Jamie Michalak's Blog, page 13
November 30, 2015
The Little Crooked Bookshelf
The Superhero Comic Kitby Jason Ford
This week's pick is from Cottager Jamie Michalak.
What it's all about . . .
Kids will learn how to create their own superheroes and comics with this EPIC, oversized, step-by-step activity book. Includes drawing tips, ten eight-page guided comic templates, scenario prompts to storylines, and 100 full-color stickers.
Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf . . .
Boom! Bam! Kapow! Sure to spark the imagination, The Superhero Comic Kit is action-packed and contains all budding comic strip creators need to make their very own comics.
Our favorite lines . . .
Our hero arrives at the skate park. HOLY MOLY! What's going on here? A SPACESHIP, ALIENS, A STRANGE RAY GUN, AND ZOMBIES!
Our favorite illustration . . .
From THE SUPERHERO COMIC KIT. Illustration copyright 2015 by Jason Ford. Why kids will love it . . .Our nine-year-old assistant couldn't get his hands on this book fast enough. He dove right in and spent hours creating his own superheroes, villains, and comics.
Why grown-ups will love it . . .
For the many hours of creativity and quiet time. (Thank you, Jason Ford!)
November 25, 2015
Loved to Pieces...with Nancy Tupper Ling
Today we have a very special author and poet visiting us. She wrote MY SISTER, ALICIA MAY; DOUBLE HAPPINESS; and THE STORY I'LL TELL. Please welcome...
Nancy Tupper Ling!
Photo credit: Stacy Murphy PhotographyShe's here to share her own favorite book from childhood. The one she's loved to pieces. Tell us about it, Nancy. . . .
"Growing up I lived on a lonely road in Farmington, CT. For many years a farm house and a field of cows were across the street from our family home. As an only child, my world revolved around books, so becoming a librarian and an author may have been written in the stars. Or wait. Maybe it was written inside the books I cherished as a child. I lived in a suburb that had little cultural diversity and yet the books I gravitated toward were the few I could find that took me worlds away from my own. Not that I didn’t love my childhood. My father was a Dean at a local college, and my mother was a journalist and homemaker. I was surrounded by love, and a love of words. Still my favorite books where about people or animals who came from other countries or cultures than my own.After my first school book fair, I brought home Ezra Jack Keats’ book The Snowy Day. I was hooked by the cover—a boy in his red snow suit, looking down at his own tracks in the snow.
This boy, Peter, didn’t look like me. He lived in the city while I was in the suburbs, but that didn’t matter. I jumped into his world feet first. His winter days were like my winter days, and I read and reread his story.
Peter even taught me to try new things in the snow, like pointing my toes in and out to make cool tracks. And he used a stick to smack the snow-covered tree, getting a pile of snow of his head. That sure looked like fun. I would have never thought of these snowy adventures on my own, but I’d always made snow angels, just like Peter. Keats made me feel like Peter could be my friend, too, no matter our differences.Not surprisingly my other well-worn book is Crow Boy by Taro Yashima. I’m curious if any Crooked Little Cottage readers discovered this book when they were kids? The cover of my worn copy is long gone, but this was my all-time favorite.
Crow Boy is about a Japanese boy from the country who walks miles and miles for the chance of an education. His classmates find him strange. He doesn’t fit into their world and he’s afraid of their first teacher (rightly so). The other children call him stupid and slow poke. They make fun of him terribly and yet they know little about him except that he brings the same lunch every day—a rice ball wrapped in a radish leaf.
