Fall 2010 Picturebook Highlights: Candlewick Press

Ready for another long post? Introducing Candlewick's Fall line for the Fall 2010 Picturebook Highlights round-up!

Disclaimer before we begin: I have not seen these books with my own two eyes. As I'll soon be leaving the Odyssey Bookshop to pursue a career elsewhere in the children's book industry (more on that in a later post), I've been going through catalogues but haven't been able to get my hands on the actual books. So, these books have been chosen based on my knowledge of the author and/or illustrator's previous work, the catalogue description, and my own personal taste.

Grandma's Gloves
by Cecil Castellucci, illustrated by Julia Denos
9780763631680, $15.99, Pub. Date: August 2010

These charming illustrations showcase the talent of first-time illustrator Julia Denos. More than an "issue book", this picturebook tells the story of a little girl and her grandmother who bond over growing plants and gardening. When her grandmother dies, the little girl is sad until she remembers all the gardening skills her grandmother has taught her. The illustrations capture the love and vivacity of their relationship, as green growing things jump off the page at the reader.

Snook Alone
by Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering
9780763626679, $16.99, Pub. Date: September 2010

Though not technically a picturebook, this book is intended for a picturebook-age audience of ages 4-7. The combination of acclaimed poet Marilyn Nelson and award-winning illustrator Timothy Basil Ering (who illustrated Kate DiCamillo's A Tale of Despereaux, among others) is sure to produce a hit. A quiet tale, this story is about a monk named Abba Jacob and his rat terrier, Snook. They live on an island together, but when the two are separated in a storm, the tale becomes Snook's journey finding his way back to his friend.

There's Going to Be a Baby
by John Burningham, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
9780763649074, $16.99, Pub. Date: October 2010

For the first time EVER, husband-and-wife team up for a darling picturebook. John Burningham's witty take on a timeless story of an older sibling's uncertainty over a new family member is perfectly matched by Helen Oxenbury's "freshly enchanting and wonderfully nostalgic" illustrations.

Tiny Little Fly
by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Kevin Waldron
9780763646813, $15.99, Pub. Date: October 2010

I can already tell this is going to be a storytime favorite. Michael Rosen's (British Children's Laureate) simple text creates the sound affects for the animals trying to catch the fly. Tramp, crush, tramp - swat, swoop, snatch - roll, squash, roll: so many sounds and animals to act out with each reading! The tiny little fly lands here and there, while Kevin Waldron helps us imagine a fly's-eye-view of each animal the fly passes.

Fantasy: A Artist's Realm
by Ben Boos
9780763640569, $19.99, Pub. Date: October 2010 

Okay, I'm slipping this in here with the picturebooks. It is definitely an illustrated book, but for the older reader, 7 or 8 and up, all the way through to adults. Ben Boos has created a whole new world (stop singing the Aladdin song, right. now.) with this illustrated fantasy. Welcome to New Perigord, a land full of elves, dwarves, minotaurs, hobgoblins, and much more; scary and mystical, the detail of this land will leave you breathless and inspired to dream up a world of your own.

Mirror
by Jeannie Baker
9780763648480, $18.99, Pub. Date: November 2010

Having written a paper on Jeannie Baker, I was thrilled to see a new book of hers in the Candlewick catalogue - and what a book it is! The title, Mirror, refers to the dual stories told side-by-side, one of a little boy in Sydney, Australia, one of a little boy in Morocco. The two different cultures are pictured in brilliant collage illustrations on opposite pages so the reader can examine each boy's day, and compare it to their own.

Gift of Reading Club Selections: April 2010

Ever have one of those "duh" moments when you wonder why it took you so long to think of that simple, yet brilliant, idea?

Each month at the Odyssey Bookshop, I hand-select books for children signed up for our Gift of Reading Program. Usually a family member or close family friend signs up the child (age infant through teen), and each month I pick out, ring up, gift wrap, and mail out a book chosen specifically for them. The books have usually been recently published (within the last three months or so), and is chosen based on the age of the child, the gender (yes, I take that into consideration, though I do think outside the box) of the child, the reading level, if I know anything about the child's reading preferences, the literary merit of the book, the artistic merit of the book, and of course, my own personal taste.

Why I never thought to blog about my selections before is beyond me. I will now begin to do so, using only age and gender to identify the recipient of the book. Here they are:

April 2010 Gift of Reading Club Selections
(by age)

Baby (months old) female:

Gossie Plays Hide and Seek
by Olivier Dunrea 
9780547242965, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $13.99

1 yr/o male:

Trucks: A Mini Animotion Book
by Accord Publishing
9780740792007, Accord Publishing, $9.99

I Like Bugs
by Lorena Siminovitch
9780740792007, Candlewick Press, $6.99  

Zoo Parade!
by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Simms Taback  
9781593540142, Blue Apple Books, $8.95 

2 yr/o female:

Pepi Sings a New Song
by Laura Ljungkvist
9781416991380, Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster), $16.99 

3 yr/o male:

