The Full Belly Bowl - Book Review

Title: Full Belly Bowl
Author: Jim Aylesworth
Illustrator: Wendy Anderson Halperin

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Atheneum; 1st edition (October 1, 1999)
ISBN-10: 0689810334
ISBN-13: 978-0689810336

Too much of a good thing is usually just that. Too much.

An old man lived in a cozy tiny house with his cat Angelina. She was white with patches of black and the very old man thought that she was just about the sweetest cat in the world. When the old man becomes hungry he goes into the forest and searches for wild strawberries. Soon he hears the sound of a small voice calling for help. The old man sees a fox trying to carry a “wee small man” away.

The wee small man was injured and the old man gently lifted him up and took him home. For three days the old man shared generously with the small man. The wee small man became strong and one day he was gone. However, he left a letter on the old man’s doorstep beneath the rim of an overturned bowl that the letter described as a “Full Belly Bowl.” It was obvious the bowl was a gift but what in the world is a “Full Belly Bowl?” The letter explains the rules: "When not in use, store it upside down."

Later that evening the old man prepared some stew as usual and placed it in the bowl and began to eat. He ate and ate and ate, but the bowl was still as full as when he began. He even gave some to Angelina. The two had never been so full. They were so full that they fell asleep and the old man forgot to turn the Full Belly Bowl upside down.

The secret of the Full Belly Bowl was discovered. Any object or thing placed in the Full Belly Bowl multiplies until the bowl is turned over. After a few mishaps, the old man decides to multiply his coins at the prospect of untold wealth. However, greed gets in the way and the old man forgets the rules. Follow the old man and his cat in this light hearted folk tale that teaches the lesson: more is not always better.

Aylesworth keeps the story’s action going with some amusing capers. This is an excellent story time book and the wonderful colored-pencil drawings help to move the story along with little vignettes and borders with fruits, flowers and birds help to enhance the plot. Thoughtful attention to layout, visual detail, and a well-told tale combine to create a book that will compliment any library for a long time.

About the Author: Picture book author Jim Aylesworth tells his stories with generous doses of loud sounds, rhythms and rhymes. His experiences as a teacher have taught him that these are the elements children like in a story, especially when it is being read aloud. He has been honored in several years with an entry in Who's Who Among America's Teachers.

But it was his work with children that brought him the most reward. It was his experiences as a teacher that eventually led him to writing children's books. His students' enjoyment of his stories encouraged him to persist in pursuing his dream of being a children's book writer. It was in the classroom that he realized the power of books. He says, "I have seen a room full of children sit still and pay attention to a good book when it may be the first time they've been still at the same time all day."

About the illustrator Wendy Anderson Halperin: "My life enters into my books as if I were reading a mystery. I never know how, who, when, or why things and people enter my drawings. It is not calculated, however it is mysteriously woven."

Write it down,
Carma

Mama's Milk - Book Review

Title: Mama’s Milk
Author: Michael Elsohn Ross
Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hard Cover: 32 pages
Publisher: Tricycle Press; Bilingual edition (March 2008)
ISBN-10: 1582462453
ISBN-13: 978-1582462455

Mama’s Milk is wonderful, educational and entertaining for the picture story book age and parents. Michael Ross describes different ways mothers of all creatures nurse their babies. This provides parents a wonderful opportunity to discuss how and why mothers nurse and the benefits of breast milk.

The author begins with a human mother cuddling and nursing her child. “Cuddle little baby warm and tight Mama’s going to feed you day and night.” The story continues with pigs and their piglets, “She’ll fatten you up in a sunny pig sty.”

Every page depicts a different animal nursing their babies and also gives the correct name of each animal and offspring. For example: A Mare and her fold; An elephant and calf. In the back of the book a classification and illustration of each highlighted animal is added with factual statements about nursing practices. Foals nurse every thirty minutes. Kangaroo milk is pink. My granddaughters grimaced with a “Ewwwwww!” giggling all the while. Also, a dolphin calf holds its breath while feeding underwater. Can you imagine?

Michael Ross’ book is a celebration of the beauty of natural breastfeeding and a reminder how much humans and other mammal mamas on this planet earth have in common. The rhyming tone is gentle, comforting and loving. Parents will learn a lot too when they read along with their children.

The illustrations by Ashley Wolff contribute greatly to the message by providing a way for young children to learn and identify animals. The two page spreads are illustrated in deep, rich, velvet looking colors giving off a warm glow. I was especially drawn to the cover of Mama's Milk. Ashley's illustrations made me want to pet the soft fur.

About the Author: Michael Elsohn Ross has worked as a naturalist and environmental educator in Yosemite National Park for over three decades. He is the award-winning author of more than forty books for young people. Over the years he has acquired the nickname “bug author” Visit his website here

About the Illustrator: Ashley Wolff always wanted to be an artist and she has been illustrating books since 1984. All of them about animals, children and love. Please take a look at Ashley's website for more information. Check out her "what's new" tab.

