PPBF: Pocket Full of Colors

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

Pocket Full of Colors,
a picture book biography of Disney artist Mary Blair

Pocket Full of Colors
The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire 

Written by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville
Illustrated byBrigette Barrager

Atheneum Books For Young Readers, 2017
Ages 4-8, 48 pp, ATOS 4.3


Themes:
Art, Biography


Opening:
Under a wide blue sky,
on a red dirt road,
in a lemon-yellow house,
there lived a girl named Mary.

Other children collected marbles or dolls,
but Mary collected colors
of every shade and every hue.

Synopsis:
This streamlined biography introduces readers to Mary, a little girl who loved to paint and collect colors in her heart. It follows her to California and a short stint at the Walt Disney Studios, where she was misunderstood and restricted. It briefly notes she worked as a successful artist in New York. Then culminates with her creation of the It's A Small World attraction for the 1964 World's Fair.  An author's note is included.


What I Love:
I have long wanted to write a picture book biography of Mary Blair. Naturally, someone else's doesn't match the vision and scope I imagined for my own book. Regardless, I bought this sight unseen when it was released, knowing the admiration the creators had for Blair's legacy.

While the illustrations certainly reflect the vivid, midcentury style of the subject, the text is straightforward, flooding the prose with a multitude of color names and almost treating the colors as a character, yet not quite as original as Mary Blair herself. The story hits the tips of a few icebergs in Blair's life, like her transformative trip to South America and her marriage to watercolorist Lee Blair.

I think this is an important biography which may lead readers on a journey of discovery to find the whole story and will, I hope, inspire female creators to persevere in marketplaces where they are underestimated.


Bonus: 

1. Discover more about Mary Blair's art, influence, and merchandise on her official website and on Oh My Disney. You can also catch film of Mary herself sketching and painting in the Disney film Saludos Amigos. See also the post on Phyllis Loves Classic Movies.

2. Mary Blair has been featured in a beautiful short film, "Mary," by the students and staff of Gobelins, was inducted as a Disney Legend in 1991,  and even received her own Google doodle.

3. The Art of Education has compiled a half dozen ways to teach color theory to kids, a perfect compliment to the subject of this biography.

4. I love this School of Decorating article on helping kids choose a color scheme. I think some of the advice goes for any kind of kid-centric decision-making.

5. PinupGirl Clothing has exclusive use of Mary Blair fabrics. I am sure there are plenty of mom's who would love to get ahold of these prints for kids, too.

6. The artist's most enduring legacies may be the original It's A Small World attraction at Disneyland or the seven-story mural at the Contemporary Resort outside the Magic Kingdom. Read about the history and creation of It's A Small World on Designing Disney and at The Enchanted Manor. Design Observer and Cheapskate Princess have posted beautiful images of the mural. Just one more excuse to visit the Happiest Place on Earth if you're in Anaheim or The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

7. After a hard day of play, treat the kids to a viewing of Disney's Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, or Cinderella. See if they can spot Mary's name in the credits and have crayons  and colored papers handy to duplicate her crazy, color-saturated backgrounds and designs. It's like a museum visit in your living room.

Concept art for Peter Pan
Concept art for Alice in Wonderland
Concept art for Cinderella

8. For further reading, check out the reprint collection of Mary's work for Little Golden Books or The Art and Flair of Mary Blair, by John Canemaker.

9. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Pat

Reviewed by Leslie

Reviewed by Kirsten

Reviewed by Joanna

Reviewed by Julie

Reviewed by Joanne

And two more reviews from Wander, Ponder, Write:

The Flying Girl,
Aida de Aeosta biography 

Miguel and the Grand Harmony,
A Coco story

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, May 25, 2018 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

PPBF: Danza!

And now on to today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick*

Danza! A biography of Amalia Hernández, by Duncan Tonatiuh

Danza!
Amalia Hernández and El Ballet Folklórico de México 

Written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh

Abrams BFYR, 2017
Ages 6-10, 32 pp, 980L


Themes:
Dance, Cultural Diversity, Biography


Opening:
Amalia (ah-MAH-lee-ah) Hernández was born in Mexico City in 1917 and everyone assumed she would grow up to be a schoolteacher like her mother and her grandmother. Even Ami (AH-me), as everyone called her, expected that.

But one afternoon while her family was on vacation, Ami saw a pair of dancers in a town square. They stomped and swayed to the live music. The danzas that they performed had been danced by the people of that area for generations. Ami was hooked. She made a decision: she was going to become a dancer herself.

Synopsis:
Amalia Hernández is an overlooked figure in the history of entertainment. She was a dancer, teacher, and a collector of folk dances from her home country and around the world. She pioneered new styles of dance and incorporated cultural influences in her productions. She founded a prestigious ballet company, effectively cementing the importance of Mexican and folk dances in the collective consciousness. This book takes Amalia from her exposure to dance as a young girl, through the many high points of her life, and ends with her lasting legacy.


