Moon River illustrated by Tim Hopgood

"Moon River, wider than a mile I'm crossing you in style some day.

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker. wherever you're going, I'm going your way.

Two drifters, off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see."

Song by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini

When publishers produce books based on music and songs I do think it is important to include the CD so when I looked in the back of Moon River my heart sang. Take a look here to see the art and hear the song. Or you might like to listen to the Andy Williams version which is the one used on the CD. Tim Hopgood has made a series of these - Walking in a winter wonderland; What a wonderful world; and Singing in the Rain.

I am in a small recorder (yes descant recorder) group and one of our songs is Moon River. That was partly my motivation for purchasing this beautifully illustrated book last week from Lost in Books at Fairfield. I also think this book, which feels like a lullaby, will make a beautiful gift. 

In the opening scene we see a small child in bed. Their room is filled with moonlight. The beams of light touch the child's rocking horse and so the child climbs onto the horse with her teddy bear and they set off into the night - setting off to see the world. The beams of light become a river and after some rowing the friends rest on a cloud. The journey then continues across the world. You will see the Colosseum in Rome, the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Eiffel tower in Paris until eventually their long journey along the moonlight leads them safely back home.

I adore the art by Tim Hopgood - take a look here to see more of his books.

Our Big Blue Sofa

Big

Little Answer

Born from memories of a Southern, rural childhood, these classic lyrics evoke simplicity, dreams, and a shimmering journey with a “huckleberry friend. Kirkus

IBBY Silent books 2019 Part Four

 한국의 조용한 그림책

Silent Picture Books from Korea

I was curious to discover more about the books from Korea selected for the IBBY Silent book collection because they have nine titles. Italy also have nine titles. 

Kim Jungmin, Happy backpack, Book Good Come, Seoul, 2018

해피 백팩

A boy is going home after school. For some reason, his backpack feels heavy today. It's so heavy he can’t carry it. The boy tries to get rid of his bag using a gigantic balloon, but the balloon pops. Then the boy throws his bag in the trash, but the backpack won’t stop following him around! How will he get away? 

Lee Seou, Cracks, Book Good Come, Seoul, 2018

균열

The South Pole is a world of snow and ice where emperor penguins live.  One day, an emperor penguin chick was left all alone. What will become of the penguin out in the middle of the vast ocean? Cracks is a textless picture book that illuminates the value of life and the environment through the adventure of a penguin chick. This is an original and brilliant story. Cracks won the 2017 Creative Illustrated Books Challenge co-administered by NAVER Grafolio and Wow Book Culture and Art Center.

Kyung Sik Choi, A blue fountain, Sakyejul Publishing, Paju-si, 2016

푸른 분수

Cool blue imaginations elongated from old fountains are common in apartments or parks around the fountain. When the water flows out during the summer season, the fountain becomes a playground in the blink of an eye. But when the water stops, interest in the fountain disappears. Seeing an old fountain without a drop of water, the artist leads us to a cool imagination. The powerful imagination gives a thrilling sense of freedom. It is a picture book that makes you feel like you have been playing with a splash of water in a fountain.

See some art from this book here. The trailer shows the power of this story.

Noh In-Kyung Breathing, Munhakdonge Publishing Group, Paju-si, 2018

호흡

Here is a review of Breathing (you will need to select translate). Here is a YouTube trailer for this book which some translators call Breath.

The 'breath' is not only a miracle and a mystery given to us, it becomes a world in itself. The breath bubbles that the child exhales take on various forms of life and fill the screen. A space that is mysterious, beautiful, and constantly changing dynamics. This is the world that Nyeong-gyeong wants to give to his child and the world he wants to make.

Jin-ho jung, Stars and me, Bir publishing, Seoul, 2017

The animated trailer is very special

“Stars and Me,” contains a vivid contrast of the night sky when the bicycle light is on and off. The protagonist, who is forced to run with the lamp off due to the breakdown of the lamp, is fascinated by the beautiful starlight in the dark night sky. And sooner or later you realize that you can run without a bicycle light in the beautiful starlight. The artist encourages us to slightly twist our gazes and actions that we take for granted in our daily lives ... "

Suzy Lee, Lines, Bir publishing, Seoul, 2017

Here is the ISBN for the English edition of this book: 9781452156651

A lone skater gracefully dances across these snow white pages leaving lines in their wake. The figure twirls and glides happily, until they suffer a stumble, prompting the penciller to scrap everything. But this action leads to a new idea, and in slides another skater, and another… The once-white pages become a pencil-smudged rink, with many skaters etching their lines into its surface. Pencil crayons (used in the winter gear) add a lovely splash of colour to the different grey tones produced by the pencils. While the book is completely wordless, the lines themselves, in their loops and swirls give the impression of a musical sound, dictating our pace and our feelings towards this story. Lee’s work is an absolutely elegant study in line, space, movement, and form, and it’s one of the most beautiful picture books out there right now. Good Reads review - Rachel

