CET Writes

Image from  amazon.com As a matter of full disclosure, please be aware that I was gifted a free electronic copy of this book to review. Serena the Sailboat is a charming tale about a day’s adventure involving the protagonist and her friends Simon Seagull and Danny Dolphin. After parading through the harbor and bidding their friends a joyous farewell, the trio head out to sea for a day of fun in the sun; however, their outing turns perilous when a storm rolls in and Serena fears that the gale may breach her hull. Recognizing the power of their collective strength, the friends find a safe harbor where they can weather the storm together. In Serena the Sailboat , Laura Thomae Young crafts a sweet, gentle story in verse while Raina M. Tubba’s illustrations extend the fun sing-song rhyme of Young’s quatrains in a friendly style that will make a good read for pre-kindergarten children ages 3-5. Furthermore, fans of Eric Carle, Leo Lionni, and classics from the Little Golden Boo...

Image from amazon.com Transitioning gracefully from fact to myth and back again, Kellogg’s take on the remarkable life and Johnny Appleseed legend which grew up around John Chapman is an attractive introduction to one of America’s first folk heroes. Hewing close to reality with a linear but episodic narrative, the tale of the most famous nurseryman in the United States is simplified for young audiences and presents as fact not only verifiable details of Chapman’s life but also a handful of digressions into possible but improbable occurrences. Among these is his victory in an impromptu tree-chopping contest which reaches into nigh-surreality when aided by the wordless full-bleed opening showing a legion of woodsmen in an axe-wielding frenzy. Beyond such direct embellishment of the tale, Kellogg’s densely textured art creates a frontier that, if not quite Disney-fied, certainly contains vastly more smiling woodland creatures in picturesque vistas and far fewer instances of hardship...

Image from amazon.com In three parallel strands, Yolen’s near-poetic prose relates the tall tale, the history, and the bare facts of the life of John Chapman, who even in his lifetime was better known as Johnny Appleseed. Simply and rigidly organized, each opening presents a full-bleed, double-page spread, a new verse to a continuing song, a dramatized portion of Chapman’s history, and a briefly stated fact. The five-line song stanzas each end with the refrain “Johnny, Johnny Appleseed,” and serve as the conduit for the traditional tale, albeit in a soft-focus, generalized style without any mention of the specific outlandish acts of derring-do that make the Johnny Appleseed stories so compelling to many. Grouped in a apple-bordered, ragged-edged cartouche with each verse is an entry titled “The History,” which together comprise the bulk of the text, telling the story of Chapman’s life in a narrative which is factual but embellished with unknowable details to round out the tale. D...

Image from amazon.com Self-aware from the opening endpages to its closing endpages, Rex’s second volume of Frankensteinian verse is simultaneously the gift and the curse--a paean to the horror fiction of the past two centuries as well as a lyrical skewering of it. Because of the rather broad body of work to which it alludes, younger readers may enjoy and understand the poetry only superficially, while an older audience with exposure to Godzilla, King Kong, the Wizard of Oz, vampires, werewolves, E.T., Alfred Hitchcock, and Edgar Allen Poe will have a much richer experience. While the overarching narrative is that of preparations for the nuptials of the creation and his made-to-order bride, in the tradition of Monty Python’s Flying Circus many digressions are made, some of which are returned to repeatedly. Each segment, no matter its initial appearance, is a poem. These verses come disguised as a letter, sequential art, blog posts, a post card, and even as an advertisement with it...

Image from amazon.com Streamlined without overt bowdlerization, Tarnowska’s The Arabian Nights presents a retelling of the classic story cycle made relatable for western audiences while subtly providing insight into Islamic folkways, reflecting its cultural world view and outlook on life. This text begins with an introduction that explains the oral tradition at the root of these tales, which reach through the ages and continue to captivate readers, and concludes with a glossary and list of source citations that frame the narrative as neatly as Shahrazade’s dilemma itself. Henaff’s simple, graceful acrylics are ever-present, sometimes filling pages with rich hues, but more often framing the artfully set text with geometric patterns and naturalistic flourishes. Moving fluidly between the frame story of Shahrazade’s bold plan for survival to the content of her tales, a transition noted by a change of typeface, the reader sits in on the telling of six adventures ranging from a more...

