WFL Children's Room Blog

What we're reading now: The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide

2012-02-06T11:41:00.000-05:00

Illustrated by the fabulous Edward Gorey, this sophisticated story chronicles the changes that happen to a boy named Treehorn as he mysteriously finds himself shrinking. All of the adults in Treehorn's life barely give him a glance as he struggles to reach the water fountain at school or to sit at the dinner table. In the end, Treehorn solves his problem by himself. The Shrinking of Treehorn is a clever, modern story, one where the protagonist is left to his own devices, in a world filled with distracted adults and fifty-six favorite television programs

FLORENCE PARRY HEIDE on the Treehorn trilogy

Today we introduce a new segment to Curious Pages. We call it:

WHAT IN THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING?

First up, the legendary Florence Parry Heide. Ms. Heide is the author of over one hundred books for children. Some of her titles include: Fables You Shouldn't Pay Any Attention To, Grim and Ghastly Goings-On, Tales For the Perfect Child, Princess Hyacinth: the Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated and the forthcoming Dillweed's Revenge (A Deadly Dose of Magic) illustrated by Carson Ellis.

Arguably, her most famous books are those from her Treehorn trilogy illustrated by Edward Gorey. Unlike many picture books from this era, these books were odd, deadpan, surreal and sophisticated. So we ask: Florence, just what in the heck were you thinking?

MS. HEIDE RESPONDS: I remember the way it was, way-back-when. And when exactly was way back when? 1970. (This is about THAT time and then I expect I'll just keep typing away as I think other things...) Wasn't it just yesterday? I'd had many rejections, but look! I'd sold a few books, too. My first book, MAXIMILIAN, for example, after sixteen rejections. Sixteen!

So the fact that THE SHRINKING OF TREEHORN had been turned down a few times was not

dismaying to me. But wait a minute! Look what's happening! It's been accepted, by Holiday House! That by itself was enough to make my head spin, but now look: Edward Gorey was to be the illustrator! Edward Gorey, whose work I had so admired, was to illustrate one of my books!

And now: I was to meet him. I, Ms Plain Vanilla, was to meet the famous and fabulous Edward Gorey: John Briggs of Holiday House had so arranged. We were to sign copies of the newly published THE SHRINKING OF TREEHORN.

And there he was: be still my heart. He asked me to call him Ted. Edward Gorey asked me to call him Ted! He gave me a beanbag frog he'd made on which he'd stitched: I have turned green.

We were instant friends, lifelong friends. Each time I came to New York, and in those days I was a frequent visitor, we would see each other, have lunch, talk. And talk.

Would I write a Treehorn sequel? Oh, good, of course: TREEHORN'S TREASURE. He loved it. John Briggs loved it. And each time Ted (!) and I saw each other, he assured me that he'd start working on it very soon.

Very soon turned out to be nearly ten years.

But the moment it was published, he asked me to write a third Treehorn. What? and wait ten years? No, no. He promised that if I would write it, he would start and finish it immediately. So: I did and he did. And now we had TREEHORN'S WISH.

He had felt that with three Treehorns an animated feature would soon follow. Sorry about that, Ted, but: never say never.

See? once I start thinking of him I can't stop. Those were wonderful times. I used to stay at the old Royalton, which was not at all like the new Royalton. It's across from the Algonquin. He still lived on 38th Street. He'd come over and we'd walk to lunch. He walked everywhere. And we'd talk. And talk. We'd planned to write a murder mystery play with my brother, David, an Agatha Christie kind of play- and --

You've seen pictures of him . . . very tall, a white beard, wonderfully blue, blue eyes that really DID twinkle - blue jeans, sneakers, and although he used to wear fur coats he stopped doing that out of reverence for animals. He told me, though, that he'd saved them all, had put them in storage, he had loved those fur coats.

Oh, I was to tell you how I thought of the story of Treehorn? . . . this is how it was---

I was ready to write another story and was sitting at my typewriter ---but look at the time! it's nearly noon, and my five children would be rushing in for lunch any minute now--in those days, kids came home from school for lunch. So I was rushing to fix something for lunch when: in they came.

"Can Mike come for dinner tonight, could you call his Mom right now?"

"Look, I skinned my knee, I need a bandaid!"

"I have to have a quarter for class dues!"

And more. And all at once. And I realized that I was saying "That's nice, dear," to each one. And then I thought that I'd probably been saying that every day for ever and ever. And because I had been looking for an idea for a new book, I thought what about a mother who keeps saying That's nice, dear, no matter what's happening. So: something really surprising happens to a boy and his mother just keeps saying things like, That's nice, dear. What might that surprising thing be?

That afternoon a neighborhood boy came to the door. I hadn't seen him all winter, and I found myself saying, "My, how you've grown, Richard!" and then I thought: Oh, for heavens sake, of COURSE he's grown, don't sound so surprised. Surprised would be if he'd grown smaller.

So I wrote THE SHRINKING OF HAROLD.

I'd just finished it when my mother came over for coffee. She was always interested in what I was writing, so I handed it to her to read. She liked it, but said, "But why do you call him Harold, dear? That's a nice name but the other names you've used have been more. . . dashing."

I thought of that as we visited: she'd had lunch with Mrs Hale and Mrs Afton and Mrs Treehart and-- Treehart, Treehart. What about: Treehorn? So Treehorn he became.

I was telling that story to a third grade class one day and a boy asked, "So then why didn't you dedicate the book to that Mrs. Treehart?" . . .

Why indeed.

Anthony Browne the Children's Laureate blogs for World Book Day - last year

2012-02-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

Anthony Browne the Children's Laureate blogs for World Book Day

Catherine, Cbeebies Team. | 16:41 UK time, Wednesday, 2 March 2011

It's World Book Day! Up and down the country this morning, legions of mini Harry Potters, Lolas and even Gruffalos will have skipped off to school and nursery to enjoy a day exploring the pleasures of books and reading.

To celebrate we have a special blog for you from Children's Laureate and author Anthony Browne. As Children's Laureate Anthony has been travelling all over the place meeting children, visiting schools and inspiring the readers of tomorrow. We asked him to tell us about his own passion for stories and what we can do to help our children enjoy books and become good readers:

The reading of books with your child is one of the most important and enjoyable ways of spending time together. Not only does it help your child to enjoy books and reading, it is an incredibly enjoyable experience for the parent too. When my children were young I read to them every night – at first picture books by Maurice Sendak, Raymond Briggs, David McKee, Colin McNaughton and Michael Foreman.

To read a picture book is a very different experience from reading just a story. The combination of pictures and words is a close relationship, which echoes the relationship between parent and child. With a picture book the child often looks at the pictures while the adult reads the text. This led to surprising and stimulating shared conversations between me and my children, as text and pictures were explored and pored over.

In the best picture books there is often a mysterious gap between the pictures and the words, a gap that is filled by the child's imagination. Sometimes the illustrations will tell a slightly different story from the words, by suggesting what the character is thinking or feeling. Sometimes they may even contradict the text. The way an illustrator places characters in a scene, uses colour, light and shade, free or controlled paint, can tell us far more of the story than the words. These are all clues to understanding, to be discovered and talked about, together. It is an immensely valuable experience, for both parent and child.

Reading picture books also encouraged my children to draw as well as write their own stories. The illustrations are the first works of art that children see and the images they see at this age stay with them forever.

As my children got older I started to introduce novels into the bedtime reading experience, but for many years there was an overlap between the two. We read books by Anne Fine, Bernard Ashley, the William books by Richmal Crompton, the Alice books by Lewis Carroll - and not only read them – we talked about them. I suppose it was a bit like a reading group, but much more relaxed. Stories would be a topic of conversation in the same way that films, TV programmes and incidents from all our lives were. There was no time when reading picture books ended and reading only novels began. In my opinion it’s a terrible thing to do, to tell children that it’s time now to leave picture books behind – time to only read ‘proper books.’ One of my main themes as Children’s Laureate has been to emphasise the importance of looking. I’ve talked about how we don’t value our ability to really look at things. You can see this in a museum where people spend on average thirty seconds looking at a work of art and considerably more time reading the caption. Listening is also a neglected sense – we all learn to speak but how often are we taught to listen? I believe we’d all be much happier if we really listened to each other. Reading to your children makes listening a very satisfying experience for them. It was always clear to me that if I was getting pleasure from a book then that pleasure would communicate to my children. They would enjoy the stories, enjoy listening and we would all enjoy being together.

Anthony

2012-02-05T14:47:00.000-05:00

Few words on five wordless books

Posted on February 5, 2012 by cgelson

Because the creators of wordless books can say so much with no words at all, I decided to use sparse words to express my awe for each of these titles and let their gorgeous covers invite you in.

#1 Sea of Dreams by Dennis Nolan

Adventure over and under the sea . . .

#2 The Conductor by Laetitia Devarney
Swirl, whirl, leaves take flight . . .

#3 Where’s Walrus by Stephen Savage

Where is that wacky walrus?
#4Tuesday by David Wiesner

And what if frogs floated by?

#5 Beaver is Lost by Elisha Cooper
Beaver travels to a bustling city and back.

Thanks to Adopt a School Funds which purchased #1 and #2 for our classroom wordless (or nearly) collection. Wordless books allow us to practice using picture clues and background knowledge to infer meaning. They are also lovely to share together or to ponder over alone.

Curious George Saves the Day

2012-02-05T12:13:00.000-05:00

Curious George Saves The Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey

H. A. Rey, final illustration for “One day George saw a man. He had on a large yellow straw hat,” published in "The Original Curious George" (1998), France, 1939–40, watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper. H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi.

FINAL DAYS!
Through February 5, 2012

“The show presents a whole new cast of characters in a style – robust, simple, and clear, but lively, pneumatic, and always vividly colored – that I could immediately tune into.”–Sebastian Smee, The Boston Globe

Curious George, the beloved, irrepressible monkey of children’s book lore, is famous for his ability to “save the day.” Interpreting the role he played in safeguarding his own creators in times of danger as symbolic, this exhibition delves into the remarkable lives and works of Margret and H. A. Rey. The couple fled Paris in 1940 with a Curious George manuscript in their suitcase. During a tense inspection of their belongings by a border official, children’s illustrations were found and they were allowed to continue on their way, eventually reaching the United States.

Featuring nearly 80 original drawings and preparatory dummies for Margret and H. A. Rey children’s books and documentation related to their escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, the exhibition will examine the parallels between the obstacles the Reys faced and the drawings that may have saved their lives. The story of their life in Paris and narrow escape is also told through an interactive timeline. Appropriate for adults and children, the exhibition includes a reading room inspired by the beloved monkey’s escapades in Curious George Flies a Kite. Curious George Saves The Day is organized by The Jewish Museum in New York City, and is drawn from the H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi. The exhibition is supported through a bequest from the Estate of Lore Ross; additional support for the exhibition’s Stockbridge debut is provided by Barrington Foundation, Inc.; an anonymous donor; Sol Schwartz; and media partner WGBY-TV, Springfield, Massachusetts.

Curious George, and related characters, created by Margret and H. A. Rey, are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. © 2010 by HMH.

The Journey That Saved Curious George from WGBY on Vimeo.
Enjoy this great interactive timeline of Margret and H. A. Reys’ life and career:
www.thejewishmuseum.org/curiousgeorgetimeline

H. A. Rey, final illustration for “This is George. He lived in Africa,” published in "The Original Curious George" (1998), France, 1939–40, watercolor, charcoal, and color pencil on paper. H. A. & Margret Rey Papers, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, McCain Library and Archives, The University of Southern Mississippi.

View Exhibition Curriculum Materials for Educators
Download The Family Gallery Guide
Enter Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Teacher/Librarian Resource Center: Curious George
Liste to WAMC Radio’s “The Roundtable” interview with Exhibition Curator Claudia Nahson, The Jewish Museum; and Stephanie Plunkett, Deputy Director, Norman Rockwell Museum.Click here
Listen to WBUR Radio Interview with Exhibition Curator Claudia Nahson, The Jewish Museum; Ellen Ruffin, curator at the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi; and Louise Borden, author of The Journey that Saved Curious George: Click here
Reviews
“Curious George Saves the Day” Shines With the Light, Boston Globe (1/6/2012)
Monkey Business in a World of Evil, The New York Times (3/25/2010)

A Monkey Born of Trials and Tribulations, The Wall Street Journal(4/7/2010)
Slideshows
Curious George Saves the Day, The New York Times (3/25/2010)

Posted on September 9, 2011by JClowein Current Exhibitions

March 23rd is just around the corner!

2012-02-05T12:04:00.000-05:00

The movie version of The Hunger Games will be opening on March 23rd, much to the delight of rabid fans everywhere. See the trailer here:
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=33038

In case there is anybody still left wondering what the film (adapted from Suzanne Collins' books) is about, Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, a young woman living in an apocalyptic, ruined future America. With the majority of its citizens living in poverty in rural Districts, she has to hunt to supplement her sister and mother's meagre rations. Then her sister is chosen for the Hunger Games, an annual contest that keeps the fractured country under the iron fist of the technologically advanced Capitol.

The Games pits youngsters from each of the Districts against each other in a battle to the death, so Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place and fight alongside Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). She'll have to outwit and outfight highly trained Tributes who have been preparing for the games her entire lives. And, as Katniss says in the new trailer, "24 go in, but only one comes out..."

This new promo is a chance to see several of the main cast: Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Liam Hemsworth and Lenny Kravitz all feature here.

We get the chance to see the whole thing on March 23.

http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/

http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/intl/uk/

Suzanne Collins fans, rejoice!

2012-02-05T11:46:00.001-05:00

A new collection has been created: The High-Demand Youth Fiction Collection! At the moment, this collection consists of 30 books --- 10 each of the 3 books in the Hunger Games trilogy. These books are shelved in the Quigley Youth Room and circulate for 3 weeks with no renewals. If you've been searching for a copy of these incredibly popular titles, stop by the WFL today!

More Playaway Views Coming Soon!

2012-02-05T11:30:00.000-05:00

Due to popular demand, eleven more Playaway Views will be added to our collection!

Playaway View: It's One-of-a-Kind

Playaway View is the first and only video player that was designed with you and your family in mind.

No DVDS, downloads, or additional players are needed. Instead, Playaway View comes pre-loaded with multiple videos; you just have to press play! What a great way to learn and view on the go... free from your local library.

