Meet the illustrator Julia Gukova from Russia

 Image source

I watch a lot. I try to look carefully at everything I'm attracted to - interesting pictures, photographs - trying to grasp what I need in my work. ... By the way the less text the better - this gives more room for imagination.  

Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature Johns Hopkins University Press Volume 59, Number 4, 2021 p. 48

Today I am sharing the work of another illustrator nominated for the prestigious IBBY Hans Christian Andersen award. Yulia Valentinovna Gukova was born in 1961 in Moscow. She has illustrated more than 50 books that have been widely translated, including classics such as Thumbelina by H.C. Andersen and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, as well as The Magic Land of Oz and the Wizard of Oz by L.F. Baum. Here is her web site. And here you can see may examples of her art. 

Her five books submitted for judging for the Hans Christian Andersen Award are  “Velikiy Charodei strani OZ” (The Great Wizard of Oz) and “Chudesnaya strana OZ” (Wonderful country of OZ, both written by Lyman Frank Baum), “12 sov” (12 owls, written by Andrey Usachev and Galina Dydina), “Serena and the Wild Doll” (written by Philip Coristine) and “Puteshestvie v Novyi God” (A journey into the New Year, written by Eduard Uspenskiy).

"Often in her illustrations, she seems to break out of the book page, offering the reader to continue on their own, to extend in their imagination the panorama of a bizarre world that has become accessible to the human eye thanks to the talent of the artist."  Kircbs

Mouse is determined to figure out who stole his delicious collection of raspberries and starts by questioning Raven, but when Raven denies any involvement, 

Mouse has to follow other clues to locate his missing goods. Book Depository

See the art from this book here.

Luminous, lovely paintings illustrated this enchanted tale about the power of belief and 

the wonder of the legendary unicorn. Book Depository

Read more about this book in this Quill and Quire review

See some art from this book here.

Alice in Wonderland by Yulia Gukova stands out for its sharp modernity of approach, 

the geometrically clear alignment of the book space, a subtle understanding of 

the nature of Carroll's fantasy and Carroll's humour. Kircbs

The Bookshop Cat by Cindy Wume

 

With a book, I can go anywhere and be anything

All you could ever want is right here on these shelves

Books will take you on adventures far away, where you will meet astronauts, villains and unicorns

If you love cats, books and bookshops then this is the book for you - it is purrfect!  

Publisher blurb: The Bookshop Cat loves his job at the Children's Bookshop, where he spends his time reading, purring and recommending his favourite books to all the children that come into the shop. But one day, disaster strikes! The bookshop is flooded, and the children stop coming to visit. With a bit of help from his family and friends, the Bookshop Cat comes up with a brilliant plan to bring the Children's Bookshop back to life!

Every problem has a solution:

"They placed books in the playgrounds and along the beach. They put them on benches, in doctors' waiting rooms, inside the museum and the city aquarium. They even put books in the greengrocers, right next to the bananas."

You can see more illustration work by Cindy Wume here. She is based in Taiwan. You might like to follow her on Instagram. 

It’s an absolute delight with superb detailed illustrations ... Red Reading Hub

Here is a painting by Cindy from her Facebook page.

Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers

If words make up stories, and letters make up words, then stories are made of letters. In this menagerie we have stories made of words, made for all the letters. 

Our world is filled with letters (although you might think about how different these letters look in China or Russia or Japan or Iran). Working in a school library knowledge of the alphabet is quite essential. Luckily I do enjoy putting things into alphabetical order - perhaps that why I became a Teacher-Librarian. BUT there is so much more to discover in this book. This book takes the concept of the alphabet book to a whole new dimension. 

Blurb: Here you will discover twenty-six short stories introducing a host of new characters (plus the occasional familiar face). From Edmund the astronaut with his awkward fear of heights, via the dynamic new investigative due of the Owl and the Octopus, through to the Zeppelin that just might get Edmund a little bit closer to where he needs to be, this book is packed with funny, thrilling, perilous and above all entertaining tales inspired by every letter of the alphabet.

If you are working with a class as a temporary or casual teacher this book should be added to your repertoire. Every letter in this book has their own story to tell - 26 letters, 26 stories. I think this is a simply perfect book to share with an older group of students - Grades 4-6. You could also visit your school library and borrow all of the books by Oliver Jeffers. You might also borrow all of their alphabet books - head over to the Dewey shelf 421. 

Discussion questions before reading Once upon an Alphabet:

• What do you expect to find in an alphabet book?
• Did you have alphabet books when you were very young? Did they have a theme or topic?
• Watch this video animation of The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
• Why do you think your parents shared alphabet books with you?
• What are some reasons for writing an alphabet book?
• Which letters might be tricky?
• Do you think there are alphabet books written for older children?
• This book begins with A is for Astronaut. What might come next?
• Take a look at these Burning a bridge; Cup in the cupboard; Danger Delilah - what is happening with the letters?

