It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - August 4, 2014

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers have adapted it to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

Thanks to one of my bookseller friends letting me into her box of F&G's, I actually read 72 books last week. Granted most were picture books but there were some great ones in that stack.  Also, thanks to Carrie Gelson, I found some super wonderful ones. 

Here is what jumped out of the stack and probably a few more that I left off because I couldn't decide what to add....

Extraordinary Warren: A Super Chicken by Sarah Dillard (Aladdin, February 11, 2014) - I found this early reader about a super chicken while hanging out at Vromans. It's a lot of fun. 

Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki; Illustrated by Qin Leng (Kids Can Press, August 1, 2014) - Carrie recommended this book to me and oh it was so charming. I was thankful to be introduced to a new author. 

Inside My Imagination by Marta Arteaga; Illustrated by Zuzanna Celej (Cuento de Luz, April 1, 2013) - This was another great recommendation from Carrie Gelson. The illustrations and text were great and I loved the focus on imagination.

What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada (Compendium Inc, February 1, 2014) - I love this book about how an idea grows and expands. 

Every Day is Malala Day by Rosemary McCarney (Second Story Press, March 8, 2014) - Thank you Carrie Gelson for sending this one to me. I loved the book and can't wait to create some kind of school-wide activity around this book. 

Summoning the Phoenix: Poems and Prose About Chinese Musical Instruments by Emily Jiang (Shen's Books, March 17, 2014) - The poems were great but the information about musical instruments is what really fascinated me.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (Margaret K. McElderry, July 15, 2014) - For fans of books like Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm, this is filled with several short, dark and creepy tales with equally creepy illustrations. 

Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke (First Second, September 2, 2014) - I love this newest book from Hatke.  Great illustrations and a fun story. Put it on your TBR list.

Hug Machine by Scott Campbell (Simon & Schuster, August 26, 2014) - I really like Scott Campbell's work and well a hug machine? How can you not like it. 

Give and Take by Chris Raschka (Simon & Schuster, August 26, 2014) - Sometimes Raschka surprises me and this is one that I really like. It is a bit fablesque and I enjoyed that about the book.

Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents by Lita Judge (Roaring Brook Press, October 2014) -  I really like Lita Judge's books, and this one is no exception. I can't wait to see the final version.

So, what are you reading?

Celebrate International Friendship Day with Little Elliot

Did you know that the first Sunday in August is International Friendship Day? Well, it is.  I am celebrating friendship by sharing the book trailer for a new book called Little Elliot Big City by Mike Curato. Check out the book trailer and dates for the upcoming blog tour, and share it with a friend.

Little Elliot Big City

by Mike Curato

Henry Holt & Co (August 26, 2014)

Author Website | Author Blog

Description from GoodReads:

Amid the hustle and bustle of the big city, the big crowds and bigger buildings, Little Elliot leads a quiet life. In spite of the challenges he faces, Elliot finds many wonderful things to enjoy—like cupcakes! And when his problems seem insurmountable, Elliot discovers something even sweeter—a friend.

Check out the official Book Trailer for Little Elliot Big City:

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the Little Elliot Big City Blog Tour & Giveaway:

Little Elliot, Big City by Mike Curato | On sale August 26, 2014

 Tuesday, August 26           Librarian in Cute Shoes | @utalaniz

Wednesday, August 27     Teach Mentor Texts | @mentortexts

Thursday, August 28         Read. Write. Reflect. | @katsok 

Friday, August 29               Kit Lit Frenzy | @alybee930

Saturday, August 30          Daddy Mojo | @daddymojo

Sunday, August 31             Sharp Reads | @colbysharp 

                 Watch. Connect. Read. | @mrschureads

                 Nerdy Book Club | @nerdybookclub

Monday, September 1      Miss Print | @miss_print

YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL Blog Tour & Giveaway

I am excited today to welcome Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant to Kid Lit Frenzy.  Their first picture book YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL comes out this Tuesday, August 5, 2014. 

Hi Anna & Christopher - First, I would like to say that I loved YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL. One of the things I enjoyed about the book was the idea that in addition to being a picture book, it can easily double as an easy reader for children just beginning to read. Consequently, it seemed to have a bit of a Dr. Seuss quality to it. So, I was wondering what inspired you to write this story in this style?

Thank you so much for your kind words. We’re both thrilled that you enjoyed the book. The writing style wasn’t a conscious decision but it naturally emerged from the dialogue, starting with the first confrontational sentence. In fact, the debate that the creatures have with each other is a conversation I’ve played out in my head since I was a child. I remember feeling indignant when told, “You are X,” or “You are not Y.” Kids do this all the time (as do adults), but as I grew older, I realized that these labels were someone else’s subjective perspective and not necessarily my truth or the whole truth. The story and writing style is a reflection of that revelation.

