No!

No!
by David McPhail

This book evinced a mixed reaction in me: I was at once awed by the profound message and confused by the presentation.

Worldess picture books are amazing when well done, especially when it is an allegory. The illustrations in this book are evocative: the full-page panel focuses our eyes on exactly what the author intends for us to see and infer. The muted warm colors and clothes evoke emotions we associate with the bygone era.

It is interesting to read that most illustrator-authors illustrate to satisfy their creative urges and not with a target audience in mind. David McPhail shares in this interview, that not only is pen and ink his medium of choice,  he also prefers to illustrate for himself first and it is incidental if others like it as well and want to buy his book.

A little boy writes a letter, meticulously puts it in an envelope, affixes the postage stamp and puts on his coat to walk through a seeming war zone to drop it in a mailbox.

On the way, he sees bombers in the sky targeting a patch of land, a huge tank blowing something up in an alley he has just passed, soldiers marching by breaking down a door while kids stare out a window curiously... the story progresses on in this vein where the boy sees atrocities on his walk to the mail box, some of which can seem incomprehensible and confusing to kids (especially the one where a man is vandalizing a public poster of the president).

And at the mail box, the boy is confronted by a bully, but he takes a stand and yells "No!", the only word used thrice in this book. "No?" wonders the bully. "No!" states the boy firmly. Then, mails his letter and trudges back unharmed.

All dismal so far and I was debating letting the 7 yo read this book when I skimmed it first. But then, the story takes a turn.

As the boy walks back, he notices the soldiers handing out presents to the kids (why they had to break down the door in the first place is a natural question kids asked), the tank helps flatten and plow the field that the bomber targeted earlier, and a bomber airplane now drops a bike on a parachute for the kids - which the bully and the boy receive, with the bully giving the boy a ride back home on this new bike.

And, what was in that letter that the boy wrote?

Dear President,
At my school we have RULES.
NO PUSHING.
NO PUNCHING.
Do you have any RULES?

The idea of taking a stand to effect a change, refusing to be bullied or treated unfairly comes across loud and clear in this book, even though the second half of the book might cause some confusion in the young minds in the context of how the events unfolded in the first half.

I remember feeling apprehensive about reading  How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz to Ana a couple of years ago. The illustrations and the gentle message won over and the book graces our home bookshelf garnering repeat reads when we are in the mood. Even though No! did not win us over that way despite its powerful message, the book did make an impression, enough for me to share it here.


[sample pages here: http://us.macmillan.com/no/DavidMcPhail]
[image source: us.macmillan.com]

Shakespeare for Children - Part 2

During my stay in Britain, we undertook many literary pilgrimages. One of them, of course, was to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace. There were many exhibits about the lifestyle of the people during the Tudor period, and about Shakespeare's life and work. It was a peek into much that was extraordinary about the Bard, as well as much that was ordinary. It was a memorable visit, and I can still see the Avon river after so many years.

I have earlier reviewed Shakespeares Storybook : Folk-tales that inspired the Bard during CROCUS 2010 at Saffrontree. A book about the indigenous folk-tales that he took inspiration from, and re-shaped them to write his own plays, in the context of the society he lived in.

Here are some more books.

Pic courtesy flipkart.com

William Shakespeare
The Bard of Avon (Great People series)
Written by Gerry Bailey and Karen Foster
Illustrated by Leighton Noyes and Karen Radford
Published by Hachette India Children's books
Ages 8+

We have here a whole group of interesting characters who have set up a weekend village market. We have Mr Rummage who has a curio shop, full of knick-knacks of all kinds. 7-yr old Digby and his 9-yr old sister Hester frequent the market every Saturday and learn a lot about the things they find there from the knowledgeable Mr Rummage and the others.

This is whole series of books, with biographies of greats like Mozart, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, etc. We are looking here at the Bard's.

In our current book, they come across a goose-feather quill, that Mr Rummage claims to have been the property of William Shakespeare. This starts a discussion about the Bard. They speak about his childhood, where he had to keep very long and taxing school hours. About his youth, when he married early, at 18, to Anne Hathaway, who at the time was 26 yrs old. About the 'lost years', a long period during which his life is not accounted for. About his joining court as the Queen's jester, and then going on to better things on stage. To the good, the bad and the ugly of his life as a player. About the Globe theatre.

