tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49215691929819291662024-03-05T02:31:36.713-05:00Kids Talk Kid LitWhat kids are saying about the books they're reading.strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-4982433710276395392018-11-17T09:03:00.000-05:002018-11-17T09:06:37.689-05:00Laurie Keller Day!After weeks of preparation the big day had arrived...<br />
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Laurie Keller Author Visit Day!<br />
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Books read. Artwork created. Displays assembled. November 16 was finally here!<br />
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When my colleague, Carrie Davies, and I learned that we would be sharing an additional library this year, we both knew that Laurie Keller would be the perfect person to bring as our first author/illustrator visit! Her books and her presentations were sure to bring the excitement that we were hoping for in our new space....and THAT they did.<br />
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Here are some pictures from our wonderful day!<br />
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Welcomes ready.</div>
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Laurie Keller books...read and enjoyed!</div>
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Artwork created.</div>
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(Shoutout to art teacher, Rosie Haugen!)</div>
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Student introductions.</div>
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Laurie working her magic with students.</div>
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Students doing the Robot.</div>
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(or, on Laurie Keller Day...the Po-bot!)</div>
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Creating characters.</div>
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Excited illustrators.</div>
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Book signings.</div>
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and, of course....DOUGHNUTS!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I0Kv8BUASIFQKKqhMX1GqYHfFY5gf0eh-396bEI9q90D8YJWM2_kVtvLLn5kgiTAt4kn7Hre3xFgwVsJ1Kjceote2AVCv2U_ZEsUg-BPq1p6vFWpS8ueN6UN_iXSKPzrLGL2A1t4wKtJ/s1600/arnie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="247" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I0Kv8BUASIFQKKqhMX1GqYHfFY5gf0eh-396bEI9q90D8YJWM2_kVtvLLn5kgiTAt4kn7Hre3xFgwVsJ1Kjceote2AVCv2U_ZEsUg-BPq1p6vFWpS8ueN6UN_iXSKPzrLGL2A1t4wKtJ/s200/arnie.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Great author, great kids, great school...GREAT DAY!</div>
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(Special thanks to our PTO for helping make this day possible!)</div>
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The excitement of Laurie Keller Day even spread to the dentist's office, where a student found a Laurie Keller book. She and her mom read it together while they waited. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtTTYBiG_9DDfmStJgwFBfsm6WmxsJO3oJu_KyAWYs4SDLXYzYalropNvxNag3k54oCwYizbn-FEwkaFCpJ7iVAbwVINrmx42TxIPgF6O_Itc5AkxPZ40XOAdj0S5MdcLCtC-IyyqepSm/s1600/Open+wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="713" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtTTYBiG_9DDfmStJgwFBfsm6WmxsJO3oJu_KyAWYs4SDLXYzYalropNvxNag3k54oCwYizbn-FEwkaFCpJ7iVAbwVINrmx42TxIPgF6O_Itc5AkxPZ40XOAdj0S5MdcLCtC-IyyqepSm/s320/Open+wide.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Parental permission granted.)</td></tr>
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.strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-48587083707817467822018-03-14T19:06:00.000-04:002018-03-14T19:06:45.540-04:00Everyone must be IncludED!Anyone who knows me, knows how important it is to me that all students see themselves in a classroom or library book collection. It is for this reason that I was delighted when <a href="http://www.thecorecollaborative.com/" target="_blank">The Core Collaborative</a> asked me to contribute a monthly post to their blog as part of their IncludED initiative. I hope to provide literature selections that teachers and librarians can use to help guarantee inclusion and equity for all!<br />
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Here are links to my first three posts.<br />
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<img height="320" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9ae8cd_a6116a0b25684916aa85d9681ba5d51c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_260,h_334,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/9ae8cd_a6116a0b25684916aa85d9681ba5d51c~mv2.webp" width="249" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.thecorecollaborative.com/single-post/2017/11/18/Be-the-Voice" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">BE THE VOICE</span></a></div>
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<img height="320" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9ae8cd_4dacabb0d05241789910f1a40cf10818~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_201,h_204,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/9ae8cd_4dacabb0d05241789910f1a40cf10818~mv2.webp" width="315" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.thecorecollaborative.com/single-post/2017/12/29/Just-Be-Who-You-Are" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">JUST BE WHO YOU ARE</span></a></div>
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<img height="320" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9ae8cd_bc80de9fceb34816b351e45b4550f2da~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_271,h_272,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/9ae8cd_bc80de9fceb34816b351e45b4550f2da~mv2.webp" width="318" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thecorecollaborative.com/single-post/2018/02/26/Carefully-Taught" target="_blank">CAREFULLY TAUGHT</a></span><br />
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I am thankful for the opportunity to share my thoughts about, and passion for, connecting kids with books that help them see themselves and better understand others. Kindness, empathy and acceptance must be taught and modeled to ensure that all kids are includED!</div>
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-50883709531212228002018-02-02T20:37:00.000-05:002018-02-02T20:40:41.173-05:00Mock Newbery 2018<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMSrJxpm9xOKHrQZOpWS66bAlnR9wI1pRPY-i9uGsFaptB1xnthyphenhyphenDbBhofoa4LWXKiX4R-9ECrIIJCQh9_H0j669-6JZamA1ogb917CLwAyLioSUUCfFD4s2o-SCD5h-5lFZ9Nfi2wyM1/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMSrJxpm9xOKHrQZOpWS66bAlnR9wI1pRPY-i9uGsFaptB1xnthyphenhyphenDbBhofoa4LWXKiX4R-9ECrIIJCQh9_H0j669-6JZamA1ogb917CLwAyLioSUUCfFD4s2o-SCD5h-5lFZ9Nfi2wyM1/s320/sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today, my district held its third annual Mock Newbery Committee meeting. Since October, fourth grade students from our three elementary schools have been reading...reading...reading. They have been meeting a couple times a month to discuss their reading with their respective school Newbery clubs. Finally, today, they were able to meet with the other clubs from the district for a day of discussion, sharing and evaluation.</div>
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Working together with my amazing colleagues Carrie Davies and Leah Pietrusza we transformed our district's Board Room into our committee meeting place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihG1p9bQCflbU6bUP_gXs3eTCC-ZYF1n9oCrpL_gmyUlClECv-q9ShwWpO5ehZZzAJhEulYaRdG3CSBoovZuweBdwdhKlV3ekuMbiPo7ue5g8TEEga9F9NTsZd7n-dhpE2OqPywNffMaQV/s1600/empty+newbery+room.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihG1p9bQCflbU6bUP_gXs3eTCC-ZYF1n9oCrpL_gmyUlClECv-q9ShwWpO5ehZZzAJhEulYaRdG3CSBoovZuweBdwdhKlV3ekuMbiPo7ue5g8TEEga9F9NTsZd7n-dhpE2OqPywNffMaQV/s320/empty+newbery+room.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then our amazing readers arrived.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSlFtF4Gsvg-sK5A3PccfL9oQqsG2JYHDuEzQtSFURHL0utG44uUPiPxw7GCEyvldLZ9r2xAS5o5ABISpUDSbvzE7vhAB7C_zmxxIAdRaFiYSNeccPHGN2ASiDFiJruXKlN0OIUEKq7QO/s1600/MN+seated.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSlFtF4Gsvg-sK5A3PccfL9oQqsG2JYHDuEzQtSFURHL0utG44uUPiPxw7GCEyvldLZ9r2xAS5o5ABISpUDSbvzE7vhAB7C_zmxxIAdRaFiYSNeccPHGN2ASiDFiJruXKlN0OIUEKq7QO/s320/MN+seated.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Students were welcomed and given the agenda for the day!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8ICKaxyeFJmYPygKKbeNAV6gOcqMkFwnhENT_OvKHjqOQKVyMcRRXLmRc9b2uQry7cvjwZigzwXMGuVLyFaAALQ5VvDZ1rtRDPNQ1IBFR2rhpeu5Il_4N81FviK_dvMk7l45Z9hmixgi/s1600/IMG_4738.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8ICKaxyeFJmYPygKKbeNAV6gOcqMkFwnhENT_OvKHjqOQKVyMcRRXLmRc9b2uQry7cvjwZigzwXMGuVLyFaAALQ5VvDZ1rtRDPNQ1IBFR2rhpeu5Il_4N81FviK_dvMk7l45Z9hmixgi/s320/IMG_4738.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wFkOi38pMGynUC36FebRPYc8ftjt35T-G92swdP3iLgQqMCxWCqZHhZEx7JP7Cy_1KhtpOqmYKC3TINLSDAYzX73YPtJvgJwXGqI5j3R313tcKxmR_WCZI3p8l_C39AsZaOhmnjkWBBL/s1600/IMG_4741.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wFkOi38pMGynUC36FebRPYc8ftjt35T-G92swdP3iLgQqMCxWCqZHhZEx7JP7Cy_1KhtpOqmYKC3TINLSDAYzX73YPtJvgJwXGqI5j3R313tcKxmR_WCZI3p8l_C39AsZaOhmnjkWBBL/s320/IMG_4741.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Z0cNdpk0z2FB0CCouI4T9DXEKr9hq9rYq__I5rpHs-BxzbczPV8UKn-UkYkDikjW4pwQAUc6N_l8CHQ5ZGSMAdK_9odxqZuTSJdBNYdwJ3fmuvD498xzkg-E4dh7n2uZ5wAQu02iMRzd/s1600/IMG_4727.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Z0cNdpk0z2FB0CCouI4T9DXEKr9hq9rYq__I5rpHs-BxzbczPV8UKn-UkYkDikjW4pwQAUc6N_l8CHQ5ZGSMAdK_9odxqZuTSJdBNYdwJ3fmuvD498xzkg-E4dh7n2uZ5wAQu02iMRzd/s320/IMG_4727.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then, committee members were able to explore their gift bags...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2y0D-r5kYElgSC5Z2FikdrnUiDXwZIVIjYzx4xgcA207FGR1GLclFvEN1nJ46cM7ULv0fsuRQZPMWQ1xA59qwKYsh-rnOY0z7pYH2o7POuvkXNYDY_4Do8rfBDIJysLDCwV25yO41Mgb6/s1600/IMG_4742.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2y0D-r5kYElgSC5Z2FikdrnUiDXwZIVIjYzx4xgcA207FGR1GLclFvEN1nJ46cM7ULv0fsuRQZPMWQ1xA59qwKYsh-rnOY0z7pYH2o7POuvkXNYDY_4Do8rfBDIJysLDCwV25yO41Mgb6/s320/IMG_4742.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5zQ2iCIvT-rnGJK9-wtmMkn04nEONMCX6wt6J3Cc6s5qa8HV1j4RlvVLpzhzhFmauZPxpS6p-t4xuqlV_PesBqxeHVsQ3Uv1gW2qbXL8qYzWmA6Us-tnAFkPkbux4g1rJbujcQVft2s_/s1600/IMG_4724.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5zQ2iCIvT-rnGJK9-wtmMkn04nEONMCX6wt6J3Cc6s5qa8HV1j4RlvVLpzhzhFmauZPxpS6p-t4xuqlV_PesBqxeHVsQ3Uv1gW2qbXL8qYzWmA6Us-tnAFkPkbux4g1rJbujcQVft2s_/s320/IMG_4724.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Students started their day with a Skype visit with Newbery Committee member, Cathy Potter to learn about the process of becoming a Newbery judge and how she has managed the massive amount of reading involved.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWmeGkhxPc5cJvEchZhTT-I63UFlbSyfiiLVl8G3EEO_Hv0E7yYbWYo7f8GHofM4suFe08E8ridH-q0EOmXo_T8Ot1CkM0EEOV6tXh_bbS8kXlCfAODhXgqyIoRdPspOlkHKUOg3FEaDy/s1600/CP.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWmeGkhxPc5cJvEchZhTT-I63UFlbSyfiiLVl8G3EEO_Hv0E7yYbWYo7f8GHofM4suFe08E8ridH-q0EOmXo_T8Ot1CkM0EEOV6tXh_bbS8kXlCfAODhXgqyIoRdPspOlkHKUOg3FEaDy/s320/CP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next large amount of time was spent meeting in small subcommittees to discuss books....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjWTMgxcK05Uu0kUWntTxXyL_FuZVQhic7FqEfR227U3CbNWBY-m0OnxNxLG1N916RgJRN5z0qZan1K6hGB6tBqp6NTc9DZ6qpjHVBYfmRLSj3lv-l64vwojLghjN1nY_QAyBcJ8AHZm5/s1600/IMG_4759.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjWTMgxcK05Uu0kUWntTxXyL_FuZVQhic7FqEfR227U3CbNWBY-m0OnxNxLG1N916RgJRN5z0qZan1K6hGB6tBqp6NTc9DZ6qpjHVBYfmRLSj3lv-l64vwojLghjN1nY_QAyBcJ8AHZm5/s320/IMG_4759.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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,,,and skyping with amazing authors, Elana Arnold (<i>A Boy Called BAT</i>) and Tamara Bundy (<i>Walking With Miss Millie</i>). We, also, received a video message from author, Dan Gemeinhart (<i>Scar Island</i>). We appreciate that they took the time to share their inspirations and creative processes with us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAogpqDMuJHUOIt1bwWWEQb-NPLjHxJSDOB4vZvKctpanqQ3NpE2ULdbiE74YmCcMPWE8r8m5hW7oNC32EUh70v010aLnW35iD4vigdwx38E-_fYrJFR_pZbhKtHoHy4lVSaLphgb189t1/s1600/bundy+skype.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAogpqDMuJHUOIt1bwWWEQb-NPLjHxJSDOB4vZvKctpanqQ3NpE2ULdbiE74YmCcMPWE8r8m5hW7oNC32EUh70v010aLnW35iD4vigdwx38E-_fYrJFR_pZbhKtHoHy4lVSaLphgb189t1/s320/bundy+skype.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
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Committee members then had some time to reflect upon their thinking by quietly writing and sketching.</div>
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After having the opportunity to champion their book choice, students were finally ready to cast their votes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m0ordt20X1JT-jCfeSyjr3YuVxgql6pjdH6-ZuN4KE3O4iLVfgIr_hErXoWEsDDLyrSNivj-QrPZLRGCJiH6A2bfXGAzwHKMWisZ14rjE-I_g1vHGC3NR1yeber3VPcXq8E5P-BvvzMN/s1600/IMG_4766.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m0ordt20X1JT-jCfeSyjr3YuVxgql6pjdH6-ZuN4KE3O4iLVfgIr_hErXoWEsDDLyrSNivj-QrPZLRGCJiH6A2bfXGAzwHKMWisZ14rjE-I_g1vHGC3NR1yeber3VPcXq8E5P-BvvzMN/s320/IMG_4766.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Then,,,lunch time...complete with gold medal cookies!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrr10jQoKKAIB2WL1pT6VLulkXutiMO7_uLs5t3ts67NFGdu_TU6Wl4bOdc88r8eAkQCAklu-eVJ7Ob6ss5Nh-TAcrCfyc9BY7MYAy22YmjIPsuXgN6wdfnhbW26dXnCVFcDA332feCLA/s1600/IMG_4768.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrr10jQoKKAIB2WL1pT6VLulkXutiMO7_uLs5t3ts67NFGdu_TU6Wl4bOdc88r8eAkQCAklu-eVJ7Ob6ss5Nh-TAcrCfyc9BY7MYAy22YmjIPsuXgN6wdfnhbW26dXnCVFcDA332feCLA/s320/IMG_4768.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, it was time to announce our winners.</div>
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Our three honor books...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbxdFibnqE8dtn5_0wzPW7QPLxtXR61ky2T-gt6iGzIdOiCCBkZfaALqMnKX4_XAJUH1IQ0JSCsqg_Lq2-8BnP1aQlA8D2qQrnSxcSM0TkzrJ1xjuLpSVB5SRmNTP2qMTI1_xyDKPVW4w/s1600/ethan.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbxdFibnqE8dtn5_0wzPW7QPLxtXR61ky2T-gt6iGzIdOiCCBkZfaALqMnKX4_XAJUH1IQ0JSCsqg_Lq2-8BnP1aQlA8D2qQrnSxcSM0TkzrJ1xjuLpSVB5SRmNTP2qMTI1_xyDKPVW4w/s200/ethan.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyahbw1KIUzXq5ImTsy1IudFqBqd-lGkeYI7FKttDuvVmU16HXtYU52wFVkUIEpBO6OXknrpjisjCJvBqtILY3FXIJHuI9MOxj91cGysIU271DmdctEQQwmlsOTec5JgkzTd8d9SBvncN/s1600/miss+millie.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyahbw1KIUzXq5ImTsy1IudFqBqd-lGkeYI7FKttDuvVmU16HXtYU52wFVkUIEpBO6OXknrpjisjCJvBqtILY3FXIJHuI9MOxj91cGysIU271DmdctEQQwmlsOTec5JgkzTd8d9SBvncN/s200/miss+millie.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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And our 2018 Mock Newbery winner was........</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKldAYrxZC94t-wUVKpLiG0I4kuv5UwwrzOSO8_rYJetLeGFRAtBRZ-xdVF3Sxz2JXkdbH8Y3drWbToOQsQ9ov-Q2StgpfXtge2WBX615Bs7aeXXtygN-hKGEOznQk8n6Hq1RNyONbosE/s1600/marvin+gardens.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKldAYrxZC94t-wUVKpLiG0I4kuv5UwwrzOSO8_rYJetLeGFRAtBRZ-xdVF3Sxz2JXkdbH8Y3drWbToOQsQ9ov-Q2StgpfXtge2WBX615Bs7aeXXtygN-hKGEOznQk8n6Hq1RNyONbosE/s320/marvin+gardens.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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It was an incredible day with amazing kids, amazing authors and amazing books! The depth of understanding and insightful discussions made me a very proud teacher. And most importantly, these 33 awesome readers read 343 books from October-February.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKXujRrAuRnrd-EJid2hvX5mxV9Ip1pjkTMDPNW-BELe28pcoutEUyQCZqeW1aPW_hbLnbAouQ2fHb9c2rvGLmy3y1GCAfU2_gcK8R8Xk4ajwOFRFUPJoEDrET7H0v6YS6l-UYxB2lnXX/s1600/books+read.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKXujRrAuRnrd-EJid2hvX5mxV9Ip1pjkTMDPNW-BELe28pcoutEUyQCZqeW1aPW_hbLnbAouQ2fHb9c2rvGLmy3y1GCAfU2_gcK8R8Xk4ajwOFRFUPJoEDrET7H0v6YS6l-UYxB2lnXX/s320/books+read.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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Congratulations, Mock Newbery Committee on a job very well done!</div>
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-67644653206250718592017-12-10T09:29:00.000-05:002017-12-10T09:38:57.374-05:00Little Iffy Learns to Fly: An Interview with Iffy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dzoV4oaBjxIMHc6EdExOMuuwi6ihBnZcQ1OL_pj2GL_mcBFimwgL7wuzyYZIxiTuOqq87MPaAzMJGPMoVFVLPNxldncH3kG0EEvvF-B6IFq2GLx8Qr33KfedKMbqMcmvk4e0Y9c7llGA/s1600/IffyCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1010" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dzoV4oaBjxIMHc6EdExOMuuwi6ihBnZcQ1OL_pj2GL_mcBFimwgL7wuzyYZIxiTuOqq87MPaAzMJGPMoVFVLPNxldncH3kG0EEvvF-B6IFq2GLx8Qr33KfedKMbqMcmvk4e0Y9c7llGA/s200/IffyCover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This September we had the pleasure of hosting Aaron Zenz at our school. Aaron has a special place at our school and in our school district and we were so excited that he was returning. Aaron was coming back to share some updates on a current project with which we had helped.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the visit we were fortunate to get a sneak peek at the next book that Aaron would have coming out: <i>Little Iffy Learns to Fly</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Students were delighted to meet Iffy! I thought you might also like getting the opportunity to meet Iffy and his friends. I'm so happy that Iffy agreed to a short interview! Enjoy!</span></div>
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*****</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Me: Hi Iffy... Thank you for stopping by my blog today.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>Me: I'm so glad that you took the time to visit. Could you please tell our readers a little bit about yourself?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Me: Everybody has things that frighten them. What are you afraid of?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Me: You have some pretty exciting friends. Can you introduce them to us?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Me: You were created by Aaron Zenz. He seems like a great guy. How did he come up with his idea for you?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Me: Thanks, Iffy, for your time. I can't wait to share your book!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Me: Iffy?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me: You can read more about Little Iffy on his blog tour here:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Mon Dec 4 : </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Mile High Reading : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://readingwithmrteut.wordpress.com&source=gmail&ust=1512998799134000&usg=AFQjCNH2T5CMxVh60Zg58YdJbglzvDaTfA" href="https://readingwithmrteut.wordpress.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">https://readingwithmrteut.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Tue Dec 5 : </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Seven Impossible Things : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings&source=gmail&ust=1512998799135000&usg=AFQjCNEqgyvQZEokB7khPHGchbYsG1K0PA" href="http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">http://blaine.org/<wbr></wbr>sevenimpossiblethings</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Wed Dec 6 : </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">100 Scope Notes : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://100scopenotes.com&source=gmail&ust=1512998799135000&usg=AFQjCNFXQugAgbBE1w4Qa6x5pXPzx4XyIQ" href="http://100scopenotes.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">http://100scopenotes.com</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Thu Dec 7 : </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Everead : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.evereadbooks.com&source=gmail&ust=1512998799135000&usg=AFQjCNGMwgGBOopm3WECaz70drMmDPhWPQ" href="http://www.evereadbooks.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">http://www.evereadbooks.com</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Fri Dec 8 : </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Librarian's Quest : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://librariansquest.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1512998799135000&usg=AFQjCNF0cWMmB10DdHdFisKZ4kF1mXuoyw" href="http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">http://librariansquest.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Sat Dec 9 : </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Amanda's Pile of Books : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://amandaspileofbooks.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1512998799135000&usg=AFQjCNFnrAAwUgVstTI7cfv1ZSpD2g1kyw" href="http://amandaspileofbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">http://amandaspileofbooks.<wbr></wbr>blogspot.com</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Sun Dec 10 : </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Kids Talk Kid Lit : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://strohreads.blogspot.com&source=gmail&ust=1512998799136000&usg=AFQjCNFa2tPzwM5EnujmuvZ7TTclvHhX-w" href="https://strohreads.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">https://strohreads.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Tue Dec 19: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Nerdy Book Club : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com&source=gmail&ust=1512998799136000&usg=AFQjCNGJKTMkI-IBRz5qxxDWD8gsMd-NBw" href="https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">https://nerdybookclub.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Mon Jan 1: </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Picturebooking Podcast : </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/picturebooking&source=gmail&ust=1512998799136000&usg=AFQjCNEeEIH72tr5Al3KSjtwyPSJFx6bCQ" href="http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/picturebooking" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">http://www.allthewonders.com/<wbr></wbr>podcasts/picturebooking</a></div>
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-70045603080696807222017-12-08T08:12:00.000-05:002017-12-08T08:12:17.882-05:00If Picasso Painted a Snowman...Guest post by Amy and Greg Newbold<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I had the privilege of receiving a copy of </span><b style="text-indent: 0.5in;">If Picasso Painted a Snowman</b><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> a while ago. I immediately had to share it with all the art teachers that I know....and I sent it to school with my wife to share it with her art teacher. Of course, they all had to have a copy! Besides being a great art resource, this is also a great story to just enjoy. I was delighted when Amy and Greg asked if they could write for my blog. I hope that you enjoy!</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks to <i>Kids Talk Kid Lit</i>
for the opportunity to share our picture book with you! We are Amy and Greg
Newbold, author and illustrator of <b><i>If Picasso Painted a Snowman.</i></b> We are
both huge fans of picture books, and still read them even now that our kids are
grown. Our new book begins “If someone asked you to paint a snowman, you would
probably start with three white circles stacked one upon another. Then you
would add black dots for eyes, an orange triangle for a nose, and a black
dotted smile. But if Pablo Picasso painted a snowman, it would look
like…THIS!” What follows is a brightly
colored, playful introduction to seventeen important painters and how they may
have painted snowmen. This book is suitable for ages 4 and up. Here is a little
bit about our process and the making of a picture book. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Amy: </b> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Could we pull it off? Create a book
about art and artists that taught kids about styles and encouraged creativity
and read like a bedtime story? It was a challenge, but one we embraced, and one
we hope we’ve accomplished in <b><i>If Picasso Painted a Snowman</i></b><i>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Picture books are so deceptively
simple it seems anyone could write one, yet the journey to take an idea to a
completed book is so beautifully complex that not everyone tries it. We tell
people the idea for this book came in a museum in Paris, which is true, but the
idea for this book also began long before that. It began after taking our three
young children to countless museum exhibits and working to keep them
entertained while Greg spent longer looking at the art than they wanted. It
began in gift shops, where we couldn’t find the book we wanted to bring home,
to keep museum memories and art alive. It began in a preschool classroom where
a child rebelled against the pre-cut, strict assembly instructions of art
projects. All of that combined in a moment in a Paris museum where I stood
looking at the art by Pablo Picasso and wondered what his snowman would look
like.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I knew right from the beginning several artists that I wanted
to include in the book – Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Georges Seurat, Jackson
Pollock, Piet Mondrian. Greg introduced me to some other artists like Roy
Lichtenstein and Paul Klee who were great additions to the book. We had many
conversations about the artists, as Greg was the one who would have to produce
all the paintings and imitate so many styles.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Greg:</span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since I was young, I have enjoyed the challenge of learning
new styles or techniques. Like most budding artists, I started by trying to
copy other artists’ work. In high school I did Prismacolor replicas of album
covers and copied drawings from guys like Frank Frazetta and the Hildebrandt
brothers. I sold some of them for ten or twenty bucks. Once in college I had
the legitimate option of creating an old master copy painting instead of
writing a paper. My professor told me my Van Gogh was the best copy she had
ever seen because I tried so hard to get the materials and surface texture
correct. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because I like to experiment with new materials and
processes, I also find it very instructive to paint these master copies.
