Halloween and Pumpkins

 Halloween is here again.  Many kids say it is their favorite holiday, and why not?  Jack-o-Lanterns, costumes, Trick or Treating, and at the end of the evening, lots of candy!  Here are some wonderful books for this time of year--Wilma Snyder.

In Corinne Demas’ Halloween Surprise, Lily wants to choose the perfect Halloween costume for Trick-or-Treat and to surprise her father.  She tries out several traditional costumes and none is just right.  Her final solution will offer a fun surprise for every young reader.  Artist R. W. Alley makes any picture book more fun. (Walker & Company,  2011)

The youngest readers will enjoy What Am I?  Halloween by Anne Margaret Lewis.  Every page is interactive as the suspense builds.  Big bright pictures and sturdy covers make this perfect for toddlers.  This book is a part of the “My Look and See Holiday Book” series. (Illustrated by Tom Mills.  Albert Whitman,  2011)

Elizabeth Spurr says that she is very fond of monsters, having raised five of them.  She knows the kind of story that appeals to many children and uses her knowledge in Monsters, Mind Your Manners!  These ill-mannered monsters are so rude and rowdy that young readers will feel deliciously superior.  Good for lots of giggles.  (Illustrations by Simon Scales.  Albert Whitman,  2011)

Cat and his friend Mouse work together in the garden.  Mouse shows Cat how to grow pumpkins – from planting the seeds, giving water and sunlight, planting the seedlings outside to watching them grow, protecting them and building a scarecrow to frighten away the crows.  Then when it is time to pick the pumpkin, Mouse has a big surprise for Cat.  Anne Mortimer’s gorgeous art makes this charmer a sure winner.  Look for Pumpkin Cat. (HarperCollins, 2011)

Vivid Nonfiction

Young children are endlessly fascinated by pictures of the natural wonders of the plant and animal worlds.  Many kids will choose brightly illustrated nonfiction books over fanciful picture books.  Here are some new books which will be wonderful additions to home and classroom libraries--Wilma SnyderCaterpillars by Marilyn Singer is a sure favorite.  Kids will listen with rapt attention to the fact-filled text, but the main attraction will be the amazing photographs.  There are more than 100,000 kinds of moths and butterflies which lay eggs. All of their eggs hatch into larvae – popularly known as caterpillars.  Poet and teacher Singer explores the world of caterpillars,  explaining morphology and behavior, choosing mysterious facts, and accompanying all of this information with beautiful photographs.  Includes quiz, glossary, matching game, references and index.

Seymour Simon focuses on monarch butterflies and their migration patterns in Butterflies.  In classic Simon fashion, he connects facts about butterflies with scientific research, history, poetry and a great respect for nature.  Kids ages 5 to 9 will enjoy Simon’s accessible text, beautiful photography, and directions for planting a butterfly garden.  Includes glossary, index and list of resources.

Catherine Ham comes up with an original idea in Animal Naps.  This book is chock-full of photographs showing how various animals sleep.  Rhyming text provides information about every pictured animal making this one perfect for sharing with a group.   

Troy Howell and The Dragon of Cripple Creek

Troy Howell will be signing books at bbgb Tales for Kids http://bbgbbooks.com/ on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm.  Troy will be in town to appear at the James River Writers Conference which runs Oct. 6-8, 2011. http://www.jamesriverwriters.org/jrw_programs/conference/.

Troy kindly agreed to answer a few questions about his work in an interview with Lucinda Whitehurst.

LW:  When you started The Dragon of Cripple Creek, did you have any idea how topical your story would be with the economy stalling and gold prices skyrocketing?
TH:  Actually, yes.  I started writing the book six years ago and kind of projected what I thought might happen with the economy.  Silver prices had been going up;  I thought gold prices would be next.

LW:  I wish I had your forethought!  Now so many children are facing a situation similar to Kat's, where the loss of a job means possibly losing their house, school, friends—essentially their way of life.
TH:  Yes, I have seen this happening to so many people, including friends and family members.  It's been a terrible time to try to make a living.  My first inspiration for Dragon of Cripple Creek, though, was that there should be a dragon in North America.  Then I thought of putting him in a gold mine in the American West.  I wanted to break dragon stereotypes; to not follow reader expectations based on other dragon stories and legends.

LW:  Greed as a concept is not often discussed in children's books, but it is such an important issue for children to confront.
TH:  I think materialism is the cause of evil in society.  I'm working on a YA book about that topic right now.

LW:  You include references to other works throughout The Dragon in Cripple Creek.
TH:  Yes, it's a way for me to be more creative.  You start with a reference point that others may recognize, then go beyond that original source.

LW:  I thought about the Alice in Wonderland references, but I did not come up with the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour until reading your author notes.  Kat certainly goes on a Magical Mystery Tour of her own, veering off track, meeting unusual people and of course Ye.  When I looked at the title list, I could see that "All You Need is Love," "Penny Lane," "Hello Goodbye," "Flying," and "Baby You’re a Rich Man" definitely could relate to your story.  Did you listen to the album as you wrote?
TH:  No, actually I listened to Western music!  I've always been a Beatles fan, and Kat's mother is a Beatles fan, so the songs just came into the story that way.

