Cause/Effect – Page 25 – Unleashing Readers

Review, Giveaway, and Author Guest Post! That’s (Not) Mine by Anna Kang, Illustrated by Christopher Weyant

September 25, 2015September 4, 2015 by Kellee

That’s (Not) Mine
Author: Anna Kang
Illustrator: Christopher Weyant
Published September 1st, 2015 by Two Lions

Goodreads Summary: Two fuzzy creatures both want to sit in the same comfy chair. The trouble is, they can’t agree who it belongs to. They get madder and madder, until…

With expressive illustrations and simple text, this giggle-inducing tale about (not) sharing and (not) being a good friend features the endearing characters from Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small.

Kellee’s Review: Our two fuzzy friends from You Are (Not) Small are at it again! Although they seem to be friends, every time we encounter them they seem to be having a disagreement that will definitely make their readers laugh. This text isn’t about identity and differences like the first text. Instead, it focuses more on sharing, friendship, wanting what others have, and also dealing with losing what you wanted. These are all really big (and tough!) lessons for kids. By sharing this book with your child or your class, it becomes a very entertaining way to talk about these issues and topics.

Ricki’s Review: About three days before I received this book in the mail, my husband and I were discussing our concerns with our son’s new affinity for the word: “mine.” Like most toddlers, he has become obsessed with the concept that everything is “mine” (and by “mine,” I mean his). We don’t support this new “anti-sharing” movement that has become a hot topic in parenting groups and blogs. We want to raise our son to understand that, yes, some things can be his, but he should work hard to share as much as he can with others. I want to raise him to value his peers, respect adults, and give back to his community. So when this book came in the mail, I was extremely pleased. I read it aloud as my husband listened. His response? “This is the perfect book for him right now.” These two fuzzy creatures are teaching my son a lot of great lessons—it is okay for him to be short (my son’s destiny), and in this new text, not everything has to be “mine.” I am looking forward to the next installation from this husband-and-wife duo!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Curriculum guide for That’s (Not) Mine

Sharing is a concept that goes beyond childhood. Teachers might facilitate a discussion about the different ways that sharing can relate to many contexts and situations in life—for people of all ages.

Discussion Questions: Why did each of the characters want the others’ chair?; Who do you think won in the end?; What type of friends do you think the two characters are?; Have you ever thought you wanted something, but then didn’t really want it once you got it?

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by Josh Funk, Your Alien by Tammi Sauer, The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems, Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems

Recommended For:

Giveaway!

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Author and Illustrator’s Guest Post:

Our inspiration behind the book:

The inspiration behind THAT’S (NOT) MINE was growing up with my brother. As anyone with siblings will attest, we were forced to learn to how share almost everything with each other—food, toys, attention, space, and in the days before computers and smart phones, whose turn it was to choose the television show or radio station. Sharing is tough, even for adults, and I must admit, I was not good at sharing with my brother (sorry, Emil). Lucky for me, he was a really kind older brother and let me have my way more often than I deserved (thank you, Emil). Now that I have two daughters, I see them battle over the same things. I’ve realized that for a child, possessions are precious—they shape their identity. My kids and their friends will say that the “best” part of their day was that they “got a turn” playing with a certain toy or reading a favorite book at school, or that they were “first to use the best swing,” etc. And conversely, they will report how devastated they were because they “didn’t get a turn” with a coveted item. It requires a certain amount of emotional maturity to see someone else’s perspective and to let go of an object you value.

How we work collaboratively:

Anna: I write something, Chris reads it, gives me notes, we discuss the notes, I rewrite it, we discuss it again, and then when we both like the text, we discuss the illustrations and visual style. Chris begins to sketch some ideas, I give him feedback, he revises, and we discuss them again, etc. It is a constant back-and-forth collaboration. I’m very fortunate to have him as a sounding board.

Chris: One of the things I like most about our collaborative process is the ongoing conversation Anna and I have as the book goes from early concept to final art. Along the way, we will discuss what’s working and what could be stronger, continually making changes, large and small, until we feel the book is what we envisioned. Many times we’ll have a quick talk while doing the dishes or in the car. It feels like a very natural process that has become a part of our everyday lives.