There are a lot of side-notes and pictures- actual paintings from Shakespeare's time that make for informative reading. A good way to introduce the Bard's life to young children. A thumbs-up given by A.

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Pic courtesy flipkart.com

Shakespeare: His Work & His World
Written by Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Robert Ingpen
Published by Candlewick Press
Ages 12+

The times Shakespeare lived in, were exciting times for Europe. The world was just beginning to emerge from what have been called 'the Dark Ages.' People travelled more, discovered and learnt about more of the world. Renaissance had spread to Elizabethan England from mainland Europe, but it was a yet a dangerous world. People still stood more of a chance of dying a violent death or of illness, but there were now advances in science, literature, arts and craft that reached a new high.

Theatre, too was coming out of its earlier adherence to performances based on biblical stories, and for the first time, social themes were being tackled, the Bard spearheading this movement. There had been, of course storytellers that travelled from place to place, but never had there been plays on such a large scale. The patrons were, of course royalty, so they featured in many of the plays.

Michael Rosen has given us a book that brings alive all this excitement, associating the phases of his life to parts from his work. In the process, he has elevated Shakespeare from a school-child's perception of  it as "Oh, no, so boring!" to something they will be drawn towards. He has taken some of the more well-known plays and deconstructed them to show the relevance to contemporary life- something that these students can identify with, without detracting from their original beauty. And therein lies the success of this book.

Full page, and sometimes double spread illustrations in sepia tones by the Hans Christian Anderson award winner Robert Ingpen add an essential visual element to Rosen's work.

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Pic courtesy flipkart.com

Shakespeare
Written by Bill Bryson
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers
Ages 15+

Now here is a book that discusses a lot more about the Bard's life and work, in Bryson's inimitable, engaging style. In the process, Bryson tries to dig into the mysteries of the 'Lost Years' of Shakespeare's
life, seven years from his marriage to the time when he surfaced as a player at the royal court, and also the controversies over the Bard's true authorship of his plays.

As with all Bryson's books, this is an excellently researched volume, written converstionally- it makes for great reading aloud, and is ideal for young adult and adult Shakespeare aficionados.

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No discussion on Shakespeare is complete without speaking of the Globe Theatre- the site of many of the Bard's plays, at which he himself took part. When I was a high school student, our English teacher had somehow sourced a kit which had cut-outs we could press out, and construct the Globe theatre in great detail, which our class then proudly exhibited during open house. It is one of my cherished memories of school life, and has played a great part in my interest in the Bard's work.

Pic courtesy flipkart.com

A Shakespearan Theatre
Written by Jacqueline Morley
Illustrated by John James
Published by Book House
Ages 8+

Illustrations play a large part in this book, which gives us details about the life in Elizabethan England, the everyday life and the life of royalty. The cover page shown here gives an idea of the details that follow.

The advent of theatre and plays, the life of those involved. The building of the Globe theatre in 1598 in Shakespeare's heyday, its interiors and the way it was used during the performances. The burning down of the theatre in an accidental fire in 1613, and the re-building of it in 1614, just two years before Shakespeare's death in 1616.

Crossposted here.

Shakespeare for Children - Part 1

William Shakespeare. The Bard. Today, 23rd April is his birthday. Let me share some books related to him and his work that we have enjoyed.

Somehow there is this belief that Shakespeare and his work is not for children. Too difficult. Too nuanced. Too obscure. Not so.

Shakespeare can be enjoyed by children too, in both abridged and original forms, and it is never too early to introduce his work to them. It also introduces a whole new time period to them. A way of life that was. A peek into history- both of man, and of the written word in English. For Shakespeare was an alchemist with language, introducing new words and expressions that we now take for granted.

Pic courtesy flipkart.com

The Orchard book of Shakespeare Stories
Retold by Andrew Matthews
Illustrated by Angela Barrett
Ages 4-8 yrs

These re-tellings with their illustrations have a fairy-tale feel to them. Told in very simple language, without detracting from the sense of fun, wonder, drama and adventure of Shakespeare's plays, this book features eight of the plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, As You like It- I forget the rest as this was a library book we enjoyed when A was 6.

Keeping in mind that these are plays, Matthews gives a 'list of cast' at the beginning of each one. A good touch.

Orchard books also has these plays, and then some more, as individual stories, each featuring one play, all for the age group of 4-8. 8+ year olds can enjoy exploring them on their own.

