Kid Lit Frenzy and Unleashing Readers 2014 Mock Sibert Award Picks

Over the past two years, Alyson has hosted, and Kellee has participated in, a book challenge pushing ourselves to read more nonfiction picture books. This year, after reading many of the best nonfiction picture books published in 2013, we decided that it would be fun to do a Mock Sibert Award post together.

The Sibert Award is given annually to the most distinguished informational book published during the preceding year. Although the Sibert Award is not just for picture books, we are going to focus on the nonfiction picture books we feel would be honored or win this year. To be honored/win the Sibert award, the book must include these important elements and qualities:

• Excellent, engaging, and distinctive use of language. 
• Excellent, engaging, and distinctive visual presentation. 
• Appropriate organization and documentation. 
• Clear, accurate, and stimulating presentation of facts, concepts, and ideas. 
• Appropriate style of presentation for subject and for intended audience. 
• Supportive features (index, table of contents, maps, timelines, etc). 
• Respectful and of interest to children. 

After reviewing the qualities and elements needed to win the Sibert Award, I agonized over all of the wonderful books that I had read.  It wasn't easy to narrow it down to only six books from 2013.  Finally, I decided on six titles that I hope will win or be honored on January 27th.

Check out Unleashing Readers, as well, to see what Kellee chose as her picks.

Alyson's Six Picks for the 2014 Sibert Award:

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel; Illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Balzer & Bray, January 22, 2013) - This was on of the first nonfiction picture books I read in 2013.  I loved it in the beginning of the year and I still adored it at the end.  Markel's storytelling combined with Sweet's mixed media illustrations brought to life Clara and her fight for better working conditions for those working in factories (particularly the seamstresses).  An amazing and inspirational story and one that I will remember for a long time.  Click on the title of the book to go to my full review.

No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young; Illustrated by Nicole Wang (Charlesbridge Publishing, September 1, 2013) - I truly wish that more writers of nonfiction for children would take some tips from Melissa Stewart.  She created an book that was both entertaining and very informative with a dash of humor thrown in.  This book addresses how many factors influence one another in the environment and make each small thing central to the survival of other living plants and animals.  Clicking on the title takes you to my review.

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman; Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Roaring Brook Press, June 25, 2013)- I very much love nonfiction picture books and there are some that are good stories and then there are others that move into the category of wonderful.  The Boy Who Loved Math was charming and entertaining but Pham's ability to bring the math alive in this story helps to move it into a very special category.  Clicking on the title takes you to my review.

Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth; Illustrated by Cindy Trumbore (Lee & Low Books, September 15, 2013) - I noticed this book showing up on a number of notable lists in the fall. However, it took me awhile to finally track this one down.  I was fascinated by the design layout of the book and the textured cuttings that Trumbore uses to create each page of illustrations.  I can wager that this took some time to create.  In addition to the incredible illustrations, I discovered that I knew little of the history of parrots in Puerto Rico.  I was fascinated to learn about the history, and also about how they almost went extinct.  The story about how scientists have been working to save these beautiful birds was fascinating.

The Tapir Scientist by Sy Montgomery; Photographs by Nic Bishop (HMH Books for Young Readers, July 23, 2013) - I am seriously too much of a girly-girl to ever trek around a rainforest or some forest or jungle studying wild animals. Therefore, I am thankful to Sy Montgomery for documenting her time spent with Pati Medici in Brazil learning about Tapirs. Do you know about Tapirs? I had no clue until I read this book.  Montgomery does an awesome job capturing what it is like to study these amazing creatures out in the wild.  Nic Bishop brings it all to life with his incredible photographs.  If you are not familiar with The Scientists in the Field series, I suggest starting with this one and then checking out all of the other ones.

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles America's First Black Paratroopers by Tanya Lee Stone (Candlewick Press, January 22, 2013) - On my way from Boston to Connecticut after NCTE '13, I listened to Courage Has No Color. While I sat in my car in pre-holiday traffic, I was transported back to World War II and the lives of the men who were the first Black Paratroopers.  The narrator of the audiobook helped to bring another level to this story.  Tanya Lee Stone is one of my go to authors for nonfiction and she doesn't seem to ever disappoint.  