In most cases, writers and illustrators do not have contact with one another and communication is done through editors. In your case, there would not necessarily be a need for a middle person. This can be good and this can be...well it can be a bit of a challenge.  How was it working together? Were there any challenges?

Anna: We’re still married, so that’s a good sign! Of course, for me, having Chris right downstairs was a huge bonus. I knew I didn’t want these creatures to be human or a particular animal and I could express that to Chris, who was on board with that idea from the beginning. After that point, I had to learn to keep quiet and let him do his job. Which he sometimes/often had to kindly remind me. That was the biggest challenge for me because I was trained as a visual storyteller, so when I write, I picture everything. But I’m pretty certain it was a lot tougher for Chris because I’m so opinionated. Fortunately, we’re both thrilled with the way the book came out. And we’re still talking to each other.

Christopher: Having Anna as the in-house writer to bounce ideas off of was such an asset for me. Luckily, we both have similar sensibilities so we were already on the same page when we discussed the writing and illustration. Once we found the creative space for each of us to have our own vision for the book (an important step), then we were able to move forward together and benefit from each other’s strengths. Not surprisingly, it was a like a marriage in that regard.

 Anna - I noticed in your bio on the jacket flap that you like to read, travel, laugh, eat, and nap. What was the last book you read that made you laugh out loud?

 It’s been a while, but off the top of my head: Naked by David Sedaris, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and Bossypants by Tina Fey.

 One place you would love to travel to?

There are so many places I’d love to visit: Africa, Eastern Europe, India, Turkey, and more specifically, Angkor Wat, Petra, Machu Picchu, the Pyramids, and a bunch of places in the U.S.

 Favorite hole in the wall restaurant? 

The food trucks in Los Angeles, In-N-Out Burger, and Sao Mai in the East Village. Sao Mai has great pho.

Are you a cat-napper or long afternoon naps?

I’m definitely a cat-napper. After a fifteen-minute snooze, I feel human again.

Christopher - How was the process of completing a picture book similar or different from the cartoons that you draw for The New Yorker? 

I found the process to be very different. With my New Yorker cartoons, I’m the sole author and artist so it’s one direct path from my brain to the page. Also, since it’s only a single panel cartoon in black and white, the execution is quick.

As the illustrator for You Are (Not) Small, I had the opportunity to focus on Anna’s wonderful characters and bring them to life visually. I enjoyed the process of working in color, creating characters and having fun with their personalities. The visual timing for humor in a children’s book is so different than that of New Yorker cartoons as well. Being able to do both types of art was amazingly rewarding.

Children are faced with hundreds of images every day.  The concept of visual literacy has become more and more critical in learning to read. Any advice for teachers who may not be as comfortable with teaching visual storytelling?

I don’t know if I’m qualified to give advice to teachers! Since the days when humans lived in caves, we have been expressing ourselves and exploring our world visually. Visual storytelling is a fundamental part of our evolution as a species. I think most people will remember a fact or concept when it’s presented visually. When combined with words, it’s even more powerful. 

Any new projects that you are working on that you can tell us about?

The “sequel,” That’s (Not) Mine, will be published in August 2015.

What is your favorite independent bookstore and why?

Anna: Montclair Book Center in New Jersey because of its vibe and the sheer volume and diversity of its used books. You can easily spend an afternoon browsing. Vroman’s in Pasadena, California, because it was my haven after I had my first child.

Christopher: I love the Strand and Argosy in New York City. And almost any old, used bookstore where I can find New Yorker cartoon collections.

About the illustrator and author: 

Christopher Weyant's work has been published worldwide in books, newspapers, magazines, and online.  His cartoons are in permanent collection at The Whitney Museum of American Art and The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.  Anna Kang received her MFA from USC's School of Cinematic Arts.  YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL is their first children's book; they are currently at work on a sequel.  They live with their children in New Jersey.

Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Christopher Weyant from YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL by Anna Kang. 