Jo A-ra, Do you hear my mind, Hansol Soobook Pubnlishing, Seoul, 2017

내 분 들리니

There is a child who walks deeply in thought with heavy steps, a story of healing wounds and loneliness through'life and art are one' music . When a child arrives at school, he or she is bullied by large children, and the child's school life is lonely. A bird flies over the head of a child sitting on the playground. It becomes a leaky note and begins to comfort the child. The music gradually reaches its peak, and the child's gestures become louder and more colourful. The cats and mice seen from the first scene are what makes the child's reality come back. The birds also return to their place and the child returns to their normal routine, but how has the child's inner life changed?

Beck Ji-won, I meet you, Bombom publishing, Seoul, 2017

난 당신을 만나고

This book has been translated into English. It now has the title Lost and Found.

Here is the blurb from Book Depository: In the snowy Alaskan landscape, a young indigenous girl crosses paths with a weak and hungry polar bear. But rather than retreating in fear, she chooses to approach the bear with tenderness by giving him all that she has to offer, a blanket and fish from her morning excursion. And although the girl's blanket is too small and the gesture is large. After feeling nourished and refreshed, the two new friends head out to play and frolic in the snow. When a snowstorm hits, the bear has a chance to return the girl's kindness and safely shepherds her home. Before each reunites with their parent they share one last embrace - creating a lifelong memory of their unique bond born of mutual respect and open hearts.

Regina Park, It's you, Gloyeon, Seoul, 2018

너야

Read more about this book and see inside here.

Unless specified differently, the blurbs quoted in this post come from YES24.com.  

IBBY Silent books 2019 Collection Part Three

You might like to begin with my two previous posts.  IBBY Silent Books and Silent Books Part Two.

In this third post I am going to share some of the very different Silent Books - the ones that break conventional ideas - yes they are books - but these are books with a difference.

Argentina

Read about these books here. The Silent book collection includes Alice in Wonderland; Little Red Riding Hood; Pinocchio and The Little Prince all published by Nubifero ediciones.  Each book comes as a fold out concertina stretching to over one metre.

Lewis Carrol, Camilo Rodriguez, Adventuras de Alicia en el paìs de las meravillas (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), Nubifero ediciones, Buenos Aires, 2017

Pop-up book in images that tells the original version of Alice's Adventures from its roots, without censorship or sugary adaptations and reveals the narrative, creative and descriptive capacity of the illustrator's work.  Through a continuous image of 1 meter in length, the story that proposes both a visual reading and an artistic intervention game is described since these books can be coloured or not, because creative intervention is an option that is offered to the reader, but not imposes. The later images in vignettes lead to know more about the world of each character revealing curiosities and not so popular aspects of beloved classic tales.  We will learn about the variations of Alice and its mysterious shape changes that modify it after tasting a cake and the opposite effects of eating bites of a mushroom.  She grows and cries, shrinks and doubts, doubts about her identity and about the size of her body. Perhaps Alice does not want to grow up or have a birthday even if time passes anyway for the real girl Alice friend of Lewis Carroll. Translated from Casa Mundus

Charles Perrault, Paula Ventimiglia, Caperucita Rooja (Little red riding hood), Nubifero ediciones, Buenos Aires, 2017

Belgium

Tom Schamp, Feest in de wolken, (Rising high), Lannoo, Tielt, 2017

This book stretches out so you can look into each apartment. You will see in the video the way this book can be read from top to bottom or bottom to top.

Two children enter a very tall building. They go up to each floor one by one. There is a hat shop on the ground floor. A lion who loves fast cars lives on the first floor. On the second floor, the siren takes a bath in the bathtub - and so we get to know all the inhabitants with each floor. And at the top is the party where they get together! A large-format folding book that tells countless funny stories without words. But that's not all of the surprises! It is not only a book - when unfolded and hung on the wall, it is a measure on which you can mark your child's height. Grow up, aim high!

Italy

Chiara Camoni, psssst, psssst passaparola, Les cerises, Roma/Parigi (A game of Chinese whispers)

Les cerises is a publishing project of silent books commissioned to artists, designers, architects, who are invited to make children's book for the first time. The books are published as limited editions. In the IBBY Silent book collection from 2019 Les cerises have three books, this one plus Into the hole (Dans le trou) and New York City Baby.