Howell first became famous in the children's book world through his cover illustrations for Brian Jacques' Redwall series.  His dramatically posed warrior-animals caught the imagination of a generation of young readers.  Since Mr. Jacques recently died, I asked Troy if he would miss the series.
TH:  Actually, I've been ready to move on from those books for some time now.  I always read the manuscripts and came up with ideas for the covers, but as time went on, I was allowed less and less creative expression.  As an artist, it's difficult to have someone else control what elements should be included in a painting.  {For more information about Troy's work with the Redwall series, check out this excellent interview www.longpatrolclub.com/interviews/howell.html}

LW:  You've had success as an artist.  Are you going to continue to illustrate or turn more to writing now?
TH:  I'm still doing some picture books and illustrated books, such as a new version of The Grey Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, but I'm moving more into writing.  I have several projects going right now, including a middle grade book about a boy who meets Hans Christian Andersen's ghost in Copenhagen.  My hope for my work is that I will touch people with what I do and do my best.

LW:  Are you going to talk about anything particular at the James River Writers Conference?
TH:  I'm going to tell people that we're all in this together.  I'll never stop learning, but I'm glad to share what I have learned with others.

Many thanks to Troy Howell for a wonderful conversation!

   

William Joyce's Guardians of Childhood series

William Joyce entered the picture book scene in the mid-1980s with George Shrinks and Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo.  Although all of his books are inventive and entertaining, two more of my favorites came in the 1990s, Bently & Egg and Santa Calls.  The 2000s saw Joyce spending a lot of time in Hollywood, working on his TV series Rolie Polie Olie (based on his books), designing for major studios, and producing feature films.  I feared that Joyce would never return to original picture books.  Thankfully, I was wrong!

Beginning this fall, Joyce is releasing a major new series that combines picture books and novels.  The Guardians of Childhood develops "origin stories" for beloved figures such as Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and more.  The first book in the series, a picture book called The Man in the Moon, is gloriously beautiful.

Joyce does not write for idealized carefree children living what adults view as an idyllic existence.  Joyce knows that even happy children have fears and concerns about their world.  Joyce creates fantasy worlds where scary or sad things happen, but children (or their animal counterparts) are strong enough to find ways to cope.  In Bently & Egg, Bently the frog loses his duck friend's egg, the equivalent of a human babysitter forgetting where she put the baby.  This potentially frightening concept is leavened by the caring nature of all the characters Bently encounters in his quest to regain the egg and in the unwavering affection Kack-Kack the duck shows Bently.  The premise of Santa Calls is that a little girl whose parents have died writes to Santa to ask that her older brother pay attention to her; in essence, to love her.

The theme of loss is present in The Man in the Moon as well.  The Man in the Moon started life with loving parents and a dear friend Nightlight, who watched over him.  A terrible attack on the family's space ship by Pitch, the King of Nightmares, leaves MiM without human companions.  Moonbots, Moonmice, and Glowworms love and protect the baby as he grows.

Joyce's artwork is simply stunning.  Drawing on the visual style of early films and classic cartoons, Joyce arrives at images that are familiar enough to seem comforting, yet are uniquely his own.

The novel, Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, incorporates the story of the Man in the Moon into a much larger narrative.  I am looking forward to seeing how Joyce has imagined the series as a whole and how each part will relate to the others.

For a special family gift this holiday season, look no further than The Guardians of Childhood series.

The Man in the Moon is available now; Nicholas St. North is coming Oct. 4, 2011; both are published by Atheneum/Simon & Schuster--Lucinda Whitehurst.

Joy of Children's Literature Conference at William & Mary

A new conference devoted to children's books and authors will premiere this October in Williamsburg.  Organized by William and Mary professor Denise Johnson, the conference will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, from 8 am to 5 pm.  Speakers include Pamela Duncan Edwards, Candice Ransom, Sara Lewis Holmes, Kim Norman, and Laurie Kreb.  Get all the details here:  http://jclconference.blogspot.com/--Lucinda Whitehurst

James River Writers Conference

Have you ever thought about writing a children's book?  Or do you just love meeting writers and assorted "book people"?  The James River Writers Conference will be held in Richmond October 6-8, 2011, at the Library of Virginia.  You can hear terrific children's authors such as Newbery Honor winner Kathi Appelt, Gigi Amateau, Meg Medina, and illustrator/author Troy Howell.  Here's the place to go for registration information: http://www.jamesriverwriters.org/jrw_programs/conference/--Lucinda Whitehurst

Children's Authors Coming to Richmond

bbgb Books for Kids will have Michael Buckley in the shop from 3:30-5:30 PM.  Buckley is the author of wonderful middle grade books such as NERDS and the Sisters Grimm series.  bbgb is located at 3100 Kensington Avenue, Richmond, VA, 23221 (formerly Narnia Books for Children).  Phone 804-353-5675 or go to www.bbgbbooks.com for more information.

Read Aloud Virginia/Children's Book Bank will be hosting Kathryn Erskine, winner of the 2010 National Book Award for Mockingbird.  Session A will be held at 11:30 AM at the Library of Virginia; Session B will be at 4:30 PM at the Children's Museum of Richmond.  Go to www.readaloudva.org to register and to learn more about austim workshops and lunch and dinner options.  Contact Joanie Bache at 804-627-2847 or joaniebache@readaloudva.org for more information.

Forget about political elections--Richmond is having its very own SUPER TUESDAY on September 27.  Two amazing authors will be in town that day.  If you plan carefully, you might even be able to see them both--Lucinda Whitehurst.