What I Love:
This book is written with scrupulous research and obvious respect, though the text is sometimes thick and overburdened with Amalia's many accomplishments. It is presented for ages 6 and up, but I think younger readers will have a difficult time grasping the details in the book. It can instead be used to introduce the very young to an exciting Hispanic personality and an important art movement. And older readers can enjoy the subject's amazingly full life and her ability to influence society. Unfortunately, the writing is sometimes less like a story, than an encyclopedic account. However, the book's significance and the omission of Ms. Hernández's broad accomplishments in most other places, makes this a picture book to try.

The author's choice to illustrate in a classical style adds to the book's message that Mexican tradition has much to offer. The nature of the art style is sometimes at odds with the theme of the book: Tonatiuh's art is fluid, but stiff at times, while Hernández's art was all about energy and movement. Tonatiuh does an excellent job of including even more facts into the back matter, facts which would have distracted from the linear nature of the story.

Danza! is a lovely and remarkable book which many people will find inspiring.


Bonus: 

A Mexican dancer to color, from Crayola

1. Patricia of Wander, Ponder, Write has also reviewed this book for Perfect Picture Book Friday.

2. The Adelante Movement has published more information on the life of Amalia Hernández or check out the page on Danzantes Unidos.

3. You can learn the names and details about ten important traditional Mexican dances on CultureUp, as well as seeing a video for each.

4. PinBureau posted an inspiring article on the local Ballet Folklorico groups in the Phoenix, AZ area. Why not explore your town for a company near you?

5. In case you missed the other CYBILS Award finalist reviews, I've included the links below:
Hatching Chicks in Room 6
Once Upon A Jungle
Shark Lady
Dazzle Ships

6. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Vivian

Reviewed by Beth

Reviewed by Erik

Reviewed by Patricia

Reviewed by Maria

Reviewed by Joanne

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, April 27, 2018 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

*As a CYBILS second round judge, I was expected to review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

PPBF: Shark Lady

And now on to today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

Shark Lady, a biography of biologist, Eugenie Clark

Shark Lady
The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became The Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist

Written Jess Keating
Illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2017
Ages 4-8, 40 pp, 730L


Themes:
Ocean, Animals, Biography


Opening:
It was Saturday, and Eugenie wanted to stay at the aquarium forever. She wanted to smell the damp, salty air and stare at the glittery rainbow of fish. She wanted to keep watching her favorite animals...The sharks.

Synopsis:
Shark Lady follows scientist Eugenie Clark's life from fascination with sharks as a child to her ground-breaking studies as a marine biologist. The book focuses on the misrepresentation of sharks and uses it to strengthen the theme: that Eugenie Clark was also misunderstood. As a woman scientist, she faced opposition as well as challenges she set herself in her field work. The back matter includes a timeline, shark facts, and other interesting bits.


What I Love:
With multiple degrees and awards to her credit, Clark is a great role model for young readers. Keating's text is readable, and re-readable. The art is playful and colorful, perfect for attracting readers of both sexes, even ones who aren't interested in the subject. I love the underlying idea that we look too much on the outward appearance and tend to misjudge both animals and people. While Keating's What Makes A Monster? is somewhat heavy-handed, Shark Lady sets just the right balance. The entire book is designed to be engaging from the charming endpapers to the clever "Shark Bites" of information in the back where the author includes, not just more information, but deeper, funnier, or more kid-friendly factoids.


You'll find all the picture book nominees for the CYBILS Award* on Perfect Picture Book Fridays. Here's what you may have missed so far:
Hatching Chicks in Room 6
Once Upon A Jungle


Bonus: 

Craft a paper fin hat to wear
during the playground games.
Courtesy of Susan's Site

1. Play Fishy Fishy Sharky Sharky or Minnows and Sharks during recess.

2. For snacktime, mix up some gummy sharks and blue Jello or a watermelon shark.

3. PBS Parents has cooked up a shark-themed coding game for women's history month.

4. TeacherVision is a great resource for classrooms, from biographical worksheets on Eugenie Clark, to shark matching pages.

5. Learn more about Eugenie Clark at The Marine Laboratory & Aquarium or read her bio on National Geographic, published after her death.

6. Take a field trip to The Georgia Aquarium or a facility near you.

7. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Maria

Reviewed by Penny

Reviewed by Sue

Reviewed by Vivian

Reviewed by Joanne

Reviewed by Susanna

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, April 13, 2018 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

*As a CYBILS second round judge, I was asked to review a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

PPBF: Clara and Davie

Here's today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick:

A biographical story of sibling love, by Patricia Polacco

Clara and Davie
The True Story of Young Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross

Written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco
Scholastic Press, 2014
Ages 3-6, 40 pp, 690L

Themes:
Biography, Siblings, Kindness


Opening:
On a cold, blustery morning in North Oxford, Massachusetts, a blizzard was threatening and bearing down hard. It was Christmas Day 1821.
Mama was expecting her fifth child. Ten years had passed since her last baby. Mama's health was fragile.