Studying and trying to recreate the works of great artists allows you to
deconstruct and learn from the masters and it’s something I have done on and
off over the years. This book gave me the opportunity to learn about the
materials and processes of seventeen different artists. Some of those chosen
for the book were quite familiar, as I had studied the likes of Grant Wood and
Van Gogh. Others Like Jacob Lawrence and Sonia Delaunay were previously unknown
to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honestly, this entire project was a dream to work on. It was
just so fun to try new things. I learned how to make a direct drawing monoprint
for the Paul Klee piece, played with gold leafing for the Gustav Klimt painting
but the most fun was probably the Jackson Pollock painting. As a young artist I
scoffed at Pollock thinking that it was just a bunch of random drips on canvas,
but as I dug deeper, I began to understand what his “action paintings” were all
about. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Amy:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> We hope this book finds its way
into the hands of kids, families, teachers, classrooms, and anyone who likes to
draw or paint. I chose a snowman because that is a simple shape most of us feel
like we can draw. Also, to my knowledge, none of the artists represented in the
book actually painted a snowman. Working on this project made me want to pick
up a paintbrush myself. I think I will paint a snowman dot upon dot upon dot
like Georges Seurat this winter, and after watching Greg have so much fun
imitating Jackson Pollock, I am eager to try that in our back yard. Greg came
up with the hamster as a visual guide through the book. If you look at him he
has characteristics of some of the artists on different pages. This book is
meant to be an introduction, and I hope it encourages kids and parents to
explore art together. In high school, my art teacher had us choose an artist
and copy one of their paintings. I think that type of art project can be done
at any age. Have Picasso day in your classroom. See how many ways your kids can
draw snowmen. Have some fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Greg:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the type of book we wished we could have found for
our kids at one of the many museums we dragged them to. We wanted to put across
the idea that the possibilities are endless when creating art and that you
should not be intimidated or limited by what some people perceive as “rules”.
There is no right or wrong way to make art, simply techniques that either help
you to create or prevent you from achieving the vision you have for your art.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have tried hard to make this book more than just an
overview of different art styles. With its simple text, it also reads as a nice
bedtime story, hopefully appealing to fans of snowman books, gift books, or art
books in general. There are enough inside jokes to appeal to adults as well. At
the end of the book we have also included expanded bios and art making tips. We
hope that parents, teachers and children embrace this book as permission to
explore art with freedom and joy. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">****</span></div>
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<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Greg Newbold</b> is an award winning
illustrator. His picture books include If Picasso Painted a Snowman by Amy
Newbold, Winter Lullaby and Spring Song,
both by Barbara Seuling, The Touch of the Master’s Hand by Myra Brooks Welch,
The Barnyard Night Before Christmas by Beth Terrill, and The Little Match Girl
by David Warner. He loves painting landscapes in his free time. Follow Greg on
Facebook and Instagram at gregnewboldart. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Amy Newbold</b> lives in Utah with her artist
husband, Greg. Together they enjoy hiking, camping, taking road trips, and
visiting art museums. Amy learned to read at the age of four and has been
seeking treasures in bookstores and libraries ever since. If Picasso Painted a
Snowman is her first book. </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-70445151239792042922017-11-30T06:23:00.000-05:002017-11-30T06:23:30.260-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Debbie Ridpath Ohi<div style="background-color: white; color: #323229; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0em;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzejYV9hW8nXAdJqGqH7BxGSCWbueIetJ-mF-BvzmMfpyiiAY07-KcfPuI6ATcl8WlHaGxVN7-3StLXOXusSBySKjRdwS9x17vVJtnPcPcRvVzKrgUHRqnMQdME1WZWU7BgwSm84bK8fo/s1600/DebbieRidpathOhi-Square-AnnieT-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzejYV9hW8nXAdJqGqH7BxGSCWbueIetJ-mF-BvzmMfpyiiAY07-KcfPuI6ATcl8WlHaGxVN7-3StLXOXusSBySKjRdwS9x17vVJtnPcPcRvVzKrgUHRqnMQdME1WZWU7BgwSm84bK8fo/s200/DebbieRidpathOhi-Square-AnnieT-300.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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While I was growing up, my family didn't have the money to buy many books. Every week, my parents would take us to the library. My brother, sister and I would load up with books -- I still remember the secret joy of finding a book I couldn't wait to start reading. For me, the best picture books were ones that pulled me in, made me feel deeply, made me think.<br />
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I was fascinated by the imaginative problem-solving in <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Mulligan_and_His_Steam_Shovel" target="_blank">Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel</a></i>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi500tnCAQ7X7Ij5ICcHVAUx9fqvuLMXEgHYa1QCBM7-oDvqmJrUaNAxQd67BD2UNgIBxgwzru5ZSXR5B6HYy4VCIZdDB_XM-mEnsw7-S-B5VY-YW6YQuJzlkjLrBW00xlCteSNoHtFOLm7/s1600/MikeMulligan-Modified-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="801" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi500tnCAQ7X7Ij5ICcHVAUx9fqvuLMXEgHYa1QCBM7-oDvqmJrUaNAxQd67BD2UNgIBxgwzru5ZSXR5B6HYy4VCIZdDB_XM-mEnsw7-S-B5VY-YW6YQuJzlkjLrBW00xlCteSNoHtFOLm7/s400/MikeMulligan-Modified-800.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was both horrified and delighted by Sal's mischievous inclination to disobey her mother in <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberries_for_Sal" target="_blank">Blueberries For Sal.</a></i> I also remember imagining how scary it must be for Sal to suddenly realize she had been following the wrong mother.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMc4SFUPuoBoWbu0GiyIE3quNbXDgtMkabmpcpTDi5sBxbVH5deYc8V_0m7YodN374ReixXh3RtuUmjb5mU-ZKoCOkTvu_BN3M-OOD_w4H_-RZV-xVhwA4kBncFJyiev2pkyhZ00KSEKxJ/s1600/BlueBerries-Modified-v2-700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="700" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMc4SFUPuoBoWbu0GiyIE3quNbXDgtMkabmpcpTDi5sBxbVH5deYc8V_0m7YodN374ReixXh3RtuUmjb5mU-ZKoCOkTvu_BN3M-OOD_w4H_-RZV-xVhwA4kBncFJyiev2pkyhZ00KSEKxJ/s400/BlueBerries-Modified-v2-700.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/114308.Swimmy" target="_blank">Swimmy</a></i> was another favorite, not just because of the art (which I studied again before illustrating <i><a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sea-Monkey-Bob/Aaron-Reynolds/9781481406765" target="_blank">Sea Monkey & Bob</a></i>), but because I was drawn to the spreads that made me feel scared and vulnerable. Even now, many years later, I look at those images and feel a delicious flutter of unease of somewhere deep down. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjJxrIZqNoVuebVSm6aDEvDvm-zoR89l6ealdCQecTh7mPXfMx3c2ix00hJiUhan1UFYhPfq75idHpUag5FjNJbGPxJAWPGC-mspqL3WGarGCp7ExhRFnIxWs2HRhGsQDokdA2yM0dzdJ/s1600/Swimmy-Modified-flat-700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="700" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjJxrIZqNoVuebVSm6aDEvDvm-zoR89l6ealdCQecTh7mPXfMx3c2ix00hJiUhan1UFYhPfq75idHpUag5FjNJbGPxJAWPGC-mspqL3WGarGCp7ExhRFnIxWs2HRhGsQDokdA2yM0dzdJ/s400/Swimmy-Modified-flat-700.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As an adult, I still enjoy reading picture books. And I'm still drawn to the books that pull me in, make me feel deeply, make me think. As a children's book creator, I want to help make these kinds of stories.<br />
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It's one reason I felt so lucky to be invited to illustrate Michael Ian Black's story, <i><a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Im-Bored/Michael-Ian-Black/The-Im-Books/9781442414037" target="_blank">I'm Bored</a></i> (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WnceJav0QJWdHjP-QKI3bhCiO27W9Pzs5zPobr6abW0BQb57tnCYjp48m9477v5NfWwgdm-I692qk2okMQ8cLinC63kbKTGl5fxIap6iT1YIdVFIcsN8mSnGMKU6rUGSxyNGeTKUWZ2S/s1600/FinalCover300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WnceJav0QJWdHjP-QKI3bhCiO27W9Pzs5zPobr6abW0BQb57tnCYjp48m9477v5NfWwgdm-I692qk2okMQ8cLinC63kbKTGl5fxIap6iT1YIdVFIcsN8mSnGMKU6rUGSxyNGeTKUWZ2S/s400/FinalCover300.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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This was my first picture book, and I was overwhelmed by the response from young readers. This letter, featuring a drawing of the Potato character from <i>I'm Bored</i>, remains my all-time favorite:<br />
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<a href="http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/601505/27756604/1511377353483/EthanImBoredLetter-Brighter-WithoutAddress-v6-WithURL-1500.jpg?token=8YITRFea1y7dgC3gf0q8PJo3u8g%3D"></a><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD1ilKY0VCGD4wKRPZex91lcGy2uO8TK4yZse7fQsMAVYq9yuE4W0FgQS1BaBefmydu8oWIDaW8m2a9vSLLcW4T_76bJAuW6LBmYeoFv1bDcbjjDirmSZkWfjI4EEY7BUdJlST7N3NjL5/s1600/EthanImBoredLetter-Brighter-WithoutAddress-v6-WithURL-400.jpg" /></div>
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When I was asked to illustrate the next book in the series, <i><a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Im-Sad/Michael-Ian-Black/The-Im-Books/9781481476270" target="_blank">I'm Sad</a></i>, I cried the first time I read Michael Ian Black's text. I also laughed. I think this story will affect adult readers in different ways, depending on their own life experience.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/605335/27756613/1511377802223/14+MaybeItsOkTobeSad-ImSadSample-DebbieOhi-v2-flat1500.jpg?token=WXYbQKRnk7fjDVr69OX6%2F4hkFlk%3D"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55Hs0Lu2cEcXcseMdW9d0BSJcVc9QmwT8mUDyvEeD7YQhjyJXzVz92Jy75x_Dzz-hucr7LAJVixWMpW1BnOYMHSsqmiWRdyt0DTFDhZ5YtO_3JUyPBe58B-N_KLNyaHJboKIPJXU28I5J/s400/14+MaybeItsOkTobeSad-ImSadSample-DebbieOhi-v2-flat600.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Click <a href="http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/605335/27756613/1511377802223/14+MaybeItsOkTobeSad-ImSadSample-DebbieOhi-v2-flat1500.jpg?token=lwaE4H3p4q0%2F0I0aBRyDjab%2B184%3D">here</a> to see a bigger version of the above sample image from <i>I'm Sad.</i><br />
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<a href="http://mrschureads.blogspot.ca/2017/10/cover-reveal-im-sad-by-michael-ian.html" target="_blank">Mr. Schu asked Michael Ian Black </a>what inspired him to write <i><a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Im-Sad/Michael-Ian-Black/The-Im-Books/9781481476270" target="_blank">I'm Sad</a></i>, and Michael said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"So often, when our kids (or our friends or co-workers or whomever) are sad, our instinct is to try to make them feel better instead of just being there for them in a supportive way without necessarily trying to 'solve' their sadness. We all feel sad sometimes, and when we do, it’s good to know we have people (or potatoes) in our lives who won’t think any less of us for feeling the way we feel and who will still love us no matter what."</blockquote>
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So many of the picture books I read as a child had a profound effect on me as I grew up, helping me become the person I am today. I'm so aware of this as I create picture books for younger generations, and I feel tremendous responsibility.<br />
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Picture books have the power to shape lives.<br />
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If you haven't already, do read over the wonderful Power Of The Picture Book posts so far in Kurt Stroh's blog. So inspiring!<br />
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Just a few:<br />
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<a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-jess-keating.html" target="_blank">Jess Keating</a>'s Mr. Blobby talks about some of his/her favorite picture books. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-nancy-paulsen.html">Nancy Paulsen</a> shared some of her favorite picture books, each offering an eye-opening slice of life. I loved the <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-kristen-picone.html">quotes from Kirsten Picone's fifth grade students about the power of picture books</a>. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-matthew-winner.html">Matthew Winner</a> talked about picture books being mirrors and windows to readers, and the need for more diversity in children's books. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-patrick-andrus.html">Patrick Andrus</a> talked about how sometimes a picture book comes along at the perfect moment, touching each and every reader. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-dr-mary-howard.html">Mary Howard</a> talked about defining moments in her book life. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-don-tate.html">Don Tate</a> shares how picture books helped him become a reader, and how he can now use picture books to tell stories that his younger self needed to hear.<br />
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<a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-aliza-werner.html">Aliza Werner</a> talks about picture books being a rehearsal for life, giving children a chance to experience different emotions in a safe space. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-dev-petty.html">Dev Petty</a> points out how picture books are for grown-ups as well as kids. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-travis-crowder.html">Travis Crowder</a> shares how he asks students to create their own picture books, and what they learn in the process. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-aaron-zenz.html">Aaron Zenz</a> celebrates picture books and creators that have influenced his life, and includes fan art (!). <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-travis-jonker.html">Travis Jonker</a> shares 12 weird, wonderful things that picture books can do (that other books can't).<br />
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<a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-deborah.html">Deborah Freedman</a> shares her thoughts on <em>The Little Island</em> and how it (like all her favorite picture books) all share something extra beneath the surface of their stories. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-bridget-rieth.html">Bridge Rieth</a> talks about pumping up the volume in her classroom with a BookADay Challenge. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-matt-tavares.html">Matt Tavares</a> shares a moving moment from a school visit and its impact. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-jason-lewis.html">Jason Lewis</a> shares how his childhood hobby of collecting baseball cards helped prepare him for collecting picture books.<br />
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<a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-michele-knott.html">Michelle Knott</a> talks about how the power of picture books is their ability to give voice, and how older students can benefit. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-pernille-ripp.html">Pernille Ripp</a> talks about how how she uses picture books with her 7th-graders and how the picture books they read become who they are, a part of their story. <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-elly-swartz.html">Elly Swartz</a> gives examples of pictures that help, comfort, guide, inspire and connect.<br />
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Thanks so much to <a href="http://strohreads.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-power-of-picture-book-kurt-stroh.html">Kurt Stroh</a> for giving us all the chance to share about The Power Of The Picture Book!<br />
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<a href="http://debbieohi.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://debbieohi.com/" target="_blank">Debbie Ridpath Ohi</a> is the author/illustrator of <a href="http://debbieohi.com/sameva">SAM & EVA</a> and <a href="http://debbieohi.com/wamb">WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?</a> (Simon & Schuster). Her illustrations also appear in books by Michael Ian Black, Judy Blume, Lauren McLaughlin and Rob Sanders. Her next book is <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Im-Sad/Michael-Ian-Black/The-Im-Books/9781481476270">I'M SAD</a>, written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Debbie, coming out from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers in June 2018. She posts about reading, writing and illustrating children's books at <a href="http://inkygirl.com/">Inkygirl.com</a>. You can also find her on <a href="https://twitter.com/inkyelbows">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DebbieOhi/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/inkygirl/">Instagram</a>.strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-56288172497671335832017-11-29T06:17:00.000-05:002017-11-29T06:17:38.051-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Dan Gemeinhart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are
plenty of ways I could approach talking about picture books. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could
talk about them as a teacher; I was an elementary teacher-librarian for
thirteen years, so I was lucky enough to get paid to read picture books to kids
five days a week. It was fantastic and joyful and a privilege...I'm sure I had
at least as much fun as the kids did!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could
talk about them as a parent; as the father of three young daughters, I have so
many treasured memories and present-tense experiences laughing and crying and
gasping at picture books alongside my girls. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could
talk about them through the lens of my own childhood; I could share
recollections of the beautiful and beloved books read to me by my teachers,
librarians and parents...books that helped me become the person (and writer) I
am today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Any one of
those angles could have been great. But they all have one thing in common:
kids. Don't get me wrong. We <i>should</i> talk about kids when we talk about
picture books, since kids generally are the target audience and chief enjoyers
of picture books. However, if we only ever talk about kids when we talk about
picture books, we're really missing out on wonderful and profound beauty of
the picture book art form: picture books can be powerful and meaningful
literature for grown-up readers, too. And I don't mean just grown-ups reading
to a younger audience. I mean grown-ups reading and appreciating picture books
themselves, on their own, as grown-ups.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A perfect
example of how a picture book can be significant and important to an adult
reader is one of my all-time favorite books of any genre or length: <i>City
Dog, Country Frog</i> by Mo Willems, brilliantly illustrated by Jon J Muth. If
you don't know this one, you owe it to yourself to get to know it. It's about
friendship, it's about loss, it's about death, it's about grief, it's about
healing. It is, simply put, a masterpiece. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I read it
once to a kindergarten class. They totally got it. Even though it is a quiet
book, a thoughtful book, a deeply sad book in many ways – and even though they
were, after all, wiggly-bodied kindergarteners – they totally got it. They sat
in silence, they nodded along, they sighed, and more than a few of them were
sniffling by the end. But their reaction, true as it was, isn't what I remember
most. When I finished reading, I looked up and saw one of my fellow teachers.
Passing through the library, she had stopped to listen to the understated but
flawless prose. She was standing at the back of the room, tears on her cheeks.
She had recently marked the anniversary of the death of her husband, and that
quiet little picture book had moved her in a deep and utterly grown-up way. It
didn't matter that it was “just” a picture book, that it was only 32 pages and
a few dozen words. It was <i>true</i>, and it was important. It was beautiful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another
staff member was once having a <i>very </i>hard time with the passing of her
dog (who she loved more than most parents love their children). I found her at
her desk, with red-rimmed eyes and a pile of Kleenex and a broken voice. Later
that day, I sent her home with <i>Dog Heaven</i>, by Cynthia Rylant. I knew
that book – all about what dogs might do and love and feel in heaven – might
just be exactly what she needed. And it was, she told me later. She didn't have
to read it to a child; she read it to herself, and while it may not have taken
away any of her grief, it could at least add some comfort and some peace to
that grief. And it did so in a way that a three hundred page novel or two hour
movie simply couldn't. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A picture
book that has personally impacted me as an adult reader is the gem <i>Each
Kindness</i>, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Its
lesson about loneliness and cruelty and kindness and regret resonated deeply
with me when I first read it. I didn't have to read it through the viewpoint of
a schoolyard bully or troubled child; it has wisdom for me as a grown-up, as a
parent, as a teacher, as a friend. Just like our children, we grown-ups are
surrounded by fellow human beings; human beings who feel pain and anger and
sadness and remorse and isolation. And, just like our children, we grown-ups
sometimes need to be reminded to keep an eye out for those fellow human beings,
to care for them and console them and comfort them. Sometimes we grown-ups need
to be inspired to be the kind of person we want to be, and to be the kind of
person we want our children to be when they are grown-ups. And there's nothing
better than a picture book to do that reminding and inspiring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope my
children grow up to be grown-ups who are thoughtful. Who are kind. Who care
about others. Who are decent and empathetic and big-hearted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope my
children grow up to be grown-ups who read picture books. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Dan Gemeinhart</b> is a former teacher-librarian in Washington state. He is the father of three girls and the author of four books: </span><i style="background-color: white;">The Honest Truth, Some Kind of Courage, Scar Island, </i><span style="background-color: white;">and </span><i style="background-color: white;">Good Dog </i><span style="background-color: white;">(coming out March 2018). </span></span></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-19204479249345127882017-11-28T06:23:00.000-05:002017-11-28T06:23:08.338-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Dr. Paul Bloomberg<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first time I heard <i>Pink
and Say</i> by Patricia Polacco read aloud – it changed my life – literally. I
was absolutely mesmerized. Patricia Polacco has this uncanny ability that gets
straight to the heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The author shares the story that she claims has been passed
down through the generations from her great-great grandfather Sheldon (Say)
Curtis about his friendship with Pinkus (Pink) Aylee during the Civil War. Say
is a teenaged white soldier from Ohio who is injured in battle in Georgia and
discovered by Pink, an African American soldier. Pink brings him back to his home to be tended
to by his mother. While he mends, Say bonds with Pink and his family but the
two young soldiers are eventually caught by Confederates and sent to the prison
camp Andersonville. Pink's fate breaks your heart, but Say keeps his memory
alive as he survives the war, and the book puts a human face on the devastation
of this terrible time in our nation's history</span><span style="background: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><img alt="Image result for pink and say book cover" height="200" src="https://thepicturebookpusher.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/url.jpeg" width="151" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was finishing my graduate work in music performance at the
University of Colorado and I decided to take a children’s literature course
taught by Professor Shelby Wolf. When
Shelby read aloud she would become the characters; she could take us on their
adventures while simultaneously sparking class dialogue about so many issues
and topics. Shelby’s passion was social justice and we were always digging into
books that illustrated these issues.
