Question... What's the right one?

As my students have now left the nest and are off on their first practicum experience I reflect on the past six weeks of my teaching at the faculty of education. My focus has been on inquiry and how that translates into good teaching in science. The trick is to teach children to ask the right questions – ones that are investigable and interesting, and questions that are written in a way that children understand them and can begin to discover ways to answer them.

My natural instinct is to turn to picture books and look at those books that ask questions or that ask us to ask questions.

A Room Full of Questions written and illustrated by Tracy Gallup

Synopsis: Open the door to the room in your soul where all your questions live. Is magic in every one of us? Is anything always? This is a book to explore, cherish, and mark life's most important passages. It will encourage the reader to linger over each question and examine his/her soul.

Professor Aesop’s Crow and the Pitcher written and illustrated by Stephanie Gwyn Brown

Synopsis: A hot, dry desert. A tired, thirsty crow. A tall pitcher of water. Think you know the story? Think again! In her reinterpretation of Aesop's classic fable of perseverance, Stephanie Gwyn Brown guides readers through all six steps of the scientific method—from question to communication—with Crow as the model scientist. But it takes a strong work ethic and a series of comic attempts before he invents a way to bring the water to a life-saving drinking level. Readers are ultimately invited into Crow's laboratory where they learn much more than just a moral to the story. This book is a wonderful way to introduce scientific inquiry and how to pose answerable questions.

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? written by Margaret MacNamara, illustrated by Brian Karas

Synopsis: "How many seeds in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. Robert, the biggest kid, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she's talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Anna, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22. Charlie, the smallest boy in the class, doesn't have a guess. Counting pumpkin seeds is messy business, but once the slimy job is done, to everyone's surprise, the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds! As Charlie happily exclaims, "Small things have a lot going on inside of them." Only one way to find out!

How Full is Your Bucket? written by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer, illustrated by Maurie J. Manning

Synopsis: When Felix wakes up one morning, he finds an invisible bucket floating overhead. A rotten morning threatens his mood - and his bucket - drop by drop. Can Felix discover how to refill his bucket before it's completely empty? This book offers some excellent jumping off points for dealing with bullying and self-esteem.

If...

If... opens doors to so many ideas and possibilities. Picture books open these doors on many levels for those who are willing to read more than just the text. Here are some ifs to get your going!

Leslie McGuirk's If Rocks Could Sing is an extraordinary alphabet book, the result of years worth of beachcombing to find just the right rock to do the job. Photographs of amazing rocks in the shapes of letters and numbers beg me to open my eyes to look on the ground to see what I may have been missing. Apparently, it took the longest to find a rock that looks like a "K"! McGuirk's patience paid off but she reminds us in a note at the end of the book called Rock Talk "For many years I waited for the letter K to appear. There was nothing I could do to make it show up. I understood that nature has its own timing, and my job was to be aware and expectant."

If... by Sarah Perry, published in 1995 is a timeless book of surreal images and preposterous thoughts that compel us to consider the impossible. Reminicent of Rob Gonsalves' illustrations in his Imagine a Day, Imagine a Night and Imagine a Place books, Perry's simple text and illustrations provoke our imagination. For example, "if frogs ate rainbows..., if mice were hair..., if ugly were beautiful..." what then?

Jim Averbeck's Except If tells it like it is! "An egg is just an egg except if, after hatching, it becomes something else." Mind stretching ideas push readers to think of the possibilities. Simple, bold illustrations make it happen.

Finally, What If? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger asks us to consider one situation and a variety of possible outcomes. WHAT IF a boy found a beach ball and kicked it into the ocean? WHAT IF two seals found it and began to play? WHAT IF a third seal appeared on the beach looking for a friend? In this spare and deceptively simple book, Laura Vaccaro Seeger shows us the same story with three different outcomes, each highlighting the possibility in possibilities.Youngest children will enjoy this visit to the beach and the chance to guess what happens when different choices are made.

The presses kept rolling while I was away!

It's been a month since my last blog entry and lots has happened in the publishing world! I'd like to highlight a couple of titles that will appeal to a variety of audiences.

My Tattooed Dad by Daniel Nesquens

Synopsis: A young boy describes what life is like when his dad comes home -- how he fries up chicken samosas for dinner, how he makes jokes and fools around, and how he carries him off to bed when he is sleepy. His dad also tells wonderful stories of his adventures in far-off lands, often inspired by his many exotic tattoos. His letters to his son are full of great stories about the past -- what the first date with the boy's mother was like and how he saved the boy's life twice, once when he was stolen from his baby basket by a dog and once when he flew out the car window. But as his mother says, his dad has ants in his pants, which means he's often not around. Still, life rolls along with one fantastical tale after another, in good times and bad. This extraordinary father's gift is the life of the imagination, which is always with his son, even when he is not.

