Word Lovers UNITE! (With E.B. White and Others...)

The back story as to how I discovered this delightful new biography for children about E.B. White is rather sad...

It involves my favorite children's bookshop, Once Upon a Storybook, which (until it closed a couple of weeks ago) was one of the three children's bookstores here in Orange County. 

I had stopped in to make some purchases and say goodbye, reminiscing about the first time I took my grandson and my goddaughter there three years ago.  :..(

My grandson and my goddaughter, peeking in the window
during their first visit to Once Upon a Storybook.

The owner, Miss Susie, is the sweetest woman in the world. She loves children's books, and she recommended Some Writer! The Story of E.B. White to me.  I wish her all the best in her future book endeavors (I know those endeavors will not stop!)  

This captivating biography (for grades 3-7), written and illustrated by the gifted Melissa Sweet, will immediately draw you into the childhood world of Elwyn White (1899-1985) as he chases words through dictionary pages and weaves them into poems for St. Nicholas magazine.

Elwyn Brooks White became a writer while he was still wearing knickers.  He was seven or eight years old when he looked a sheet of paper "square in the eyes" and thought, "this is where I belong, this is it."

You'll follow him as a young man, when his love of words leads him to big city newspapers and a brand new publication, The New Yorker (where he worked with writers like John Updike and James Thurber).  

Of course you'll also learn the backstories about his most-loved spins, Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, which were written from his farm in Maine during his mid-life years.

Melissa Sweet uses White's own letters, photos, journals, sketches, and manuscripts - interspersed with her fun, original collaged art - in this wonderful glimpse into the life of beloved author, E.B. White.

Young writers will be inspired by Melissa Sweet's inclusion of E.B. White's revision work on Strunk and White's Elements of Style (1959) - true evidence of his love of the written word.  White's most famous writing advice?  "Omit needless words".

If you've got a word lover/grammar nerd in the family, I have a couple more book recommendations for today:

The ABeCeDarian Book (1964) by Charles W. Ferguson.  This engaging book is a treasure for adults and kids alike.

An alphabet book of big words for adults with the curiosity of children and for children with the capacity of adults.

Jacket: "In this delightful book, Charles Ferguson spins out the life histories of words of all kinds - pretty, sad, or scientific.  He tells you all their secrets, using unforgettable anecdotes as well as solid linguistic facts, so that each word becomes known in its fullest sense..."

And one more:
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation (grades 7 and up) by Lynne Truss.

A friend of mine recently introduced me to this hilarious tribute to punctuation.  The title is based on a joke:

A panda walks into a cafe.  He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit.  The panda produces a badly punctated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says, at the door.  "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

"Panda.  Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China.  Eats, shoots and leaves."

Get ready to laugh as you brush up on punctuation.  There's also a very simplified version for young children (grades 1-3).

All the books I highlighted today would be great reads for inquisitive older children who are curious about words and language - and a great introduction for those who aren't (yet)!

The d'Aulaires: Artists and Historians

Edgar Parin was born in Switzerland on September 30, 1898. He took his mother's name, d'Aulaire, when he became an artist.

Edgar and Ingri d'Aulaire

Edgar met Ingri Mortenson at art school in Munich in 1921. The couple married in Norway, then moved to Paris. As Bohemian artists, they often talked about emigrating to America. “The enormous continent with all its possibilities and grandeur caught our imagination,” Edgar later recalled. They immigrated to New York in 1929.

The couple collaborated on their first children's book, The Magic Rug, at the suggestion of a New York city librarian in 1931. Next came three books - the first of which is Ola - steeped in the Scandinavian folktales of Ingri’s childhood in Norway.

What a cute book!!!  source

Next they shifted their attention to books featuring American heroes such as Pocohantas, Benjamin Franklin and Buffalo Bill, before turning to the realm of mythology.

The husband and wife team eventually produced over 20 picture books for children. The D'Aulaires established the picture book biography as a valued staple of library collections. They worked as a team on both the art and text throughout their joint career.

here - from Beautiful Feet Books

Originally, the d'Aulaires used stone lithography for their illustrations. A single four-color illustration required four slabs of Bavarian limestone (one for each color), with each stone weighing up to two hundred pounds! The technique gave their illustrations a wealth of authentic detail and vibrancy. 

source

In the early 1960s, when this process became too expensive, the d’Aulaires switched to acetate sheets which closely mimicked the texture of lithographic stone. (Many of the old stones are now housed in the University of Minnesota's Kerlan Collection.)

The d’Aulaires' career spanned nearly five decades. They were working on a new book when Ingri died in 1980 at the age of seventy-five. Edgar continued working until he died in 1985 at the age of eighty-six.

Abraham Lincoln received a Caldecott Medal in 1940 and the d'Aulaires received the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for "distinguished contribution to children's literature." The D'Aulaire's Trolls was a New York Times outstanding book of 1971.

[sources: New York Review Books and The Children's Literature Network.]

