The Power of the Picture Book: Michelle Simpson

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.

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 Duck! Rabbit!, 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. Duck! Rabbit! had grabbed a hold of our students and had become a school-wide read almost accidentally.

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.

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.

Creepy Carrots quickly became an RCES favorite, and we all became huge fans of Jasper Rabbit and those sneaky carrots. Every student knew that book.

Each Kindness 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.

Our school was in total celebration mode on the Friday after Josh Funk’s first book, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast, 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.

Our official All-School Read for this current school year is Super Manny Stands Up 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.

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.

*****

Michelle Simpson 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

The Power of the Picture Book: Carrie Davies

I Refuse to Rush Him

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).  

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.  

He has been blessed by incredible teachers and a school librarian who have encouraged his love of reading throughout his schooling career.  

He has read and loved many incredible middle grade books, including Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, Kate Messner’s Ranger in Time: Escape from the Great Earthquake, Jess Keating’s How to Outswim a Shark without a Snorkel, Gary Paulsen’s Brian’s Winter, and Liesel Shurtliff’s Red to name just a few.

He is a confident, capable, 4th grade reader.

So what does any of this have to do with a blog series about picture books?

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.

And I refuse to rush him out of picture books.

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.

I refuse to rush him out of picture books because of all he could miss.  

He could have missed Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist 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.

He could have missed Claymates by Dev Petty and Lauren Eldridge, and missed out on seeing the power of creation and storytelling.

He could have missed Life by Cynthia Rylant and Brenden Wenzel, and missed out on the power and beauty found in the natural world.

He could have missed The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken, and missed out on the power of seeing the value and gift that mistakes can be.

He could have missed After the Fall by Dan Santat, and missed out on the power of overcoming your fears and the power of persistence that lies in all of us.

He could have missed It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk by Josh Funk and Edwardian Taylor, and missed out on understanding the power the narrator has (or doesn’t have…) in telling a story.

He could have missed I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda by Steve Anthony, and missed out on experiencing the power of being patient and the reward that comes with waiting.  

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.

I refuse to rush him out of picture books.

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.

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.

Ultimately, isn’t this what we want for our readers? Our students? Our own children?  

Let them stay.  Let them savor.  Let them enjoy.  Let them be impacted by the power of picture books.  

Refuse to rush them out of picture books.

*****

Carrie Davies 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.

The Power of the Picture Book: Kelly DiPucchio

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.”

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.

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.

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.

I certainly never envisioned Grace for President creating a movement of sorts, one that has spanned nearly ten years.

Where are the girls?

I’ve met them. All over the country.

Girls like Kenya in Missouri who wrote in her letter to me, “Your book makes me want to be president, too.” 

That’s the power of a picture book!

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. 

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.

Extra-long necks. 

Fishy breath.

Spoooooky donuts.

Brilliant, artistic, wordless literature.

Fuzzy, little butts.

Paper airplanes.

Diving boards.

 

And beautiful salads, with croutons and a light vinaigrette.

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, always a picture book is a catalyst for change.

That’s alchemy.

That’s gold.

*****

Kelly DiPucchio is the New York Times 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

The Power of the Picture Book: Brian Wyzlic

Picture Books, Teenagers, and Tears

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.

Not. . .generally a time for tears.

Enter the picture book.

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.

But we only cried together twice.

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.

Do you remember 2016 picture books? My students and I will remember one in particular: Ida, Always 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.

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.

The picture book held power that we hadn’t experienced in any other format.

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.

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.

Then, it was time to bring out the picture book. I wasn’t sure which one to choose. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! 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 I Wish You More by Amy Krause Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.

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 this website and follow any of the links from there.

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.

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.

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.

*****

Brian Wyzlic 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 @brianwyzlic and can usually be found with his wife, chasing their 2-year-old around the kitchen, while their 7-month old watches and laughs.

The Power of the Picture Book: Jess Keating

BLOBFISH’S FAVORITE PICTURE BOOKS 

(written by Mr. Blobby)

Hi. I’m a blobfish. My full name is Psychrolutes marcidus, but you can call me Mr. Blobby. Or Blob, for short. You might have read about me in this cool book called Pink is for Blobfish. 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 cute?

This made me very happy to hear.

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.

Can an Aardvark Bark? by Melissa Stewart

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!

Little Fox in the Forest  by Stephanie Graegin

This book surprised me so much! Did you know that not all picture books have words?! 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.

She Persisted  by Chelsea Clinton

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.

If Sharks Disappeared  by Lily Williams

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.)

Where Oliver Fits  by Cale Atkinson

This story made me feel so happy, and I think it’s because it got me thinking about where 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!)

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!

Have a happy day!

-Mr. Blobby

***** 

Jess Keating is the author of several acclaimed books for kids, including the My Life is a Zoo trilogy, The World of Weird Animals series, and Shark Lady. She also publishes a free monthly e-zine for children, The Curious Creative, which combines her love of science and creativity. You can learn more about her at www.jesskeating.com, or tweet her @Jess_Keating. 

The Power of the Picture Book: Nancy Paulsen

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!):

Leaves – evokes: joy

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: It was his first year/Everything/was going well/until the first leaf fell/“Are you okay?” he wondered.

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!

Five Little Gefiltes – evokes: laughter

Oy I love this book!

Five curious little gefilte fish have the chutzpah 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! “Mama Gefilte sat on a bench/and the gefiltes came back ‘cause each was a mensch.”

I am kvelling like Mama Gefilte by the end of this book! Thanks for the laughs and the Yiddish words, author/artist Dave Horowitz!

Fireboat – evokes: perspective

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.

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.

Each Kindness – evokes: empathy

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. 

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.

Miss Maple's Seeds –evokes: appreciation

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!

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: “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.”

*****

Nancy Paulsen 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 Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler. She’s on Twitter @nancyrosep