I remember thinking that even in a faraway country like Japan, there could be a kid who doesn’t fit in for some reason. And yet, a life can change because of one person. Chibi’s world shifts when a new teacher, Mr Isobe, arrives. This wise man recognizes Chibi’s gifts. When he takes the class outside into nature, he shows them how much Chibi knows about the grapes and the flowers. As Mr Isobe takes time with Chibi, the students begin to see him in a new light. At last when Chibi stands up to imitate the voices of crows in the talent show, there is not a dry eye in the audience. The community sees the heart of this dear boy. He can do things they never imagined, and from that day on they call him “Crow Boy” out of admiration.Of course it’s easy to look back at one’s childhood with 20/20 hindsight. In a sea of similar faces, I craved diversity. My friends were often the Chibis in my school. Even in preschool, my best friend, Adam, was the one Asian boy in my classroom. Maybe this is why my mother swears I was destined to marry my Chinese-American husband. I often joke with my husband now, saying that I married him for his family stories and great cooking, but maybe my appreciation started long before we met. Books opened new worlds and cultures to me, and that has made all the difference in my own stories, and the stories I will tell."
Don't miss Nancy's new book!
THE STORY I'LL TELL
by Nancy Tupper Ling, illustrated by Jessica Lanan
Lee & Low Books, 2015
ISBN 978-1620141601
★ "[A]n unabashed love letter, one that many families will treasure." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Nancy Tupper Ling is the winner of the prestigious Writer’s Digest Grand Prize and the Pat Parnell Poetry Award. She draws her inspiration from the multicultural background of her family and the interwoven fabric of familial culture which is, on the surface, seemingly every day. She is the author of My Sister, Alicia May (Pleasant Street Press), Double Happiness (Chronicle Books), The Story I’ll Tell (Lee & Low Books) and the founder of Fine Line Poets (www.finelinepoets.com), Currently she resides in Walpole, Massachusetts with her husband, Vincent, their two girls, two fish and a parakeet named Nimbus.
Nancy Tupper Ling!
Photo credit: Stacy Murphy PhotographyShe's here to share her own favorite book from childhood. The one she's loved to pieces. Tell us about it, Nancy. . . ."Growing up I lived on a lonely road in Farmington, CT. For many years a farm house and a field of cows were across the street from our family home. As an only child, my world revolved around books, so becoming a librarian and an author may have been written in the stars. Or wait. Maybe it was written inside the books I cherished as a child. I lived in a suburb that had little cultural diversity and yet the books I gravitated toward were the few I could find that took me worlds away from my own. Not that I didn’t love my childhood. My father was a Dean at a local college, and my mother was a journalist and homemaker. I was surrounded by love, and a love of words. Still my favorite books where about people or animals who came from other countries or cultures than my own.After my first school book fair, I brought home Ezra Jack Keats’ book The Snowy Day. I was hooked by the cover—a boy in his red snow suit, looking down at his own tracks in the snow.
This boy, Peter, didn’t look like me. He lived in the city while I was in the suburbs, but that didn’t matter. I jumped into his world feet first. His winter days were like my winter days, and I read and reread his story.
Peter even taught me to try new things in the snow, like pointing my toes in and out to make cool tracks. And he used a stick to smack the snow-covered tree, getting a pile of snow of his head. That sure looked like fun. I would have never thought of these snowy adventures on my own, but I’d always made snow angels, just like Peter. Keats made me feel like Peter could be my friend, too, no matter our differences.Not surprisingly my other well-worn book is Crow Boy by Taro Yashima. I’m curious if any Crooked Little Cottage readers discovered this book when they were kids? The cover of my worn copy is long gone, but this was my all-time favorite.
Crow Boy is about a Japanese boy from the country who walks miles and miles for the chance of an education. His classmates find him strange. He doesn’t fit into their world and he’s afraid of their first teacher (rightly so). The other children call him stupid and slow poke. They make fun of him terribly and yet they know little about him except that he brings the same lunch every day—a rice ball wrapped in a radish leaf.