Netherlands

Tjalling Houkema, Vlooien! (Flees!), Gottmer, Haarlem, 2017  See inside here.

In this picture book, which opens in an original way like the windows of a house, the fleas are fortunately larger than in reality. This way you can search for and count them in all different environments.  The whole is wordless but you don't miss anything. On the contrary! The story is immediately clear. While Dog and Cat are sitting at the table in their messy apartment, they are attacked by a gang of fleas that come from the balcony plants. Dog and Cat flee and cross the entire city with fleas on their heels. Where it is very hilarious.  After a while you don't even know who is fleeing from whom. But that all ends well, they come home to the circus ...

Spain

Lorena Martinez Oronoz, A (A), Denonartean, Berriozar (Navarra), 2018

The title of this quirky book is simply the letter A.

United Arab Emirates

Alia Al Shamsi Day & Night, 2018

Day and Night is a silent book based on the myth of the creation of night (Arabian Myth) and day (Aztec Sun god story).

Read more about the four books from UAE which are included with the 2019 Silent Book collection.

IBBY Silent books 2019 Collection Part Two

 

You might like to begin with my previous post about the IBBY Silent Book collection. 

We are so lucky to have this collection here in Australia this month. Last night attended the Sydney launch at Lost in Books, Fairfield. This gave me a chance to handle many of the 67 titles which come from sixteen different IBBY sections - Argentina, Belguim, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and USA.

In particular I loved We had to Leave (Finland).  If you would like to read more about the topic of refugees and the way their stories are told through Picture Books take a look at this academic paper about We had to Leave.

Sanna Pelliccioni, Meidän piti lähteä (We had to leave), Kustantamo S&S, Helsinki, 2018

I also love the story and front cover - it looks like a school book -  of Going to School (Germany). A better translation of the title might be When I go to School, you see things that I don't see. Read more here and see some of the illustrations. 

Julie Völk, Wenn ich in die Schule geh, siehst du was, was ich nicht seh (Going to school), Gerstenberg verlag, Hildesheim, 2018

In my previous post I shared thirteen of the titles.  Here are some more:

Argentina

Ilan Brenman, Guiherme Karsten, Engaños (Tricks), V&R Editoras, Buenos Aires/Ciudad de  México 2017 

Here is a YouTube video of this book with appropriately sinister music.  I do hope this book becomes available here in Australia. It is spectacular. On one page you see a black and white shadow image then you turn the page and in full colour the "truth" is revealed. Every image is a surprise. Ages 5+.

Italy

Laura Bellini, Eli sottovoce… le matite Valentina edizioni, Milano 2016 (Eli with a low voice - the pencils.

This book is the third in a series. The other titles are Eli with a low voice - the cards; and Eli with a low voice - the egg. Take a look at this videos - The Cards; The Pencil.

A quiet little saga starring an enterprising dragonfly, persevering and creative. In the various episodes, the animal engages with works of high and refined engineering: towers of papers, eggs and pencils that inexorably end up collapsing. But something wonderful can arise from the error and creativity can suffer from hitches (especially if the help of a friend arrives!): Proof of this is the fact that Eli's failed constructions offer the necessary ideas to create amazing balloons or amazing chandeliers.

In the last episode, in particular, a daring pinnacle of sharply pointed pencils crashes to the ground before being completed. But from a broken pencil an oblong insect appears which, when suitably soaped and watered, ends up giving life, together with Eli, to extraordinary soap bubbles.

Canada

Jacques Goldstyn Letters to a prisoner, Owlkids Books, Toronto, 2017

Told entirely through illustrations, Letters to a Prisoner is a wordless story about the power of hope and the written word. Inspired by Amnesty International’s letter-writing campaigns to help free people who have been jailed for expressing their opinion, the book tells the story of a man who is arrested during a peaceful protest. In solitary confinement, he begins to despair—until a bird delivers a letter of support written by somebody outside the prison. Every day more missives arrive until the prisoner escapes his fate on wings made of letters.

Here is a review (Seven Impossible things Before Breakfast) where you can see many of the illustrations from this book.

Classic stories in the display:

Argentina - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; The Little Prince; Pinocchio and Little Red Riding Hood.

Spain - The Legend of the knight Saint George

Art titles or books that reference art:

Canada - Blue Rider

Belgium - The Hunter and his dog (De Jager en zijn hond: een wonderlijke reis door de wereld van Bruegel

Book for preschoolers:

South Africa - I can dress myself; Goldfish genius; Springloaded

Spain - Let's go to bed; What's this belly?

