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Why do animals feature so heavily in picture books? 1. They are so relatable. 2. They provide a sense of comfort and nurturing. 3. They reinforce positive emotions and behaviours such as empathy. Whether these animals are represented as their true natures or anthropomorphically, children (and adults) feel connected to these cute characters and regard […]

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Title: I am Cow, hear me MOO! Written by: Jill Esbaum Illustrated by: Gus Gordon Published by: Dial Books for Young Readers, May 2014 Ages: 3 -5 Themes: cows, self-esteem, adventure, fear Opening Lines: Nadine was a truly remarkable cow.     … Continue reading →

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I’ve just returned from visiting some major cities in the USA. It was illuminating to see which Australian literature is stocked in their (mostly) indie bookstores. This is anecdotal but shows which Australian books browsers are seeing, raising the profile of our literature.

Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief was the most prominent Australian book. I didn’t go to one shop where it wasn’t stocked.

The ABIA (Australian Book Industry) 2014 overall award winner, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion was also popular. And a close third was Shaun Tan’s inimical Rules of Summer, which has recently won a prestigious Boston Globe-Horn Book picture book honour award. Some stores had copies in stacks.

http://www.hbook.com/2014/05/news/boston-globe-horn-book-awards/picture-book-reviews-2014-boston-globe-horn-book-award-winner-honor-books/#_

I noticed a few other Tans shelved in ‘graphic novels’, including his seminal work, The Arrival – which is newly available in paperback.

One large store had an Oceania section, where Eleanor Catton’s Man-Booker winner, The Luminaries rubbed shoulders with an up-to-date selection of Australian novels. These included hot-off-the-press Miles Franklin winner All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld and Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites, plus expected big-names – Tim Winton with Eyrie, Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North and works by Thomas Keneally and David Malouf. Less expected but very welcome was Patrick Holland.I chaired a session with Patrick at the Brisbane Writers’ Festival a few years ago and particularly like his short stories Riding the Trains in Japan.

Australian literary fiction I found in other stores included Kirsten Tranter’s A Common Loss, Patrick White’s The Hanging Garden and some Peter Carey.

One NY children’s/YA specialist was particularly enthusiastic about Australian writers. Her store had hosted Gus Gordon to promote his picture book, Herman and Rosie, a CBCA honour book, which is set in New York City. They also stocked Melina Marchetta’s Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca, John Marsden, David McRobbie’s Wayne series (also a TV series), Catherine Jinks’ Genius Squad (How to Catch a Bogle was available elsewhere) and some of Jaclyn Moriarty’s YA. One of my three top YA books for 2013, The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee was available in HB with a stunning cover and Foxlee’s children’s novel Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy was promoted as part of the Summer Holidays Reading Guide.

Elsewhere I spied Margo Lanagan’s The Brides of Rollrock Island, published as Sea Hearts here (the Australian edition has the best cover); Lian Tanner’s Keepers trilogy; John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice and Sonya Hartnett’s The Children of the King. These are excellent books that we are proud to claim as Australian.

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WOO-HOO!!!

Can you believe it?

In spite of the fact that Perfect Picture Books goes on vacation every summer, we are now celebrating the 100th week of Perfect Picture Book Fridays!  (Just in time to go on summer vacation again :))

100 weeks of fabulous picture books with resources of all kinds to make them easy for parents and teachers to use at home and in the classroom!

100 weeks of highly recommended books listed alphabetically and by theme to make it easy for gift-givers to find the perfect picture book for that special little someone!

100 weeks of perfect examples that we, as writers, can study and learn from!

To date, we have picture books listed in 226 themes/categories.

And we have - get this! - 2055 Perfect Picture Books on our list!!!

(Or, we would if I ever got caught up updating!  Which is on my to-do list for this summer along with about a million other things :))

For those of you who haven't noticed yet (because I haven't announced it because I'm not finished with it :)), Perfect Picture Books is now on Pinterest.  I'm hoping it will make it easier to search.  But it's a work in progress and far from complete!  If you want to check it out, here's the link: http://www.pinterest.com/susannaleonard/

So really, after all the hard work you guys have put in, all the wonderful picture books and resources that are now available to teachers, parents, writers, and gift-givers everywhere, I think we should celebrate!!!

First, we need cake (obviously!) :)

Next, we need streamers. . .

. . . confetti. . .

. . . and balloons!

And last but not least, we need prizes for all the amazing bloggers who have contributed so devotedly week after week to this effort!  So let's do today's Perfect Picture Book, and hopefully by then I will have thought up a plan.  I'll meet you down below after you're done reading about this delightful book!