I remember thinking that even in a faraway country like Japan, there could be a kid who doesn’t fit in for some reason. And yet, a life can change because of one person. Chibi’s world shifts when a new teacher, Mr Isobe, arrives. This wise man recognizes Chibi’s gifts. When he takes the class outside into nature, he shows them how much Chibi knows about the grapes and the flowers. As Mr Isobe takes time with Chibi, the students begin to see him in a new light. At last when Chibi stands up to imitate the voices of crows in the talent show, there is not a dry eye in the audience. The community sees the heart of this dear boy. He can do things they never imagined, and from that day on they call him “Crow Boy” out of admiration.Of course it’s easy to look back at one’s childhood with 20/20 hindsight. In a sea of similar faces, I craved diversity. My friends were often the Chibis in my school. Even in preschool, my best friend, Adam, was the one Asian boy in my classroom. Maybe this is why my mother swears I was destined to marry my Chinese-American husband. I often joke with my husband now, saying that I married him for his family stories and great cooking, but maybe my appreciation started long before we met. Books opened new worlds and cultures to me, and that has made all the difference in my own stories, and the stories I will tell."
Don't miss Nancy's new book!
THE STORY I'LL TELL
by Nancy Tupper Ling, illustrated by Jessica Lanan
Lee & Low Books, 2015
ISBN 978-1620141601
★ "[A]n unabashed love letter, one that many families will treasure." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Nancy Tupper Ling is the winner of the prestigious Writer’s Digest Grand Prize and the Pat Parnell Poetry Award. She draws her inspiration from the multicultural background of her family and the interwoven fabric of familial culture which is, on the surface, seemingly every day. She is the author of My Sister, Alicia May (Pleasant Street Press), Double Happiness (Chronicle Books), The Story I’ll Tell (Lee & Low Books) and the founder of Fine Line Poets (www.finelinepoets.com), Currently she resides in Walpole, Massachusetts with her husband, Vincent, their two girls, two fish and a parakeet named Nimbus.
November 23, 2015
The Little Crooked Bookshelf
little tree by Loren Long
This week's pick is from cottager Kara LaReau.
What it's all about
A little tree is surrounded by other little trees in the forest. In the winter, the others drop their leaves…but not Little Tree. Will he ever find the courage to let go?
Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf…
A sweet, simple tale, perfect for the season, by renowned author-illustrator Loren Long.
Our favorite lines…“Hello, Little Tree,” said a squirrel. “You’re supposed to drop your leaves now.”
But Little Tree was unsure. What would he do without his leaves?
Our favorite illustration…
Why kids will love it…
A great read-aloud, with a comforting treatment of a familiar topic: a little one learning to be brave.
Why grown-ups will love it…
A poignant story with a lesson that resonates at any age: it’s only when we find the courage to let go that we can truly flourish.
November 20, 2015
November 18, 2015
Behind the Book. . . with Linda Ashman (& a Giveaway!)
Where do your ideas come from? It's the most common question we cottagers hear at school visits. From first spark, to rough draft, to final manuscript, to finished art—the journey is fascinating, and each book has its own unique path from idea to publication.
Speaking of journeys, we invited the lovely and talented Linda Ashman to the cottage today, to tell us about the inspiration for her new picture book, Over the River and Through the Wood, which follows four families as they venture out to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving.
Welcome, Linda! What's the story behind Over the River and Through the Wood?
So happy to be here at the cottage. Thanks for having me!
As a writer, the hardest part for me—always—is starting something new. What if it’s a stupid idea? Or it’s been done a hundred times already? So I’m thrilled on those rare occasions when an editor tosses an idea my way—which is how Over the River and Through the Wood came about.
Three years ago my Sterling editor Meredith Mundy asked if I’d like to write a contemporary take on this holiday song, with family members traveling to Grandma’s house using various modes of modern transportation instead of the traditional horse-drawn sleigh.
Would I? Of course! In discussing the idea further, we agreed that the characters should reflect most families today—not only far-flung, but also diverse in composition.
So, for starters, I had to decide how many adult siblings there were (four), where they lived (all over the country), and how they might make their way to Grandma’s house—which, in my mind, was somewhere in New England. Here’s the summary:
• Urban family—subway and train
• Suburban—by car
• Far Away—airplane and shuttle van
• Adventurous—ferry and hot air balloon
Those four families added up to 16 people. So, to help readers keep them straight, the siblings and their kids are introduced early in the book in this spread by illustrator Kim Smith.