Comments: The illustrations in the book are reminiscent of fantastical tattoos. The artist created pencil drawings that were scanned and then coloured digitally for an incredibly rich affect. As quoted from Kirkus' reviews: alternating tattoo-style vignettes of animals, hearts, skulls and the like framed in baroque flourishes with wildly fanciful full-page cartoons, pop surrealist Magicomora provides urbane visual counterparts to the stories’ increasingly freewheeling flights.

Also from Groundwood Books comes the story of Mexican Mennonite migrant workers, many living in Southwestern Ontario, aptly named Migrant by Maxine Trottier.

Synopsis: Each spring Anna leaves her home in Mexico and travels north with her family where they will work on farms harvesting fruits and vegetables. Sometimes she feels like a bird, flying north in the spring and south in the fall. Sometimes she feels like a jack rabbit living in an abandoned burrow, as her family moves into an empty house near the fields. But most of all she wonders what it would be like to stay in one place.

Comment:
Without a heavy message, this sensitive offering captures a small child’s experience of constant upheaval as she flies like a feather in the wind. A long final
note fills in more facts about Anna’s unique migrant group of Germans. (Hazel Rochman, Booklist)

Finally, a comment about a past post. Lemony Snickett, aka Daniel Handler, is performing with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony this upcoming weekend. Among other stories he will be featuring his work titled The Composer is Dead (see post from January 27, 2011) or for more information visit http://kwsymphony.ca/media/releases/10-11Int3Release.pdf

Magic Suitcase is on the move!

We are three more sleeps away from taking flight on another Nepali adventure. Those who have travelled with us or followed our adventures in the past will know that there is lots more going on than drinking tea (although we have had the privilege of experiencing the "three cups of tea" phenomenon each time).


This year we embark on our journey with 9 students and 5 adults. Our group of 14 from Canada is a strong and determined team and we look forwad to combining efforts with our Nepali cohorts. Led by Karma Sherpa and members of the YESS (Yangrima Ex-Students Society) group we will be visiting the village of Thakani, where we will work together to build a playground (which was the thrust of our fundraising efforts this time). Following our stay in Thakani we will trek to Sermathang, on the other side of the valley in the Helambu region, to visit Yangrima School, where our other hosts are from. Our team is prepared for the physical labour, the trek, the cultural experience and for the food! But, we are most excited about the life-long friendships our group will make, as we have.

The Magic Suitcase plays a role here as well. Last year 7 adults travelled to Helambu to work on two projects. One was to offer a 4-day sports training workshop for physical education teachers. We had 26 participants, all from Helambu schools. The second project was to build a library collection for Yangrima School. The best part of this project was purchasing the books in Kathmandu! Can you imagine what it looked like to have 7 teachers let loose in a four-storey building filled with books. We chose over 1000 books, had them transported up (2700m) to Yangrima school and sat for 2 days while we pasted cards and envelopes and catalogued each book before placing them on their new shelves. Thanks to Wintergreen and Brodart for their support.

This year's project is in conjunction with Run for Life, which collaborates with educators to deliver school-based running programs. Their Global Outreach program is an initiative that recycles running shoes and educational materials, including books, and repurposes them to rural schools in developing countries. They currently link Canadian Schools with schools abroad - in our case, Nepal. A direct school-to-school link is established via the use of smart phone technology to foster a unique learning experience for students in both communities. Please follow our journey via this link: http://schools.runforlife.ca/nepal


The Magic Suitcase's role has been to support Run for Life's initiative by finding suitable picture books in support of their varied running/literacy programs. Running Shoes by Frederick Lipp has been a "shoe-in" (pun intended!). In support of another running program called "Run Like a Girl" we recommend titles from the Planet Girl series such as Centsibility by Ellen Warwick and Stacey Roderick. Check out the art work provided by Monika Melnychuk and then visit http://www.runforlife.ca/ for the uncanny coincidence!

Gotta run... to Nepal!

Good things are happening here!

Magic Suitcase has been chose as the Bookstore of the Month at the House of Anasi Press! Check out Judy's interview at http://www.anansi.ca/

Books for all Reasons

It appears that there's a renewed interest in the picture book genre. I find that more and more teachers and educators are requesting picture books that deal with specific themes and issues. This is the kind of challenge that I most enjoy. Not only are primary teachers using this resource to read stories to their classes but junior, intermediate and even senior teachers are using picture books to deal with difficult ideas such as: depression, loss, equity, gender, racism, tolerance and even helping children understand the concept of fair trade.

When I display books at a conference I find that people are drawn to our booth for aesthetic reasons. They may initially be drawn closer by the look of the booth but they are usually lured into the booth by the beauty of the books displayed. When approached, most teachers just enjoy being left alone to immerse themselves in the books but on occasion I'll get a customer who, upon noticing only picture books, says "Oh, I teach high school". Nothing is more satisfying than when a customer is pleasantly surprised by the depth of some picture books.

