The Art of Alice and Martin Provensen

Title: The Art of Alice and Martin Provensen

Authors: Alice and Martin Provensen
Editor and Art Director: Gloria Fowler
Publication: Chronicle Books, hardcover, 2022
Genre: Nonfiction/Children’s Books/Art

Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don't Do Bedtime (Book Review)

Title: Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime
Author: Cate Berry
Illustrator: Charles Santoso
Publication: Hardcover, Balzer & Bray/Harper Collins, May 2018
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Plot: Penguin and Tiny Shrimp DO NOT have a bedtime story to share with you.

There are no soft beds or cozy covers here. There are fireworks! And shark-infested waters!!

This book will never make you sleepy. Not at all. Not even a little. . .

Enjoy their adventures while they avoid bedtime!

Audience: Toddlers – and their bedtime story readers! Fans of my favorite, Bedtime for Frances.

My Impressions: As the aunt of eight children who never want to go to bed, I found this book very charming. It begins with Penguin in PJs and Tiny Shrimp sporting a night cap but they make it clear they are not interested in bedtime. And yet, when they say there is nothing in this book about big soft beds or super-squishy pillows . . . then they test out the bed and exclaim, “Ohhhhhh, squishy pillows.” I must say, this was my favorite line in the book – every night I procrastinate about going to bed (sometimes doing quite valid things like cleaning bathrooms) but when I slide into bed it is so delicious that I wonder why I waited until 1 am to do so!

This is a debut picture book, full of humor that will appeal to the reader and the child, from the talented duo of Berry and Santoso. The quirky illustrations perfectly complement the text. I don’t understand how the Penguin and Tiny Shrimp became friends so would have liked a little more story but maybe we’ll find out in the future - I hope this will be a series and they will have more adventures in the future. In the meantime, the book would be a great gift for a baby shower or a preschooler in your life.

Purchase Links:  HarperCollins * Barnes & Noble * IndieBound * Amazon

Author: Watch author Cate Berry read this book aloud. Visit her at www.cateberry.com to learn more about her. You can follow her on Twitter, @cberrywriter. You can also follow illustrator Charles Santoso: @minitreehouse and the publisher, @balzer+bray and @harperchildrens.

Source: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and TLC Book Tours for review purposes. You can visit other stops on the tour and read the reviews by clicking below:

Tour Stops

Tuesday, May 8th: Instagram: @jackiereadsbooks

Monday, May 14: Instagram: @ladyofthelibrary

Tuesday, May 15th: Wining Wife

Wednesday, May 16th: Instagram: @hollyslittlebookreviews

Thursday, May 17th: Time 2 Read

Friday, May 18th: Instagram: @thepagesinbetween

Tuesday, May 22nd: Instagram: @_literary_dreamer_

Wednesday, May 23rd: Instagram: @theliteraryllama

TBD: 100 Pages a Day…Stephanie’s Book Reviews

* Image above copyright to HarperCollins

The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

Title: The Story of Ruby Bridges
Author: Robert Coles  
Publication: Scholastic Hardcover, 1995
Genre: Picture Book/Nonfiction

Summary: This is a children’s version of the real story about Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African American who integrated the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960. Each day she had to walk by angry, vicious protesters as she was escorted by federal marshals to her classroom. The white parents kept their children home so Ruby was taught alone by our friend Barbara Henry.

A Fine Dessert (Book Review)

Title: A Fine Dessert
Author: Emily Jenkins

Illustrator: Sophie Blackall

Publication: Schwartz & Wade Books, hardcover, 2015

Genre: Historical fiction/picture book

Plot: The subtitle of this book is “Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat,” and that was enough to make me want to read a story about Blackberry Fool.  It follows four unconnected families enjoying a dessert that takes a little work to prepare, beginning with a girl and her mother in 18th century England who pick blackberries together, skim the cream and beat it with a bundle of twigs to make whipped cream, strain the berries through muslin to get rid of the seeds, chill the concoction in an ice pit, and enjoy it with gusto.  The second family is in 19th century South Carolina: the meal is prepared by their slaves, who only get to lick the bowl clean. The third family is in 1910 Boston! They buy their blackberries at an “open-air market” and the mother has a recipe book, a rotary beater for the cream, and a practically modern wooden ice box .

Finally, a modern day family in San Diego appears – a father and son – who find the recipe online and use an electric mixer to make the cream.  They serve it to a group of multiethnic guests of all ages.

The constant is the simple dessert with steps that endure over the years (basically unchanged despite advancing technology), performed companionably by an adult and child together, and a child who licks the bowl at the end. Families enjoying dessert for centuries - the universality of this topic seems to have delighted every person who came across this delightful book.

Audience: Precocious children and their relatives, cookbook and social history fans, families who enjoy cooking together.

What I liked: What a charming book!  The text is understated, yet fully tells the story of each family.  The illustrations are perfect: showing historical detail and revealing humor.  See my favorite above where you can tell how delicious the last bite was.  Your mouth will be watering as you read along.

Historical detail: The author acknowledges that the book raises issues of slavery the person reading the book might want to explore.  She did not want to ignore the issue of slavery in 1810 but contrasts it to the more inclusive community shown in the contemporary family. I didn’t realize until I Googled Emily Jenkins that she is also bestselling author E. Lockhart, of whose YA books I am a big fan.  I once tweeted her to say I couldn’t wait for a new book – it was, of course, a figure of speech, but she very kindly responded by offering to mail me an advance reading copy.  I declined but was very grateful.* This book gives me new appreciation of her skill.