Have you seen their picture books for young children?  Book of Animals, Too Big, and The Two Cars - here, for ages 2-5.

Or their folklore collection? Norse Myths, Trolls, The Terrible Troll Bird - here, for ages 5-12.

here, for ages 5-12

THE SECRET INGREDIENT: LEARNING (& FUN!)

Most children enjoy helping their parents with cooking. Especially when kids are just starting to read, cooking is not only a good family bonding experience, but a great learning activity too. Cooking involves math, science, thinking skills and...reading!

Watch for this new children's picture book biography
    about Julia Child,  coming out in May 22,  2012!

So grab an apron and a cookbook! You can point out words in the recipe, while you explain to your child how the words correlate to what you're doing as you measure and bake. Grocery shopping is also a great way to help kids get involved in reading - they can help you read labels as you search for the recipe ingredients!

Playing with your food...
I recently blogged about food-themed books - you can find "My Top Ten Picture Books About Food" post here.  What about book-themed food? Here are some fun ideas:

Eric Carle's Hungry Caterpillar lunches...

from My Food Looks Funny

from Nurture Store

A pretty Princess and the Pea Cake...

from Family Fun

Pigeon Cake...

From an Edible Books Festival

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs...

from Parents Magazine (photo Tara Donne)

Here's a short trailer for the brand new book titled Funny Food, by Bill and Claire Wurtzell.  It's got 365 "fun, healthy, silly, creative breakfasts" for you to make with or for your kids.  You won't believe some of the creations!



 Another unique book is Once Upon a Recipe, by Karen Greene...More than fifty delicious, healthy recipes with cooking tips and  allusions to works of children's literature. For instance: Babar's Carob French Toast, Shakespeare's Breakfast Sandwiches, Rumpelstiltskin's Pillow, and Bambi's Salad Bowl.

As Julia would say: "Bon Appetit!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. DICKENS!

“Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.”
- Charles Dickens

Yesterday, I took you on a little "deskchair journey" of Charles Dickens' haunts in and around London, as they look today - via photos from the internet, thanks to Google.  (You can take it again, by clicking HERE.)

In honor of his 200th birthday today, I'd like to tell you about a beautiful biographical picture book illustrated by Diane Stanley. Her paintings will take you through Dickens' life - from his boyhood to adulthood - showing how the places he lived looked during his lifetime. You'll be delighted with Stanley's accurate portrayals of 19th Century fashion, architecture, and design.  The book is Charles Dickens: The Man Who Had Great Expectations, co-authored by Diane Stanley and her husband, Peter Vennema.

For a comprehensive list of books by and about Charles Dickens (for all age ranges) go HERE.

FEBRUARY: A PRESIDENTIAL MONTH

If you're looking for some captivating children's picture books about our two U.S. presidents born in February - Abraham Lincoln on the 12th and George Washington on the 22nd - you won't be disappointed with the choices available from BEAUTIFUL FEET BOOKS!  These books and their authors (who also happen to be the illustrators) are exceptional! 

EDGAR AND INGRI D'AULAIRE BOOKS

George Washington

Abraham Lincoln

The D'Aulaires (husband and wife) began writing and illustrating picture book biographies that were first published for young children in the 1930's. The figures in their colorful folkart style drawings almost have a paper-doll look, which appeals greatly to kids. (In fact their illustrations of George Washington are intentionally supposed to help children conjure up images of rocking horses and toy soldiers!)  All their books are historically accurate and full of authentic detail, a result of the couple's countless hours of research at libraries and their travel to historic sites for each of their books.  And the results are breathtakingly beautiful books! (1st - 6th grade)


  
GENEVIEVE FOSTER BOOKS

George Washington's World

Abraham Lincoln's World

Genevieve Foster's books present a cross-section of history. Her historical figures are introduced and explored amidst the interconnecting events going on around the world at that time in the areas of politics, science, art, literature, and medicine. In the 1940's, her new approach to historical literature, versus just showing biographical subjects in isolation, really brought their stories to life for her young readers. She developed this style of writing from struggling herself, as a student, to better learn and understand history. Her own vivid line drawings, detailed maps, and timelines wonderfully complete these books. (4th grade and up)

BEAUTIFUL FEET BOOKS is a publisher and curriculum source especially loved by homeschooling families.  You can learn more about these titles, and order from their online catalog, here on their website. 

DIANE STANLEY: COMBINING ART, WRITING, AND DESIGN

Diane Stanley really takes the research process of her illustrated biographies for children seriously - and has fun in the process!  Her husband, Peter Vennema is co-author of many of her books because he does much of the preliminary library research for the material most pertinent to her chosen subject.  They then read the material, with Peter giving his input and later helping with editing. This husband and wife team travel together and visit different countries as part of Diane's research for her latest upcoming book. She enjoys visiting where her subjects lived and walking where they walked (if possible!)

