Children's Author Highlight: Steve Jenkins

For all those parents of children who have a million and one questions about animals, Steve Jenkins is the guy for you. He co-authors many of his books with his wife, Robin Page, and he does the illustrations.

Image from goodreads.com

One of the questions children will always ask is, "What do animals eat?" 

Anytime a desperate parent is looking for something that will be both informative, and still be interesting to their 3-year-old son or daughter (who let's face it, might have an attention span the size of a Jack Russell), I refer them to a Steve Jenkins book. He writes interesting and colorful picture books, with just the right amount of words written in understandable language, and he satisfies both parents and children alike.  

The illustrations from the book are paper collages that he carefully arranges over his sketches. The paper is layered on top of each other. He does a marvelous job of choosing papers that compliment the textures of his subjects. Not only are they eye-popping, but they are so much fun to look at!  To see how he writes his books, check out the page on his website about how he makes books.

Many of his books stem from the questions his children ask. Children are the ultimate sponges of knowledge, and with their constant curiosities, you can only imagine that it was easy for their dad to turn each one into a perfectly lovely book. Now, when children ask me pretty much any question about animals, there is a Steve Jenkins book to answer their questions. Here are a few of my favorites:

A Review: The Lion and the Mouse

A Book Review of:



The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney 

This book is the 2010 winner of the Caldecott Award. It's a prestigious award given by the American Library Association, and this book is fully deserving of it.

Image from www.goodreads.com

Summary:

This wordless picture illustrates the tale of Aesop's fable "The Lion and the Mouse." In this classic moral story, a mouse is mercifully spared by a lion who catches her in his paw. Later, the mouse has a chance to repay his kind deed by saving the great beast from a hunter's ropes by chewing through them with her sharp teeth.

Pinkney, J. (2009). The lion and the mouse. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. 

Impression: 

"...the attention to details like texture and expression is exquisite."

This book gives Aesop's classic fable the silent treatment, but in a great way. The wordless book lets you focus your whole attention on the intricate and colorful watercolors that Jerry Pinkney presents. Various forms of onomatopoeia are the only words in the book, which act more as sensory aides than actual text. The way he sets each scene is precise and meticulous, and the attention to details like texture and expression is exquisite. As it is a wordless book, he also does a great job of moving the viewer from one scene to the next, drawing the viewer's eyes further into his pages.  A variety in presentation also helps the reader not to become bored with the images, presenting them in a variety of different frames-- sometimes with a full two-page spread devoted to the narrative, sometimes several smaller more intimate frames. Similarly, Pinkney uses various perspectives to tell his story, showing it from the eyes of the lion himself and the mouse at his feet, wordless emphasizing the moral of the story. Jerry Pinkney, with his first Caldecott win, proves that magnificent high-quality picture books can be just that-- pictures.

Professional Reviews:

From Publisher's Weekly:
"Other than some squeaks, hoots and one enormous roar, Pinkney's (Little Red Riding Hood) interpretation of Aesop's fable is wordless-as is its striking cover, which features only a head-on portrait of the lion's face. Mottled, tawny illustrations show a mouse unwittingly taking refuge on a lion's back as it scurries away from an owl. The large beast grabs and then releases the tiny creature, who later frees the lion who has become tangled in a hunter's snare. Pinkney enriches this classic tale of friendship with another universal theme-family-affectingly illustrated in several scenes as well as in the back endpapers, which show the lion walking with his mate and cubs as the mouse and her brood ride on his back. Pinkney's artist's note explains that he set the book in Africa's Serengeti, "with its wide horizon and abundant wildlife so awesome yet fragile-not unlike the two sides of each of the heroes." Additional African species grace splendid panoramas that balance the many finely detailed, closeup images of the protagonists. Pinkney has no need for words; his art speaks eloquently for itself. Ages 3-6."

[Review of the book The lion and the mouse, by J. Pinkney]. (2009, July 27). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com

From Kirkus' Reviews:
"A nearly wordless exploration of Aesop’s fable of symbiotic mercy that is nothing short of masterful. A mouse, narrowly escaping an owl at dawn, skitters up what prove to be a male lion’s tail and back. Lion releases Mouse in a moment of bemused gentility and—when subsequently ensnared in a poacher’s rope trap—reaps the benefit thereof. Pinkney successfully blends anthropomorphism and realism, depicting Lion’s massive paws and Mouse’s pink inner ears along with expressions encompassing the quizzical, hapless and nearly smiling. He plays, too, with perspective, alternating foreground views of Mouse amid tall grasses with layered panoramas of the Serengeti plain and its multitudinous wildlife. Mouse, befitting her courage, is often depicted heroically large relative to Lion. Spreads in watercolor and pencil employ a palette of glowing amber, mouse-brown and blue-green. Artist-rendered display type ranges from a protracted “RRROAARRRRRRRRR” to nine petite squeaks from as many mouselings. If the five cubs in the back endpapers are a surprise, the mouse family of ten, perched on the ridge of father lion’s back, is sheer delight. Unimpeachable."

[Review of the book The lion and the mouse, by J. Pinkney]. (2009, August 1). Kirkus' Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Children's Author Highlight 2: Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg is a great children's book author and, in my opinion, an even better illustrator. Known especially for his pencil drawings, his depictions are surreal and even have dark tendencies. 