After leaving my first class with Shelby, I questioned my whole life’s
journey as a musician. It was in that moment that I realized I wanted to
explore elementary education; I wanted to make a difference. I extended my
graduate studies one more year to get my elementary teaching credential. This
began my journey as an educator and I have never looked back, it was the best
decision I have ever made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will never forget the day that we read Pink and Say in
class. Shelby began reading the story and then passed the book to each one of
us to read a page or two. When it was my
turn to read, I got the book and my voice was quivering because I was full of
emotion. As the book drew to a close Shelby read the last page. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This
book serves as a written memory to Pinkus Aylee since there are no<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">living
descendants to do this for him. When you read this, before you put this<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">book
down, say his name out loud and vow to remember him always. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our class was silent for a moment and then Shelby had us say
his name out loud three times. Our class was transformed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was transformed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had never realized the power of a picture book and how
much a book could transform a moment and create collective energy by engaging
in powerful <i>group think</i>. Picture books can introduce complex ideas and
concepts in a safe and nurturing environment. They are more than stories, they
are works of art. No matter what the
topic, concept, issue or emotion, there is most likely a picture book that
addresses it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The authors of picture books become the best writing
teachers. We look to Sandra Cisneros and her book Hairs/Pelitos learn how to
write descriptively. </span></div>
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<img alt="Image result for hairs pelitos" height="159" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51vfoRL09OL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="200" /><!--[endif]--></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Picture books support us in teaching about universal theme.
One of my favorites is <i>The Table Where
Rich People Sit</i> by Byrd Baylor. A great reminder of how rich we all are, if
we look beyond material possessions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When teaching about point of view and perspective you can’t
go wrong with <i>Voices in the Park</i> by
Anthony Browne. Possibly the best book
for teaching point of view – four “voices” tell their version of a walk in the
park.</span></div>
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<img alt="Image result for voices in the park" height="200" src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54c622abe4b0a94b97cbf5b2/t/54e1f28ae4b05fac69f45f58/1424093852596/?format=750w" width="168" /><!--[endif]--></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is impossible to find a favorite picture book because
there are so many that have inspired me to become a better teacher, a more
empathetic person and to be a better human being. I can’t imagine teaching
without them. I owe this love of picture books to Shelby Wolf – the person who
inspired me to be a teacher. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*****</span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Dr. Paul Bloomberg</b> is a Corwin Press bestselling co-author
of <i>Impact Teams-Building a Culture of
Efficacy</i> and a co-author of <i>The
Empowered Learner, Student-Centered Assessment Toolkit</i> by Schoolwide
Publishing. He is also the CEO and
founder of the Core Collaborative, a professional learning network devoted to
putting students at the center. </span></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-24223615218406174352017-11-27T06:20:00.000-05:002017-11-27T06:20:18.036-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Michelle Simpson<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="IMG_0849.JPG" height="183" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zXvpyxzF9V5RdU90ca9PeBoG5uJiWdpdA8IWU4EAnA8g_rBjpNp3GGcNyS7CWB1hCKCFw9LoknUssZac84qx7Ee8XeSV8PFvBCWEqXiYRjjl6NPfmQFRRcOsW0mlZsE3gjSxDSw8" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="136" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a teacher-librarian in an elementary school, picture books play a huge part in my daily routine, whether I am reading, sharing, or recommending. They entertain, challenge, teach, stir emotions, and lead to important discussions. In a busy world, a picture book can share a lasting message with a vast number of people in a matter of minutes. I often find myself excited to watch the reactions of children as we read a new picture book.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-d59f74b6-e3dd-c776-387e-ca68cf0432b1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I first became our school’s librarian, I quickly started reading some of the books from our state’s Monarch Award list to our students. This list of books is geared to kids in kindergarten through grade 3. The first book from this list that I chose to read was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Duck! Rabbit!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and it was a huge hit, as anyone who has read it can imagine. I adored the book, but I didn’t realize how much the students would love it or how much fun I was going to have reading it to them. Children were laughing, debating, and discussing. They wanted to hear it a second time, and often a third time. Some were bound and determined to figure out whether that crazy character was indeed a duck, or if it was really a rabbit instead. Even though I hadn’t planned to read the book to my fourth and fifth graders (oh, what I’ve learned since then!), those classes always saw it and talked me into reading it to them too. I would have boys and girls stop by the library just to see if I would possibly tell them privately whether I knew what the character really was: duck or rabbit. I was absolutely delighted! Not only were we having fun with a fabulous book, but we were becoming linked together as readers and a school. We were connecting over a book. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Duck! Rabbit! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">had grabbed a hold of our students and had become a school-wide read almost accidentally.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gnvHaTfxb-PhkRw4NamMB03U51ig3hFPCF4GRYP9UlP_wQwssGCu4aTq9ePxp9DNfuEMoUF-qAhCaR5q2tnEh3mBbeNJ-vMpwHNdHy8_N9T1qTZVudeVtSMG5sXS0A9v1KhDsQsI" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="196" /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That book, as well as the author, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, who visited our school the following year, will always hold a special place in my heart because it really helped me to see how meaningful a special book shared among an entire school could be. When people have read the same book, they have a shared experience, some common ground. When it is a picture book, there is not a huge time commitment involved, and the shared experience is accessible to everyone. I can’t think of a better way to present all students with the same message at the same time. Picture books provide us with the perfect means to do just that. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the past few years, we have shared so many special books, but there are a few others that ignited a spark that spread across our entire school. I haven’t always known which books would make this type of impact, but when it happens, it’s an amazing thing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/m79H91xnZxdEMZWl7PIA1Jakdi92TvAvk2aVxobbgWFZD5tnFkqdInyxKdSfT67VhQ_CUodYrlZL2GV_OevQ0Xa_QS_aVm1ZKZigxWVJ0tAYbRDjYTSFRPoiW4gZQPnPo2fl2uzn" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/m79H91xnZxdEMZWl7PIA1Jakdi92TvAvk2aVxobbgWFZD5tnFkqdInyxKdSfT67VhQ_CUodYrlZL2GV_OevQ0Xa_QS_aVm1ZKZigxWVJ0tAYbRDjYTSFRPoiW4gZQPnPo2fl2uzn" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="128" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creepy Carrots</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> quickly became an RCES favorite, and we all became huge fans of Jasper Rabbit and those sneaky carrots. Every student knew that book.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bN3DSGZYXb8IUKvVjr-r-vPcma1asTS3h9MFHurkCEL_dWA9R6W6YOGTzW1aY5epizvrxSrWswu0trXnLb6S1pnR3VQ0M3zJcXfZYmRWf5YKZOGFfGQ6AUxtUxEKVmrr4cY07nxn" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bN3DSGZYXb8IUKvVjr-r-vPcma1asTS3h9MFHurkCEL_dWA9R6W6YOGTzW1aY5epizvrxSrWswu0trXnLb6S1pnR3VQ0M3zJcXfZYmRWf5YKZOGFfGQ6AUxtUxEKVmrr4cY07nxn" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="133" /></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each Kindness</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Jacqueline Woodson united us in a different way. I remember the thoughtful expressions looking back at me as I read it to classes. I think back to the silence as we finished it as students thought about what they had heard. We had some meaningful and powerful discussions over that book, and I believe that we all learned about the feelings of others.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4RbJ-U70FwmZ8xap5WMfMvuYXdmmt2XpwIFuWSTFUvcRh20j_oMgOatiZRI6hZcNu63ys17MdZv7FkFewpow3jetnv6lx4yxR7wKN6PkYNbU_cuevI1frRoaj19VMKeDTgiZxava" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4RbJ-U70FwmZ8xap5WMfMvuYXdmmt2XpwIFuWSTFUvcRh20j_oMgOatiZRI6hZcNu63ys17MdZv7FkFewpow3jetnv6lx4yxR7wKN6PkYNbU_cuevI1frRoaj19VMKeDTgiZxava" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="173" /></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our school was in total celebration mode on the Friday after Josh Funk’s first book, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, was released. What an awesome experience it was for our kids to become a part of celebrating a book birthday with a brand new author! Students and staff members enjoyed all of the festive events throughout the day, but more importantly we developed a shared love for a new book written by someone our school considered a new friend.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NSU3-zcFU-Qh6WlIdU30_ZEcTwgcx2YGCT9GQI1sm7XbMQdioYdObYgbhkR4hWWDxOZnGvJ5xyI4U09XfTklTo7DRm2rM27ckRdvx7_6E-Q8_RVylwXcElStfB_56VDrlhCC0zup" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NSU3-zcFU-Qh6WlIdU30_ZEcTwgcx2YGCT9GQI1sm7XbMQdioYdObYgbhkR4hWWDxOZnGvJ5xyI4U09XfTklTo7DRm2rM27ckRdvx7_6E-Q8_RVylwXcElStfB_56VDrlhCC0zup" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="134" /></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our official All-School Read for this current school year is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Super Manny Stands Up</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Kelly DiPucchio. We look to it for an example and a role model. It is really powerful when we all have that story, Manny’s story, in our minds and hearts. Many times Manny comes to mind when we discuss various situations and even other books.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture books are for everyone, and they are important for many reasons. One of these is how they can help in creating a community of readers, students, and even friends. Sharing a special book together creates a bond, even a sort of network among us. It can happen among families, friends, and even entire schools. Picture books can bring people together in ways we might have never imagined.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Michelle Simpson</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a teacher-librarian at Richland County Elementary School in Olney, Illinois. You can follow her on Twitter @m_simpson5 and keep up with her school’s library events at rceslibrary.com</span></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-25672362125188539792017-11-26T07:58:00.000-05:002017-11-26T07:58:40.095-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Carrie Davies<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bbbff985-e015-1e34-427b-0a92c02ef2f7"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NXWPLPUREFErBRTp8uBoH65Fm2O5vyViS5NjGmbv7eccfp5HJ6GGn67EOVxGEiP8nyHBfedvIRx_j0twPxS_WvJLuX5DHa_cqUGrOJ9ZzfldzfPvSHNB6KtNeaobDoHIizHscnew" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="117" /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>I Refuse to Rush Him</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My 9-year-old son is an avid reader, and considers himself so. He often has his nose in a book, and will talk with you about books, authors and illustrators as readily as he’ll talk to you about Michigan football and ocean life (two of his favorite things). </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He has grown up surrounded by literature. His mom happens to be a teacher librarian, which means there is a constant flow of books in and out of our house. Our bookshelves are overflowing to the point where piles of books can be found in just about every room of our house. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He has been blessed by incredible teachers and a school librarian who have encouraged his love of reading throughout his schooling career. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He has read and loved many incredible middle grade books, including Peter Brown’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wild Robot</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Kate Messner’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ranger in Time: Escape from the Great Earthquake</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Jess Keating’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How to Outswim a Shark without a Snorkel</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Gary Paulsen’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brian’s Winter</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and Liesel Shurtliff’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Red</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to name just a few.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He is a confident, capable, 4th grade reader. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So what does any of this have to do with a blog series about picture books?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He is a picture book lover. He devours picture books more readily than his Halloween candy. He will often ask me if I have any new picture books he can read. He treasures signed copies of picture books from his favorite authors and illustrators. When a new shipment of books comes to the house, without fail, he dives into the stack of picture books first. He may check out middle grade novels after he’s torn through the picture book pile, but always, always, always, it’s picture books first for him.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I refuse to rush him out of picture books.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="215" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/q4cJqla-CLLIyJggqBRkV2WF2uCLDNUHdYK_WrTxyEU6GvE6qRbRXhnNnHAubrFmR4SI0sjvbjT7z8U5G-e5i-IY7nmqoCyyxkIRBboCiX7En39rBq6PTnGXp78kA9QLSaRzmqXI" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="216" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am more than happy to share, read and talk about picture books with him. I willingly give in to his requests to bring stacks of picture books home. When he chooses a pile of picture books to read before bed, I smile and ask if I can join him for a few.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I refuse to rush him out of picture books because of all he could miss. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He could have missed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Jess Keating and Marta Alvarez Miguens, and missed out on the power of learning about an inspirational pioneer in the field of marine biology.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He could have missed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Claymates</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Dev Petty and Lauren Eldridge, and missed out on seeing the power of creation and storytelling.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="164" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tqkRe_67C8ID6ckUMNiIXi0DR__dEHGoCbIE5sGSvJ9dPu1m0bgeh2adt7jkGqYzlY0WyLWtk6kwDXgkOjjDkk-Ex8KzgC-VZM-79qXkCkHf22lsiTFvw_E3pjMNL_m4icBXAR6n" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="164" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He could have missed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Life</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Cynthia Rylant and Brenden Wenzel, and missed out on the power and beauty found in the natural world.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="165" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KN6Dz8uvedj4XfErF246weA5eotMpj4axZHflZNR6w9vmpXvCtxmKwPzy6Q8MNB6VSnjtzeNbjazaHH3qI-8hu3w39xIjsHRIBc9YtBfyV13op5VHMyfqlNwm49tYkQiysT-94Yj" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="128" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He could have missed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Book of Mistakes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Corinna Luyken, and missed out on the power of seeing the value and gift that mistakes can be.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="168" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/84d86QnHFf3QEyNKJFnYucI7bH5pPxT45fHroS1sRDfnmY5RR8g4l1XeUtJg6VWhSpGsDQ1CaBbU5Tq5n0EEhFuGcHJCvCY3p2b80-fMuDEP9DjoY6xGHFDiMSue3Ql5bF_HVpdo" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="138" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He could have missed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the Fall</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Dan Santat, and missed out on the power of overcoming your fears and the power of persistence that lies in all of us.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="137" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SiI0wai_G_V0JtDDzzi3erl90CmInp8gIpdv1i6-fRevFb4YRIsZIJz6iujEh_d-OKOuBK4nd0MgWKKJAk7swB9BqL-7OE7pc4B_SATZQgA-qtFBKLgDF9yhF6us6fkIFa5QyYkP" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="107" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He could have missed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Josh Funk and Edwardian Taylor, and missed out on understanding the power the narrator has (or doesn’t have…) in telling a story.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="156" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HxMRiHytdnlMQtWsnJNKeOWTdWxs-y0CKWsgkuJtFt522fkV0nEb3_bdBkJO-UzWZrL5p0GFq8eIeSFNwEZPixTAs9IQBrtJ-uL64tMlMzPP6kMPsAVdrZSzYjeQ3xGUYCVDLUcb" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="120" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He could have missed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Steve Anthony, and missed out on experiencing the power of being patient and the reward that comes with waiting. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="114" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Zc_kyAFAFQQDfRZqrxQWUqEWsorAKpV3q4QORlqn2nW88qnNuhk6ehDm8iezFC07exnpHIoNRy6B1SAyt8_5nsBPni-rDTZmWX9PDCbDfp4AeGm7i7v1IynkLM5aQPDCeCrFQxr" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="114" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He could have missed out on these titles that he told me himself are some of his favorite recent picture books and the power that each one holds.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I refuse to rush him out of picture books.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My hope for him, and for my 7-year-old daughter, and for readers of all ages, everywhere, is that they will stay with picture books, now and forever. That they will grow and change and develop as people, and as readers, and will continue to add all types of books to their reading lives; but that picture books will always have a place there, too. Their lives will be so much richer by the stories each of these 32-page treasures have to offer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stories of hope, of joy, of laughter. Stories of the past, the present, the future. Stories that challenge, that transform, that inspire. Stories that are mirrors and windows. Stories that make them think. Stories that make them reflect. Stories that make them question the world around them and their place in it. Stories that make them fall in love with reading.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ultimately, isn’t this what we want for our readers? Our students? Our own children? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let them stay. Let them savor. Let them enjoy. Let them be impacted by the power of picture books. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Refuse to rush them out of picture books.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-bbbff985-e015-82ab-aeca-d9820a6f0c01"><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Carrie Davies</b> is a K-4 Teacher Librarian in West Michigan. She feels incredibly lucky to spend her days surrounded by her two favorite things -- kids and books. She’s married to an avid bike rider, is mom to a 9-year-old soccer player and 7-year-old Girl Scout, and they all live amidst piles of books. You can find her on Twitter at @readwithdavies.</span></span></span></div>
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-5433844658663544742017-11-25T08:31:00.000-05:002017-11-25T08:31:00.331-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Kelly DiPucchio<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXYvwJ6c0_T0H2z4n0e5hvChB5NQWJdlQuJAOkv2Fhc5iU_t33s52jvOQFlOmp8tsCc2g93GzviysuvzELH3rGKD-6DKJyVVoHbGJenkhqIo5bWGHrlA9KL0-SPPdHSfGcRS3P0M3S09X/s1600/1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXYvwJ6c0_T0H2z4n0e5hvChB5NQWJdlQuJAOkv2Fhc5iU_t33s52jvOQFlOmp8tsCc2g93GzviysuvzELH3rGKD-6DKJyVVoHbGJenkhqIo5bWGHrlA9KL0-SPPdHSfGcRS3P0M3S09X/s200/1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have always loved the word alchemy. It feels like an
appropriate word to consider when talking about picture books. One of the
definitions of alchemy is “a power or process that changes or transforms
something in a mysterious or impressive way.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From my perspective, picture books are alchemical wizards
that take on a life of their own. Although try explaining that to your seatmate
on an American Airlines flight from Detroit to Omaha when they ask what you do
for a living. Many people outside of the kidlit community aren’t even aware of
the secret power of picture books. Their ability to transform, to transmute. To
make gold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the years I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the
power of picture books first hand through my own books. I once received a
letter from a mother in New Zealand telling me her son had been afraid to go to
sleep at night because their neighborhood had suffered much destruction after a
strong earthquake shook their city. She went on to say that my picture book,
CLINK, gave her son tremendous comfort and it was the only story he wanted to
read at bedtime because the robots distracted him from his fear of the
aftershocks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I first began writing for kids over twenty years ago,
never in a million years could I have envisioned a real little boy halfway
around the world reading a book I wrote, yet alone one that might transform his
fear into joy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I certainly never envisioned <i>Grace for President</i> creating a movement of sorts, one that has
spanned nearly ten years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where are the girls?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve met them. All over the country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Girls like Kenya in Missouri who wrote in her letter to me,
“Your book makes me want to be president, too.”
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniwFzCRE2AM4zGqUlig7_PcFnmTg3DG6cRsiS_mfcuI1yCyIm8yTX1mjxZ5ryJjDrKnCDU-YTRTpWPuz8OjHgmwtbYhWczV8g9DY46Oa0JpKfQLfqhAFLKiWhwsPnFN3lRqctpqUpz7ep/s1600/Kenya+Grace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1166" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniwFzCRE2AM4zGqUlig7_PcFnmTg3DG6cRsiS_mfcuI1yCyIm8yTX1mjxZ5ryJjDrKnCDU-YTRTpWPuz8OjHgmwtbYhWczV8g9DY46Oa0JpKfQLfqhAFLKiWhwsPnFN3lRqctpqUpz7ep/s320/Kenya+Grace.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s the power of a picture book! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But here’s the thing. Picture books don’t just change
readers. They change the authors who write them. They change the artists who illustrate them.
They change the editors who publish them.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Picture books can, and do, have the power to change the
world. But not through policies, or treaties, or summit meetings. Picture books
change the world through unconventional, stealthy means.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Extra-long necks. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDgEt-vaSoSSLXG30plJGoBwfSqnj7bCyV0OkiIfh71TZI93v50ZR3uHsLIJ5JcG7ERUaZIsQhY56byZPTNhg1k2P3NI6CLMeQuFtliI-8edfAqQzSzgNyT1uRPKwWbASfEP-gji8JpPb/s1600/book+of+mistakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDgEt-vaSoSSLXG30plJGoBwfSqnj7bCyV0OkiIfh71TZI93v50ZR3uHsLIJ5JcG7ERUaZIsQhY56byZPTNhg1k2P3NI6CLMeQuFtliI-8edfAqQzSzgNyT1uRPKwWbASfEP-gji8JpPb/s200/book+of+mistakes.jpg" width="166" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fishy breath. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Spoooooky</i> donuts. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoPPiM4L-EF4AM7nf2Knn_SkAQr-Cl-7F4WXNUbOwVBXRoVAOc8Ltt_q-_ZhQu9eTSXSutnwwEZZx9Mmi12uaSFzMG7Tb4X4rl5Hrr9z8MdZuJhCkqwtm5yPaAo9lYtnCU04fqCGQ7qK0/s1600/Scariest+book+ever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="356" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoPPiM4L-EF4AM7nf2Knn_SkAQr-Cl-7F4WXNUbOwVBXRoVAOc8Ltt_q-_ZhQu9eTSXSutnwwEZZx9Mmi12uaSFzMG7Tb4X4rl5Hrr9z8MdZuJhCkqwtm5yPaAo9lYtnCU04fqCGQ7qK0/s200/Scariest+book+ever.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brilliant, artistic, wordless literature. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fuzzy, little butts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paper airplanes. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZbpm00Nom9f8e0ERFj4V6OvWHu66E-0QW26X7_iZy0rst7kBdlfNafISbzretnRVSLtBq1k0cacX6B-0dMhoLUqSYAzDJJOZfRwiLDsSatrIsO0fycZt1XFLI8Iso4ApqZptbUNE7zEJ/s1600/AftertheFall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZbpm00Nom9f8e0ERFj4V6OvWHu66E-0QW26X7_iZy0rst7kBdlfNafISbzretnRVSLtBq1k0cacX6B-0dMhoLUqSYAzDJJOZfRwiLDsSatrIsO0fycZt1XFLI8Iso4ApqZptbUNE7zEJ/s200/AftertheFall.jpg" width="155" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Diving boards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And beautiful salads, with croutons and a light vinaigrette.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every picture book, whether it’s shared on a lap or in a
library, creates a ripple effect we cannot often see. Sometimes the ripples are
big. Sometimes they’re small. But always, <i>always</i>
a picture book is a catalyst for change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s alchemy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’s gold.</span></div>
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*****</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Kelly DiPucchio</b> is the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of twenty-five picture books.