Write it down,
Carma

Children's Writing Links to Boost Your Craft

Please enjoy the informative and rich children's writing links below.

Do you want to write a picture book? Don’t be fooled by the small amount of words (approximately 200) and pages (32). Successful picture book writing is far more difficult than it looks. Read this enlightening article.

Writing Picture Books

Sometimes it is difficult to know what one publisher means by picture book or early reader. Go to Understanding Children’s Writing Genres to view a glossary of children’s publishing genres by Laura Backes, publisher of Children’s Book Insider

The Query Letter and How to Write One, by Diane Thomas

Aaron Shepard exposes dangerous myths and terrible truths about writing and publishing in his article here:

Dangerous Myths and Terrible Truths

I would like to recommend this excellent article by Terry Whalin, writer, editor and literary agent. Read Some Basics on Magazine Writing. Within the article there are also a few links to some excellent books on writing magazine articles. Check them out. This is a great article for those of us who are participating in the LKFall Article writing challenge.

I came across this great quote.

“Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then a tyrant. The last phase is that, just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him out to the public.”
—Winston Churchill

Write it down,
Carma

Scritch Scratch - Book Review

Title: Scritch Scratch

Author: Miriam Moss
Illustrator: Delphine Durand
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Orchard Books (July 25, 2002)
ISBN-10: 1841211125
ISBN-13: 978-1841211121


The parent of every elementary school child has had to deal with infestation of lice at one time or another. Scritch Scratch examines the lice dilemma in a humorous way yet does not treat the subject carelessly. However, an irritable situation soon becomes bearable and funny.

The illustrations of cartoon looking classroom and students draw attention to various shades of hair color, short or long hair, and braids that attract this tiny little louse that no one notices until it is too late. All through the book, classroom antics are revealed in rich detail with kids pulling hair and throwing paper airplanes. The louse that is the star of the story has a sunny disposition. “The little louse closed her eyes, held her breath and dove through the air. It didn’t matter where she landed. Any head would be the perfect home.”

After she lands on Ms. Calypso’s long red curly hair, she sings a happy tune as she sticks her eggs to each hair on Ms. Calypso’s head.

“Oh…No one knows from where I came,
A nit, a nibbler with no name,
But watch the teacher scritch and scratch,
When my creepy, crawly babies hatch.”


I even laughed out loud to this tune. After the baby lice hatched and climbed on Ms. Calypso’s cascading curls, they began to hop on to new heads when she goes Scritch Scratch while helping a student. Before long all the little lice had perfect homes of their own.

An infestation of lice at school calls for action from Mr. Trout the principal. He sends letters home to the parents telling them to treat the children’s hair. However, the lice come back because Ms. Calypso lives alone and didn’t have anyone to help her treat her own hair. Mr. Trout offers to help and they end up falling in love. But that is not the end of the potato-looking louse. You will have to read the end of the story to find out what happens.

About the author: Miriam is an award winning author of 70 children's books. She originally published 40 information books, but for the last 12 years she has written fiction. This has included picture books, novelty books and poetry, and recently short stories for the adult market. Her fiction has been translated into 21 languages.

Miriam has had wide experience of working creatively with children, as well as speaking in schools, libraries, at festivals. She offers lively, innovative large group performances, talks, interactive storytelling sessions, readings, seminars, creative writing and poetry workshops.

She was born in England but also grew up in Africa, The Middle East and China. After university she taught English for eight years in the UK and Kenya before becoming a writer. She now lives in East Sussex.

Write it down,
Carma

10 Tips to a Terrific Picture Book

Writing for children is not easy. An author's words and an illustrator's pictures must be chosen carefully because a young child's vocabulary is quite short. They do not understand long drawn out sentences. Please enjoy this article by Emma Walton Hamilton. She lays out the specifics of picture book writing in a most organized way.

Writing well for young readers can be deceptively difficult - almost like writing haiku. Here are ten tips to make the most out of your picture book manuscript:

1. Craft a simple, clear plot based on a single situation. What does your main character want, what's in their way, and how do they solve it in the end?

2. Tell the story from the point of view of someone the same age as your reader. The main character should ideally be a child, or a character (even if animal) of the same age or spirit as the reader, so that the reader can identify with him or her.

3. Write what you know. Research is important, but nothing will make your writing more compelling than drawing on your own knowledge and experience of people, places ands things. For example, use what you know about being a parent (or having one) to make a mother character (albeit a bunny, or an alien) seem truly authentic. Even in fantasy or historical fiction, try to infuse your characters, situations and storytelling with details from your own personal knowledge and experience to make them really come alive.

