Wasn't that CUTE?
Now...it's your turn. What is YOUR Fantasy Picture Book Poster Pick? Post it in the comments.
Heather Kinser |
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For my first ever FPBPP, I choose the cute and captivating rabbits of Sonia Sanchez, from "The Wonderful Habits of Rabbits," written by Douglas Florian. They're all so...individual, and bursting with personality. These fun bunnies are sketchy and soft, cartoonish and realistic, contemplative and curious--all at once. It's so hard to choose just one image for my fantasy poster, but I think I'll go with the end papers... Can everyone say, "Awwwwwwwww."
Wasn't that CUTE? Now...it's your turn. What is YOUR Fantasy Picture Book Poster Pick? Post it in the comments.
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"My intention in all my books is to give children
just what I want to give everyone: something beautiful, magical, funny, and soulful: something that provokes good questions: questions about what an incomprehensible, beautiful and seemingly impossible thing it is to be a human being in this incomprehensible, beautiful and seemingly impossible world. What could be more difficult and more wonderful?" Hooray--it's Halloweensie time! This teeny tiny spooky story (which was so much fun to write!) owes its life to Susanna Hill and her fabulously fun annual picture book writing contest, "Halloweensie." Learn more about Susanna--her books, blog, and resources for writers--at susannahill.com. As always the contest requires that stories be 100 words or less, and this year's secret words--which must be embedded in the story somewhere--are Spider, Ghost, and Moon. I can't wait to trek on over to Susanna's site and find links to all the other stories. Happy Halloweensie, everyone! Screeching over the finish line at 99 words, here is my Halloweensie entry: Stage Fright
It’s Halloween day. Let’s put on a play! Hang a paper-plate moon. Screech a violin tune to spook trick-or-treaters, those sweet candy eaters. Now hide… out of sight. It’s Halloween night. Let me be the ghost, a flit-floaty host. “Oooooo!” Bella makes a fine witch since her cackle is rich. “Hee-hee-hee!” Make Josie the spider, a jump-out-besider. “BOO!” Let Pete be the owl. He knows how to yowl. “Hooooot!” We made them run fast. Great job, spooky cast! Actors--on with the show! Hey… where’d the cast go? Uh-oh. The actors have stage fright. Our show’s over… Good night!
Here are two books to love: "A Dark, Dark Cave," by Eric Hoffman and illustrator Corey R. Tabor, and "Weeds Find a Way," by Cindy Jensen-Elliott and illustrator Carolyn Fisher. "A Dark, Dark Cave" follows two kids into a cave, deeper and darker, and just the right amount of scarier...until... ...NOPE, I'm not telling. Except to say that there's a sweet surprise in the middle of this book that makes everything alright, and it arrives at that delicious moment when the suspense (of a really gentle, kid-friendly kind) is almost too much to take. How delightful to be surprised not just at the end of a story, but mid-way through. I have to admit, despite the visual clues, I didn't see it coming. I also want to mention that the illustrator gets the tone just right. Where the words are a little bit scary, the pictures are a sweet adventure story for young readers. I love a good rhyming book, and this one works wonderfully well. The skillful, simple rhyme scheme and repeated refrain--"a dark, dark cave"--are perfect for this story. Next, on to...weeds, wonderful weeds! Who appreciates these pesky plants more than little children? That's just one reason why "Weeds Find a Way" is a wonderful book. Reason number two? It's beautifully poetic--a pleasure to read aloud. Listen to this--"Weeds find a way to grow: by the side of a windy road, in a crack in the cellar of a creaky old house, in a tangle of tree roots a the top of a spine of stone." Love, love, love it! Reason number three? It's nonfiction! Intriguing facts about weeds are conveyed here with a storytelling sensibility. It's a heaping spoonful of sugar over factual, scientific content, presented in a perfectly kid-accessible way. Reason number four? Lush, whimsical illustrations with sweet characters (a girl and her dog) and a soft color palate punctuated with fun red accents. Read these two treasures with a child--and enjoy!
Nelson's illustrations are superbly composed, glossy, dark and deep, and brimming with understated empathy. In particular, it was a brave choice to depict dark skin against dark backgrounds, as Nelson does several times with stunning success. The color palate in this book is a pleasure to experience--from the muted, pock-marked green walls of the boxing gym, to the stark white of the mat, to the blackest of blacks at the boxers' backs as they fight in the ring.
Steven Pinker comes at the issue from the angle of a discussion of "classic prose". His treatment of the subject is fresh and light and deeply scholarly:
"The guiding metaphor of classic style is seeing the world. The writer can see something that the reader has not yet noticed, and he orients the reader's gaze so that she can see it for herself. ... A writer of classic prose must simulate two experiences: showing the reader something in the world, and engaging her in conversation. The nature of each experience shapes the way that classic prose is written. The metaphor of showing implies that there is something to see. The things in the world that writer is pointing to, then, are concrete: people (or other animate beings) who move around in the world and interact with objects. The metaphor of conversation implies that the reader is cooperative. The writer can count on her to read between the lines, catch his drift, and connect the dots, without his having to spell out every step in his train of thought. ... Classic style also differs subtly from plain style, where everything is in full view and the reader needs no help in seeing anything. In classic style the writer has worked hard to find something worth showing and the perfect vantage point from which to see it. The reader may have to work hard to discern it, but her efforts will be rewarded." FYI, Knolling is the process of arranging related objects in parallel or 90-degree angles as a method of organization. (see below)
What does any of this have to do with writing? I'm not sure. ...But give me a minute, and I'll think of something! What "seeds" of ideas inspire my stories?
Just for fun, take a look at these clues. Try matching the pictures (above) with these titles: Hubert's Dreadful Allergies Octavia's Inch Art Walk Hildegard in the Spotlight Treat Trouble The Hero of Foggy Basin Teddy Bone Mr. Ito's Trees |
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