A picture is worth a thousand words

 

Cordell, M. (2017). Wolf in the Snow. Macmillan.

This book is rather interesting when considering it for evaluation in that, barring onomatopoeia, there is no text. So this evaluation will instead focus entirely on the art, as it its the means of telling the story.  There is a lot of intentionality in regard to direction that is seen in the beginning as our two protagonists come to meet one another.

Heading home after school 

Wolf pack on the move

It continues in this way as the two move closer and closer together in a way that builds the tension and anticipation of what will happen when they do meet. Let's also talk about line and definition. In the images above the humans in this story lack definition and detail, making them feel soft and fragile, almost an abstraction of a human. The wolves on the other hand are very realistically drawn, those teeth and the lolling tongue as their hot breath condenses in the air just exudes danger. Their fur is sketch-like, with wild tufts and tray ink lines giving them a sharp appearance when compared to the soft yellow loops of the background. We see this much more starkly later in the story, when the lost wolf pup and child meet the rest of the wolf pack.  

Eyes lock, danger is felt, who will move first?

 Here, at the climax of the story we zero in, the rough circles bringing our focus directly to the eyes of these two characters. The child looks vulnerable, scared, but unwavering. The wolf is a wild animal. It was a strong choice to present the danger of this situation so predominantly, wolves are wild animals after all. A lesser story may have decided to soften this, but it's what makes the protagonist's bravery and compassion compelling, something that is eventually rewarded when the wolves help their family find them huddled up and cold. 

There are many aspects of this story that could be considered, as it has a whole lot to say despite having no words. The art is compelling, rich, emotive, and the choices made are self-evidently deliberate. Perhaps, one day, I will write a very long evaluation of that work, but alas, I do not have the space for it today.

Board Book Roundup!

 123s of Kindness at Bedtime - by Patricia Hegarty, illus. Summer Macon, ISBN: 9798217120475

 

 

 This simple and sweet counting book combines the concepts of bedtime, counting, SEL,  and engineered books all into one. Each page contains half of a rhyming couplet, using only perfect rhymes as it guides you through each number. The pastel color palette is soothing and the simple cartoon art style is inviting. The touch and feel aspect does feel like it misses some opportunities. In the case of 7 there are 7 textured bubbles for the child to touch and count but this is the only page where the number of textured elements matches the number counted on the page. The kindness aspect is a bit more subdued, limited only to a couple pages that showing the little animals helping each other out, but this is likely for the better since too many concepts all at once could potentially be overwhelming. 

ABCs of Kindness - by Patricia Hegarty, illus. Summer Macon, ISBN: 9780593123072

 

Another book by the same Patricia Hegarty and Summer Macon, here Macon's art really stands out as supporting the learning outcomes of the book much more than 123 did by providing providing direct examples of what the text is talking about while keeping with the inviting style and soothing color palette. There are some issues with the text, primarily with confusing kindness with positivity i,e : "B is for believing things will be okay in the end", "T is for trying - don't give up till you're done", "W is for worries and keeping them at bay", and  "Y is for yes you can - there's nothing you can't do". All perfectly fine concepts for this style of book, just not directly related to kindness per se. There is also "X is for kisses for loved ones every day", which is referencing xoxo as short hand for kisses and hugs, but is a bad example for trying to teach what letters make what sounds. There are times where the rhyming couplets really work "K is for kindness - treat everyone with care. L is for love- a thing we all can share" which makes it feel rougher when it sometimes stumbles when it is read out loud "M is for making time for everyone. N is for nobody missing out on fun" (the problem here, if it's not obvious, is that making time is a turn of phrase so you want to say them close together, as opposed to stopping on the word making as previously established, additionally making being a two syllable word as opposed to nobody at three syllables making it feel clumsy). Ultimately a fine book, but not outstanding.  

Farmyard Beat - by Lindsey Craig, illus. Marc Brown, ISBN: 9780307930828 

 

A personal storytime favorite of mine the rhythmic text begs to be done in a call and response and always leaves my toes tapping. The mix of paper and cardboard for the art style at times makes clever use of the lines in cardboard to draw the eye to the text or the next page  (see above). Also the it ends up being almost abstract in a way that gives the art a dream like quality which plays well with the narrative of animals waking up in the middle of the night to dance. The text consists largely of repeated phrases i.e. "Chicks can't sleep, chicks can't sleep, chicks can't sleep cause they got that beat" replacing chicks for each animal in the farm and then rhythmic phrases that have to do with the sounds that animal makes. A delight to read both in group settings at at home, one to definitely check out.

Knock Knock Who's There? by Rob Hodgson, illus. Rob Hodgson, ISBN: 9781419771330 

 

This engineered book consists of a series of knock knock jokes where a grumpy cat is interrupted from his nap by a variety of visitors, ultimately leading to a T-Rex showing up and everyone running away. The googly eyes are a fun inclusion and reminds me of Go Away Big Green Monster. While this could be read to a younger child, I think it has the opportunity to shine once the child is of speaking age, as the knock knock joke structure really invites interactivity (with the child being the one who says "who's there"). The mixed media art (at least I presume that is what is going on here) makes every guest at the house feel distinct in their own amount of chaos they bring to the house. Hodgson also uses comic book style speech bubbles which can also be used with slightly older kids to indicate who is speaking and can introduce them to the concept. Overall, it's a fun book, even if it feels like it should be read to children out of board book range in order for the jokes to land.     

Defining Print Culture and Youth by Anne Lundin - an illuminating, but technical, introduction

    This introduction reads  bit like a doctoral thesis, if I am going to be honest. However, it rather succinctly put words to concepts I was already familiar with in a way that made them click. The primary idea being that: readers create the meaning behind the text. A quote:

 "Reading is not merely the transfer of information from author to reader, but also a dynamic process of making meaning." 

    The reader's interpretation, and how it affects them, is ultimately what is important when put in the context of librarianship. Our goal is to connect readers with the books that hopefully speak to them. When taking this concept into consideration we need to not only consider what we believe the author is trying to convey, but also the how the reader has responded to similar books in the past via a readers advisory interview. 

This can be challenging when working with children, given that they often struggle to find words for why they like (or don't like) the things that they do. But this does shift the focus away from topics and genres that we often lean on during these interactions, and instead on how they have made meaning with the works they have interacted with.