Adult readers will particularly enjoy the illustrator’s notes where she describes, among other things, trying out a bundle of twigs and researching what clothes the characters would have worn.  Her affectionate and painstaking attention to detail is what makes this book extraordinary.  She also shares the process on her blog and when I visited, I realized I have already enjoyed several books she illustrated. 

Source: I read about this book online and received it from a library in the Minuteman System. I plan to buy a copy for my niece.

*I am still a little annoyed with Books of Wonder: I couldn't attend E. Lockhart's booksigning for We Were Liars last May so went in person to order/request a signed copy.  My salesperson was abysmal: she hadn't heard of any of the books I wanted to buy.  She refused to leave instructions for the author to personalize We Were Liars (they did mail an autographed copy in time for my sister's birthday).  Sad you can't even do a favor for your former sales rep!  Porter Square Books and my friend Daniel at Boswell Book Company are always happy to oblige in this way.

Photos copyright to Random House.

Favorite Reads of 2013

In 2013, I read about 185 books of which two were rereads and 152 were from the library or otherwise borrowed.  I'd like to do better in 2014 reading books I already own, many of which are in piles on windowsills and on the floor, and thus need rescuing.

Top Picks

The Firebird                SusannaKearsley                     Fiction/Historical Fiction

(As many of you know, I have been an evangelist for Kearsley since I worked at Bantam in the early 90s.  I am delighted that Sourcebooks is publishing her in the US and doing so much to promote her work.  This book follows The Winter Sea, and also involves 18th century Jacobites, a weakness of mine)

Anthropomorphic Opossoms (Review)

Years ago, probably when I worked at Avon Morrow, I came across the charming Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink by Diane deGroat, a picture book about the hurt feelings that sometimes accompany the exchange of valentines in elementary school. Gilbert, the hero of her books, everyone’s favorite opossum, is appealing, if not as charming as Frances the Badger, and the situations he finds himself in are also universal (first day of school, field trips, camping with a bully, a show-off relative, tricks that backfire) in her holiday-themed award-winning picture books.

While visiting Cape Cod recently, I checked out Last One In Is a Rotten Egg for my 4 year old niece, and was delighted to see it was autographed by the author. She had even drawn a Gilbert on the bottom right corner of the title page! When I returned the book to the library I pointed out to the library staffer that the book had been autographed and mentioned it might get tough treatment if it stayed in circulation, but she pointed out that is what books are for. I thought it would look nice on display!  I wondered how Ms. deGroat came to sign this book...

Mystery Reader

My nephew James' first grade has a tradition for periodic visitors (usually a family member) to come incognito read a picture book to the class. I was thrilled to be invited and spent a lot of time examining books, trying to choose the right one. I read a lot of pirate books but was disappointed in most of those I read, although I had thought that topic would appeal to boys and girls. Finally I narrowed my choice to three: one about a princess, one about a dog going to school, and one I had not read but had heard good things about, Miss Nelson is Missing. I brought them all with me to New York in case the librarian had his own idea about what I should read. Librarians don't always appreciate a know-it-all like me, but the two librarians at this school were very nice (despite the absence of Betsy-Tacy from their shelves, which I rectified). I was told that although Miss Nelson was popular it would be more effective to read a book the children weren't familiar with, so I went with The Princess and the Pig. It is not a typical princess book at all but is humorous and has a quirky ending. I didn't want to run the risk of losing the boys in the audience or shaming my nephew by an uncool choice of book. Thanks to Elizabeth Bird for her review which sent me right to the library.
The children arrived in the library at 11 and halfway through their session, they all sat down at tables and put their heads down. I came out of the office where I had been hiding with my sister, sat down and read the first two pages of the book while they listened attentively. Then the librarian asked if anyone recognized the reader. Two hands shot up, only one of which was my nephew. When called upon, still with his eyes covered, he said in a voice of pleased surprise, "It's my aunt!" I was also gratified by two little girls in his class who came up at the end to admire the book.
I liked this bear with his own Dewey Decimal classification that was in the library!

Favorite Reads of 2009

Historical Fiction

* Garland of Straw – Stella Riley (if only she would finish this series)
Island of Ghosts , London in Chains – Gillian Bradshaw
The Sparrow – Mary Doria Russell

Fiction
* Snobs – Julian Fellowes
No One You Know – Michelle Redmond

YA Fantasy
* Graceling, Fire – Kristin Cashore
Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

YA Fiction
* Front and Center – Catherine Gilbert Murdock (love this entire trilogy)
Twenty Boy Summer – Sarah Ockler
North of Beautiful – Justina Headley
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks – E. Lockhart

Children's Fiction
Good Field No Hit – Duane Decker (sentimental reread from childhood about the Blue Sox)

Picture BooksTen in Bed – David Ellwand (board book)
The Hero Beowulf – Eric Kimmel
Chester – Melanie Watt

Worst
The Secret of the Hermitage (Dana Girls #5) (was so bad it was hilariously funny; I remembered the Dana Girls as being much better than this installment)

* exceptional

If I have time, I will add more in the way of commentary.

Best Books of 2008

I shared my favorite books of 2008 with the Betsy-Tacy list on New Year's Eve but forgot to post it here so apologies to those who were looking for it:

I believe I read 143 books in 2008, down from 160 in 2007 (reflecting far too much time spent at my former law firm - boo) but I don't always remember to record the rereads (or partial reads, when one picks up a book to check a quote, then forget and read the entire thing!).

I always appreciate recommendations from friends and family, sometimes on books I would never have chosen otherwise or on others already on my mental list but not yet in my possession. I always think fondly of the librarians at the Boys and Girls Library in Newton, MA, when I was growing up, a little yellow house full of women who loved books as much as I did, and who always pointed out the new book from the Margaret McElderry imprint and other books they thought I would like.