About the Authors: Husband-and-wife team Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of You Are (Not) Small, which won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award and was named a Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association. They live in New Jersey with their two daughters, Kate and Lily, a guinea pig named Athena, and a hermit crab named Olaf.

Anna, a native New Yorker, grew up believing everything was hers until one day she realized it was her brother’s, too. She received a master’s degree in fine arts from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where the visual storyteller in her was awakened, forever changing the way she saw art, life, and everything in between. In addition to writing, Anna loves to read, travel, laugh, eat, and nap. Visit her online at www.annakang.com.

Christopher is a cartoonist and illustrator. His work can regularly be seen in the New Yorker. His cartoons are syndicated worldwide and have been featured on the Today Show, Meet the Press, and World News Tonight. Christopher likes to share everything but his personal space on the subway. Visit him online at www.christopherweyant.com.

Twitter: @annakang27 @chrisweyant05

For more information visit: www.amazon.com/thatsnotmine or http://www.annakang.com/tnm-internal-page.

Follow the Tour

Mon, Aug 31	Watch.Connect.Read.	http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/
Tues, Sept 1 Happy book birthday!!!	Jean Little Library	http://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/
Wed, Sept 2	Teach Mentor Texts	http://www.teachmentortexts.com/#axzz3fo9y9pNf
Thurs, Sept 3	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Fri, Sept 4	Unleashing Readers	http://www.unleashingreaders.com/
Mon, Sept 7	The Children’s Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Tues, Sept 8	proseandkahn	http://proseandkahn.blogspot.com/
Wed, Sept 9	The Library Fanatic	http://www.thelibraryfanatic.com/
Thurs, Sept 10	Sharpread	https://sharpread.wordpress.com/
Fri, Sept 11	Bluestocking Thinking	http://bluestockingthinking.blogspot.com/

**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing copies for review and to Anna and Chris for their guest post!!**

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast by Josh Funk

September 3, 2015 by Kellee

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast
Author: Josh Funk
Illustrated by: Brendan Kearney
Published September 1st, 2015 by Sterling

Goodreads Summary: A thoroughly delicious picture book about the funniest “food fight!” ever! Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have a beautiful friendship—until they discover that there’s ONLY ONE DROP of maple syrup left. Off they go, racing past the Orange Juice Fountain, skiing through Sauerkraut Peak, and reeling down the linguini. But who will enjoy the sweet taste of victory? And could working together be better than tearing each other apart? The action-packed rhyme makes for an adrenaline-filled breakfast . . . even without a drop of coffee!

About the Author: Josh Funk grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes picture book manuscripts alongside his wife, children, and assorted pets & monsters.

Josh is a board member of The Writers’ Loft in Sherborn, MA and the co-coordinator of the 2016 and 2017 New England Regional SCBWI Conferences.

Josh is the author of LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST (Sterling), as well as the forthcoming picture books DEAR DRAGON (Viking/Penguin 2016), PIRASAURS! (Scholastic 2017), JACK! [and the beanstalk] (Two Lions, 2017), and more.

Josh is terrible at writing bios, so please help fill in the blanks. Josh enjoys _______ during ________ and has always loved __________. He has played ____________ since age __ and his biggest fear in life is being eaten by a __________.

Josh is represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

To learn more about Josh, follow him on Twitter @JoshFunkBooks or visit his blog https://papajfunk.wordpress.com.

To learn more about Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, visit Josh’s website.

And don’t forget to check out Josh’s Extra Special Author Top Ten Tuesday!: Favorite Fictional Picture Book Educators here at Unleashing Readers.

Kellee’s Review: This book is a humorous, epic adventure through the dangers of the refrigerator. The mix of the well-rhymed text and highly comical and colorful artwork really brings the story to life. I found myself laughing out loud as dressings, beans, jam, and more challenge Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast as they challenge each other to be the first to the syrup. The way that the different foods in the fridge play a part in the story are so clever! I also found myself reading parts of the book out loud to hear the rhyme and rhythm. Josh really did a great job and included rhymes that I would have never thought of like conversed/first, meanie/linguini, and ranch/avalanche. This is definitely a text that is made to be read aloud and shared with children who will laugh and cheer and *gasp* at the twist (did I mention there was a twist?!).