Title: I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo!
Written By: Jill Esbaum
Illustrated By: Gus Gordon
Dial (Penguin Group), May 2014, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: honesty, courage, animals

Opening: "Nadine was a truly remarkable cow.
There was nothing she feared - so she claimed, anyhow.
"Not lightning?" asked Starla.  "Loud noises? A rat?"
"I'm not scared," Nadine boasted, "of any of that."
"The woods?" asked Annette.  "'Cause that place scares me stiff."
"Not me," bragged Nadine with a proud little sniff.
"As a matter of fact, just to prove it, let's go!"
(She was certain her meek-hearted friends would say no.)

Brief Synopsis: Nadine boasts that she isn't afraid of anything!  When her friends call her bluff, she learns that sometimes acting brave can make you feel brave... and sometimes it can't!  And when she's hailed as a hero for saving her friends, she has the choice to 'fess up and admit she was just as scared as they were or let her friends believe what they want.  Which do you think Nadine chooses? :)

Links To Resources: this book will give parents and teachers a great opportunity to have discussions about what courage is, and what makes a person brave.  Is it not being afraid? Or is it going forward in spite of your fear?  It will also give an opportunity to talk about honesty.  Is is okay to lie if it ends up being the truth?  Is it okay to let people believe something good about you even if it's not exactly deserved?  Talk with kids about things they're afraid of.  What do they think could make them feel braver?  Ask kids if they've ever lied about something and gotten caught?  How did they feel?  Classroom Activities: Honesty, Classroom Activities: Courage.


Why I Like This Book:  Nadine is so full of herself, so spunky and fun, and so believable because haven't we all met kids (or adults :)) who can bluster their way through just about anything?!  Kids will relate to this confident bovine who pretends not to be scared of the Deep. Dark. Woods. only to discover that she really isn't afraid... until the sun goes down!  Things unravel a bit (I don't want to spoil it :)) but she ends up saving her friends (completely by accident) and is hailed as a brave hero... an illusion she chooses not to discourage :)  The art is lively and entertaining, and the story is fun and full of humor!

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

So.  About those prizes!  Since we're celebrating Perfect Picture Books, I'd like to give away a few :)  I wish I could give everyone a prize, but I have yet to become one of those authors who makes millions of dollars :)  Instead, I've chosen a few books that have been widely well-received that I hope you guys might want to win:

Journey by Aaron Becker (Candlewick)
Mr. Wuffles by David Weisner (Clarion)
Warning: Do Not Open This Book! by Adam Lehrhaupt, illus. by Matthew Forsythe (Simon & Schuster)
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli (Disney/Hyperion)
On A Beam Of Light: A Story Of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne, illus. by Vladimir Radunsky (Chronicle)
Mitchell Goes Bowling by Hallie Durand, illus. by Tony Fucile (Candlewick)
The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illus. by Jon Klassen (Little, Brown)
This Is The Rope: A Story Of The Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, illus. by James Ransome (Nancy Paulsen Books)
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, illus. by Christian Robinson (Atheneum)

+1 - If you'd like to win one of these fabulous books, please leave a comment below.
+1 - If you follow the Perfect Picture Books Pinterest Board, you'll get an additional chance to win (if you already follow, please remind me, if you don't already follow, there's no time like the present :))  http://www.pinterest.com/susannaleonard/
+5 - If you've posted 50 or more Perfect Picture Books on your blog over the course of the past 100 weeks, tell me that and I'll give you 5 additional chances to win!  (Scout's Honor - I don't have time to count! - but I think I know who qualifies :))

(And if there's a book your particularly hope to win or one that you already own, feel free to let me know.)

Please leave your comments/follow the Pinterest Board/let me know if you've posted 50 or more PPBs etc. by Sunday June 15 at 5 PM EDT.  Names will be entered the appropriate number of times into random.org and 9 winners will be randomly chosen and matched with the books.

My deepest thanks to all the bloggers who have supported this effort so whole-heartedly, and to all the readers who come by to share our love of picture books every week!  Perfect Picture Books would not exist without you!