Check out the other stops on the YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL Blog Tour:

Mon, Jul 28        Cracking the Cover         http://www.crackingthecover.com/

Tues, Jul 29       As They Grow Up            http://www.astheygrowup.com/

Wed, July 30      Susan Heim on Parenting      http://susanheim.blogspot.com/

Thurs, July 31     5 Minutes for Books         http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/feature-columns/5-minutes-for-books/

Fri, Aug 1             Kid Lit Frenzy                     http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/

Mon, Aug 4        Geo Librarian                     http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/

Tues, Aug 5      Just a Little Creativity       http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/

Wed, Aug 6       Children's Book Review   http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/

Thurs, Aug 7     Children's Book Review   http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/

Fri, Aug 8          Once Upon a Story          http://mariaburel.com/

Thank you to Two Lions for offering a copy of YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL to one lucky reader.  Complete the Rafflecopter below in order to enter the giveaway. Participants must have a US mailing address. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World

Thank you everyone for all of the great posts each week for the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2014.  ​

Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and their Noses) Save the World

Nancy F. Castaldo

HMH Books for Young Readers (July 8, 2014)

Ages: 9 to 13

Nonfiction * Animals * Dogs * Senses

IndieBound * WorldCat

Kirkus Review | Author Website 

Description from the Publisher:

Anyone who has ever spent time with a dog knows that dogs love sniffing! They sniff out hidden food, dirty socks, and the visitor who comes to the door. But some dogs work with police officers, soldiers and even scientists to put their "sniffers" to work. Sniffer dogs make use of the amazing biology behind their noses to protect people from bombs, catch criminals smuggling drugs, or help researchers locate a hard to find snail in a forest.
A dog's nose is so sensitive that if a human could see as well as a dog could smell, we would be able to see the small letters on an eye chart from four (four!) miles away. Is it any wonder then that dogs can be trained to find missing people in piles of rubble or a certain flower blooming amongst hundreds or thousands of other smells?

In Sniffer Dogs you will meet many dogs and their handlers and learn all about their jobs. Some of these dogs are raised from birth to detect blood sugar levels in their owners. Others are rescued from animal shelters and their boisterous personalities help make them excellent sniffer dogs. Featuring a balance between science and social science, Sniffer Dogs will appeal to dog lovers and science lovers alike. 

My thoughts on this book:

Children love dogs, and learning about dogs and their incredible ability to detect things with their noses can make for fun and informative reading. Nancy Castaldo has created a comprehensive look at Sniffer Dogs.  This 160 page book is packed full with information. Readers are provided facts about the relationship between dogs and their handlers, the science behind sniffing, and various types of tasks that sniffer dogs can perform with amazing accuracy. Facts and information are intertwined with stories about real sniffer dogs and how they perform their jobs.

Sniffer Dogs is written in an engaging way and it allows students to either read straight through or jump around a bit to learn about specific types of sniffer dogs.  The end includes several pages of additional resources including suggested reading, websites, glossary, and more.   

This is a book that is worth including in your classroom or school library, and one that students will find fascinating.

Video - Zuma: Early Puppy Detection Training:

Video: The Ultimate in Bomb Sniffing Dogs/CNN:

Video: Training a Sniffer Dog

​Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Slice of Life - Readers & Writers

Remember my 13 year old niece that I have mentioned in previous Slice posts? Her name is Jax and she decided this summer to write a novel. Unlike adults, she doesn't have daily word totals to meet or a deadline.  She has created character profiles, a general outline, and what type of weapons her characters would use in a battle.  Jax has also discovered that you can fall in love with your characters and they can surprise you with what they do.   

Recently, Jax let me read her WIP.  As I read, I noticed that her writing clearly marks her as a reader.  Throughout the pages of dialogue and action and even descriptive language, I can see the influence of the books that she has read.  The adventure, fantasy, and dystopian novels that she has devoured over the years act as unofficial mentor texts for her writing.  I wonder how aware she is about this, or if the stories are so embedded in the fabric of who she is as both a reader and a writer that it has become a natural extension?

Today, I had lunch with a teacher colleague and friend.  She has a daughter who is a couple of years younger than Jax but also a voracious reader. As we were talking about some literacy projects for the fall, she told me about entering her daughter's room the other day.  When she walked in, her daughter Andy was surrounded by books and she too was writing her own novel.  Andy explained to her mom that she wasn't copying from the books because that would be plagiarism but that she was using them to learn about the elements she would need in her novel. Smart kid. 

I had to smile because neither of these girls probably even know the term "mentor texts", yet both of them are more aware of how the writing of others influence their writing. What an amazing testimony to the power of books on a child's academic and personal life.

As I think about returning to work and training and coaching teachers to improve reading and writing instruction, I want for all our students what I see in Jax and Andy. I want them to love reading. I want to see that whether they are native language speakers or acquiring a new language that books can be a gateway for learning that goes beyond what can happen solely in the classroom.  And I want them to never doubt that they are both readers and writers.