Ricki’s Review: I have been anticipating this book for the past year and have spent quite a bit of time contemplating whether I will be Team Lady Pancake or Team Sir French Toast. When the book arrived in the mail, I shrieked with glee and told my son we had a treat for bedtime. That night, I cracked the crisp cover and smoothed my hands over the pages. I was immediately taken by the gorgeous artwork. I could see my son’s eyes darting from character to character. He has a short attention span, and this book held his interest from cover to cover. Meanwhile, as he looked at the artwork, I lingered on each page and became enveloped in the comical story. Above all, I was blown away by the engaging writing. The first time I read a picture book, I often stumble over the words. It usually takes a few readings to read a book aloud at a steady pace. But the words and phrases flowed beautifully in this book. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times the author revised in order to get the language just right. This book will be a crowd-pleaser in the classroom. I highly recommend it as a read-aloud.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: A free activity kit for the book is available which includes art activities, a crossword, a rhyming activity, and thought questions for readers to answer.

Teachers could start by using this book as a mentor text to teach personification in writing. The text is so cleverly crafted that students will be itching to create their own stories. We think it would be very fun for elementary school students to pair up and write their own adventures for Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast. This seems like the next popular duo in children’s literature, and we demand a companion text, Josh Funk!

Discussion Questions: How does the author use rhyme to engage readers in the story? How does the illustrator depict the characters in a fun, eye-appealing way?; How does the author infuse humor to teach a good lesson? What is the theme of the story?; Are Team Lady Pancake or Team French Toast? How did you make this decision? Which team do you think the author is on, and why?

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Loved: Ballet Cat by Bob Shea, This is a Moose by Richard T. Morris, Tommy Can’t Stop by Tim Federle

Recommended For:

and

**Thank you to Lauren at Sterling for providing copies for review!**

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord

September 2, 2015 by Kellee

A Handful of Stars
Author: Cynthia Lord
Published May 26th, 2015 by Scholastic

Goodreads Summary: This powerful middle-grade novel from the Newbery Honor author ofRules explores a friendship between a small-town girl and the daughter of migrant workers. When Lily’s blind dog, Lucky, slips his collar and runs away across the wide-open blueberry barrens of eastern Maine, it’s Salma Santiago who manages to catch him. Salma, the daughter of migrant workers, is in the small town with her family for the blueberry-picking season. After their initial chance meeting, Salma and Lily bond over painting bee boxes for Lily’s grandfather, and Salma’s friendship transforms Lily’s summer. But when Salma decides to run in the upcoming Blueberry Queen pageant, they’ll have to face some tough truths about friendship and belonging. Should an outsider like Salma really participate in the pageant—and possibly win? Set amongst the blueberry barrens and by the sea, this is a gorgeous new novel by Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord that tackles themes of prejudice and friendship, loss and love.

My Review, Teachers’ Tools for Navigation, and We Flagged: Salma and Lily quickly become star friends (friends who may not always be together, but will look at stars to think of each other). Salma is different than anyone that Lily knows. Not only because she is a Hispanic migrant worker, but because she is carefree. Lily, on the other hand, is a rule follower, and Salma may be just what she needs and vice versa.

Every Cynthia Lord book I read, I am reminded of why I enjoy her writing so much. Her stories are always touching and find sweetness and love in situations that are not always examined. She also paints her stories with such beautiful imagery. “Our feet crunched the reindeer moss under our feet, as loud as if we were walking through autumn leaves. The only other sounds were the mind blowing the little American flags on the soldiers’ graves, the buzz of insects, the chirp of birds, and the occasional rumble of a car driving down the gravel road past the cemetery.” (p. 109) Beautiful. She always transports me.

As an art museum director’s daughter, I always appreciate some art love also, and Salma really shares the importance and immense greatness of art. Great quotes about art: p. 151-153, 156

Other favorite pages: p. 60, 74, 94-96

A couple other things I loved: Another wonderful grandfather in a book, the reference to Blueberries for Sal (p. 112), and the look at adolescences and how hard it is the grow up.