4. Jump right in. Start your story immediately, and don't take up too much time with settings or descriptions. Which grabs your attention better?

Chutney was a small white dog.

or

Chutney was lost.

5. Think visually. The average picture book is 32 pages long, including title pages, dedications and acknowledgments. Try laying out your manuscript in dummy format, with 16 pages folded in half to make 32 pages. What might the corresponding illustrations look like? At what point in the text will the reader turn the page? Think in terms of action - what makes your reader want to turn the page to find out what happens next?

6. Make every word count. Illustrations reveal as much about your story as words do. Choose your words carefully, and don't write what the illustrations will show. Avoid excessive use of adjectives and unnecessary detail. Economy is key - try to synthesize what you want to say into as few words as possible, artfully chosen.

7. Know your theme. What's your point? What message do you want to convey to your readers, what thoughts or feelings do you want to leave them with? Great books do more than entertain - they leave the reader with new ideas, a fresh perspective. Whether called message, moral, or point of view, your theme is best revealed through the actions of your characters and the events of the tale - as opposed to any heavy-handed "and the moral of the story is..." summations or direct address.

8. Use verse with caution. It's tempting to think that rhyme alone makes for an engaging story for a child - but many aspiring children's book authors neglect story structure for the sake of rhyme. If your story is in verse, make sure you craft a version in prose as well. Focus on finessing the story to make sure you've addressed the key points - character, plot, setting, theme - and then convert it back, to let the verse be the frosting on the cake, not the cake itself. Finally, be sure your verse is top-notch - that the rhymes are true and the meter scans consistently. Never try to bend the phrasing or emphasis to accommodate the rhyme.

9. Offer hope. OK, this is more a personal view than a professional one... but I believe children's books should ultimately be optimistic, even if the subject matter is sad. The world is hard enough. Young people need to know that there are solutions to problems, and that adversity can be overcome with faith, courage and right action. Think carefully about why you want to write for children, and what you want to leave them with. Their future may depend on it.

10. Polish, polish, polish! Because children's books are shorter than adult books, it's tempting to think you're done after the first or second draft - and rush ahead soliciting agents and publishers. But nothing can kill your chances of publication - or of success when published - faster than slipshod writing. Writing is all about re-writing. Read your book out loud to as many children in the target age range as you can. Notice what works, and what doesn't. Where do they get fidgety? What don't they understand? Read scores of books in the same genre, so you can see what makes the good ones sing. Consider hiring a freelance editor or writing consultant to evaluate your manuscript or provide a line-edit. Give it the care and professional attention it deserves. Your readers will thank you for it!

Have your manuscript edited by a bestselling children's book author and acclaimed editor! Visit http://www.childrensbookeditor.com for more information.

Emma Walton Hamilton is a bestselling children's book author, editor and arts educator. She has co-authored 16 books for children, four of which have been on the New York Times Bestseller List (including #1) and serves as the Editorial Director of the Julie Andrews Collection publishing program. Emma works as a freelance editor and speaks regularly on arts and literacy issues. http://www.emmawaltonhamilton.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emma_Walton_Hamilton

Write it down,
Carma

Book Review: Mrs. Marlowe's Mice

Title: Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice
Author: Frank Asch
Ages: 5 to 8 years
Hard Cover: 32 pages
Illustrator: Devin Asch
Publisher: Kids Can Press
ISBN: 978-1-55453-022-9
Publication: 2007

Mrs. Eleanor Marlowe leads a double life. During the day she works at the Purrington Street Library as a respected feline librarian. By night she harbors a family of mice. Every day she has to sneak by her nosy neighbor Mrs. Godfrey who suspects Mrs. Marlowe of hiding something.

Mrs. Marlowe’s mice keep the apartment spic and span while she works and she keeps her mice well fed with lots of cheese. Some of the mice wonder if Mrs. Marlowe is trying to fatten them up for the kill.

“Oh, what a horrid thing to say Albert!” squeaked Aunt Gerty. “You know perfectly well that Mrs. Marlowe invited us to come live with her out of the kindness of her heart.”

“And at great risk to her own welfare, I might add!” said Grandpa Paul.

Mrs. Marlowe lives in Catland and cats that shelter mice are severely punished. The Department of Catland Security keeps a close watch for mice and those cats who would harbor them. One day two security cats; Lieutenant Manx and Sergeant Baxter, come pounding on Marlowe’s door demanding to search the premises.

Can Mrs. Marlowe out wit her accusers? Everything is going fine until little Billy falls from his hiding place. No one could have predicted what happened next. Is Mrs. Marlowe a mouse sympathizer or not? There is just enough suspense to the story to give a child’s imagination a lot of imagining room. No one knows for sure whose side Mrs. Marlowe is really on until the end of the book.