Some of her award-winning titles include, GRACE FOR PRESIDENT, GASTON, and
SUPER MANNY STANDS UP. Kelly has been a featured speaker at numerous
conferences such as ALA, IRA, and NCTE. She lives with her family in
southeastern Michigan. You can find her on the web at www.kellydipucchio.com</span><o:p></o:p></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-16742230754542045182017-11-24T08:06:00.000-05:002017-11-24T08:06:20.167-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Brian Wyzlic<div dir="ltr" id="m_4474296134988817947gmail-docs-internal-guid-acb50830-bd9d-5fd0-7d9c-adfe48e3181b" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQH1Or81R2irGrkEuQXpPht1U3uJQHzTTjgoh8QE71EWNobLJWv2YKRcAxvNnZcpUtC-A88eTD5VTwWXxTwmjBlsYm8fEc57TdIYSW2Zh-_2hn83RN4riPbifJubRy-Wz4UU31Zz6Wym2/s1600/Brian+W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="246" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQH1Or81R2irGrkEuQXpPht1U3uJQHzTTjgoh8QE71EWNobLJWv2YKRcAxvNnZcpUtC-A88eTD5VTwWXxTwmjBlsYm8fEc57TdIYSW2Zh-_2hn83RN4riPbifJubRy-Wz4UU31Zz6Wym2/s200/Brian+W.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Picture Books, Teenagers, and Tears</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Quick: tell me the last time you were in a room full of teenagers and the majority present were crying. Oh, and it’s a room of freshmen, an even mix of boys and girls. And they just took a final exam and want nothing more than to get going with their summer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not. . .generally a time for tears.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Enter the picture book.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This past school year, I had the pleasure to teach an amazing group of young men in women in my 9th grade English courses. We read together. We wrote together. We laughed together. We shared our ups and downs together. We grew together. We learned together.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But we only cried together twice.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once was in January, as we were reading a handful of 2016 picture books so they could be informed voters when it came time to choose their book award winners at the end of the month. They decided that they had to include picture books in the list of award categories. I certainly wasn’t going to get in their way.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Do you remember 2016 picture books? My students and I will remember one in particular: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Ida, Always</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso. This, our runaway award winner, is the quiet, unassuming story of two polar bears at the zoo: Ida and Gus. Then Ida gets sick. And she’s not getting better. My spine is tingling and my eyes are tearing up just thinking about this book and how carefully and beautifully it talks about death and dying.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="25785760" class="CToWUd a6T" height="181" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/C_p1p4O7b1V9Vv5oNNe0VcQwwGhRY58o1Z3VT19_kRv_350dkYeDtjBXxlDbzqy9jTZo3knm-4scjvCA-LL_QgUbXj8ZsLVUrkX3F-OtOUFOaRMgITA_ipT6AnjqxiNylYwnmgSO" style="border: medium; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" width="200" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When we finished the last page of this book, the room was completely silent and still, save for the tears running down our faces. I heard a couple muffled sobs, one of which was from a typically stoic young man whose grandpa had passed the previous summer. A box of tissues was passed around like it was a life preserver. The conversations we had were deep. The text-to-self and text-to-world connections abounded. The discussion of craft, word choice, and even comma placement was beyond that of any other shared read we had that year -- and we had read Homer, Shakespeare, Lee, and Steinbeck.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The picture book held power that we hadn’t experienced in any other format.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The second time we cried together was at the end of the year. The students had known for a few weeks that I wouldn’t be returning to the school, as my family was moving halfway across the country. It was a tough few weeks. I truly loved those students, and they seemed to like me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So on the last day, after they had finished their exam, we had a little celebration. Someone brought in cake, we had snacks, and just enjoyed each other’s company one last time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then, it was time to bring out the picture book. I wasn’t sure which one to choose. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh, the Places You’ll Go!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Is a good one, but they all knew it already. I thought of revisiting some of our favorites from the course of the year. But I settled on one they maybe didn’t know. I chose </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">I Wish You More</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> by Amy Krause Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="CToWUd" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/A65DgSadze6vaejUOhqLduZd1KUEsEJmcPNaNOW4HBz4t1iV-zwDvwv08iJ_eiubQ3j2xV_Zej1a9c-IH93kXbizBOm2kz36EwE-Po0vvRoOHxg5ckJiIK4gG0zT0YJjIX648lnA" style="border: medium;" width="200" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you don’t know this book, go find it and read it. If you don’t know of the life of Amy Krause Rosenthal, start with </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://akryellowumbrella.org/&source=gmail&ust=1511366734804000&usg=AFQjCNE_zun-kz03zXkWVY5qiCNfCCjjtA" href="https://akryellowumbrella.org/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">this website</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and follow any of the links from there.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What you need to know now, though, is that this book perfectly summed up the feelings in the room in a way that no other text could. The poem that is the text and the illustrations that bring it to life freed us to feel the emotions our words could not express. When I finished, as tears were flowing, a young man stood up in the back of the room and said, “Do you need a hug?” I did. We all did. And so we hugged. And we cried.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These moments are among my favorites of the year. They were raw. They were emotional. They were real. And they were brought out by seemingly the most unassuming of things: a picture book.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, to all those who create picture books, on behalf of all of us lesser humans: we need the work you create. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.</span></div>
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*****</div>
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<span id="m_4474296134988817947gmail-docs-internal-guid-acb50830-bda4-1f9f-e4ad-0d3d275cdbed" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Brian Wyzlic </b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">is a former classroom teacher from Michigan-turned-Education Technology Specialist in Brandon, Manitoba. He believes in the power of the human connection to be the catalyst to positive change. Pictures books, certainly, have a powerful role in that. He tweets at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://twitter.com/brianwyzlic&source=gmail&ust=1511366734804000&usg=AFQjCNH6iLfVOoPctub8WpRYQ3Nvd64v9g" href="https://twitter.com/brianwyzlic" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">@brianwyzlic</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and can usually be found with his wife, chasing their 2-year-old around the kitchen, while their 7-month old watches and laughs.</span></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-87322382055829504532017-11-22T07:34:00.000-05:002017-11-22T07:34:29.015-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Jess Keating<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEryf8uG-_AzTeWRwkRC1HR9LhSoDix3hiBu25XcpoUFvbIv49NG9hoIaU8ALP0EUexENKc243UeStQnh0shB6QAUtNPGm4Yx9h2iquFAo-h5yqL_ncYK4WMdhkxyJnSBVC1RS6JgtoPki/s1600/JessKeatingAuthorSmallWeb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="1000" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEryf8uG-_AzTeWRwkRC1HR9LhSoDix3hiBu25XcpoUFvbIv49NG9hoIaU8ALP0EUexENKc243UeStQnh0shB6QAUtNPGm4Yx9h2iquFAo-h5yqL_ncYK4WMdhkxyJnSBVC1RS6JgtoPki/s200/JessKeatingAuthorSmallWeb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>BLOBFISH’S FAVORITE PICTURE BOOKS </b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>(written by
Mr. Blobby)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hi. I’m a blobfish. My full name is <i>Psychrolutes marcidus</i>, but you can call
me Mr. Blobby. Or Blob, for short. You might have read about me in this cool
book called <i>Pink is for Blobfish</i>. I’m
not used to getting much attention (being that I live 3000 feet deep in the
ocean), but I must say I took to it quite well. Did you know that some kids
think I’m actually <i>cute</i>?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This made me very happy to hear.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Being in a picture book made me wonder: what
other picture books are out there? It’s not easy to get a hold of books in the
ocean, but I asked around and borrowed some from my friends. I am very lucky to
have such wonderful friends. I wanted to share them with you today, if that’s
okay. As a blobfish, I don’t get to travel too much. But picture books let me
travel anywhere I want! Here are five books that I think you should read.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Can an
Aardvark Bark? </i>by Melissa Stewart</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">As a blobfish, I don’t get to hear many noises.
Mainly just gurgles, grunts, and the odd squeak. But this book made me think
about all the other noises that my fellow animals can make. After reading it, I
tried to bark like some of the animals in the book, but it came out as more of
a bubbly-hiccup. Oh well. I really love the pictures in this book too!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Little
Fox in the Forest </i>by Stephanie Graegin</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKn18kOklvpGJiuxovcklAcjXykzs7V6ZeRSqaTStkXcmCfNsW5jSQCMSik86ZC0osfKGnWtH0jOoW4F50dYkXZH8dvf25LhZbneePdImq74C0JRJBsMjtiIeIPg482wztGmQEUTLjoNLM/s1600/little+fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="260" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKn18kOklvpGJiuxovcklAcjXykzs7V6ZeRSqaTStkXcmCfNsW5jSQCMSik86ZC0osfKGnWtH0jOoW4F50dYkXZH8dvf25LhZbneePdImq74C0JRJBsMjtiIeIPg482wztGmQEUTLjoNLM/s200/little+fox.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">This book surprised me so much! Did you know
that not all picture books have </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">words</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">?!
Amazing. Blobfish especially appreciate wordless picture books, because
pronouncing words can sometimes be hard for us. I had so much fun following
this story through all the pictures! I’ve never met a fox before, or any human
children, but this book made me think they are delightful.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>She
Persisted </i>by Chelsea Clinton</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxkZ9uU-EisVfb0q1uLuGaSxd9euXxAYsdcLRR1STt1k1n4AAHyYDuKN1o5Yno5vKgzoa439117Ql1JcaB24MgfIjaPkZYsaANstbL_KKLLOEQmg-zJpanKU498DqP2xti6U0qA7zkRT3/s1600/she+persisted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="334" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxkZ9uU-EisVfb0q1uLuGaSxd9euXxAYsdcLRR1STt1k1n4AAHyYDuKN1o5Yno5vKgzoa439117Ql1JcaB24MgfIjaPkZYsaANstbL_KKLLOEQmg-zJpanKU498DqP2xti6U0qA7zkRT3/s200/she+persisted.jpg" width="164" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I don’t know who Chelsea Clinton is, but she
sure seems amazing. This book taught me so much about humans, especially humans
known as girls and women. They face so many obstacles, but are so strong! I
want to meet amazing women like this one day. Persistence is so important,
whether you’re a human or a blobfish, and this book left me feeling like I
could conquer the world.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>If
Sharks Disappeared </i>by Lily Williams</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyJ7UClistjgvkzl3lXTz1iGF93j8eDqyD76LlYX7byTg_au-YBp-AyGVpOWE7r1CrRDIEH9jjQk8AQSDve4UcfhJAqsdTqQOxBGE_u45EBU-VRf12hu39YgEmI86oGymqqHnD_OKXHNz/s1600/if+sharks+disappeared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="328" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyJ7UClistjgvkzl3lXTz1iGF93j8eDqyD76LlYX7byTg_au-YBp-AyGVpOWE7r1CrRDIEH9jjQk8AQSDve4UcfhJAqsdTqQOxBGE_u45EBU-VRf12hu39YgEmI86oGymqqHnD_OKXHNz/s200/if+sharks+disappeared.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I have to admit, I wasn’t so sure about this
book. I see sharks swimming around my home quite often,and they look so scary
to me! Those teeth and dark eyes! But this book changed my mind. I learned what
the world and oceans would be like without them—that scared me even more! We
really do need sharks to survive and be healthy. Because of this book, I, Mr.
Blobby, hereby swear to stop judging sharks so harshly. (Though I will always
give them a wide berth if I see them.)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Where
Oliver Fits </i>by Cale Atkinson </b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBbnkSBD92HLCqNF21H1s1jIJyDq7Sa6ZsWlRZuEf8OAJkbvSTYUIRMX5RQaMm2RXIZasWsupvoJXMA8FipoKODT7btgZsr7xdnToaOOGgp_kzjz6467K4lFIoRyuUTeyOu5me3srPC4K/s1600/where+oliver+fits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBbnkSBD92HLCqNF21H1s1jIJyDq7Sa6ZsWlRZuEf8OAJkbvSTYUIRMX5RQaMm2RXIZasWsupvoJXMA8FipoKODT7btgZsr7xdnToaOOGgp_kzjz6467K4lFIoRyuUTeyOu5me3srPC4K/s200/where+oliver+fits.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This story made me feel so happy, and I think
it’s because it got me thinking about where <i>I</i>
fit in the ocean. As a blobfish, I sometimes feel different from other fish.
Like I don’t fit in. The main character of this book feels the same way, but he
showed me that I don’t need to change myself to find my place. I loved it, and
will be recommending it to all my blobfish friends, and anyone else who is
still finding their place in their world. (I also love the bright colors in
this one—they really cheered up my home!)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank you for sharing your time with a blobfish
today! I’d love to know what picture books you’re reading, and what you think I
would enjoy. Please let me know!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Have a happy day!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">-<i>Mr.
Blobby</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
***** </div>
</div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Jess Keating</b> is the author of several acclaimed
books for kids, including the <i>My Life is
a Zoo </i>trilogy, <i>The World of Weird
Animals </i>series, and <i>Shark Lady</i>.
She also publishes a free monthly e-zine for children, <i>The Curious Creative</i>, which combines her love of science and
creativity. You can learn more about her at www.jesskeating.com, or tweet her
@Jess_Keating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-79316744132389706572017-11-21T06:23:00.000-05:002017-11-21T06:24:06.259-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Nancy Paulsen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsA_jCmU8a0HkOpzhYnz5Fz43kBKMEG1r-aP6s2hNEV6sLuK74B4f8zQsEVXdkP7Vi142TItbKMraHTOvD04ej3lO8S6lcfYDV4EKCHxM_9ZteHtZHPf50ub3cIOR_YUv09XNdKY6AWgb/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252837%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="687" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsA_jCmU8a0HkOpzhYnz5Fz43kBKMEG1r-aP6s2hNEV6sLuK74B4f8zQsEVXdkP7Vi142TItbKMraHTOvD04ej3lO8S6lcfYDV4EKCHxM_9ZteHtZHPf50ub3cIOR_YUv09XNdKY6AWgb/s200/FullSizeRender+%252837%2529.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
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I adore picture books – they are a 32 page art form that
offers an eye-opening slice of life. They can do all kinds of things to the
beholder; they can captivate, provoke and amuse. Throughout my years as an
editor I’ve been lucky to work with so many fabulous picture book writers and
artists, and here are a few of my all-time favorites (and they are all still in
print, woohoo!):</div>
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<b><i>Leaves</i> </b>– evokes: joy</div>
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This simple, joyful story of a small bear’s first experience
of seasons is perfectly written -- it won the Ezra Jack Keats Award for its
splendid short text. It begins: <i>It was
his first year/Everything/was going well/until the first leaf fell/“Are you
okay?” he wondered. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I love how David Ezra Stein’s book reminds us of a time when
everything was new and to see the world with fresh eyes. The expressive little
bear does that and we just want to share in his wide-eyed wonder!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i>
<b>Five Little Gefiltes</b></i> – evokes:
laughter</div>
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Oy I love this book! </div>
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Five curious little gefilte fish have the <i>chutzpah</i> to leave their mama and go out
and explore their world (the deli scene is hilarious!). But these little
wanderers are sweet enough to come back home at the end because they love their
mama! <i>“Mama Gefilte sat on a bench/and
the gefiltes came back ‘cause each was a mensch.” <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I am kvelling like Mama Gefilte by the end of this book!
Thanks for the laughs and the Yiddish words, author/artist Dave Horowitz!</div>
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<b><i>Fireboat</i>
</b>– evokes: perspective </div>
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The inspiring true story of the John J. Harvey— a retired
New York City Fireboat that was called into service on 9/11 – celebrates the
energy and hope of a city and its people. The book begins in 1931 when the
fireboat and Empire State Building both were built. It gives us a glimpse of a
city that that has been around a long time and that pulls together in times of
crisis. It is a heartbreaking celebration of resiliency.</div>
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Maira Kalman has written a classic book for our times in
just the right tone to introduce picture book readers to New York and
9/11.</div>
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<b><i>Each
Kindness</i></b> – evokes: empathy</div>
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Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl; and
sadly, by the time Chloe realizes her mistake, Maya has moved on. This is a
story of a missed opportunity to be kind, and even though some feel the ending
it harsh, so is reality. I like to think of it as a book that gives the reader
the opportunity not to make Chloe’s mistake – because you know that Chloe is
not going to make it again either. </div>
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This book is such a great conversation starter. Jacqueline
Woodson’s spare, elegant text and E. B. Lewis’s shimmering, impressionistic art
provoke readers and reminds them that they have the power to be kind and that
each kindness makes the world a little better.</div>
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<b><i>Miss
Maple's Seeds</i></b> –evokes: appreciation</div>
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Miss Maple is a nurturer. She is the size of a bird and
lives in a tree and makes sure every seed has a chance to reach its full
potential. Miss Maple’s world is captivating! The art is enchanting with its
rich palette of burnt oranges, warm golds and peacock blues. Flower lantern
boats, snug treehouses and miles and miles of gorgeous landscapes, and
especially seeds that grow into glorious trees, reminds us that nature is truly
magical!</div>
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The experience of entering Miss Maple’s world is what a good
picture book is all about – bravo Eliza Wheeler! It’s enchanting, eye-opening
and inspiring. I will leave you with the words of Miss Maple: <i>“Take care my little ones, for the world is
big and you are small. But never forget that even the grandest of seeds had to
grow up from the smallest of seeds.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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*****</div>
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<span class="tx"><b><span style="color: #333333;">Nancy Paulsen</span></b><span style="color: #333333;"> is the
President and Publisher of Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young
Readers. The imprint publishes fifteen books a year and focuses on eye-opening,
often funny picture books and middle grade fiction from diverse and distinct
voices, especially stories that are inventive and emotionally satisfying. A few
of the New York Times bestsellers she has edited include National Book Award
and Newbery Honor Winner <i>Brown Girl Dreaming</i> by Jacqueline Woodson, <i>Fish
in a Tree</i> by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and <i>Miss
Maple’s Seeds</i> by Eliza Wheeler. She’s on Twitter @nancyrosep </span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-38612416819674029132017-11-20T06:15:00.000-05:002017-11-20T06:15:31.584-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Kristen Picone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uXXI-tR3Ws2Q1qFoB3wwYGgUjAHZTrkvcrfUZXL2DFgM8BGM9kWOlmzXqRWsmpUkkhMmI32JaIRa5pmKUK94tmV2HMj5nyaYqzpyCUE4h_ByXCH3PhBD-iMBmBeL4FZ_LwWB5GCVcmzQ/s1600/Kristen+P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="688" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uXXI-tR3Ws2Q1qFoB3wwYGgUjAHZTrkvcrfUZXL2DFgM8BGM9kWOlmzXqRWsmpUkkhMmI32JaIRa5pmKUK94tmV2HMj5nyaYqzpyCUE4h_ByXCH3PhBD-iMBmBeL4FZ_LwWB5GCVcmzQ/s200/Kristen+P.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A picture book for some is just that...a book with pictures. Something for babies and young kids to enjoy. But for many of us, a picture book is so much more. A work of art, a delightful marriage between text and image, something to pour over and savor. Picture books provide memories. As Megan Dowd Lambert says in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reading Picture Books With Children (2015)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, “...I know that we carry picture books about with us, not just as physical objects in our hands with pages that we turn, but as remembered experiences with stories and art, and with each other.” Through picture books, we can see ourselves, learn about the world outside of ourselves, and revel in the work of talented artists. Reading a picture book should be an experience...a memory. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have used picture books in my classroom since I first began teaching in 2001, but, more recently, picture books have become the foundation--the heart, the soul--of our classroom community. We reach for them when we need comfort, they help us celebrate diversity, they make us laugh, they make us cry, they help us feel seen and gain new perspectives. In every way, picture books guide our learning journey. Whether the picture books we read are part of reading or writing lessons, our Mock Caldecott Unit, or read simply for the joy of sharing a book together, the books create an experience...a memory. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many of my 5th graders come to me thinking that picture books are not for them anymore. They think they have outgrown them. We start our year talking about our reading lives, and I share how proud I am of my always-growing picture book collection. I let them know that I buy these books for me, because there is no age-limit on a picture book, and that my favorite thing to do is share them. On the first day of school this year, when I told my students that we read 180 picture books last year, they looked at me wide-eyed and someone said, “Let’s read 181!” Between #classroombookaday, Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop, content-area lessons, Mock Caldecott, and Battle of the Picture books, the students in room 214 will experience over 200 picture books. And each book will be an experience...will provide a memory of the heart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disrupting Thinking (2017),</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Kylene Beers and Bob Probst remind us WHY we read (and write): “If we aren’t reading and writing so that we can grow, so that we can discover, so that we can change - change our thinking, change ourselves, perhaps help change the world - then those skills will be for naught.” When Kurt asked me to write this post, I kept reflecting on these words and thinking, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have these picture book experiences resonated with my students? Have they changed their thinking, changed them, in any way? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The only way to find out was to ask the kids! What follows are the responses from students that I taught last school year. What shocked me most were the similarities in their reflections, considering the only prompt I gave them was to write a few sentences around the theme “the power of the picture book.” Here are their experiences...their memories:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, picture books are important because they can bring you into a different world. Some people think that picture books are for babies, but what they don’t realize is that there are a lot of deep messages that children will get when they explore the picture book universe. Picture books can make a topic that is hard to understand, easier to understand. For example, the book </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Youngest Marcher</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Cynthia Levinson is a book about a child protester that got arrested during the Civil Rights Movement. While that might be a hard topic for a child to think about, the picture book made it clear and understandable. Picture books are smaller than novels, but you know what they say...good things come in small packages! - Jeremy</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture books may not be big in size, however, they are huge in meaning. A lot of picture books have great lessons. One example is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Story of Fish and Snail</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Deborah Freedman. This book is about taking risks and trying something new. Fish is ready to leave their book, but Snail is not sure if she wants to step outside her comfort zone. Snail finally decides to leave their book and loves it. You get this giant message from one tiny book. Some people don’t even realize how powerful picture books are. This shows there is a lot of power in a picture book. I love reading picture books because they have very powerful messages. - Kelly</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best thing about a picture book is that all ages can enjoy it. Younger children may like the pictures, while older people will understand the theme better. This is the case in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Bob Shea. Little kids will love the pictures, particularly the scene when Goat puts the plunger on his head, or when Unicorn makes it rain cupcakes. Older kids and adults can understand that there is more than one theme, including that other people may realize and admire your talents, even if you don’t. - Sierra</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture books are powerful. They describe life lessons and teach you things you did not know. For example, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the World’s Most Fearless Scientist</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Jess Keating, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Swimming With Sharks</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Heather Lang taught me about Eugenie Clark and showed that sharks are fascinating and the women can be anything they want to be. - Sean</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are NEVER too old for picture books. Picture books are very powerful because each of them has a special message that’s hidden between the lines. They can stick with you for the rest of your life, whether you realize it or not. For example, one of my favorite picture books is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’re All Wonders</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by RJ Palacio, because this book has beautiful illustrations along with amazing writing. This book’s message is “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, which may be a little cliche, but is very true. That’s only one example out of dozens of picture books that have stuck with me in a positive way. So just remember, no matter how old or young you are, or how silly or educational the book is, you are never too old for picture books. - Holly</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Picture books are meant for anyone and age. Even though it seems like they are just for younger children, older children or even adults can take a lot out of them. Younger children look at the pictures to understand the story. Older children and adults understand what the author is trying to teach you when they correlate the picture with the story. My favorite picture books are the Elephant and Piggie books, by Mo Willems. They are entertaining for younger children by including large, colorful pictures to tell the story but to older children they can learn about friendship, caring, and acceptance. With the power of picture books there are many life lessons to learn no matter what age you are. - Sophia </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The power of the picture book is extraordinarily significant to children since they teach about lessons and morals. For example, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each Kindness</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Jacqueline Woodson teaches kids a powerful anti-bullying and kindness message. Kids will learn to be respectful and courteous toward others and to not judge people by the way they look. Children can learn life lessons that will take them far in life. That is...the power of the picture book. - Ryan</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is so much power in picture books. So much power that kids don’t even know about. My favorite picture books ever are </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Explorers of the Wild </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To the Sea</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Cale Atkinson. They are my favorite picture books because in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To the Sea</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, no one really saw Tim. But the whale, Sam, got lost and no one else noticed Sam, until Tim. I felt like Tim and Sam had an extremely powerful connection. In </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Explorers of the Wild</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, the boy and bear keep rotating pages. They both love to explore and find new things in the wild, but when bear and the boy separate their connection reaches so far, they realize they will always be together at heart. - Garrett</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many people think there is no need for picture books for older kids, but they have deeper messages and more of an impact on readers than people realize. Picture books translate strong topics into a book that makes many messages easier for EVERYONE to understand. Others also think that they are made just for entertainment, which is true, but they also teach meaningful lessons using characters as examples. A book that teaches a lesson is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Story of Fish and Snail</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Deborah Freedman. This book shows how Fish wants to explore while Snail is comfortable where he is and isn’t willing to try new things. Eventually, Snail becomes lonely and looks for Fish. He realizes he likes this new adventure. This teaches readers to try new things in life. As you can see, picture books really do have power and a deeper message behind the cover. We learned that in 5th grade after reading over 180 picture books! - Bryan and Kyle</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A picture book holds a lot of power. It can hold a strong theme that can stick with you over a long period of time. It shows you in just a few short pages something that you might use in your life over 50 years later. An example of this is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be a Friend</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Salina Yoon. This book’s thematic statement is that you are never alone and there is always someone there for you. Picture books are very powerful and you are never too old for them. - Brooke</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A favorite book of mine is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blue Chicken</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Deborah Freedman. Even though we read it for “fun” we were still able to make connections and see life lessons. I like picture books as a link to what else is to come and the variety of styles lets me learn in different ways. I would rather read a handful of picture books of different styles than a chapter book that doesn’t hook me. - Lauren</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really love picture books because they bring the story to life. When I read </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I Built a House</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Chris Van Deusen, I could really see myself jumping into the ball pit from the trampoline. After I finished the book I started to draw my own house and all the fun things I would put in it. - Thomas</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A picture book is more than pictures and words on a page. It’s not just to look at the pictures and stare at it blankly. It’s a piece of art, it has a lesson, it has a meaning. It could lead you down your path in life. Take </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each Kindness</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Jacqueline Woodson, for example. The main character, Chloe, had a new girl, Maya, come to her school. Chloe and her friends acted like Maya was a nobody. They laughed at her. They were bullies. One day, Maya’s seat was empty. That day, the teacher brought in a huge bowl of water for an activity about kindness. When someone dropped a pebble in the water, tiny waves rippled. The teacher said “Each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world.” When they dropped the pebble in, they had to say something kind. When it was Chloe’s turn, she couldn't say anything. All she thought about was how she treated the Maya. Days passed and Maya didn’t return and Chloe realized she wouldn’t have the chance to ever be kind to her. That right there is why you should always choose kind. That is why picture books are so much more powerful than just simply pictures and words on a page. “A picture book is a small door to the enormous world of the visual arts, and they’re often the first art a young person sees.” (Tomie dePaola) </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Owen</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These students read the books they mentioned over a year ago. They had no trouble drawing upon titles, remembering authors’ names, recalling the joy of sharing these books together, and thinking about the lessons learned. In time, they may forget some of the details of the books they have read, but they will always remember how the book touched their minds and their hearts. One of my most important jobs as an educator is to open children’s minds to the power that picture books can have on all of us, young and old alike. I will forever be grateful for the countless picture book authors and illustrators that have provided us with these reading experiences...these memories of the heart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> As Kylene Beers and Bob Probst said, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: magenta; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We read to become more than we knew we wanted to be.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture books have changed these children, they have changed me, and can change the world. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Kristen Picone</b> is a self-proclaimed book nerd, always has been and always will be. She teaches 5th grade ELA/SS in Kings Park, NY, in a classroom that is filled to the brim with MG novels and picture books. Teaching is not just her job, it’s her passion! When she isn’t opening boxes of new books that have arrived on her doorstep, she can be found planning for the next nErDCampLI, or lost among her many TBR towers. Reading picture books to kids of all ages is Kristen’s absolute favorite thing to do, particularly snuggling up and creating memories of the heart with her favorite book-loving 8 year old. She is incredibly grateful for her nerdy PLN, who have helped her learn and grow in ways she never imagined. Kristen can be found on Twitter at @Kpteach5 or through her class account at @KPStars5. She often tweets book recommendations using the following hashtags: #nErDCampLI and #BookJourney.</span></div>