A Handful of Stars was also my informal Twitter book club’s August book choice. Some of my favorite things said from the chat were:

“I found I was absolutely connecting to the characters and story but having to stop and just be in awe of certain lines.” Carrie Gelson

“But somehow summer fills up & flies by…as August wore on, I couldn’t help feeling sad pangs.” A favorite quote shared by me and Michele Knott

“I love how @Cynthia_Lord talked about how being in a friendship can be lonely – ‘lonelier than if you were by yourself.’ pg 56” Carrie Gelson

“She just is such a great example of living in the moment, being true, taking risks. [About Salma]” Carrie Gelson

“I loved the differences in the approaches to art.” Michele Knott

“I think this would be a perfect pair with the Cesar Chavez PB.” Leigh Anne Eck

“And that there is more than one road to happiness and therefore, different kinds :-)” Carrie Gelson

This is a book that screams to be read with/by kids. Such a quiet, important book with so much within.

Discussion Questions: How was Salma different from Lily’s other friends?; How are Salma and Lily different?; What do you think will happen to their friendship?; How did Salma influence Lily? How did Lily change throughout the book?

Read This If You Loved: Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin, Eleanor series by Julie Sternberg, Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

Recommended For:

Blog Tour and Review!: Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became the Beatles by Susanna Reich

August 19, 2015 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became the Beatles
Author: Susanna Reich
Illustrator: Adam Gustavson
Published August 18th, 2015 by Henry Holt and Co.

Goodreads Summary: In 1957 in Liverpool, England, a young lad named John Lennon and his band played music at a local church fair. In the audience was Paul McCartney, who liked what he heard and soon joined the group. Paul’s friend George Harrison kept showing up at rehearsals until the older boys finally let him in. Eventually they found the perfect drummer, Ringo Starr, and the perfect name: The Beatles.

Told through a lyrical text and stunning paintings, this book spotlights four ordinary boys growing up amid the rubble of postwar England who found music to be a powerful, even life-saving, force.

My Review: I adore The Beatles. I think they, along with other artists like Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Bob Dylan, really changed the direction of music and opened up a whole new world of music that truly made modern rock and roll possible. Because of that, and how much I love their music, I have always enjoyed learning about them. This middle grade picture book biography really gives us a wonderful look into the childhood and the creation of the band. In addition to really giving us insight into each boys’ lives and how The Beatles began, Susanna Reich did a beautiful job combining fact, primary sources, and lyrical writing. In addition to the beautiful writing, the art that accompanies it is stunning. They are truly paintings as the summary states.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I really hope that kids read this book! I want the story of The Beatles to continue because of their importance within music history.

I think one really interesting analysis of the book that the students could partake in is a visual analysis. Students would first read the text completely. They would then go back and reread a single page then look at the full page illustrations. They should discuss or write about why the artist chose the specific scene/person/activity to illustrate. What else could they have chosen to illustrate? Which do you think makes a bigger impact?

Discussion Questions: Which Beatle is the creator of the band?; What vocabulary in the text are obsolete in modern times?; How would The Beatles rise to fame be different if it was the 21st century when they formed?; What traits do each of the members have?

We Flagged: “John attacked the guitar, strumming as fast as he could. He didn’t give a fig about wrong notes.”

http://us.macmillan.com/fabfourfriends/susannareich

Read This If You Loved: Any books about The Beatles including The Beatles Were Fab by Kathleen Krull and John’s Secret Dreams by Doreen Rappaport, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown, When Bob Met Woody by Gary Golio, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Recommended For:

Make sure to visit other stops on the blog tour!

Monday, August 17 Booktalking
Nonfiction Monday

Tuesday, August 18 Shelf-Employed
Review plus Susanna reveals her favorite Beatles song

Wednesday, August 19 UnleashingReaders.com

Thursday, August 20 Elizabeth Dulemba
Susanna & Adam interview each other

Friday, August 21 Maurice on Books

Tuesday, August 25 Kidsbiographer’s Blog
Susanna writes about choosing subjects for kid’s biographies

Wednesday, August 26 Gail Gauthier

Thursday, August 27 Tales from the Rushmore Kid

Friday, August 28 Alphabet Soup
Interview with Susanna

**Thank you to Susanna for providing a copy for review!!**

Children Growing Up with War by Jenny Matthews

August 13, 2015August 12, 2015 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Children Growing Up with War
Author and Photographer: Jenny Matthews
Published October 14th, 2014 by Candlewick Press

Goodreads Summary: Through personal narrative and candid photographs, a photojournalist chronicles young lives upended by violence and strife.

