Parked by Danielle Svetcov

It doesn’t seem right to be living in a van in a city this rich, this dazzling. 

I don’t think Mom imagined how badly this could go for us. I think she only pictured good. 

I can imagine how bad, though. 

I read Oliver Twist in fourth grade. I can imagine a lot.

“Why are you living in a van?” Cal asks. How long has he waited to ask that hot potato? ... “Did you hear my question?” “Yes.” But it’s my question. I ask it in my sleeping bag every night, staring at a rusted ceiling. I ask it every morning when I wake up, stiff on a deflated pad. 

I ask it when I’m trudging to the public bathroom with the overflowing garbage cans 

and the sinks that only run ice water.

The setting for this story is San Francisco - and yes even if you haven't been there you will get a feel for the city with its harbour views and very hilly streets. Readers aged 10+ will also gain a good insight into the lives of people with extreme housing insecurity. 

The lives of Cal and Jeanne Ann are set to collide. 

Jeanne Ann's mother moves her daughter across the country to California. When they get there Joyce cannot find a job and the promised housing is no longer available. Mother and daughter are forced to live in their van which they nickname Carrot. Meanwhile Cal lives across the road in a huge house which has a wall of windows to face the glorious views. Cal's mother manages a restaurant, but she no longer cooks there. They serve vegetarian food. Jeanne Ann's mother is a cook and her specialty is eggs and she most certainly is not a vegetarian. Joyce also collects cookery books. But she is a loud and opinionated lady and it seems no one will hire her. Surely there is a way to link Cal's mum with Jeanne Ann's mum so we can all enjoy the happy ending but NO things in life are never that simple. 

Cal is an artist but he is in trouble because he created a huge art piece on the wall of his 'posh' school. His mother decides his punishments will be working in her restaurant and limited access to his art materials but this does not stop Cal from continuing to draw and also from caring about the van dwellers who live across the street from his house. Cal also has to change to the public middle school.

Jeanne Ann sure is stubborn and she won't accept help from anyone especially Cal. Cal on the other hand is so kind and he is a problem solver, and he has some emotional intelligence. He knows Jeanne Ann needs space and she has her pride, but he absolutely does not give up on her. Jeanne Ann is desperate to start middle school but she has no fixed address and so cannot be enrolled. 

There is a little thread in this book based on the overdue book notice from Chicago where Jeanne Ann used to live. She has a huge list of overdue books and then Jeanne Ann 'pawns' a heap of book at a local shop to raise money for basics like food. I worried about this firstly because with each letter from the library the fines grow bigger and bigger and secondly because it seemed the books would now never be returned - but there is a fantastic resolution to all of this which will make all library users smile. Also, her list of overdue books could give you some terrific titles to explore yourself. I also love the librarian Mrs Jablonsky. Mrs. Jablonsky treated new library card registrations like magical events. She’d have released balloons from the ceiling for every single one if the library had had a budget for it.

 

Here are some text quotes:

The store there has been vacant since somebody invented the Internet in 1990-something, Mom says, but no one ever took down the posters that are taped to the inside of the glass, facing out. There’s one of the Eiffel Tower and one of the Taj Mahal. And one of the Golden Gate Bridge. They’re all faded like everything else on this block, but Mom likes to tap the glass over the Golden Gate Bridge poster like she’s got a plan. Which she does. I know she does. She just hasn’t shared it with me yet.

We’re at the front of a line of vans that look a lot like ours—drained of blood. I thought they were abandoned, but last night I caught sight of an arm popped out of a window two vans back; it dumped something wet and steamy onto the sidewalk. Not a good sign.

Mom calls someone who scratches at the same worry, over and over, a “grinder.” I am definitely grinding. But Labor Day is when school starts in Chicago. It’s gotta start around the same time here. And I’m pretty sure I can’t go without an address. I know I can’t check out a library book without one.

I settle my eyes on the homes across the street. To them, looking down, we’re just a shadowy crease, like in the fold of my book. Everything that matters is off to the sides of us—the water and bridge out my window, the mansions and hills out Mom’s. We’re in the no-place place.