Image from goodreads.com In The Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World provides multiple explanations for the origin of life, the universe, and everything as explained by the pre-scientific beliefs of many cultures and traditions. Although this text is bound by space constraints and ease of translation for as Hamilton notes in the introduction not all myths can be “rendered on a level of understanding for many readers,” the author has amassed a representative collection that is marked by her signature clarity. Through memorable stories that address phenomena which confused and intrigued early people, these myths attempt to explain how the world works, demystify the universe, and give meaning to human life. They often portray gods as having human shape, feeling human emotions, and performing human acts, even if they are immortal and more powerful than people are. In this context, the universe seems more understandable than if cold forces that don’t care about peopl...

Image from shauntan.net The Lost Thing is one of three books included in Tan’s omnibus titled Lost & Found . In a faceless metropolis filled with brutalist architecture and steampunk  machinery, a young bottlecap-collecting enthusiast befriends a wayward bio-mechanical being. Several times taller than a man, with a pair of large grasping appendages, it walks on six tentacular legs and has an unknown number of other tentacles which emerge from doors on the deep red potbelly-stove-like shell surrounding its body. Although the lost thing is ignored by most, the protagonist tries to help it find its place in the world, eventually turning to the Federal Department of Odds & Ends (motto: “Sweepus Underum Carpetae”) for help.Warned off of accepting the FDOE’s assistance by a helpful kindred spirit, the boy and the thing are led to a place where the towering red whatsit can be itself, if not exactly fit in. Tan’s detailed paintings make extensive use of yellows and shadows to ...

Image from goodreads.com While it’s evident that most big band and jazz musicians can count 1-2-3-4, Ehrhardt’s all-stars work their way all the way up to 10. Set to the rhythm of "This Old Man," each musician plays his number in his signature style, inserting raucous onomatopoeia into the verse where the “knick-knack, paddy whack” usually goes. Roth’s illustrations, executed in mixed media collages, use swatches of fabric and wallpaper cut into clothes, India ink brushwork, sponge-applied pigments, and jazz-related ephemera to energetically sketch the appearance, personality, and musical stylings of each jazz man in his turn, along with a tiny grey guest star who can be followed from page to page. After finishing their solos and jamming together on number 10, the jazz men are introduced individually in brief biographical sketches. Observant fans would have noticed clues to their identities, but in the end they are revealed to be a nonet of jazz luminaries including Lou...

Image from amazon.com Ben Franklin, His Wit, and Wisdom From A-Z is an unconventional nonfiction book that alphabetizes facts about Franklin’s life and splices them with the wisdom of Poor Richard’s Almanac . O’Brien employs ink and condensed watercolors in a muted color palette reminiscent of days gone by to create highly textured full-bleed, double-page spreads that are as rich and diverse as the subject himself and serve as a backdrop to vignettes and frames of text. Moreover, the informality of the text’s arrangement--weaving around and dallying with the illustrations--complements and extends the everyday wisdom proffered by Poor Richard’s Almanac . In conclusion, each opening’s wealth of detail encourages the reader to savor the beauty while warring with the subtle use of diagonal lines that urge a forward progression and results in the audience’s internal struggle to linger over the minutiae yet race to the end of this fascinating book. Ben Franklin, His Wit, and Wisdom...

Image from goodreads.com In Knuffle Bunny, Willems expertly manipulates the readers’ response by maximizing his use of the book’s composition to relate the story of a trip to the laundromat that turns unexpectedly dramatic. On the dust jacket flap, the reader is greeted by a brief plot summary that alludes to Knuffle Bunny’s fate. The end pages establish the book’s signature illustrative style--“a melding of hand-drawn ink sketches and digital photography”--by repeating one image over and over again: Knuffle Bunny as seen through the window of the washer door at the laundromat watching his family walk away. The plot begins prior to the title page with a series of family photos that depict the wedding of Mommy and Daddy, Trixie’s birth, and an early family outting which have been hung so each successive picture progresses not only time but also space and encourages the reader to follow the pictures to their logical conclusion--a large framed photo of Trixie hugging Knuffle Bun...

