TCTELA 2015

This weekend, I attended one day of the TCTELA Conference in Houston. I was honored to present with book friends (and esteemed colleagues) Teri Lesesne, Donalyn Miller, and Karin Perry.

Because TCTELA was celebrating its 50th anniversary, our presentation was called "50 Books in 50 Minutes". Can you imagine how difficult it was for us to name 50 books as a group? Altogether, we have read MANY books. We each chose 10 to represent a decade, then a few to represent 2005-2015.

Here are three of the books I included in my portion:

How I love this book! I love the persistence of this little kitten. He is on a quest for the unattainable. And though he finally does give up, he is rewarded. 

This book was the 2005 Caldecott Winner and also received the Charlotte Zolotow Award. The artwork is gouache and colored pencil, and perfect. 

I read this one with fourth graders as a classroom teacher years ago. I remember so many lines from this book. How brave Sarah was to leave her home in Maine!  But also, I know the children needed her so! 

Winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal as well as the Scott O'Dell Award. 

My favorite lines: "I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall." 

I saw an exhibit of Ed Young's work when it came to our area last spring. I got swallowed up in the beauty of the pieces. I walked around quietly and respectfully, taking in every image and bit of color. Lon Po Po's red and other dark colors created a surreal yet vivid backdrop for the Little Red Riding Hood story. And the panels! How glorious! 

Winner of the 1990 Caldecott Medal 

A book you could -- and should -- read again and again. 

It was a joy to present with Teri, Donalyn, and Karin. These book friends help me grow in my own love of children's literature. I am grateful for them! 

Poetry Visit

Yesterday I had a particularly wonderful moment that I just had to write about.

Two first graders walked into the library with a notebook in their hands. They walked up to me at the desk and asked if they could show me their work. I said "yes!" of course.

When they opened their notebook, I saw three lines of writing and a title . . and then a syllable count on each one. I realized that these students had written a haiku. A haiku!! (Their teacher had told them about haikus, but they didn't remember the name.) 

I could not contain my excitement! I absolutely love poetry and especially poetry written FOR or BY children.

I asked them to read it aloud to me. The haiku was about sunshine and how "cool" it was! And it was so lovely I asked them to read it to me again. I told them it was because -- as I've learned -- poetry is meant to be read aloud.

So when they read it to me again, I closed my eyes to hear the beauty of it. And it made me smile.

And I think they got the idea that this kind of stuff brings me such joy!! I know their teacher knows this, and that's probably why she sent them.  I can't thank her enough for that! 

So then I told them that we had lots of poetry books in the library! We walked over to the 811s where I pulled out some titles for them to browse through. (I wanted to show them Hi, Koo! (Scholastic, 2014) but it was checked out.)

I asked if I could display the poem in the library, and they said "Yes!" with big smiles on their faces. But they said they wanted to recopy it and illustrate it first. 

Then they walked away and I just couldn't stop smiling.

Does writing happen in the library? Yes.

Is it easy to celebrate poetry in the library? Yes. 

Those students brought me some sunshine yesterday.

Little Elliot Big Family Cover Reveal

Back in August of 2014, I was so happy to participate in a blog tour for LITTLE ELLIOT, BIG CITY -  a debut picture book by author/illustrator Mike Curato. (Read that post here.)

 

Elliot, a sweet elephant covered with pastel polka dots, really captured young readers' hearts. He lives in an apartment, turns every obstacle into a positive, and is very self-sufficient. But sometimes he feels alone and unnoticed.  Even then, he still helps Mouse who cannot reach his food, and together, they make a great team and a great pair of friends. I read this picture book to 2nd and 3rd graders because of the book's message of empathy and also because Elliot is just plain adorable! 

Now -- Little Elliot's story continues! 

In a first for my blog, I am participating in a cover reveal -- specifically, "Little Elliot, Big Reveal"!   This cover is for the second book in Elliot's story: LITTLE ELLIOT, BIG FAMILY, and it will be available on Oct. 6, 2015. 

Here is the cover:

See all the mice on the cover? These are Mouse's relatives! 

I was fortunate to have a sneak peek of the second book this week! Mike's illustrations are lively and rich with story, and they help us get to know Elliot even more.  Mouse plays a bigger role in this book, and his connection to Elliot is stronger. 

This is one of the illustrations in the book. The text is poetic and will remind readers of their own grandmothers and uncles. I love the perspective on this page. The angle and placement of Elliot help readers see just how left out Elliot feels. 

I cannot wait to see this book in its final form!

If you want to read more about Little Elliot and Mike Curato, go to Mike's blog here.

And just for good measure, watch Little Elliot's book trailer here. It's delightful!





*In an addendum to this post, I have decided to include my shoe choice for Little Elliot.
I've picked out the perfect pair of shoes for him: a pair of powder blue loafers that match his scarf! Easy to slip into and perfect for the movies or entertaining with Mouse's family!
-Cynthia Alaniz

Mock Caldecott 2015

I began our Mock Caldecott last week with third and fourth graders. Before the winter break, I had pulled out every previous Caldecott winner we had in our library and put them all on a cart. During our library time,  I discussed the award, visited the website, and booktalked a few of the winners. Using the Caldecott poster by my Smartboard, I also pointed to a few of the covers and shared more. My students asked questions about the criteria, and we talked through them together.