Belguim  -  Judith Vanistemndael, Blokje om (Round the block), Querido, Amsterdam 2018

If I get the chance to go to Fairfield again I would like to spend more time with the Korean titles. There are nine in total. Here in Australia we do know the work of Suzy Lee. 

노인경 호흡

Noh In-Kyung Breathing, Munhakdonge publishing group, Paju-si, 2018

최경식, 푸른 분수

Kyung Sik Choi, A blue fountain, sakyejul Publishing, Paju-si, 2016

정진호, 별과 나

Jin-ho jung, Stars and me, Bir publishing, Seoul, 2017  I had a quick look at this one - it's terrific but I haven't been able to capture the cover so here is one illustration:

Take a look here to see all the wonderful wordless books available to purchase from Lost in Books.

The Easter Story

Image Source: Collins Dictionary

The Christmas story from the Bible is a fairly easy one to share through a picture book for young children but Easter is more complex.

The author needs to include:

• Passover
• The Last Supper with the disciples
• The betrayal by Judas
• The Crucifixion
• The resurrection
• The Ascension to heaven 

Here are three books you could share with a child. Each contains bright illustrations - Brian Wildsmith; Christina Balit; and Sophie Allsopp. 

Here are a set of teaching ideas to use with The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith.

Taking a closer look at these three books. I have included text quotes to give you an idea of the level and style of the writing:

Opening lines: "Once, a long time ago, a little donkey was brought to Jesus. The little donkey had never been ridden before, bu Jesus spoke gently to him, and soon he stopped being afraid."

Closing lines: "But Jesus knew it was time for him to leave this earth. As the sun rose one morning, he went up to his father in Heaven. The next day Jesus' friends took the little donkey back to his home. And the little donkey stayed there for the rest of his life, remembering the kind and good man he had carried on his back to Jerusalem."

Review: Publishers Weekly

Recommended for ages 8+  You can view the whole book here. 

Opening lines: "One springtime, long ago, everyone was talking about Jesus of Nazareth. 'He is a wonderful storyteller,' said the children. 'He welcomes everybody,' said the outcasts. 'We believe he can work miracles,' added those who were sick. 'But how can the son of a carpenter be a teacher?' asked the religious leaders. 'Who is this Jesus? Who can he be?"

Closing lines: "We are the followers of Jesus - the one who was crucified and who I declare has been raised from the dead. He is the Messiah, the one sent by God to save us. ... In this way Peter began the work of spreading the message of Jesus: the message to bring people into God's everlasting kingdom."

Recommended for ages 10+

Opening lines: "Long ago there lived a man named Jesus. He was a storyteller and a miracle worker and a preacher. 'And he tells us the good news,' said the children, 'that God loves us."

Closing lines: "One day when Jesus's followers were together, they heard a noise like blowing wind. They saw flames of bright fire blazing above them. They felt brave and strong as never before. That very day they began to spread the good news about Jesus. The news about God's love: the love that will last for ever."

Recommended for ages 5+

Round by Jennifer Ward illustrated by Lisa Congdon

This book is filled with two word phrases exploring the idea of 'round'. 

Up round.

Down round.

Slow round.

Stow round.

Spotted round.

Dotted round.

Look at all the round things on the cover - nest; mushroom; dandelion; apple; snail shell; turtle and flower. The front and back end papers are also filled with round things. The bright colours on the cover are so appealing. I'd love to see this image used as wall paper for a child's bedroom.

In the library where I volunteer each week and where I borrow lots of books we had a debate about Round. Where should it live in the library?  The official catalogue service we use in NSW schools listed it as Seasons [508.2]; the CIP (Cataloging in Publication) data on the back of the title page says Fiction; or perhaps this book should live in Patterns [516.15]; or is this a book about the word 'round' and so should it go into Language Concepts [428.3]; and finally where is the best place so everyone - children and teachers will find, read and enjoy this splendid book? The decision - put with the picture books and they plan to use it in lots of displays and also they plan to share it with many teachers. 

This is a book you will love to share with a young child. There is so much to discover and so much to discuss and then, after reading this book, it would be great to go outside and find all the round things in your own street or park.

Here is the Author's note: "Roundness is found everywhere in nature but not necessarily as a perfect circle. Looking closely at the wild world, we can find roundness in the lobe of a leaf and the smoothness of a stone, in the curl of a wave and the coil of a shell. Seasons occur in a cycle of roundness, circling all around again and again; the water cycle is circular, too, as water is released from the ground and dropped from the sky over and over. Even the shapes of the planets and their orbits are round. Indeed round can be found all around us."

Kirkus suggest another book about the concept of 'round'.

Take a look at other art by Lisa Congdon. Round is her first picture book. Here is the web site for Jennifer Ward.