The right to adequate nutrition and medical care.
The right to free education.
The right to a name and nationality.
The right to affection, love, and understanding.

In conflict zones around the world, children are denied these and other basic rights. Follow photographer Jenny Matthews into refugee camps, overcrowded cities, damaged villages, clinics, and support centers where children and their families live, work, play, learn, heal, and try to survive the devastating impact of war. This moving book depicts the resilience and resourcefulness of young people who, though heavily impacted by the ravages of war, search for a better future for themselves, their families, and their cultures.

Kellee’s Review: This was a very tough book to read. I thought I’d be able to sit and read it all in one sitting, but I couldn’t. As a mother and a teacher, I love children, and it truly saddened me to see the situations that these children are in.

Fortunately, as an American, very few wars touch our lives. Unfortunately, our news doesn’t focus on many of the tumultuous conflicts that are active throughout the world, so we have become detached from reality. Our students are even more detached. That is why this book is important. It puts it all into perspective and really makes me feel and think. We rarely look at the humans that are being affected by the wars, we always focus on getting the bad guy. This book puts faces to the people, specifically the children, being affected every day. I found it very interesting how the author set up the book. You can tell she is a photojournalist because it is set up to give information in the most impactful way.

Ricki’s Review: When I was teaching high school, one of my main goals was to provide my students with a more global perspective. I wish I had had this incredible text available at the time because it evoked powerful emotions in me. I know it would do the same for my students. The balance of photography and words is very well done, and I will admit that I took many breaks because these images and words hit me to my core. This is an important book that belongs in classrooms. It is a good length that teachers will easily be able to use it as a pairing with other texts about war and genocide. It is important to learn about our past, but it is just as important to understand the wars that persist today—which is foundational to this book. I wish I could meet this author to thank her for writing a text that moved me so deeply.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book presents many different discussion opportunities (e.g., the affects of war on children throughout the world, different active wars,Rights of the Child, importance of journalism). It would be fascinating to read with students and hear their perspective on the very tough topics and perspectives shared in the book.

Also, the book sets up nicely for a jigsaw discussion. The author set up the book to look at the different ways lives are affected: home & displacement, family, health, work, and school & play. Within each of these sections, she also looks at different places in the world such as Tunisia, Jordan, Afghanistan, Uganda, Rwanda, Gaza, and Kurdistan. She also includes different Rights of the Child throughout the book. The teacher could jigsaw either with the topic, the places, or the Rights and have students dig deeper.

Another way to look at this book is from a journalistic/photography point of view. I [Kellee] teach journalism, and I already plan on using Photos Framed as part of my photography unit, and I think this book will add an even deeper look into the importance of photography/journalism and with a topic (children’s lives) that my students can connect with.

Discussion Questions: How does Jenny Matthews’s photos, books, and stories help children who are growing up with war?; Why would Jenny Matthews choose to go into such dangerous situations?; If you had to choose one single photo to sum up Children Growing Up with War, which of these would you choose? (p. 42); Which of the UN’s Rights of the Child are affected when war is involved?; In what different way does war affect the children growing up in the conflict area?

We Flagged: “How would you feel if you lost your home and had to flee from your own country? Imagine losing some or all of your family, either as a direct result of fighting or indirectly through illness or disease. You might have to work to support your family or fight and kill other people just to survive. And how can you go to school if it’s being used as an army command outpost and all the books have been destroyed?

This is the reality for too many children and their families in the world. Today, children are still growing up with war—the consequences of which they’ll live with for the rest of their lives” (p. 3).

Read This If You Loved: Photos Framed: A Fresh Look at the World’s Most Memorable Photographs by Ruth Thomson
This would be an excellent nonfiction companion to: Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick, Endangered by Eliot Schrefer, Caminar by Skila Brown, The Other Side of the Wall by Simon Schwartz, The Milk of Birds by Sylvia Whitman, or Son of a Gun by Anne de Graaf.