Now look more closely at the cover:

Is there a hint about the contents of this book in the subtitle - Short stories for all the letters?

Time to read this book: 

Then everyone can grab a letter and you could make a class alphabet book of stories. I would limit the writing to 20-30 words and of course everyone will contribute illustrations!

The silly, spare, slightly surreal text occasionally rhymes and endlessly surprises. Jeffers introduces each letter and story title on a separate, colored page, featuring the letter in childlike lettering. Deceptively naïve pen, ink and watercolor illustrations in subdued blacks and grays on white backgrounds add to the overall whimsy. Reappearing visual elements provide intertextual humor. An utterly delightful alphabet book. Kirkus Star review

One thing that sets Jeffers apart from the pack is his deft wordplay. He has always been as comfortable as a writer as he is an illustrator or artist. SLJ Elizabeth Bird

A delight of an alphabet book, Jeffers has revolutionized the genre with his impressive, surprising and funny work.  Waking Brain Cells

Do make sure you take time to look closely at the end papers of Once upon an Alphabet which provide a resolution to each story. 

I am collecting alphabet books for an IBBY talk I am preparing with Dr Robin Morrow. I have started a Pinterest of Alphabet Books with a Difference.

Here is an interview with Oliver where he talks about this book. 

Meet the illustrator Gusti from Argentina

Argentinian-born Gusti possesses a knack for storytelling and a sense of humor that will appeal to young and old alike.

For me the pencil is like a wand that grants wishes.

(watch a video to see Gusti and his books)

Gusti is another of the illustrator nominees for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. I have already talked about:

Tohby Riddle from Australia

Sidney Smith from Canada

Dubravka Kolanovic from Croatia

Piret Raud from Estonia

Beatrice Alemagna from Italy

Ryoji Arai from Japan

Suzy Lee from Korea

Kost Lavro from Ukraine

David McKee from UK

There are a few books by Gusti available here in Australia. Children in my school library used to enjoy the fun discovery in this book - The Fly - How a Perfect Day Can Turn into a Nightmare:

It was a beautiful morning, and the fly had everything he needed to go swimming: a bag, a ball, a towel and some sunscreen. The water was not too hot, not to cold, just the way he liked it. But little did he know, he was in for a big surprise.  Watch the video (it is in Spanish)

Gusti is an acclaimed author and illustrator of children’s books as well as a committed activist for people with disabilities and nature conservation. He was born Gustavo Ariel Rosemffet Abramovich in Buenos Aires in 1963.

Here are some other books illustrated by Gusti:

Here is a review from Publisher's Weekly

The five books selected for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2022 are “La mosca” (The Fly, published by Calibroscopio), “No somos angelitos” (We are not angels, also selected for the IBBY 2021 Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities) and “Malko y papá” (Malko and Dad), both published by Oceano Travesia, “Feos y feas” (Ugly and ugly, text by Lola Casas, published by Carambuco ediciones) and “Animales escondidos” (Hidden animals, text by Lola Casas, published by Pequeño Editor).

His story, Mallko y papá (Mallko and dad, 2014) chronicles his close relationship with his son, who has Down syndrome. The book received wide recognition, including being chosen for the 2015 IBBY Outstanding Selection of Books for Young People with Disabilities, the 2015 Junceda Award, and the 2016 Bologna Ragazzi Award for the special category Disability. Read this review. Kirkus Star review.

If I could pick one book illustrated by Gusti that I wish I could read in English it would be this one:

The Chained Elephant - Since he was a child, the protagonist of our story wonders why the circus elephant, so strong and powerful, does not free himself from the small stake to which he is tied after the show. One day, a very wise friend offers him an answer: “The circus elephant does not escape because it has been tied up since it was very, very small. At that moment, he tried to free himself with all his might without success. Since then he believes that it is impossible. With this beautiful traditional fable about the importance of knowing our abilities and possibilities, Jorge Bucay makes his first foray into children's literature. And he has a luxury travel companion, the wonderful illustrator Gusti. 

My February reading pile

 

I was lucky to visit a wonderful Australian primary school library this week so of course I borrowed a pile of books. The first three books are new middle grade Australia titles. 

The Edge of Thirteen by Nova Weetman

Publisher blurb: Clem Timmins can’t wait to see her best friends after being apart all summer holidays. But when they get back together, things have changed. Bridge is boy-crazy and acting like a different person. Ellie is wearing a bra and having a real-life romance. Clem feels left behind. When she makes friends with Tom, suddenly everyone’s gossiping about whether they’re going to be a couple. Clem’s got no interest in having a boyfriend. Or does she? At school camp, Bridge crosses the line and Clem has to make a decision. Can she keep growing up with her friends when they’re growing apart? This story of fitting in and falling out perfectly captures how it feels to balance on the edge of who you are and who you want to be.