Synopsis:
Young Clara adores her older brother. He encourages her to explore nature, to look into employment outside of traditional women's roles, and to be herself. Her passion for animals leads her to become a sort of veterinary doctor her community relies on, but when her brother is gravely injured, Clara will need all her skills to help him survive.


What I Love:
The text is in a slightly older, more wordy style, but it tells the story with warm, sensory detail. The tender relationship between siblings, though they are ten years apart, is one modern audiences need to hear. The author uses this true story from Clara Barton's past to give readers a look into her depth of character and into the circumstances which helped shape her groundbreaking career. The author's note explains the writer's personal connection to the family and provides more historical detail. Lively illustrations in Polacco's trademark style add personality and ground the story in time and place.


Bonus: 
1. Find fascinating facts about the real Clara Barton at the Clara Barton Museum in Washington, DC or explore their website. HistoryNet offers fasts facts and a summary of her accomplishments, while the National Archives houses several of her correspondence and photos.

2. Visit the Red Cross site to find ways even kids can volunteer, and be an example of good citizenship by finding a blood drive near you. RocParent offers suggestions for teaching children about blood donations and Easy Science For Kids elaborates on the technical side of your circulatory system.

3. Boys' Life posted a great article on stocking a first aid kit. Use it along with the 5 easy safety tips every kids should know from Boston Parent Paper.

4. Clara started out as an animal caretaker, a good place for all kids to learn gentleness and empathy. I enjoyed reading the creative ways kids can get involved in animal-centered volunteering from Mother Nature Network, the Central PA Humane Society, and PETA Kids.

5. Did you know there are several songs about Clara Barton? Makers asked modern songwriters to band together to create songs to teach and honor Clara. "Angel of Mercy" is a teaching song, by Jonathan Sprout. "Lady With the Lamp", by Jerry Garcia, and "Thank-you, Nurse" by Joe McDonald are two you can find online.

6. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Leslie

Reviewed by Joanna

Revieweed by Family-Ship

Reviewed by Valarie

Reviewed by Joanne

Reviewed by Kid-Lit Reviews

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, November 3, 2017 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

What Picture Books Can Do

"The one thing picture books can do that a longer biography can’t do is really capture the emotional essence of a person."
-Cindy Jenson-Elliott*



Bookplate art by Peter Dietzsch

*Via San Diego Union Tribune

PPBF: Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

And now on to today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise
How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries For Children

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

Written and illustrated by Jan Pinborough
Illustrated by Debby Atwell

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , 2013
Ages 6-9, 40 pp, 1060L

Themes:
Libraries, Biography


Opening:
Once in a big house in Limerick, Maine, there lived a little girl named Annie Carroll Moore. She had large gray eyes, seven older brothers, and ideas of her own.



Synopsis:

Anne Carroll Moore loved books, but women were not supposed to read much or visit libraries when she was a young girl. As Anne grew, she looked for opportunities to follow her heart's desires. When a job opened up for Anne to become a librarian, she pursued her education and delved into her work. Soon Anne was championing others who were restricted from libraries, namely children. She promoted children's books and literacy. Anne was instrumental in establishing the pattern for the modern style of children's library, beginning with the New York Public Library's famous children's reading room. Her ideas to create a place for kids to fall in love with books spread across the country. This book highlights some of Anne's particular accomplishments and children's libraries in general.


What I Love:
The book is as colorful and inviting as a children's library should be. It explores, not just a woman who challenged her perceived role in life, but society's perception of a library's role. The  story uses Anne's particular accomplishments to touch on a larger history and the theme of literacy. Bright, folk-art style illustrations echo the energy of the main character and encourage the reader to explore the pages of this book and all the others at their local branch.


Bonus: 

 1. It goes without saying to visit a local children's library.
When my children were little, we visited a library once a week. I made a point to visit different branches and even got them library cards from the neighboring county. Every library was different. Some were loud and some were quiet, some had constant activity, some had secret places to explore. Some of the librarians were wonderfully kind and others...need to read this book about Anne Carroll Moore. But the one thing we gained from each one was an opportunity to find new books. Books my kids might have scorned in one branch, they gravitated to in the next. And we always took out many more than we could read in a week. It bothers me when I hear parents limiting their toddlers to just one. The benefits of books in the house, the benefits to the library (you know they get more funding when they check out more books, right? And if a book is taken off the shelf it has a slimmer chance of being culled from the library's collection), far outweigh my other parenting instincts. This is a place I want my kids to go hog wild!