Our new Playaway Views will include stories like:

Starring Hillary

Stella the Star
The Wedding
When Turtle Grew Feathers
Wiggle
You See a Circus

The Napping House

The Owl and the Pussycat

Stone Soup

Blueberries for Sal

Wynken, Blynken and Nod

Noisy Nora

Noisy Nora - Spanish

Angus & The Ducks

Rosie's Walk

Rosie's Walk - Spanish

100th Day Worries

Stop, Drop and Roll

Meet The Barkers

Trouble in the Barkers' Class

First Grade Takes a Test

First Grade Stinks

Mr. Ouchy's First Day

Strega Nona

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Joey Runs Away

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

Hot Hippo

Nightingale

Roxaboxen

Weslandia

Hey Al!

Imogene's Antlers

Rembrandt's Beret

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Pickles to Pittsburgh

Tales of Beatrix Potter

Honey... Honey... Lion!

Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook

Little Grunt and the Big Egg

The Three Snow Bears

Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel

The Emperor’s New Clothes

The Violin’s Ghost

The Light

Fearless Peter

Death for a Godfather

The Three Little Pigs

Shall We Trade Legs?

The Ugly Martian

The Clever Girl

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Over in the Meadow

Dem Bones

The Foolish Frog

The Star Spangled Banner

Corduroy

Harry the Dirty Dog

No Roses for Harry

Curious George Rides a Bike

Blueberries for Sal

Phew, that's a lot of stories! Stop by the children's room and check out a Playaway View!

Don't Let the Pigeon Run this App!

2012-02-05T10:52:00.002-05:00

Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App!

Three-time Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems brings the Pigeon to the digital screen with this original, feature-rich, animated app.

“Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App!” lets you create your own Pigeon stories with your pal, Mo Willems. Just follow as the Bus Driver asks you for your ideas—then shake the Pigeon. Your story is ready! Sit back and enjoy the show. Once you’re finished, try it again…and again. You can make as many silly stories as you want.

This fully animated app includes hilarious shake-and-play technology, customized voice integration, and other exciting interactive features. Plus, you can draw the Pigeon with Mo!

Starring appearance by the Pigeon, voiced by Mo Willems!

Also starring YOU! Record your own voice as part of the story.
Pigeon-drawing tutorial with Mo!
Personalized vault for six of your favorite Big Pigeon stories!

EVEN MORE COOL FEATURES!
Three unique storytelling modes!
Read-along option!
Shake-and-tap interactivity!
Pigeon-y sound effects and music!


Apple.com

New and Notable!

2012-02-05T10:38:00.002-05:00

EXTRA YARN
Barnett, Mac (Author), Klassen, Jon (Illustrator)
This picture book is certain to spark the imagination of every child who comes upon it, and what could be better than that? Annabelle lives in a black-and-white world, where everything is drab, drab, drab. So imagine her surprise when she finds a box filled with yarn of every color. Armed with the yarn and knitting needles, she makes herself a sweater, but when she finishes, she finds that she has extra yarn left over. After knitting a sweater for her dog, her classmates, and various (hilariously unsurprised) bunnies and bears, she still has extra yarn. So, Annabelle turns her attention to things that don’t usually wear wool cozies: houses and cars and mailboxes. Soon an evil archduke with a sinister mustache “who was very fond of clothes” hears about the magic box of never-ending yarn, and he wants it for his own. Reading like a droll fairy tale, this Barnett-Klassen collaboration is both seamless and magical. The spare, elegant text and art are also infused with plenty of deadpan humor. Klassen (I Want My Hat Back, 2011) uses ink, gouache, and digital illustration to fashion Annabelle’s world out of geometric shapes, set against dark, saturated pages, and against white as the town comes to colorful, stitched life. Quirky and wonderful, this story quietly celebrates a child’s ingenuity and her ability to change the world around her.

Reminds me of Yarn Bombing:

"The sight of neatly wrapped balls of wool and the phrase knit one, pearl one conventionally conjures up images of little old ladies lovingly creating cardigans and bootees, but the newly coined concept of yarn bombing could change all that …

There's a new craze sweeping cities all over the world, in which knitters have had the inspiration to knit for things rather than people. Conventionally at least, knitting is associated with creating things that will keep people warm – scarves, gloves, bobble hats and good old woolly jumpers. But it seems that there's a new craze sweeping cities all over the world, in which knitters have had the inspiration to knit for things rather than people. Imagine a lamp post with a scarf wrapped around it, or a UK telephone box with its own 'cosy' cover? From Perth and Michigan to London and Belfast, it's been possible in recent times to see splashes of artistic creativity such as these, whose wooliness and sudden, unsolicited appearance has inspired the term yarn bombing. If you're finding it difficult to imagine what they look like, then check out this link which has some great examples – my own personal favourite is the tree!"

Happy 50th!

2012-02-05T10:23:00.000-05:00

Penguin Group (usa)© 2011, All rights reserved Privacy Policy Terms of Use

Ezra Jack Keats' beloved picture book, The Snowy Day, didn't just win the Caldecott Medal, achieve great critical success, and sell millions of copies. It also transformed children's literature forever with its no-fuss portrayal of an African-American child and its modern art-inspired collage style of illustration.
2012 marks the fiftieth anniversary of this remarkable book's publication. To celebrate, Viking Children's Books is issuing a special anniversary edition of the book, complete with bonus material. The first-ever major exhibition of Keats' original artwork has been organized by The Jewish Museum, NYC and will tour the country from Fall 2011 into 2013. And the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation has its own festivities planned for this year of Keats. Please explore this site to find out more about what's in store.

The Jewish Museum New York | Art Exhibition | The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats

2012-02-05T10:15:00.002-05:00

The Jewish Museum New York Art Exhibition The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats

William's Doll

2012-01-31T21:36:00.001-05:00

About William's Doll

"William wanted a doll.
He wanted to hug it
and cradle it in his arms..."

So begins Charlotte's quietly revolutionary book --- still selling briskly four decades after its publication in 1972. What's so special about a boy who wanted a doll ? Well, then, as now, a boy's wish for what's too often seen as a girl's toy makes many people uneasy. (Left, the cover of William's Doll, gently illustrated by William Pene du Bois.) But though the topic was, and remains, controversial, Charlotte's approach was not. She tells the story softly, in an almost old-fashioned manner, and the satisfying circular structure of the narrative is timeless and deeply pleasing to children. As Zena Sutherland remarked in the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, the book is "as endearing for its tenderness as for the message it portrays."

What makes the book as timeless and endearing as it is? Just ask Kimberlee Ent, the 43-year old elementary school librarian at Hampden Elementary, in Mechanicsburg, PA. After Kimberlee visited this site, she noted, "I love to share Charlotte's books with all my students. The older I get.... the more her books mean to me." But William's Doll, is, she says, her favorite. It embodies one of her core beliefs, which are shared by so many of us who write for, teach, parent or otherwise spend time with the young "As I work with so many different children and realize all their unique gifts, abilities, and needs, I hope for someone to be in each of their lives who celebrates them as an individual. We all need someone to support us and love us, unconditionally." In the case of William's Doll, that 'someone' turns out to be William's grandmother.

What happens when a boy wants a doll?

William's brother and friends and the boy next door call him a creep and a sissy. His father gets him a basketball ("He practiced a lot / and got good at it / but it had nothing to do / with the doll. / William still wanted one, and electric train set ("The tiny train/ threaded around and around the tracks/ with a clacking sound./ William made cardboard stations / and tunnels/ and bridges / and played with the train/ a lot. But he didn't stop wanting / a doll..." ). Below, William plays with his trains.

Finally, his grandmother comes to visit --- and at last William is understood. She gets William the doll (he "loved it right away"). And she explains to William's father (who "was upset. 'He's a boy!' he said / 'Why does he need a doll?'") why William needs it:

"so that
when he's a father
like you,
he'll know how to
take care of his baby
and feed him
and love him
and bring him
the things he wants,
like a doll
so that he can
practice being
a father. "

How Charlotte came to write William's Doll

"I remember lots of little pieces that went into it, and into my thinking.

"The first was this. My husband, Maurice, desperately wanted children, which was unusual in the crowd we moved in then. But even so, he had a hard time with the physical side of it. For instance, he never changed a diaper, and would leave the room when the baby was being changed. This is not a put-down of him: it was the custom of the time, fathers just didn't have much to do with their children, especially infants, in that way back then. But I used to think that both he and the baby were missing something because something else always happened. For example, one day when I was changing my first child, Stephen, he smiled --- his first smile. I remember feeling sad that Maurice missed that.

"The second was this. A few months before my daughter, Ellen, was born, my son Stephen fell in love with a large stuffed animal, a lion, which he saw in one of the store windows on Eighth Street in Greenwich Village. He went crazy over it. The lion was very expensive, and Maurice didn't approve of giving boys stuffed animals, so we didn't buy it. Stephen cried and cried and cried. A few weeks before I went to the hospital to have Ellen, I started to get worried about leaving Steve. It would be the first time I wasn't at home, and all the routines he was familiar with would be broken. I remembered the lion and I thought that might comfort him. So I bought it and gave it to Steven beforehand and he did love it. He named it Leo, and kept it for years." (Stephen, at about the age where he fell in love with Leo the lion, is pictured above.)

"A third episode, the one that drove me towards the book most clearly, happened in Washington Square Park, where I used to take Stephen to play when we lived in the Village. I don't remember the particulars, but there was a little boy there who wanted a rag-doll. I overheard the father say, oh get him a gun instead . It did make me mad. It all came together: how men missed out on the pleasure of being with very young children, and how, because they missed it and because they had never had it with their fathers, they had no concept that war and harshness and so much unpleasantness came out of playing with guns as children, and growing up thinking it was unmanly to play with a doll or stuffed toy bear or lion. (Photo, above, shows Washington Square Park in the springtime, and appears courtesy of Readio.com.)

"I did not write the book to be feminist ideology, although I am a feminist, and though I am very glad feminists have found a message in it. But I wrote it out of a direct emotional sorrow."

The dedication: William's Doll is dedicated "To Billy and Nancy." Who are they? Surprise --- Charlotte doesn't know!

Today, there are often two sets of dedications on children's books, one from the illustrator and one from the writer. But in 1972, the accepted practice was that only the writer issued a dedication. William Pene du Bois, who illustrated several of Charlotte's books, including It's not Fair and My Grandson Lew, asked her if this dedication could be used, she agreed.

Adaptations & awards

William's Doll was adapted for film/video in 1981 by Phoenix Films, produced and directed by Robert Carlo Chiesa. A version of the book was also made into a song, and is included on the best-selling recording Free to Be You and Me. (Below, William's grandmother saves the day by picking out a doll for William.)

Free To Be You and Me - William Wants A Doll

2012-01-31T21:35:00.000-05:00

Vroom vroom!

2012-01-25T13:25:00.002-05:00

New Signage!

2012-01-24T13:57:00.004-05:00

New hanging signage has been installed in the children's room; what do you think?

Schooled, the book that wishes it were Stargirl

2012-01-22T14:40:00.001-05:00

Gordon Korman's Schooled (2007) features a kid who has been homeschooled navigating his way through 8th grade in a public middle school; Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl (2000) has a 10th grade protagonist who has been homeschooled and is in a public high school for the first time. The ages and genders may be different, but the plots are similar: outsider hippy kid enters the mainstream for the first time, failing miserably at fitting in. At first rejected by the kids, then embraced by kids and becoming influential. Stargirl outshines Schooled by far. Schooled''s main character, Capricorn Anderson, has been raised on a commune by his grandmother. Except that they are the only two people living there. The commune that Capricorn's grandmother founded has long been disbanded, and Capricorn's parents are both dead. Yet throughout the book, Capricorn refers to his home as "the community." Schooled is filled with so many of these types of details that I found them to be distracting and false-sounding. Capricorn is given a checkbook by the school principal, in order to write checks for things such as the vendors for the Halloween dance. Capricorn ends up writing checks willy-nilly to charities, giving generously. He also uses one check at a jewelry store; the unbelievability of a jewelry store accepting a check from a 13 year old boy with no identification and the name of his middle school on the check made me pause. While Schooled is a sweet story, even a page-turner at some points, I found the incongruity of the "facts" of the story to make the book much weaker than it would have been had Korman tightened up some of these details.

While Schooled treats Capricorn like he has been raised on another planet ("What's a Starbuck?" he asks), Stargirl treats Stargirl Caraway as just different. She is here, she is part of this world, but she is just doing it her own way. A much more believable book, Stargirl presents its heroine as contemporary, yet utterly unique. While Capricorn Anderson seems to have time-traveled from the 1960s (although born in 1994), Stargirl Caraway is just straight out of central casting as a non-conformist. Stargirl is a more thought-provoking story about how people react to an outsider, and it completely captures the Icarian highs and lows of the laws of the teenage social world with a sparkly magical realism. Both titles have been on middle school summer reading lists in recent years --- read both and see if you agree with my analysis!

Notable Newbery Books

2012-01-20T16:32:00.011-05:00

On Monday, January 23, 2012 the American Library Association will announce the winner of the Newbery Medal for 2012.

In an unscientific survey of the Wellesley Free Library staff, I’ve created a list of Notable Newbery books. These are our favorite titles from the winner list since the Medal was first given in 1922. Forty eight titles were voted favorites with 9 receiving 3 votes each and another 5 receiving more than 3 votes. Here is the list:

More that 3 votes each:

Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Three votes each:

The Grey King by Susan Cooper

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

The White Stag by Kate Seredy

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

The complete list of Newbery Medal winners is on the ALA website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberywinners/medalwinners
Do you have a favorite or several favorites from the list?

PRESS HERE by Herve Tullet -- Book Trailer

2012-01-20T15:14:00.001-05:00

PRESS HERE
By Hervé Tullet

Press here. That's right. Just press the yellow dot, and turn the page. The single touch of a finger sparks a whimsical dance of color and motion in this joyful celebration of the power of imagination.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER
AN ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK NOMINEE
A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR
"A tour de force of imagination and playfulness that belongs on every family bookshelf."
—Seattle Times
"An elegantly conceived picture book."
—The New York Times
"Irresistible. . . A cross between a high-concept picture book and an iPhone, only more charming."
—The Wall Street Journal
"Brilliant."
—School Library Journal, starred review
"A breath of fresh air."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Magic."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"An interactive book that gives the iPad a licking."
—The Horn Book, starred review

EVERYONE IS RAVING ABOUT PRESS HERE!
Click here to find out why teachers, librarians, and bloggers love this special book.

About the Author:
Known as "The Prince of Preschool" Hervé Tullet has been an ad agency art director and magazine illustrator. He lives with his wife and children in Paris.

On Sarah Garland

2012-01-20T10:36:00.000-05:00

Sarah Garland

Sarah Garland is a much-loved British author/illustrator who has published more than 40 books. She lives in Chedworth, Gloucestershire. Her books published by Frances Lincoln include Eddie's Garden and Eddie's Kitchen; Going to Playschool, Doing the Garden, Going Swimming, Coming to Tea, Doing the Shopping, Doing Christmas, Having a Picnic and Doing the Washing; Billy and Belle; Dashing Dog; Splash and Zoom.

