BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY: A New Appreciation

Sweet, Melissa. (2011). Balloons Over Broadway. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. 

I first read Balloons Over Broadway (Houghton Mifflin, 2011) as a fourth grade teacher (before I became a librarian). I can still remember sitting in front of my class and opening the book as I shared it for the first time. 

This nonfiction picture book makes perfect sense as a read-aloud around Thanksgiving (the subject of the book, Tony Sarg, designed the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons). I am not the first to immediately think of this book when November rolls around. 

Last week, I brought this book out once again. And as I turned the pages to familiarize myself with the book once more,  I realized quickly that it almost wasn't the same as I remembered. Balloons Over Broadway seemed richer than I imagined. I wondered why this was. 

And then I knew. 

I was looking at this book with a different set of eyes. I was a librarian now.  After years of learning about the wonder, design, and brilliance of picture books -- I notice the details - perhaps not all of them, yet, but more than before. 

As always, the cover caught my eye first: I've since learned (from Megan Dowd Lambert) that the cover is known as "wraparound art". Open the book all the way, turn it over, and glance slowly from left to right. (The entire cover is better appreciated this way!) Even further, I noticed that the reader is given a partial underside view of the balloons, mimicking the view of a parade-goer looking upward-- authentic and tying into the real-life experience. (Before I read this book aloud, I always ask readers if they have ever seen a parade.) Next, notice also how Tony Sarg is pulling the books towards the opening of the book, inviting us to hear his story-- inviting us to open the book! 

The front endpapers reveal biographical facts about Sarg right away, with the opening of a another book about the puppeteer (details in the backmatter). And mixed in with this book are fabric scraps, letting the reader know that in this book as Melissa Sweet's creativity is paired right along with Sarg's. 

The title and copyright page should be appreciated as well: Sweet has set up a display box, filled with curious and charming objects that let the reader know the entire book will be like this: inviting, imaginative, and playful. How was this page set up? How can we do the same? (After reading it, I wanted to make my own puppets, too!)

And when we turn the page,  Sarg appears in photo form, letting readers know this book is indeed nonfiction. The placement of Sarg's quote on the opposite page, paired with this friendly-smiling puppeteer, is like a friendly introduction to Sarg -- as if we are entering his studio on a tour, and he is about to tell us about his work. 

Notice how I've spent the above four paragraphs writing solely about the cover, endpapers, and copyright page! I haven't even reached the rest of the book! 

I have so much more to say about the delightful Sweet-style and perfect illustrations -- but this post would be too long.  If I continued to write here, I would tell you about the sketches that layout Sarg's plans, or the bold, standout typography, emphasizing important points. I would tell you about Sarg's "what if" questions and think-alouds, giving readers a glimpse into the problem-solving and creative thinking of this artist and puppeteer. (This year, I know librarians with makerspaces -- like me -- found yet another way to connect with this book.) 

And if I continued to write, I would tell you about how perfectly perfect it is that Melissa Sweet is the author telling this story -- one artist introducing us to another. Sweet and Sarg both defer to each other, though one isn't physically present. 

I would tell you that this entire book involves exploration and deserves every accolade it received. 

And, so, I reach my main thought about Balloons Over Broadway -- one that initially brought me to this post:

One can appreciate a beloved book in different ways at different times. 

I was able to see so much more into this book after having read so many books in between, having heard Melissa Sweet speak at various conferences, knowing more about Sibert Medal winners, paying close attention to other books, and asking myself questions about picture book design. 

What will I see next when I read this book again? I am not entirely sure, but I am eager to find out. 

Read more about Melissa Sweet's work here! 

And if you celebrate it, have the loveliest Thanksgiving holiday! 

Texas Book Festival

Over the weekend, I attended the Texas Book Festival -- which is where you might expect to find a librarian or two -- or more! Although it was a rainy morning, the book excitement was unhampered. 

I wanted to take a minute here to tell about the session I enjoyed the most -- a panel of picture book illustrators moderated by Austin Kleon (author of Show Your Work and Steal Like an Artist). 