2. In addition, what does your local children's reading room need? Better toys? New crayons? That signed illustrator's poster you are never going to hang? Donated books for their permanent collection or for sale? Involve kids in finding the answers to these questions and organizing a volunteer group. Start a book club for various ages and partner with the library to create elementary, youth, or teen panels who help plan events, review books, or clean up around the library.

Easy bookish decorations from My Chocolate Moments.

3. There are THOUSANDS of bookish ideas on Pinterest for hosting an amazing book party. Build a fort with lots of throw pillows. Collect stacks of books. Choose one or two to read aloud. Dish up themed snacks. Craft some bookmarks. Maybe even watch a bookish movie. I've collected some of my favorite recipes for every age group on the Bookish Food board and some great party ideas on the It's My Party board.

4. The Horn Book published an interesting article on Librarian Anne Carroll Moore back in 1997.

5. What could be more fitting than a visit to the NY Public Library Children's Reading Room? Plan your trip today. Explore the history of the library before you go.

6. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Kirsten

Reviewed by Clara

Reviewed by Vivian

Reviewed by Susanna

Reviewed by Erik

Reviewed by Joanne

Reviewed by Sue

Reviewed by Beth

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, October 27, 2017 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

PPBF: Three Picture Books About Shakespeare

It's Perfect Picture Book Friday 

and I'm celebrating

SHAKESPEARE WEEK!

The Comedy, History, and Tragedy
of William Shakespeare

The Comedy, History, and Tragedy of William Shakespeare

Written by Anna Claybourne
Illustrated by Adria Meserve

Franklin Watts, 2015
Ages 7-12, 48 pp, 880L


Themes:
Biography, Nonfiction


Thoughts:
This book examines the life of William Shakespeare from his childhood through the height of his popularity. It is full of facts, but written in a fun-loving style. In addition to historical and biographical information, several of Shakespeare's most important plays are summarized in an accessible voice. The illustrations are amazing. From the title to the endpages, this is a great introduction to the Bard in an age-appropriate way.

You Wouldn't Want To Be A Shakespearean Actor!:
Some Roles You Might Not Want To Play

You Wouldn't Want To Be A Shakespearean Actor!

 

Written by, Jacqueline Morley
Illustrated by, David Antram
Series creator, David Salariya

Salariya Book Company Ltd, 2010
Franklin Watts, 2010
Ages 8-11, 830L
around 3000 words


Themes:
History, Drama, Nonfiction, Humor


Thoughts:
These books are told in second person. They engage the reader by speaking directly to him, advising him in a humorous tone bordering on ridiculous. The illustrative style compliments the text. The art is in a lighthearted, comic-style, but with enough detail to inform.

This particular book takes the reader through every stage (no pun intended) of acting life: costume, dress, responsibilities of the players, chores, jobs, food. It includes details about Elizabethan life and touches on important historical events like the plague. Theatrical history is another important theme including the building of the Globe Theater, the fire which destroyed it, and the Blackfriars, the first indoor theater in London. The material is kid-friendly, defining terms within the text or in the glossary.

Will's Quills, by Don Freeman

Will's Quills
or, 
How A Goose Saved Shakespeare

Written and illustrated by Don Freeman

First Edition, Viking, 1975
Ages 5-8


Themes:
Historical Fiction? Finding Purpose


Opening:
Many long years ago in Merrie Olde England there lived a country goose named Willoughby Waddle. While the other geese on the farm were content to spend their days nibbling on flowers and floating lazily on the lake, Willoughby was restless. He wanted to see the world, but even more, he wanted to be useful. And so early one spring morning, he set out for Londontown.


Thoughts:
There is not one stitch of truth nor useful historical bit in this story...and it doesn't matter one whit because it's so adorable! The plot? An inept playwright (guess who) cannot concentrate because his quills aren't sharp enough. He throws them out the window onto an unsuspecting country goose, Willoughby Waddle, and...
Classic Don Freeman style with playful art, rich colors, and kid-tested prose. Between the celebration of the Bard's birth and the deadline for the Don Freeman grant looming, I couldn't help but think of this hilarious picture book gem.


Bonus:

A Shakespearean novel
 by Susan Cooper

Want to learn more about Shakespeare Week? Check out the links from Monday's post along with my review of Susan Cooper's middle grade novel, King of Shadows, where the MC travels back to Elizabethan England and acts with William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream.




You might also like these and other Perfect Picture books. Check them out at your local library.


Reviewed by Vivian

Reviewed by Loni



Reviewed by Julie

Reviewed by Joanna



Reviewed by Joanne

Reviewed by Keila



Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday for Friday, March 24, 2017 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.