Mother superior

From The Observer

Saturday 22 December, 2007

As her best loved books are republished, children's writer and illustrator Sarah Garland talks to Kate Kellaway about the joy of drawing messy families

Sarah Garland's books could not find a French publisher because her mothers were judged insufficiently chic. What French madame would be seen in a shapeless green duffel coat, pushing a buggy uphill, with the baby's bottle (lid off) peeping out of her pocket? Garland is one of the best and most sympathetic chroniclers of English family life precisely because her pencil doesn't lie about the slog of bringing up children. She has a loving, unsentimental eye. She can be festive but is never false. I have always been profoundly grateful to her for drawing a mother I can relate to - as have millions of others who adore her work.
She has written 40 books during her career but it is a particular cause for celebration that her irresistible series of seven - what she thinks of as her 'Coming and Going' books (Coming to Tea, Doing Christmas, Going Swimming...) - are all to be republished along with two delightful newcomers: Eddie's Garden and How to Make Things Grow and Eddie's Kitchen and How to Make Good Things to Eat. This Garland renaissance offered me the excuse I need to meet her - something I have always wanted to do.
She lives in Chedworth, Gloucestershire. I half expected to find her in chaos, as if the tangle of toddlers that she has always drawn so well were a permanent condition. But her four children are grown up now, and two of her three grandchildren are at a tidy distance in New Zealand. She lives in a tranquil grey stone house with bright blue lobelias spilling out of pots outside her door, white painted wooden floors, a trusty Aga, and her husband, David Garland, a ceramicist whose plates and pots boldly make their presences felt. David is the model for the grandfather in her newest books. But Sarah does not look like anyone's granny. It is far easier, as she sits with her legs tucked under her in an armchair, to picture her as a schoolgirl - sparky, lanky, with boyish hair. She wears black-and-white-striped tights and shocking pink socks.
She has always loved drawing people, she says, appreciating 'shapes of bodies.' But as a child she flirted with 'becoming an animal psychologist.' There is a lanky dog in the 'Coming and Going' books (the Society for Retired Greyhounds wrote to salute her for including him). She modestly quotes a Thomas Hardy line to describe her work as 'humbly recording unadjusted impressions.' I'd say she is more interpreter than recorder. And, besides, some pleasurable adjusting of impressions has been going on. In the newly republished series, she has changed parts of illustrations that have 'bothered me over the years.' An Asian mother has had a furtive makeover, 'sticking a sweet new head on her throughout Going to Playschool.' Less satisfactory in my view - though Garland doesn't grumble - is the publisher's intervention to Doing Christmas. In the first draft, the mother at the end of the day was slumped in an armchair, sipping wine. Now, thanks to over-abstemious editorial intervention, she clutches a cup of tea.
Garland grew up in a 'very small and ancient, terraced cottage' at the foot of Clay Hill in Bushey, Hertfordshire. 'It was quite bohemian - packed with paintings, books, a piano and peculiar furniture made of thin bits of wood by my very unhandy Dad. The lav was part of a coal hole and the bath was in the kitchen.' She was brought up by her grandmother because her mother, who was an illustrator, was 'troubled, not a bringing-up type.' Her father was a writer of strip cartoons, children's books and a naval historian. One of her sisters is the novelist Deborah Moggach. She loved her childhood until, at 11, she was sent to boarding school. She felt 'cast into outer darkness'. She ran away but was returned to school immediately. At 16, she successfully 'fabricated a nervous breakdown' and left. She contentedly completed a secretarial course, then trained as a typographer at the London College of Printing. The two lasting results of that time are that she 'sets shopping lists to the left' and that she met her husband. She married, like her mother before her, at 19. She was 21 when she became pregnant with her first child, after David was hurt in a car crash. 'I got pregnant in case he was going to die. I was very happy to make my own family,' she says. 'In my life my most intense experiences have been about family.'
Bringing up children and working as a writer meant that 'we lived in a shameful mess.' But she has always loved drawing the mess. Today her house is too neat to be a model. And the model for the mother in Eddie's Kitchen is no longer herself - it is one of her daughters. But this delectable book with robust recipes - including crusty white bread and orange drizzle cake - is a perfect antidote to the excesses of Christmas.
This year, on Christmas Day, she will be flying to New Zealand, returning in the new year. What are the advantages to home life once the children have gone? 'Calmness. Being able to listen to music. Being able to cut all your toenails at once. Not being interrupted.'

Come and play at the Wellesley Free Library!

2012-01-18T15:39:00.008-05:00

New Toys at the Library!

2012-01-18T09:18:00.004-05:00

New toys have started to trickle in...

New Toys at the Hills Branch!

2012-01-12T16:39:00.000-05:00

Stop by the Hills Branch and play with our new toys!!!

"I have a dream" in honor of Martin Luther King Day

2012-01-12T15:22:00.010-05:00

Every year in honor of Martin Luther King's birthday, biographies and books about the Civil Rights Movement are popular. Here are some more books you might also want to read. You can find the books and the descriptions in the Minuteman Library Catalog

Sit-in : how four friends stood up by sitting down / by Andrea Davis Pinkney ; illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
"This picture book is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the momentous Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in, when four college students staged a peaceful protest that became a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality and the growing civil rights movement."--Amazon.com.

Today the world is watching you : the Little Rock Nine and the fight for school integration, 1957 / Kekla Magoon.
The Little Rock Nine were a group of African-American students who were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957three years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools. The ensuing Little Rock Crisis saw the students initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. Through the intervention of President Eisenhower and the National Guard, the students were allowed to attend. This is considered to be one of the most important events in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

These hands / written by Margaret H. Mason ; and illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
An African American man tells his grandson about a time when, despite all the wonderful things his hands could do, they could not touch bread at the Wonder Bread factory. Based on stories of bakery union workers; includes historical note.

Birmingham 1963 : how a photograph rallied civil rights support / by Shelley Tougas.
"Explores and analyzes the historical context and significance of the iconic Charles Moore photograph"--Provided by publisher.

Belle, the last mule at Gee's Bend / Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud ; illustrated by John Holyfield.
In Gee's Bend, Alabama, Miz Pettway tells young Alex about the historic role her mule played in the struggle for civil rights led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Includes factual information about the community of Gee's Bend and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Viola Desmond won't be budged! / Jody Nyasha Warner ; pictures by Richard Rudnicki.
In 1946, Viola Desmond bought a movie ticket at the Roseland Theatre in Nova Scotia. After settling into a main floor seat, an usher came by and told her to move, because her ticket was only good for the balcony. She offered to pay the difference in price but was refused: “You people have to sit in the upstairs section.” Viola refused to move. She was hauled off to jail, but her actions gave strength and inspiration to Canada’s black community.

Child of the civil rights movement / by Paula Young Shelton ; illustrated by Raul Colón.
Paula Young Shelton shares her memories of the civil rights movement and her involvement in the historic march from Selma to Montgomery.

Rosa's bus / Jo Kittinger ; illustrated by Steven Walker.
The story of an ordinary bus... until a woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat which became a pivotal event in the Civil Rights movement. Follows the bus's history from the streets of Montgomery to the Henry Ford Museum.

Birmingham Sunday / Larry Dane Brimner.
Learn about the bomb blast that rocked the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, killing four young girls.

One crazy summer / Rita Williams-Garcia.
In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

We shall overcome : a song that changed the world / by Stuart Stotts ; foreword by Pete Seeger ; with illustrations by Terrance Cummings.
Traces the history of the inspiring anthem, exploring the influence of traditional African music and Christian hymns in shaping its lyrics and tune and offering insight into the song's role in civil rights, labor, and anti-war movements in America.

Back of the bus / Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Floyd Cooper.
From the back of the bus, an African American child watches the arrest of Rosa Parks.

Freedom song : young voices and the struggle for civil rights / Mary C. Turck.
Melding memorable music and inspiring history,Freedom Song presents a fresh perspective on the civil rights movement by showing how songs of hope, faith, and freedom strengthened the movement and served as its voice.

Selma's bloody Sunday / by Lucia Raatma.
The 1870 passage of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, that no man could be denied the right to vote, was a big step forward in the civil rights movement. However, nearly 100 years later, most African Americans in the South still could not vote. In March 1965, a march from Selma, Alabama, to the state Capitol in Montgomery was planned to demand voting rights. But the marches only made it six blocks before they were stopped and brutally attacked by state troopers. March 7 became known as Bloody Sunday. The beatings outraged Americans who rallied to support the civil rights movement.

My mother the cheerleader : a novel / by Robert Sharenow.
Thirteen-year-old Louise uncovers secrets about her family and her neighborhood during the violent protests over school desegregation in 1960 New Orleans.

Marching for freedom : walk together, children, and don't you grow weary / by Elizabeth Partridge.
Award-winning author Elizabeth Partridge leads you straight into the chaotic, passionate, and deadly three months of protests that culminated in the landmark march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Focusing on the courageous children who faced terrifying violence in order to march alongside King, this is an inspiring look at their fight for the vote. Stunningly emotional black-and-white photos accompany the text.

National Animalgraphic

2012-01-11T22:19:00.002-05:00

National Animalgraphic

A new magazine hits the stands today: National Animalgraphic!

Little White Rabbit from The Horn Book

2012-01-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

Little White Rabbit

January 11, 2012 By Lolly Robinson 1 Comment

I’ve been a fan of Kevin Henkes’s “thick line” books ever since the first one came out — Kitten’s First Full Moon, the year I was on Caldecott. All of these books work well with very young children and have a timeless feeling, as if Henkes was channeling the spirit of Margaret Wise Brown when he wrote the texts.
The art, though, is completely his. I think no one does “cozy” like Henkes, but he keeps the art child-centered and never settles for nostalgia, which would seem to be the easy (and wrong) choice. The minimalist features might look quick and easy to draw, but the precise placement of of eyes, nose, mouth, and ears show the reader exactly what each character is feeling.
I like that this book is following Tweak Tweak in our discussion because while the stories are similar, the art couldn’t be more different. Both books involve a young animal wondering about his or her place in the larger world, both include fantasy spreads in which the animal changes (flies, grows larger, etc.), and both end back at home with satisfaction in their present lives. Henkes’s art is simpler than Ruzzier’s, and it’s also more lush. Repeated readings should keep adults from getting bored, too. For example, when Little White Rabbit hops over a rock and wonders what it would be like not to move, is Henkes giving us an homage to Sylvester and the Magic Pebble? And on the next page when we see the rabbit testing the idea of stillness (a wordless spread with four panels showing the rabbit unmoving through sunny morning, rain, sunset, and night), is it a coincidence that he is shaped just like a chocolate rabbit and colored brown in the last panel?
I love the design choices in this book, too. The use of small squares, large squares, and full spreads provides the perfect pacing. I also have to mention the use of bold green outline. In his other thick line books, the outline color tends to be dictated by an element in the text, often changing with each scene. Here, green is just part of the rabbit’s first query but Henkes keeps the color up throughout. He could have chosen brown or black to be more naturalistic, or he could have started with green and then switched around. But using green all the way through to the end is a great choice, extending the fantasy feeling and giving the entire book an outdoorsy openness. And I adore the way the typeface matches the art and the book’s tone. It’s a sturdy sans serif with cheeky upward curves in the Ds, the Ks, and the ligatures between F and I or L. And of course it’s green to match the outlines.

So what do you all think? As a past winner, Henkes will undoubtedly be on the committee’s radar. Could this little white rabbit have a little gold seal in its future?

Cloudette

2012-01-10T15:25:00.000-05:00

Watch this book trailer video for Cloudette, a picture book for children by bestselling children's book illustrator Tom Lichtenheld.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBxXhqXTmIs

Meet Cloudette --- the little cloud with big dreams. Sometimes being small can have its advantages; if you're a little cloud like Cloudette, people call you cute nicknames, and you can always find a good spot to watch the fireworks. But what about when you want to do something big, like help a giant garden grow, or make a brook babble?

This charming book gets at the heart of what it means to make a difference no matter your size. Young children will find much to relate to in Cloudette as they follow her on her pursuit for greatness.

Read more about the children's picture book Cloudette at http://us.macmillan.com/cloudette

Find out more about author and illustrator Tom Lichtenheld http://us.macmillan.com/author/tomlichtenheld

Cloudette was featured at the Wellesley Free Library last spring during a Friday story and craft session and is one of the New York Public Library's favorite picture books for 2011.

New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Sharing 2011

2012-01-10T15:16:00.000-05:00

"As librarians shared this year’s newest books with the children in their local libraries, it became clear that the old adage—the more things change, the more they stay the same—is truer than ever. From Xboxes to iPads, from Wii consoles to the hottest apps, technology ages in a blink of an eye, but the timelessness of a good tale will always engage even the most tech-savvy child. Stories celebrating the natural curiosity of young toddlers, great feats of derring-do, and the joyous homecoming of a parent, alongside tales of bravery in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds—leavened with a dash of humor—were what held sway this year.
As you peruse this list, feel free to immerse yourself in these favorites of 2011 as selected by the staff of The New York Public Library.
Committee: Jenny Berggren, Elizabeth Bird, Clarissa Cooke, Katie Crook, Ryan Donovan, Ricca Gaus, Rebecca Gueorguiev, Tiffany James, Louise Lareau, Sarah McDonald, Robyn Mutnick, Danita Nichols, Theresa Panza, Kristy Raffensberger, Jill Rothstein, Amy Schaub, Stephanie Whelan, and Sue Yee. Dina Brasseur and Jeanne Lamb, chairs."

Click on this link for the PDF version:
http://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/childrensbooklist_2012-r2.pdf

Award Winning Folktales

2012-01-04T19:01:00.007-05:00

Every January the American Library Association announces the winner of the Caldecott Medal. This is “awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children published in the United States during the preceding year.” Since 1938, stories based on folktales, folklore, legends and nursery rhymes have won 24 times.