Most of his better-known works have become movies, with the animated  The Polar Express (2004) being the most notable.  Others are surprised to find that Jumanji (1995) with Robin Williams was also a Chris Van Allsburg creation. More recently, the book Zathura, which happens to be an off-shoot of the Jumanji story, was also turned into a movie in 2005. 


Although the movies are suitable for some children though, I wouldn't recommend them for all. Some of his stories might be scary to a lot of children. Although highly imaginative, they aren't light-hearted or feel-good books, but are rather more serious and require a little more thought than other children's books, so the concepts or themes may really be better suited for older children. And after reading several of his stories, I'm wondering also if he was the victim of torture by an older sibling... as that seems to be a common element throughout many of his books.

Stories I would recommend for all: 

The Polar Express (1985) Probably needs no introduction. A journey to the North Pole, and a little bit of faith.


Probuditi! (2006) Good for kids, and teaches you not to be mean to younger siblings. Beautiful sepia toned pencil drawings.


Just a Dream (1990) One that I loved as as kid, shows a kid what the world would look like if people stopped taking care of it. 


Ben's Dream (1982) After Ben falls asleep without studying for his geography test, he has dreams about the monuments he was supposed to learn about.  Not great if your child has a short attention span, because there are no words.


The Wreck of the Zephyr (1983) One of my brother's favorites. About a boy who learns how to fly his boat among the clouds, but learns humility as well.


The Z Was Zapped (1987) An alphabet book that describes the various maladies of letters-- uses larger language that younger kids may not quite understand.


Bad Day at River Bend (1995) A very creative way to incorporate a child's play into a story. 




Books I would recommend with some reservations or for older kids: 


Jumanji (1981) May be scary for very young children, but otherwise seems fine.


Zathura (2002) Again, may be scary for young children.


The Widow's Broom (1992)  A book about a magic broom that is threatening and on the scary side.


The Stranger (1986)  After a strange man is hit by a truck, he is invited into a family's home. The stranger can't remember who he is, but seems to have special abilities.  Although the story line is sweet enough, it would be bad to encourage young children to be so trusting toward strangers living in their house.

The Wretched Stone (1991)  Definitely the darkest of his books, it almost has an Edgar Allen Poe quality to it. There is an evil stone making strouble aboard the ship.


Two Bad Ants (1988)
The Sweetest Fig (1993)
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (1984)


For more information, see Chris Van Allsburg's website: 
http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/home.html


Information about the movies can be found at 
www.imdb.com 

Children's Author Highlight 1: David Wiesner

So, working at the library is kind of amazing. I get to people-watch, eavesdrop on conversations, get followed around by little kids who try to help me put books back on the shelves (they're not so good at it, but their effort is commendable), and best of all -- I get to read children's books and not feel judged by it. How else could I help patrons find what they are looking for unless I myself have read some of these books? Yes, I could chalk it up to just that-- research.

Or... I could admit that I am still obsessed with children's books. So much so that I take home 10 at a time and sometimes read them aloud to my mom. The tables have turned! She's a good sport though. Honestly, children's books are some of the most interesting and intricate books you can find. Of course, this doesn't apply to all, but some artists/writers have gotten really creative with these things. And so this is why I have decided to pick out a few of my favorites-- some for their art, and some for their new ideas, or new ways of presenting them. Either way, enjoy. And please leave comments with recommendations of your own! Thus begins my Children's Author Highlight Reel, featuring many writers/illustrators who I think deserve special recognition for their work.

Here is the first author I have decided to highlight-- and my new favorite.

DAVID WIESNER: I really like authors who illustrate their own books because they have complete control over how the entire project turns out. David Wiesner is someone who doesn't even have to write to tell a story, and he has several books which contain no words at all. It's beautiful. In addition to writing several of his own books, he has done illustrations for many books by other authors, putting his creativity and skilled artistic abilities to great use.

Tuesday by David Wiesner -- Caldecott Medal Winner

• I laughed aloud at this one. A lot. If you ever wondered what you're missing while you sleep, this could make you want to stay up a little bit later....

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner -- Caldecott Medal Winner

• This starts out as a retelling of the classic fairy tale... but then the characters turn the tables.

June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner

• I initially picked this up because June 29th is my birthday. If you like oversized foods floating through the air (like in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), then this book is for you.

Flotsam by David Wiesner -- Caldecott Medal Winner

• Imagine being on a beach and finding an underwater camera washed up on shore. When the pictures are developed, what will the pictures show? What do sea creatures do when the scientists aren't watching?

Free Fall by David Wiesner -- Caldecott Honor

• This beautiful narrative takes you through a dream sequence that would make M.C. Escher proud. I couldn't believe this didn't win the Caldecott Winner Medal, but I guess they've got to give someone else a chance.
  

Sector 7 by David Wiesner -- Caldecott Honor

• Again, no words. This time his story takes you into the clouds and might explain why you see things in them.

Alright-- so there is the first Children's Author Highlight for this blog. There will be more to come, so check back with me. Next up (though not necessarily in this order) are: Chris van Allsburg, Jane Yolen, Jan Brett, and Bill Peet!