Adding to the suspense are outstanding computer generated graphics. The pictures complement the book's overall tone and theme and look a little like tinted photographs. The composition and sequence of the pictures give the book a movie picture quality. The Computer illustrations show a mixture of realism and surrealism that go along with the book’s creative use of pure fantasy. Toddlers and young elementary students will enjoy this book about good cats versus bad cats.

About the author: Frank Asch and Devin Asch are a father and son team. Frank Asch has been writing and illustrating children’s books for over 40 years. Devin Asch is an accomplished photographer and illustrator. Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice is the second major collaboration between this talented father and son team. Their previous book together, Mr. Maxwell’s Mouse, has garnered many honors and starred reviews.

The graphics in Mrs. Marlowe’s Mice is what first caught my eye on the library shelf. Adults may read other perspective views into the plot and this is what makes the book so original. The moral of the story? If cats and mice can find a way to get along, then anything is possible.

Write it down,

Carma

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse - Book Review

An amusing little human-like mouse named Lilly learns about conflict and listening to her teacher.

Age group is 7 to 10

32 page Picture book.

Published by: Greenwillow Books - from Harper Collins

Author and Illustrator: Kevin Henkes

Lilly loves life and her teacher Mr. Slinger. He wears cool shirts with crazy ties. He also provides yummy snacks for all his students and Lilly wants to be a teacher just like him. One day Lilly brings her new purple plastic purse that plays music to school. She irritates everyone and noisily displays it inappropriately. Mr. Slinger takes the purple purse away from Lilly until the end of the day and Lilly draws a mean portrait of her teacher.

At the end of the school day when Lilly gets outside and opens her purse she discovers a nice note from Mr. Slinger “…Today was difficult. Tomorrow will be a better day” and some tasty snacks. Lilly is overcome with guilt and decides to make up with her teacher the next day.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse teaches a lesson about discipline and anger management. The book demonstrates that discipline is not punishment when Mr. Slinger shows understanding and compassion to Lilly. Learning to question and respect authority is a very delicate balance and an important lesson for children to learn. This is reinforced in Lilly’s home by her loving parents. Unfortunately, many children grow up thinking discipline is all about punishment when in fact it is teaching character.

Write it down,

Carma

Learn to Write Picture Books with Margot Finke

Join the Children's Writer's Coaching Club at the National Writing for Children Center and you'll have access to FOUR 55-minute teleclasses each and every month.

If you've ever wanted to write a picture book for children but just didn't know how to go about it, you won't want to miss this week's fun and informative teleclass with children's picture book author Margot Finke.

Just look at all Margot will cover in this class:

PICTURE (BOOK) PERFECT

*Good grammar and punctuation
* Tight writing — use a few carefully chosen words to write a "big" story.
* The benefit of bringing powerful verbs into play.
* How to paint word pictures that will stick in a child’s head.
* How to write active paragraphs that easily translate into illustrations
* How to FOCUS on what is important to the story — and cut the rest.
* The art of crafting characters kids will identify with and root for.
* Develop a writing "voice" that is unique.

This LIVE teleclass will take place on Wednesday, February 13, 2008, at 4:00 pacific time.

To receive an email invitation to this event, along with any handouts needed for the class, join the Children's Writers' Coaching Club at:


The Children's Writers
Coaching Club

I hope to meet you in class this Wednesday evening. But, if you can't attend the LIVE teleclass, as a coaching club member you will also receive a link to the recording of this class on Thursday, so you can listen to the class at any time. Have a great writing day!

Carma

The Diary of a Worm

Written by: Doreen Cronin
Illustrated by: Harry Bliss
Hardback: 32 pages
Published by: Joanna Cotler Books
An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Ages: 6 and older
ISBN 0-06-000150-X
Published: 2003

The theme of Diary of a Worm is set right away with the title and then each event is dated by month and number. This delightful humorous picture book by Doreen Cronin is about a loveable worm who finds out that there are some good things in life and not so good things.

His mom tells him there are three things he should always remember: 1. The earth gives us everything we need. 2. When we dig tunnels, we help take care of the earth. 3. Never bother Daddy when he’s eating the newspaper.

And there are three good things about being a worm. 1. I never have to go to the dentist. 2. I never get in trouble for tracking mud through the house. 3. I never have to take a bath.

The illustrations by Harry Bliss are really the highlight of this book and the cartoon images on the inside of the book cover are meant to look like family photos of the little worm. In addition the protagonist tries to teach his spider friend how to dig but the spider gets all his legs stuck in dirt and in turn the spider tries to teach the worm how to walk upside down, only to discover that worms cannot walk upside down. All ages can relate to the humor in this book.

Adults and children can share a fun read together. I observed my seven year old granddaughter as she read Diary of a Worm to me. She carefully studied the pictures on both pages before reading. Although the words were for her grade level, the pictures enhanced her confidence with her reading.

Write it down,

Carma