Here is the list of Caldecott Medal Winners from the American Library Association website.
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottwinners/caldecottmedal

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
The Three Pigs by David Wiesner
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky
Golem by David Wisniewski
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young
Saint George and the Dragon, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman; text: retold by Margaret Hodges
Fables by Arnold Lobel
Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions , illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon; text: Margaret Musgrove
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears , illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon; text: retold by Verna Aardema
Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott
Duffy and the Devil , illustrated by Margot Zemach; retold by Harve Zemach
The Funny Little Woman , illustrated by Blair Lent; text: retold by Arlene Mosel
One Fine Day , retold and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
A Story A Story , retold and illustrated by Gail E. Haley
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship , illustrated by Uri Shulevitz; text: retold by Arthur Ransome
Drummer Hoff , illustrated by Ed Emberley; text: adapted by Barbara Emberley
Always Room for One More , illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian; text: Sorche Nic Leodhas, pseud. [Leclair Alger]
Once a Mouse , retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown
Chanticleer and the Fox , illustrated by Barbara Cooney; text: adapted from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cooney
Frog Went A-Courtin' , illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky; text: retold by John Langstaff)
Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper , illustrated by Marcia Brown; text: translated from Charles Perrault by Marcia Brown
The Rooster Crows by Maud & Miska Petersham

You can find the complete list of winners and Honor awards at http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal

Philadelphia chickens : a too-illogical zoological musical revue

2012-01-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

With music by Sandra Boynton & Michael Ford and lyrics and drawings by Sandra Boynton, this modern musical masterpiece surpasses the typical expectation for children's entertainment. Billed as "The original cast recording of the unforgettable (though completely imaginary) stage spectacular," this 19-song CD features the vocal talents of such luminaries of stage and screen as Meryl Streep, Laura Linney and Patti LuPone. The CD opens with the song Cows with riotous lyrics such as "A turn of the head and a swish of the tail and a tippity-tap of the toes. What a glorious sight in black and white, and a touch of pink at the nose!"
Conjuring images straight out of A Chorus Line, these cows sing in low bovine tones about how remarkable and fabulous they are "Such remarkable cows. We can sing very low. We can dance in a row. We are lovely and slow, oh, oh --- yes, you know we are COWS." No self-esteem issues for this herd!

From Publishers Weekly

Sandra Boynton, long heralded for her menagerie of animal characters (Moo, Baa, La La La; Rhinoceros Tap), puts a fresh cast of singing, dancing critters center stage-from the titular boogying chickens to a tail-wagging "snuggle puppy"-in Philadelphia Chickens, a book-and-CD package billed as an "imaginary musical revue." The first 32 pages contain lyrics and illustrations, the second half of the book includes musical notation and additional lyrics for each song. An all-star cast, including Meryl Streep, Laura Linney, Eric Stoltz and the Bacon Brothers, headlines the musical recording, which features a variety of original show tunes penned by Boynton and composed by Boynton and frequent collaborator Michael Ford.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

French 1, 2, 3 Voila!

2012-01-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

Join us for total immersion French language instruction for children and an adult partner! Patricia Richoux will teach a 3 session series of classes on January 9, 23 and 30, introducing the spoken French language. She brings lots of games, songs and fun. This program is designed for children ages 2 and up. Sign up to reserve your space beginning December 29, 2012.

Generously sponsored by the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries.

Snowmen!

2011-12-29T20:53:00.000-05:00

Our annual snowman workshop was well-attended today; the fabulous results are on display on the children's room!

The Wilder Life By Wendy McClure

2011-12-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

Are you a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan? Wendy McClure sure is!

Publishers Weekly Review

Obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House books about an 1880s pioneer family, children's book editor and memoirist McClure (I'm Not the New Me) attempts to recapture her childhood vision of "Laura World." Her wacky quest includes hand-grinding wheat for bread, buying an authentic churn, and traveling to sites where the Ingalls family attempted to wrest a living from the prairie. Discovering that butter she churned herself was "just butter," McClure admits she "felt like a genius and a complete idiot at the same time." Viewing a one-room dugout the Ingallses occupied that was "smaller than a freight elevator" prompted McClure to admit that "the actual past and the Little House world had different properties." McClure finally tells her boyfriend, "I'm home," after recognizing that her travels stemmed from her reaction to the recent death of her mother. Readers don't need to be Wilder fans to enjoy this funny and thoughtful guide to a romanticized version of the American expansion west. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

For more about the book and about Wendy, go to
http://www.wendymcclure.net/books-by-wendy/the-wilder-life-my-adventures-in-the-lost-world-of-little-house-on-the-prairie/

A New Year's List

2011-12-27T15:17:00.009-05:00

Every December when the new year is approaching, I join the crowd of list makers.
This year I would like to share some of my favorite lists of books with all of you.

Where to start?
I’ll begin at the beginning with some favorite picture books.
Most of them are by authors who have lots of great books. My list is in no particular order except as I thought of them.

I hope you enjoy the list and that it inspires you to think of your own favorite books.

1. Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss

2. One Morning in Maine by McCloskey
3. A Birthday for Frances by Hoban
4. Silly Sally by Wood
5. Harry the Dirty Dog by Zion
6. The Hello Goodbye Window by Juster
7. Old Bear by Hissey

8. Kitten’s First Full Moon by Henkes
9. You’re the Boss, Baby Duck by Hest
10. Olivia by Falconer
11. Leaf Man by Ehlert
12. Ginger by Voake

Happy New Year!

A book for the new year...

2011-12-27T15:06:00.001-05:00

The Stars Will Still Shine by Cynthia Rylant

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. As a new year begins, this luminous picture book looks forward to the blessings the year will bring and celebrates the continuity of good things in life. Rylant's poem begins and ends with the verse "the sky will still be there / the stars will still shine / birds will fly over us / church bells will chime." In between, the short verses rejoice in everyday miracles, from blooming flowers and sleeping kittens to peaches, ice cream, and cozy homes, a litany of comforting images expressed with simplicity and grace. Rather than following one set of people throughout the book, the illustrations feature a multiracial cast of characters in small groups as they spend time together. Settings vary from rural to urban and from open spaces, such as a community garden, to more intimate settings, such as the family dinner table. Beeke's artwork glows with color and light, creating a series of very different scenes, united by the style of illustration and the spirit of the work. A reassuring picture book for young children. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

A Hanukkah Tribute to Mo Willems

2011-12-21T23:09:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems, but one superfan has taken it to another level by making an Elephant and Piggie menorah!!!! Isn't it wonderful when art inspires a person to create more art?

Dicey et al

2011-12-19T16:36:00.000-05:00

A journey, survival, sticking together; these are all words that come to mind when one thinks about Cynthia Voigt's 1981 children's novel, Homecoming. It's impossible not to get drawn in as the Tillerman children realize that they have been abandoned by their mentally ill mother in a mall parking lot in Connecticut and decide what their next move will be. Lead by 13 year old Dicey, the four children travel by foot, sleep outdoors and scramble to get food in their bellies as they journey to Bridgeport to find their Aunt Cilla. Dicey is nothing if not resourceful, and her perserverance and loyalty to her siblings is remarkable. The second book in the Tilerman saga, titled Dicey's Song delivers more of the same, with a carefully crafted plot and skillful character development. If you enjoy the feeling of cheering silently inside for a protagonist as you read a book, you will find these two Cynthia Voigt offerings more than satisfying.

"A glowing book...An enthralling journey to a gratifying end."THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Because even dogs send Christmas cards...

2011-12-19T12:41:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays from Mariah (above) and Jacoby (below), two of our amazing Read to a Dog friends!

...and don't forget Bixby!

Hanukkah thoughts...

2011-12-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

A great Hanukkah song to get in the mood this week!

http://www.youtube.com/embed/KsBbTyak59I

And some of our favorite books:

...and let's not forget the latkes! YUM!

More on The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

2011-12-19T10:19:00.002-05:00

http://www.thesnowman.co.uk/

About The Snowman:

One winter morning a little boy named James wakes up to find that everything outside has turned snow-white. Overjoyed, James rushes downstairs and into the garden, where he begins to build a snowman. James sleeps fitfully, and at midnight he wakes up and decides to check on his snowman. He opens the back door... he can't believe his eyes... The snowman has come to life! James finds himself face to face with a smiling snowman, who with a polite doff of his hat introduces himself and marks the beginning of magical friendship and marvellous adventure

About Raymond Briggs:

Born in 1934 in London, Raymond left school at fifteen to study painting at the Wimbledon School of Art. He then studied typography at the Central School of Art and subsequently went on to study painting at the Slade School. When he graduated in 1957, he immediately started writing and illustrating, and in 1961 also began work as a part-time lecturer in illustration at Brighton Polytechnic. After a brief spell in advertising he then fully concentrated on writing and illustrating children's books. His first full-colour book of rhymes, Ring-A-Ring O'Roses, was published in 1962. Followed by Fee Fi Fo Fum (1964), The Mother Goose Treasury (1966), Jim and The Beanstalk (1970) and The Fairy Tale Treasury (1972). Evident from all these early books Raymond both writes and illustrates, he himself once said "the whole point of illustration is that it is literary. If it is not, it remains a drawing only". But it was in 1973, with the publication of Father Christmas that Raymond Briggs' unique and distinctive 'comic strip' style became established. Father Christmas was portrayed as a rather grumpy, discontented, and above all 'human' figure. However, it was very successful, and so was followed Father Christmas Goes on Holiday (1975). Raymond's other work includes Fungus The Bogeyman (1977), Gentleman Jim (1980) and the more adult, satire of nuclear war When The Wind Blows (1982). Raymond won the Francis Williams Award for Best Children's Book in 1982 with The Snowman. The Snowman written in 1982 has become a year-round favourite and one of the most popular Yuletide books ever published.Raymond is still writing prolifically, so keep an eye out for his latest releases.

Did you know that there is a stage show of The Snowman? For video clips and information, go to http://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/about/snowman-home/

YAB - Youth Advisory Board-Convincing and Creative

2011-11-30T14:27:00.000-05:00

Put your best words forward! 6th, 7th and 8th graders, join us on December 1st at 7pm in the Quigley Youth Room for a debate on the best book you've ever read! Come prepared to voice and defend your choice and maybe learn something about a book you've never read! We'll also discuss the possibility of a future creative writing collaboration. All ideas and opinions are welcome. Pizza will be served!

YAB, the Voice of pre-teens and teens at the Library, is open to all students in 6th, 7th or 8th grade and is sponsored by the Friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries. For more information stop by or call the Children's Department at 781-235-1610 ext 1108.

I Want My Hat Back - The Horn Book

2011-11-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

I Want My Hat Back

November 29, 2011 By Robin Smith 7 Comments

The bookseller at my local store was frantically restocking after the grand opening weekend and was making room to face out Jon Klassen’s wickedly funny I Want My Hat Back. After I commented on the book, she said, “I’ve read a lot about this book, but I have not had time to read it yet.”
“Come on, it’s a quick read. I promise you that kids are going to want to read it over and over, ” I laughed. I sure as heck wasn’t giving away the ending to this book. And I am not giving it away here either. I would never deprive a reader that exquisite pleasure of reading a book and guffawing at the twists and turns it takes. These animators (I am talking to you, Mo Willems and John Rocco) who write picture books have a special gift of pacing. They know when to stop putting words on the page.
According to the copyright page, these illustrations were “created digitally and in Chinese ink.” Using a brown palette with splashes of muted greens and browns and red, Klassen matched the typeface color with whichever animal is talking to the bear. When the animals talk to each other, their eyes face out at the reader, giving everything a shifty, don’t-take-us-too-seriously look. And, when rabbit enters the story, the reader notices two things: a red pointy hat and a lot of nervous red chatter. The bear barely (couldn’t stop myself) moves until he collapses, mourning the missing hat. When a deer arrives, eyes meet for the first time and we sense the shift in tone. The page turn makes it clear—a red hot page with all upper case text: Bear knows where his hat is and he is going to get it back.

Here is what I think the committee will love: pacing, humor, use of the color red amidst the sepia-hued pages, the color-coded text, the thick luscious paper, the hilarious ending, the scene where bear runs to the left to back track the story, the standoff (told only with the eyes), and the sly resolution. I know they will love the end papers and all the design, especially the use of white space.
Will they like the ending? Will they share this with children to see what they think of the ending? (I sure hope so!)
You have to go all the way back to 1996 to find a truly hilarious book (Officer Buckle and Gloria) wearing that gold sticker. Will this be the year for humor?

Annotated and Fabulous: The Phantom Tollbooth

2011-11-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

Review of The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth

November 22, 2011 By Kathleen T. Horning

The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster; illus. by Jules Feiffer; annotated by Leonard S. Marcus
Knopf 284 pp.
10/11 978-0-375-85715-7 $29.99
Library ed. 978-0-375-95715-4 $32.99
If ever there were a twentieth-century children’s book that deserved an annotated edition, it’s Juster and Feiffer’s masterpiece, first published fifty years ago. Filled with wordplay, math puzzles, social satire, and irony, it’s a book that many young readers have returned to at different life stages, each time finding something new. In his introduction, Horn Book columnist Marcus provides biographical sketches of the author and illustrator, whose lives first intersected when they shared a duplex in Brooklyn and began to collaborate on a creative effort that would become The Phantom Tollbooth. Marcus frequently refers back to their creative process in meticulous margin notes that accompany the text. He also uses them to define and explain selected words and expressions (dillydally, toe the line); make connections between the text and the author’s life (Juster’s own toy car at age six, for instance, was a more modest version of Milo’s electric car); and point out references to literary works such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. Also included in the marginalia are photographs and illustrations by artists who inspired Feiffer; for example, conductor Arturo Toscanini served as the model for Chroma, and a crowd scene that appears at the end of chapter eight shows the influence of Edward Ardizzone. Marcus’s insightful and often wry observations take us far beyond what we’d get from a careful and informed reading, as he had access to the book’s early drafts through Lilly Library at Indiana University, and he frequently includes original passages in the marginalia so that we can see how the story evolved. In-depth interviews with the author and illustrator further inform and elucidate the text. (Juster answers a burning question that’s puzzled readers for years: there is no secret code to be broken in the Mathemagician’s letter to Azaz.) Feiffer also gave Marcus access to many character sketches that are published here for the first time. With all the care and attention to detail that obviously went into this work, it’s unfortunate that the source materials aren’t cited with more specificity. Citations such as “N.J. Notes I, p. 35” aren’t linked with accompanying back matter; thus the note is as cryptic as the one written by the Mathemagician himself. But even with this shortcoming, the annotated edition is a welcome and important contribution to the field of children’s literature.

Overlooked, yet adored by all!

2011-11-22T13:56:00.000-05:00

Fashionably late (by fifty years)

November 22, 2011 By Kitty Flynn

Here’s how K. T. Horning begins her review of The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth in the November/December 2011 Horn Book Magazine:
“If ever there were a twentieth-century children’s book that deserved an annotated edition, it’s Juster and Feiffer’s masterpiece, first published fifty years ago.”
And what did the Horn Book have to say about said masterpiece when it was originally published in 1961?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The book isn’t even mentioned until two years later, in the June 1963 issue. There, a crotchety and shortsighted David C. Davis, children’s literature professor at the University of Wisconsin, pans it in a grumpy article entitled, “Who’ll Kill the Mockingbirds?”
Mr. Davis begins: “The most overrated piece of writing reeking of blatant imitation appeared recently in Norman [sic] Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth.”
And it goes downhill from there: “Had the book been given reliable critical analysis, it would never have reached the pages of a national magazine for previewing. To the children who love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willows, and The Hobbit, this was a hodgepodge of words, dull, unrewarding, and completely lacking in humor, satire, or subtlety.”
What a difference fifty years can make.