Panelists included:

Brendan Wenzel, author/illustrator of They All Saw a Cat (Chronicle, 2016),

Lauren Castillo, illustrator of It is Not Time for Sleeping (Clarion Books, 2016),

Carson Ellis, author/illustrator of Du Iz Tak? (Candlewick, 2016)

and Michael Hall, author/illustrator of Wonderfall (HarperCollins, 2016).  

The panelists talked about their materials and process, and Kleon kept the conversation flowing smoothly by connecting one response to another, even giving the session its own hashtag: #tbfprocess. For anyone interested in illustrations or picture books, it was an hour well-spent. As for me, I had never heard any of these illustrators present before, so I definitely considered this a treat. 

I've been studying picture books with more intent lately, so this session came at the perfect time. After I left, I promised myself I'd reread each of these books when I returned home. 

I hope to return to the Texas Book Festival next year! 

Blog Tour: Waiting for Snow by Marsha Arnold

Today is Halloween. The weather where I am is still in the 80s. Thoughts of winter are distant --though some store displays say otherwise.

But now there is WAITING FOR SNOW (HMH Kids, 2016)-- a picture book that may be able to take me to a winter wonderland after all.

I'm featuring Marsha Arnold's latest picture book on my blog today. 

Badger has been hard at work using charts and reasoning to figure out why it hasn't snowed yet. Hedgehog reassures him that snow will come, but, unconvinced, Badger takes matters into his own hands, trying everything from creating noises, throwing pebbles, and dancing to cause snowflakes to fall. Badger's friends Rabbit, Vole and Possum join in, but none of these efforts prove successful. Hedgehog continues to remind Badger of an inevitable snowfall, but joins in with the other animals in trying to fool Badger anyway with a faux snow sugar storm. When snow finally comes, the event itself isn't the main story; the highlight instead is the delightful friendship of these furry creatures, and the lengths they go to help one another. 

Interior image from WAITING FOR SNOW
Image courtesy of Marsha Arnold 

Children must wait for so many things (birthdays, holidays, summer, etc.) Readers will identify with Badger easily, not only in the waiting, but also in the comfort and companionship only steady friends provide.  As with Badger, friends bear with us through our struggles and frets, but because of their loyalty, indulge us and make anxious moments pass. 

Two other features of this book I noted: bite-size text presented in manageable paired or single lines (nestled unobtrusively within Liwska's comforting illustrations) as well as the trim size of the book (perfect width and height for a young reader to hold - big like a picture book, but smaller too like a book for older readers). 

Liwska's pencil-drawn illustrations use an appropriate wintery color palette of muted blue and cottony white, and Badger, Hedgehog, Vole, Possum, and Rabbit appear soft enough to hug. On the cover, the five animals look up expectantly at the sky, waiting for snowflakes, but also invite the reader kindly into the book. Tender details throughout the story add a layer of happiness, such as Vole licking the sugar spoon surreptitiously, or his napping during Hedgehog's engaging science lesson. 

One other very clever detail to notice is the design and placement of the bar code on the back cover. (Lately I have been looking at barcodes on picture books, especially after discussing them with our second graders last week during library time.) The barcode for Waiting for Snow is placed within a television screen broadcasting a weather report! 

As I think about this book, I think of the following questions to discuss with readers: 

What do you do while you are waiting for something to happen? 

What type of weather is your favorite? 

Waiting for Snow is perfect for a bedtime read-aloud (any season) and a lovely addition to a winter picture book reading list. 

To read more about Marsha Arnold's work visit her website here. 

Marsha Arnold
Image courtesy of Marsha Arnold 

To read more about Renata Liwska's work, her website here. 

Waiting for Snow's official publication date is Tuesday, November 1st, 2016. Tomorrow! 

What About a Book Display?

Do you enjoy book displays? I do! I love thinking them up and wondering how others will react to them. 

I was reading online somewhere that a librarian was creating a Charlotte's Web display. I thought it was a fabulous idea! So I asked one of my wonderful parent volunteers to pull spider-themed books for me (fiction and nonfiction). She created this amazing display that I will leave all the way up throughout October. 