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Marcia Williams is no stranger to readers of Saffrontree. We looked at her book on stories by Charles Dickens here. She has written similar books adapting the Bard's stories, in a similar inimitable graphic novel form. Taking the art of re-telling to a new high.

Pic courtesy flipkart.com

Mr William Shakespeare's Plays.
Re-told and illustrated by Marcia Williams.
Published by Walker Books.
Ages 8+

This one has Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and The Tempest.

Also published as Tales from Shakespeare by Candlewick Press.

The illustrations in both these books bring forth the flavour of the tale that is being re-told. For example, those of Hamlet, Macbeth and Richard III have a tragic and dramatic quality to them, mostly in black-and-white and shades of grey.

Pic cortesy flipkart.com

Bravo, Mr William Shakespeare
Re-told and illustrated by Marcia Williams.
Published by Walker Books.
Ages 8+
 
This one features King Lear, As You Like It, Much Ado about Nothing,   Antony and Cleopatra, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice and Richard III.

Also published as More Tales from Shakespeare by Candlewick Press.

Marcia Williams, too, has kept in mind that these are plays we are dealing with. Each double spread has detailed drawings around the edges, comprising the audience that watched the plays in the heyday of Shakespeare. Just like they did in the Globe theatre where the plays were originally staged, the audience in the book is an integral part of the stories, - interacting, commenting, heckling, applauding.

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Pic courtesy flipkart.com

Tales from Shakespeare
Re-told by Charles and Mary Lamb
Published by Puffin books
Ages 12+

First published in 1807, these are re-tellings in prose form, detailed versions that cater to an older reader who can comprehend more of the intricacies of the plays. This has been the version that my generation is more familiar with. These re-tellings are faithful to the originals, though much of the beauty of Shakespeare's language is diluted.

Worth a read, though, for those who want to next go to the real thing. An introduction by Dame Judi Dench adds much value to this child-friendly Puffin edition.

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Pic courtesy flipkart.com

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
Re-told by Edith Nesbit
Published by Hachette India Children's books
Ages 12+

Again, a re-telling in prose form, this time by a master story-teller E. Nesbit, better known for her wonderfully magical book 'Five Children and It.' The language is lyrical, yet easy to comprehend, and makes for wonderful reading-aloud. She brings alive the twenty plays which include the usual suspects.

There is a lot of value added to the book by the inclusion of short biographies of both the Bard himself and Ms Nesbit.

There are also some fun facts about Shakespeare and the times he lived in- a wonderful lesson in history that we enjoyed. For eg., all the 27 satellites of Uranus are named after Shakespearan characters. Or, the fact that he invented more than 1700 words in the English language. Or the fact that although the Bard is often called Sir William Shakespeare, he was never formally knighted. The title was informally bestowed on him only years after his death.

This edition has an introduction by an Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah- who could be called an actor in the Shakespearan traditon- who, while lamenting the fact that Shakespeare be abridged, lauds this attempt on Ms Nesbit's part, and hopes that this version would tempt the reader to move on to the original in all its beauty.

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Pic courtesy flipkart

Shakespeare's Verse
A selection by Gina Pollinger
Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark
Published by Kingfisher books.
Ages 12+

Designed like a children's book of poetry/ nursery rhymes, this book has a poem or two on each page, in a child-friendly font and plenty of full colour illustrations, the book is a pleasure to hold and browse through. With the difference that each piece of poetry is undiluted Shakespeare.


However, while we can enjoy discrete pieces of Shakespeare's work in the original, it is only by knowing the actual tales that we can place them in their context. So this book can actually be used in combination with the other books mentioned to get a more complete picture, in preparation for the next step-  the originals.

Crossposted here.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Today, 19th April 2012 is International Holocaust Remembrance day. Here is a review of a book on the Holocaust that is gentler and not so sad- one that A and I have enjoyed reading. A great book to introduce the time period to children.

Pic courtesy flipkart.com

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Written and illustrated by Judith Kerr
Published by HarperCollins Children's Books
Ages 8-12 years

The year is 1933. Elections are being held in Germany, and one of the contenders is the Nazi party led by Adolf Hitler, well known for his anti-semitic views.

Anna's father is a political journalist. He is also Jewish. He has liberal views that do not sit too well with the Nazis. The Nazi party is expected to come to power in the forthcoming elections. If they do not, all will be well. If they do, it will prove to be dangerous for him and his family.