Recommended For:

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Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber

June 17, 2015June 17, 2015 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Flight of the Honey Bee
Author: Raymond Huber
Illustrator: Brian Lovelock
Published September 10th, 2013 by Candlewick Press

Goodreads Summary: Follow the flight of a honey bee as she searches for nectar to sustain her hive and, along the way, pollinates flowers to produce seeds and fruits.

A tiny honey bee emerges from the hive for the first time. Using sunlight, landmarks, and scents to remember the path, she goes in search of pollen and nectar to share with the thousands of other bees in her hive. She uses her powerful sense of smell to locate the flowers that sustain her, avoids birds that might eat her, and returns home to share her finds with her many sisters. Nature lovers and scientists-to-be are invited to explore the fascinating life of a honey bee.

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I love books that mix narrative and information nonfiction within one book. This text introduces Scout as she exits the hive and goes about her bee-siness (hehe!). This part of the story is told as a story. Then on each page, there is information about bees in general to help the reader understand Scout’s journey. This unique text structure mixed with the realistic yet artistic illustrations really makes Flight compelling to read. In addition to learning about bees and the vocabulary included in the book, this book could be a great addition to a lit circle inquiry group about insects or as a mentor text to create student narrative and informational mixed writing about a animal after researching.

Ricki’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I read this book aloud to my son while he was eating breakfast, and he was captivated by the illustrations and story. I immediately texted Kellee and told her we had to schedule a day to review it! I had a lot of fun following Scout on her adventure, and I know kids will become so engaged in this story that they will forget they are learning. I thought I knew a lot about bees, but I was surprised by how much information is packed into this text. Readers will cheer for Scout as she encounters obstacles. I try to integrate nonfiction into every unit, and this would be a great book to show students just how accessible nonfiction can be. Then, they could pick a creature or object in nature, conduct research, and write their own narrative nonfiction texts.

Discussion Questions: How do bees help the environment and humans?; How can we help save the bees?; What are the different types of bees? Why are they all important?

Flight of the Honey Bee Teacher Guide from Candlewick

We Flagged:

flight of the honey page — (c) 2013 Raymond Huber http://www.raymondhuber.co.nz/

Read This If You Loved: Lifetime by Lola M. Schaefer, Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman, The Alphabet of Bugs by Valerie Gates

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Candlewick for providing copies of the text for review!!**

Blog Tour, Review, Giveaway, and Author & Illustrator Interview!: My Dog is the Best by Laurie Ann Thompson, Illustrated by Paul Schmid

July 27, 2015June 12, 2015 by Ricki

My Dog is the Best
Author: Laurie Ann Thompson
Illustrator: Paul Schmid
Published: June 9, 2015 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Goodreads Summary: What do you get when you combine one energetic, enthusiastic little boy with his sleepy but tolerant dog? Unconditional love. Using simple words and spare illustrations, My Dog Is the Best celebrates the special bond that exists between a young child and a beloved family pet. It’s the heartwarming story of two best friends. . . told by a boy with a very active imagination.

Ricki’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This charming tale will surely win the hearts of many children. It made me feel a bit guilty that I don’t have a dog for my son! I can imagine teachers reading this story aloud to captivated audiences. Teachers might ask students to compare this story with others in their classrooms. The way the illustrator and text focuses on the two subjects makes their friendship shine. You can find an example of the text’s playfulness in the flagged page below. It made me smile! After reading this story, I would encourage my students to write their own stories about friendships that they have.

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book makes me want a dog (and like Ricki said, I feel a bit guilty for not having a dog for Trent!). I loved this sweet story of a sleepy dog and a rambunctious child who is going to have fun with his dog no matter what the dog thinks about it. The play between the words and illustrations is what really made this book special and made the quiet humor really ring through. I also think that kids are really going to like the end of the book. Like Ricki, I think that this text could be a great mentor text for writing about times of imagination and friendship. What other ways could the boy have played with the dog? How do you play with your pet/toy? I also think that it is a great story to use to talk about humor and irony. Why was the ending funny?

