Paul Meisel's Blog, page 2
October 23, 2017
AAAS/Subaru longlist
My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis has been selected to the AAAS/Subaru (link) longlist for excellence in science writing in the category of Children's Science Picture Books!
May 10, 2017
Storymakers on KidLit.TV
Storymakers interview on KidLit.tv with Rocco Staino about My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis, written and illustrated by Paul Meisel.
https://kidlit.tv/2017/05/storymakers-paul-meisel/
November 27, 2016
My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis
P. Mantis will make her debut in February of 2017.
A couple of new reviews for Stinky Spike
From School Library Journal:
Meisel, Peter. Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue. Illus. by Paul Meisel. 80p. Bloomsbury. Mar. 2017. Tr $9.99. ISBN 9781619638839.
K-Gr2—It is a quiet morning out at sea, and Captain Fishbeard, Stinky Spike, and all their pirate friends are busy taking a nap, but that changes when the ship crashes into and destroys King Seabreeze’s royal vessel. The king is furious and locks all the pirates away in the dungeons—which is not a great place to be cooped up with Stinky Spike, the smelliest dog on the high seas. However, their luck begins to change when Princess Petunia seeks out the best sniffer around to help her locate her lost pup, Honey. Stinky Spike takes charge and lends a paw. But finding Honey is harder than Spike and Princess Petunia thought. With help along the way, the two travel the high seas to recapture the lost poodle from Captain Bart and his band of blustering pirates. The character-driven story line is simple, yet there is a complexity in the wonderful sensory language. The color illustrations aid comprehension and support and extend the text on each page. VERDICT This is a must-purchase for libraries with growing or solid collections of early reader chapter books.
From Kirkus:
A pungent pup must prove his worth to a bumbling piratical crew. Any owner of a rambunctious pup will instantly recognize a kindred spirit in shipyard pup Spike's predilection for noxious smells. He's the proud owner of the world's most powerful proboscis, and any stink stunning to the olfactory centers is his delight. Employed to protect the cargo of incoming ships, Spike gets more than he bargained for when his pursuit of a colony of sea gulls lands him in the briny deep. A bucket of rotting fish bits proves his salvation but does his personal hygiene little good. Rescued by human Fishbeard and his scurvy buccaneers, Spike promises them that he can sniff out some treasure in exchange for a ride home. Unfortunately what dogs consider treasure and what people consider treasure are two entirely different things. Though pirate animals sniffing out treasure are hardly new characters (viz. Cornelia Funke's The Pirate Pig, 2015), there's a jaunty joie de vivre to Spike's love of all that reeks. A true transitional book, the text is perfect for children working their way up to full chapter books. Paul Meisel's full-color illustrations help liven up son Peter Meisel's short chapters, and the story will keep readers guessing. Sequel Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue publishes simultaneously. Cast off, me hearties, and meet a dog that brings both the yo ho hos and the nose. (Adventure. 7-9)
Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue: 978-1-61963-883-9
June 4, 2015
Stinky Spike!
Written by my son, Peter! Bloomsbury will be issuing Stinky Spike The Pirate Dog and Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue in early 2017. Both books are in the introduction of this new Read & Bloom series from Bloomsbury.
November 14, 2014
Kirkus and SlJ reviews for After the Bell Rings...