Image from goodreads.com Wiesner’s nearly wordless tale begins with a disclaimer on the book jacket that “the events recorded here are verified by an undisclosed source to have happened somewhere, U.S.A., on Tuesday. All those in doubt are reminded that there is always another Tuesday.” An establishing scene prior to the title page depicts three frames in which frogs placidly enjoying their lily pads find themselves, surprisingly, beginning to levitate. Following the title page is a formal text arrangement that belies the surreality of this enchanting tale. Three large panels appear on the recto, zooming in on a turtle in a body of water being startled by the frogs who are happily flying overhead like UFOs. They continue their adventure throughout the night startling beast and man alike as they traverse alternations of double-page, full-bleed spreads that contain vignettes which highlight the antics of individual frogs; double-page spreads within frames; single-page spreads ...

Image from goodreads.com Among the chief goodwill ambassadors of Class Insecta, the ladybug is a beetle of which most have a good opinion. Playing against type, Carle’s protagonist has a chip on its several shoulders. After encountering and threatening another ladybug over a morning leaf of aphids, this grouchy ladybug flies off looking for a fight. A big one. The die-cut pages typical of Carle books soon come into play as the first page of his adventure is very narrow, just big enough for itself and the yellow jacket it challenges to a rumble. Deciding that an insect only three or four times its size is an unworthy opponent, it finds a bigger creature to pick on and then another and so on as the page and typeface size grows, the sun rises higher and higher on each opening, and the clock which appears in the upper right of each two-page spread ticks forward an hour with each proposed and abandoned showdown. Full-bleed collage illustrations crafted from cut paper add an expressive d...

Image from amazon.com Much like its protagonist, The Very Hungry Caterpillar metamorphoses. As its story begins and as it ends, it is a nature book featuring the life cycle of the butterfly from egg to adult; in the middle, though, it becomes a counting book featuring a tactile hook. Starting with the larva-eaten endpages, the copious whitespace allows for easy focus on the little caterpillar as it sets out on its journey through a series of die-cut pages. Beginning with a single hole in a single apple on a very short page, each opening in this section becomes longer and longer, with more fruit and more holes. Therefore, a child learning to count has multiple signifiers of increasing amount and quantity: the simple visual of the brightly-colored cut-paper fruit; the hole in each piece, which he or she can feel as an individual item; and the size of the page, which scales in direct proportion to the the number represented. The days of the week are also taught as these feats of ...

Image from amazon.com Scuffy the Tugboat is a tale of appreciation in which a red-painted tugboat has the adventure of his life and learns to value the life he has rather than yearning for “bigger things.” When Scuffy expresses displeasure with his toy store existence, the shop owner suggests that perhaps he would be happier if he went sailing. This benevolent shop owner takes Scuffy home and places him in a bath tub to sail. Convinced that he is meant for even bigger things, Scuffy is still not happy, so the shop owner takes him to a brook. Scuffy quickly learns that all water runs to the sea where a small tugboat finds himself quite vulnerable. Luckily, he is rescued just in time to avoid disaster. Gergley’s use of line furnishes this anthropomorphic toy with facial features that complement and extend the text; therefore, at the end of the story, when the he has grown as an individual and matured, his transformation is not only evident in his speech and actions but also in ...

Image from amazon.com The Dog Prince is an original fairytale in which a beautiful, arrogant, self-centered prince is turned into a big, baggy-eyed bloodhound while hunting a chimera. In this state, he meets the love of his life and learns to value something other than himself. In the end, he proves himself worthy and shows that he is, indeed, the stuff of which dreams are made. The use of deep purple end papers in conjunction with romantic illustrations of watercolor and pencil on D’Arches watercolor paper not only render opulence but also complement and extend the text of this new classic fairytale in which the damsel in distress saves and is saved. Furthermore, the spell that creates such a lush world is cast with a dedication page which states that “this book is dedicated to all those who are willing to risk everything thing for their dream.” As part of the secondary curriculum, The Dog Prince could serve as a dreamy exemplar of dynamic characterization and the charac...