My students then perused through the books and discussed them with a partner.

We discussed the different artwork used, and I defined some of the terms (gouache, lithograph, collage, etc.).

Most of my student have already heard me talk about the Caldecott. (I confess that I get very excited about them at this time of year. Or any time of year really!) Originally, I had only thought about having only 3rd graders participate. But when I remembered that last year's third graders had voted in my first Mock Caldecott, I decided to include them, too. 

I have drawn up a ballot that will simply ask readers to list their first, second, and third choices. I will remind them of the criteria beforehand. We will vote this coming week, and I will ask 5th graders to tabulate the results. I also will have students design our own school Mock Caldecott medal. 

And finally, although it was extremely difficult to do, I narrowed down a list of 25 books to  these ten candidates for our Mock Caldecott 2015. (Ten books seems to be the right amount, and everyone is able to finish each one.)

Last week, our readers previewed each title after hearing me introduce each one. It was very easy to talk about them!

It was also wonderful to see my students excitedly open each book and discuss them. They definitely have their opinions! Some took notes, and I think the voting will be very close.

How exciting it will be if our school winner matches the actual winner! I cannot wait to find out on February 2nd!

I will post our winner here on Friday, Jan. 16th.

Sebastian and the Balloon by Philip C. Stead

Stead, Philip C. 2014. Sebastian and the Balloon. New York: Roaring Book Press.

I love finding picture book treasures. I could sit with one for hours, though demands on time prevent this on most normal days. Truly, there is nothing like reading a stack of picture books on a clear, free afternoon.

Regarding the book I'm blogging about here, I first remember having heard Philip Stead and his wife Erin speak at TLA last year. They were both extremely wonderful to listen to, and hearing them talk about their creative process was thrilling for me. (Philip and Erin won the Caldecott in 2011 for the wonderful Sick Day for Amos McGee.)  In short, when a book by a Stead is published (I'm including Rebecca Stead here although I do not think she is related), I am always eager to read it.

So when I first opened this book (written and illustrated by Philip), I was struck by many aspects of it: the rich colors, the main character, and yes, the end papers--red in the front, yellow in the back. (I loved thinking about that for awhile!)

Sebastian is a boy in search of adventure. He decides to embark on a hot air balloon ride because there is "nothing to see".  The balloon itself has an envelope (yes, that's what it's called) created out of patchwork quilts, expertly illustrated with geometric patterns and contrasting colors). On the first leg of his flight (equipped with a yellow kite among other things), he stops by a leafless tree to get a snack, and it is there where he meets a bear. From this point on, Sebastian and his new friend encounter more friends (a tall red bird and three elderly sisters). The story ends with a roller coaster in need of repair, some teamwork, and a bunch of annoying pigeons. And throughout the entire story another little animal plays a quiet but noticeable part: a little red bird. Have fun watching him flitter about page to page! I did.

The medium? As printed in the verso, pastels, oil paints, and pressed charcoal were used. Shifts in color are used to indicate proximity, joy, or peace. Bear's facial expressions are poignant and real. That bear is a trooper!  He leads, and works, and is in every way a companion to Sebastian (lifting arms up together on the roller coaster).

In fact, there are so many details to this book that I just keep noticing. Sebastian takes a little sailboat with him on the balloon, he eats a pickle sandwich, the three sisters are each knitting red, blue, and yellow blankets. Plus, when you get your hands on a copy, notice the change in the roller coaster. That BIG detail is fascinating, too.

It's a captivating story enhanced by illustrations that also captivate. (Seriously, after I finish this post, I'll read it again.) 

Sebastian let's us all ride along on the adventure.  And though I am not a fan of any type of roller coaster, I'd gladly ride this one with Sebastian, the bear, the tall red bird, and those three sisters.

Catching Up

The holiday break is generally a catch-up time for me, especially in the area of book-reading. I am sure it is the same for many fellow educators. A clear free day (or two) was all I needed.

I was able to get to some books that had been waiting for me for patiently. (Reviews are forthcoming.) Two have been included on several 2014 lists, FISH IN A TREE is out the first week of February, and ECHO will be available on February 25th.

I also read some wonderful picture books, including the two below.

Watch the trailer here. The music is quite lively! I love the size of the owl's eyes in this one.





I also read this delightful bear book. I think I read this one at least five times. I also feel the need to bake the cake featured in this book. Thankfully, author Anika Denise includes the recipe at the back of the book.

Watch the trailer for this book here.




I not only caught up (somewhat) on my reading, but I also set my 2015 Goodreads Challenge for 300 books. I surpassed my 2014 goal of 200 books and read 245. This surprised me because I know how busy the year truly was.

So with the beginning of 2015, I am also reflecting on my blogging.  I am intent this year on posting more regularly here -- dare I say daily! I want my blog to be a helpful source for teachers and librarians and a place for me to share my learning as well.

I wish you all a happy 2015! May it be filled with many, many wonderful books! I am beyond excited about the possibilities of the year!