Some People
Isn’t it strange some people make
You feel so tired inside,
Your thoughts begin to shrivel up
Like leaves all brown and dried!
But when you’re with some other ones,
It’s stranger still to find
Your thoughts as thick as fireflies
All shiny in your mind!
– Rachel Field
From A Child’s Anthology of Poetry edited by E. H. Sword (Scholastic, 1995).
Cordell, Matthew. Cornbread and Poppy. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2022.
Best friends – at least in stories – are often unalike. Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. George and Martha by James Marshall. Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley. Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake. Cornbread and Poppy are another two friends who are completely unalike. Cornbread has prepared for winter: food is harvested, preserved, and put away for the coming months. Poppy hasn’t. She has spent her time playing. But now the cold weather has arrived and she is not prepared. What should Cornbread do? Well, help her, of course. So the two little mice set off for Holler Mountain to forage for food for Poppy. And what an adventure! This 80-page little chapter book is perfect for readers ready for longer stories and for teachers ready to introduce literary elements to their students. Happily recommended!
Krans, Angela Pham. Finding Papa. New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023.
After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, thousands of people tried to escape their devastated country. Setting out on boats into the unknown, they hoped for a better life in a new place. Some survived. This picture book – illustrated by a Caldecott Honor winner – is the story of one such family, a mother and daughter trying to reach America. Based on the author’s own childhood experience, this powerful picture book – well-suited to reading aloud – is recommended for children 6 to 11 years old.
Another story about the Vietnamese “boat people”
Cordell, Matthew. Evergreen. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023.
“Deep in the Buckthorn Forest, at the northernmost edge of Burr Valley, high in the tallest red oak tree, behind the closed curtains of a bedroom window, hid a squirrel…” who is afraid of germs and thunderstorms, height, swimming, and meeting anyone new. Oh dear! What will she do when Mama sends her on an errand to take soup to Granny Oak? This new story by a Caldecott Medalist is recommended for anyone who likes picture books, anyone who appreciates pen and watercolour illustrations, and anyone who teaches literature or writing. Definitely a book to buy, not just borrow from a library.
For picture book lovers: notice how much of the story is told by the illustrations rather than the words.
For teachers of literature and writing: notice the use of vowel sounds and alliteration; notice the flow of the sentences; notice how there are a combination of complete and incomplete sentences, a combination of narration and speech; notice how the story is divided into different sections that relate to the stages of a hero’s journey; notice how the book references the Red Riding Hood story, not only by the visit to a sick grandmother but also by the red cape shown only in the illustrations; notice the surprise ending that leads to connections that readers can make to their own lives…
How are our own fears sometimes irrational? What factors give us the courage to act despite our fears? How do we learn to take chances again after people betray our kindness? Who are the people who encourage us? How does facing our fears change us?
For grades 6-10: Learn how to write a literary analysis of a picture book
More picture books for writers
Dinn, Philip. Peg Bearskin: A Traditional Newfoundland Folktale. St. John’s, Nfld.: Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides, 2019, ©2003.
Peg, the youngest of three girls, was not wanted by anyone. But in the end – because this is a folktale – she was the one who saved her sisters and lived happily ever after. This adaptation of a story recorded in 1976 has all the elements of a well-told folktale: a focus on courage and cleverness, a bit of magic, a sense of justice, and the marvellous flowing language of a story from the oral tradition. This is not a sanitized, modernized fairytale but instead a satisfying old-fashioned story of persistence that leads to happiness. A story to read aloud to listeners of all ages.
Afterwards, you may want to talk about what stands out for the listeners, why that is important, and how an imaginary story can give us courage to face our own battles in the real world. (P.S. For folklore collectors, this is a Canadian version of the Scottish story of Molly Whuppie.)
More stories from Newfoundland
Cordell, Matthew. Bear Island. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2021.
Some picture books are wordless, like Forever Home: A Dog and Boy Love Story by Henry Cole. Some have illustrations to accompany the text, like Peg Bearskin by Philip Dinn. And others have illustrations that help tell the story, like this one: Bear Island. Even before the title page, five pages of pictures start the story of a little girl grieving the death of Charlie, her dog. Louise paddles a boat to a little island where she meets a bear who is also sad. All summer long, the two spend time together until winter arrives and it is time for Bear to sleep. “It’s not fair,” she thinks, “when the things we love must end.” But a glimpse of hope comes on the last page: an illustration of a new puppy. Created by the 2018 Caldecott winner, this introspective story of loss and new life is recommended for readers five to 10 years old.
Something to talk about: What do you learn from the pictures that isn’t told by the words?
Something to do: divide a collection of picture books into three categories: wordless, pictures that illustrate the words, pictures that help tell the story. What do you notice?
Tip: Books published by Feiwel and Friends are reliably wonderful. Watch for them!
A dog story illustrated by Matthew Cordell…
Stead, Philip C. Every Dog in the Neighborhood. New York: Holiday House, 2022.
If you like picture books, you probably already know that Philip Stead is a wonderful writer. If you’ve studied picture books, you already know that illustrations provide additional information to enhance the story. If you’re a teacher, you already like books that can be integrated into more than one subject. Well, this newest story by Stead is his most brilliant book yet. It’s as funny and heart-warming as the Moffat stories by Estes. Caldecott Medal winner Matthew Cordell’s illustrations are full of humorous details including a dog called E.B. who dreams of writing stories and a musician who owns two dogs called Thelonious and Monk. Younger students will be inspired to write their own letters and think of their own surveys to do after reading about Louis’s inventory of dogs. Older students will enjoy seeing how writers incorporate intriguing allusions requiring background knowledge to understand. Adults will appreciate Grandma’s complaints about city hall and how you sometimes just have to take care of things yourself. Highly recommended for everyone who likes picture books.
Frazee, Marla. In Every Life. New York : Beach Lane Books, 2023.
What does it mean to be blessed? Does it mean to be favoured with good fortune? To experience the wonders of nature? To be comforted by the presence of loved ones? Based on a Jewish blessing, this uplifting picture book with exquisitely gentle illustrations in pencil and gouache is highly recommended for readers who have time to feel emotions and recall experiences. A wonderful book for parents and grandparents to share with children!
A Jewish Blessing
In every birth, blessed is the wonder.
In every creation, blessed is the new beginning.
In every child, blessed is life.
In every hope, blessed is the potential.
In every transition, blessed is the beginning.
In every existence, blessed are the possibilities.
In every love, blessed are the tears.
In every life, blessed is the love….