The absence of a credit card is like the absence of a thumb, Mom says. You can’t grip things tightly. We lived in a crummy apartment in Chicago because of the absence of a credit card. We live in this van because of the absence of a credit card. We can’t pay this new parking ticket. Missing a thumb is something you notice quick.

Parked has 400 pages but I read the whole book in one day on a long train journey - and yes, it is THAT good! I always enjoy books with different voices and Danielle Svetcov makes this easy to identify with alternating chapters and a different font for each of these kids. 

Kirkus, however, think this book is too long and there are too many neat coincidences, but it did hold my attention right to the end. I did have one reservation myself (hence the 4 stars) - I was not sure why Cal drew all his images of people with wings and I wanted to know a little more about his absent dad and his distant mum. I did enjoy the minor characters - the crazy kid who keeps escaping from his daycare/summer activities program and the generous and kind man in the van next door. 

Ms Yingling also has a few reservations about Parked:

The juxtaposition of Cal and Jeanne Ann's lives was particularly interesting since they lived on the same street. The details of why the family ends up living in a van, and how they manage various activities is important in helping young readers understand how others may face difficulties they may not. Cal's presence makes the neighborhood initiative to remove the vans more interesting, and the fact that Jeanne Ann loves reading will immediately endear this to librarians and language arts teachers. The San Francisco setting and the different restaurants adds to the appeal of this.

Publisher blurb: Jeanne Ann is smart, stubborn, living in an orange van, and determined to find a permanent address before the start of seventh grade. Cal is awkward, sensitive, living in a humongous house across the street, and determined to save her. Jeanne Ann wants Cal's help just about as much as she wants to live in a van. As the two form a tentative friendship that grows deeper over alternating chapters, they're buoyed by a cast of complex, oddball characters, who let them down, lift them up, and leave you cheering. Debut novelist Danielle Svetcov shines a light on a big problem without a ready answer, pulling it off with the perfect balance of humor, heartbreak, and hope.

When I am travelling I like to read books on an e-reader so my next few blog posts I will share the books I read over the last couple of weeks.

Parked was published in 2020 but a paperback from 2021 is currently available here in Australia.

Home for Grace by Kathryn White illustrated by Rachael Dean

Jess and her mum see a lady sitting outside a shop. Jess notices the lady has a sleeping bag, a cup, a glass bottle, a big spoon, a plastic picnic plate and an old cushion. She also has a ginger cat. At first Jess is too shy to talk to the lady but mum discovers her name is Grace and over time Grace shares the contents of her special tin of treasures and through these precious objects Jess and her mum learn a little of Grace's story. Grace is a refugee. She and her twin sister were very young when their mother was forced to flee. In the refugee camp the children learned how to fold paper butterflies - this is just one of the treasures. Each one is part of Grace's story - a photo of a woman and man with two children, three origami butterflies, two tiny cloth dolls, two woven bracelets, a pebble and a pouch of seeds.

The seeds made me think of Amira's Suitcase. 

In an act of kindness Jess and her mum give Grace a different sort of treasure box - with food, a hat, water, a notebook and pen. Jess makes a box for Luna the cat with cat food, a little old warm sweater, a drawing of Luna by Jess and a pom pom on a string. 

We never read about Grace's twin sister or her parents but one day Jess and her mum arrive at the shop and Grace is gone. 

"Each day on my way to school I looked for Grace and Luna. But they never came back. I made a Christmas card for Grace. I left it in the shop doorway, just in case." 

I am not going to tell you what happens next but please consider adding this story of compassion to your school library. It is a perfect book to use when you discuss the Sustainable Development goals - 1. No Poverty.

Andersen Press blurb: No one knows who Grace is. One day, she appeared in a shop doorway in a sleeping bag, with a cat called Luna, surrounded by strange things. When Jess and her mum strike up a friendship with Grace, Jess has questions: why did she leave her home? Does she have enough to eat? And what happens when the cold weather comes?

This is a thirty-two-page picture book, but the story is so powerful that I found myself sobbing by the final pages. When you share this book with a group of older students you might like to talk about the shop doorway. It is a lighting shop - is this symbolic of Grace's search for light, her need for light in her life, her need to find a new home in this new land moving from darkness into light? It is the parts of this story that are left unsaid that make this such a powerful reading experience. 