AFTER THE BELL RINGS
Poems About After-School Time
Author: Carol Diggory Shields
Illustrator: Paul Meisel
Review Issue Date: November 15, 2014
Online Publish Date: November 4, 2014
Publisher:Dial
Pages: 32
Price ( Hardcover ): $16.99
Publication Date: February 24, 2015
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-0-8037-3805-8
Category: Poetry
Twenty-two light poems and accompanying illustrations explore what happens after school.Veteran author-illustrator duo Shields and Meisel team up again (Someone Used My Toothbrush and Other Bathroom Poems, 2010, etc.) to depict the full spectrum of fun to be had after school lets out. Looking at what typically happens at the end of the school day—homework, snacking, being reunited with pets, car pools, texting friends, a little instrument practice—Shields and Meisel paint a realistic portrait of how kids feel about these activities. From the opening pair of "2:48" poems, Shields quickly establishes the collection's light, edgy tone, showing how student and teacher alike often find the last two minutes of the day "the slowest of all." By week's end, Shields cleverly uses end rhyme to highlight the irony to be found in a "Friday Night" sleepover: "We call it sleeping over— / That's not exactly true. / We bring along our sleeping bags, / But sleep? Not what we do." Throughout the volume, Meisel's dynamic, childlike mixed-media illustrations effectively underscore the child's perspective these poems so often provide. But occasionally Shields also shares some important advice as a former child, enlightening young readers as to the dangers of saying, "I'm bored!" to one's parents or trying to mask unauthorized video game usage behind a beatific smile. Smart and sassy poems and accessible illustrations combine for an engaging, humorous package. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)
SHIELDS, Carol Diggory. After the Bell Rings. illus. by Paul Meisel. 32p. Dial. Feb. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780803738058. LC 2014002797.
Gr 2-5–In 22 colorfully illustrated poems, Shields captures multiple perspectives on the favorite part of many kids’ school day—the end. The book opens with the anticipation of the dismissal bell from the perspective of the students and the teacher. Readers will connect with the familiar scenario of feeling “like the clock on the wall has stopped.” From there, the poet explores some of kids’ extracurricular activities. “Level 5” shows the realistic struggle between a desire to play video games and the obligation to do one’s homework. Shields’s lines will resonate with readers (“She put her hand on the warm TV. ‘Guess what, kid? You’re busted.’”). “Manga” is a cleverly written poem that will leave some children scratching their heads because of its right-to-left text flow. “Txt msgs” is a conversation poem written in text-speak. Shields even includes a verse about the dangers of saying “I’m bored,” which leads to a never-ending chore list. The eye-catching artwork done in acrylic, gouache, and colored pencil is sure to appeal to many readers along with the humor, rhyme, and universal topics.–Andy Plemmons, David C. Barrow Elementary, Athens, GA
October 20, 2014
The Haunted Hamburger in NC
Had a great time in North Carolina receiving the Picture Book Award of the Year (2014) from the N.C. School Library Media Association for The Haunted Hamburger and Other Ghostly Stories. Special thanks to Vicki Stanfield and Lisa England. I enjoyed meeting David LaRochelle, the talented and funny (and as you can see, very tall) author of The Haunted Hamburger.
August 18, 2014
Library Media Connection
Here is an excerpt (must be 50 words or less for copyright purposes before Nov 1) of a review of Swamp Chomp by Lola Schaefer from the November/December issue of Library Media Connection. It is a "recommended" book.
Schaefer, Lola M.
Swamp Chomp
Illustrated by Paul Meisel. 2014. 32pp. $16.95 hc. Holiday House. 978-0-8234-2407-8. Grades PreK-2
In brilliant shades of green, this book opens with a double-page spread of open-mouthed swamp animals, each ready to gobble the next creature in the food chain. The bold illustrations provide exquisite detail of swamp life, and simple three-word phrases describe the actions.
June 21, 2014
New Stories for Newtown
Newtown Illustrator Ross MacDonald and Booth children's librarian Lana Bennison organized this event for the second year following the tragedy in town. Joe McKendry, an educator and author/illustrator from the Boston area, had organized an event in Boston last year after the bombing where illustrator's drew a picture of a child's favorite stuffed animal. He organized a similar event here in Newtown which I participated in. There were a number of other events in town attended by authors and illustrators Alan Katz, Sarah Littman, Gail Carson Levine, Jennifer Thermes, Jarrett Krosoczka, Dan Yaccarino, Karen Romano Young, Nathan Fox, Kristine Humber, Dingding Hu, Katrina Kopeloff, Kelly Murphy, Steve Brodner, and Antoine Revoy.
April 27, 2014
Kids like scary hamburgers in North Carolina
The North Carolina Children’s Book Award Committee
is pleased to announce the 2014 winners!
In the Picture Book Category, The Haunted Hamburger and other Ghostly Tales, written by David LaRochelle, and illustrated by Paul Meisel, is the winning title with 22,182 votes out of the 95,982 votes cast!
