Michael Rosen has selected a delightful group of poems for the very young — preschool and up — including a great deal of playful, funny or nonsensical pieces that children adore.

Between the two of them, then, this is the most lighthearted book in today’s list, with dogs and toys and bedlam and chocolate smears and spilled milk and a collision or two spilling from the pages. There are quite a few poems here, all short and to the point.

A great choice for the liveliest of listeners, who will identify readily with these rambunctious playfellows, and laugh, and beg for more. My children loved hearing funny poems when they were small. They make a mighty pleasant start to a day, or a bad day better. Instant sunshine.

My Very First Mother Goose, edited by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells

Mother Goose is essential children’s literature. These  marvelous bits of our culture, the rhythms and word play, the famous and beloved characters, the shocking tales, the nonsense, the ease with which a teensy rhyme can be learned by heart to use while slogging through tiresome tasks or what-have-you — all of this is bundled up in Mother Goose.

This selection of nursery rhymes was pulled together by Iona Opie, who I guess knew more about our folklore and nursery rhymes than just about anyone else on the planet.

Rosemary Wells’ iconic illustrations make this nice, stout volume radiate with color, burst with vitality, cajole with charm.  Who but Rosemary can draw such adorable bunnies and mice and kittens and pigs, outfit them in such dashed adorable wardrobes, and make them gush with personality?! She is a wonder.

Toddlers will be entranced by the pictures on these nice, big pages as they hear over and over and over the tale of Humpty Dumpty, the cat and the fiddle, Jack Horner, and Little Boy Blue. There are quite a few rhymes that will be unfamiliar to you as well. Immense fun!

Here are Amazon links for these magical worlds of poetry:
A Child’s Book of Poems
Here’s A Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry
Jan Ormerod’s to Baby with Love
Poems for the Very Young
My Very First Mother Goose

nonfiction nuggets…the woman who opened library doors to children

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children, by Jan Pinborough, illustrated by Debby Atwell

Anne Carroll Moore was born into a large family in Maine in 1871. She had a happy childhood, including a father who read to her daily, but her life took on sorrow when she was 20, with the deaths of both her parents in just a few days time. Her thirst for education remained strong through some difficult years and social constraints, however, and eventually she received training as a librarian.

Anne’s first job was to organize a children’s room at a small library, which was an entirely newfangled notion. Children in a library?! Making noise?! Being a nuisance?! Damaging the books?!

Anne did her research thoroughly and her new children’s room was a huge success. So much so, that she was put in charge of all the children’s rooms in all the branches of the New York City public libraries. In this position, Anne revolutionized the experience of children and books, not only in New York, but across America and around the world.

This loving, fascinating biography of Anne Carroll Moore will warm your heart  if you have any attachment whatsoever to children’s literature. What a marvelous gift she was to all of us, and I had never heard of her. A delightful woman to meet in these joyous pages.

Debby Atwell’s acrylic illustrations burst with the same vivid color and bustle and creativity and friendly charm that Miss Moore must have had coursing through her veins. Truly delightful.

Also included are the author’s notes about other “trailblazing librarians,” further information on Anne Carroll

Anne Carroll Moore

Moore, a couple beautiful, historical photographs of her, and a list of sources.

Brand new this year, this fresh, inspiring biography is perfect for ages 5 to 100. I loved it!

Here’s the Amazon link:  Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children

fiction favorites…Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

The Bailey Brothers, of course, were the sons of world-famous detective Harris Bailey. They helped their dad solve his toughest cases, and they had all sorts of dangerous adventures, and these adventures were the subject of the fifty-eight shiny red volumes that made up the Bailey Brothers Mysteries…
Steve had already read all the Bailey Brothers books. Most of them he had read twice. A few he’d read three times. His favorite Bailey Brothers mystery was whichever one he was reading at the time. That meant that right now, as Steve lay on his lumpy bed, his favorite book was Bailey Brothers #13: The Mystery of the Hidden Secret…which ended like this:
“Jumping jackals!” dark-haired Shawn exclaimed, pointing to the back wall of the dusty old parlor. “Look, Kevin! That bookcase looks newer than the rest!”
“General George Washington!” his blond older brother cried out. “I think you’re right!”

Steve Brixton, twelve years old, is a colossal fan of the Bailey Brothers mystery series and is determined to follow in their footsteps as an ace detective. He’s even got his very own, genuine, Bailey Brothers detective license (costing twelve cereal box tops plus $1.95 for shipping and handling.)

When Steve heads down to the library to research an ordinary school paper, however, he is abruptly swept up in a mysterious adventure beyond his wildest imagination. Secret agents, worldwide espionage rings, midnight prowlings, danger, captivity, and an epic criminal mastermind to foil — all this implodes upon him and his chum, Dana.

Will Steve and Dana dodge the bad guys, crack the codes, and solve the mystery involving a prized national secret?! That’s the thrilling story in this book!

