If The World Were A Village: A Book About the World's People ▪ Non-fiction picture book

IF THE WORLD WERE A VILLAGE
by David J. Smith  ▪  illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong
Available now  ▪ Citizen Kid /  Kids Can Press  ▪  Ages 8-12
The best-selling book which has sold over 400,000 copies in 17 languages – updated with new content and insights about the world's people. A Common Core Curriculum ELA Exemplar Title

“This book is about ‘world-mindedness,’ which is an attitude, an approach to life,” writes Smith. “It is the sense that our planet is actually a village, and we share this small, precious village with our neighbors. Knowing who our neighbors are, where they live, and how they live, will help us live in peace.”  -- author David J. Smith

Story: First published to wide acclaim in 2002, this eye-opening book has since become a classic, promoting "world-mindedness" by imagining the world's population – all 6.8 billion of us – as a village of just 100 people.  Now, If the World Were a Village has been newly revised with updated statistics, several new activities and completely new material on food security, energy and health. By exploring the lives of the 100 villagers, children will discover that life in other nations is often very different from their own.  If the World Were a Village is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.

David J. Smith, a teacher with more than 25 years of experience in the classroom, is the creator of the award-winning curriculum “Mapping the World by Heart” and the author of two other Kids Can Press books —
If America Were a Village: A Book about the People of the United States and This Child, Every Child: A Book about the World’s Children. He is now a full-time educational consultant. 

Shelagh Armstrong has been illustrating since 1987. Her work can be found on product packaging around the world, on coins and stamps in Canada and in many books and magazines. She has also illustrated If America Were a Village and This Child, Every Child. 

Story behind the story:  "I taught Grade 7 and the book originated with one of my students," says author David J. Smith.  The student needed to decide which language to take and asked his teacher which one was most important.  The student asked "Suppose our classroom represented the world, how many of us would speak English, how many French, how many Spanish..."  This one question provided the idea for the book.  "If the world were a village, what could we learn?"  You can hear David telling his story via this Meet-the-Author Book Reading at TeachingBooks.net.

Praise:
"This highly informative book will get kids thinking and asking questions." -- Booklist

"These days, the world seems to be getting smaller.  This timely, unique book enhances that sentiment.  It is useful for a current understanding of the world's population." -- School Library Journal

"Thought-provoking and highly effective, this world-in-miniature will open eyes to a wider view of our planet and its human inhabitants." -- Horn Book

★ "An eye-opener and a source of action." -- Library Talk, starred review

Awards
Association of Booksellers for Children Choices 
International Reading Association Children's Book Award
Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
Parents' Guide Choice

IF THE WORLD WERE A VILLAGE is a perfect choice when discussing global community and awareness, multiculturalism, and human geography.  You can "Make it Real," "Become World-Minded," and "Make a Math Connection" with this downloadable activity kit.

IF THE WORLD WERE A VILLAGE has been embraced by classroom teachers of all grades, elementary through college level.  If you've shared the book with your students, colleagues, we'd love to hear your thoughts and HOW you used it in the classroom.  Please share your experience with it in the COMMENTS field. 

FYI:  ALL THE REVIEW COPIES FOR THIS BOOK HAVE BEEN SENT.  CHECK OUT THE "COMMENTS" LINK TO READ WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY.

Doll Bones ▪ Middle-grade fiction

DOLL BONES by Holly Black, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
May 2013  ▪ Margaret K. McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster  ▪ Ages 5 - 9

A doll that may be haunted leads three friends on a thrilling adventure in this delightfully creepy novel from the New York Times bestselling cocreator of the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Story: Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her.

But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen—and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave.

Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?

BEHIND THE BOOK: Holly Black shares this behind-the-scenes info (really interesting story -- worth the read!):  "DOLL BONES is the book that I’ve been trying to write for a long time. It’s about a lot of things that are really personal to me—and it’s also about a lot of things that creep me out. I did two kinds of research for this book. The first kind of research was trying to get back at my own life when I was twelve. I was the kid who played dolls for way too long and didn’t want to give them up, even after my two best friends got more into music and boys. What I remember most viscerally is grieving over the lost dolls, the ones my friends played with who would never visit again. I still had my friends — and we had lots of new adventures ahead of us — but those people that they pretended to be would never come back. In talking about this book, I’ve been surprised at how many people have a story like mine, a story about being a kid who loved storytelling with friends and who hadn’t wanted to stop. About the moment we were shamed into quitting the game and dragged kicking and screaming into adulthood. A lot of those people grew up to be writers. 