In 'Hugo,' Scorsese Salutes A Movie Magician - NPR

2011-11-20T19:14:00.000-05:00

November 18, 2011
In his 2007 children's book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, author Brian Selznick tells the story of an orphan named Hugo who lives in the walls of a Paris train station and spends his time winding the clocks.

Now, director Martin Scorsese is coming out with a film adaptation of that book. The film, Hugo, is Scorsese's first 3-D project, and while it marks a creative departure for the man behind The Departed, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, it still deals with familiar territory. That's because while tracking the story of the young Hugo, the book also tells the story of the early days of filmmaking and the genius of real-life French filmmaker Georges Melies, who is played in the film by Ben Kingsley.

Melies was a magician before he started making movies around 1900. Brian Selznick tells NPR's Melissa Block that his book was inspired in part by Melies' 1902 film A Trip to the Moon, in which a rocket zooms toward a moon with a human face on it.

In Georges Melies' silent film A Trip to the Moon, a group of astronomers travels to the moon in a giant bullet.

"All of a sudden, with a cut of the camera, the rocket goes right into the eye of the man on the moon," Selznick says. "He's got the rocket in his eye, and white goo is kind of coming down where the rocket hit the moon, and he's sticking his tongue out."

That kind of imagery also fascinated Scorsese, who tells Block about his memories of watching Melies' work.

"I was fascinated by the sleight-of-hand concept," Scorsese recalls. "[Melies] saw the potential in these moving images, and these images that came up on the screen ... absolutely took me to another planet."

Melies had a hand in every aspect of his films, Scorsese says, from painting the sets to the costumes to writing the stories to figuring out how to make his ideas work on film. One — perhaps apocryphal — anecdote has Melies discovering the potential of cinematic tricks while shooting the exterior of the Paris Opera. The camera jammed just as a bus was going by, so Melies stopped shooting to fix the problem, then started rolling again. The interruption made it look like the bus simply disappeared from the frame.

"And he said, 'Well, I think I can do that in a studio,' " Scorsese says. "He invented what we do now — blue screen, green screen — he invented all of that."

For his new film, director Martin Scorsese worked to re-create the scenes of Brian Selznick's illustrated children's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Jaap Buitendijk/GK Films

A Child's 'Sense Of Magic'

"If you ever wondered where your dreams come from when you go to sleep at night, just look around," Selznick's Melies tells a young Hugo. "This is where they're made."

Scorsese says Hugo is all about dreams, and as overworked as that idea may be in the movie business, it's particularly appropriate when it comes to a film based on a children's book.

"For children there's always a sense of magic," he says. "There's always a sense of something beyond the natural when you see the images move that way."

And he would know. Scorsese says he has fond memories of visiting friends who owned home movie projectors when he was a boy. "They projected some black-and-white cartoons. It was absolutely extraordinary to see that."

So making a film in 3-D was a natural next step, and one that allowed Scorsese to add depth to scenes of Hugo climbing on the train station's gigantic clock mechanisms.

"It sounds like a cliche, but the idea is that you're in the world with them," he says of his decision to film in 3-D. "When you start telling stories, you want sound, color, a big screen, so to speak, and depth. People have always wanted that, and so for me this was a great opportunity."

There was still a learning curve to using the new technology, but despite all that, Scorsese describes Hugo as one of the most rewarding experiences he's ever had making a film. It also may have helped that the characters in Hugo don't have a lot in common with the characters Scorsese usually works with, who "may not be the nicest people to be around."

"But you know, Taxi Driver in 3-D would have been interesting," he says. Just imagine a 3-D version of Robert De Niro asking a mirror, "You talkin' to me?"

"He'd be talkin' to ya," Scorsese says. "That would be amazing."

Anita Silvey on The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

2011-11-17T09:10:00.000-05:00

When this time of year comes around, I always think of one of my favorite books first published in 1978, which truly captures the joy of playing in the snow. Although comic-book format picture books and graphic novels rule today, when Raymond Briggs used the wordless, comic-book format in The Snowman, he broke with the tradition of his time. However, the result was so magical than even adults who might have shunned comic books found themselves in love with his story.
In a book that works for preschoolers and those up to ten, a little boy awakes to find a snow-filled landscape and then goes out to build a snowman. But when the boy checks on his creation that night, it has come alive and tips its hat to the boy. Then the snowman enters the house, plays with the boy, and shares a meal with him. Finally, the two set off together on a magical flight that takes them over land and sea. In the morning, the boy goes out to find a melted snowman, an ending tinged with melancholy and loss.
As a boy, Raymond Briggs had always wanted to be a cartoonist. At fifteen, to pursue this dream, he became a student at the Wimbledon School of Art in London. Like other art students of the era, he received training in classical nineteenth-century composition, still-life and figure drawing. Eventually, he decided that he did not want to become a painter. However, when he finally returned to his childhood dream of making a comic book, he was able to bring all of his skills in draftsmanship, composition, and anatomy to The Snowman.
Although the landscape seems exotic, Briggs used his own home and garden in Sussex, at the foot of the South Downs, a few miles from Brighton. The snowman flies over the Downs to Brighton, and then the Royal Palace. Since Briggs wanted a feeling of childlike spontaneity in the drawings, he worked in pencil crayons to prepare the art. This media created a book with soft color, almost as if every page has been muted by the fallen snow.
The Snowman draws on the power of a persistent childhood fantasy—what if the snowman a child is building could come alive. This completely satisfying and moving book was adapted quite successfully as an animated film often shown on television during the holidays. As I checked this book out of the library recently, one young woman ran over and exclaimed, “I loved that book when I was a child!” Children still do. In The Snowman Raymond Briggs demonstrated how art alone, without any text, can convey a story that children delight in and remember.

Here’s a page from The Snowman:

Also recommended: Other books by Raymond Briggs: Father Christmas; Gentleman Jim

Originally posted December 23, 2010.

Read to a Dog --- they're great listeners! Boston Globe

2011-11-16T10:38:00.000-05:00

Reading to dogs may have benefits for children

Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine student Sarah Perlmutter reads to a dog through the Grafton Public Library’s “R.E.A.D.” program. (Melody Ko/Tufts University)

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff

What’s on your dog’s summer reading list?
A small pilot study by researchers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University provides preliminary, but suggestive evidence that reading aloud to man’s best friend can have positive effects on children’s desire and ability to read.
“The benefit of the dog is they’re not judgmental, and they are great listeners,” said Lisa Freeman, a professor in the department of clinical sciences at Tufts, who said the study was spurred by observations that having a canine audience seemed to increase children’s engagement with reading. “It really builds their confidence.”
The health effects of pet ownership have been the subject of a number of small studies, which have been far from definitive. Some research suggests that pet ownership provides a wellness boost -- one study found that dog owners who walked their dogs were 34 percent more likely to get 150 minutes of walking exercise per week compared with non-dog owners. But others have found pet ownership correlated with negative health outcomes, like a study of 424 patients admitted to the hospital with acute coronary syndrome, which found that pet owners, especially cat owners, were more likely to die or be hospitalized again.
For years, Freeman said, she had observed what appeared to be the beneficial effects of a reading program that paired children with canine listeners. But there was no evidence to support the anecdotal observations. So the Tufts researchers designed a simple study.
Over a five-week period last summer, 18 second-graders at the Grafton Public Library were randomly divided into two groups: for 30 minutes each week, half read aloud to a dog and half read to a person.
The children were allowed to choose whatever books they wanted, and read to the same dog each week, settling in on a large dog bed with their canine companion. Freeman noted that children seemed to prefer to read books about animals, seeming to want to choose stories the dogs could relate to.
“The kids seem to particularly like the dog-themed books; they seem to think the dogs really enjoy hearing about those,” Freeman said. Those who read aloud to a person might be corrected or prompted if they made a mistake, while the children reading to the dogs would be corrected through the dogs, meaning that the handler might say something like, “I don’t think she understood that last word.”
At the end of the five weeks, the children’s abilities were measured. This was a small sample, and the results were not statistically significant, but researchers saw a signal of a difference, with an increase in the words read per minute by the children in the dog group, and a decrease among children who spent the time reading to humans.
The researchers also measured the change in the children’s attitudes toward reading using a survey that involved a cartoon cat -- Garfield. The survey showed Garfield in a range of moods, from extremely satisfied to very upset, and was used to judge childrens’ attitudes toward reading. The dog reading group showed a slight favorable increase in their feelings toward reading, and the control group underwent a slight decrease. No children dropped out of the dog program, whereas a third of the children dropped out of the control group.
Ultimately, the researchers hope to be able to expand the study to a larger group, to see whether the effects hold up.
“Many dogs -- my dog, when she recognizes the building that the reading program is in, she gets very excited, really excited to go, so they seem to enjoy this too,” Freeeman said. “That’s important -- having everybody happy on both sides of the leash is going to be very important.”
Carolyn Y. Johnson can be reached at cjohnson@globe.com.

Tintin!

2011-11-08T14:38:00.001-05:00

Coming December 21st, The Adventures of Tintin is the long-awaited film version of Herge's Tintin graphic novels! The Adventures of Tintin series was created in 1929 by a Belgian artist who called himself Hergé. Clever and ever-curious, Tintin is a reporter-turned-detective whose pursuit of villains, criminals, treasure and the occasional artifact takes him all over the world, along with a colorful cast of friends. Hergé based his stories on real-world events and cultures that had caught the Belgian national attention — from space exploration to Arab oil wars — and brought them to life for his readers in inspiring and exciting ways.

For more about the movie, go to http://www.us.movie.tintin.com/

For more about the books, the author and the movie, go to http://us.tintin.com/

We have multiple copies of all the Tintin books (even the difficult to find The adventures of Tintin, reporter for Le Petit Vingtième, in the Congo and The adventures of Tintin, reporter for Le Petit Vingtième --- in the Land of the Soviets !) in our juvenile graphic novel collection; stop by and check some out!

Daisy loves to read!

2011-11-05T23:13:00.000-04:00

Brittany gets up close and personal with Daisy...

The 2011 Best Illustrated Children’s Books - The New York Times

2011-11-04T12:21:00.000-04:00

November 3, 2011, 12:00 pm

The 2011 Best Illustrated Children’s Books

By PAMELA PAUL

Sophie Blackall

The New York Times Book Review has announced its list of the 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2011. Artwork from this year’s winners will appear in the special Children’s Book section of the Book Review’s Nov. 13 issue.
The judges this year were Jeanne Lamb, the coordinator of youth collections at The New York Public Library; Lucy Calkins, the Richard Robinson Professor of Children’s Literature at Teachers College of Columbia University; and Sophie Blackall, an author and artist who has illustrated 24 books for children, including one of last year’s Best Illustrated winners, “Big Red Lollipop,” as well as “The Crows of Pearblossom,” “Spinster Goose: Twisted Rhymes for Naughty Children” and “Are You Awake?” — all published this year. They chose from among hundreds of children’s picture books published in 2011.
The Book Review’s 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books for 2011, in alphabetical order, are: “Along a Long Road,” written and illustrated by Frank Viva (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers); “A Ball for Daisy,” written and illustrated by Chris Raschka (Schwartz & Wade); “Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures,” written by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton (Chronicle Books); “Grandpa Green,” written and illustrated by Lane Smith (Roaring Brook Press); “Ice,” written and illustrated by Arthur Geisert (Enchanted Lion Books); “I Want My Hat Back,” written and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press); “Me … Jane,” written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers); “Migrant,” written by Maxine Trottier, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault (Groundwood Books); “A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis,” written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Dial); and “A New Year’s Reunion,” written by Yu Li-Qiong, illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang (Candlewick Press). Next year, The New York Times Best Illustrated awards will celebrate its 60th anniversary.

Farmer Minor and Daisy!

2011-11-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

FARMER MINOR & DAISY "PIG OUT ON READING"

Daisy and Farmer Minor have performed “Pig Out on Reading” programs across the U.S. for over 10 years and Daisy is known as the “World's Most Famous Pig,” having been filmed for Belgian National TV and featured in newspapers and TV across the United States. Daisy became the first pig ever invited inside the U.S. Capitol while on her first national tour in 2002.

Countless school principals, teachers, librarians, mayors, celebrities and hundreds of thousands of school children have kissed the famous pig; people kiss Daisy for a number of reasons ranging from promises kept to students for reading lots of books to fundraising efforts on behalf of non-profit groups, but mostly just for the wonderful love of Daisy!

Meet Daisy at the Wellesley Free Library on Saturday, November 5th from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Wakelin Room. Bring your cameras to capture that pig kiss forever! This program is recommended for families with children ages three and up.

Iron Chef with the Youth Advisory Board!

2011-11-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

Our second annual Iron Chef competition with the Youth Advisory Board was held last night and was an unquestionable success! Three teams competed for prizes in two categories: best-looking creation and best-tatsing creation. The teams were limited in the colors of the foods that they could use to create their dishes --- one team was limited to shades of pink and red, another could utilize only orange, and the third team was challenged with the assignment of green foods. Celebrity judges were on hand, including Meg Davis from the Wellesley Middle School.

The Volcano, created by the orange team!

Inspired by an Alaskan cabin in the woods, a red team submission.

The brilliance of the green team is evident in this womb-like dish...

The orange team!

The pink team!

The green team!

Rule #1 in Iron Chef: Always know where your retainer is!

Recommended graphic novel

2011-11-01T14:21:00.000-04:00

Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense by Corinne Mucha; Zest Books, 2011

Sweet and goofy, this graphic novel follows a girl through her freshman year in high school, with all of its social posturing and anxiety. Annie makes and loses friends, tries new things (with mixed results), and learns to navigate her teenage world. Available in the Quigley Youth Room in our Youth Graphic Novel collection.

Signing for Babies!

2011-10-31T15:03:00.001-04:00

Signing as a first language reduces frustration, deepens bonds and accelerates speech development. Learn how to enhance early literacy skills by practicing a variety of signs. Learn how to teach ASL to your baby. This series of classes is for caregiver and infant (ages 2 months to pre-verbal). Registration for the 4 week session is required. Sign up online (http://www.libraryinsight.com/eventdetails.asp?jx=jip&lmx=385029) beginning October 17th; classes begin on Monday, October 31st.