Discussion Questions: What kinds of games do you play with your best friend/pet/toy?; Do you have a pet? How is your relationship with your pet similar or dissimilar with this story?; In what ways is it obvious that the author and illustrator worked together to create this book? How do the drawings enhance the story?; Why is the ending ironic?

We Flagged:

My Dog is the Best spread — Image from: http://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374300517

Read This if You Loved: Look! by Jeff Mack; The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey; May the Best Dog Win by Kelly Hashway; Bark, George by Jules Feiffer; Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson

Recommended For:

Interview with the Laurie Ann Thompson and Paul Schmid!

Questions to Laurie:

What inspired you to write this book?

I first wrote the text as an assignment for a course I was taking, Anastasia Suen’s Easy Reader/Chapter Book Workshop. I’ve always loved dogs, and it’s a great word for beginning readers, so I started there. I noticed that most of the time when I said, “Good dog!” to my poor old dog, Sara, she was either curling up and getting ready to go to sleep or already sleeping. She would give me this confused look that said, “What? I’m not doing anything!” She’d been a hyperactive, crazy dog in her younger years, so it was a huge relief when she finally started slowing down a little. I appreciated the humor in those interactions. At the same time, I had an awfully busy little boy at home, so both the tension between their very different energy levels and their special “best friends” relationship were natural ingredients for the story.

Did you have a specific dog when you were growing up that you were thinking of as you wrote this book?

It’s really a collection of all of them. My dogs were my best friends, and they put up with so much of my probably unwanted attention. I had one special dog named Sammy that I used to dress up in doll clothes, push in a baby swing, and take for rides in my bicycle basket. (He loved those last two activities, but I’m pretty sure he merely tolerated the first!) He was the best. When I was bit older, my dog Ripper used to wait at the end of our driveway—every single day—for the school bus to bring me home. He listened to all of my tales of teenage angst and always let me dry my tears on his fur. He was devoted and dependable. He was the best. Then, as an adult, there was Sara. She was the best, too. I think whatever dog we make room for in our lives becomes “the best,” just by virtue of us loving them.

You write both YA and children’s books. How is your writing process different for each?

It’s very different! For my YA books, I’m a rather obsessive planner. I research and outline, then research some more and revise the outline and so on, for a long time, before I’m finally ready to start writing. For my picture books, I like to just play. I just start writing and see what happens. As a result, I typically spend less time revising the YA books than the picture books, even though the picture books are much, much shorter! It usually takes a lot of revision to make a picture book work just right.

What was it like to work with an illustrator?

With my YA books, like Be a Changemaker, there is no illustrator, so the final product is the result of the collaboration between my editors and me—and we’re all primarily word people. As a picture book author, though, it’s always exciting to see what another person with a very different way of working and of seeing the world will bring to my original vision. Authors don’t usually get much say in the illustrations (and rightly so, as I surely am no art expert!). With my second book (and first picture book), Emmanuel’s Dream, I had never met the illustrator, Sean Qualls, and I didn’t see any of his stunning artwork until it was almost all finished. I was on pins and needles, but what a pleasant surprise! For My Dog Is the Best the experience was a bit unusual but every bit as special. It just happened that Paul Schmid and I live not far apart and had known each other for years. When he took on the manuscript, I was ecstatic! We kept in touch throughout the process, and I even got to spend a day collaborating with him in his studio—one of my all-time favorite writing days ever! We both ended up influencing both the art and the text, and we ended up with something we’re both really proud of.

Questions to Paul:

How did you decide what the characters would look like?

Initially, I form a clear picture of the characters personalities. Are they active? Sedentary? Outgoing or shy? The design of a character should provide solid clues to who they are. Our dog in the book just wants to nap, and I imagined an old, tolerant, comfortable Basset Hound of established habits. The boy is much more active, but young and naive. He is also sweet and loving, as the book is itself. So I felt the boy needed a kind, gullible, gentle look that was at the same time visually sympathetic to his dog, in order to form an emotional connection between the two for the reader. As a result, they both ended up round and gentle looking.

What does the artistic process look like?

Many many sketches. Then many more. Then a few more. Eventually I have to start the final art. I don’t think I ever really feel like I’m done improving things, but a deadline shows up and helps me stop.

Early sketch of the dog