Fortunately for him, he has admirers of his work in the top police ranks. Someone calls him and tips him off about a possible arrest just the evening before. The family decides to move out of Germany immediately.

However, taking the entire family out would just attract attention to the flight. So Anna's father decides to go alone to Switzerland, as if on an assignment. The rest of the family is to follow in a week's time, as soon as school closes for the vacation, as if joining him there on a holiday. There is always the possibility, that in a few days' time, when the election results are out, the people of Germany would have voted out the Nazis, and it would be safe to come back home.

They have to necessarily travel light, as it would not do to be carrying too many of their possessions. It would certainly look like flight then. Anna and her brother Max have to choose among their belongings, books and toys. Anna decides to take a new toy with her, instead of Pink Rabbit, who has been with her from the beginning. After all, she has hardly played with the new toy. Pink Rabbit would not be going anywhere, and would be right there when they came back.

After a harrowing journey by train, when they almost thought that they would be caught by the authorities at the border, they get to Switzerland. They have escaped.

The Nazi party does win the elections, and Hitler does come to power. Anna and her family can never come back to Germany, as subsequent events that unfold decide. Pink Rabbit remains in their Berlin house, and is effectively 'stolen' by Hitler.

This tale of escape and survival, of a refugee life, first in Switzerland, then in Paris, with the family migrating to Britain in the end and settling down there, is autobiographical. For Anna is Judith Kerr's alter ego- it is their story. There is a very vivid potrayal of the privations of a refugee life, the experiences with different kind of people, the struggle to make ends meet, the positivity of outlook and the togetherness that keeps them afloat through many a sad day - all told in a fictionalised way that children can understand, even look at it as an adventure.

The book has a foreword by on of my favourite children's writers, Micheal Morpurgo. He refers to Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. "The power of Anne Frank's story is that we know it is true, that these are her words, her thoughts, her feelings...Imagine for one moment that the Frank family had managed to escape, to find their way to England and safety. Imagine Anne Frank had lived. What would her diary have told us then? The truth is that many thousands like Anna (from this book) did find their way to safety and a new life. Happily for us, Judith Kerr was one of these."

Crossposted.

Mortal Engines

Mortal Engines

Philip Reeve

Ages:10+

Any one could have an idea. Ideas are plenty, found at every nook, every crevice. The ideas bloom, stay in the mind and remain there for a time, only to slowly peter away. When one comes across that same idea again, it looks new and makes one wonder why it appears vaguely familiar. A consummate writer is one who can translate this germ of an idea into something bigger. An idea that transforms itself into a story, a story that can inspire people, make people think, or provide just great entertainment - is what makes this idea soar above all.

Phillip Reeve, in his forward says he got the idea of cities eating one another in seconds (which might have vaguely occurred to many of us), but his execution of this idea into a story with wonderful plot time and ability to take one along into this fantastical journey is what makes this book a wonderful read. 

Imagine a future where cities are on move regularly. It makes sense to move from one place to another in search of food and supplies. When a city sees another small town/village on move, there is a hunt and city devours the village - quite literally. Tears apart the village/town, gobbles it up and looks hungrily at the next prey. What happens when it meets another city of same size - is up to your own imagination. How big can a city be on wheels. Naturally not very big - therefore, Phillip Reeve imagines that these cities are arranged horizontally. The poorest live in the lower tiers and higher tiers are left to the rich and pompous. London is one such big city that is featured in the book. The protagonists, Tom Natsworthy and Hester Shaw, are thrown out of the sprawling and moving London. They need to find out what the mayor of London is up to and what is the secret behind the weapon called Medusa, for which Hester's mother lost her life. 

There are thrills-a-plenty and there is a chase in every other chapter which will get the adrenaline pumping. Reading the book, I could not but wonder if this is a book apt for making a anime movie by Miyazaki and his wonderful team in Ghibli. It has all the ingredients of a Miyazaki movie - wondrous landscape, ancient weapon that could devastate the nature, the constant struggle between nature and human kind, moving cities, crazy inventions, flying machines and a great story-line. 