We would also love your input! Which of our ten titles do you think will win the Sibert? Enter our Rafflecopter below to not only enter to win a copy of one of our picks (your choice!) as well as vote for which book you think will win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Baby Penguins Love Their Mama Blog Tour - Interview & Giveaway

Today on Kid Lit Frenzy, I have the pleasure of interviewing Melissa Guion, the author and illustrator of BABY PENGUINS LOVE THEIR MAMA.

I have noticed that many books for toddlers and preschoolers/kinders often show a mama penguin and baby penguins. Why do you think young children seem to connect so well with penguins? Was there a reason for creating the story - Baby Penguins Love Their Mama - using penguins rather than other animals? 

I honestly went with penguins because I like to draw them. But you’re right, kids love them, probably for the same reasons I do. They’re cute! They’re silly! They’re always slipping and falling down, and waving their useless, comical wings. Then they jump in the water and transform like Clark Kent into Superman, rocketing around with amazing speed and skill. It’s fantastic. Also, penguins spend a lot of time with their parents, which children get. I remember thinking as a child how sad it would be to be a salmon. Never even meeting your parents. And then there’s Happy Feet. Everyone loves Happy Feet. That’s a lot of reasons.

When you are working on a picture book, what comes first - pictures or text? Do you create an outline?

My books are so short that I don’t outline. I just write. When I have a text I start making thumbnail sketches to figure out the basic pacing across the 32 pages I have to work with. Then I make a dummy. Eventually the art picks up momentum, and what’s going on there can dictate changes in the text. It’s a fluid process.

What is your creative process in drawing your illustrations? 

The world of this book was already established in BABY PENGUINS EVERYWHERE, so I was able to dive into the art pretty fast once I had my story. I made the artwork on 300lb watercolor paper with a graphite bar and watercolors. (I filmed a little of the process and posted it on YouTube. See below.) I make a few rudimentary marks on the paper from a sketch, using a lightbox, so I know generally where things are supposed to be on the page. But I don’t flesh it out much because I want a feeling of live drawing in the final art. With the toothy paper and dark graphite I use, it’s hard to make changes, so I work with whatever happens. If it’s truly horrible I start over.

Who most influenced your art and writing? 

I’ve looked a lot at William Steig and Alexander Calder. I love Steig’s line quality and his soulfulness. I admire Calder’s playfulness and the variety of his work. And I’ve said this before, I really admire the way James Marshall wrote. His stories are tight and funny and full of feeling. He made it seem so simple: George did this. Martha said that. The End. But it’s so, so funny. His artwork always filled in the blanks. The spread in GEORGE AND MARTHA where George is sitting in the balloon basket is one of the funniest pages of any book anywhere.

What is the one book that you read over and over again as a child? What book did you never return to the library because you loved it so much and couldn’t let it go?

I pored over Richard Scarry’s books. I only had one. When I went to a friend’s house who had the others I would grab them and go in a corner and obsess over every page. As far as real reading, I don’t think I was a huge re-reader. I remember re-reading THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE a few times. There were other books I loved very much that you can’t really re-read, like TUCK EVERLASTING. Once you read it, you’re done. It has happened to you.

What question do you wish I had asked?

These were terrific questions. I don’t know, how about what’s that great yellow you used for the penguins’ beaks? It’s called Gamboge. I do love yellow.

Photo Credit John Trotter

About the author/illustrator:
Melissa Guion's first picture book, Baby Penguins Everywhere!, was selected for The Original Art 2012, an exhibition of the year's best illustrated children's books. Melissa swears she could draw baby penguins all day, but she may take a hiatus to do a book about her daughter's guinea pigs. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. For more information, visit her website: http://www.melissaguion.com/

Be sure to follow the adorable mama and baby penguins on Melissa Guion’s blog tour!