This program is generously sponsored by the friends of the Wellesley Free Libraries.

For more information on baby signing, go to

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1657862&page=1

Highlights from our Howl-O-Ween Party on 10-30-11

2011-10-31T14:20:00.004-04:00

Six dogs in full costume attended our Howl-O-Ween party yesterday, some participating in one-on-one reading sessions with kids and others mingling with party guests. Participants made spooky crafts, listened to Halloween stories, and nibbled on seasonal snacks.

Our next Read to a Dog event will be on Saturday, November 19th from 10-12;

Kids in grades K-4 can sign up for a 15 minute session with one of our fabulous reading buddies! Sessions are 15 minutes long. Bring your own book or read one of ours.

Pre-registration is required. To sign up, stop by the Children’s Room at the Main Library or call 781-235-1610 ext 1108. Sign-ups start one week in advance, November 12.

For more information about the philosophy behind Read to a Dog, go to http://articles.cnn.com/2009-10-22/living/dogs.irpt_1_reading-education-assistance-dogs-intermountain-therapy-animals-reading-skills?_s=PM:LIVING

Why Books? — The Zena Sutherland Lecture by Mo Willems in The Horn Book

2011-10-26T10:53:00.000-04:00

It is an honor to have been asked to talk about books while they still exist. (Spoiler alert: next year’s Sutherland lecturer will be a downloadable app.)

And that, my friends, is the key to my current two-word existential dilemma: “Why books?”
In the past it was enough to say that if you get a book into a kid’s hands, you’re creating a “lifelong reader.” But why does that matter? Do we really want “lifelong readers”? Shouldn’t they at least get to take occasional bathroom breaks? Why is this extraneous question here in the middle of these other ones? And, what does reading do that makes it so special?
To be honest, books as we know them are looking pretty vulnerable right now. They can’t talk back to you. If you shake them, they don’t do things. You can’t turn them on. They don’t make sounds. They don’t have word jumbles or other not-terribly-fun games. What do they do? With all the new technological possibilities, why not file Books between Betamax and Eight-Track Tapes?
I’ve thought about this very seriously of late and I’m not out of the rabbit hole yet, so first let me just go through my own personal journey with the nitty-gritty of making books to see if there is value to be found there.
In the past eight years or so, I’ve written and illustrated numerous books, yet I really never know what I’m doing when I create a book. That is why I love it. It’s an adventure with no guarantee that it will work out in the end. I am alone in a sea of ideas, hoping to catch a current that will lead to an undiscovered land. Well, I’m not completely alone. I have the structure of my past work, and I am guided through the storms by this simple mantra: always think of your audience; never think for your audience.
This is done by putting as little as possible into the final work so as to leave room for my audience to enhance the story. As a simple test, if I re-read one of my manuscripts and I understand exactly what is happening, then the manuscript has too many words. And if I look at the images without the words and I can fully understand the story, there are too many drawings. It is only right when both words and image need each other to make any sense. They need to be as close to incomprehensible, separately, as possible.
Yes, I make incomprehensible books for illiterates.
Incomprehensible also because I never know what the book I’ve made “means.” That’s my audience’s job. You, the reader, create meaning out of the story; I just set the table. The fundamental truth of this was driven home when I read two early reviews for my first picture book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The first one said, “I love this book because it teaches perseverance. It teaches kids never to give up. To fight on.” The second review said, “I love this book because it teaches kids to value the word ‘no,’ to know when to stop.”
Here’s the thing: both reviews were right. Their authors each brought their own selves to the story and in their minds created meanings that had never occurred to me. They became the co-authors of the book, implanting the meaning that was purposefully omitted, or perhaps obscured. Because, truth be told, I don’t have any answers. I’m not interested in them.
Why would I want to write about things I know? I already know them. I prefer to write about things I don’t know, about things that perplex me, create a sense of wonder in me, or are simply weird. So I write about things like: What is a friend? How do you keep a friend? How does what you do by accident change your environment and how do you come to grips with that? Wouldn’t it be cool to drive a bus? You know, the sort of fundamental, deep emotional questions that we all have. (All rules have exceptions and my second book, Time to Pee! is one. Personally, I’ve been urinating with great success for years, so I did know what I was writing about that time. But I wasn’t sure why my kid was reluctant to do it in a particular room.)
Writing is, like any athletics, a learned skill refined only by consistent and strenuous workouts over time. I learned how to write from years and years of writing and performing sketch comedy, making short animated films, and writing cartoon strips, all of which stemmed from a deep abiding love of sketch comedy. Bill Cosby’s albums, the Monty Python television series, Peanuts comic strips—they are all perfect sketches. Clean, pure, but structured with a deep understanding of the world and how it works.
I learned how to write for children, however, with great reluctance. As fate would have it, in my strivings to be a sketch comedy writer I found myself being hired to write sketch comedy for a show that targeted children, called Sesame Street. At first I didn’t care that I was working on a kiddie show; I was writing sketch! Just like my pals on MTV or in the hipster clubs. If I squinted just right, the “kids” part of my work disappeared.
Then, over a season or two, something unexpected happened. I realized that writing for Sesame Street wasn’t easier, or even equally as difficult, as the sketch material I’d been doing previously. It was harder. I couldn’t use cultural modifiers: the entire world of pop culture references, that lazy backbone of sketch, was lost to me. Arc de Triomphe, Super Bowl, Cadillac. Those are just silly sounds to kids; they have no emotional meaning. Not because kids are stupid, but because they’re new. They just got here. All they have is jealousy, anger, love, joy, fear. Writing for a kid means you can’t exploit genres and fads and fashions. The only weapon left in your arsenal is truth.
It was revelatory and life changing (and frankly liberating: I didn’t have to keep up on pop culture, freeing up lots of time for adventures). My path was set; now I wanted—no, I was compelled—to write for people who were just starting out in life.
This began a period of great introspection. I thought long and hard about my childhood and slowly realized a fundamental truth that is the complete opposite of what everyone tells you about childhood: namely, it sucks to be a kid.
Certainly, in contrast to the life of a grownup, kids have it hard. Every piece of furniture is built to the wrong scale for you. You have to ask permission to urinate. And some adult might say no. Try this as a test: next time you’re at a dinner party, say, “May I go to the bathroom?” Then imagine your hostess saying, “No, I don’t think so. You’re staying right there. And finish those smelly vegetables. I know you want to retch. I don’t care. Eat them.”
And kids don’t have years of experience to fall back on. Every disappointment, every failure, is a world-stopping first. How do they survive? How did we all survive that? I’m not sure. But recently I’ve realized they have one shield in their lives that most of us adults have lost: they haven’t yet learned to be embarrassed.
And that’s what embarrassment is: a learned behavior.
So TV got me to want to write for unembarrassed kids. But television wasn’t done teaching me an essential key to writing.
At some point in my career I found myself being asked to create a TV show. Foolishly, I was told I could do anything I wanted; more foolishly, I did. I created a show called Sheep in the Big City. Has anybody heard of the show? Raise your hands. Okay. You six guys. Great. You made up sixty percent of my audience.
For the rest of you, the show was about a sheep. And a big city. The sheep, named Sheep, is being chased by General Specific and his henchman Private Public, members of a top-secret military organization named The Top-Secret Military Organization trying to capture this urban sheep to put it in a sheep-powered ray gun. Now why not use another sheep, you ask? Well, because they had already built the ray gun to his specifications. Mixed in with the episodes are lots of spoof commercials for products—the Oxymoron Brand of useless products.
And every episode ended with thirty seconds of a ranting Swede.
Almost as quickly as it hit the air this show was canceled. Can you believe it?
I couldn’t.
I’d worked so long and so hard, ensuring that every joke was as funny, or as weird, as possible. Still, very, very few people enjoyed it. I was flummoxed.
The real reason why the show was canceled came not from the network but from a ten-year-old on some message board who wrote, “I don’t like this show because the writer is trying too hard.” Trying too hard? That shocked me to my core.
I could not think of another industry where this would be a problem. “Oh, man. Y’know that plumber, Joe? What is up with that guy? He shows up early. He comes in, he plumbs the hell out of the house, doesn’t take a single cigarette break, I don’t see butt once. He’s working soooo hard…I don’t trust him.”
But in writing it’s different. The people watching Sheep in the Big City or reading my stories are not interested in me or the work I do. It shouldn’t look like work to them. It’s just a story. A magical thing that suddenly, effortlessly, appears and entertains and provokes. Certainly such a thing can’t be made. The lesson is, if you’re not invisible, you’re not doing your job. So, work harder until no one sees you.
I should have known that. I should have known better.
You know, I started out doing stand-up comedy when I was in high school. And the reason I did was because the comedy club was the only place I could go and be guaranteed that no one would laugh at me. But over time you develop those muscles. You write joke after joke after joke after joke, and, ever so slowly, you learn what doesn’t work. What you learn is not “what is funny” but “what is not funny.” So when you’re writing, you write to get rid of all the not-funny stuff until what’s left, hopefully, works. I want to have as few words as possible. I want the whole story to just be hanging by a thread. So my audience will become invested in it and save it.
It’s the same with my images. Everything I do is reductive. I make my drawings as simple as possible to the point of abstraction. Put as little in as possible. Because kids can “make” books, I consciously design my characters so that they can be easily copied by a five-year-old.
Every month, I get a box of fan mail—it’s just awesome. Kids send me their books. Their actual books. Don’t Let the Pigeon Operate the Catapult. Don’t Let the Pigeon Audit Your Neighbor. The Pigeon Gets a Cell Phone. All kinds of just amazing stuff, and that’s the highest possible compliment; that’s the ultimate goal.
It’s how I got started. I started out drawing Charlie Brown pictures. I loved it so much I wrote to Charles Schulz once when I was five and said, “Dear Mr. Schulz, may I have your job when you die?” Man, I loved Charlie Brown. I grew up in the early seventies, and every other pop cultural character was blissfully happy. Remember? The landscape was filled with gleeful rodents on lithium running across the screen. I felt bad that I wasn’t as happy as those mice. But there was always “Chuck.” A kid whose life was worse than mine. Awesome.
That comic strip was printed on cheap newsprint. It was meant to be thrown away, unlike a piece of art. But it was useful. It was useful to me. That corner of the newspaper that showed up every day gave me more consolation in my lonely childhood world than anyone or anything.
That’s what I want my books to be: utilitarian. You don’t drink coffee out of a mug because it’s a work of art. You drink out of a mug because it works, then you worry if it is pretty or not. In the same way, whatever ideas you’re going to pour into my book, I need to make sure it can hold them first. Because that’s all a book can do. It can hold just two ideas: the author’s and the audience’s.
But the book doesn’t work, it can’t work, unread.
So back to my question of “Why books?” What if books are better because they don’t do things, because they can’t do things? What if the thing that makes books great, that makes them essential, is that books need us? They’re simple. You invest in them and become part of them. You contribute. They can be read, but they can also be played. I’m not really interested in you guys reading my books a hundred times; read it twenty times and then make your own story. Go from consuming a story to creating your own. This is a magical thing to me.
I have a running machine in my house, and if I set that machine for twenty minutes of fast running and leave the room to get some tea and fried eggs, it doesn’t know the difference! Nor, I might add, does it care.
And I think that’s what most enhanced digital books are at this point. With all their bells and whistles and word jumbles and assorted narrative killers, after we turn them on, they don’t need us. Turn it on and leave the room, and the book will read itself.
But a real book is helpless. It needs us desperately. We have to pull it off the shelf. We have to open it up. We have to turn the pages, one by one. We even have to use our imagination to make it work. What does Elephant Gerald sound like? Is the Pigeon a boy or a girl? Does Leonardo the Terrible Monster live in the city or in the country?
We have to do all of that, we have to do the work with our little minds and our flapping flights of fancy. So, suddenly, that book is not just a book; it’s our book. We’re the ones making it work. We’re the ones making it sing. Right there in our chairs as we gently flip the pages, we are, at our own pace, creating a living story just by reading.
And you don’t have to turn off a book during takeoff and landing.
So, maybe books work because they make us work. Maybe we need them for needing us, just like we need real friends, not the digital imitations on Facebook.
Thank you for bearing with me.

Highly recommended...

2011-10-25T22:38:00.002-04:00

'Wonderstruck': A Novel Approach To Picture Books

by Lynn Neary

September 13, 2011

Brian Selznick A Wordless World: The story of Rose, a deaf little girl in Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck, is told primarily in pictures. "We experience [Rose's] story in a way that perhaps might echo the way she experiences her own life," Selznick explains.

September 13, 2011

It's not often that a writer can illustrate his own books, but Brian Selznick is that rare find. He began his career as an artist collaborating with authors on children's books. But he gradually realized that he wanted to tell his own stories in both words and pictures — and to do that, Selznick invented a unique narrative device.

Wonderstruck is both a novel and a picture book, a form Selznick first experimented with in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, when he had the idea of telling a story in much the same way that film does.

"I thought: Is there a way of combining what the cinema can do with panning, and zooming in and out, and edits, and what a picture book can do with page turns, and what a novel does?" Selznick says.
Selznick's illustrations work like a camera, zooming in on details and following his characters around as they move through the world. In the beginning of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the reader follows a boy through a grate in the wall, down a hallway, to an old man in a toy booth who sees a clock, and behind the number 5 in the clock, there's the boy ... (Click here to see that opening sequence of drawings.)
In Wonderstruck, Selznick wanted to take this narrative experiment a step further. "I had this idea to try to tell two different stories," he says. "What if I told one story just with pictures, and then told a completely different story that was set 50 years later with words? And then had these two separate stories weave back and forth until they came together at the end?"
Wonderstruck is the story of Rose and Ben, a young boy and girl who live years and worlds apart. By the end of the book, the reader learns they have a special connection. But from early on, they have one thing in common: She is deaf, and he loses his hearing when he is struck by lightning.
Selznick says the idea for the book began forming when he saw a documentary about deafness and deaf culture. One of the deaf educators emphasized how hyper-attuned deaf people are to the visual world. So Selznick set out to tell the story of a deaf character in pictures. "We experience [Rose's] story in a way that perhaps might echo the way she experiences her own life," he explains.

Hugo and Isabelle look out over Paris from behind a clock face in Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Rose's story, told almost entirely through Selznick's compelling black-and-white illustrations, alternates with Ben's story, which unfolds in written form. At first, the reader is not sure how the two stories relate, but here and there, the characters' worlds collide. Both get caught in a storm, both go in search of their parents, both find refuge in New York's Museum of Natural History (one of Selznick's favorite destinations when he was a kid growing up in New Jersey). When Ben and Rose finally do meet, Selznick says, the book becomes all about how we communicate with each other.
"At the end of the story, we have scenes where there's a deaf character who signs, a hearing character who signs, and a deaf character who doesn't sign — and they all have to have a conversation," Selznick says. "And so who speaks, who writes, who can sign ... it all becomes mixed up until they can figure out a way to communicate."