Some of the familiar tropes of a fantasy novel are present though. Why is it that the protagonist is usually  a kid who has lost his/her parents? Even if the parents are alive, they are a bit crazy. I cannot keep wondering why use such familiar tropes to move the story ahead. Why cannot the parents of the kids be alive. Do the readers not like a story where the hero has parents and is well brought up. Does it give the writer the extra leverage to make the hero do things, that kids with normal parents cannot do? I am not talking about this book alone - there are a host of books (including the hugely famous Harry Potter) where the protagonist is an orphan. 

Apart from my grudges about using such familiar fantasy tropes, this book is a great read. Pick it up,  if you want a hugely imaginative setting and thrill a minute ride for you as well as for your kids above 12 years. It might be a trifle difficult for kids around 10 years. Sooraj found it difficult to read, but, I am sure it will work for him in a few more years. 

Big Blue Whale

By Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Nick Maland
Candlewick Press
Ages 5+

Magical and captivating aren't words that spring to mind when one thinks of a book loaded with facts and information. Yet, that is how one would describe this book on blue whales. The soft, gentle illustrations and nearly poetic prose set this book apart. The large crosshatching colored pen and ink illustrations and blue-green pages have a soothing, calming effect. The book left me with the feeling that I had actually met one of these big creatures, and that I'd made a friend!

Size is described in relative terms - we begin by learning that the blue whale is big, bigger than a giraffe, an elephant or a dinosaur, with an eye as big as a teacup and ears as small as the end of a pencil.
Things are put in perspective with the last double-page spread showing that in the vastness of the green seas even a blue whale is small - and hard to find.

The blue whale is the biggest creature that has ever lived on earth; a protected species of which fewer than ten thousand remain. You could sail the oceans for an entire year and never see a single one! When I read aloud to the four-year old, there were wonderful discoveries on each rereading and new things to marvel about these fascinating elusive creatures.

- The blue whale mostly swims alone and yet it may not be as lonely as it seems. The low loud hum it makes can travel thousands of miles through the seas to reach other blue whales.

- The blue whales swim from the poles to the equator for the winter. But when it’s winter at the South Pole, it is summer at the North Pole. So the whales from the North Pole never meet those from the South Pole.

- The blue whale has tiny holes for ears - sticking-out ears would get in the way when the whale is swimming.

How the blue whale manages to eat truckloads of krill without any teeth - another interesting bit that the resident four-year old loves to demonstrate.

There was also relief that whales don't eat people - the two young people peering into the whale's mouth were safe!

The book could spark off discussions about the environment and wildlife conservation. It starts off with an introductory note about the dwindling numbers of blue whales and tells us that the situation is improving... very, very slowly, now that hunting them is banned. The author's note on the last page says "Now there is so much man-made noise in the ocean that the blue whales are having trouble hearing one another".

This is a great addition to any library and one that will be cherished for a long time.

A lovely way to learn about migration patterns, breathing, birth, food and communication. I wish I'd had textbooks like these back in school!

‘Big Blue Whale’ is a Read and Wonder book from Candlewick Press, a series about emperor penguins, turtles, chameleons, caterpillars, bats, pandas, wolves, elephants, tigers and other such fascinating creatures. One of them -‘I Love Guinea Pigs’ - is by none other than Dick-King Smith and has been illustrated by Anita Jeram of ‘Guess How much I Love You’ fame.

[Image source amazon.com]

Four Playful and Amusing Picture Books

As I was typing the list of titles here, I realized that these four books have at least one thing in common: they are each written and illustrated by the same person. Something about author-illustrated books (or illustrator-authored books) appeal to me a lot. No doubt, some brilliant collaborations have produced some amazing books but the fascination for "written and illustrated by" is rather compulsive, I must admit.

There Are Cats in This Book 
by Viviane Schwarz

This book had both the 4 and the 6 year old amused by the clever way in which it pulls in the reader to interact. The little flap-like pages with cat-shaped cutouts and such novelties had the 4 yo reaching for it to read by himself.

 Tiny, Moonpie, and Andre are three cats who love to play, and nap. The book starts with them purring under a blanket which is just a flap-page, which when turned reveals the cats as if the blanket were pulled off of them. The cats egg the reader on to turn the page and join in their play.

 Quite innovative with a gentle progression of everyday events and no real story per se. But quite entertaining for the little ones, especially for the new reader in the family, with just a few words and entertaining visuals.

[image source: SmithsonianStore.com]

Stuck 
by Oliver Jeffers

We read How To Catch A Star by Jeffers which resonated with us and so we decided to check out Stuck.

