Paul Meisel's Blog, page 3
April 17, 2014
Texas Library Association
I had a lot of fun in San Antonio at the presentation and panel discussion for "I Can Read It Myself! The Geisel Award Books and Beginning Readers" hosted by Kristen Fournier. Thanks to Terry Borzumato-Greenberg of Holiday House, all the welcoming librarians, and fellow participants Grace Lin and Geoffrey Hayes for making it a very enjoyable experience.
Booklist Review of Swamp Chomp
Schaefer, Lola M. (Author) , Meisel, Paul (Illustrator)
Apr 2014. 32 p. Holiday, hardcover, $16.95. (9780823424078).
With a short, staccato text and colorful illustrations, this picture book portrays life in a swamp. Each of the opening scenes includes only one short phrase, such as “Fish glide. Guard” and “Turtles bob. Dig.” The pace quickens on the center spread, where the text reads “Hum / Simmer / Bellow / Drone / Splash /Scratch” as a number of animals spring into action above and below the water, some chasing their prey, others trying to elude their predators. This sets the tone for the second half of the book, in which many swamp animals catch and eat smaller critters. The endnote, which briefly comments on swamps and food chains, is memorably illustrated with a line of animals (alligator, turtle, frog, bass, crayfish, dragonfly, mosquito) with gaping jaws, each intent on eating the smaller one beside it. A similar line of animals spirals across the endpapers. Created with ink, watercolor, acrylic, pencil, and pastel, Meisel’s lively illustrations capture swamp life without sentimentalizing or sensationalizing it. A colorful addition to classroom units on swamp ecology, food chains, and predation.
— Carolyn Phelan
January 4, 2014
Kirkus review for Light Is All Around Us
Inquiring minds in primary grades can gain understanding about a seemingly ever-present subject in this title about light in the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science series.
Pfeffer begins her straightforward text by discussing sources of light from the sun and stars, as well as those powered by electricity. Soon readers are discovering how light travels to Earth from the sun 93 million miles away. The challenging concept of how fast light travels is made clear by Meisel’s appealing spreads comparing the speeds of various vehicles (car, plane, etc.) to light. The notion of measuring a particular light’s brightness in lumens unfolds alongside a series of spot illustrations showing how length, time, temperature and weight are measured. Bioluminescent creatures, such as common fireflies and the more exotic glowing octopus, get a quick mention before an accessible and informative explanation of how the eye works is impressively executed by both author and illustrator. Simple experiments proving how necessary light is to living things and suggested activities about shadows are provided at the title’s conclusion. A note states that this book “meets the Common Core State Standards for Science and Technical Subjects.” Newly independent readers will appreciate how closely the pictures reflect and extend the text, while younger students will gain much from listening to the book read aloud and poring over the details on each page.
An illuminating choice for the science shelf. (notes on experiments) (Informational picture book. 5-8)
December 2, 2013
October 24, 2013
USA Today
says Vampire Baby is a treat!
"These Books will dress up Halloween for young readers":
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/10/22/halloween-books-for-young-readers/3142575/
October 9, 2013
School Library Journal (Oct 8)- "Great Beginnings/Books for Emergent Readers
Paul Meisel’s mischievous mutts returns in See Me Dig (all Holiday House, 2013; PreS-Gr 2), an easy reader that utilizes limited vocabulary and very short sentences but takes it to the next level with a more complex plot and surprising twists and turns. Members of this canine crew love to dig, and their frenzied activity earns them the ire of forest animals, leads to the unearthing of a treasure chest (and release of pirate ghosts), and ends with an encounter with a kindred spirit (a construction excavator).
Packed with humor and dynamic detail, the cartoon artwork masterfully supports and expands the text. Simple yet satisfying, this funny romp can be used to discuss story elements (including setting, characters, and major events) and boost the confidence of novice readers.
September 2, 2013
Vampire Baby Trailer
Kelly Bennett, author of Vampire Baby, had this cool trailer made by Nathan Hale at Ink in Motion. Really great!
July 18, 2013
Interview
A nice fellow from Australia, George Aranda, asked me a few questions for his "Sciencebookaday" blog. Here's the link:
June 30, 2013
New Book!
Vampire Baby by Kelly Bennett, Candlewick Press.
February 26, 2013
Nice review from Kirkus.
SEE ME DIG [STARRED REVIEW!]
Author: Paul Meisel
Illustrator: Paul Meisel
Review Issue Date: March 15, 2013
Online Publish Date: February 27, 2013
Publisher:Holiday House
Pages: 32
Price ( Hardcover ): $None
Publication Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-0-8234-2743-7
Category: Picture Books
Series: I Like to Read
In this gem of an early reader, a cast of cavorting canines find more than they expected when they start digging—namely a scary bear, buried treasure, pirate ghosts and heavy construction equipment.
Meisel follows his first title in this series (See Me Run, 2011) by using the same dog characters and limited first-grade-level vocabulary for kids just beginning to read on their own. This time, the endearing dogs dig up a huge box buried in the sand after the bear chases them away from the forest. In a surprise twist that will tickle young readers, the enormous chest contains not gold coins, but the ghosts of pirates who chase after the dogs until one brave pup stands up to the ghosts with a big bark. But there’s another danger looming: the clawlike tines on the bucket of a tracked excavator appear to threaten the dogs, until excavator and dogs find that they can all dig in the sand together, side by side. Using just a few words and extremely short sentences, Meisel delivers a funny story with a real plot containing several surprises. His cartoon-style illustrations in watercolor with pen-and-ink and pencil details capture the canine personalities and create deliciously spooky (but not really scary) villains in the pirate ghosts.
New readers will dig this. (Early reader. 5-8)