Kathyrn White’s compassionate characters highlight the issues around refugees arriving in new lands, and how difficult it is to build a new life. The mother and daughter’s generous gestures toward Grace show how wonderful friendships are made in the most complex and harrowing of circumstances.

Love Reading 4Kids have a useful list of books about refugees and the issues around homelessness. You can see other books by UK author Kathryn White here. 

Companion books:

I saw Pete and Pete saw me

Crumbs

The Old Man

Listen, Hippo! by Gabriel Evans

"Billy was having a bad day. ... Billy wished there was someone he could talk to."

He tells his friend Hippo that he is feeling sad and that his brain is whirling like a pinwheel but Hippo is not listening properly. Hippo sees himself as the master of fun. He suggests dressing up, dancing, climbing a tree, sailing on the high seas or perhaps a magic carpet ride will help or a party with cake!

No no no. Billy just wants someone to listen. Finally, Hippo stops all this activity and he notices Billy is sad. He makes two mugs of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and the pair of friends sit down on the comfy couch and Billy is able to talk. 

Here is an audio interview with Gabriel Evans. This interview is with Good Reading Magazine. Joy Lawn talks to Gabriel for her blog Paperbark Words. You can see more books by Gabriel Evans who lives in Western Australia on his own web page. 

Listen, Hippo is a special book that you could share side by side with your young reading companion. I think that would work better than sharing this book with a big group of children in a library. Then perhaps you might stop and listen to your own child and ask if they have feelings or fears that they need to share. I also suggest making a delicious hot chocolate to sip while you are reading. Oh, and I do hope you love the final page (no spoilers) - it certainly made me smile. 

Companion books:

The Rabbit Listened

Other books by Gabriel Evans - pop each title into my side bar for more details or click his name at the bottom of this post or read this post which I penned after meet Gabriel at Gleebooks here in Sydney.

Crumbs by Phil Cummings illustrated by Shane Devries

A young girl and her dad have had a busy morning shopping and now they plan to eat lunch at some outdoor seating. While the girl waits for her dad to collect their lunch from the take-away counter Ella sees a little bird with only one leg. He is hopping around looking for crumbs but the people on the busy street either ignore the tiny creature or worse the shout or growl. At the same time Ella sees a man - read these heartfelt words by Phil Cummings:

"A man with prickle whiskers, wild hair and his life in a bag on his back came weaving through the flow of the crowd. ... Ella watched as the man sat and hung his head. His laden shoulders slumped like the broken wings of a storm-weary bird."

This man clearly has nothing but in a beautiful moment, when the sparrow hops over close to the man looking for crumbs, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a crumpled bag. He pours crumbs onto his palm and the tiny bird hops up and gently (a perfect choice of word) eats the cumbs.

Ella's father has also seen the man and so, when he has collected their lunch, he walks across to the man, stretches out his hand and then leads the man over to their table to share their meal. 

This is a reassuring and compassionate story. The message in this book is clear but not heavy handed and the simple act of sharing lunch with a stranger will give readers room to imagine what might happen next.

The bird and the man both need food, and they are both obviously hungry and desperate, but the text has a quietness somehow, rather like the soft fog that surrounds the people in the street. The father and daughter clearly also have a very special relationship. 

The text is spare but filled with meaning such as when the father smiles kindly and then simply helps the man over to their table. So little is said but so much is implied.  I like the way Shane Devries gives the reader a different perspective as we look down on to the scene seeing the same view as the little bird. There are some exquisite phrases in this book – “a morsel was its gold”; “his life in a bag on his back”; “a smile shone from the deep shadows of his prickle-bush whiskers”. In the final illustration you can see Ella has given the man her scarf – a gesture which then gives the green spots on the end papers a much deeper significance. 

The colour palette used in this book conveys a sense of cold and bleakness which is essential to the overall impact of the story – we need to feel the cold ourselves, to understand the full desperation of the bird and the man. The cold colour backdrop also acts as a visual metaphor for human ignorance that the man and bird contend with every day. 