A boy's kite gets stuck in a tree and he tries various ways to dislodge it, all of which involve him throwing things up into the tree which in turn gets stuck until finally the kite gets loose and falls back to him.

Why does he throw things in the tree? Why can he throw the animals on the tree? And such questions indicated how literally the four year old was taking this book.

And how delightfully silly it is that the boy tries to solve the problem by throwing things at it. I was particularly amused by the page where the boy has an idea to use the saw. Now, how he uses it has to be read first-hand to be funny.

And in the last page, the tree is shown stuck with the various things the boy threw up there to dislodge his kite, including something that looks like a rocket-ship whereas none of the pages earlier showed him throw that rocket-thing up there. Baffling for a detail-oriented recently-turned-four year old, but, it did not deter us from enjoying repeat-reads anyway.

The illustrations are amazing and the build-up is rather funny.

[author's book website: http://www.oliverjeffers.com/picture-books/stuck]
[image source: amazon.com]

I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen

The bear has lost his hat. He looks for his hat. He finds his hat. The end. So what's all the fuss about this book? Well, one has to read it to understand what all the buzz is about.

It took a couple of reads for the four year old to catch on, with me lingering longer on  relevant pages at subsequent reads without explaining.

The poker-faced expressions of the animals despite all that is going on, and the comical way in which the bear races back when he knows where he has seen his hat is priceless.

The last page is hilarious.The resident 6 yo couldn't help asking, "Did the bear really eat the rabbit?" Indeed.

I loved the illustrations and the whole presentation. It is clever, comical, and subtle. Not just a book for kids.

[watch a video clip here]
[image source: schoollibraryjournal.com]

That's How!
 by Christoph Niemann

How does the digger work, Mama? How does the airplane fly in the sky, Papa?

For kids who wonder about how things work but are too little to pay attention to the factual explanation, this fanciful book lets them imagine how things might work.

Presented in the form of a Q&A between two kids, one asking the Q and the other saying, "Hmm... let me think" and then attempting rather far-fetched answer like Airplanes held together and operated by Chickens, Whale and Octopus propelling a Freighter, this book is by no means a serious one meant to help kids understand machines.

Of course, on every page, the 4 yo laughed aloud before emphatically stating, "No, that's not really how it works!" even though he doesn't quite know how they really work.

[image source:  http://www.christophniemann.com/index.php/books/details/thats_how ]

The Voyage of Turtle Rex

The Voyage of Turtle Rex
by Kurt Cyrus

A couple of documentary-style shows - viz., National Geographic: Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure and BBC's Before the Dinosaurs: Walking with Monsters got us interested in creatures of the prehistoric waters of our world.

And, Turtle: The Incredible Journey helped make the connection between archelon and today's leatherback sea turtles.

So, archelon, plesiosaurus and mosasaur were easily the three top creatures that impressed the young aspiring-paleobiologist and the resident wannabe-paleontologist.

After a quick intro to dinosaurs via a few children's Dinosaur picture books, the kids got seriously interested in these pre-historic creatures. No more cute dinos in jammies and tutus talking adorably and teaching a lesson of some sort.

And so when I came across The Voyage of Turtle Rex at the library, I was impressed with not just the language and illustrations but the fact that we are transported in time while not deviating from factual details,  allowing us to be in the midst of these giants.

There is no discounting the appeal of rhyme in children's books - especially non-fiction picture books - and the appeal of a young protagonist who must brave all odds to survive by just doing what (s)he needs to do - is programmed to do.

The book opens with a leathery shell of a turtle egg tearing and a tiny hatchling scrambling on its flippers to get to the sea and start its life's journey. We immediately start rooting for this vulnerable little being. It must cleverly dodge large stomping feet and chomping jaws, wait for the cover of darkness to slip into the relative safety of the vast ocean. And once in the ocean, it must dodge big teeth and even bigger appetites, lay low and get bigger.

Time, like a turtle, passed silently by,
stirring the sea, swirling the sky.
The hatchling who hid in the seaweed was gone...
grown to a two-ton archelon.
She glided past plesiosaurs, calm as you please.
She swam with sharks under rolling seas.
She crossed paths with mososaur, massive and dark:
muncher of archelon, gulper of shark.


Of course, she makes it, our little protagonist. The story goes a full circle when at the end, the helpless hatchling we saw at the shore in the beginning returns to the same shore to lay her very own eggs.