This is the first in a jeepers-creepers-terrific series by Mac Barnett loaded with hilarious, over-the-top crime solving, courtesy of Steve and Dana. It’s a delightful spoof on the Hardy Boys, a fast-paced mystery/adventure, with a lovable, earnest hero. Fantastic read for anyone in the 3rd to 7th grade age range, with great appeal for boys (of course) and a title to keep in mind for reluctant readers over the summer.

There are 3 more Brixton Brothers adventures already, so you can dive right into a sequel if you like.

Here’s an Amazon link:

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (Brixton Brothers)

birds of a feather…a fabulous flock of five books about birding

Look up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard, written and illustrated by Annette LeBlanc Cate

Robins hopping across the grass, drilling their beaks into the earth, snagging a worm.
Pigeons strutting, flashing their metallic sheen, nabbing bits of stale popcorn on the sidewalk.
Mallard ducks, emerald capped, lounging on ponds with their soft-brown mates.

One nice thing about birds is that no matter where you are, there are almost certainly birds about for you to watch and enjoy, and even these most common birds I’ve just mentioned have a beauty and delight worth noticing.

Annette Cate has written a fantastic new book packed with sunny advice on how to begin looking more carefully at the birds around us. She is all about urging us to observe, sketch, and identify these feathered beauties. “The point is,” she says, “spending time outside observing life and drawing in a sketchbook can help you to see the world in a whole new way.” Exactly true!

Cate entices us into the hobby of birding and nature-sketching with fascinating information parceled out in manageable bits, punctuated with loads of witty banter by birds and humans alike in conversation bubbles that beg to be read, and illustrated profusely in imaginative, sketchbook styling.

Gorgeous color wheels of birds, close-ups of feet and beaks to help us hone in on what to spot first, bird behaviors to watch for, a lesson on field markings, a guide to field guides, and short introductions to topics like bird ranges, classification, migration…there is so much information crammed into this one small book, handled so artistically and winsomely. It’s not a one-sitting book; it’s a lovely resource to have on hand along with sketchbook, colored pencils, and beginning field guide (as well as some cookies, probably) to open up a glorious doorway to nature study, outdoor ramblings, and the wonder of birding for kids and adults of all ages.

Birds of a Feather, by Francisco Pittau and Bernadette Gervais

Holy Moly! It’s a book! It’s a puzzle! It’s a treasure chest! It’s so much fun, and it’s all about birds!

This jumbo-sized book (15 x 11 inches) contains one heavy-duty page after another filled with fascinating and clever flaps to lift, pictures to pop up, and puzzle pieces to flip. Riveting illustrations. Highly unusual displays. Oodles of bird facts. Irresistable!

Flip up a silhouette to learn about the bird with that crazy crest or those knobby knees. Choose from a dozen large flaps with close ups of gorgeous wings to find out which bird sports these beautifully colored feathers. Open the variously-speckled and sized eggs to see who will hatch.  Match up all the right flaps to construct one of six exotic birds. Unlock the jigsaw pieces to discover who is spying out at you.

Originally published in France, this is one of the most unusual books I’ve seen, and sure to spark curiosity in anyone with a heartbeat. Grab this one for kids of any age or just for yourself!

For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson, by Peggy Thomas, illustrated by Laura Jacques

Roger Tory Peterson’s field guides to birds are some of the most familiar on the shelves, but I’m going to bet that most of us know very little about this man and his vast contributions to conservation as well as ornithology.

Like so many naturalists, Peterson fell in love with nature as a child (a great reason, by the way, to get your kids out of doors from babyhood on!) pressing wildflowers, collecting moths, and eagerly participating in his local Junior Audubon Club. A chance encounter with a startled flicker inspired his lifelong study of birds.

Peterson grew up at a time when the only available field guides to birds were scholarly tomes whose descriptions were quite unhelpful for identifying birds in the wild. His painstaking observations, sketches, and notes allowed him to teach others how to identify birds much more easily, and his first, innovative field guide was an instant success. In addition, his lifelong studies led him to decry the effect of DDT years before Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, and to travel the world advocating for the protection of birds.

Peggy Thomas’ biography is an interesting account of a man who recevied an incredible array of honors throughout his life, yet is largely unknown by most of us today. Fascinating details of his childhood, his birding techniques, and his life of devotion to these lovely creatures, are engagingly written for ages 7 and older. It’s a bit lengthier than many picture-book biographies, with mixed media illustrations and some nice ink drawings.

Bird Talk: What Birds Are Saying and Why, written and illustrated by Lita Judge

Far more easy than spotting birds, is hearing them. Chirping, warbling, pipping, cawing…if we hold still and listen, so many sounds meet us. What do all these sounds mean?

Sometimes they mean: Pay attention to me!
Sometimes: Be careful there, young’un!
Sometimes: I’m hungry, mama!