Then off they go to Grandma’s house, in various ways, all to the tune of the original song (which, I learned, has a somewhat unfortunate way of sticking in your brain). Here’s the Urban family on the start of their journey.
Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a story if there weren’t problems, so each family must endure some sort of travel glitch—e.g., an empty gas tank, a flat tire on the shuttle van—that leaves them stranded.
How are they rescued? Well, just when they think they’re going to have to tromp through the snow the rest of the way, a farmer and his trusty horse show up—repeatedly, at exactly the right moment—allowing each additional family to pile into the increasingly crowded sleigh (and allowing me to work in a horsey refrain: NEIGHHH!). Turns out those old-fashioned modes of transportation can be useful after all.
Whenever I write about inspiration or process, it tends to sound very straightforward and linear. Of course, most creative endeavors are anything but. If you’d like a more accurate sense of my “process,” feel free to take a look at a very messy, mostly incoherent draft of the manuscript here on my website along with the final version.
Linda is kindly GIVING AWAY ONE SIGNED COPY (US residents only please!). To enter the giveaway, leave us a comment letting us know you dropped by. We'll announce the winner one week from today on Wednesday, November 22nd. Good luck!
And one last treat: scroll down or click here, to see a special Holiday Edition Literary Lunch, inspired by Linda's book, brought to us by the one and only Nina from Mambelly's Lunches with Love!
****************
Linda Ashman’s many picture books have been included on the “best of the year” lists of The New York Times, Parenting and Child magazines, the New York Public Library and many others. She’s also the author of The Nuts & Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, a “how-to” ebook. She lives with her family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For more, visit
lindaashman.com.
New Books
Over the River & Through the Wood
Illustrated by Kim Smith
Sterling Children’s Books (October 2015)
★ “Thoroughly relatable and enjoyable.” Publishers Weekly, starred review
Rock-a-Bye Romp
Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani
Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House (January 2016)
★ “Gently funny and eminently reassuring.” Publishers Weekly, starred review
Henry Wants More!
Illustrated by Brooke Boynton Hughes
Penguin Random House (January 2016)
★ “A wonderful illustration of the exhaustion and joy that is life with a toddler.” School Library Journal, starred review
Speaking of journeys, we invited the lovely and talented Linda Ashman to the cottage today, to tell us about the inspiration for her new picture book, Over the River and Through the Wood, which follows four families as they venture out to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving.
Welcome, Linda! What's the story behind Over the River and Through the Wood?
So happy to be here at the cottage. Thanks for having me!
As a writer, the hardest part for me—always—is starting something new. What if it’s a stupid idea? Or it’s been done a hundred times already? So I’m thrilled on those rare occasions when an editor tosses an idea my way—which is how Over the River and Through the Wood came about.
Three years ago my Sterling editor Meredith Mundy asked if I’d like to write a contemporary take on this holiday song, with family members traveling to Grandma’s house using various modes of modern transportation instead of the traditional horse-drawn sleigh.
Would I? Of course! In discussing the idea further, we agreed that the characters should reflect most families today—not only far-flung, but also diverse in composition.
So, for starters, I had to decide how many adult siblings there were (four), where they lived (all over the country), and how they might make their way to Grandma’s house—which, in my mind, was somewhere in New England. Here’s the summary:
• Urban family—subway and train
• Suburban—by car
• Far Away—airplane and shuttle van
• Adventurous—ferry and hot air balloon
Those four families added up to 16 people. So, to help readers keep them straight, the siblings and their kids are introduced early in the book in this spread by illustrator Kim Smith.
Then off they go to Grandma’s house, in various ways, all to the tune of the original song (which, I learned, has a somewhat unfortunate way of sticking in your brain). Here’s the Urban family on the start of their journey.
Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a story if there weren’t problems, so each family must endure some sort of travel glitch—e.g., an empty gas tank, a flat tire on the shuttle van—that leaves them stranded.
How are they rescued? Well, just when they think they’re going to have to tromp through the snow the rest of the way, a farmer and his trusty horse show up—repeatedly, at exactly the right moment—allowing each additional family to pile into the increasingly crowded sleigh (and allowing me to work in a horsey refrain: NEIGHHH!). Turns out those old-fashioned modes of transportation can be useful after all.
Whenever I write about inspiration or process, it tends to sound very straightforward and linear. Of course, most creative endeavors are anything but. If you’d like a more accurate sense of my “process,” feel free to take a look at a very messy, mostly incoherent draft of the manuscript here on my website along with the final version.
Linda is kindly GIVING AWAY ONE SIGNED COPY (US residents only please!). To enter the giveaway, leave us a comment letting us know you dropped by. We'll announce the winner one week from today on Wednesday, November 22nd. Good luck!
And one last treat: scroll down or click here, to see a special Holiday Edition Literary Lunch, inspired by Linda's book, brought to us by the one and only Nina from Mambelly's Lunches with Love!
****************
Linda Ashman’s many picture books have been included on the “best of the year” lists of The New York Times, Parenting and Child magazines, the New York Public Library and many others. She’s also the author of The Nuts & Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, a “how-to” ebook. She lives with her family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For more, visit
lindaashman.com.
New Books
Over the River & Through the Wood
Illustrated by Kim Smith
Sterling Children’s Books (October 2015)
★ “Thoroughly relatable and enjoyable.” Publishers Weekly, starred review
Rock-a-Bye Romp
Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani
Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House (January 2016)
★ “Gently funny and eminently reassuring.” Publishers Weekly, starred review
Henry Wants More!
Illustrated by Brooke Boynton Hughes
Penguin Random House (January 2016)
★ “A wonderful illustration of the exhaustion and joy that is life with a toddler.” School Library Journal, starred review
November 17, 2015
Literary Lunch - Special Holiday Edition!
This Literary Lunch was whipped up by Nina from Mambelly's Lunches with Love. Inspired by Linda Ashman's new picture book, Over the River and Through the Wood , Nina included:
• an apple and peanut butter "Apple Pie" sandwich
• a "pumpkin" tangerine
• a bounty of veggies: celery, carrot, a mini pepper and roasted almonds in raspberries
A Note from Nina. . .
When I think of Thanksgiving, the first thing that pops in my head is Grandma's Apple Pie. The smell of apples and pie crust in the house and the talk of freshly whipped cream and vanilla ice cream make me happy every year!
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 16, 2015
The Little Crooked Bookshelf
Lenny & Lucy
by Phillip C. Stead
illustrated by Erin E. Stead
This week's pick is from cottager, Anika Denise.
What it's all about . . .
Peter and his father are moving to a new house, over a bridge, beyond the dark unfriendly woods. Scared and skeptical, Peter constructs Lenny out of pillows and blankets, and anoints him "Guardian of the Bridge." But Lenny will be lonely, so Peter makes him a companion, Lucy. With Lenny and Lucy's watchful reassuring presence, Peter and his dog Harold rest easier, and begin to acclimate to their new home.
Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf . . .
A dark and bleak unknown is met with a mix of childlike pragmatism and imagination in this quietly enchanting fairytale from award-winning husband and wife team Phillip and Erin Stead. Not one word is wasted or out of place, and the illustrations work a subtle magic upon the reader with gray toned landscapes punctuated by washes of deep gold, red, green, blue and purple.
Our favorite lines . . .
So the next day Peter made a tall pile of pillows. And after they'd
toppled the pile six times Peter ran in to find just the rightblankets. He stitched and sewed and wrapped the pile up,tying it shut with string. He pushed and pulled and kneaded the wrapped-up pillows like dough.
Our favorite illustration . . .
Why kids will love it . . .