I am curious about this book because the title makes me think it might be a Young Adult title. I have previously also read Sick Bay by Nova Weetman and The Secrets we Keep.

Balloon Girls by Darrell Pitt

Publisher blurb: Times are tough in the small town of Yallaroo where Ally Simpson has lived her whole life. The whole area is in drought and people are going broke or moving away. So when Ally hears about a competition to win the trip of a lifetime to visit the Smithsonian Museum in the USA, she knows she’s got to do everything she can to try and win. Ally enlists her best friends Harmony and Ping to help her plan the most impressive experiment she can imagine: to send a video camera to the edge of space, and prove once and for all that the earth is round. At first, Ally is pretty sure she’s got the whole competition stitched up. But then, as one disaster after another derails her plans, she begins to learn the importance of staying grounded even while she’s aiming for the sky…

Elsewhere girls by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman

Publisher blurb: Cat has recently started at a new school on a sports scholarship, and she’s feeling the pressure of early morning training sessions and the need for total commitment. Fanny loves to swim and she lives for racing, but family chores and low expectations for girls make it very hard for her to fit in even the occasional training session. Cat and Fanny have never met. They both live in the same Sydney suburb, but in different worlds, or at least different times: Cat in current-day Sydney, and Fanny in 1908. But one day, time slips and they swap places. As each girl lives the other’s life, with all the challenges and confusion it presents, she comes to appreciate and understand herself and the role of swimming in her own life. Narrated in alternating chapters by Cat and Fanny, Elsewhere Girls is a moving and funny story of two girls with a deep connection, one based on the Australian Olympic champion, Fanny Durack. It’s a fresh and engaging exploration of the challenges and pressures for young women growing up in the past and today.

The collaboration of two authors is a fascinating process. Take a look at my discussion of To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. In this video Nova and Emily talk about their book. 

With my knife by Andrew Lansdown published in 1992

I have talked about this book ten years ago. It is story that has lingered with me so I am keen to read it again. I have discovered this book is still available as a bind up version with the three titles from the trilogy The Chronicles of Klarin. I am not a fan of bind-ups and this one has 400 pages but it is great that keen readers can still discover the magic of this story. 

Left Shoe and the foundling by Annie O'Dowd published in 2005 and now out of print

I have talked about this book previously. When teachers ask for read aloud recommendations this is a book that I think about mentioning but then I worry about the desperately sad opening scenes so I thought it was time to reread this book (and the sequel Marigold and the dark). Here are more details on Annie O'Dowd's web site. 

Let me whisper you my story by Moya Simons published in 2010

Publisher blurb: Rachel is German and Jewish and living in Leipzig,Germany. Life is good, and revolves around Sabbath meals shared with her happy family.With the outbreak of World War II, their lives are changed. the family are forced to move from their comfortable home into cramped housing, and when the Nazis arrive to finally take the family away they don't know what is to become of them.But Rachel's father gives her instructions that save her life. He also tells her not to speak.Rachel remains quiet for the rest of the war, but what happened to her family? Will Rachel regain her voice now that she really needs it?

And here is a new book not yet published due in April, 2022

Bored: Milo finds $105 by Matt Stanton

Publisher blurb: Hi, I'm Milo, and right now I'm chasing $105 as it flies down my street. The wind is blowing it towards Evie Watson's house, which is very bad news. It's also making for some pretty awkward running. My neighbours, Rocco, Luisa and Zak, must be laughing their heads off. And who knows what's happening with the new kid next door. His name is Frog and he's invented his own type of martial art, which he's not very good at even though he made it up. Finding this much money should have been a good thing, but it is turning into a disaster!

I have already read this book and I loved it - five stars from me. My advance copy says I cannot review this book but I have plans to contact the publisher because I am very keen to tell you about this terrific, funny, truthful, and poignant story. There is a really terrific book hiding inside this cover. 

I am editing this post (it is the next day) because I have two more books on my pile.

Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman

Publisher blurb: Kabir has been in jail since the day he was born, because his mom is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit. He’s never met his dad, so the only family he’s got are their cellmates, and the only place he feels the least bit free is in the classroom, where his kind teacher regales him with stories of the wonders of the outside world. Then one day a new warden arrives and announces Kabir is too old to stay. He gets handed over to a long-lost “uncle” who unfortunately turns out to be a fraud, and intends to sell Kabir. So Kabir does the only thing he can–run away as fast as his legs will take him. How does a boy with nowhere to go and no connections make his way? Fortunately, he befriends Rani, another street kid, and she takes him under her wing. But plotting their next move is hard–and fraught with danger–in a world that cares little for homeless, low caste children. This is not the world Kabir dreamed of–but he’s discovered he’s not the type to give up. Kabir is ready to show the world that he–and his mother–deserve a place in it.