Lita Judge has provided this delightful sort of catalog of birds, describing the various calls they make and their purposes. Her magnificent illustrations flood the pages with life and delight and motion. The darling-ness of chicks and the strength of hawks in flight, the ostentatious dances and displays, and the glorious array of colorful feathers grab our attention with every page turn.

Perfect tidbits of information accompany each spotlit bird, expanding our sense of wonder as we begin to grasp the array of ideas communicated by their music, as well as other types of bird behaviors.  It’s an incredibly engaging book for preschoolers and up.

Included is a list with thumbnail illustrations of each bird and a few more facts plus their habitats and ranges, a glossary of bird terminology,  and a lovely Author’s Note tracing Lita Judge’s fascinating background in birding, growing up with ornithologists for grandparents. Love this book!

Puffling Patrol, by Ted and Betsy Lewin

Off the coast of Iceland, a cluster of islands host “one of the largest puffin colonies in the world.” The birds migrate here by the hundreds of thousands in springtime, living in burrows in the rocky cliffs.

Now, here’s the odd bit. When it’s time to take off again in August, some of the little newbies get muddled by the lights of the small towns and land in the street rather than heading for the sea. This is a problem because they can’t take off again from street level. They need to launch themselves into the sea breezes from cliffside.

Puffling Patrol to the rescue! Out go the local kids, armed with boxes and flashlights, to gather up these little fellows, get them inspected by the team of biologists, then re-launch them from the beaches.

Ted and Betsy Lewin have quite the dream gig, traveling about the world experiencing these amazing places, meeting such interesting people, then writing and illustrating it for all of us to thoroughly enjoy! I certainly have enjoyed many, many of their books. This one is absolutely fascinating, as we learn about these delightful birds, the research being done in Iceland, and follow twin 8-year-olds as they care for the birds in their unique island homeland.

Of course, the writing and illustrations are superb. There are several additional pages with facts about puffins and information about an enormous volcanic eruption 40 years ago which threatened these islanders’ homes, plus a glossary and handy pronunciation guide for those Icelandic words sprinkled in the text.  Fantastic choice for kindergarteners and up.

Here are Amazon links for this fine-feathered collection:

Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard
Birds of a Feather
For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson
Bird Talk: What Birds Are Saying and Why
Puffling Patrol

poetry friday

The Reading Mother
by Strickland Gillilan

I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
“Blackbirds” stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings–
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be–
I had a Mother who read to me.

nonfiction nuggets…our kite-flying, wise-cracking, proverb-writing, patriot

Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, written and illustrated by Robert Byrd

Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706, long after the Renaissance, yet if anyone could be called a true Renaissance man, it would be Ben. He was a scholar, printer, writer, entrepreneur, traveler, community organizer, philosopher, journalist, editor, politician, jokester, inventor, social benefactor, postmaster, publisher, scientist, diplomat, orator. How any one person could cram so much into one lifetime is truly astonishing.

Composing a biography of Franklin for children, then, is a demanding task. Robert Byrd’s book, new in 2012, does a beautiful job of displaying the breadth of Franklin’s interests and service, and revealing the motivations and aspirations of this incredibly hard-working person. In Byrd’s own words, he attempted to be

Franklin by Joseph Duplessis

“evenhanded” as well as include what he guessed “Dr. Franklin himself might have considered worthy of telling.” These strike me as excellent parameters, and his book is clear, vivid, respectful and fascinating.

Byrd arranges his material on two-page spreads that explore a particular facet or period of Franklin’s life. He narrates the story of his life beginning with his birth in Boston, the youngest of fourteen children, and continuing with his schooling and apprenticeships in which Franklin’s inclinations began to guide him, his  printing and writing,and the many reforms he instituted in Philadelphia. Byrd includes a hefty discussion of his scientific experimentation, his meetings with the Six Nations, the French and Indian War, the Revolution, and his lengthy diplomatic work, concluding with Franklin’s position on slavery and work for abolition. 

That’s a great survey. It’s a fairly lengthy book, geared for upper elementary and older.

It’s a beautiful book, too, and that’s a key point. Despite a considerable amount of text, this book has great visual appeal. Using ink and watercolor, Byrd has created elaborate, intricate illustrations that tremendously aid our conception of everything from the printing press to a Leyden jar, to the court of Versailles, to Franklin’s sedan chair. The paint colors and fashions and architecture and scientific equipment were all thoroughly researched. 

Sprinkled here and there throughout the book in quaint frames are Franklin-isms, which are also printed en masse on the endpapers. There are some interesting Author’s Notes, a thorough timeline, and a very nice bibliography with suggestions for young readers as well. 

Many biographies of Franklin have been written. I love the scope of this one, the fact that Byrd does not talk down in the least to his readers, and the really, exceptional artwork here that enhances our understanding. Winner of a Sibert Honor for children’s nonfiction in 2013.

Here’s an Amazon link:Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin