Lynn Beckwith

From the cover to the final page, there can be no doubt that what we have here is one very bad cat. Evidence abounds, from the torn up furniture to the paw prints up the wall to the moustache and beard drawn on the author's photo. But the jet-black feline at the heart of this entertaining picture book wasn't always a bad cat. She was a sweet kitty until the fateful day when her family ran out of cat food and offered her people food instead. Does this kitty appreciate the food? Well, in a word, no.

Author/illustrator Nick Bruel presents a riotous alphabetical roster of healthy foods presented to the cat, from asparagus to zucchini. Kitty reacts with disdain, like a teenager receiving fashion advice from a parent: grabbing her neck, rolling her eyes, screaming in horror. And when the facial gestures fail to get her message across, the kitty resorts to more forceful actions calculated to get RESPECT! Once again, readers are launched on a trip through the alphabet. First, we learn, the bad kitty "Ate my homework" and then "Bit Grandma." Other highlights of kitty's revenge (in alphabetical order, of course) are "Hurled hair balls at our heads" and "Overturned her cat box" and finally, "Zeroed the zinnias." Her displeasure with the culinary choices chez kitty builds to its hilarious climax and is brought to a screeching halt when the adults arrive with a bevy of tasty treats for kitty, everything from anchovies to zebra ziti. To pay back her generous owner, bad kitty decides she wants to be a good kitty. "But not just any good kitty a very, very good, good, good kitty." The contrite cat performs fine feline tasks and even takes on duties usually reserved for human beings, like repairing curtains and filling out tax forms.

Bruel has created a joyfully silly portrait of a picky eater with attitude. His bold, humorous illustrations are sure to keep young readers amused as they follow kitty's escapades again and again.

Funny thing about Kate DiCamillo — she does not write the same book twice. From Because of Winn-Dixie to Tiger Rising and on to her Newbery-winning The Tale of Despereaux, DiCamillo has always followed her own heart and voice. Her latest departure is the first of a promised series about an overfed, overindulged pig named Mercy Watson. Artist Chris Van Dusen joins in the fun with full-color gouache illustrations. With its straightforward story line, repeated text and hilarious illustrations, this new series should delight young readers.

You might not know any house pigs, but my friend Helen lives with her pig Forkie, and Mercy's life seems rather close to Forkie's life of pampered pig bliss. She gets to eat the food she likes, in Mercy's case buttered toast, and she gets to sleep where she likes, right between the equally well-fed Mr. and Mrs. Watson. The Watsons might be smart enough to have the perfect pet, but they are not too bright when it comes to solving life's little problems. For this, they need their pig friend. One night, while the three of them are enjoying a night of repose and dreams of toast, they are awakened by the sound of the floor creaking and breaking. Unable to move or reach the phone, the Watsons are sure that Mercy, who has jumped out of bed, is off to find rescuers. Mercy has more than rescue on her mind; toast with a great deal of butter is her motivation. In a hilarious turn of events, Mercy does indeed manage to find help for her hapless parents but not before an all-out search for sustenance disrupts her elderly neighbors, Baby and Eugenia, and requires the services of Ned and Lorenzo, the local firefighters. In the end, Mercy is no longer just a pig, but a full-fledged porcine wonder. She has saved the day and her reward is a big stack of toast with a great deal of butter. Enthusiastic young fans will eagerly await the further adventures of their new favorite pig.

Slow down the pace of modern life and turn to the world of Sassafras Springs, Missouri, right after the turn of the 20th century. Young Eben McAllister lives there with his widowed Pa and Aunt Pretty, and he has a severe case of wanderlust brought on by reading all about the world, especially the Seven Wonders of the World. The more he reads, the more he realizes how danged ordinary his life and town are.

But things are about to get interesting for Eben. After his father sadly admits his regret that his late wife never got to visit her cousins in Silver Peak, Colorado, he comes up with an intriguing idea for Eben. You find yourself Seven Wonders right here in Sassafras Springs and I'll buy you a ticket to go see Molly and Eli and that mountain! Aunt Pretty can barely believe her ears imagine a 12-year-old boy traveling all by himself, let alone leaving his father right before harvest! Seven Wonders in seven days? In this little old speck-on-the-map town? The race is on and we all cheer for Eben on as he begins his search for . . . well, what exactly is he searching for? Surely not pyramids or hanging gardens. Eben has lived in his town for his whole life. He knows all the residents and, to his young mind, there is nothing special about a one of them. But, a challenge is a challenge and a train ticket is nothing to scoff at.

At first, his neighbors are suspicious and figure Eben is up to no good. Even Mrs. Pritchard, his Sunday school teacher, seems to disapprove of his quest, until she comes up with an idea of her own. In one stunning story from her youth, Eben hears a tale that qualifies as a Wonder with a capital W. As he digs deeper into the lives of his neighbors, he discovers amazing things about them and their world. Each wonder brings him closer to reaching Colorado.

Gentle illustrations and down-home dialect help make this a book to treasure and reread. Here is a story that will inspire you to look for the wonders in your own town and make you want to pass this special book along to the next reader.

Once there was a troll. He was not especially good-looking, nor was he especially ugly. He was just an ordinary troll. His name was Gus. So begins The Happy Troll, a charming picture book that depicts the troll's quest for happiness.

Gus might be an ordinary troll, but he has an extraordinary voice. His singing charms his little friends, and soon trolls from far and wide come to hear Gus' songs. With the joy reflected in Peter Sís' oil pastel on gesso illustrations, we see Gus bathed in light while his audience watches in rapt attention. Gus especially enjoys the little gifts his friends bring fresh water, nuts, roots and berries. Gus was happy.

But, one day, a grateful raven with a gold ring on his claw begs Gus to sing for him. Gus is transfixed by the gold ring and will only sing if the raven gives up the ring. The raven gives up the ring and Gus sings. In the tradition of such stories as The Fisherman's Wife, The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle and, of course, The Midas Touch, Gus learns that wishes granted can bring woe. He is beguiled by a snake with a gold crown and a frog with a gold carriage. He is so busy showing off his crown and ring that he has no time to sing his songs.

Soon, he is all alone. And, boy, is he alone. Sís paints the sad, lonely troll with dark teal strokes under a weed-infested tree, with the lonely carriage decaying on the side. Nothing gives the reader hope but a tiny, golden fairy carrying a lantern in the lower left corner of the page. It takes Gus, all alone, to figure out what he needs to do to get his music back. And, along the way, he finds joy and forgiveness. The timeless story, originally published in Switzerland and now released for the first time in an American edition, is perfectly complemented by Sís' tiny details. In the end, a joyous circle of hand-holding trolls tells it all.

Renowned children's author and poet Karla Kuskin teams up with Betsy Lewin and her whimsical watercolors to bring young readers a treasure in So, What's It Like to Be a Cat? The story really starts on the title page, where we see a young interviewer settling into a wooden chair, while the cat looks rather comfortable in a canvas director's chair. I guess we know who the star is! The brazen interviewer is a little boy who opens with the question posed in the title. And the cat, a simple short-haired gray slip of a feline, answers all the queries in deft verse. As the interview continues, the boy adopts the same rhyming style and the tale comes to amusing life.

With a generous typeface that could be comfortably read from the reading rug, this book begs to be read in two voices. One voice would be interested, serious and probing. The answer would mimic the illustrations, in which the cat barely tolerates some of the queries. Do you have a kitty bed with your picture at the head? To which our little star responds, I do not have a kitty bed to rest my kitty tail and head. I'd rather sleep most anywhere that's warm and soft: a couch, a chair, a sleeping loft; I'll curl up there. The illustrations here show the cat, four feet in the air, commandeering the couch, snuggling in a Queen Anne chair and climbing up a ladder to the top bunk.

When the cat describes her leaping and dancing ability, Lewin's hilarious and satisfying illustrations soar right along with the cat. Her inner cat silliness spills all over the pages as she bounces and sallies, twirls and springs, because that is a part of me. Sometimes a feline must fly free.

Cat lovers will adore this book and dog lovers will hope for another interview, this time with the earnest boy and a lovable golden retriever. With its hilarious illustrations and easy-to-read format, this will be a book that new readers will return to over and over. And the adults who get to play the part of the cat will not mind one bit.

2006 Caldecott Honor Book

It's hard to resist the soft watercolors that are the signature of Jon J. Muth's illustrations. A few years back, I was completely taken in by the illustrations that accompanied Karen Hesse's Come On, Rain! There was so much pure joy jumping out of his brush that the paintings made me feel a part of the scene as young girls ran through the raindrops of a much-anticipated storm in a hot city.

In Muth's newest offering, Zen Shorts, siblings Michael, Karl and Addy are playing on a summer day. They meet a large panda bear named Stillwater who has floated in on the current, held up by an umbrella.

"'I am sorry for arriving unannounced,' said the bear. 'The wind carried my umbrella all the way from my backyard to your backyard. I thought I would retrieve it before it became a nuisance.' He spoke with a slight panda accent."