The second kind of research I did was about the creepy part—about bone china manufacturing. I knew that I wanted the doll that the three kids have, the one that might be haunted, the one that they have to bury, to be made from bone china. I wanted that because bone china is made with ground-up bones— in the case of this doll, human bones. (Note: the bone char in actual bone china is cow. I am almost entirely sure that no one ever made bone china plates or bowls or coffee pots with human bone char.) There are only a couple of places in the US that ever manufactured true bone china. Which is how I wound up going on an adventure to East Liverpool, Ohio, a town famous for its pottery and about which I knew absolutely nothing else. I had one weekend, so I headed down to New Jersey, picked up my critique partner, Steve Berman, and we drove through the night to make it to a small hotel across the border in West Virginia. It was about four in the morning when we turned off the highway. Mist was rising off the woodlands around us as we drove through a series of wildly curving roads. We spotted a fence that appeared to be from the zombie apocalypse—too high to be keeping out only cattle, rusted, and ripped unsettlingly. At that moment, we turned a sharp corner in the road and saw the remains of an old building spray-painted with graffiti of dripping red symbols. This was the first time Steve turned to me and said, “turn this car around immediately.” It would not be the last. Now, look. I know what you’re thinking: that’s not so scary. Well, imagine the scene without a single streetlight, illuminated entirely by the headlights of my car, and with no houses for miles. It was pretty scary to us. So scary that Steve and I stopped talking entirely and just stared out the windows, waiting for a ghostly hitchhiker or headless horseman. 

We did finally make it to the hotel, which was brightly lit and perfectly ordinary. We checked into our rooms, laughed at ourselves for being scared, and slept until our alarms woke us. Then it was Saturday and time to go into town. I set my trusty GPS to the address for the Museum of Ceramics. As we crossed over the tiny, skinny bridge into East Liverpool, I realized I had no idea what to expect. The Museum turned out to be near the center of town, across the street from a gorgeous library, on a wide street full of shops and restaurants. There was only one problem— despite it being a beautiful Saturday morning in the Spring, almost every shop was closed. A small café stood open on one end of the road and several blocks over, a place called Pants Unlimited was having a going-out-of-business sale. (And yes, Pants Unlimited made it into the book—how could I have left a detail like that out?) A few cars were parked on the street, but there were no people anywhere. Ignoring that, we headed straight for our goal, The Museum of Ceramics. And lo, it was awesome! Within were beautiful examples of pottery crafted in East Liverpool from 1840 to 1930 and explanations of the processes, as well as the rise and decline of the pottery industry. We watched a short film and I took lots of notes. There was even another person there — or at least sometimes there were footsteps, and once I thought I heard someone’s voice. So, another person, or a haunted museum. On our way out, the nice woman at the desk asked us why we’d come to East Liverpool. “Oh,” said Steve, “to visit this museum.” 