I adored a previous book by Padma - The Bridge Home. 

How I saved the world by Polly Ho-Yen

Publisher blurb: Billy’s mum isn’t like other mums. All she wants is to teach him the Rules of Survival – how to make fire, build shelter and find food. She likes to test Billy on the rules until one day she goes too far, and Billy is sent to live with a dad he barely knows. Then the world changes forever as people begin to be infected with a mysterious virus that turns their skin grey. As chaos breaks out, Billy has to flee the city. Suddenly he realises that this is what his mum was preparing him for – not just to save his family, but to save the whole world. 

I previously read an easy chapter book by Polly Ho-Yen - Two Sides.

Tish by Edwina Wyatt illustrated by Odette Barberousse

"Look at this way ... there are things that happen. Irreversible processes ... like how you can turn an egg into an omelette ... but you can't turn an omelette back into an egg."

Charles Dimple needs a friend. Annabeth Arch needs a friend. Isabelle (Izzy) Applebee needs a friend. Along comes Tish or Bert as he is later named or Bertie, which is his next new name. For now I will call him Tish. Tish arrives when Charles dreams him up. Yes Tish is an imaginary friend - he is a Perfect.

Tish sees lots of Perfects when he goes to school with Charles.

"Some had ten feet and some had ten eyes. There were frills and gills. Tutus and tiaras. But they all had one thing in common: they had each found their Someone. And in their Someone's eyes, they were perfect."

The Perfect Friend (list by Charles): Tusks; Big; Smoke like steam from a hot apple pie; Loyalty; Honesty; and Politeness. Also feathers and fur; a trunk and an umbrella.  I should also mention he loves pistachios.

What about those three friends: 

Charles who lives at 33 Sprinkle street, loves berry-swirl waffle cones from Mr Confetti's ice-cream truck; making lists; tomato sauce; museums; and swings.

Sadly one day "Tish felt something crack inside, and wondered if his heart was just a mess of shell and egg. He didn't like time now that he knew how it could hurt him. Time wasn't fair. He wished they could go back and do everything all over again. But Charles had said that time only moved in one direction. And Charles had moved on without him."

Annabeth from Black Cherry Lane, is given to expressing unfortunate truths and for this misdemeanour she is often sent to The Kitchen Step which is a place to Think About What She Had Done until she was Ready to Say Sorry. Annabeth likes the alphabet; architecture; purple polka dots; skylights; her once best friend Ruby Jones; and the word dodecahedron.

Sadly one day "he was alone. Not just on the outside, but also on the inside too. Annabeth was only a few walls away, but there was a greater distance between them and in that space lay a truly unfortunate truth. Annabeth would not come looking for him again. Not after a minute. Not after a day. Not after week."

Three-year-old Izzy lives next door to Annabeth. She loves to play pirates; eating snacks; her guinea pig Bob; foam; and tea parties.

Then one day Izzy changes her name to Bella and she leaves Bertie at home when she goes out with her friends. What will happen to Tish now?

You do need to know a little more about Mr Confetti's ice-cream truck. 

"The problem being that Mr Confetti's ice-cream truck only arrived when it felt like it. And always at the oddest times and in the oddest places. ... you didn't choose the flavour you wanted - Mr Confetti chose it for you. He had a knack for knowing just what it was you needed. The perfect flavour for you. And if you guessed right when he flipped your gold coin, you never had to pay."

I love this idea - it reminded me of a short story by Paul Jennings called Smart Ice cream from the book Unreal. 

This is my new favourite book to recommend as a read aloud for your child (age 7+) or class (Grade 2 or 3).  There are three interconnected stories in this book and a total of thirty chapters. Here is a set of teachers notes (Lamont).  I strongly suggest, if you are a teacher looking for a class read aloud check your school library - this new Australian book is wonderful. 

"He has a heart like a feather" "Universal story of finding new friends" "Gentle and heartwarming and highly highly recommended". Megan Daley

You may already know I am "bonkers crazy" about books that feature invisible/imaginary friends.  Here are a few of my favourites. O'Diddy is my top pick! I do wish with all my bookish heart that it was not out of print. 

O'Diddy (sadly out of print)

Leo a ghost story

Confessions of an Imaginary Friend (not this book has a different cover in Australia)

Kaline Klattermaster's Tree House

Ellie's Dragon

Crenshaw

Here are some other books by Edwina Wyatt

The Secrets of Magnolia Moon

The Magic of Magnolia Moon

In the Evening

Sometimes Cake