<br />strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-68128137438722997242017-11-19T08:03:00.000-05:002017-11-19T08:14:01.109-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Matthew Winner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gxG8AtyB-JHm6X_E2TW6cnypJ_YkvU4yaDGwOp82_n4imdkyNlIP_2MogIVO1pv91OiJpXsGsc6yjQjX9VmoiM5ycIzTgUv6NcgdtYEpQVQQyPiKMstljz-CcXMfR9LHTewrYskiBa1p/s1600/MWinner+%25282017%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="597" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-gxG8AtyB-JHm6X_E2TW6cnypJ_YkvU4yaDGwOp82_n4imdkyNlIP_2MogIVO1pv91OiJpXsGsc6yjQjX9VmoiM5ycIzTgUv6NcgdtYEpQVQQyPiKMstljz-CcXMfR9LHTewrYskiBa1p/s200/MWinner+%25282017%2529.png" width="199" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am a white male. Age 36. From typical life experiences (whatever that might mean) and from a typical upbringing (whatever that means, too). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I read most picture books, I see me. Different versions of me, but me nonetheless. Characters with my color skin, doing things that I did as a kid, speaking in words I heard and heard spoken to me as a kid, experiencing problems and conflicts similar to what I experienced as a kid. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't recall being aware of this as a child, but I have become increasingly aware of it as an adult. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The more I talk of picture books being mirrors and windows to readers, the more I've realized how many books I read that are mirrors of my own culture and experiences. The more I realize the books I read aloud at school are mirrors of my own culture and experiences. The more I realized the books I was featuring on my <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/atwpodcast/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNEnY6CnsHqB5r4bmmLHfVH973bMdQ" href="http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/atwpodcast/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">children's book podcast</a> were mirrors of my own culture and experiences.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The problem with surrounding yourself with mirrors is that soon you can't see anything else.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What my reading life needed was some more windows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I conducted a diversity audit of my podcast archive only to confirm what I already knew: too many mirrors, not enough windows. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This concern became even more compounded when I began podcasting with my 5th graders. I had pulled up the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/atwpodcast/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNEnY6CnsHqB5r4bmmLHfVH973bMdQ" href="http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/atwpodcast/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">podcast archive page</a> to show them the faces behind some of their favorite books and to introduce them to how a podcast might look and sound. But in doing so I showed my school's diverse population a set of children's book creators in photographs that mirrored their library teacher, but not them. What message does this send to children when they are presented with a list of bookmakers their teacher celebrates, but they cannot see themselves in said list? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once this thought embedded itself in my head, I could not loosen it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want more than that for my readers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I want more than that for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want the books I read to be windows to me in equal or greater times than they are mirrors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want the guests I host on the podcast and the books they share to be mirrors for my students, who don't often get to meet bookmakers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want my students to look across the faces of bookmakers, whether through the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/atwpodcast/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNEnY6CnsHqB5r4bmmLHfVH973bMdQ" href="http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/atwpodcast/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">podcast archive</a>, the books I read aloud, or the books displayed throughout the library, and I want them to see themselves, not just so that they see this library and this school librarian value books depicting diversity through multitudes of experiences, but also so they can see themselves as bookmakers, see that this could be them one day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to be more cognizant of the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.hbook.com/2017/03/choosing-books/horn-book-magazine/the-ccbcs-diversity-statistics-a-conversation-with-kathleen-t-horning/%23_&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNEvQHVdLoma6f55ACek6rydRLv_Zg" href="http://www.hbook.com/2017/03/choosing-books/horn-book-magazine/the-ccbcs-diversity-statistics-a-conversation-with-kathleen-t-horning/#_" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">diversity statistics</a> from <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNHliCFFld-k_ciqTTnvRaHQg9eF1Q" href="https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">The Cooperative Children's Book Center</a>, and I want to make sure I am using my platform as both a school librarian, children's book podcaster, and children's book blogger to amplify the work and voices of authors and illustrators of color as well as First Nations/Native authors and illustrators.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;">Credit: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px;">Huyck, David, Sarah Park Dahlen, Molly Beth Griffin. (2016 September 14). Diversity in Children’s Books 2015 infographic. </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px; text-align: start;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://sarahpark.com&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNEYI-UgcufyUoY-PA7ZX8i9XFzzEA" href="http://sarahpark.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">sarahpark.com</a></em><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.16px;"> <wbr></wbr>blog. <br />Retrieved from<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1443511730"> </a></span><a href="https://readingspark.wordpress.com/2016/09/14/picture-this-reflecting-diversity-in-childrens-book-publishing/"><span style="color: #006a80; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(207, 226, 229); font-size: 12.16px; text-align: start;">https://readingspark.</span></span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: #006a80; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(207, 226, 229); font-size: 12.16px; text-align: start;">wordpress.com/2016/09/14/</span></span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: #006a80; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(207, 226, 229); font-size: 12.16px; text-align: start;">picture-this-reflecting-</span></span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: #006a80; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(207, 226, 229); font-size: 12.16px; text-align: start;">diversity-in-childrens-book-</span></span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: #006a80; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(207, 226, 229); font-size: 12.16px; text-align: start;">publishing/</span></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to work with students to analyze our library collection and determine how culturally responsive and relevant it is. And I want to learn and be open to learning from educators like the one in <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://blog.leeandlow.com/2016/07/07/part-1-having-students-analyze-our-classroom-library-to-see-how-diverse-it-is/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNHDgC0RfGpSIYCN0XEVxY9SOm6yvQ" href="http://blog.leeandlow.com/2016/07/07/part-1-having-students-analyze-our-classroom-library-to-see-how-diverse-it-is/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">this blog post from Lee & Low</a> in order to assure that representing diversity is at the forefront of our decision-making when it comes to book orders, book promotion, book fairs, and read alouds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to be better and do better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I want to be better and do better for my students.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I will, in part, because of the windows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>Matthew Winner</b> is an elementary library media specialist in Howard County, Maryland. He is the co-founder of </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.allthewonders.com/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNGXXWOootISQF-hyGrCgVEnri0xbg" href="http://www.allthewonders.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">All The Wonders</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">, a children’s literature website and more, and host of the </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/atwpodcast/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNEnY6CnsHqB5r4bmmLHfVH973bMdQ" href="http://www.allthewonders.com/podcasts/atwpodcast/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">All The Wonders podcast</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">, a weekly podcast where Matthew talks to authors, illustrators, award winners, up-and-comers, and everyone in between. He is the author of </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://ashawentwalking.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNGytLtfWZbIgzxNhaht7IkTAwe0IQ" href="https://ashawentwalking.wordpress.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">ASHA WENT WALKING</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">, a webcomic for young readers illustrated by Lorian Tu-Dean about a girl, her arctic fox companion, and her magic bag. In 2013 Matthew was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker and was invited to the White House as part of the Champions of Change program. Matthew currently teaches library media at Swansfield Elementary School in Columbia, Maryland. You can follow Matthew on Twitter at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://twitter.com/MatthewWinner&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNHjvvWpRAOF0k9K5LAjxoJTknwKLg" href="https://twitter.com/MatthewWinner" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">@MatthewWinner</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> or by visiting </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.matthewcwinner.com/&source=gmail&ust=1509548576725000&usg=AFQjCNEsWsx1ZOYQr0SuCbFwaFMJ_LHCNg" href="http://www.matthewcwinner.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">www.matthewcwinner.<wbr></wbr>com</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></div>
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-19929936774275749252017-11-18T07:23:00.000-05:002017-11-18T07:23:39.310-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Patrick Andrus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi119zOy1b5zSVeZzwVp8Nl-pmpETm_VqmUQsEOyfVGnxChJ0qLUpTeKQe22OgXON3SSphPAVRXvlQQQ8hRo61dw5A_vGfk0U3qtMqJDTyOGZK1-_gWjNEVKWE15VPk9lR1PQpt9Gv7inD6/s1600/patrick+andrus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="550" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi119zOy1b5zSVeZzwVp8Nl-pmpETm_VqmUQsEOyfVGnxChJ0qLUpTeKQe22OgXON3SSphPAVRXvlQQQ8hRo61dw5A_vGfk0U3qtMqJDTyOGZK1-_gWjNEVKWE15VPk9lR1PQpt9Gv7inD6/s200/patrick+andrus.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come With Me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes a picture book
comes along at the perfect moment and touches each and every reader. That is exactly what occurred with Holly
McGhee’s picture book <i>Come with Me.</i>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, the title of this
blog post comes directly from Holly’s picture book <i>Come with Me</i>. I tried to come up with something new and
different, but this title fits so well with both the book and what I want to
write about. I thought why not stick
with what works and what to me is perfection.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I received a copy of <i>Come
with Me</i> from the author herself. I
remember being amazed and touched by the text and illustrations. It was obvious that this would be a picture
book that I would use with my students. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our first experience with the
book occurred the last week of September.
I shared with my fourth graders how I came to know both Holly and her
newest work of fiction. If I can share a
personal experience about either an author and/or book, it becomes more
meaningful to my listeners. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first time we shared the
text, I read through its entirety. After
I finished, the listeners shared their “noticing” and “wondering”
statements. This is a new strategy I
began during last year and found it powerful, engaging, and purposeful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We then did a second reading
and stopped throughout the book to talk about specific pages, passages, and
illustrations. I was amazed at how
quickly the fourth graders were able to grasp the meaning, message, and theme
of the story. They GOT it! We talked about various real-life events
that had happened and how it is important to be brave and courageous during
these difficult times. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next day we shared the
story again and following the reading, my writers got busy writing their own
versions of <i>Come with Me</i>. They could use
Holly’s version as a mentor text and/or write what they do, or could do, during
times of stress, anger, or fear. It was
astonishing how quickly they headed off to their writing spots and put the
pencil to paper. I wasn’t sure what I
would get, but was anxious to see their writing product. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wish I had the time, and
space, to share some of the writing here; but know each writer shared a
personal version of what the story meant to them, what they could do to make
the world a better place, or fictional version.
The sharing of our writing was a beautiful experience and I could tell
the “products” were meaningful to each young writing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The following week our
country experienced the largest mass shooting in our history. As we discussed it during our morning
meeting, several students shared personal stories and/or connections. During one of these discussions, I glanced
over at the book tray and saw <i>Come with Me</i>. The feeling I had at the moment hit me like a
ton of bricks. This was the picture book
we needed at that very moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I told the class I was going
to reread <i>Come with Me.</i> When I
finished, I looked out into the faces of my beautiful fourth graders and had to
take a moment to compose myself. They
got it and commented that Holly had written the book for times just like what
we were all experiencing at this very moment.
I’m not sure I have ever felt such a powerful and heart-felt community
reaction as I did then. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our first Skype session of
the year was with Holly McGhee. It
occurred on Wednesday, October 11<sup>th</sup>.
We learned that one student in our class was neighbors with a man who
lost his life in Las Vegas. Her mother
commented to me that her daughter had shared about the picture book and the
writing we had done. The student had the
opportunity to share this with the author herself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During our conversation with
Holly, the fourth grade writers were able to share their comments and/or
questions with her. It was a bit “eerie”
and “surreal” that Holly and Pascal had created this picture book way before
the Las Vegas incident, and now we were discussing how the book and the
real-life event were so closely tied. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few of my writers had the
opportunity to share their own writing with Holly. I was so proud of them at that moment and
could tell that Holly herself was truly touched by their words. I’ve had some incredible Skype visits in the
past, but this particular one took it to a whole new level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc7aC-N8NGe5MsEKKqKeM98BdxcTyb2XOQ5LfTcJAdaV7FemgWLwe1TtJ8FqGYumBqHvPIe1dTC_lgvfFxUZumbBkMLwqnbNInfTLT-0rSI2xo-69EaByHnc5v1_63LuqBkbxvCLWpA_S/s1600/Patrick+Andres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="726" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKc7aC-N8NGe5MsEKKqKeM98BdxcTyb2XOQ5LfTcJAdaV7FemgWLwe1TtJ8FqGYumBqHvPIe1dTC_lgvfFxUZumbBkMLwqnbNInfTLT-0rSI2xo-69EaByHnc5v1_63LuqBkbxvCLWpA_S/s200/Patrick+Andres.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick Andrus and Holly McGhee</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Picture books can change the
world. They can change the way we view
events, incidents, and people. They can
also change how we choose to respond to a horrific, tragic, and upsetting news
story that we all witness via the nighty news.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to thank Holly and
Pascal for giving teachers, and other readers, this important picture
book. I want them to know what a
difference a piece of literature like this can do for both educators like
myself and the students we work with on a daily basis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My invitation to my fourth
grade readers and writers is to “Come with Me” on this journey we will take
together. I want us to experience the
magic, the meaning, and the experience that picture books can offer us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Won’t you “Come with Me”
also?!?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What the listeners/writers
thought...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: red; font-weight: normal;">Grace - </span></strong>I thought this story was brilliant because violence is happening
right now and when Mr. Andrus read the story, I somehow felt safe.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Horacio</span> - I thought this story was amazing because it
was about not living in fear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Kadie</span> - Something I learned from this story was that
fear isn't the answer because if you live in fear you’re showing the world they
have won.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Audrey</span> - Something I learned from this story was even
if something pulls you down, you can get back up if you have courage because no
one can tell you to go down if you have courage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">Hunter</span><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- I thought this story was sad, but was also
hopeful. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><b>Patrick Andrus</b> is a fourth
grade teacher in Eden Prairie, MN. His number one goal for his students
is to create an internal passion for reading and books. This is his 27<sup>th</sup> year of
teaching. He loves to use Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram to connect with all the incredible educators out
there. He makes sure that his class
participates in #classroombookaday. You
can find his blog by visiting </span><a href="http://readwonder.blogspot.com/"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in; text-decoration-line: none;">http://readwonder.blogspot.com</span></a></i></span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>. He is also an active member on Twitter as
@patrickontwit. </i></span><span style="color: #7a7575; font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-82044643190481777182017-11-17T06:35:00.000-05:002017-11-17T06:45:54.281-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Dr. Mary Howard<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seeing With New Eyes <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When Kurt Stroh invited me to write about the power of
picture books and a book that has had a tremendous impact on my life, a virtual
celebratory explosion of gorgeous images instantly flashed overhead with one
looming large at the center of my enormous stack. Without hesitation, I knew
the book I wanted to spotlight and I was grateful to be able to share what it
means to me. But before I tell you the book that literally changed my life
forever, I’d like to give you a glimpse of the surprising twists and turns of
my reading journey; a lengthy journey that ever so slowly ignited a love affair
with books that lingers still today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve always enjoyed hearing educators happily share their
inspirational stories of reading love that began in childhood and escalated
into a lifelong passion. Their stories of book joy warmed my heart and yet they
also raised a certain level of guilt-ridden angst because they awakened
memories of the book desert where I resided throughout my school years. As an
educator, those memories became a dirty little secret I was afraid to divulge –
and so I didn’t.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You see I now share their unwavering love of books, but my
book union began much later in life. Maybe it was because I started school in
the mid 1950s when bathing kids in books wasn’t deemed a priority or maybe I
just got the unfortunate luck of the teacher draw. And although I was blessed
with remarkable parents, visions of family book rituals and memories happily
curled under the covers gripping my reader flashlight simply wasn’t my
childhood experience. My Dad devoured books about the military and wild west
and my mother started each day reading a newspaper, magazine, or cookbook ––
but books weren’t part of my day-to-day reality. Quite honestly, I couldn’t
fathom why anyone would pick up a book on purpose unless required to do so.
Read for pleasure! Who does that?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then a book door cracked open in 1972 when I became a
teacher and the book dating stage of my reading life began. I didn’t want my
shameful reading history to taint the lives of my amazing special education
students so I immersed them in picture books with great fervor. Dramatic oral
renditions of books within enthusiastic read-alouds were my daily battle cry.
From the first day to the last, books burst across the four corners of my room
and became the beating heart of our learning day. Yet I still felt like a phony
since I knew that I was probably more motivated by ensuring my students had a
different childhood experience than my own than by my desire to truly fall in
love with books with uninhibited abandon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then in 1977, my book life was forever altered when Jane
Yolen published a Chinese fairy tale called “The Seeing Stick.” I still vividly
recall the first time I read her exquisite book in a quiet corner of a tiny
bookstore. I was conflicted by the stoic Emperor who loved his daughter but
couldn’t cry for her. I was mesmerized by the old man who taught the blind
princess to see in a new way. Chills ran through my body when I read that the
princess <i>grew eyes on the tips of her
fingers </i>as she touched carved images on the seeing stick while listening to
the old man’s stories. I gasped out loud when I discovered that the old man was
blind as tears streamed down my face and a flood of emotions washed over me. It
was the first time any book had gripped me by the heart strings and refused to
let go and I was held captive under the spell of book joy I had never known
before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In that defining moment five years into my teaching career,
my love affair with picture books began (or perhaps was just awakened from
hibernation). Just as the old man used his stick to teach the blind princess to
see with new eyes, Jane Yolen’s exquisite words coupled with the visual prowess
of Remy Charlip and Demetra Maraslis taught <i>me</i>
to see reading through new eyes. In one memorable experience, an unabashed love
affair with picture books began and continues to flame the spark of book joy
that began in 1977.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The original book is no longer in print but a new version
was published in 2009 and illustrator Daniella
Janglenko Terrazzini brings Jane Yolen’s words to life once again. I
love the new version, but the 1977 edition is still closest to my heart because
this is the book that first awakened a love I never knew existed. I pull out my
1977 miracle often to relive that moment in a quiet book store so many years
ago and I continue to share it with teachers and children whenever I can.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another winding path of my reading joy journey took place as
my love for picture books and my mother unexpectedly collided when Alzheimer’s
cruelly entered our lives. As my mother’s memories faded from view, picture
books pulled them back and encircled our love for each other. Reading picture
books to my mother became a ritual I treasured and the book that captivated me
twenty years earlier always made its way to top of our stack. Picture books
allowed us to hold on tight to memories dissipating from our reach and offered
glimmers of hope; however fleeting. Picture books became a reflection of love
that glistened in my mother’s eyes and reached out to embrace us both<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> in reading joy again and again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, do I believe in the power of pictures books? Well they
saved this child from a lifelong sentence confined to a book desert with no
hope of an escape. They allowed me to hold on to my mother’s memories in the
dark years just a bit longer. They are my companions when I’m lonely and awaken
emotions like nothing else can. And they continue to make my heart pound each
time I share a beautiful picture book with children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the story, the blind old man says, “<i>I am going to show you my
stick. For it is no ordinary piece of wood but a stick that sees.” </i>Because of a single piece of golden wood, a
blind old man, a blind princess and a brilliant author and illustrators, I too
see what so many others saw long before me – the power of picture books at any
age. Jane Yolen literally altered the trajectory of my reading journey…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I am forever changed!</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Books Referenced<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Seeing Stick by Jane Yolen, illustrators
Remy Charlip and Demetra Maraslis </i><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Crowell; First
Edition (1977)</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Seeing Stick by Jane Yolen, Illustrator
Daniella Janglenko Terrazzini</i><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"> </span></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333;">Running Press Kids;
Reprint edition (2009) </span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333;">******</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<b>Mary Howard</b> is a powerhouse literacy consultant and author. She has been described as a “teachers’ teacher” with insight into the realities of schools and a unique ability to translate research into practice. An educator for over four decades, Mary combines extensive experience as a special education, Title 1 and Reading Recovery<span style="font-size: 9px; line-height: normal;">TM </span>teacher and continues to provide in-school support as a literacy consultant and coach. She is the author of three books from Heinemann including RTI from All Sides: What Every Teacher Needs to Know (2009) and Good to Great Teaching: Focusing on the Literacy Work that Matters (2012).<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">
Mary also co-moderates #G2Great Twitter chat every Thursday night @DrMaryHoward with Jenn Hayhurst and Amy Brennan and can be found on Facebook at Mary C Howard.</div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-26114777707656505562017-11-16T06:09:00.001-05:002017-11-16T06:18:28.009-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Don Tate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love
picture books! They are the doorway to literacy. But to eight-year-old Don
Tate, that doorway felt like an unwelcome place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I was a
kid, books didn’t attract or hold my <span lang="FR">attention. </span>I struggled with comprehension. I couldn’t always
remember what I’d read. Plus, reading had to compete with what I loved
best—drawing and making things with my hands. Most of all, I think, because the
majority of books featured white characters, I thought of them as being, first
and foremost, for white people. I mean, beyond THE SNOWY DAY and other books by
Ezra Jack Keats, there was DICK AND JANE, and a whole lot of walking, talking
animal books. Oh, and Dr. Seus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favorite
picture book was our Better Homes & Gardens Illustrated Medical
Encyclopedia, because, well, who doesn’t enjoy an illustrated in-grown toe
nail? I also loved our Funk & Wagnalls Young Student’s Encyclopedias, too.