The Intricate, Cinematic World Of 'Hugo Cabret'

A mix of text and drawings tells the story of Hugo, an orphan in Paris, and a reclusive film genius.

In 'Wonderstruck,' A Child's-Eye View Of New York

Brian Selznick's new novel weaves together the stories of two deaf children exploring Manhattan.

Creating these books is a complicated process, Selznick says, and he is always a little surprised in the end when everything comes together. When he's in the middle of it, it's a little like looking for buried treasure.
"It's sort of like going through a treasure map backwards in a certain way, where I know what I want it to be, but I don't know how to get there," he says. "It does end up feeling like I have been on this really exciting journey that I ultimately hope that the reader will be excited to be on, too."
A writer and artist who is fascinated with film, Selznick is about to see a fantasy come true: In November, the film version of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, directed by Martin Scorcese, will be released on the big screen.

Read an excerpt of The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Read an excerpt of Wonderstruck

Terrariums @ the library!

2011-10-25T15:35:00.001-04:00

Kids had a great time creating terrariums on Saturday as part of our Wellesley Reads Together programming!

And so did our librarians, Geralyn and Michele!

What we're reading right now...

2011-10-19T15:21:00.001-04:00

While Small Steps is the sequel to Holes, it is not necessary to have read Holes to lose yourself completely in Small Steps. This 2006 follow-up addresses class, race, gender and physical disabilities in a refreshing and thoughtful manner not often encountered in children's literature. Armpit, our protagonist, is an African-American teenager who spent time in a juvenile dentention center for commiting a violent crime that landed two victims in the hospital. Back at home after incarceration, Armpit has plans, his "small steps" toward a successful and honest life. We see Armpit continually striving to do the right thing, even when others around him try to block his path. Overcoming stereotypes and respecting others are major themes in this work and Armpit's belief in himself and his kindness towards others make this an important (but not didactic) book for middle school and older readers.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-8-This sequel to Holes (Farrar, 1998) focuses on Armpit, an African-American former resident of Tent D at Camp Green Lake. It's two years after his release, and the 16-year-old is still digging holes, although now getting paid for it, working for a landscaper in his hometown of Austin, TX. He's trying to turn his life around, knowing that everyone expects the worst of him and that he must take small steps to keep moving forward. When X-Ray, his friend and fellow former detainee at the juvenile detention center, comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme involving scalping tickets to a concert by teenage pop star Kaira DeLeon, Armpit fronts X-Ray the money. He takes his best friend and neighbor, Ginny, a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy, to the concert and ends up meeting Kaira, getting romantically involved, and finally becoming a hero by saving her life when her stepfather tries to kill her and frame him. Small Steps has a completely different tone than Holes. It lacks the bizarre landscape, the magical realism, the tall-tale quality, and the heavy irony. Yet, there is still much humor, social commentary, and a great deal of poignancy. Armpit's relationship with Ginny, the first person to care for him, look up to him, and give his life meaning, is a compassionate one. Like Holes, Small Steps is a story of redemption, of the triumph of the human spirit, of self-sacrifice, and of doing the right thing. Sachar is a master storyteller who creates memorable characters.

Roger Hargreaves books now available in vast quantities!

2011-10-19T14:54:00.000-04:00

Are you a fan of the Little Miss and Little Mr. books by Roger Hargreaves? Stop by the children's room and check out our new bin of books! These popular titles have come into fashion once again and the children's room has been met with many requests for these books; in response, we have purchased multiple copies of the books in this series and we are pleased to say that they are absolutely flying off the shelves!

"Roger Hargreaves was born in 1935 in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, England. He is the British cartoonist who created the likes of Mr. Nosey and Mr. Grumpy, the simple little cartoon Mr. Men and Little Miss characters and books.
He was the creative director for an advertising agency in London when he got the idea for his books. He first began to market the idea in the early '70's, starting with Mr. Men, which appeared in books, BBC cartoons and as a comic strip in the Daily Mirror. The characters spawned over 700 related products and brought along the introduction of the Little Miss books introduced in the early '80s.
The two series reached worldwide sales of 85 million volumes and were printed in over 20 different languages. Hargreaves died on September 12, 1988 in Kent, England."

- Bowker Author Biography

Arthur's Nose, from Anita Silvey's Children's Book-a-Day Almanac

2011-10-11T16:53:00.000-04:00

http://childrensbookalmanac.com/2011/10/arthurs-nose/

Grandparent Kits are here!

2011-10-11T16:45:00.000-04:00

We have Grandparent Kits! The Wellesley Free Library now has a limited number of Grandparent Kits available; these kits contain books and activity ideas and can be borrowed for one week. The kits can be customized according to age and special interests. To request a kit, call the children's department at 781-235-1610 x 1108.

We now have Playaway Views!

2011-10-03T16:21:00.001-04:00

What is a Playaway View?

Portable
Includes a head-phone jack and speakers
Convenient
Pre-loaded content; no internet or downloads needed
Durable and Scratch-Resistant
Made with kids in mind
Multiple Videos
Each View holds hours of great content,
bundling curated content just for you
Chargeable
Simply use the included standard AC Adaptor

Come in and check one out!

Drawing From Memory by Allen Say

2011-10-03T13:06:00.000-04:00

My new favorite book! A must-read for Allen Say fans and aspiring artists.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4 Up-Say tells the story of how he became an artist through a vibrant blend of words and images. Beginning with his boyhood in World War II-era Japan, he traces his life-changing relationship with Noro Shinpei, an illustrious cartoonist who became his surrogate father figure and art mentor. Illustrations are richly detailed and infused with warmth. Exquisite use of light makes night scenes glow, and the mid-20th-century Tokyo setting is captured with vivid authenticity. A variety of media and artistic styles, including full-color paintings, black-and-white sketches, photographs, and comic-book panels, adds texture and depth to the narrative. Fans of the artist's work will take particular delight in seeing sketches from his student days. Simple, straightforward sentences and a conversational narration in combination with a wealth of images will appeal to aspiring artists and reluctant readers alike. This book covers much of the same material as Say's autobiographical novel, The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice (Harper & Row, 1979), but the lively mix of art and text will draw in a new generation and a slightly younger audience. The somewhat abrupt ending, with Say moving to the United States, may leave readers wishing for a more extended epilogue or sequel, but that is simply because his story is so engaging. Readers of all ages will be inspired by the young Say's drive and determination that set him on a successful career path.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA (c) (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary

Bake Sale by Sara Varon

2011-09-22T15:11:00.000-04:00

Now available in our Children's Graphic Novel collection!

From Publishers Weekly:

In a world of anthropomorphized food, Cupcake is a pink cupcake who runs his own bakery and idolizes the culinary work of Turkish Delight, a famous foreign chef. Cupcake's best friend, Eggplant, has a way for Cupcake to meet his idol, but first Cupcake must spend extra time earning enough money for the plane trip to Turkey. Cupcake has to drop out of the band he enjoys and go the extra mile to sell as many baked goods as he can. Much of the book shows Cupcake's hard work, which doesn't actually get him anywhere in the end because he gives his money to Eggplant-who has lost his job-instead. This seems to be showing that it's good to help others, and not to idolize when one can believe in oneself. However, it does make the ending feel a tad anticlimactic and as if nothing has been solved, since it seems that Cupcake has worked hard and pushed himself for nothing. Altogether the book has a mellow, easygoing feel, using soft colors and showing many yummy foods. As an added bonus, recipes for how to make the various scrumptious meals readers watch Cupcake prepare are provided. As in her previous Robot Dreams, Varon's art is simple and cozy, making this sweet tale a confection of its own. Ages 9-12. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Tomi Ungerer's Chronicler of the Absurd exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum

2011-09-15T14:46:00.001-04:00

Chronicler of the Absurd

This exhibition celebrates Ungerer’s 80th birth year. A trilingual author, Ungerer has published over 140 books ranging from his much loved children’s books to his controversial adult work.
This exhibition documents the bulk of Ungerer’s career as a writer and illustrator of children’s books. Included in the exhibition, among others, will be examples from Ungerer’s first book, The Mellops Go Flying (1957), as well as The Three Robbers (1962), Flat Stanley (1964), and Moon Man (1967).
June 18 – October 9, 2011
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
125 West Bay Road
Amherst, MA 01002
T (413) 658-1100 / F (413) 658-1139
info@carlemuseum.org

Join Us For Sunday Story Times!

2011-09-14T13:32:00.003-04:00

Please join us in the children's room at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 18th for our Sunday Story Time! Families with children ages 4-6 will enjoy stories and a craft or activity. No registration is required for this program.

Guinea Pig Craft on Friday, 9/16 at 10:30 a.m.

2011-09-13T12:42:00.000-04:00

Come to the main branch on Friday at 10:30 and make your own guinea pig on a string! Stories and Craft with Lee requires no pre-registration and is recommended for children ages 2-5.

Check Out Our Bins!

2011-09-09T12:07:00.001-04:00

Books in Bins! Come in and check out our new high-demand picture book collection! Each bin is packed with picture books about a specific popular subject; if you're looking for books about princesses, firefighters, pirates, dinosaurs or trucks, come in and check out our bins!

MEET THE AUTHOR - Lincoln Peirce 9/9/11 @ 4pm in the Wakelin Room.

2011-09-02T14:44:00.001-04:00

“Big Nate gets an ‘A’ for awesome!”

—Harry Bliss, New Yorker cartoonist

"I love it; it cracked me up!"

—Doreen Cronin, author of Diary of a Worm

“Caution: Don’t read Big Nate in public; you will laugh out loud.”

—Alec Greven, ten-year-old author of How to Talk to Girls

The Last Book of Summer...sob!

2011-09-02T14:32:00.000-04:00

Imagine a summer in Water Mill, riding bicycles and going to the beach and spying on everyone around you as a drama unfolds; someone is leaving notes all over town and Harriet is determined to expose the culprit! For fans of Louise Fitzhugh's literary masterpiece, Harriet the Spy, this summer follow-up in Water Mill is a delicious second course. Focusing on Harriet's mousy friend Beth Ellen, The Long Secret is about growing up, finding a voice, and learning that there is much more to life than what is visible on the surface. A wonderful summer read, The Long Secret is the ultimate Labor Day weekend book, a way to sink your toes into that hot Long Island sand one more time before bidding the summer adieu.

http://purple-socks.webmage.com/

2011-09-02T13:56:00.001-04:00

Our Young Scientists Robotics program with Professor Robbie Berg from Wellesley College was well-attended by many enthusiastic families at the Hills Branch on August 23rd !

http://www.wickedlocal.com/wellesley/photos/x1413005961/Young-scientists-explore-robots-at-Hills-Branch-Library

Blog of Note

2011-08-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

Jon Scieszka (SHEH-ska) was born September 8, 1954; he is the author of many hilarious children's books. In 2008, Jon was named the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.

His blog, Jon Scieszka Worldwide http://www.jsworldwide.com/ , covers every imaginable topic realted to Jon Scieszka, including news about his books, Frequently Asked Questions, his touring schedule and his personal history, all reported with great humor.

Well known for his fractured fairy tales (The Frog Prince, Continued, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and The Stinky Cheese Man and Fairly Stupid Tales), Jon has developed a devoted fan base that ranges from middle-grade readers (The Time Warp Trio) down to the pre-school set (Trucktown). His Guys Read website http://www.guysread.com/ addresses the specific needs of boy readers, a group that could benefit from a little attention now and then. His mission is to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers.

Jon Scieszka - Exclusive Video Interview

2011-08-22T16:43:00.001-04:00

Junibacken

2011-08-22T13:40:00.002-04:00

Junibacken is a children’s museum devoted to Swedish children’s literature, featuring Astrid Lindgren, author of the Pippi Longstocking books. The museum includes a theater, restaurant and the largest children’s bookstore in Sweden. http://www.junibacken.se/lang/english

Galarvarvsvagen Stockholm 115 21
Sweden

46 8 587 230 00

http://www.youtube.com/user/junibackenstockholm

2007 Harry Potter Night at the Wellesley Free Library

2011-08-22T13:09:00.002-04:00

Anita Silvey talks about Wemberly Worried!

2011-08-19T22:08:00.000-04:00

For some children, the end of August means preparing to go to school for the very first time. For them August has been designated Get Ready for Kindergarten Month. If you are hunting for a book that might help the very young overcome some of their anxieties about school, today we’ll look at Kevin Henkes’s Wemberly Worried and tomorrow, Antoinette Portis’s Kindergarten Diary.
First published in 2000, Wemberly Worried appears to be one of the many Kevin Henkes titles headed for classic status. As a young artist, Kevin got a head start on creating books for children. He always knew he wanted to write and illustrate books, and he got his foot in the door of a publisher when he was nineteen. Since then, he has crafted one fabulous book after another.
Although Kevin is now married with children of his own, he is one of those gifted creators who has never forgotten what it feels like to be small and young and vulnerable. His books always have a truth to the way children think and feel.
In our book of the day, Kevin opens the story with these words: “Wemberly worried about everything.” And readers get to see all the things that concern our mouse heroine—such as shrinking in the bathtub. Although everyone in her family tries to tell her not to worry—including her pretty hip grandma mouse sporting a “Go with the Flow” T-shirt—Wemberly just can’t help the thoughts that go through her mind. The radiator might contain a snake; a tree might fall on their house. So when school looms, she worries about the beginning of school. On a two-page spread her worries are even listed in large type: a mean teacher, a smelly room, finding the bathroom.
But of course, in Kevin Henkes’s universe, everything turns out for the best. Wemberly finds a friend and discovers that her teacher, Mrs. Peachum, may not be so bad. By the end of the first day, she jauntily walks out of the room, telling everyone she’ll return. “I will,” she says. “Don’t worry.”
By creating a character full of neuroses, Kevin Henkes allows children to laugh at their own fears and feel that, in the end, going to school might just not be so bad after all.
So to relieve your children’s anxiety—and your own—about the beginning of a new school year, pick up Wemberly Worried. I should probably read it to my graduate students on the first day of class—it applies equally to them.
Here’s a page from Wemberly Worried:

Because even dogs have birthdays...

2011-08-18T20:48:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely birthday party for Mariah tonight! Mariah is one of our Read to a Dog hostesses and turned 11 today. Please check our calendar http://www.libraryinsight.com/calendarkids.asp?jx=ji for upcoming Read to a Dog events this fall!