And maybe we'll have another celebration/giveaway in September when we start up again because I'd really like to spread the word about PPBF but now is a dumb time since we're about to go on Summer Vacation! :)

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you one last time before summer!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and I look forward to hearing from you all in the comments!!! :)

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Herman and Rosie
By Gus Gordan
Roaring Brook (an imprint of Macmillan)
$17.99
ISBN: 978-1596438569
Ages 3-7
On shelves now

New Yorkers are singularly single minded. It’s not enough that our city be rich, popular, and famous. We apparently are so neurotic that we need to see it EVERYWHERE. In movies, on television, and, of course, in books. Children’s books, however, get a bit of a pass in this regard. It doesn’t matter where you grow up, most kids get a bit of a thrill when they see their home city mentioned in a work of literature. Here in NYC, teachers go out of their way to find books about the city to read and study with their students. As a result of this, in my capacity as a children’s librarian I make a habit of keeping an eye peeled for any and all New York City related books for the kiddos. And as luck would have it, in the year 2013 I saw a plethora of Manhattan-based titles. Some were great. Some were jaw-droppingly awful. But one stood apart from the pack. Written by an Aussie, Herman and Rosie, author Gus Gordon has created the first picture book I’ve ever seen to successfully put its finger on the simultaneous beauty and soul-gutting loneliness of big city life. The fact that it just happens to be a fun story about an oboe-tooting croc and deer chanteuse is just icing on the cake.

Herman and Rosie are city creatures through and through. Herman is a croc with a penchant for hotdogs and yogurt and playing his oboe out the window of his 7th story home. In a nearby building, Rosie the deer likes pancakes and jazz records and singing in nightclubs, even if no one’s there to hear her. Neither one knows the other, so they continue their lonely little lives unaware of the potential soulmate nearby. One day Rosie catches a bit of Herman’s music and not long thereafter Herman manages to hear a snatch of a song sung by Rosie. They like what they hear but through a series of unfortunate events they never quite meet up. Then Herman gets fired from his job in sales and Rosie’s favorite jazz club goes belly up. Things look bad for our heroes, until a certain cheery day where it all turns around for them.

You can know a city from afar but never quite replicate it in art. I do not know how many times Gus Gordon has visited NYC. I don’t know his background here or how often he’s visited over the course of his lifetime. All I know is he got Manhattan DOWN, man! Everything from the water towers and the rooftop landscapes to the very color of the subway lines is replicated in his pitch perfect illustrations. Maybe the medium has a lot to answer for. I love the map endpapers that identify not just where Herman and Rosie live, but also where you can find a great hot dog place. I like how the art is a mix of real postcards showcasing everything from Central Park (look at the Essex House!!) to the Rose Reading Room in the main branch of New York Public Library.

But the art is far more than simply a clever encapsulation of a location. It took several readings before I could see a lot of what Gordon was up to. Here’s an example: Take a look at the two-page spread where Herman is leaving his office for the last time with all his goods in a box, while on the opposite page Rosie trudges home from the closing club, her high heeled red shoes sitting forlornly in the basket of her bike. The two images take place at different times of the day, but if you look closely you’ll see that they’re the same street corner. Yet where Herman’s New York is filled with loud angry voices and sounds, Rosie’s is near silent, a black wash representing the oncoming night. Note too that while Herman’s mailbox was a mixed media photo, Rosie’s is painted in a black wash with some crayon scribbles. It’s a subtle difference, but I love how it sort of represents how objects become less real when the lights begin to dim. And the book is just FILLED with tiny, clever details. From the pictures and instructions that grace Herman’s cubicle at work to the fact that Rosie clearly washes her clothes at home (the clothesline the runs from her bike to the old-fashioned vacuum tube television was my first clue) to Herman’s bed in the living room, Gordon is constantly peppering his book with elements that give little insights into who these two characters really are.

And that right there is the the crux of the book. Time and time again Gordon returns to this idea of how lonely it can be to live in a busy place. The idea that you can be surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people and feel as alone as if you were on a desert island is a tricky concept to convey to small fry. Herman’s whole personality, in a way, hinges on the fact that he’s terrible at his job as a telecaller because all he wants to do is talk to people on the phone, not sell them things. He longs for connection. Rosie, meanwhile, finds a certain level of connection through her singing gig. Once that gig leaves, her feelings of extreme loneliness echo Herman’s with the loss of his job. Their sole lifelines to the outside world have been severed against their wills. If this were a book for adults we’d undoubtedly also get a couple scenes of the various failed dates they fine themselves on (well, Rosie certainly… I’m not so sure that Herman’s the serial dater type). Kids understand loneliness. They get that. They’ll get this.