They featured stories, drawings, and photographs of all kinds of people. Brown
people! In books—I felt welcome to enter that place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my early
twenties, I finally became a reader. I was working at an educational publishing
company when, one day, I discovered the book BLACK BOY by Richard Wright. Of
course that title caught my attention. It was a book about a Black family. The
main character was a Black kid. The kid was trying to understand and navigate
the complications of life and race in his mostly white, Southern world. I could
relate, that book was me! I finished reading that book, and I then read all of
Richard Wright’s books—which led me to read books by Gordon Parks, Claude
Brown, Alex Haley, Nathan McCall, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Tananarive Due.
I was finally a reader.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As an author
and illustrator of picture books, I want to do the same thing for young
children that Richard Wright did for me: I want to inspire a lifelong love of
reading—and therefore learning. I want to create picture books that create a
welcome doorway to literacy for all kids, but especially brown kids who are
often underrepresented in books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the
world suggest that the color black is negative, I have just the picture book:
BLACK ALL AROUND! (Lee & Low Books), which celebrates the beautiful <span lang="IT">color</span> of black (and brown, and
every color in between). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the
world proves unjust, I have just the picture book: <span lang="DE">RON</span>’<span lang="DE">S BIG MISSION </span>(Penguin), which tells the real life story of Ron
McNair, <span lang="DA">a Black </span>child who
influenced great change in his community by protesting the injustice he
experienced at his neighborhood library.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the
world places limits on a child’s dreams, I have just the picture book: <span lang="DE">WHOOSH! LONNIE JOHNSON</span>’S
SUPER-SOAKING STREAM OF INVENTIONS (Charlesbridge). It tells the story of a
child who liked to tinker, who grew up to invent the world’s most loved toy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I even have a
picture book called STRONG AS SANDOW, who was a Victorian strongman and “Father
of Bodybuilding.” He was not Black—but hey, young readers and future authors,
don’t place limits on yourself, write what you want!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Through
picture books, I can tell the stories that 8-year-old Don Tate needed to
hear—the true stories of African-American <span lang="NL">poets</span>, artists, sports figures, politicians, inventors, <span lang="IT">orators</span>, and more—stories that
allow kids of color to see themselves, blasting that doorway to literacy and
learning wide open.</span></div>
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*****<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><b>Don Tate</b> is the illustrator of numerous critically acclaimed books for children. In 2013, he earned an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Award for his first picture book text, </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: inherit;">It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Traylor Started to Draw</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> (Lee & Low Books, 2012). In 2016, he won The Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Book Award for </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: inherit;">Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">(Peachtree, 2015), his first authored and illustrated picture book. That book received a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, a Christopher Award, and a 2016 Texas Institute of Letters book award, among others. In 2016, he was also honored with an Illumine Award given by the Austin Public Library Friends Foundation. Don enjoys visiting elementary schools throughout the country, sharing his literary experiences with children (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3D0BULyw3JLgE&source=gmail&ust=1510772854714000&usg=AFQjCNFYbIjhGHrj886kFqyIvFHGX-b0RQ" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BULyw3JLgE" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>watch?v=0BULyw3JLgE</a>). Don lives in Austin, Texas, where he enjoys visiting elementary schools.</span></span></div>
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-45677164740209259472017-11-15T06:05:00.000-05:002017-11-15T06:05:38.105-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Aliza Werner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUP-mWC7qvPYR0eAI1orGYRDAlumqcnJHAfd4PNNpx3WvYHkolt4HPmrwgaK9xpZHfhnUopHW9-uUXvi0CmX14HG1-sKyJrQ3ElXrBWTu9u-U7LXsdLETMiPBopc55UFsSsVM1kycukMz1/s1600/Werner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="662" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUP-mWC7qvPYR0eAI1orGYRDAlumqcnJHAfd4PNNpx3WvYHkolt4HPmrwgaK9xpZHfhnUopHW9-uUXvi0CmX14HG1-sKyJrQ3ElXrBWTu9u-U7LXsdLETMiPBopc55UFsSsVM1kycukMz1/s200/Werner.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I was born, a pink-cheeked rag doll wearing sky blue overalls was placed in my crib. Her blue bonnet circled her face, and her blue eyes had a permanent twinkle in them. She unsurprisingly was formally named Blue Doll, but went by her nickname, Bluie. For years, she never left my side.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She was there for every car ride, vacation, and bedtime.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She was my plaything, my confidant, my friend, and my security.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I soothed my fears and blotted my tears, chewing on the tip of her bonnet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She’s traveled the world and gone to college.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After many years of love and hugs and an unfortunate incident that had her on the spin cycle in the washing machine, her fabric has faded, her legs are precariously attached, and a hole the size of my worries gapes in her bonnet. No one brought me more comfort, knew more of my secrets, or was more of a friend to her introverted person than Bluie. A doll made of no more than fabric, cotton stuffing, and a bit of rubber was, and still is, priceless to me. Despite the Fisher Price product tag dangling from her leg, I knew then, as I do now, that there is only one Bluie in the world. Many people do not know this, but I do…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">real.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The world may think she is just a worn out rag doll. To me, she has always been real.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/U5iqKPDEM0MlfbQEQCX7Z_qhrK9SsLgtxDmeaqaUr7SOsyrYIe03MYoLgjdPMYE4tfWGD-HRz9JbRaf59t_qRqK_FLRjPgOoLcofi9d15NrKhm5O1AFVxZjehpcIoBXvbGDBIyFz" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="143" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vupH8sd-Ua8SZPvhVtPT5N3Q9A2w3u8ji-Wu0-GwwlF-r8eso4P9o6UgdWEY3FWjimHduxXaNvjNaxKjDNVO11MNe4WEFkLSi6wrJTMAAK13C7o3pzXOdlckxrDwTyQCxgwtMsl2" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="180" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last year, I read a picture book that perfectly described how a child’s doll or imaginary friend can exist in a space that blurs imagination and reality. It defies definition. In </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Henry & Leo</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Pamela Zagarenski, a young boy, Henry, loses his stuffed lion, Leo, one day in the woods. As his mother tucks him into bed, he worries:</span></div>
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<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Leo will be scared,” Henry told his mother.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Henry, Leo is not real. He is real only in your imagination,” said Mama…</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Henry knew that his family just didn’t understand what it truly meant to be real. To Henry, Leo was as real as his mother, his father, and his sister. As real as a tree, a cloud, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the wind. As real as a flower, a bee, a bird, a fox, a pebble, a brook, an ocean, or a whale. Leo was his best friend. Like a brother. They loved each other. They took care of each other. That’s real.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This resonated within me like a heartbeat. As adults, we read fantasies and fairy tales to our children, all of us aware of their fiction. But the undeniable magic of picture books transpires when we recognize that fictional characters ignite authentic feelings in readers.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture books transcend their fiction when a reader’s emotional response is very, very real.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture books are not just good for our imaginations, they are necessary for our hearts.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture books are a rehearsal for life. They give children a chance to experience feelings of joy, loss, and wonder in a safe space, before trying them out in the world.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We read to children about...</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elephants and piggies, so they understand the dynamics of friendship.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mice with purple plastic purses, so they know tomorrow is another day.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jabari jumping off the diving board, so they can face their fears.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most people, so they realize there is more good than evil in this world.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each kindness, so they see that words and inaction have consequences.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Worms loving other worms, so they recognize that love is love.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A bus on Market Street, so they are grateful for the beauty in everyday moments.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dennis and Joy, so they learn how to be a friend.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keyana loving her hair, so they have mirrors of their lives and windows to others’.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Land narwhals and sea unicorns, so they can smash labels and be their true selves.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ten good things about Barney, so they discover that loss and death is a part of life.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Humpty Dumpty after his fall, so they witness resilience.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Knights who slay dragons, so they can slay their own dragons someday.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The child who loses his stuffed lion, so they believe that he is worth finding.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a moment in Dan Santat’s </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Adventures of Beekle</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> when Beekle is finally imagined by his human friend Alice. Through their play and adventures “the world began to feel a little less strange”. And isn’t that what we want for all of our children? To say the world can be overwhelming and immense and intimidating, but it can also be big and wide and wonderful. So, hold tight to your Bluie, your Beekle, your Leo.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s practice facing and embracing the world together.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s read a picture book.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Real isn't how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” -The Velveteen Rabbit</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9af3425a-b291-6310-6702-4eb1834f3186"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Aliza Werner </b>(@alizateach) is a 3rd grade teacher in Southeastern Wisconsin. She serves on the Wisconsin State Reading Association’s Children’s Literature Committee. Aliza is a Curriculum Writer at Milwaukee Film, and also does year-round work on their Youth Education and Children’s Film Screening Committees. You can read more of her writing on her collaborative blog </span><a href="https://classroomcommunities.com/category/werner/" style="font-weight: 400; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Classroom Communities</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline;">. She is passionate about building diverse classroom libraries that provide all children with windows and mirrors, and she is a fierce advocate for choice, access, and time to read. World traveler, reader, photographer, dog mom, and wife.</span></span></span></div>
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-54084042459930650332017-11-14T06:04:00.000-05:002017-11-14T06:04:45.678-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Dev Petty<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9lw0rtCOkZ7aPjpgdRtxnU-QOrHcjwU06Utl_4BvHKsmu7L4fF75tVvIR1iGvZ9WbwZ9uoXmMmq4Al-mr17UpunbbrKTNoxsrITBkvBKCVz11UP9U1_GN7jVtY_q3-8ICGqBqFCtZOzr/s1600/IMG_9042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9lw0rtCOkZ7aPjpgdRtxnU-QOrHcjwU06Utl_4BvHKsmu7L4fF75tVvIR1iGvZ9WbwZ9uoXmMmq4Al-mr17UpunbbrKTNoxsrITBkvBKCVz11UP9U1_GN7jVtY_q3-8ICGqBqFCtZOzr/s200/IMG_9042.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love picture books.
It's sincere. I love reading
them, writing them, talking about them...you name it. So when a fine person like Kurt asked if I'd
write a little about the power of picture books, he had me at “Hey, Dev...”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With so many posts out there about the power of picture
books for kids- many of which I've myself written, I thought I'd go in a
different direction and talk about the power of picture books for those a
little longer in the tooth, like me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, before I became a writer, my main adult
relationship with picture books was as a parent, reading them to my kids, stack
after stack. I was thrilled that they
loved books and pictures so much, and welcomed getting to curl on the couch and
just read instead of playing “these thirty-eight tiny dolls need to get dressed
for a ball that will never happen” again.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What I discovered reading all those picture books, and what
I'd forgotten from my own childhood, is how joyful it is to have an idea
distilled to its elements. There is something wonderful about a clear idea and
applicable message, the same way I glean so much from wonderful quotes. What grownup doesn't benefit from remembering
that,“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get
better. It's not.” or that you can be a bull and choose not to fight, or that
you can get over getting dirt on your new shoes. We're supposed to know all that stuff, we're
grownups. But you know what? We forget.
We're busy, we're inundated with news, sometimes we're exhausted,
overworked, or overwhelmed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Missing Piece reminds me to enjoy the journey, to slow
down. The Lost Thing reminds me to look
for the unique things in the world and enjoy differences. The Last Stop on Market Street reminds me to
consider the richness of life and relationships instead of things. The Big Orange Splot reminds me to be myself
and not care what others think. Extra
Yarn reminds me of the magic in the world and how small gestures can create big
change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are there novels that convey these ideas? Yes. I
read those novels and I love those novels.
But as we aim to impart ideas, and not just plots to our kids, it helps
to have beautiful, short books that shout through the noise and ring our bells
a little. Growing up, after all, isn't just
a series of plot twists and cliff hangers.
Picture books can remind us who we wanted to be as parents and adults,
friends, and caregivers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's easy to put those old picture books in a box- whether
after we grow up or when our kids move onto chapter books and longer
novels. But I'll urge you to keep them
around. For them to page through, or
you. They will make you smile and remind
you of things you're supposed to know and sometimes still forget. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*****</span></div>
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<b>Dev Petty</b> is the author of CLAYMATES, I DON'T WANT TO BE A
FROG, and many more picture books to come.
Her latest, THERE'S NOTHING TO DO, is the third in the Frog series- It's
a silly look at what Frog does and doesn't do with a free day.</div>
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Dev was a Visual Effects artist on the Matrix Trilogy and dozens
of other projects before becoming a parent and picture book writer. She lives in the SF Bay Area with her family
and critters. She also makes a fine
sandwich and is very good at word jumbles. </div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-30514320579580824092017-11-13T06:17:00.001-05:002017-11-13T06:19:30.757-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Travis Crowder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMLVcBmZtYeYkmLCGHELVmkv4sf921chbZq6Ati0YVa_c2G4h-_BmoYZolxXB44F2nnrzUFiec1Vam3o7k4Z3topc-1w-Lqv32hXKJ4SIpkcuEkwnFlLj5DdLr8hDjRBvzm-cvmxHoYSm/s1600/Crowder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="694" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMLVcBmZtYeYkmLCGHELVmkv4sf921chbZq6Ati0YVa_c2G4h-_BmoYZolxXB44F2nnrzUFiec1Vam3o7k4Z3topc-1w-Lqv32hXKJ4SIpkcuEkwnFlLj5DdLr8hDjRBvzm-cvmxHoYSm/s200/Crowder.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Children love stories. They are intrigued and compelled by them. My classroom library is home to quite a few of the picture books I read and loved as a child, and even now, as a teacher, I share these books with kids. The books are yellowed with age and crinkled from use; twenty-five years since I first held them, students are still captivated by the stories, the images, and the experience. I love beginning the year with a picture book, something like </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh, The Places You’ll Go</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Dr. Seuss or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happy Dreamer</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Peter Reynolds. The magic of the story envelopes readers and I see the delight in their faces as they are entranced by the narrative, the characters, and the events. Wolfenbarger and Sipe (2007) mention the unique visual and literary art form that picture books provide, engaging students in many levels of learning and pleasure (273). Even as kids mature, they still enjoy children’s literature. When I read one of these books aloud to them, they sit mesmerized by the story line, by the characters, and readily tell me when they didn’t get a chance to see the picture. The magical quality never ceases to amaze me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Considering their love of picture books, it is not surprising that an abundance of my current students adore graphic novels, enjoying the fusion of text and image. The graphic novel section of my classroom library has grown exponentially since last year. Students read them, pass them to their peers, and book talk them extemporaneously. Curious about their reading decisions, I asked about their desire for graphic novels, and almost every one of them explained that the addition of images gave them a deeper insight into the book. They loved the images paired with text. When I considered their love of picture books and their adoration of graphic novels, I knew I had to give them a chance to attempt writing in this genre. It would be an exercise and they would need guidance, but in the end, I knew they would enjoy it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition to teaching English/Language Arts, I am also a social studies teacher. Recently, we finished studying the Renaissance and Reformation, and throughout the unit, students were avidly interested in the Black Death, Shakespeare, Martin Luther, Queen Elizabeth I, and the fire of London in 1666. This period of history, like many others, is rich with imagery. Queen Elizabeth’s colorful presence and life, Shakespeare’s creativity and imagination, Leonardo da Vinci’s exquisite art, and Michelangelo’s sleight of hand captivated my students. They adored the research, the projects, the group discussion, and our class-wide collaboration. One afternoon, while seated in front of my computer, I began thinking about students’ love of graphic novels, their interest in children’s literature, and their interest in our Renaissance and Reformation unit. Could these students take a topic and turn it into a graphic novel or picture book? I wasn’t sure, but it was definitely worth a try. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before this year, I had never given thought to bringing picture books into the classroom as an instructional tool. Sure, I would read them aloud, use them to teach theme or characterization, or start the year with a tantalizing book, such as </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh, The Places You’ll Go</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Dr. Seuss or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happy Dreamer </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Peter Reynolds. But this was an application that I hadn’t quite considered: asking students to create their own. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, I read several picture books to them, asking that they jot down things they noticed about the structure, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the content. These things included word-to-picture ratios, sentence length, image and text placement, and so on. Then, I asked them to look at the content, but from a writer’s point of view. Here, we discussed word choice, targeted audience, and writing voice. I have often been guilty of underestimating the abilities of my students, thinking that they were incapable of identifying qualities such as these. However, I was enthralled (and even surprised!) to see them grappling with these decisions, thinking seriously before filling out the Google Form. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next, I asked them to choose a topic from the Renaissance or Reformation that they could create a picture book about. “Your job,” I said, “is to write a picture book that would explain this topic to an elementary-age child. Decide if you want to write a book for kindergartners, first graders, second graders, and so on. Then, I want you to decide what structure you want to follow. Choose a picture book--either one in my classroom, one in the media center, or one you love--to guide your thinking about this assignment.” Their excitement was almost palpable. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tom Newkirk, in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Minds Made for Stories </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(2014), noted that we are compelled by a storyline, by people, characters, “actors”, who are moving through the narrative, whether they are real or imagined. As readers, we seek conflict or problems within the story, and in the end, we want a resolution. I used Newkirk’s idea to guide their thinking and writing during this assignment. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="PB Storyboard 2.jpeg" height="319" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/qZICGoanFpf3DMXqMOh47Qjbh-WrHlgHleEJK-yJ_0pgNBus1_l6Of8Wc2tYATSpV-cjxcHJXhy07Og0gJajuPHmUoAVYF_JskMVvFza79wMh811mwRN3GOptXZ1X-QCddFbRSPz" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="239" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Storyboards are great for collecting ideas and determining a “route” for the story. Even though these were nonfiction, I wanted them to use Newkirk’s definition of a story, where characters or people, whether real or imagined, are introduced, experience a conflict, and seek a solution to that conflict. This was a bit of a challenge, but through writing conferences (even in social studies!) and with peer feedback, they developed wonderful stories. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After storyboarding, I gave them options for their picture book. They were welcome to use Google Slides, treating each slide as a different page in the book, Pixton, a comic strip maker, Canva, a designer’s dream, or another platform that they felt would work. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="PB Photo 2.jpeg" height="343" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/xKQ1b5N-Uhpitym9fSMCeGR9cYI1VZmSw4YejjhDkeVNXoVLsX-U9c1WPlKiFCaYmfONBWbiGn0Qau8T_U0kse8PhULHuDMVj8ED1RACwyRSeyLj0hUOH520Ax22uzo7aubKWQjd" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="291" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The creation of the picture book was where the preponderance of the work was focused. I loved watching them build their own stories, paying careful attention to the details of craft for the younger readers they targeted. They squinted at their computer screens as they worked feverishly to find symmetry and balance with pictures and text. I noticed them consulting with peers to find the right word, asking if their phrasing and explanations were appropriate for their targeted audience. After a week of watching and guiding my kids as they modified elevated topics for the reading pleasure of elementary-age students, I was thrilled to see their final products. Ariya’s comic book told the story of Queen Elizabeth I, Kaylee’s Google Slides picture book followed a child through the Sistine Chapel, and Trace’s narrator took a trip with William Shakespeare through London. Several students used their chosen mentor texts closely, using the sentence structure as a guide throughout their picture book. For example, Isaiah loved If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and used the “if, then” format to structure his picture book. If first page read: “If you give Leonardo da Vinci some paint and brushes, he might paint a masterpiece.” He balanced his text with an image of the Mona Lisa. I was delighted by the creativity they exhibited. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You’re possibly wondering why asking students to create their own picture books was even an assignment in my classroom. It may seem childish or a waste of time, but I strongly disagree. Picture books create a beautiful harmony in classes. Because of their structure, these books can unify students around an idea, a theme, and a narrative. Even in social studies, every student was compelled by story. And the time they spent choosing the “just right” image and crafting the “just right” sentence proved their investment. Picture books are powerful things. Also, I want you to know how difficult this assignment was for my kids. Today, I posed a question to them: “How many of you thought this would be easier than it really was?” Every hand shot in the air. Writing style, appropriate vocabulary and phrasing, and image selection were all taken into account. They had to think like writers, a task that is never quite that simple. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hope that you will invite your students to read picture books beyond the English/Language Arts classroom. This is definitely an activity that I will use again though the logistics may change based on the needs of future students. I hope that you will allow students time to create their own, using picture books they have loved as mentor texts. All students, even older ones, are captivated by story. Give them a chance to read, write, and create. You’ll be mesmerized by the things they produce. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #323d46; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Travis Crowder</b>, M.Ed., is a middle school English/Language Arts teacher at </span></span><span style="color: #323d46; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">East Alexander Middle School in Hiddenite, NC. </span></span><span style="color: #323d46; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">He has taught for ten years and has experience in both middle and high school levels. He currently teaches 7th grade ELA and social studies, and works with the gifted and talented students in his school. </span><span style="color: #323d46; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reading and writing are the soul of a teaching life, and he strives to help his students and co-workers build robust reading and writing lives. He has worked with teachers to develop reading and writing workshop approaches in their classrooms. Follow his reading and writing life: </span><a href="http://www.teachermantrav.com/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline;">www.teachermantrav.com</span></a><span style="color: #323d46; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> .</span></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-74868419588955648532017-11-11T07:49:00.000-05:002017-11-11T22:27:05.092-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Aaron Zenz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijECjZcdR_nt3zpTnZYXYLez0MJ5OIAt75cfdNSqZk2wct5geVnqSj1BHAV3r4wRLxYOmTiKN17gSNZPvzkUA-CXxST8Q9DanWCQ2l1SoG0rk_XLTyCRgKrk4Z4_ENyrieuLzU2JRw/s1600/ArtPrizeAaronZenz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijECjZcdR_nt3zpTnZYXYLez0MJ5OIAt75cfdNSqZk2wct5geVnqSj1BHAV3r4wRLxYOmTiKN17gSNZPvzkUA-CXxST8Q9DanWCQ2l1SoG0rk_XLTyCRgKrk4Z4_ENyrieuLzU2JRw/s200/ArtPrizeAaronZenz.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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Picture books and their creators have had a powerful impact on me in many ways over many years. In the midst of this 30-day-long November celebration of picture books, I thought I would celebrate 30 specific picture books and creators that have influenced my life. As lovers of the format, our family has around 5,000 children's books in our home collection, so I could easily highlight hundreds. The giant challenge for me was to limit myself to only 30. And as an illustrator, I thought I would celebrate these books and their creators in a unique way: through a giant piece of Fan Art... Here goes!<br />
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How many characters did you recognize in this Picture Book Tribute? And what feeling hit you when you picked out a familiar face? Giddy? Did it feel like spotting an old friend? Did you smile? Did you make an audible noise or even say something out loud?<br />
<br />
That feeling you got? That's the power of picture books. <br />
<br />
Here's a guide to the characters I picked and their creators:<br />
<br />
<b>Me:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmSrV58yemv42PTuTY7yHT9vyk20IwVS6V5drAvIDmLXMaMb9wY7ijFx0BdzaeUZpr-NkzF5T3j6FQ46hBHhgukS66Yz67yglR6DqeaeHhgCyDgYI5PqX_91XjcgENzI9CDyi-6eC/s1600/Hic3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="408" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmSrV58yemv42PTuTY7yHT9vyk20IwVS6V5drAvIDmLXMaMb9wY7ijFx0BdzaeUZpr-NkzF5T3j6FQ46hBHhgukS66Yz67yglR6DqeaeHhgCyDgYI5PqX_91XjcgENzI9CDyi-6eC/s1600/Hic3.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><i><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Aaron%20Zenz" target="_blank">Aaron Zenz</a> / </i></b><br />
<a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-43-hiccupotamus.html" target="_blank"><b><i>The Hiccupotamus</i></b></a><br />
I love picture books. I read picture books. I collect picture books. I make picture books. I've illustrated and/or authored <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Aaron%20Zenz" target="_blank">33 picture books</a>, but <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-43-hiccupotamus.html" target="_blank">"The Hiccupotamus"</a> was my first and will always be a significant part of my life. <br />
<br />
<b>5 Formative Creators:</b><br />
<br />
<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfC3SmnURz9KtB0RJiPDhMdQXF-HiJxp8nEyppfYsFm-6145hxG8DWgavd6fpUXYUXd7njoQQcVO3FxsP0CLRAAreLUEnBo5o46L0dTaF1plLZHXgHimivZ-19-KpBlIz63IPmgQzm/s1600/cinder.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="408" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfC3SmnURz9KtB0RJiPDhMdQXF-HiJxp8nEyppfYsFm-6145hxG8DWgavd6fpUXYUXd7njoQQcVO3FxsP0CLRAAreLUEnBo5o46L0dTaF1plLZHXgHimivZ-19-KpBlIz63IPmgQzm/s1600/cinder.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-63-cinder-eyed-cats.html" target="_blank">Eric Rohmann</a> / </i></b><br />
<a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-63-cinder-eyed-cats.html" target="_blank"><b><i>The Cinder-Eyed Cats</i></b></a><br />
This is the <b>picture book</b> that had the most profound impact on my life and calling to create. I was in my college library, most likely studying for an exam. I happened to look up, and I saw these cats staring at me from the other side of the room. I looked down. Back up. Down. Up. They were still there. Still staring. Intently. Calling to me. I was physically moved to stand up, cross the room, and dive into the story. The power of that moment - for a single image to move me to action - was striking. And I knew I wanted to do that too. I knew I wanted to make art that would compel people to move ...or laugh ...or think ...or change ...or inspire them to create too.<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimrxuzxGFi8nBHA6WJncURz-2a60S_ktBC_uFsiFkmz8-jyZQpncMGlZ7YjgpnxpPMVpU0zm8uaY2cUWUa-c71HwO9AtlRxv5XqoHeiynycxMxDqgp9kDFjlTdP9FxnNwtC4vV63A/s1600/johnsandford.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="408" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimrxuzxGFi8nBHA6WJncURz-2a60S_ktBC_uFsiFkmz8-jyZQpncMGlZ7YjgpnxpPMVpU0zm8uaY2cUWUa-c71HwO9AtlRxv5XqoHeiynycxMxDqgp9kDFjlTdP9FxnNwtC4vV63A/s1600/johnsandford.jpg" width="200" /></a><i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/John%20Sandford" target="_blank">John Sandford</a> / </b></i><br />
<a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/John%20Sandford" target="_blank"><i><b>The Terrible Hodag</b></i></a><br />
John is the <b>person</b> who had the most profound impact on my calling to create. He was the first real live illustrator I ever met. I was in awe of his art. He befriended and encouraged me. "You're going to do this someday," he'd say sounding as if he really meant it. Years later when he started his own publishing company, he took those words and acted on them, hiring me as the first employee. He got the ball rolling on <i>The Hiccupotamus</i>, and the course of my life was set in motion.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXcLFETDxFuugdhcUOKQO90jo3XwIfPs9RYu-qDcBkdQvKRFYyPnSV56Vo2Pu2wKUlfBwS9ZrVtHs92eFXi74nlFreBxp1x98OYhdZgzW3tI9_I2zZEPZGk2XuZjj42k2FXMjWz0g/s1600/glenkeaneadamraccoon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="355" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXcLFETDxFuugdhcUOKQO90jo3XwIfPs9RYu-qDcBkdQvKRFYyPnSV56Vo2Pu2wKUlfBwS9ZrVtHs92eFXi74nlFreBxp1x98OYhdZgzW3tI9_I2zZEPZGk2XuZjj42k2FXMjWz0g/s1600/glenkeaneadamraccoon.jpg" width="173" /></a><i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/04/review-22-adam-raccoon-at-forever-falls.html" target="_blank">Glen Keane</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/04/review-22-adam-raccoon-at-forever-falls.html" target="_blank">Adam Raccoon</a></b></i><br />
I discovered Glen Keane's behind-the-scenes rough animation my freshman year of highschool, and he has been my favorite artist ever since. He's the artist behind Ariel, the Beast, Aladdin, and Tangled, but he also created fantastic books about Adam Raccoon - the greatest faith-based picture book series out there by leaps and bounds.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhIf0BYySyzni02xJIiF090Bv_4IxiDTLl_eC56HDFrpJYGctShuGJsxDzzn_CNW6WMIVUoZvUcEdLXZ5B88I6sFRlmZ77AUQbzeKEPheTVEgCBCdYI28oPX6IZQn_dxWUdtGaGR3/s1600/scottgustafson.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="355" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhIf0BYySyzni02xJIiF090Bv_4IxiDTLl_eC56HDFrpJYGctShuGJsxDzzn_CNW6WMIVUoZvUcEdLXZ5B88I6sFRlmZ77AUQbzeKEPheTVEgCBCdYI28oPX6IZQn_dxWUdtGaGR3/s1600/scottgustafson.jpg" width="173" /></a><i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-116-alphabet-soup.html" target="_blank">Scott Gustafson</a> / <br /><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-116-alphabet-soup.html" target="_blank">Alphabet Soup</a></b></i><br />
I started collecting samples of Scott's art from catalogs in college (long before the days of Pinterest). I actually crossed paths with him years later, and had a <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-116-alphabet-soup.html" target="_blank">memorable star-struck encounter</a>.<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85VFtvM-xS6u5PlQDuQjMrRZYUk4cyPkraD3zT5sqL9tIGdX-UqVUGR8GscFweTScJh8Pjy36IEkRCiLiJeRgNKVpjBj0tgp0-sqIp2FQ-3GJFR8BM_-zzK2ZuamEgo76KHOFC4uW/s1600/blacknwhite.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: .5em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.25em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="355" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85VFtvM-xS6u5PlQDuQjMrRZYUk4cyPkraD3zT5sqL9tIGdX-UqVUGR8GscFweTScJh8Pjy36IEkRCiLiJeRgNKVpjBj0tgp0-sqIp2FQ-3GJFR8BM_-zzK2ZuamEgo76KHOFC4uW/s1600/blacknwhite.jpg" width="173" /></a><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-35-black-and-white.html" target="_blank">David Macaulay</a> / </b></i><br />
<a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-35-black-and-white.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Black and White</b></i></a><br />
This has long been my absolute favorite picture book, and most likely always will be.<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>2 Local Pals:</b><br />
The writing and illustrating life is, more often than not, a solitary and
sometimes lonely endeavor. I'm lucky to live near some other
top-notch creators. Laurie and Amy are two local friends, are kindred
spirits, and have created many amazing characters.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8fta4GM4RzPA_0K7B351dV7Ysw3ikOTo57wUQGvFXQ54wfLC5Six-Hzaa5QSbi8ucFdq0qOgnzXtADbhIq164zZXyiIi23P37fbP7DTQwBs90RG7F6r4YiYI2qAWTsvGO72VJRhy/s1600/arnie.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="450" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8fta4GM4RzPA_0K7B351dV7Ysw3ikOTo57wUQGvFXQ54wfLC5Six-Hzaa5QSbi8ucFdq0qOgnzXtADbhIq164zZXyiIi23P37fbP7DTQwBs90RG7F6r4YiYI2qAWTsvGO72VJRhy/s1600/arnie.jpg" width="220" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Laurie%20Keller" target="_blank">Laurie Keller</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Laurie%20Keller" target="_blank">Arnie the Doughnut</a></b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxoAWmLvdYVg233zQ-Tffct2JH9lIUrIN-60EYvVq8LVnDMj2dnJBwVCykqlySHd9ZI_IEEg3uxUI0zHFPoZGVbYObrJInTKabTxfyrY4uSyfxDn7iTdQMiBkFMwyk8T3qrGYTZql/s1600/belinda.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxoAWmLvdYVg233zQ-Tffct2JH9lIUrIN-60EYvVq8LVnDMj2dnJBwVCykqlySHd9ZI_IEEg3uxUI0zHFPoZGVbYObrJInTKabTxfyrY4uSyfxDn7iTdQMiBkFMwyk8T3qrGYTZql/s1600/belinda.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Amy%20Young" target="_blank">Amy Young </a>/ <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Amy%20Young" target="_blank">Belinda the Ballerina</a></b></i><br />
<br />
<b>5 Classics:</b><br />
A few favorite books from my childhood:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kRDGOZZfpYpDb2W2U77QH0PQ4bzUrHyXZHnk343PJMTWumqe7uuj6Cr2ZjSo4iKRgpRXnCOl8RwmmkajGEJpoRxdtnNWJLGGbGQ1dN7q6Pat1W7Wb_IS7D5ApLo9k0_atokDzGiK/s1600/snowyday.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="408" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kRDGOZZfpYpDb2W2U77QH0PQ4bzUrHyXZHnk343PJMTWumqe7uuj6Cr2ZjSo4iKRgpRXnCOl8RwmmkajGEJpoRxdtnNWJLGGbGQ1dN7q6Pat1W7Wb_IS7D5ApLo9k0_atokDzGiK/s1600/snowyday.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<i><b>Ezra Jack Keats / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2011/07/200-great-books.html" target="_blank">The Snowy Day</a></b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9_B0U0TuEI2CM84pCBSfyBdcYyD23Oq59IHGz7BWN3tTjNW9QLV7zSNKdsF3kiLNHaU8-D9udnerJ1UdxPIopt6-5Z8qcbQoBXefbo5nvMVPSkPqTTIl4n9FwN_flr5by26Yq_7M/s1600/grover.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9_B0U0TuEI2CM84pCBSfyBdcYyD23Oq59IHGz7BWN3tTjNW9QLV7zSNKdsF3kiLNHaU8-D9udnerJ1UdxPIopt6-5Z8qcbQoBXefbo5nvMVPSkPqTTIl4n9FwN_flr5by26Yq_7M/s1600/grover.jpg" width="173" /></a><i><b><br /><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-65-grover-palooza.html" target="_blank">Jon Stone and Mike Smollin</a> / </b></i><br />
<a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-65-grover-palooza.html" target="_blank"><i><b>The Monster at the End of this Book</b></i></a><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5O5ES9qZwAKThJXvfZ9meoCP9-Fws3gr8qhysPLoxe6Kbmtd4QS28d0MujhjIpmR7nZtJ8HTHN7-z0AwXcQzVwi3e8-b-N8VCpj4z9TGGASjw521EGBjlCNJRSGmmzulX-YExrC6/s1600/frogntoad.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5O5ES9qZwAKThJXvfZ9meoCP9-Fws3gr8qhysPLoxe6Kbmtd4QS28d0MujhjIpmR7nZtJ8HTHN7-z0AwXcQzVwi3e8-b-N8VCpj4z9TGGASjw521EGBjlCNJRSGmmzulX-YExrC6/s1600/frogntoad.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-119-frog-and-toad-together.html" target="_blank">Arnold Lobel</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-119-frog-and-toad-together.html" target="_blank">Frog and Toad</a></b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgz4Thdy7n9is0n_vY_YI1SYf97P-SHdSBXXfF5-nxbeC72hynyq1oOyvThfraJUJ4ADN2jnFY6QYBS0tQ-45Ef-IGeZUEk9IPkDEeqrq5WsV0wO7sV_EXupiw2JImXimPzYJr9L0/s1600/sylvester.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgz4Thdy7n9is0n_vY_YI1SYf97P-SHdSBXXfF5-nxbeC72hynyq1oOyvThfraJUJ4ADN2jnFY6QYBS0tQ-45Ef-IGeZUEk9IPkDEeqrq5WsV0wO7sV_EXupiw2JImXimPzYJr9L0/s1600/sylvester.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b>William Steig / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2011/07/200-great-books.html" target="_blank">Sylvester and the Magic Pebble</a></b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzF-TfokOv2PlhULGWIV8H7sLb3QNXJ0igSNvUiQ0SaXztzyZimTJZNBHqsiBw2TO6IJknWF2KX1WCX-P6TmsiEFG0Rip7pUfAztxuveKoSVWe7jASxD9DMli-pJZkVUcy_fzlX8I/s1600/wildthings.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="433" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzF-TfokOv2PlhULGWIV8H7sLb3QNXJ0igSNvUiQ0SaXztzyZimTJZNBHqsiBw2TO6IJknWF2KX1WCX-P6TmsiEFG0Rip7pUfAztxuveKoSVWe7jASxD9DMli-pJZkVUcy_fzlX8I/s1600/wildthings.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-46-where-wild-things-are.html" target="_blank">Maurice Sendak</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-46-where-wild-things-are.html" target="_blank">Where the Wild Things Are</a></b></i><br />
<br />
<b>17 Contemporary Creators:</b><br />
I'm closing out with 17 creators that regularly dazzle and amaze me. Again, this list could contain hundreds! But here are a few favorites:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzCXCMXqAlhaG8gkQnXa0D1avivfTWDRjT1sIvGfiWM9Krvcp3z2Iu-j6gM5Yp5le9effrcg9Tx4jM6CsZe0unL2HhnI9GC-nMFYR-XH_HBpaKwReBzgrvhcP4kPp4Sc9ER8oGvxg/s1600/suzyleeshadow.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="532" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzCXCMXqAlhaG8gkQnXa0D1avivfTWDRjT1sIvGfiWM9Krvcp3z2Iu-j6gM5Yp5le9effrcg9Tx4jM6CsZe0unL2HhnI9GC-nMFYR-XH_HBpaKwReBzgrvhcP4kPp4Sc9ER8oGvxg/s1600/suzyleeshadow.jpg" width="259" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Suzy%20Lee" target="_blank">Suzy Lee</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Suzy%20Lee" target="_blank">Shadow</a></b></i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEPTZTQFNay0Xpr7K2jtN23J2iZnIYJr5_TE6i_6ILO9DaxwqOM38_ecQ5ITV7JZQsevB-O1J7EqiPPsQrQEQuzlf4RMST98mIfpj90rafdKPG5IEIiL835sYCpgik8B7U6E8AwZS/s1600/arrival.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEPTZTQFNay0Xpr7K2jtN23J2iZnIYJr5_TE6i_6ILO9DaxwqOM38_ecQ5ITV7JZQsevB-O1J7EqiPPsQrQEQuzlf4RMST98mIfpj90rafdKPG5IEIiL835sYCpgik8B7U6E8AwZS/s1600/arrival.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-37-arrival.html" target="_blank">Shaun Tan</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-37-arrival.html" target="_blank">The Arrival</a></b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4JyGKIBvK0al8egqFBdhimMGylMzrXy4tfqO6arUAVh0hfR2-6v7oY8oQB7o50AXqXwi69i_Uzunpfj_P8ScUQtv3eGFhvfaquBSUFylIZQ-LQ91soY2cAFKWzXtQWHradK0prmZ/s1600/samanddavedig.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4JyGKIBvK0al8egqFBdhimMGylMzrXy4tfqO6arUAVh0hfR2-6v7oY8oQB7o50AXqXwi69i_Uzunpfj_P8ScUQtv3eGFhvfaquBSUFylIZQ-LQ91soY2cAFKWzXtQWHradK0prmZ/s1600/samanddavedig.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2010/06/review-75-oh-no.html" target="_blank">Mac Barnett</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/p/sam-and-dave-dig-hole-theories.html" target="_blank">Sam and Dave Dig a Hole</a> </b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wJlEft5qusTxUCUmbQuId73OAc7QapFNBn8-bQ22FmEI0ZZ86i44Nu8DWr0p-ZaLZ3ntInug2jsBZy58IYYibPKYzDuGSW4VDPMiC-TBwzEsCbWC6jkSi2yS2_Ttim5wR5waZOcr/s1600/hatback.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wJlEft5qusTxUCUmbQuId73OAc7QapFNBn8-bQ22FmEI0ZZ86i44Nu8DWr0p-ZaLZ3ntInug2jsBZy58IYYibPKYzDuGSW4VDPMiC-TBwzEsCbWC6jkSi2yS2_Ttim5wR5waZOcr/s1600/hatback.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/p/sam-and-dave-dig-hole-theories.html" target="_blank">Jon Klassen</a> / I Want My Hat Back</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoCzS9bzXiAdT9pg0JTMiqoVvvIpgUSYfj_WocnciEsJ2PqbREt945_8HL0G2csLEnvQqJwR_Sb6oUmpx6t9jr6esaiYcuJtP_HMn97SRizw1f_wKSDy178XN22ynTiJGFwCVWmr6/s1600/tues.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="440" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoCzS9bzXiAdT9pg0JTMiqoVvvIpgUSYfj_WocnciEsJ2PqbREt945_8HL0G2csLEnvQqJwR_Sb6oUmpx6t9jr6esaiYcuJtP_HMn97SRizw1f_wKSDy178XN22ynTiJGFwCVWmr6/s1600/tues.jpg" width="214" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-62-three-pigs.html" target="_blank">David Wiesner</a> / Tuesday</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLl8B3sIXEbXavua7zr8rQEApL7ofzHtNVh2PtVO3-BMX33fqYipQbl0jdOZIk6rLdvUpNEhzbMO2ngnEIgybBsZ9h9toKku6pNEOfoxdnNq3Bh_i6SC4Qkwd89dl2XopX593BmoNk/s1600/stinkycheese.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLl8B3sIXEbXavua7zr8rQEApL7ofzHtNVh2PtVO3-BMX33fqYipQbl0jdOZIk6rLdvUpNEhzbMO2ngnEIgybBsZ9h9toKku6pNEOfoxdnNq3Bh_i6SC4Qkwd89dl2XopX593BmoNk/s1600/stinkycheese.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b>Jon Scieszka and <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Lane%20Smith" target="_blank">Lane Smith</a> / The Stinky Cheese Man</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtXzbl-GuDwZkfTa_WezM9eZKMZCGZYhEAofBp8_TwlBNrxguoYNdVQiJjzRhKiOvhXvQarXtOuZTvTh7rtWAKtWA7rc6R68ue_kEvZoi6LLaffTp-eQ0ewHnbXwpgp0Asi0Vms6e/s1600/adamrex.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="408" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtXzbl-GuDwZkfTa_WezM9eZKMZCGZYhEAofBp8_TwlBNrxguoYNdVQiJjzRhKiOvhXvQarXtOuZTvTh7rtWAKtWA7rc6R68ue_kEvZoi6LLaffTp-eQ0ewHnbXwpgp0Asi0Vms6e/s1600/adamrex.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Adam%20Rex" target="_blank">Adam Rex</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Adam%20Rex" target="_blank">Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich</a></b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinULQuw8J6vlGkojRy6VrgBY6Zg-l-BkTVoBXBhHkKZ1eFoyyFde3jK9MguxbL5frhzRxyGPUBuniH5-XGviDlPI-xjBG7AgTuQgTpGWtimX5Sd_E44oo8O6xM8E6YwAyIuY8j-atb/s1600/diterlizzi.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="408" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinULQuw8J6vlGkojRy6VrgBY6Zg-l-BkTVoBXBhHkKZ1eFoyyFde3jK9MguxbL5frhzRxyGPUBuniH5-XGviDlPI-xjBG7AgTuQgTpGWtimX5Sd_E44oo8O6xM8E6YwAyIuY8j-atb/s1600/diterlizzi.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Tony%20DiTerlizzi" target="_blank">Tony DiTerlizzi</a> / Ted</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGjIpwJAwVxdT6r6kWUBokgEQUAEbqlkwmgr7DOmFMgc7Rk2_TTNzn6ZAhfrqs7Xqd0xaIY9AWAtv1exADmDuH3Zg2KAeNX-14FmVkt3JmYqlqpIhXjxnPf-s2chc5R4h7Uqfkuzr/s1600/beekle.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGjIpwJAwVxdT6r6kWUBokgEQUAEbqlkwmgr7DOmFMgc7Rk2_TTNzn6ZAhfrqs7Xqd0xaIY9AWAtv1exADmDuH3Zg2KAeNX-14FmVkt3JmYqlqpIhXjxnPf-s2chc5R4h7Uqfkuzr/s1600/beekle.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2015/07/interview-20-dan-santat.html" target="_blank">Dan Santat</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2015/07/interview-20-dan-santat.html" target="_blank">Beekle</a></b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ63wE0HJTlRDPWzsCtxpjeApFdCWSNOrO0W05SSHi1Ae4NQ1ZLPjm-UNAQuxPIYFyauYn_K9C7MB47wDSYaf1pMeADEXr5guabmHCL70ZnoD_oPiXARIxG-aRT0pKDng2c571-yP2/s1600/eandp.