Needless to say, Stillwater is no ordinary giant panda. He is a storyteller. The three stories he tells in Zen Shorts are Stillwater's gift to the children and to us, the readers. Gently philosophical, the stories are actually short meditations from two Zen traditions, Zen Buddhism and Taoism. In an accompanying Author's Note, Muth explains Zen and the origins of the stories. Even the name of the bear has a root in Zen, which values meditation and being still as key routes to understanding.

The three stories-within-the-story are meant to bring enlightenment, something like the parables in the New Testament. The short tales address the existence of good and bad luck, the nature of frustration and forgiveness, and the role of material possessions. Though the stories ask the reader to slow down and think about the nature of life, these are not morality tales. There is no summary sentence at the end to help the reader figure out what the story is trying to teach. However, there is a quiet tone that invites the reader to pause and think.

In Zen Shorts, Muth has created a lovely introduction to the habit of reflection that Zen encourages.

It's not every day that the intricacies of funerals and funeral homes are center stage in a book for young people. Ten-year-old Comfort Snowberger has attended 247 funerals, all at her family's funeral home. She knows what to wear, how to act, but mostly, she, along with all the other members of the Snowberger clan, knows how to serve others.

Deborah Wiles, author of Love, Ruby Lavender, brings young readers another family they will not soon forget in Each Little Bird That Sings. From the smell that encircles her father after he embalms the deceased, to the proper arrangement of the flowers, to picking up her little sister Merry from her nap in a casket in the downstairs casket room, Comfort's loving family serves their community with skill and care. Their lives are defined by death. When great-great-aunt Florentine dies, the family is faced with a loss that challenges even the most experienced funeral professional.

Comfort has to call on all her resources for surviving sadness as she faces the death and funeral of Aunt Florentine. Her dramatic and adoring cousin Peach becomes her challenging weekend assignment. If he isn't bawling uncontrollably, he is trying to do everything with his beloved cousin Comfort. If that is not enough, her best friend in the world chooses this time to ally herself with a different group of girls older and more sophisticated ones. And just when Comfort gets through the funeral, she is faced with a loss that is bigger than any she has had to face before.

Though the plethora of unusual names (Comfort, Tidings, Declaration and even Eggs Florentine) threatens at times to overwhelm the story, Wiles has a gift for bringing readers into the hearts and minds of her main characters. Comfort wants to be the perfect daughter and friend, but she is just a confused 10-year-old who loves her dog, enjoys writing, plays outdoors and does not want anything to change in her life. As she faces the changes that life throws her way, Comfort grabs onto the reader's heart and refuses to let it go.

Jerdine Nolan and Kadir Nelson are back together for another charming tall tale in Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life. Hewitt's parents believe that big things are best! They live in a glorious mansion just the right size for hosting bountiful parties and teas. Not only is their house enormous, but they are quite large themselves; indeed, they are giants.

But Hewitt himself turns out to be a bit smaller than his parents. As a matter of fact, he is tiny. He is so tiny that he can sleep in the well of his father's hand, travel in the brim of his mother's hat, and sneak into the tiniest of cracks. In a family where big things are celebrated, Hewitt is a constant source of concern and worry. How will he survive in the big world? After conferring with Dr. Gargantuan and figuring out that he will always be small, the loving parents send Hewitt off to train him to live in their world. Hilarious lessons in swimming and climbing a beanstalk lead all the grown-up giants to realize that little Hewitt is perfectly able to take care of himself, and his parents. "They now knew what Hewitt knew all along there is power in small if you believe in yourself."

Nelson's dramatic oil paintings add much to this delightful story. From the first pages, when the reader does not yet realize the size of the senior Andersons, Nelson renders every detail for the reader, if she or he will only notice. The house is as tall as the adjacent sequoias, a teeny-weeny bull is munching on the grass in the lawn, almost microscopic geese are pecking at pebbles, and a particularly familiar beanstalk makes the house look like nothing more than a cottage. Mr. Anderson's suspender clips are actually anchors and his belt is made of the ropes that usually hold a cruise ship into its slip.

It's too bad that Stuart Little isn't around for Hewitt to play with! Together their enormous intelligence, stylish clothing and calm demeanor would make them perfect friends.

Lynn Beckwith is a teacher in Nashville.

Susan Campbell Bartoletti and Beppe Giacobbe team up again for Nobody's Diggier Than a Dog, an exuberant companion to their earlier Nobody's Nosier Than a Cat. And do the dogs dig! From the very first page, the energy level is high and the dogs are hap, hap, happily digging and drinking and fighting and getting into just the sort of trouble that canine friends can, um . . . dig up!