Shaun Tan comes to mind when searching for picture books for older students. A new collection of two of his favourites - The Lost Thing and The Red Tree, and a John Marsden favourite - The Rabbits has just been rereleased in a stunning hard cover version called Lost and Found.

Synopsis:

A girl finds a bright spot in a dark world. A boy leads a strange, lost creature home. And a group of peaceful creatures cedes their home to cruel invaders. Shaun Tan, with his understated voice and brilliant draftsmanship, has proved that he has a unique imaginative window to our souls, and an unparalleled ability to share that opening with pictures and narratives that are as unexpected as they are deeply true.

Great loves and warm memories

Memories of spicy cinnamon hearts, cheesy sayings on heart-shaped candies and piles of heart-shaped 'be mine' card litter the desks tops of children in many classrooms today. This makes me think about what I love... chocolate, the Earth, my home.

I Know Here written by Laurel Croza and illustrated by Matt James.

Synopsis: The little girl in this story lives with her family in a trailer in northeastern Saskatchewan, where her father is building a dam. She knows everything about the place she lives -- her road, her school, the forest where she plays hide- and-seek and where the wolf howls at night, the hill where she goes tobogganing in winter . . . But the dam is nearly finished and when summer comes the family is moving to Toronto -- a place marked by a big red star on the map at school. "Have people in Toronto seen what I've seen?" the little girl asks. And with her teacher's help she finds a way to keep everything she loves about home. This simple, beautifully written story, complemented by Matt James's vibrant, imaginative illustrations, will resonate deeply with anyone who has had to leave their home, a place they love, for a new place.

Comment: Just last week at the OLA (Ontario Library Association) conference, I had the good fortune of hearing Laurel Croza and Matt James speak briefly about their book I Know Here. While Laurel asked members of the crowd to explain a place they loved, to the delight of those who spoke, Matt sketched these places with as much detail as they were willing to provide. These sketches resulted in broad smiles and a host of memories.

What I love about this book is the beautiful depiction (enhanced by the colourful oil paintings of Matt James) of the trailer park where she lives contrasted by the image conjured up by a trailer park setting. I love that her teacher is caring enough to suggest ways to take the place she loves with her and I love that the story ends with her move to Toronto and the feeling that it will all be okay.

Other books on love:

I Love our Earth written by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson

I Love Chocolate written and illustrated by Davide Cali

I Love the Rain written by Margaret Park Bridges.

Music to My Ears!

The Composer is Dead written by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Carson Ellis, music by Nathaniel Stookey

Synopsis:
There's dreadful news from the symphony hall—the composer is dead! If you have ever heard an orchestra play, then you know that musicians are most certainly guilty of something. Where exactly were the violins on the night in question? Did anyone see the harp? Is the trumpet protesting a bit too boisterously? In this perplexing murder mystery, everyone seems to have a motive, everyone has an alibi, and nearly everyone is a musical instrument. But the composer is still dead. Perhaps you can solve the crime yourself. Join the Inspector as he interrogates all the unusual suspects. Then listen to the accompanying audio recording featuring Lemony Snicket and the music of Nathaniel Stookey performed by the San Francisco Symphony. Hear for yourself exactly what took place on that fateful, well-orchestrated evening.

Comments:
Written in typical Lemony Snicket style, this book personifies the instruments in the orchestra. Rich in language and humour, the composer is described as “a person who sits in a room, muttering and humming and figuring out what notes the orchestra is going to play” but, the composer is dead! “This is called decomposing.” Now, the book becomes a “whodunit” and each instrument typifies its character. The flutes were doing bird imitations, the cellos and basses are weary from dragging their large bodies around and the violas – who play the notes in the chords that nobody cares about – are often forgotten. Satisfaction does come at the end of the story when the culprit is revealed. So, “for those who want justice” said the orchestra “go to the police, but for those who want something a little more interesting… go to the orchestra!”

Playful words...

13 Words written by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Maira Kalman

Synopsis:
Here is a word book like no other! Only Lemony Snicket could so adeptly weave such startlingly beautiful adventure out of a collection of the most essential words of all time, including Bird, Dog, Cake, Panache, Despondent, and of course, Haberdashery.

Comments:
According to Andy Whitlock from the website http://www.13-words.com/, “13 words is the perfect number to explain the essence of an idea”. With this in mind I began my search of ads and famous quotes and indeed found that often, thirteen words are all it takes. Now, take 13 random and seemingly unrelated words, and use them into create two completely different stories (which is what Lemony Snicket does in this brilliant picture book) and you have the makings of an imaginative writing lesson. The vocabulary is as rich as Lemony Snicket is unique and will inspire any creative writer to dust off their thesaurus for a writing assignment. Add to this uniqueness Maira Kalman’s interpretative illustrations and you’ll spend hours exploring the connections between the art work and the text.