Crumbs was a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) 2023 Notable title. I was a 2023 judge. We had over 200 books entered for this round of the award. Only 25 can reach the Notable list, then six on the short list and just one week ago the 2023 winners were announced. Check out my posts about My Strange Shrinking Parents; Paradise Sands; and Dirt by Sea. 

Companion books:

The Invisible

I saw Pete and Pete saw me

The Old Man

I have not read this book illustrated by our IBBY Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Robert Ingpen but a couple of readers have mentioned the link with Crumbs.

Shane Devries has illustrated another book by Phil Cummings - Boy. This book has been added to the prestigious IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities. 

I have happy memories of Phil Cummings visiting my rural school library in about 1989 just after he released his book Goodness Gracious (illustrated by Craig Smith). That book was a terrific one to read aloud to Kindy. I also loved sharing and recommending Marty and Mei Ling (illustrated by Craig Smith). This still is the PERFECT book to share during Harmony week here in Australia.

Marvellous Margot by Lou Peacock illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius

Margot has made a marvellous cake. She has a plan to share it with her good friend Oscar. Margot knows Oscar loves cake! Margot puts the cake (you can see it on the cover of the book - doesn't it look delicious) in her small red cart and she sets off across the city. 

She has not gone far when she bumps into her friend Leonard. Leonard is sad because he thinks his new haircut looks horrible. Margot assures him it is fine. Then she offers Leonard a slice of cake to cheer him up. 

Off she goes again and just over the bridge she sees Sasha and Sami. Their bicycle has lost its chain. Margot is quite handy with tools so she offers to fix the bike and, yes you have guessed it, she offers them a slice of cake - well two slices - one each. 

The journey continues. Milly, Molly and May are so disappointed. The ice cream man has no ice cream left. That's okay - Margot can give them each a delicious slice of her cake. Her kindness restores peace all round. 

Turn the page and take a close look at the little red cart. Oh no it is empty! This is not surprising but Margot is about to arrive at Oscar's house and now she has no cake to share. As an adult reader you might anticipate the happy ending but I am certain it will be a delightful surprise for your young reading companion.

Very young children will love exploring the illustrations in this book and the pattern of friends and cake slices mean this book will be one to read over and over again but of course you will want to bake a cake before you begin - ready to share slices with your young reading companion. 

You can probably guess why I needed to buy this book! Yes you are right it is about cake! Huge thanks to Nosy Crow for publishing this book (it's about me too). 

Blurb Nosy Crow:  Have you met Margot? She is cheerful, helpful and kind – the very best kind of friend! It’s a marvellous day in the big city. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and Margot has made a delicious cake for her best friend, Oscar! Margot takes her little red wagon and off she goes with cake in tow. But by the time she reaches Oscar’s house after having helped all her friends along the way, will there be ANY cake left to share? A story about empathy which shows that kindness and cake is always the best recipe for friendship.

Companion reads:

The Case of the Missing Cake

Sometimes Cake

A Friend like Ed (one of my most favourite books)

The Biscuit Maker

A House for Christmas Mouse

I'm (almost) Always Kind

A perfect Pig

I found a Pinterest collection of books and art by Ingela P Arrhenius. Here are some board books illustrated by Swedish illustrator Ingela P Arrhenius:

Read more about this book - Boardscape Board Books

Here are some other books by Lou Peacock:

Nuts by Lou Peacock

Wren by Lucy Hope

Wren has the perfect name - she really wants to fly like a bird. Wren does not have a perfect life. Her mother has died from her own attempt to fly. Wren lives with her angry and distant father, cruel younger brother and an aunt who is confined to a coal powered wheel chair because, while Aunty Afa survived the flight with Wren's mother, she was badly injured. 

Wren secretly begins to build her own flying machine using plans from France, but strange things are happening to their ancient home. There are weird noises, huge cracks in the walls and the whole place seems to shudder from time to time but when Wren tries to ask questions about this she is told it is all just her imagination. 

If you look at my labels for this post you will get an idea about the cause of this disturbance. 