Monday, Jan 13	Susan Heim on Parenting	http://susanheim.blogspot.com/
Tues, Jan 14	The Children's Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Wed, Jan 15	Once Upon a Story	http://www.novalibrarymom.com/
Thurs, Jan 16	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Fri, Jan 17	Momma Drama	http://blogginmommadrama.blogspot.com/
Sat, Jan 18	Booking Mama	http://www.bookingmama.net/
Mon, Jan 20	5 Minutes for Books	http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/feature-columns/5-minutes-for-books/
Tues, Jan 21	Just a Little Creativity	http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/
Wed, Jan 22	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com/
Thurs, Jan 23	Geo Librarian	http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/
Fri, Jan 24	As They Grow Up	http://www.astheygrowup.com/
Sat, Jan 25	Obsessive Mommy	http://obsessivemommy.com

And don't forget to check out this awesome giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a deliciously-scented mama and baby penguin goat's milk soap (for preening practice, of course!) and a signed copy of BABY PENGUINS LOVE THEIR MAMA.

 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

FOSSIL Blog Tour & Special Guest Post with Bill Thomson

At the beginning of November, I had a chance to meet up with the amazing, Bill Thomson in person.  He emailed me to say he would be in town and did I want to get together.  Well, I didn't need to think about it.  Of course, I wanted to meet up.  I picked Bill up at a local artist's studio and we headed over to Kidspace Children's Museum in Pasadena.   It's a great space to hang and I wanted to introduce Bill to one of the staff at the museum.  As we walked around the museum, we talked about Bill's newest book, FOSSIL and about children and imagination and science and more.

After leaving Kidspace, we headed over to Montrose and stopped by Once Upon a Time Bookstore.  We were lucky that owner Maureen Palacios was in and I had a chance to introduce Bill to her.  I must have done a pretty fabulous job book talking Gris Grimly's Frankenstein because Bill picked up a copy while we were there.

We then headed to a small barbeque place for dinner where we managed to talk books and creative process for a couple more hours.

Here's a few things you need to learn about me...I will never make a great reporter.  I managed to not take a single picture or take notes throughout my whole time with Bill.  It just felt wrong somehow.  It would have completely messed up the tone of the afternoon/evening.  Another thing about me, I was plotting the whole time about how I might be able to create several events around Bill and his books.  Did you notice that I was taking him to places that could be potential event spots? *smile*

Now, here is the fun stuff.  During our dinner, Bill was talking to me about how he sometimes makes creative decisions with his art so that it will work better for children who are viewing his books.  I was fascinated with what he was sharing.  He then offered to share some images with the readers of my blog.  If you haven't figured this out yet, Bill is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and I am very blessed to have had the chance to spend so much time with him.  

This is what Bill shared with the readers of my blog about creating the Pteranodon in the book.

From Bill - Here are the steps used to create the illustration:

My initial thumbnail sketch establishes the basic idea.

Then I take the reference photos so I can make the details looks as convincing as possible. I shot photos from higher vantage point matching my thumbnail sketch, but I thought a lower perspective worked better. I shot over 10,000 reference photos for this book, and usually take multiple vantages for each illustration to see what works best. I have a very skinny nephew named Sam and used his back as the basis for my pteranodon. The pteranodon was a mix of a figure that I painted, Sam’s back, lizard photos, ptranodon research, and stuff I made up. I was originally going to make him brownish, but then opted for a reddish color so he would stand out from the other colored fossils and also to add more color to the book.

Looking at the reference photos, I make a tight pencil drawing.

Then I paint a light coat of yellow acrylic paint over my entire pencil drawing, and add black acrylic paint on top to establish the darkest areas.

I paint over the entire illustration with a light coat of purple oil paint and remove the areas of sunlight with an eraser. This creates a yellow and purple under painting, establishing base colors for light and shadow.

I always paint backgrounds first. The flat blue color of the sky was painted with an airbrush to keep it smooth, and the ground painted with a sponge to create texture. Many of the illustrations in the book had actual rock mixed in with the paint, but the ground in this illustration was from a farther vantage point.