And then we are reminded that
Gone is that sea and the creatures it knew.
Archelon. Mosasaur. Pterosaur, too.
Gone is the plesiosaur's clam-cracking smile...

But we are left with a hopeful note about the circle of life and evolution:
And somewhere a sea turtle bolts from the shore,
scraping a trail to the sea once more.

The illustrations are stunning, with the relative sizes shown to impress and instruct us on the prehistoric life forms. The details of the turtle's shell, the vastness of the blue-green waters, the depiction of movement in the sea... all provide this surreal feeling of being there in that era.

All in all, a surprising find that satisfied our curiosity and thirst for prehistoric animals while providing a wonderful reading experience.

[Aside: Tadpole Rex also by the author.]

[view author's site]
[image source: http://www.kurtcyrus.com/voyageofturtlere.html]

Grace Lin speaks to ST

Grace Lin, hardly needs an introduction.

She is the author and illustrator of picture books, early readers and middle grade novels. Grace's 2010 Newbery Honor book WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON was chosen for Al Roker's Today Show Kid's Book Club and was a NY Times Bestseller. LING & TING, Grace's first early reader, was honored with the Theodor Geisel Honor in 2011. An Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nominee for the US, most of Grace's books are about the Asian-American experience because she believes, "Books erase bias, they make the uncommon everyday, and the mundane exotic. A book makes all cultures universal."

We are really glad to have her answer our questions.

ST- How did you begin writing and illustrating? What inspired you? Were you really afraid of the ‘cold door’ at any point?
GL- Writing and illustrating is something I've always wanted to do. The stories in “The Year of the Dog” and “The Year of the Rat” are true. Just like the main character of those books, I won 4th place in a book contest as a student and was so excited that I decided that making books was what I wanted to do my whole life. Of course, as I grew older, I learned that making books might not be the most lucrative career choice—very much a possible “cold door!” However, while it was worrisome, my passion to make books was stronger.

Did you go to a specific art school / writing school to hone your skills? How did it feel getting published the first time?
I have a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in illustration and after art school I took numerous writing classes. I also worked for a time at a children’s bookstore. All the things I learned from each of those experiences were vital for my career; it’s doubtful I would have any accomplishments without them.

Being published the first time was both euphoric and anticlimactic. It took 3 years for me to publish my first book, “The Ugly Vegetables,” and by the time it came out (even though I was incredibly proud) I had also learned enough by then to realize that it was only the first step to a career. Originally, I naively thought that once I had that first book published everything would be easy. Unfortunately, it never gets easy. But it’s always worth it!

You have your old friend as your editor. Does it help that she is of Asian descent as well?
I definitely have an extremely unique relationship with my editor. The character of Melody is based on my good friend Alvina Ling—we were childhood friends, just like in the “Year of the Dog” and she moved away, just like in the “Year of the Rat.” But just like in “Dumpling Days” we kept in touch and we have for all these years, becoming roommates at the start of our careers in children’s books at the same time (I published my first book just as she got an internship at a publishing company all the way back in 1999). And now, she’s the editor of my books!

It probably does help that she is of Asian descent, but it’s more helpful that we are such good friends. Because of our friendship, there’s an element of trust that is really wonderful—we didn’t have to build up to it, the trust was there right from the start. When she tells me something isn’t working, I really believe her—it’s like the friend that tells you about the spinach in your teeth.

We do remember the events I write about differently. In fact, many times I forget what actually happened and think the way I wrote it is completely 100% true, when it is more like 80% true and she has to correct me. And because we’ve experienced so many similar things, she’ll point out things that I’ll overlook. For example, in “Dumpling Days,” when I described the night market, I wrote it mainly as the things I saw. She would remind me, “Don’t forget how loud those markets are! And how strong the smells!” Another editor, not having experienced the night market, may not have pointed that out.

And, of course, my point of view was different from hers. For example, her parents have always been Taiwanese nationalists (believing Taiwan should be it’s own country, not a part of China) whereas in my youth my parents were rather hazy about their ideals and often labeled themselves and us as Chinese. This is always something we go back and forth about when I write the books. But it’s good!