Nosy Crow blurb: A dark, Gothic adventure set on the island of Anglesey in North Wales and featuring a very fantastical beast… Wren lives in an ancient castle in the mountains near the sea. The wind whistles through it and the walls sing to her. Wren is busy inventing things, and her father is busy disapproving. But the castle contains a mystery and as Wren is drawn further into it, she realises the answer lies in the very foundations of her home, foundations that are being shaken to their core…

If your young reading companion (age 10+) has good reading stamina then they are sure to enjoy the final scenes in Wren but the journey to reach these moments is quite a long one although I did enjoy "watching" Wren construct her amazing flying machine using her Aunt's dresses, her own small coracle, and hundreds of bird feathers.

Warning Spoiler Alert: I knew/know nothing about Welsh mythology and especially about the famous Mabinogion stories but I have now read one story from this famous collection contains two dragons - one red and one white and a character named Emrys. In Wren, a strange reclusive man called Emrys is mysteriously connected with the dragon. And a boy named Medwyn also knows the story of the dragon under the castle and he helps Wren with her plans for flight and for saving the trapped dragon so I will say if you can find a simple version of this story written for children it might enrich your enjoyment of Wren. Medwyn is a character from Lloyd Alexander's book series The Chronicles of Prydain which are also based on parts of the Mabinogion. 

Here is an interview with Lucy Hope where she talks about the inspiration for her book. Read this review and you will also find some comprehensive teaching notes. Thanks to Beachside Bookshop for my advance copy of Wren which was published in October, 2022. 

Companion read:

Sky Chasers

Wren also made me think of an older Gothic title (which has continued to haunt me):

The Lost Children

The Mouse who carried a House on his back by Jonathan Stutzman illustrations Isabelle Arsenault

"Vincent was a mouse with boots on his feet, a hat on his head, and a house on his back. ... today Vincent would live here, because he knew it was where he needed to be."

When I saw Canadian illustrator Isabelle Arsenault's name on the cover of this book I knew it would be amazing! The cover has a house shaped die-cut and look at the face of this little mouse - he is so happy! Now turn to the end papers which are filled with collage flowers.

Publisher blurb: When an ordinary spot on a grassy hill calls out to him, Vincent puts down the house he carries on his back and knows he’s where he needs to be. As hungry and tired travellers pass by, Vincent welcomes them into his home, making room for everyone. And even when it seems that the house is as full as it possibly can be, there is no woodland animal so big or so scary—not a ravenous cat, nor a fox, nor a whole herd of deer—that Vincent would turn it away from his warm, magical home on the hill.

Near the end of this book, which is filled with animals all seeking shelter, a bear arrives. The other animals have somehow all managed to fit into this very special house which looks small but which expands to perfect proportions with each new arrival. But this bear is huge and frightening. The animals all gather and say NO - the bear cannot come in!

"Vincent stood up as straight and tall as he could. 'This is my house,' he said. 'And in my house, all animals are welcome."

"The mouse took the bear's large paw in his own. 'There is always room here,' said Vincent."

This is a book you should add to your library shopping list today and it would make a beautiful gift for a young child too. 

Delicate gouache, ink, and cut-paper illustrations in a subdued palette mirror the quietness of the text, and seeing the home's interior colors brighten in contrast with the dull drizzle outside is especially satisfying. Kirkus

"When we open our hearts to others magical things can happen ..."  Colby Sharp

You can see inside The Mouse who carried a House on his Back here. Take a look at the web site for US author Jonathan Stutzman. 

I dedicated my new book, THE MOUSE WHO CARRIED A HOUSE ON HIS BACK, to my dear librarian friend who saved a mouse once that visited her library. And to anyone great or small who opens their heart (and home) to others. Jonathan Stutzman

Here is a vimeo showing the page turns.  And a video from Aaron's Books a book shop in Pennsylvania which is where Jonathan Stutzman lives. 

It would be great to pair this book with one of my all time favourite books - Shelter.

Shelter

Frog series by Max Velhuijs

 

At a recent charity book sale I picked up a couple of books from the Frog series by Max Velthuijs. Reading them today I marvel at the way these simple books for young children contain such wisdom.The series begins with Frog is Frog. My favourite is Frog is a Hero. I need to add this one to my own collection. 