Since it's gone up, I have had the best discussion with staff and students both about Charlotte's Web AND spiders. Coincidentally, several of our classes are using this as a read-aloud. 

I think you can tie in several genres of books together if you find one unifying theme. Once a reader loves one book, they might consider reading another if we can find way to connect it. Thinking about these possibilities for books is something I really enjoy doing! 

Although I really don't have enough space for every display in the world, I try to make good use of what I do have available.

Another good thing about book displays is that they help readers make decisions. I've seen many this past week browsing endlessly past shelves, putting down book after book --- but then walk by a display, stop, and pick one of the books for checkout. 

I know we use book talks, book trailers, and QR Codes and other tools to help us pass on good books to readers, but I won't forget the power of a simple book display to create wonder AND recommend books. 

JOURNEY by Emma Bland Smith

The cover of a picture book has enormous power. It can drawn in a reader like a magnet. 

And the cover of Journey (Sasquatch Books, 2016) by Emma Bland Smith, (illustrated by Robin James) does just that. I could imagine being on the snow-covered field with this wolf in front of me and feeling an enormous sense of awe - and fear! 

Based on a true story, Journey (a picture book) celebrated its book birthday on Oct. 11, 2016. Today, I am happy to feature my interview with author Emma Bland Smith. (My questions are in red, and the author's are in black.) P.S. Ms. Smith is also a librarian! 

How did you come to write this book? 

Back in 2012, I’d started reading newspaper articles about this rogue wolf who’d made history by crossing the border from Oregon into California and becoming the first wolf back here since 1924. He traveled almost 2000 miles, and did not encounter any other wolves (as far as we know) for about two and a half years. He did hang out with coyotes for a while, which is pretty crazy, too. We know all this because he was one of a few dozen Oregon-born wolves (there are many more now) that wore radio collars, allowing biologists to track him. Biologists figured he was looking for a mate, but it was very unusual for wolves to travel so far from home. I thought this melancholy love story had the makings of a good book to begin with, and when I learned that he had finally settled down and had a litter of pups, the happy ending was in place. The fact that some people were unhappy about his presence, and that his very life was in danger, raised the stakes and made it an even more compelling story. Then I read about the naming contest, how children had played a role in making him safe, and that clinched it. This had to become a picture book!

How did you decide to include Abby's story? 

A group called Oregon Wild sponsored a naming contest, asking kids to send in possible names for this wolf, OR7. Their goal was to draw attention to the wolf in the hopes of making him “too famous to kill” (a phrase that quickly became associated with OR7). Two children in different states sent in the name Journey. I knew this would be a big part of my book: Kids can better relate to big subjects when viewed through a child’s eyes. So I took the two kids and turned them into Abby, a fictitious character. Abby follows the wolf’s progress on the internet and through other media sources, and the reader learns about Journey, and empathizes with him, through Abby.

How did your work as a librarian influence the writing of this book? 

Although I am a reader of fiction, as a librarian, I see a lot of kids who are super interested in nonfiction. Many of these kids will happily devour a Guinness Book of World Records, or check out the whole section on cats, and those books are important. But I also really like to see nonfiction subjects given a more creative treatment, and I was excited to be able to use lyrical language and fiction techniques to write about a real-life topic that would stimulate kids’ curiosity about the world. Another trend I’m a big fan of is picture books for older readers—and this is one of those, I think (although younger kids can appreciate it, too). I absolutely adore reading picture books to fourth and fifth graders. Don’t neglect the big kids! They deserve great art, too!

Can you tell about the back matter you included in the book? I especially appreciated the timeline. 