E.B. White Award for Picture Books

2011-08-18T07:48:00.001-04:00

WINNER: The 2010 E.B. White Award for Picture Books

The Curious Garden
by Peter Brown
978-0316015479
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Price: $16.99 HC
Pub date: 4/09
While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world. One boy’s quest for a greener world… one garden at a time.

The committee said: “One of those books that shows what effect one person can have. The art and language works together beautifully; it’s inspiring, but not at all preachy. Bravo!”

Peter Brown will be visiting the Wellesley Free Library in September; stay tuned for details!

Reading Rainbow

2011-08-17T12:10:00.001-04:00

Reading Rainbow may have gone off the air in 2006, but we have DVDs in the children's room; come in and check one out!

Along a Long Road by Frank Viva --- anxiously awaited!!

2011-08-15T16:54:00.001-04:00

Follow that road!

Speed off on an eventful bicycle ride along the bold yellow road that cuts through town, by the sea, and through the country. Ride up and around, along and through, out and down.

Frank's striking graphic style is executed in just five joyous colors, and his spare, rhythmic language is infectious.

Hit a bump?
Get back on track!
Reach the end?
Start again!

Frank Viva is an illustrator and graphic designer who has won more than 300 awards. His illustrations have appeared in Time, Esquire, the New York Times, the Boston Globe and on the cover of the New Yorker. A past president of The Advertising & Design Club of Canada, he is passionate about cooking, wine, and his daily bike ride to the office. This is his first children's picture book.

Quote of the day...

2011-08-15T16:47:00.001-04:00

"It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer."

— E.B. White (Charlotte's Web)

Under One Sky-A Multicultural Celebration with Davis Bates & Roger Tincknell

2011-08-12T11:45:00.002-04:00

Changes in our collection...

2011-08-12T08:37:00.001-04:00

Easy 1 and Easy 2 picture books are now united in one wonderful collection! Shelved alphabetically by the author's last name, the picture book collection is one of the jewels in the children's room; come in and explore!

Young Scientists Program August 4, 2011

2011-08-12T08:33:00.002-04:00

A recent Young Scientists program at the Hills Branch; reptiles were presented by the Museum of Science!

New Book Group This Fall!

2011-08-09T14:14:00.001-04:00

Chick Chat is a book group for young adults in grades 6,7, and 8. While the group focuses primarily on “chick lit,” the group is open to everyone. Light refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there!

Chick Chat's first title will be Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski. Living in New York City with her mother and her younger sister, Miri, fourteen-year-old Rachel tries to persuade Miri, who has recently become a witch, to help her become popular at school and to try to stop their divorced father's wedding.

Chick Chat's first meeting will be on Saturday, September 17th at 3 p.m. in the Quigley Youth Room. For more information or to pick up a copy of the book, stop by the children's room or call 781-235-1610.

More about Mo

2011-08-02T14:00:00.000-04:00

"My work in children’s books, animation, television, theater, and bubble gum card painting have garnered 3 Caldecott Honors, 2 Geisel Medals, a Geisel Honor, 2 Carnegie Medals, 6 Emmys, and multiple bubble gum cards."

To look at the doodles of Mo Willems and much, much more:

http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com/2011/07/updates.html

Are you a Mo Willems fan?

2011-08-02T13:36:00.000-04:00

Reaching an almost cult-like status, Mo Willems has made an enormous impact in the world of children's literature in recent years. His Knuffle Bunny series is so popular at the Wellesley Free Library that patrons are unlikely to find an available copy on the shelf, and his Elephant and Piggie beginning reader series is gobbled down in huge greedy mouthfuls by happy families, to the point where we are finding that over 7 copies of each title is not enough to satiate rabid fans. And let's not forget the Pigeon! His sarcasm and dry wit has won over millions; follow him on Twitter @The_Pigeon

For more on Mo Willems go to:
http://www.mowillems.com/

Anita Silvey's Book-a-Day Almanac

2011-08-02T13:24:00.000-04:00

Daily children’s book recommendations and events from Anita Silvey.
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics . . .
The new books on their way to becoming classics . . .
And events from the world of children’s books—and the world at large.

http://childrensbookalmanac.com/

Anita Silvey has been the editor of The Horn Book review journal and the publisher of children’s books at Houghton Mifflin. She estimates that she’s read about 125,000 kids books over the past 40 years. When she’s not reading, she teaches courses in children’s literature, writes nonfiction, and travels all over the country talking to parents, teachers, and librarians about the best books for kids. Visit her at anitasilvey.com.

Blog of Note

2011-07-29T15:15:00.000-04:00

Try Roger Sutton's blog, Read Roger. He's been the editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc, since 1996 and was previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books as well as a children's and young adult librarian. Read Roger is a great source for the latest and greatest information in the world of children's literature as well as bursting at the seams with lively conversation.

http://readroger.hbook.com/

Hilary and Abe

2011-07-29T14:43:00.000-04:00

Enjoy this animated short featuring Abraham Lincoln and Hilary Clinton discussing the merits of modern libraries!

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12333641/dancing-with-abe

Cricket Magazine

2011-07-29T14:41:00.001-04:00

Bursting with fiction, fantasy, folk tales, adventures, poems, history, and biography, Cricket magazine has won nearly every award given to children’s literary magazines. For over 30 years, Cricket has delivered quality writing and illustrations from authors and illustrators like Lloyd Alexander, Tomie DePaola, and Trina Schart Hyman. Advertisement-free, this magazine creates a space where children’s voices can be heard through its monthly story, poetry, art, and photography contests and its lively “Letters to the Editor” page, known as “The Letterbox.” In this day and age filled with commercial offerings for children, Cricket magazine gives us sanctuary and nourishment, a safe place for children to explore the world.

Recommended for ages 9 to 14.

Francesca Lia Block

2011-07-29T14:33:00.000-04:00

Who is Francesca Lia Block? This Los Angeles native writes postmodern, magic-realist tales that are at once both gritty and beautiful. Her descriptive writing style is sparkly and transcendent, lending an otherworldly quality to harsh urban landscapes. She describes her own work as “contemporary fairy tales with an edge.”

The Youth, Young Adult and Adult Fiction collections feature such Francesca Lia Block titles as Weetzie Bat, Echo, Girl Goddess #9, The Hanged Man, I Was A Teenage Fairy, The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold, Wasteland, and Violet & Claire.

To learn more about Francesca Lia Block, log on to http://www.francescaliablock.com/books

or follow her on Twitter @francescablock

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

2011-02-11T15:21:00.000-05:00

Homer and his older brother Harold are orphans living on their uncle's farm in Maine during the Civil War. Harold is tricked into joining the Union Army and Homer wants to rescue him from military service. Since their uncle is a hard task master both boys would love to run away and have a life of their own. What follows is an adventure in running away, encountering outlaws and other nefarious characters. Fortunately help comes along from a Quaker farmer active in the Underground Railroad and a naiive clergyman who accompanies Homer on his quest to save Harold. The fun of the adventure is Homer's ability to reinvent the truth and tell tales or lies as needed to escape various situations. The book is a very satisfying and humorous read. You also get a first person account of what life was like during the Civil War.

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

2010-09-16T18:12:00.000-04:00

Life is difficult and often unexpected in 1910 frontier Alaska. Sig's father dies, accidentally frozen to death when he attempts to cross a thawing lake. Fourteen year old Sig is left to guard the corpse while his step mother and sister travel to the distant town for help. Sig's grief and loneliness is soon interrupted by a violent mysterious stranger who claims that Sig's father owes him a fortune in gold. Sig knows nothing about any fortune, but he does know that there is a loaded Colt revolver hidden in the cabin. If only he could get to it -- then again, Sig's only fired the gun once in his life, and never thought his life might depend on aiming it at another human being, no matter how terrifying the circumstances.

This is a taut, tightly written novel of suspense with the added pressure of the forbidden frozen Alaskan landscape. Give yourself lots of time -this is a hard one to put down!

check the catalog

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

2010-08-19T19:32:00.000-04:00

In 1899 in rural southern Texas, girls were expected to learn to keep house, make fine embroidery and cook for their families. Calpurnia Virginia Tate, known as Callie Vee, feels this is most unfair and would much prefer to spend time with her grandfather exploring nature and learning about Charles Darwin. She would like to have the same opportunities for an education and a paying job as her 6 brothers do. Her parents disagree of course. Only her grandfather understands and it is his interest in her and his sense of humor which save the day for both of them.

Crispin: the end of time by Avi

2010-08-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

This is the final book in the trilogy which began with Crispin, the Cross of Lead. Crispin and Troth are in rural France. They are lost and do not speak French. Some helpful villagers lead them to a convent where Troth feels more at home than she has ever felt before. Crispin reluctantly leaves her behind to search for the country of Iceland where Bear had told them they would find a land of freedom. He finds a way when he meets a company of musicians and thieves. However he must escape from them to pursue his dream of reaching Iceland. If you have read the first two books you will want to finish the journey. If you missed the first two books, the story will still satisfy your sense of adventure in a dangerous and exciting land.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

2010-08-19T19:21:00.000-04:00

What is time? Can you move between time now and another time? Can a person reach out to help another person in another time and place? If you have read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle you will appreciate the connections with this book. It is the main character, Miranda’s favorite book and helps her understand some mysteries involving several unusual people in her New York city neighborhood.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

2010-07-22T16:55:00.000-04:00

Finn is a prisoner in one of the worst prisons imaginable, Incarceron, a dilapidated wasteland where no one leaves --ever. No matter, Finn is sure he came from Outside, and is determined to somehow return there. Claudia lives Outside, but her life isn't so easy either. She's a pawn in a complicated game of political intrigue involving arranged marriages, secret alliances, lies and half-truths. They'll need each other to solve their problems, but what they need more is to understand Incarceron. It's more and less than they think it is, and time is running out for both of them.
Incarceron is the first of a two book series, and sure to be a popular with fans of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner or anyone who appreciates well-written, complex, action adventures. The sequel Sapphique is due out in December 2010, but the good news is that Fisher has several other excellent fantasy series available.
check the catalog

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan illustrated by Peter Sis

2010-07-10T09:52:00.000-04:00

Neftali is keenly aware of his environment including his family and things he finds and collects while exploring outside. Because he is sickly he is often confined inside and must rely on his younger sister’s description of what she sees from the window. Unfortunately for both of them their father is overbearing and determined to make them physically strong and intellectually brilliant. Naturally this leads to conflict and this conflict finally leads Neftali to leave for university in a distant city.
The story is based on poet Pablo Neruda’s life. He also had a difficult father and left his family when he went to the university. Later he became one of the most famous poets in the world. The illustrations perfectly show the details which Neftali sees and feels but in a day dreaming kind of way. The three panels at the beginning of each chapter outline the progression of events in the chapter.
Neftali cares deeply about people’s feelings and fairness. Through his story you will also gain insights into what it means to have dreams you want to pursue. The library has a biography of Neruda in the Children’s collection, and many volumes of his poetry and stories in the adult collection.
check the catalog

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

2010-07-07T09:42:00.000-04:00

The latest and greatest from Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson series) doesn't disappoint. True, it's a bit long and provides the reader with tons of information about Ancient Egypt and 21st century siblings Carter and Sadie Kane, but Riordan's thrilling new series starts off with a bang!

Carter and Sadie Kane see each other only twice a year. Older brother, Carter lives (or rather travels) with his father an archeologist specializing in Egyptian artifacts who drags Carter around to different dig sites. Sadie has been living in London with her grandparents since her mother mysteriously died several years ago.

On one of their rare family outings they travel with their father to the British Museum where strange things begin to happen and Carter and Sadie are thrust into a world they never knew existed. With help from a few new friends, the siblings must work together to complete a dangerous journey and uncover the mysteries of their family's ancient history.

check the catalog

WFL Children's Room Blog

What we're reading now: The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide

Anthony Browne the Children's Laureate blogs for World Book Day - last year

Anthony Browne the Children's Laureate blogs for World Book Day

Few words on five wordless books

Curious George Saves the Day

Curious George Saves The Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey

March 23rd is just around the corner!

Suzanne Collins fans, rejoice!

More Playaway Views Coming Soon!

Playaway View: It's One-of-a-Kind

Playaway View is the first and only video player that was designed with you and your family in mind.

Don't Let the Pigeon Run this App!

New and Notable!

Happy 50th!

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The Jewish Museum New York | Art Exhibition | The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats

William's Doll

Free To Be You and Me - William Wants A Doll

Vroom vroom!

New Signage!

Schooled, the book that wishes it were Stargirl

Notable Newbery Books

PRESS HERE by Herve Tullet -- Book Trailer

PRESS HEREBy Hervé Tullet

On Sarah Garland

Sarah Garland

Mother superior

From The Observer

Saturday 22 December, 2007

Come and play at the Wellesley Free Library!

New Toys at the Library!

New Toys at the Hills Branch!

"I have a dream" in honor of Martin Luther King Day

National Animalgraphic

Little White Rabbit from The Horn Book

Little White Rabbit

Cloudette

New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Sharing 2011

Award Winning Folktales

Philadelphia chickens : a too-illogical zoological musical revue

From Publishers Weekly

French 1, 2, 3 Voila!

Snowmen!

The Wilder Life By Wendy McClure

A New Year's List

A book for the new year...

From Booklist

A Hanukkah Tribute to Mo Willems

Dicey et al

Because even dogs send Christmas cards...

Hanukkah thoughts...

More on The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

YAB - Youth Advisory Board-Convincing and Creative

I Want My Hat Back - The Horn Book

I Want My Hat Back

Annotated and Fabulous: The Phantom Tollbooth

Review of The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth

Overlooked, yet adored by all!

Fashionably late (by fifty years)

In 'Hugo,' Scorsese Salutes A Movie Magician - NPR

Anita Silvey on The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

Read to a Dog --- they're great listeners! Boston Globe

Reading to dogs may have benefits for children

Tintin!

Daisy loves to read!

The 2011 Best Illustrated Children’s Books - The New York Times

The 2011 Best Illustrated Children’s Books

Farmer Minor and Daisy!

Iron Chef with the Youth Advisory Board!

Recommended graphic novel

Signing for Babies!

Highlights from our Howl-O-Ween Party on 10-30-11

Why Books? — The Zena Sutherland Lecture by Mo Willems in The Horn Book

Highly recommended...

'Wonderstruck': A Novel Approach To Picture Books

More On Brian Selznick's Work

The Intricate, Cinematic World Of 'Hugo Cabret'

In 'Wonderstruck,' A Child's-Eye View Of New York

Terrariums @ the library!

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PRESS HERE
By Hervé Tullet