Giant Pop-Out Ocean
9780811874793, Chronicle, $10.99 

4 yr/o female:

The Sandwich Swap
by Her Majesty Queen Rania AlAbdullah of Jordan, with Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Tricia Tusa
9781423124849, Harper, $16.98

Gumption
by Elise Broach, illustrated by Richard Egielski
9781416916284, Simon & Schuster, $16.99

The Django
by Levi Pinfold
9780763647889, Templar Books (Candlewick), $16.99


6 & & yr/o male:

Shark vs. Train
by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
9780316007627, Little, Brown for Young Readers (Hachette), $16.99 


7 & 8 yr/o female:

Madame Pamplemousse and her Incredible Edibles
by Rupert Kingfisher, illustrated by Sue Hellard
9781599903064, Bloomsbury (Macmillan), $15.99


9 yr/o female:


Kaline Klattermaster's Tree House
by Haven Kimmel, illustrated by Peter Brown
9780689874031, Simon & Schuster, $5.99


8, 9, & 10 yr/o male:

Big Nate: In a Class By Himself
by Lincoln Peirce
9780061944345, Harper, $12.99

11 & 12 yr/o male:

Dangerous Book of Heroes
by Conn & David Iggulden
9780061928246, William Morrow & Co, $26.99

12 yr/o female:


The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place
by Maryrose Wood, illustrated by Jon Klassen
9780061791055, Harper, $15.99

15 yr/o female:

And Both Were Young
by Madeleine L'Engle
9780374303648, Farrar Straus & Giroux (Macmillan), $16.99

Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights - Candlewick

Presenting #8 in the Summer 2010 Picturebook Highlights series: Candlewick Press!

Practically in the back yard (okay, it's an hour and a half away in Boston), this press is the home of Kate DiCamillo, Judy Moody, and Emily Windsnap. Here are some of my favorite picturebooks for the summer season.

I already mentioned Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham, illustrated by Juan Wijngaard in an earlier post, so you know how I liked that. And, I already mentioned some new board book favorites by mixed-media artist Lorena Siminovich: I Like Bugs and I Like Fruit.

Another book already on the shelves is The Django by Levi Pinfold. Published as part of Templar Books, a Candlewick imprint, this picturebook was inspired by Jean "Django" Reinhardt, a famous jazz musician. The illustrations are just gorgeous - expressive and colorful, the double-page spreads remind me of fairy tale illustrations, but also have a photographic quality, which contrasts nicely with the fantasy element of the Django character. A tribute to jazz, music in general, and Jean Reinhardt in particular. 9780763647889, $16.99

For fans of Lauren Child's (author of Charlie and Lola) Clarice Bean middle grade novels, check out Clarice Bean paperback picture books!
Clarice Bean, That's Me 9780763647957, $7.99
Clarice Bean, What Planet Are You From? 9780763647964, $7.99
Clarice Bean, Guess Who's Babysitting? 9780763647971, $7.99, Pub. Date: May 2010

Have a new mythology fan, thanks to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series' success?
Check out Encyclopedia Mythologica Gods and Heroes by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda, a pop-up book with all kinds of in-depth information about sacred myths and legends, popping out from unexpected places. 9780763631710, $29.99

Recognize that voice? Part 2

For the second time in as many years, you are now able to access my voice over the airwaves!

I had the pleasure of returning to the WAMC radio studio in Albany, NY last week, along with Joan Grenier, one of the Odyssey Bookshop's co-owners.

To listen to us talk about books (Joan about adult fiction and non-fiction, me about children's books), check us out here.

To check out the first show I was on last year, check out my previous post.

Here are the books I spoke about:

Picture books:

• Wendel's Workshop by Chris Riddell, 9780061449307, $16.99, HarperCollins
  
  
• Forever Friends by Carin Berger, 9780061915284, $16.99, Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins)
  
  
• Extraordinary Pets by Barroux, 9781609050115, $15.99, Blue Apple Books

Middle Grade:

• Sluggers (series, formerly known as Barnstormers) by Loren Long and Phil Bildner, Simon & Schuster
  
• The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry, illustrated by Jules Feiffer, 9780547238692, $16, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 Teen or Young Adult:

• The Devil's Breath by David Gilman, 9780440422396, $9.99, Delacorte Press (Random House)
  
  
• Heist Society by Ally Carter, 9781423116394, $16.99, Hyperion (HarperCollins)
  
  
• Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, 9780763643614, $18.99, Candlewick Press

CHIRP, Part 2

In an earlier post, I mentioned the new Candlewick Handselling Indie Recognition Program (CHIRP), and how fabulous I think it is. Well, my gushing got noticed by a few people, it seems, as I received a phone call asking for my thoughts on the matter. You can now read my opinion not only on my blog, but also in these two articles as well:

Publisher's Weekly

American Booksellers Association

Enjoy!