Because Lenny and Lucy are gentle giants: familiar, comforting and magical all at once. Because the story is quiet and hopeful, and there's a dog—a good dog—and the promise of a new friend in the end.
Why grown-ups will love it . . .
It will remind them of books they read when they were children. Like Sendak, the Steads don't shy away from the darker emotions and fears of childhood—and yet with subtlety and warmth, present a tale that is both captivating and reassuring.
istory in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. - See more at: http://childrensatheneum.blogspot.com...
November 13, 2015
November 11, 2015
Loved to Pieces . . . with Laurel Snyder
Today we have one of our favorite authors visiting us. She wrote the swoon-worthy new picture book SWAN: THE LIFE AND DANCE OF ANNA PAVLOVA, illustrated by Julie Morstad, as well as many other acclaimed middle grade novels and picture books, including BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX and PENNY DREADFUL. Please welcome . . .Laurel Snyder!
Laurel is here to share her own favorite book from childhood. The one she's loved to pieces. Tell us about it, Laurel. . . .
"I’ve got a lot of books on the bottom shelf of my bookcase that qualify as 'Loved to Pieces.' I’m someone who rereads things yearly, and as an author, I base a lot of my own titles on beloved classics. So picking just one book to talk about is a little difficult for me.
But at the end of the day, there’s one book I’ve memorized like no other, one book I refer to on a daily basis: Ballet Shoes, by Noel Streatfield. Ballet Shoes is a middle grade novel about three orphans who’ve been “collected” by an eccentric wealthy paleontologist, then essentially abandoned with his adult niece and her aging 'Nana,' in a big house in London. To support their family, Pauline, Petrova, and Posy take dance and theater classes, then become performers on the stage. As you do!
Meanwhile, Garnie (the guardian-niece-person) takes in interesting boarders of all sorts, to help pay the bills. All these people live in the big house together—the three kids, Garnie, Nana, and the assorted random adults who pay rent, but also operate like family members.
Laurel Snyder with her loved-to-pieces, favorite bookI loved this book for so many reasons. I loved it because the girls were fiercely independent and highly capable—supporting their family, setting up bank accounts, and taking matters into their own hands. I loved it because it had that fawncy tone of faded British aristocracy—complete with plenty of tea-drinking and velvet frock-wearing. I loved it because the girls were performers, and at age eight, I wanted to be a ballerina myself. I loved it because the girls were so different from one another, though I wanted to be friends with each of them. How I adored this book!
And our loved-to-pieces favorite new book -- Laurel's SWAN!As an adult/author, this is a book that challenges me. I know that I wouldn’t make the same choices Streatfield made if I were writing Ballet Shoes today. To begin with, the premise is absolutely insane—an orphan book to beat all orphan books. G.U.M. (Great Uncle Matthew is the name of the paleontologist) literally finds Pauline floating in the ocean). Posy just coincidentally comes with a pair of toe-shoes, and then turns out to be a dance prodigy. It’s all so ridiculously convenient.
Then, if you get past the premise, you have to deal with the fact that G.U.M. utterly neglects the girls for about a decade, but is welcomed back with open arms when he finally turns up at the end, so that the whole big crazy mess gets tied up with a big bow, happily ever after. That sort of ending is something I generally loathe in a book, but somehow I don’t mind it in Ballet Shoes. 
In writing this little essay, I’ve put some thought into why that is, and I’m still a little baffled, to tell you the truth. As with all great books, there’s something that defies analysis here, something that breaks the rules. But this much I know—I’m willing to forgive the less believable elements in Ballet Shoes because of Pauline, Petrova, and Posy, because the girls themselves are so real, fully formed complex characters, unlikeable in moments, petulant and jealous and petty. But also loving, committed to each other, and grateful for all they have. Like actual kids. Also, though the premise of the book feels impossible, the underlying theme—that a bunch of random people can come together under any circumstances, form a family, and then overcome whatever obstacles they face—is so inherently true. Then there’s the tone of the book, which feels, even now, bright and conversational. As a kid, I felt like it was speaking to me. I really did. 'I wonder,' (says Petrova in the final line of the book) …'if other girls had to be one of us, which of us they’d choose to be?'