Diane got interested in writing for children after receiving her Masters Degree in 1970, getting married, and becoming a mother.  She says:
Suddenly everything changed.  Though I continued to work as a freelance medical illustrator, my heart began to move in a different direction. As I spent hour after hour, cuddling with my kids on the couch, turning the pages of a book, I kept thinking: "This is what I’d really like to do. This is important." Children’s books combined art, writing, and design, all things I liked to do. More important, they opened the minds of young readers and helped bring families together. I wanted to be a part of something like that.

Diane's picture book biographies make great read aloud stories for children ages 7 and up.  Her illustrations are full-color  Gouache paintings.  Here's a sampling of some of her beautiful work...

PETER THE GREAT  Peter was ten when he became the crowned tsar of Russia.  He eventually achieved his goal of bringing modern change to Russia (not all welcome) that he learned from visiting Western Europe.  He also built a naval port and a new glittering capital city, St. Petersburg, on what had been a swampy wilderness.  Detailed illustrations of the people and countryside of Russia.



BARD OF AVON:  THE STORY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Using the few facts actually known about William Shakespeare, Diane has done a wonderful job of drawing us into Shakespeare's Elizabethan world of theater, actors, politics, and his plays.




CHARLES DICKENS:  THE MAN WHO HAD GREAT EXPECTATIONS Gorgeously illustrated book about one of the world's best loved writers, with accurate portrayals of 19th Century fashion, architecture, and design.





Go to Diane Stanley's website to learn more about her and see more of her wonderful books.

BOOKS THAT TRANSPORT US AND HELP US LEARN MORE ABOUT OURSELVES...

"But in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like the night sky in the Greek poem, I see with myriad eyes, but it is still I who see. Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do." -C.S. Lewis

My children and I really enjoyed traveling through books to far off lands and different centuries and meeting the people (and humanized animals!) who inhabited them, while coming back to ourselves at the same time by sharing with the characters not only their adventures, but also finding a common boundary of ideas and feelings about family and friendship, loyalties and truths. We would always return with a new perspective on others and a renewed perspective of ourselves...

FOLKTALE/MYTHOLOGY:

TALES OF A CHINESE GRANDMOTHER, by Frances Carpenter. (Ages 9-12) Wonderful folktales of the Chinese culture, told by an old grandmother. Each chapter is a different tale.

THE CHILDREN'S HOMER, by Padraic Colum. Exquisite pen and ink illustrations by Willy Pogany. (Ages 9-12) My kids were entranced by this telling of Greek mythology because it allowed us to see the Greeks through their own eyes.

FANTASY:

THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD (series), by Lynne Reid Banks. (Ages 8-12) Exciting, absorbing, and thought provoking story, alive with magic as two boys discover they can bring their toys to life by putting them in an old medicine cabinet that one of them receives - along with a small plastic Indian - for his birthday. They are faced with the responsibility of this tiny person and the consequences of their actions. Gives new meaning to the phrase, "the dignity of human life".

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA (series), by C.S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes (Ages 8-12). It is so evident in these stories that Lewis respects children's imaginations - he does not dumb-down evil or sugar-coat goodness. At the same time, there is a wonderful sense of the everyday in these incredible fantasy books - hearth and home and the honest decency of ordinary characters who are movtivated by love!!! The children, talking animals and creatures, and especially the great Lion, Aslan, will become endearing companions that your children will never forget.

REDWALL (series), by Brian Jacques, illustrated by Gary Chalk. (ages 8-12). This series was read to my children by their father and I'm not sure who enjoyed the reading more, him or them! All the characters are animals, mostly mice and mostly heroic, with the exception of the villian, Cluny the one-eyed rat, and his horde. Matthias, a novice monk (mouse) at Redwall Abbey, has dedicated himself to the service of peace. But he slowly learns that, sometimes, it is virtuous to defend oneself and those one loves. (Many children have been known to read this under the covers at night with a flashlight, after read aloud time is over and dad and mom have gone to bed). Go to http://www.redwall.org/ for Brian Jacques' fun website and a list of all the books!

HISTORICAL NOVELS:

THE BRONZE BOW, by Elizabeth Speare. (Ages 9-12) Beautifully told story of a boy living in Jerusalem at the time of Christ. 1962 Newbery Medal winner. A family favorite of ours!

THE HOUSE OF SIXTY FATHERS, by Meindert DeJong, illustrated by Maurice Sendak. (Ages 9-12). The Japanese invasion of China during World War II is the backdrop for this touching story of a little boy named Tien Pao, who becomes separated from his parents. He is eventually helped by American soldiers and airmen. Throughout the search for his parents, he is determined not to despair.

BIOGRAPHY:

THE ENDLESS STEPPE, by Esther Hautzig. (Ages 10 and up). This book made a huge impression on us, probably because it is a true story and the heroine, only ten years old, never loses courage or perserverance in the face of extreme hardship after being forced to leave her beautiful home in Poland in 1942 and live in Siberia with her family because they are Jewish.