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ63wE0HJTlRDPWzsCtxpjeApFdCWSNOrO0W05SSHi1Ae4NQ1ZLPjm-UNAQuxPIYFyauYn_K9C7MB47wDSYaf1pMeADEXr5guabmHCL70ZnoD_oPiXARIxG-aRT0pKDng2c571-yP2/s1600/eandp.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-5-i-love-my-new-toy-and-i-will.html" target="_blank">Mo Willems</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2008/10/review-5-i-love-my-new-toy-and-i-will.html" target="_blank">Elephant and Piggie</a></b></i> </b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuT-hDnAv-zGgxRbn31N9FsbALTpxHyW5FBpueQ2rX4piVBImPzyRThF4Pbbc8rqoT3sjXrc7wDEjez9eg2RpZ2QDewshpscCD45fNzcC1WblEBOveiarslo9jCveGdfuszMidc_xv/s1600/baghead.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuT-hDnAv-zGgxRbn31N9FsbALTpxHyW5FBpueQ2rX4piVBImPzyRThF4Pbbc8rqoT3sjXrc7wDEjez9eg2RpZ2QDewshpscCD45fNzcC1WblEBOveiarslo9jCveGdfuszMidc_xv/s1600/baghead.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Jarrett%20Krosoczka" target="_blank">Jarrett J Krosoczka</a> / Baghead </b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2u15FuPtk8LLTBb5PuvDlxdCJMbhwt2dYiUnMoDfjpqzjfqayq1w4KhqgJW_qz3y7LEtj4InAt1g_9rWgwxYtpWg51HvmaKM3IsV1ukLRfVxxsnmChkQb7_M72fmqy8vGsr7zwtTP/s1600/quiet.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2u15FuPtk8LLTBb5PuvDlxdCJMbhwt2dYiUnMoDfjpqzjfqayq1w4KhqgJW_qz3y7LEtj4InAt1g_9rWgwxYtpWg51HvmaKM3IsV1ukLRfVxxsnmChkQb7_M72fmqy8vGsr7zwtTP/s1600/quiet.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Renata%20Liwska" target="_blank">Renata Liwska</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Renata%20Liwska" target="_blank">The Quiet Book</a> </b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsolCtKZH3JviS50rWNZEDfMAXgb0vmvvQ5FzoKhm-kQdBRzbJzsFzQ9vQYT6zjR9tLyBUdAXo0bwEcZDYPXrjbn2v0BNM4kOlRRsJWRxa5vgKDtEc1JjWczbNL99jMhk_vyVicip/s1600/viv.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="408" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsolCtKZH3JviS50rWNZEDfMAXgb0vmvvQ5FzoKhm-kQdBRzbJzsFzQ9vQYT6zjR9tLyBUdAXo0bwEcZDYPXrjbn2v0BNM4kOlRRsJWRxa5vgKDtEc1JjWczbNL99jMhk_vyVicip/s1600/viv.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2008/12/review-6-shark-and-lobsters-amazing.html" target="_blank">Viviane Schwarz</a> / There Are Cats in this Book</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkucEs2ubWff1Yvc5Ib91Wnm6OKuhC6QqjgsWdw_ytm_DwZGj5LHJiIcF1EHzQF3kEDELsLMlVWKlWGYTfBz7HiGLLStwOeCdKmI-jTx0DwcOzA6Db2o7oQlKww-07sveLEGcBKHb/s1600/johnhendrix.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="375" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkucEs2ubWff1Yvc5Ib91Wnm6OKuhC6QqjgsWdw_ytm_DwZGj5LHJiIcF1EHzQF3kEDELsLMlVWKlWGYTfBz7HiGLLStwOeCdKmI-jTx0DwcOzA6Db2o7oQlKww-07sveLEGcBKHb/s1600/johnhendrix.jpg" width="183" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2014/05/interview-18-john-hendrix.html" target="_blank">John Hendrix</a> / John Brown</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8WgBX7y5qH4yuw-hOUy_vMYuZvkWqviddwJK9y9ZxVC5QIS1-V6UFHVA99IIOs9ixLZA8kJQQofIeZQZWPSDGjeNwEoUPkV-3RHiHARrNQx4MuyUN0AQRvcqWjiGNilEUcn_XEfv/s1600/kellymurph.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="408" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8WgBX7y5qH4yuw-hOUy_vMYuZvkWqviddwJK9y9ZxVC5QIS1-V6UFHVA99IIOs9ixLZA8kJQQofIeZQZWPSDGjeNwEoUPkV-3RHiHARrNQx4MuyUN0AQRvcqWjiGNilEUcn_XEfv/s1600/kellymurph.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Kelly%20Murphy" target="_blank">Kelly Murphy</a> / <a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/search/label/Kelly%20Murphy" target="_blank">Creepy Monsters Sleepy Monsters</a></b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c8D0LQ6Ep3SBj2VL0b80NjLHdOWzijZ-PT40PwEGn5qKSWfjTZbZrwpI5WRHgLt0EArrgkfEzYmPoDM6dEUwiOllrld2PORNV8SNvnr26XEo9jhS6uoYgAroG0a7c7mMsFRpepuM/s1600/swatch.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="356" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3c8D0LQ6Ep3SBj2VL0b80NjLHdOWzijZ-PT40PwEGn5qKSWfjTZbZrwpI5WRHgLt0EArrgkfEzYmPoDM6dEUwiOllrld2PORNV8SNvnr26XEo9jhS6uoYgAroG0a7c7mMsFRpepuM/s1600/swatch.jpg" width="173" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2011/01/review-82-dotty.html" target="_blank">Julia Denos</a> / Swatch</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UOC1BxnWwlVu7mldDEzO9KU5RBBOuG3mOE70uxS2jyshhIxZh2i3M3z2hpF_M214QHtjA_aYmikAJSSmokqmuhUiErguzullImF5kw2FajiTFs2z0pY25KauwaSxSFmBqY_JFu-z/s1600/benhatke.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="465" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UOC1BxnWwlVu7mldDEzO9KU5RBBOuG3mOE70uxS2jyshhIxZh2i3M3z2hpF_M214QHtjA_aYmikAJSSmokqmuhUiErguzullImF5kw2FajiTFs2z0pY25KauwaSxSFmBqY_JFu-z/s1600/benhatke.jpg" width="226" /></a><br />
<i><b><a href="http://bookiewoogie.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-92-zita-spacegirl.html" target="_blank">Ben Hatke</a> / Nobody Likes A Goblin</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>I suspect some of these are your favorite picture books too. And as for any books or creators that are unfamiliar to you - why not hunt them down? You may find some powerful, new, life-long friends!<br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlCP1eJFGAmfvAZ6XCAeQZPOUvEkBMPZXrSdGNCdRBBwfmzuoYNjklKSrOkYMN37Uy2UgZnbRdDH4QKPbg4wzrAhuGc-R4YU2zJPDNzBMFFvg67RAIjODeZRa9IC1vPc1BKLQ-VpR/s1600/IffyCover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1010" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlCP1eJFGAmfvAZ6XCAeQZPOUvEkBMPZXrSdGNCdRBBwfmzuoYNjklKSrOkYMN37Uy2UgZnbRdDH4QKPbg4wzrAhuGc-R4YU2zJPDNzBMFFvg67RAIjODeZRa9IC1vPc1BKLQ-VpR/s200/IffyCover.jpg" width="99" /></a>Aaron Zenz</b> lives in Spring Lake, MI with his lovely wife and six creative kids. He has participated in the creation of 33 children's books, 9 of which he authored. He loves Author Visits and travels around the country all year long, getting kids excited about reading, writing, and creating. Just last month, his newest book <a href="http://amzn.to/2yjoFpe" target="_blank">"Little Iffy Learns to Fly"</a> swooped into the world. You can find Aaron on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aaronzenz" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronZenz" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aaronzenz/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.<br />
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strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-62405823975089837702017-11-10T06:10:00.000-05:002017-11-10T06:10:35.511-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Travis Jonker<div class="normal" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4unW2VYqXi6oRYkVFdIeVdrW29cUnYCGvGucRJHgQUP0N8w__jpYmxqNEavsWol1D1-ElmN0jixTGr2niXIE3joCE2JzM-OUpPIVG9qlCYJ1rW8_aAnnpGLwq_5lbhM2HzhAu4qjldUA4/s1600/Travis+Jonker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="683" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4unW2VYqXi6oRYkVFdIeVdrW29cUnYCGvGucRJHgQUP0N8w__jpYmxqNEavsWol1D1-ElmN0jixTGr2niXIE3joCE2JzM-OUpPIVG9qlCYJ1rW8_aAnnpGLwq_5lbhM2HzhAu4qjldUA4/s200/Travis+Jonker.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN"><b>12 Weird, Wonderful Things Picture Books Can Do </b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><b>(That Other Books CAN’T)</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The very best work comes from a mixture of
respect for history and a healthy disrespect for convention.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN">-Martin Salisbury, 100 Great Children’s
Picturebooks</span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><b>Picture books can . . .</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><b>. . . be any shape or size </b>(like <i>Chicken Soup
with Rice</i> and <i>How Many Jelly Beans</i>?)<b>.</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwR4-9cKVKYi6Wla-tWDlXcy5AOeXWZ4b34bQIjf3qzPoqGvVzBIeZ76CvJdVoOOthXB5tTr375lGJOhn3YEVACpkrloa2M736S43IMe-l96aQc6igO8YIsU1BiF9MynRDaB6jTiZo-kg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwR4-9cKVKYi6Wla-tWDlXcy5AOeXWZ4b34bQIjf3qzPoqGvVzBIeZ76CvJdVoOOthXB5tTr375lGJOhn3YEVACpkrloa2M736S43IMe-l96aQc6igO8YIsU1BiF9MynRDaB6jTiZo-kg/s320/1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEDYNb1ZdaJPsnhQBPf6bqimQlC0kNzZTvsGSrFi0STX9WghJyG6euyGETauXy8dgaOclhCKUSG_sUMhsbLTHCYTl_g8iBQ2dl3ve_Ce1tHlZYtcuhZW0gl6ofVzp_rWAwC1HkQNjkiZF/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEDYNb1ZdaJPsnhQBPf6bqimQlC0kNzZTvsGSrFi0STX9WghJyG6euyGETauXy8dgaOclhCKUSG_sUMhsbLTHCYTl_g8iBQ2dl3ve_Ce1tHlZYtcuhZW0gl6ofVzp_rWAwC1HkQNjkiZF/s320/2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . play with color in amazing ways </b>(like <i>Wild
About Shapes</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKxc0zgeZjoU-bVOiE7NcbC-6ZAFewgyYO4gm5DQAS2ZaH5sDnGThVn1Vk-fug4SfEgMYOGftcowiDyBjtKGgM_G0SRNTUXx2A9gWYrIqMrb8Ln1PKgSeGG-YTJergWEJwrPObuPIDNuC/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="1000" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKxc0zgeZjoU-bVOiE7NcbC-6ZAFewgyYO4gm5DQAS2ZaH5sDnGThVn1Vk-fug4SfEgMYOGftcowiDyBjtKGgM_G0SRNTUXx2A9gWYrIqMrb8Ln1PKgSeGG-YTJergWEJwrPObuPIDNuC/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1bLiUmQpKu2WRcWMNSLnQmMY7AdiOkUx1G2i2pycfxlR-bQ1Xq9tPDmnXxxMNj2RvirgoAzf1ouEJE8fxjFgmVzWXoi93TVXGyngyKEGOkWd10ubXoJWXWmxhpHjc6AD-p6k4mau-5aL/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="1000" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1bLiUmQpKu2WRcWMNSLnQmMY7AdiOkUx1G2i2pycfxlR-bQ1Xq9tPDmnXxxMNj2RvirgoAzf1ouEJE8fxjFgmVzWXoi93TVXGyngyKEGOkWd10ubXoJWXWmxhpHjc6AD-p6k4mau-5aL/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . tell four stories at once</b> (like <i>Black and
White</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtzZBp15bfJgtZOTtIbCCZ2LRd5bdkM0e1mWbRKSFA2LxrKgwZJ_S7Mxb6tC3YdCnveMv9tueedfR-e4ZfyZ1HYki8YRqGXqb7fIMpXvf8mdC0-8KqL72miNiVr1Sz8zjJweleUwnu4YY/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="800" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtzZBp15bfJgtZOTtIbCCZ2LRd5bdkM0e1mWbRKSFA2LxrKgwZJ_S7Mxb6tC3YdCnveMv9tueedfR-e4ZfyZ1HYki8YRqGXqb7fIMpXvf8mdC0-8KqL72miNiVr1Sz8zjJweleUwnu4YY/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . tell a story without words</b> (like <i>Flotsam</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JmVDI62sZW9awevn9AupKs85eQ6_ywq01PTFU4qvypYQOd4P42ZrI3TmpugvYGjpOsB1Q_cc6OiLgmakllmA5i79sgC3kQDyMEMDuXjZXC6slMAPqXVlCKlJQY2xNjEcqzKRnoOp5H0U/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="1000" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JmVDI62sZW9awevn9AupKs85eQ6_ywq01PTFU4qvypYQOd4P42ZrI3TmpugvYGjpOsB1Q_cc6OiLgmakllmA5i79sgC3kQDyMEMDuXjZXC6slMAPqXVlCKlJQY2xNjEcqzKRnoOp5H0U/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . split</b> (like <i>Waterloo & Trafalgar</i>). </span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX3q61GquDGQAjz0okOWSHM12pXHAIFPRnNNc5u3iAqpMh1hcZ-v5F_JXcYrsPWN3rQxZDVFwTexhVMxAJ3ToCDPHVwY6YSBLQw3cZYtl2XKPwWzKd54pwOR8E4YAxhOsJ9rdJXQSzjog/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="560" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX3q61GquDGQAjz0okOWSHM12pXHAIFPRnNNc5u3iAqpMh1hcZ-v5F_JXcYrsPWN3rQxZDVFwTexhVMxAJ3ToCDPHVwY6YSBLQw3cZYtl2XKPwWzKd54pwOR8E4YAxhOsJ9rdJXQSzjog/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . turn </b>(like <i>Hattie & Hudson</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQGzQ3aqpbAq9nmh4LP7fQ1d4utAM8QpsdRlA5miY4jKXjOfazN60o-XVkVSsyIEK_Q5QZ_SxVOB3UVWjpKRCxWAVrK6stYF7SCWBfC7U152r3oMMJQTGNl1kEHd3TQftEOtARqvglw6B/s1600/8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1000" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQGzQ3aqpbAq9nmh4LP7fQ1d4utAM8QpsdRlA5miY4jKXjOfazN60o-XVkVSsyIEK_Q5QZ_SxVOB3UVWjpKRCxWAVrK6stYF7SCWBfC7U152r3oMMJQTGNl1kEHd3TQftEOtARqvglw6B/s320/8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . pop up</b> (like <i>White Noise</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhXBgQ3cohEi3lsyvixVgkqzBnmf8e6vcnTbV2iQBIiUwsDQS4g4Ir933SLc296XZrURx-ufdStUlCPE1dVCk0R0SJVxU-Yd9J2eZ1dwkDUuiD6lRHBP10uzWrWxm8PHMy16sohDSlsHa/s1600/9.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="500" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhXBgQ3cohEi3lsyvixVgkqzBnmf8e6vcnTbV2iQBIiUwsDQS4g4Ir933SLc296XZrURx-ufdStUlCPE1dVCk0R0SJVxU-Yd9J2eZ1dwkDUuiD6lRHBP10uzWrWxm8PHMy16sohDSlsHa/s320/9.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . break apart, literally</b> (<i>like Onion’s Great
Escape</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsADKsaWvkjyMNOEAXIkI-NG3UPcnAn3d1C4oi9CKEAogAHPF3ElFaScK6_Rfy-AAu2siTvN8ywElCfMXnaM6SPAobhhuExWFSjHUdNIf3-coL5Vc0olF7lRo-dxmRVpfCbmtACW0OuL5/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1600" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsADKsaWvkjyMNOEAXIkI-NG3UPcnAn3d1C4oi9CKEAogAHPF3ElFaScK6_Rfy-AAu2siTvN8ywElCfMXnaM6SPAobhhuExWFSjHUdNIf3-coL5Vc0olF7lRo-dxmRVpfCbmtACW0OuL5/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . break apart, figuratively</b> (like <i>The Three
Pigs</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNKOfkiEeaX7DjfiFXYsW6sdI2tOr-vlG4rpyn2aiVg7dJ8lw6ZUlFRNltQFv8PLFwQPc2yXZ39_V61AaIkAOrgevVOyvCFt8g9_KCTcbkE_wrKMfi-uy8sUOzmNyfF1Wq0dqI4DRLS-Z/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="986" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNKOfkiEeaX7DjfiFXYsW6sdI2tOr-vlG4rpyn2aiVg7dJ8lw6ZUlFRNltQFv8PLFwQPc2yXZ39_V61AaIkAOrgevVOyvCFt8g9_KCTcbkE_wrKMfi-uy8sUOzmNyfF1Wq0dqI4DRLS-Z/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . flip</b> (like <i>Are We There Yet?</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWySvkSiGLFyKJFxWQbzqlHsJ5VEX6N5eYlBFkDuEq9UhJdyPMQrPLHCpF2W1a9W5ZBbAnsNmCi0yrpPrgkrOexHmXvVovP91JnSoKEd6b6jCJWfni9rSRCh3LBRAqCxKHRGCje5ez39z/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="550" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWySvkSiGLFyKJFxWQbzqlHsJ5VEX6N5eYlBFkDuEq9UhJdyPMQrPLHCpF2W1a9W5ZBbAnsNmCi0yrpPrgkrOexHmXvVovP91JnSoKEd6b6jCJWfni9rSRCh3LBRAqCxKHRGCje5ez39z/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . flap</b> (like <i>Flora and the Flamingo</i>).</span><br />
<span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4osviiNVrZIiOWA6nsrn7A3si38YsJVSFaxM7Hsc4gBHD366fVubm84w4AzvuIvNkqn0dQYPuUN_7rHx47EPqWLBSM15O4Jvdevlqoij1mzbMkRkzyMKKZQUkoPUl1GEdNHjLDx5ApHhA/s1600/13.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4osviiNVrZIiOWA6nsrn7A3si38YsJVSFaxM7Hsc4gBHD366fVubm84w4AzvuIvNkqn0dQYPuUN_7rHx47EPqWLBSM15O4Jvdevlqoij1mzbMkRkzyMKKZQUkoPUl1GEdNHjLDx5ApHhA/s320/13.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>. . . fold out </b>(like <i>Panorama</i>).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uhdXYemEBsjlWaGprfluM9ohoLRKO6m5GfmPJ7TDzmJJQFFaO5puR6Pvj7LcDZ0mAdb4zaW5Kb4uVgXO-Zk4MrfDZyygUMkUMheqNljA4KpayBJZKxQH5rBBgBkT59eVSciO67-rAus_/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1600" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uhdXYemEBsjlWaGprfluM9ohoLRKO6m5GfmPJ7TDzmJJQFFaO5puR6Pvj7LcDZ0mAdb4zaW5Kb4uVgXO-Zk4MrfDZyygUMkUMheqNljA4KpayBJZKxQH5rBBgBkT59eVSciO67-rAus_/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<div class="normal">
<span lang="EN"><b>Or not do any of those things and still amaze.</b></span></div>
<div class="normal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<b>What else can picture books do?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><b>*******</b></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes the children's literature blog 100 Scope Notes on the School Library Journal website and is co-producer of The Yarn podcast. His debut picture book, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Very Last Castle</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (illustrated by Mark Pett), comes out next fall.</span></span>strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921569192981929166.post-63226557389756082102017-11-09T06:12:00.000-05:002017-11-09T06:12:24.228-05:00The Power of the Picture Book: Deborah Freedman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl51k77ftWlMkqAyFM9hSGPXetSXQE7kKHjE6G2DxHRpmuz_QKTq96OHxnq5uwM2mSnUjW8f8fus6BMZfIXGQuA-WGxH-LztJU5B3GRSkWTb08LaX4v6CmoRsAlUfXUVp_TTqU23txPKdB/s1600/df-florence-2016-avatar+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="953" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl51k77ftWlMkqAyFM9hSGPXetSXQE7kKHjE6G2DxHRpmuz_QKTq96OHxnq5uwM2mSnUjW8f8fus6BMZfIXGQuA-WGxH-LztJU5B3GRSkWTb08LaX4v6CmoRsAlUfXUVp_TTqU23txPKdB/s200/df-florence-2016-avatar+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Secret of It<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today is
November 9, the anniversary of a certain day-after, and it seems as fitting a
day as any to ask, why read or write picture books? Acutely aware of my
privilege to make them, I’ve struggled for the past year-plus with how to keep doing
that, doing work I love, without feeling like my life is nothing but frivolity
and fluff. <i>How have other writers done
it?</i> I wonder. What have other writers done amid rage and storms and fires?
How have writers responded to and filtered their scary world for children?
Looking for answers, I ended up at one of my many picture book shelves recently,
and randomly pulled out my copy of <b>The
Little Island</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do you
remember <b>The Little Island</b>, that
Caldecott classic by Golden MacDonald (aka Margaret Wise Brown) and Leonard
Weisgard, published in 1946? The book begins with a poetic description of an
unspoiled island and the life on it, like “a tickly smelling pear tree,” and
“spiders sailing their webs against a gentle wind”. Then one day, lobsters
arrive, and seals, kingfishers, gulls, strawberries, and finally a sailboat
with a kitten. And with the arrival of the sailboat, the story shifts subtly
when the kitten’s voice, a childlike voice, enters and responds to the
narrative. “This little island is as little as big is big,” says the kitten.
And the island responds, “So are you.” It turns out the island has a voice too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The kitten
and the island have a conversation about what it means to be an island:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“… I am part of this big world,”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">said the little kitten.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“My feet are on it.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“So am I, said the little Island.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“No, you’re not,” said the kitten.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Water is all around you<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and cuts you off from the land.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Ask any fish,” said the Island.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“So the kitten caught a fish…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and the fish told the kitten<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">how all land is one land <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">under the sea.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cat’s eyes were shining <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with the secret of it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZSvV1ip1NLMj2eqV7XoDMGtew_crwqP2M_qnw5hQp2qLOjobfOGwsD-5AwcKJ1qy1GmH2UCm8XQx0YdQ944mur1LZIBhQ94GFG4iuLVUhBUGV_kwAooiwhRo_Y0UjcLr2gAgaF28ktf8/s1600/little-island+4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="1600" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZSvV1ip1NLMj2eqV7XoDMGtew_crwqP2M_qnw5hQp2qLOjobfOGwsD-5AwcKJ1qy1GmH2UCm8XQx0YdQ944mur1LZIBhQ94GFG4iuLVUhBUGV_kwAooiwhRo_Y0UjcLr2gAgaF28ktf8/s320/little-island+4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“The cat’s
eyes were shining with the secret of it.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I just
love it, that moment when the kitten’s eyes get huge with the joy of “secret”
knowledge that “all land is one land under the sea” — the discovery that everything
in the world is invisibly connected. Expressed in deceptively simple pictures
and language, it’s a potent metaphor. After the kitten gets onto his boat and
returns to the land he came from, he will know that he is still connected to
that place of wonder and discovery, with his small paws on the same earth as
the beautiful, uncorrupted little Island.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like <b>The Little Island</b>, my favorite
picture books all have something, as the sea does, beneath the surface of their
stories. They are bottomless but safe places where children can go deep and
find meaning for themselves, so that their eyes too might shine “with the
secret of it.” What was Margaret Wise Brown thinking when she wrote this book?
I wish I knew. Was she consciously responding to a world at war? “Asked on a
publisher’s questionnaire to indicate her wartime service, [Margaret Wise
Brown] replied in earnest ‘writer of children’s books.’”* I for one am thankful that she never stopped
doing what she did so well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And these
days, I’m grateful to all of you who make sure books like hers are still read. I
can’t tell you how much lately it has comforted me to know that every day
readers of this blog are, through shared listening and looking, connecting
child to child, and children to the world. We are all connected, whether we
like it or not, to the earth, to each other… and call me naïve, but I think the world might
be a better place if everyone read a well-chosen picture book every day. We need
them now, more than ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXf9hSRVuY7qwJzZ6pQce91Q7ewAq73JYAoMfZQU3-9wdzhhyphenhypheneIyIrdSpvxlTuie1WPoBdO_2wIF65lNQ2CEq_PqS7PnDEbjUgufG3N36vAn4MV_vDldALh_Km3CfmNu01rU9VxeYOGGn/s1600/little-island-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="987" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXf9hSRVuY7qwJzZ6pQce91Q7ewAq73JYAoMfZQU3-9wdzhhyphenhypheneIyIrdSpvxlTuie1WPoBdO_2wIF65lNQ2CEq_PqS7PnDEbjUgufG3N36vAn4MV_vDldALh_Km3CfmNu01rU9VxeYOGGn/s200/little-island-cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">* from
Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon, by Leonard Marcus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A random selection of other 20<sup>th</sup>
Century picturebooks I’ve re-read lately:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Brownstone</b>, by Paula Sher, 1972, reissued in
2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Different
animals in an apartment building can’t get along. They figure it out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Who Needs Donuts?</b> By Marc Alan Stamaty, 1973,
reissued in 2003<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A trippy,
70’s-fueled take on discovering what’s really important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Other Way to Listen</b>, by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall,
1978<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On true
listening, specifically to the natural world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Bee Tree</b>, by Patrica Polacco, 1993<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the
sweetness of books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Great Migration</b>: An American Story, by Jacob
Lawrence, his paintings of 1940-41 published with his words as a book in 1993,
with a poem in appreciation by Walter Dean Myers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About the
exodus around World War I of African-Americans from the South to northern
industrial cities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What Zeesie Saw on Delancy Street</b>, by Elsa Okon Rael and Marjorie
Priceman, 1996</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An
immigrant on the Lower East Side of New York in the 30’s discovers how and why
we share our pie.</span><span style="font-family: "optima"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Deborah
Freedman</b> is the author and illustrator of six picturebooks for children (of all
ages!), most recently SHY and THIS HOUSE, ONCE. She lives in a colorful house
in Connecticut, where she is busy working on her next book, about a worm. You
can learn more about Deborah and her work at <a href="http://www.deborahfreedman.net/">www.deborahfreedman.net</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twitter:
@DeborahFreedman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instagram:
@freedmanillustrates<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Facebook:
@deborahfreedman.author.illustrator</span><span style="font-family: "optima"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
strohreadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17851481671976778122noreply@blogger.com0