Wikipedia have a page devoted to this series: Frog "observes daily events from a childlike perspective, offering children insight into social interactions. In Frog's world, there is no status. All the animals are the same size, which gives them absolute equality. Every animal has its own personality and skills. Frog and his friends enjoy life and deal with real life issues, such as fear, love, sadness, and loss, making these difficult subjects and emotions more understandable for children. At the end of each book, there's always a positive solution for the dilemma's the animals face."

Max Velthuijs received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2004 he died in 2005.

Here are three I have added to my shelves:

Frog and the Stranger (1993)

Is this new fellow a filthy dirty rat? A greedy fellow? A thief? No he is not. He is kind. He has stories to tell of his travels around the world. He is clever and can even speak three languages. Frog is keen to make a new friend but it will take several disasters to convince Duck, Hare and Pig that Rat does not deserve the harsh judgements they levelled at him before taking time to get to know him.

Blurb: When a rat comes to live at the edge of their wood, the animals decide they don't like having a stranger in their midst. But Frog is friendly by nature, and decides to find out if Rat is really as unpleasant as he is made out to be. As Frog discovers, Rat is intelligent and good-hearted, and proves in a series of unexpected emergencies that the other animals have been too quick to condemn him.

Key sentences: "He may be different from us, but he's not doing anything wrong and the wood belongs to everyone."  "Different said Frog, but we're all different."

Themes: New friends; Suspicion; Listening; Prejudice; Acceptance of difference; Kindness; Strangers

Frog and the Wide World (1998)

In a previous book (Frog and the Stranger) we met Rat. In this new installment Rat is setting off on an adventure. Frog asks if he can come along too but Frog is not really prepared for the long walk and sleeping outdoors. After a couple of days Frog becomes quite homesick so Rat agrees to lead him home. When all the friends are gathered together Frog describes his adventure with Rat in glowing terms. This ending is sure to make you smile. I would pair this book with The Trip to Panama by Janosch.

Blurb: When Frog hears that Rat is off in an adventure to explore the wide world, he excitedly joins him and they set off full of anticipation. But it doesn't take long for Frog to start missing his friends Pig, Duck and Hare. He soon discovers that he was much happier leaving the wide world where it was, far from home. . .

Key Sentence: "Right now, we're on our way to foreign lands. Look around you! See how beautiful it is? And every where is the unknown." "You're not ill, you're homesick."

Themes: Adventures; Journeys; Patience; Perseverance; Home; Storytelling.

Frog finds a Friend (2001)

Frog finds a teddy bear lying in the grass. He is sure given time and patience he can teach the bear to talk and indeed this is exactly what happens. Little Bear and Frog become great friends until one day Bear decides to leave. Frog is so upset but then one morning Frog wakes up to find Little Bear has returned - this is his true home.

Blurb: One fine autumn day, Frog finds a little bear lost and alone in the forest. He decides to take him home to be his new friend. Hare tells him bear won't be able to talk, but Frog is determined to teach him. And to the other animals' surprise, he does! They become the best of friends, but one day, little bear decides to go back to where he came from. Frog is inconsolable - will he ever see him again?

Key sentences: "He went up closer and saw that it was a little brown bear wearing a red sweater. It had beady black eyes and there was a teardrop on its cheek." "Before going to sleep, Frog told little bear fairytales and taught him words such as apple, rose moon ..."

Themes: New friends; Patience; Toys; Imagination; Kindness.

Here are all twelve Frog titles:

• Frog and a very Special Day Frog 
• Finds a Friend 
• Frog in Winter 
• Frog is a Hero 
• Frog and the Treasure 
• Frog is Frog 
• Frog and the Wide World 
• Frog is Frightened 
• Frog and the Birdsong 
• Frog in Love 
• Frog and the Stranger 
• Frog is Sad

The quiet blend of curiosity, respect, and joy in Velthuijs's text is enhanced by the simplicity of his bright, beautifully designed art. Kirkus (Frog and the Birdsong)