The book also plays on the natural inclination for a happy resolution, and the near misses when Herman almost meets Rosie and Rosie just barely misses Herman can be excruciating. You are fairly certain the two are made for one another (the natural tendencies of crocs to eat deer notwithstanding) so it can be particularly painful to see so many almost wases. This feeling is, admittedly, partly diluted by the fact that you’re not quite sure what will happen when the two DO meet. Are they going to fall in love? Well, not exactly. There may be a kind of child reader that hopes for that ending, but instead we’re given a conclusion where the two just learn to make beautiful music together, and in the course of that music happen to find financial success as well. This is New York, after all. Love’s great but a steady paycheck’s even better.

The truth of the matter is that Herman and Rosie could be set in L.A. or Minneapolis or Atlanta or even Sydney and I’d still love it as much as I do with its New York flavor, tone, and beat. It wouldn’t be exactly the same, but it’s the bones of the book that are strong. The setting is just a bonus, really. With original mixed media, a text that’s subtle and succinct, and a story that rings both true and original (for a picture book medium anyway), this is a city book, a true city book, to its core. Author Markus Zusak said the book was “Quirky, soulful and alive”. Can’t put it any better than that. What he said.

On shelves now.

Source: Final copy sent from publisher for review.

Like This? Then Try:

• When Blue Met Egg by Lindsay Ward

• Bat and Rat by Patrick Jennings

• Have You Seen My Dragon? by Steve Light

Professional Reviews:

• Kirkus
• A star from Publishers Weekly

Misc: If you want to see some alternate covers for this book, scroll to the bottom of this fun blog post.

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The Reporters are STARS!!!!!

The librarians are STARS!!!!  (Thankyou Ann and Sabine, Joanne from Wyvern)

The Head of Teaching learning is a STAR!!!!  (Thankyou Sean Corcoran)

The Headmaster is a STAR!!!!  (Thankyou Dr David Mulford)

The parents who looked after us are STARS!!!  (Thankyou Wendy)

My fabulous minder. I’d have got lost without him. (Thankyou Ewan.)

Loved speaking to the boys, the passion for making a better world, engaging conversations and of course catching up with  fantastic Australian authors who I call my friends – all of us committed to reaching young people through literature.

Randa Abdel-Fattah, Deborah Abela, Felcie Arena, Michael Gerald Bauer, Charlie the Educator, Andrew Daddo, Kirsty Eager, Nick Earls, Archimede Fusillo. Scot Gardner, Gus Gordon, Neil Grant, Richard Harland, Barry Heard, Simon Higgins, linda Jaivin, Barry jonsberg, Valana Khoza. Will Kostakis, john Larkin, Benjamin Law, Jeni Mawter, Mandy Ord, Michael Parker, Oliver Phommavanh, Mochael Pryor, Richard Tulloch, Arnold Zable and others.

Thrilled as an author ambassador for Room to Read, that this Festival supports Room to read and bringing literacy to the children of the developing world.

 

 

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The ghost adventure is dark, eerie in the Woodland 1880s mansion at Ipswich Festival.

Leigh Hobbs creator of the famous and fractious ‘OLD TOM’ was being ‘scary’ with fabulous author Meredith Costain hamming it up as his doppler behind him.

General Macarthur stayed at Woodlands and his red leather chair and desk dominates an upstairs room. So of course the guys all sat in the General’s chair. Then the girls go into the act.

Highlights:-

Hanging out at the pool table with all the writers & illustrators – author Sue Whiting and illustrator Anne Spudvilas were hilarious at our game of chance and dice – I rolled a full 5 dice!!!!!!

400 hundred kids packed into the performance of  ‘I Am Jack’ held spellbound -Lowood, Silkstone, Bethany, Bundamba, Toogoolawah, Brassall, Kentville, Lockrose schools were FABULOUS!

Morning walk with illustrator and author mark Wilson, illustrators Anne Spudvilas and Leigh Hobbs through the mist and field.

LOVE the authors and illustrators there – Deborah Abela, Brian Faulkiner, Sally Rippin, Gabrielle Wang, Gus Gordon, Lucia Mascuillo, Mark Wilson, Tristan Bancks, Sheryl Gwyther, Angela Sunde and ……

Thankyou to Festival Director Jenny Stubbs.

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Waking up to the laughing kookaburras and the deep blue peacock at my door; morning mist hovering in the valley with mountains in the distance – this is Woodlands. 

Last night was pool at the table with fabulous illustrators Leigh Hobbs, Gus Gordon, Mark Wilson and Anne Spudvilas. This morning at 6 am we were walking through the fields joined by author and fabulous blogger Sheryl Gwyther – all before breakfast.