Image from amazon.com In A Color of His Own , the narrator suffers from an identity crisis. He laments that all other animals have their own color, yet chameleons change color wherever they go. Heavily burdened by his color shifting, he seeks stability but only finds false hope. Fortunately, the narrator eventually meets another chameleon who conveys to him that there is strength in numbers. If they remain together, then even though their colors will change they will always be alike. Throughout the story, Lionni’s brightly colored watercolor narrator wears his heart on his sleeve; he telegraphs his feelings through the position of his eyes, the line of his mouth, and the curl of his tail—making him the very picture of character development from which students can compose thematic statements. A Color of His Own  by Leo Lionni ; illus. by the author Primary Alfred A. Knopf 40 pp. Published 1975 ISBN 978-0375836978 $12.95

Image from kevinhenkes.com Julius, the Baby of the World is one of the many titles in Henkes’ mouse books. In this story, Lilly’s mother has just given birth to a baby boy upon whom the parents dote. Being forced to share the spot light, Lilly is terribly jealous and does everything in her power to be disagreeable. Thwarting all of her parents’ attempts to win her over, Lilly continues to spite baby Julius until he comes under criticism from Cousin Garland at which point Lilly proves that she understands the significance of the old adage that "a house divided against itself cannot stand."  Henkes employs watercolor and ink to render an expressive Lilly who runs the gamut from hateful to loving and conveys her emotions through effusive eyes and a bristling tail that complement and extend the text. At the secondary level, Julius, the Baby of the World could serve as an easily accessible exemplar of dynamic characterization and the characteristics of the hero cycle ...

Image from kevinhenkes.com Sheila Rae, The Brave is one of the many titles in Henkes’ series of mouse books. Sheila Rae prides herself in her ferocity. Unlike her younger sister Louise, Sheila seeks out the danger in the mundane and charges after it. One day, her adventure seeking backfires, and our heroine finds herself alone and in need of rescuing by Louise who proves that she too is brave. As always, Henkes’ watercolor and ink mice have such expressive facial features and postures that they gently shed light on an individual’s frailty without being jarring and encourage the reader to reflect and mature by living vicariously in their world. Consequently, Sheila Rae, The Brave could serve as an easily accessible exemplar of dynamic characterization and the characteristics of the hero cycle explained by Peter R. Stillman in Introduction to Myth . Sheila Rae, The Brave  by Kevin Henkes ; illus. by the author Primary Mulberry Paperback Book 32 pp. Published 1987...

Image from katherineleiner.com Sofia loved to watch the magic of her parents dancing. However, when Sofia’s father dies, Mama not only loses her dance partner but also stops dancing altogether. As Carnival season approaches, the neighbors urge Sofia to help Mama find a new dance partner. Although suitors come from all around to petition their cases, Mama’s heart doesn’t seem to be in it. Nonetheless, at Carnival, Mama demonstrates to all that she has not permanently lost the dance in her spirit and does the Mambo again. Rodriguez’s use of pastel, gouache, and spray paint with woodblock-ink linework beautifully complement and extend this tale of grief and healing. Employing a color palette centered around orange and red reflects the passion for music, dancing, and Papa that mother and daughter share. At the secondary level, Mama Does the Mambo could serve as an easily accessible exemplar of dynamic characterization and the characteristics of the hero cycle explained by Pet...

Image from cynthialeitichsmith.com Holler Loudly is a tall tale which proves that everything truly is bigger in Texas, even voices. Every few generations a Loudly baby is born with an enormous voice, and Holler is the newest inductee to this hall of fame. The good townsfolk shush Holler everywhere he goes until one day he realizes the value of quiet. However, soon thereafter, they learn to appreciate Holler’s gift when he saves the town using his innate ability to quell a dangerous force of nature. Holler’s adventure is depicted in bright, colorful, full-bleed, double-page spreads that mirror the characters’ magnitude—whether it be the protagonists’ volume, the townsfolks’ ire, or everyone’s jubilation. As Holler Loudly i s a story about a larger-than-life Texas boy who travels throughout the town building toward his epiphany, it could be used to introduce episodic adventures like Homer ’s Odyssey . Holler Loudly  by Cynthia Leitich Smith ; illus. by Barry Gott Primar...