Where the Mountain meets the moon seamlessly weaves folk tales to the main story. How did this evolve? You wrote a story linking the myths? Had you heard all these myths growing up?
Many of the myths I had read or had heard of when I was a child. When I had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong and China as an adult, those myths I had learned came back to me. However, since it had been a while, I didn’t remember them exactly and began to make up my own details and plotlines. Those imaginings became the foundation for “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon;” and when I began to write it, I researched and read more myths and folktales to help fill in the gaps.


One can compare Minli's journey to Dorothy's in Wizard of Oz. Was this intentional, as a result of growing up in New York?
I know there are quite a few similarities to the “Wizard of Oz,” but, honestly, it was not intentional. I was actually using an old Chinese folktale called “Olive Lake” as the foundation for “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.” It’s curious that I only realized the similarities to the “Wizard of Oz” after the book was finished—I adored that book when I was younger and I had a bit of a Dorothy fixation as well. It must have been subconscious. And perhaps, Frank Baum knew the “Olive Lake” story and used that for his inspiration as well!

In the same book, you have used colour for the illustrations- that is rare for a novel, is it not? How and why did you decide to do that?
Yes, it’s very rare for a novel to be printed in color. It was very special that my publisher was willing to do that for me—my editor and I begged & pleaded! I really wanted color illustrations because when I was a child I adored the full color illustrations in my European fairytale books—illustrations done by artists like Arthur Rackham, Trina Schart Hyman, and Tasha Tudor. My childhood Chinese Fairy tale books only had cartoonish black and white illustrations. This led me to believe, at the time, that those stories, the Asian stories, were not as valuable. Which, of course, was not true. I wanted my book to have elaborate, full-color illustrations in it so today’s young readers would not make the same mistake I did.

Did you anticipate this kind of fan following for the Pacy series? How did the concept evolve? First it was Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat and now Dumpling Days. One can almost visualize this as a movie series- any plans on that?
The first book, “Year of the Dog” was my first effort at a middle grade novel—my homage to the Carolyn Haywood & Betsy-Tacy books that I loved as a child. As I wrote in my author’s note in “The Year of the Dog,” I wanted to write the book I had longed for as a child. Those books I adored had so much I loved in them—school, friends, family. The only thing they didn’t have was someone like me, someone Asian-American. So, “The Year of the Dog” was a kind of wish fulfillment on my part.

The second book “Year of the Rat” came directly because I felt like there were some loose threads in “Year of the Dog” (for example, the friendship with Charlotte and Becky). These books are heavily based on my life, a lot of what I wrote really did happen and I wanted let the readers know how those loose threads came together.

After that, readers often asked me to continue, wanting me to write “Year of the Tiger” or “Year of the Horse.” I was thrilled that they wanted more but I wasn’t sure if I had anything else to write that was not repetitive. For me to write another “Year of…” book I would probably have to start completely making up entire events and anecdotes, instead of basing them on what had really happened. In general I have no problem with that, but I felt the heart of these books was how very real they were. I felt that the reason the books had struck a chord with readers was because they could sense the truth in them. So, I searched in my memories for something that I felt could be of real interest and the result was “Dumpling Days.”

I’d love to see Pacy or Minli on the big screen! Unfortunately, there isn’t too much interest from any movie studios so I don’t think that will happen anytime in the near future. But I’m happy they exist as books.

You are a champion for American kids of foreign descent. Does that affect the way you write? Do you plan to introduce other minorities in your series- an Indian child perhaps?
I’m proud that my books champion Asian-American kids, however when I began writing that was not exactly my purpose. I just try to write books that are important to me and because I am Asian-American and that is something important to me, my books reflect that. My Pacy books are very much autobiographical, so as much as I would like to introduce an Indian child, I’m not sure it would feel right to me in that series (there were no Indian children, or other minorities, in my elementary school). However, perhaps in a different book that would be something to explore!


Can you please tell us more about your upcoming projects? Any books you plan to write for adults soon?
I’ve been hard at work on the companion book to WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. It’s called STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY and it comes out in October. For those readers that know WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, this book is not a sequel—it doesn’t follow Minli’s story—but it takes place in the same world and there might be some other characters you recognize!

I don’t have any plans to write books for adults, I’ve always wanted to be a children’s author. I think it is because my favorite books are children’s books, they are the books that I most love and remember. They are the books that have most affected my life and brought me the most joy. I want to create books like that.

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Amazing Grace, is she not?
Thanks Grace! And that is precisely what you do- bring Joy to your readers of all ages.
See more about Grace and her work here.