I remember lying on my blue bedspread, in my childhood room, closing the book as I finished it, letting it fall onto my chest, and pondering that question. I knew the answer, of course. (I was, am, and will always be a Pauline). But it was as though Petrova had asked me a question, and I owed it to her to spare a few minutes thinking about my answer. Because she was my friend. (And thank goodness she still is!)
**************** Don't miss Laurel's breathtaking new book!
SWAN
THE LIFE AND DANCE OF ANNA PAVLOVA
by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Julie Morstad
Chronicle Books, 2015
ISBN 978-1452118901
Junior Library Guild Selection
ABC(ABA) Best Books for Young Readers
“Spare, poetic words sit as lightly as snowflakes.” —Wall Street Journal
"A tender, delicate recounting.'' —Publishers Weekly
"Young ballet lovers will be smitten with the story." —Kirkus Reviews
"Exquisite." —The Horn Book Magazine
Laurel Snyder is the author of five middle grade novels and six picture books, most recently SWAN, the Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova. She lives in Atlanta, GA, and online at http://laurelsnyder.com Follow her @laurelsnyder on Twitter!
November 9, 2015
The Little Crooked Bookshelf
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Lillian's Right to Vote
A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
This week's pick is from Cottager Jamie Michalak.
What it's all about . . ."It's Voting Day, she's an American, and by God, she is going to vote." As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a "long haul up a steep hill" to her polling place, she sees the history of the civil rights movement -- the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandparents voting for the first time, her parents trying to register to vote, and herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery.
Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf . . .We're awestruck at how Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans have vividly and poignantly captured more than one hundred years of civil rights history within a forty-page picture book. Winter's powerful story and Evans's striking mixed-media illustrations bring to life the struggle of African Americans to get the right to vote.
Our favorite lines . . .
Before Lillian walks through the doors of the building, where you better believe she will vote, she looks up and sees the same blue sky -- brighter than any sky she's ever seen -- that she saw on August 6, 1965.
Our favorite illustration . . .
From Lillian's Right to Vote by Jonah Winter. Illustration copyright 2015 by Shane W. Evans.Why kids will love it . . .Lillian's tale will move, inspire, and educate young readers. A must-read for every child!
Why grown-ups will love it . . .
Because Lillian's Right to Vote reminds readers of all ages about the importance of voting and making your voice heard --- and of the hard-earned fight to win this right.
istory in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. - See more at: http://childrensatheneum.blogspot.com...
Lillian's Right to Vote
A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
This week's pick is from Cottager Jamie Michalak.
What it's all about . . ."It's Voting Day, she's an American, and by God, she is going to vote." As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a "long haul up a steep hill" to her polling place, she sees the history of the civil rights movement -- the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandparents voting for the first time, her parents trying to register to vote, and herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery.
Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf . . .We're awestruck at how Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans have vividly and poignantly captured more than one hundred years of civil rights history within a forty-page picture book. Winter's powerful story and Evans's striking mixed-media illustrations bring to life the struggle of African Americans to get the right to vote.
Our favorite lines . . .
Before Lillian walks through the doors of the building, where you better believe she will vote, she looks up and sees the same blue sky -- brighter than any sky she's ever seen -- that she saw on August 6, 1965.
Our favorite illustration . . .
From Lillian's Right to Vote by Jonah Winter. Illustration copyright 2015 by Shane W. Evans.Why kids will love it . . .Lillian's tale will move, inspire, and educate young readers. A must-read for every child!Why grown-ups will love it . . .
Because Lillian's Right to Vote reminds readers of all ages about the importance of voting and making your voice heard --- and of the hard-earned fight to win this right.
istory in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. - See more at: http://childrensatheneum.blogspot.com...