Breakfast is so much fun with all the authors and illustrators. Especially great to talk to Tim McGarry – the JACK in the play ‘I Am Jack’ which is a feature event at the Ipswich Festival of Children’s Literature.

LOVE IT!!!!!!!

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I am working away madly on my new picture book, 'Herman and Rosie' at the moment, which is due for release through Penguin next year. We are about to go away for a northern holiday (chasing the sun) so am working around the clock trying to do as much as possible before we leave - why is it always like this? Will no doubt fall in a heap on the plane and catch some disease that no one's heard of since the fall of Rome. Anyway, I thought I might post up an illustration before I left just to keep you in the loop. I'm going to blog about the whole process as I go - if you would like me to! Especially when I have more time.

This is a scene in the book where Herman loses his job and has lost his way. It's probably the 'blueist' part of the story in many ways. It's definitely bleak. I guess that's fairly obvious. I kept the city out of it mostly -  just a New York lamp post and a mail box. I didn't think I needed much else. There are plenty of other city spreads along the way. My dark cloud kind of shocked me a little at first but I've grown used to it. Hopefully it isn't too scary. I had fun with my fonts and even got out my oft-neglected rubber stamps. There's something very satisfying about using a rubber stamp isn't there? Then again, maybe that's just my 'home-craft' geek talking. Get out your crochet hooks we have oven mitts to make!

Looking forward to immersing myself in it all when I get back but for now I must find the sun. See you when I get back.

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It looks like I'll be working on finishing other author's books before I get a chance to work on my own - until I leave for New York anyway. Just finished the roughs for a Penguin Aussie Bite by Sharyn Eastaugh called 'Mr Eight.' It's a really funny little book about an Octopus with some serious anger issues (a Swordfish poked out one of his eyes in a fight) and a boy who wants a different sort of pet. I have always wanted to illustrate a book about an Octopus so was very happy when this one came along. These roughs are pretty much how they'll look when they're finished, only ink-washed up. See you soon!

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Deborah Abela gave a vivacious reading of John Wood’s kids’ book - Zac the Yak.

Zac the Yak is sending the message from Room to Read  that kids in the developing world need books and the right to read. That’s the way to end poverty and change the world.

Tristan Banks gave a terrific speech about all the ways we can help Room to Read from joining their City to Surf team to joining the charity ball ….

Illustrator Gus Gordon joined in and there were lots of other authors and supporters. Even though I was a little late due to Sydney Harbour Bridge traffic, I made it for the speeches. It was a great night.

 

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Well Wendy made a list. Yesterday, I was very happy to find out that Wendy had made the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Books list in the picture book category. This is a list of thirty odd picture books that were released in 2009. I had one eye slightly open (I hate these sort of things) when the list was announced, not really expecting much so it was a nice surprise. There are a ton of good books on the list so it felt good to be included. Mind you, now that the buggers had me reeled in (in an emotional hostage kind of way - it's bloody cruel), I found it nigh on impossible to get much work done in the interim until the short list (down to six books) was announced a few hours later at noon. Alas, Wendy didn't make the cut. Still, I'm just happy she was on a list.

Thanks again for all the nice emails kind people.

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Bookfeast was abuzz with balloons, kids, teachers and the cream of Australian children’s authors and illustrators.

Haberfield school librarian, Michael Fraser’s annual event is unique in uniting the community of Australian children’s authors and illustrators with their audiences in a celebration of literature and reading.

 Keynote speakers were:-

Richard Harland award winning and best selling fantasy author

Sue Murray Australia’s leading youth playwright

Sarah Davis - awarded best new young illustrator by the CBCA for ‘Mending Lucille’

Duncan Ball, Australia’s much loved and multi award winning author of Selby the Talking Dog and Emily Eyefinger.

 It was a FEAST of talent including

Gus Gordon illustrator - look out for brilliant picture book WENDY

William Kostakis author - YA novel ‘Loathing Lola’

Moya Simons author - series ‘Walk Right In Detective Agency’

Emma Quay illustrator - adorable picture book ‘Bear and Chook’

Sue Whiting author - kids favourite the Firefighters illustrated by Donna Rawlings

Kate Forsyth world wide fantasy author - brilliant series Chain of Charms

Deb Abela author delights with - Max Remy Super Spy

Jenny Hale and her debut fantasy series JATTA which is already a best seller

Chris Cheng editor of a new Poetry anthology that is receiving acclaim

and many more - Felicity Pulman, Vashti Farrer,David Mulligan,Libby Hathorn,Alan Baille,Patricia Bernard,Vicky Morrison ….

It’s truly a FEAST

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