The back matter is great, because we were able to include all the fascinating info about Journey that we couldn’t fit into the text of the story. There’s so much to learn and be inspired by here, something for everyone! There’s history—the extermination of gray wolves in America, the Endangered Species Act, the resurgence of the gray wolf. There’s geography—the way the wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone, then worked their way, over the next few decades, to Idaho, Oregon, and now California. There are photos of the real wolf OR7 and his pups (so cute!). I’m really glad you liked the timeline, too. It helps to put in perspective how long it’s been since wolves lived here, how long Journey was on the move, and also how closely biologists were able to track him thanks to his radio collar. I would love to hear of kids writing reports using the back matter!

What type of library did/do you work in? 

I work in the San Francisco Public Library system. I’m a roving sub, which means I work at a different branch every day, with different populations. No matter the branch, my favorite shifts are at the children’s desk, because I like nothing better than helping kids find the next good book to read. I also get to do story times, which is always exhilarating! The first thing I do when I get to a new site is check out the New Books shelf and read through all the picture books.

And can you complete this sentence? 

Libraries are a place where everyone is up to good! 

Thank you, Emma Bland Smith, for sharing on my blog today! 

To learn more about Smith's work, visit her website here. 

Two Middle Grade Reads

I'm sharing two middle grades today! 

(Note the appealing covers on both titles. They draw readers in!) 

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor was one of my favorite read-alouds as a classroom teacher. As I look back on what I enjoyed about this book, I realize the qualities are similar in O'Connor's latest Wish (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016).

Charlie is the main character, and her family life is less than ideal, so she is sent to live with an aunt and uncle she doesn't know. As she begins to life this new life, she notices an intriguing stray dog -- and vows to find and keep her. Tenderly and smartly written, Wish is a middle grade story about the importance of home-- no matter where we may find it. 

Love That Dog and Hate That Cat were also two highly circulated titles in my classroom -- especially when we wrote poetry. These novels in verse are two of my go-to titles. 

And now Creech's latest book Moo (HarperChildren's, 2016), becomes another title to add to this list. In this book, the main character Reena and her family have moved to Maine, encountering a very different type of life. An interesting neighbor named Mrs. Falala (who owns a cow named Zora) adds mystery to the story, and their connection plays a part in Reena's adjustment to her new home. Moo  shows us how a change of scenery changes everything - and how the people around us each have their own rich stories to tell. 

I highly recommend both books. And as I write about them here,  I know I will be rereading these for years to come. 

Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley

I'm really drawn to a book by its cover.

And when I first saw the cover of Gertie's Leap to Greatness (illustrated by Caldecott Honor Winner Jillian Tamaki), I knew I would be reading this book.

Image courtesy of Macmillan Kids

The color palette makes the book feel like a trek into the past -- reminiscent of any Beverly Cleary book.   There's a comfort promised from the beginning.

And Gertie takes over from there. In the beginning scene, she rescues a bullfrog with a kitchen tool - on a mission to have the best summer speech on the first day of school.  This opening lets readers see just what Gertie is about: determination, spunk, and a kind of surprising originality that we look for in the people around us.

The main character of of this middle grade work of realistic fiction, Gertie is starting her fifth grade year. She lives with her Aunt Rae while her father is away working on oil rigs. Gertie's mother left their family, and this fuels Gertie's drive to excel, outshine, and compete -- in every way possible in the fifth grade.

The plot moves forward in Gertie's pace -- steady and fast. Beasley's writing is the soundtrack for Gertie's movements, actions, and thoughts. We move forward with her, watching her survive, endure, and rise above all of the daily ups and downs of a fifth grader. But complicating things is the fact that Gertie's mother still lives in their town --- though she is planning on moving and starting a new life with a new family.

This need to show her mother what she's missed out on -- is what motivates Gertie to do what she does.

I admired Gertie's focus. And it makes me think of children who --- despite challenges and setbacks and less than perfect home lives -- continue to go on and strive and do --

Gertie's Leap to Greatness is a rich novel -- skillfully paced, smartly unfolding. And Gertie is that character that we won't forget -- that character that we will see and recognize in those who are themselves -- with joy and resolution.

Gertie's Leap to Greatness by debut author Kate Beasley is set for release on October 4, 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (imprint of Macmillan).

Author Kate Beasley 

Photo courtesy of Macmillan Kids