The dogs romp the pages with abandon. It starts with digging a hole, but that is not all the dogs in this book can do. First the dogs are diggier and next they are piggier. "Nobody's piggier than a dog a dribble-drool, toilet-drink, breathy stink dog." Colorful, stylized dogs accompany the joyous text as Giacobbe manages to eke out every bit of emotion in each dog's face and body. In one illustration, the dog's forehead is scrunched up guiltily as she is caught lapping up the toilet water. On each page, all varieties of dogs get into mud, shoes and rain, and show the qualities that dog-lovers treasure in their mutts. They save the day, win the show, run in circles, snore away the day and even make a variety of puddles. The color palette varies with the mood, but the illustrations recall the cutouts of Esphyr Slobodkina from decades before.

Children who love to find the little details will enjoy watching the action in the background. Is that a dachshund chasing a black cat? Yes, it is! And that little pup is relentless; he chases her through each page until the dogcatcher achieves his goal. (And nothing is lonelier than the eyes of a puppy looking out of the dogcatcher's van, I might add.) After the little pup is driven away, the inevitable "Lost Dog" signs show up, and the little boy is reunited with his cuddly "lost-and-found, dog-pound dog."

For readers who love dogs and amusing wordplay, this little gem will be a book to read again and again.

Lynn Beckwith is planning to add an Australian Sheepdog to her soon-to-be-empty nest.

Listen up, it's time to read some amazing stories by Esmé Raji Codell. Are these stories true? Yes, indeed! They are straight from her sharp pencil and memory, with an eye for detail refined over her years as a writer of both nonfiction (Educating Esmé) and fiction (Sahara Special). Those years in the classroom and as a speaker can't have hurt either. Somehow, being around fifth-graders brings it all back for her, and it will certainly stir up reminiscences in her lucky readers.

In Sing a Song of Tuna Fish: Hard-to-Swallow Stories from Fifth Grade, each chapter is a short story of its own. Codell paints a marvelous picture of her childhood neighborhood in the 1970s. The part of Chicago where I lived had been a very fancy neighborhood once upon a time. . . . But Mom never said poor. People in other neighborhoods were poor, but people around her were just broke. Children might be surprised when Esmé's mother, in a fit of anger over the illegally parked car of a rich person, treats the car to an egging. But, they won't be surprised when Esmé feels terribly guilty at joining in on the joke. Her moral conflict is the real story here.

Esme's story is not all rambunctious pranks. In one sparkling chapter, she walks us through her neighborhood, one store at a time. Her mental time-capsule draws us into the five-and-dime (she even remembers the omnipresent Mexican jumping beans at the register), Davidson's bakery (with cookies that were like tasting a candy cloud ) and on to the barber, the currency exchange and the Magic Sidewalk.

Every slice of Codell's life is told with the kindness, truth and integrity that we have come to expect from her. Her honest memory is tempered with love and understanding for the foibles that make us all human. She may remember the progressive school where teachers occasionally lost their cool and hit a child, but she gives the school its due for helping her become a teacher.

May Codell's efforts stir fine memories in all of us and encourage us to write about them!

I, Doko: The Tale of a Basket is indeed the tale of a basket, but it is also the tale of a family and a culture. Ed Young adapts a Nepalese story, born of the oral tradition, and with a deft stroke of his talented paintbrush makes it a visual treat for readers and listeners. Like many folktales, there is a lesson at the heart of the story. The lesson has to do with treating older people with respect and deference, even when their intellect is compromised by advancing years. This is heady stuff for the lap listener, but Young's tremendous artistic talent transforms a mere lesson book into an engaging story of a family, a culture and the basket that holds them together.

Doko the basket, who narrates the tale, notices all the changes his family endures as the years progress. His master, Yeh-yeh, chooses him from all the other baskets and takes him home to his wife, Nei-nei, and their new baby son. Doko has many jobs in the family, from toting the new baby to carrying kindling and food. As the years go by, Doko totes the body of its master's wife and the dowry for his grown son. In the end, Doko is called on to tote the elderly Yeh-yeh to the steps of the temple, where he'll be left to the care of the priests. But the youngest member of the family, ordered to carry out this onerous task, comes to his senses and shows himself to be wise beyond his years.

Young's gift is his use of the gentle word and subtle art. Each page is surrounded by a gold frame, and each glorious illustration is speckled lightly with gold paint, creating an antique glow. On one spread, the dry brown earth of drought-stricken Nepal fairly crackles with dust as the sad shapes of the basket-laden people walk barefoot toward the horizon. But despair leads to celebration on the next page, where the brown sky is now the pink and rose and red of good luck and a wedding as the boy joyfully joins his bride and her family.

A rich treat of gouache, pastel and collage from a master of the picture-book form, I, Doko is a book to be pored over.