CHIRP & Book Review: Cloud Tea Monkeys by Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham

Candlewick has recently rolled out a new program called CHIRP: Candlewick's Handselling Indie Recognition Program. It is fantastic. Not only is it immensely flattering to have the work of Indies recognized and aided by a major publisher, but the fact that CHIRP really is helpful, is a huge bonus. We received a box of completed books from the Spring list with the intent that staff members who have not already done so, have the chance to look through, take something home and read it, and then handsell it our customers. There are little comment cards we can put into Candlewick books, saying things like, "Liked BOOK X? Try this one!"

And, if all that wasn't enough, I discovered a book on their list that I didn't already have in store, but needed to order immediately. I received a copy of this in the CHIRP box, read it, loved it, and am now sharing it with you.

Thanks, Candlewick!


Cloud Tea Monkeys
by Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham, illustrated by Juan Wijngaard
9780763644536, $15.99, Candlewick

This beautifully illustrated picture book is perfect for the 5-8 year-old child who is on the cusp of reading or can read by themselves, but still enjoys sharing picturebook storytime with an adult reader.

The tale is about a little girl named Tashi, who lives in a village at the foot of a mountain. The women of her village pick tea leaves every day, carrying heavy baskets under the burning sun. When Tashi's mother falls ill, Tashi worries if she can't pick the leaves, there will be no money for a doctor. Tashi carries the heavy basket, almost bigger than she is, and tries to pick the leaves herself. The mean overseer laughs at her and Tashi runs to the comfort of her monkey friends. She cries and tells them her problem and then, in the way of overtired children, falls asleep. During her sleep, the monkeys take her basket to the top of the mountain and fill it with tea leaves. When she drags the basket back to the overseer, His Excellency the Royal Tea Tester is there, looking to find a suitable tea for Her Majesty the Empress. Tashi's leaves make the most heavenly Cloud Tea. In return for one basket of cloud tea leaves once a year, Tashi is given a bag of gold. She gives fruits to the monkeys as thanks for their help, and she and her mother live happily ever after, drinking cloud tea.

The writing is lyrical storytelling, much nicer than my synopsis, with apt, descriptive analogies for everyone from the Overseer to the monkeys. Juan Wijngaard's illustrations are bordered, full-page illustrations that bring the storytelling to life. Additional spot illustrations on the side of each page with text enhance the overall beauty of this book. This is a perfect book to give as a gift, and one that can be enjoyed by many ages.

Book Review: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Finnikin of the Rock
by Melina Marchetta
9780763643614, $18.99, Candlewick

I love Melina Marchetta's writing. As proof, I offer up my former post concerning (also by her) at my bookstore's blog here, as well as the fact that I read Jellicoe Road a couple of times a year and sob my way through it each time, in the best possible way.

Finnikin of the Rock is an epic fantasy that is just as compelling as her fiction. I was almost scared it wouldn't be, in that way that something is almost too good to be true, but I gathered up my courage, began reading it, and wasn't a bit disappointed. Now, granted, it's a 400-page book, but I was amazed at how it flew by! So much is packed into that 400 pages, a complete story (as in, not the beginning of a series), and still I could barely believe it when it was done. Where to even begin in telling you about it? Okay, I'll begin with the title character: Finnikin of the Rock.

In this fantasy world, there are different lands, and different groups of people within those lands. Finnikin is of the Rock people from the kingdom of Lumatere. Another kingdom has taken control of Lumatere during the five days of the unspeakable, and due to dark sorcery, the kingdom is impenetrable, surrounded by a thick mist. No one can go in; no one can come out. Finnikin is the son of the former captain of the guard. His best friends were Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian. As children, Finnikin, Balthazar, and Lucian mixed their blood and made a pact to protect Lumatere. The time has come for them to keep their promise.

Believing both his father and his father's wife, the Lady Beatriss, to be dead, Finnikin has spent the last ten years outside Lumatere, an apprentice to Sir Topher, the King's First Man. Finnikin has a dream that leads them to a convent on the top of a mountain where they meet with a novice, Evanjalin. Evanjalin has the power of the sight, but only when she bleeds can she have visions. One vision has told her Balthazar, the heir to Lumatere, is still alive. Finnikin, Sir Topher, and Evanjalin must travel the land far and wide, finding their scattered peoples, and bringing them home under the hope that Balthazar can break the curse hanging over Lumatere. In their travels, they will cross paths with the holy man of Lumatere, the Captain of the King's Guard, a slave child from another land, and they will begin to unravel the plots, myths, and legends that have sprung up regarding the five days of the unspeakable.

Since meeting Evanjalin, Finnikin has felt a loss of control as he is buffeted about by voices of fate, Evanjalin's plans and prophecies, and his struggle with his guilt and fear about a prophecy concerning his own future. Who is Evanjalin really? Where is Balthazar if he is still alive? And if they manage to get inside Lumatere, what will they find there when they arrive?

I don't want to give too many spoilers, but Melina Marchetta brilliantly weaves an ending that captures the heartbreak and hope a story like this would really entail, and which is also characteristic of her award-winning contemporary fiction. I am awed by her ability to blend that quality with an entirely new genre. Congratulations, Ms. Marchetta. I can hardly wait to see what you will give us next.