Then I create a tight acrylic painting on top of the under painting. This is the most time consuming part of the process.  And finally, I go over the entire illustration with colored pencil to refine the illustration. This final step is also quite time consuming, but brings the illustration to life with subtle details and textures.

Other illustrations with closer views of the ground included actual volcanic rock in the paint:

To create texture in ground on the closer scenes, I mixed rock in with my paint and dabbed it on with a sea sponge.

While the printing process can’t reproduce the three dimensional aspects of the rock, it does capture how the paint reacts to it. I liked including actual rocks in the paint for the illustrations of a book about fossils.

And then you have this amazing book trailer:

For more information about Bill Thomson:

Bill Thomson has been called “a master at visual storytelling.” He is the illustrator of several children’s books, including Chalk (Two Lions/Amazon Children’s Publishing, 2010), which received many accolades. Thomson is also Professor of Illustration at the University of Hartford. He lives with his family in Connecticut. Visit Bill at www.billthomson.com.

To download a copy of the educator guide or student activity guide click on the images:

To check out all of the stops for the FOSSIL Blog Tour:

Sat, Nov 9	Booking Mama	http://www.bookingmama.net/
Mon, Nov 11	NC Teacher Stuff	http://ncteacherstuff.blogspot.com/
Tues, Nov 12	Just a Little Creativity	http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/
Wed, Nov 13	There's a Book	http://www.theresabook.com/
Thurs, Nov 14	Sharpread	http://sharpread.wordpress.com/
Fri, Nov 15	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Mon, Nov 18	Once Upon a Story	http://www.novalibrarymom.com/
Tues, Nov 19	The Children's Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Wed, Nov 20	5 Minutes for Books	http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/feature-columns/5-minutes-for-books/
Thurs, Nov 21	Geo Librarian	http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/
Fri, Nov 22	Growing with Science	http://blog.growingwithscience.com/

For a chance to win a copy of FOSSIL, complete the form below.  Winner must be 13 or older and have a US mailing address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Adventures and Misadventures Middle Grade Tour Giveaway

Seven Middle Grade Authors go on tour.  Check out who will be on tour and if they will be stopping by your town.  If you aren't able to join them in person, enter the giveaway below to win a prize pack that includes one signed copy of each book from each author. 

Stop by tomorrow to discover how Elisabeth Dahl and Kristen Kittscher answer the following question:  What author would write a novel about you as a fictionalized middle grader and what would the book be about?

Seven "Lucky 13" Middle Grade Debut Authors

Elisabeth Dahl (GENIE WISHES)

Kristen Kittscher (THE WIG IN THE WINDOW)

Caroline Carlson (MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT)

Melanie Crowder (PARCHED)

Kit Grindstaff (THE FLAME IN THE MIST)

Jennifer Mann (SUNNY SWEET IS SO NOT SORRY)

A.B. Westrick (BROTHERHOOD)

The stops:
Elisabeth Dahl and Kristen Kittscher will be at each of the stops.  They will be joined by several of the other authors throughout the tour.  Check out if they will be stopping in your town over the next week.

November 14: Richmond, Virginia -- bbgb tales for kids at 4 p.m. 

November 15: Alexandria, Virginia -- Hooray for Books at 6:30 p.m.

 

November 16: Baltimore, Maryland - Cockeysville Library -  Writing Workshop from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. (Book sales by the Ivy Bookshop)

November 17: Doylestown, Pennsylvania - Doylestown Bookshop - 2 - 4 p.m. 

November 18: Children's Book World, Haverford, PA (actual event is at Haverford Free Township Library), 4 p.m. https://www.facebook.com/events/1432375636985764/

November 19: Stevens Cooperative School, Hoboken, NJ, 6:30 p.m. - book sales provided by Word Jersey City

Giveaway:
Classroom teachers and librarians - Enter to win a prize pack that includes a signed copy of each of the books listed above.  Eligible to those with a U.S. mailing address. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mitchell Goes Bowling Blog Tour and Special Author & lllustrator Interview

Today I am thrilled to have author, Hallie Durand and illustrator, Tony Fucile stop by Kid Lit Frenzy. Check out this great interview where Hallie and Tony interview each other about bowling.