Small Gifts

Immi’s Gift written and illustrated by Karin Littlewood

Synopsis:
Two children half a world away from each other are connected in an unexpected way in this timeless, fanciful story.

Way, way up north in a snow-covered frozen world, a young girl breaks a hole in the ice and fishes for her supper. But instead of a fish, at the end of the line is a small, brightly painted wooden bird. She ties it onto her necklace, next to a small wooden bear.

Day after day her fishing pole brings up more colorful surprises from the swirling sea under the frozen ice. She decorates her igloo with the beautiful treasures, and animals come from far and wide to visit with her and share stories of faraway lands. When it is time to move on, she visits the fishing hole one more time and drops the little bear from her necklace into the water.

Faraway, a young boy walks along a beach in the hot, hot sun. He throws a colorful object into the water. Then something catches his eye. There washed up on the beach is a small wooden bear...

Comments:

Immi’s world is white and cold and colourless. The vast whiteness of Immi’s world is contrasted by this tiny object that appears at the end of her fishing line. First one, then many more colourful objects follow.
Although the two children never meet, the story manages to build a bridge between the two contrasting worlds, two contrasting cultures and two similar children. It isn’t until the last page, when we see the boy in the tropics fish a small white bear trinket out of the water, that we make the connection and understand what’s happened. Even though the story is done the reader is compelled to dream up ideas of how the two will remain connected.

Look in the mirror...

Mirror written and illustrated by Jeannie Baker
Synopsis:
Two cultures, two stories, one unique book. Somewhere in Sydney, Australia, a boy and his family wake up, eat breakfast, and head out for a busy day of shopping. Meanwhile, in a small village in Morocco, a boy and his family go through their own morning routines and set out to a bustling market. In this ingenious, wordless picture book, readers are invited to compare, page by page, the activities and surroundings of children in two different cultures. Their lives may at first seem quite unalike, but a closer look reveals that there are many things, some unexpected, that connect them as well. Designed to be read side by side--one from the left and the other from the right--these intriguing stories are told entirely through richly detailed collage illustrations.

Comments:
Like the title of the book suggests, the design shows one story being the mirror image of the other. The wordless book only has text on the first page explaining the concept. This is written in both English and Arabic which works well since Arabic is written and read from right to left and appears to be the mirror image of the English text. The detailed collage-type illustrations provide the Western reader with a great deal of information about life in a desert culture. At first glance the Moroccan scenes create the impression that life there is primitive. As the story progresses we see family cooking dinner over a open-fire oven , feeding their animals and then booting up their large-screen computer for the evening entertainment. What’s the underlying message? Ultimately, we’re not that different – just look in the mirror very carefully!

How are you feeling today?

Dude by Christopher Aslan and Emily Mullock

Synopsis:

Just like a picture can represent a thousand words; a word can represent a thousand feelings!
Dude
Welcome to the world of Dude. One word, many feelings…

Comments:
Each page in this book has only one word…”Dude”. But, each page shows a different scenario that will help the reader construe how that word is meant to be read. This book has way more to offer than your basic read aloud. For each reader the word dude will sound different when read aloud because each reader will interpret Emily Mullock’s illustrations differently. This is particularly apparent when read by a student versus an adult. What makes this book outstanding is found in the last two pages. Here you’ll find a thumbmail of each illustration with the feeling word next to it. Aslan uses rich vocabulary when describing feelings and goes way beyond ‘glad, sad and mad’!

January 12, 2011 – One Year Ago Today…

Eight Days written by Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Alix Delinois

Synopsis:Hope comes alive in this heartfelt and deeply resonating story. While Junior is trapped for 8 days beneath his collapsed house after an earthquake, he uses his imagination for comfort. Drawing on beautiful, everyday-life memories, Junior paints a sparkling picture of Haiti for each of those days - flying kites with his best friend or racing his sister around St. Marc's Square - helping him through the tragedy until he is finally rescued. Love and hope dance across each page - granting us a way to talk about resilience as a family, a classroom, or a friend.

Comments:I would be remiss in not highlighting this book today, of all days – one year after the Haiti earthquake. This is a book filled with hope as opposed to sadness, but there is sadness in the book too. The sadness comes on the fifth day… “Oscar and I went out to play [imaginary] soccer with some of our friends. Afterwards, we sat on a bench to rest. But then Oscar felt really tired and went to sleep. He never woke up. That was the day I cried.” Danticat doesn’t end on this sadness though, on the eighth day Junior was finally found and pulled out to safety. Beautifully illustrated and deeply touching, this story is a springboard for discussing this tragedy one year later with children.