Tony Fucile interviews Hallie Durand

Who, from the Durand clan, has the best “strike” celebration dance?

I’d have to award this to my husband Michael. While he was fulfilling his ROTC obligation in Germany, he had his own “turkey” dance (“turkey” is three strikes in a row). The “dance” consisted of: shooting index fingers to the right, then left (quickly and with attitude), a 360-degree turn, and then a split. Pretty impressive, especially cause he could stand up right after the split! (He’s a good dancer.)

Describe your image of the perfect bowling ball.

The perfect bowling ball is not too heavy, and my fingers fit perfectly in the holes. Then the ball moves strong and fast down the lane and knocks all the pins down. The ball is red.

Who’s the most competitive bowler in the family?

That might be a tie, because we’re all fairly bad at the game, but we love to get Xs and we all hoot and holler when all those pins go down. My son has the hardest time with being behind, but he is also the youngest, 8. He has no problem letting loose when he gets a strike (none of us do!). We all need a few mozzarella sticks when we’re losing.

Who’s your favorite fictional bowler (excluding Dad and Mitchell)?

He’s in my mind. And he’s a raccoon who washes the ball with his little hand claws before he bowls. We had a pet raccoon when I was little, and he always washed his hard-boiled eggs with his hand claws. I’d like to see that raccoon bowl! Go Bandit!!

Hallie Durand interviews Tony Fucile

What’s your bowling average, and do you use gutter guards?

Since having kids I use gutter guards. It’s fun! The guards allow me to experiment with different deliveries and throwing techniques (mostly stuff I learned from watching The Flintstones) that would ordinarily land my ball in the next lane or two. I’ve never figured out a bowling average (I like to look on the bright side of things).

How did you nail the illustration of Dad’s “triple steamin’ hot potato dance?” How did you figure out how to draw this, cause it’s perfect!?

I shot video of myself and then selected poses from the footage to draw from. It always helps to get up and physically act things out to get fresh ideas. You never fail to surprise yourself with something. In this case something pretty ridiculous. This is why the evidence has been destroyed.

What do you snack on when you’re bowling?

Anything with melted cheese on it. That includes beer.

October is National Learn to Bowl Month. Celebrate with Mitchell Goes Bowling by Hallie Durand and illustrated by Tony Fucile.

About the Author:
Hallie Durand is the author of Mitchell’s License, now available in paperback as Mitchell Goes Driving, among other books for children. About Mitchell Goes Bowling, she says, "I love hanging out at the lanes with my crew, especially when I get a couple of Xs!" She lives with her family in Maplewood, New Jersey. To learn more, visit her website at http://www.halliedurand.com/.

About the Illustrator:
Tony Fucile is the author-illustrator of Let's Do Nothing! as well as the illustrator of the Bink & Gollie series by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee. He has spent more than twenty years designing and animating characters for numerous feature films, including The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles. He lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay area.

Readers can follow Mitchell as he tours the web! 

Sat, Oct 5	Booking Mama	http://www.bookingmama.net/
Mon, Oct 7	The Children's Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Tues, Oct 8	Susan Heim on Parenting	http://susanheim.blogspot.com/
Wed, Oct 9	Sharpread	http://sharpread.wordpress.com/
Thurs, Oct 10	There's a Book	http://www.theresabook.com/
Fri, Oct 11	Just a Little Creativity	http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/
Mon, Oct 14	Once Upon a Story	http://www.novalibrarymom.com/
Tues, Oct 15	Geo Librarian	http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/
Wed, Oct 16	5 Minutes for Books	http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/feature-columns/5-minutes-for-books/
Thurs, Oct 17	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Fri, Oct 18	As They Grow Up	http://www.astheygrowup.com/

And don't forget to complete the form below to enter for a chance to win a copy of Mitchel Goes Bowling.  You must be 13 years or older and have a US or Canadian mailing address.


a Rafflecopter giveaway