Unfortunately, that was the wrong answer. She stared at us as though we were dangerous lunatics. There were several spots I wanted to visit: the kids, carrying their creepy bone doll, try to make the journey by bus (it does not go well) and must attempt to bury the doll in a cemetery (surprisingly, the cemetery goes better than the bus stop). I thought visiting a few local spots would be a simple process, but alas, we were led astray. No, I mean we were literally led astray. The GPS kept malfunctioning, trying to take us off cliffs and into bogs. ‘Turn this car around, Holly!’ Steve kept chanting. It became our musical accompaniment, varied with different lyrics: ‘‘Do you think the car is possessed and trying to kill us, Holly?’’ and “Didn’t we almost go over this very cliff ten minutes ago, Holly?” (Now that he mentioned it, that cliff did look familiar.) Eventually we made it to the place where the bus stop was supposed to be. I had the street names, and the exact intersection. We got out of the car and walked around and around. The Internet had sworn to me there was a bus stop there. Surely the Internet wouldn’t lie to me. “Let’s go into this bar,” Steve said. “Oh, good idea, let’s ask for directions,” I said. “Sure . . . that’s what I meant,” said Steve. Raucous laughter spilled out of the bar. Several people who lived nearby seemed deeply amused by the thought that there might be, or ever have been, public transportation available nearby. They seemed to feel that I was making a hilarious joke. I couldn’t believe that my twelve-year-old characters turned out to actually be better at bus travel than I was. At least they were able to locate a bus stop. We did actually make it to the cemetery. It existed. It was a perfectly ordinary cemetery, which at this point I found soothing—until we were leaving, when I noticed there were spigots that came out of the ground. They were drive-up spigots, as in we could literally drive up and serve ourselves a cup of water from one. I did not do this, because I (a) don’t travel with a water bottle to fill, (b) never drink water, even though I know I should, (c) thought that grave water might possess the bad kind of magic that turns you into a zombie, and (d) because Steve told me not to. In no way do I mean to imply that East Liverpool was anything but a great place. There was a lot of driving involved for me: I was delirious pretty much throughout. Everybody was lovely to me, possibly because I looked like an escaped lunatic who had somehow got hold of a notebook. 

I went to this place hoping to find stories, and I did: the last piece of my story was born there in the mist, the quiet museum of bones, the apparently imaginary bus stop, and, most of all, in the experience of trying to navigate unfamiliar (and sometimes scary) place with a friend. I found what I needed for DOLL BONES and, also, unlimited pants. I’m glad I went to East Liverpool. And, Steve, thanks for coming with me." 

PRAISE:

"A little bit scary and full of heart, this story grabbed me and wouldn't let go."
- Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award winning author of WHEN YOU REACH ME

"Doll Bones positions itself to look like a simple ghost tale about a creepy doll, then sneaks in an engaging, thoughtful look at the ramifications of adolescence and storytelling. Consider this the thinking child’s horror novel. A devilishly clever read from an author too long gone from the children’s book genre."
-- Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse #8 Production, SLJ blog

FYI:  ALL THE REVIEW COPIES FOR THIS BOOK HAVE BEEN SENT.  CHECK OUT THE "COMMENTS" LINK TO READ WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY.

UNBREAKABLE ▪ YA fiction

UNBREAKABLE
by Elizabeth Norris
April 23, 2013  ▪ Balzer + Bray ▪ Ages 14 - 18
In this heart-pounding sequel to Unraveling, author Elizabeth Norris explores the sacrifices we make to save the people we love and the worlds we'll travel to find them.
Story:  Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she'll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but civilization is slowly rebuilding, and life is starting to resume some kind of normalcy—until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up, asking for Janelle's help. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human-trafficking ring—kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths. And Ben, with his unique abilities, is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn't turn himself over within five days. When Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger.

Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they're lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she's in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?
Story behind the story:  Author Elizabeth Norris gives us this bit of behind-the-scenes scoop:  "When I was teaching, I had a lot of students who said things like, “I hate reading” or “I haven’t read anything since Goosebumps in third grade.” (I taught high school English classes, so presumably anyone who had managed to get into Honors American Literature should have read something since Goosebumps.)

As a result I always prided myself on finding just the right book that changed their minds. Which means I know first hand how important it is for librarians and teachers to have books—and how much money it can cost (sometimes out of your own pocket) in order to maintain that.  So I’m giving away 100 FREE copies of Unraveling to teachers, librarians, or coordinators or programs that promote literacy. Enclosed with the book will be a hard copy of the discussion guide, and I’ll be happy to personalize the book for anyone who wants it personalized. (Signed books and anything by Jodi Picoult were the most commonly stolen books from my classroom library, so I won’t take offense if you don’t want my signature.)"  Since The Picnic Basket blog is all about sharing books with teachers and librarians, we just had to feature this title as the author feels similarly!

PRAISE: 
“Abundant plot twists and betrayals to keep readers on the edge of their seats.” (ALA Booklist )

“This high-stakes thriller-complete with mind-bending sci-fi twist-will hook you and never let go.” (Pittacus Lore, #1 New York Times bestselling author of I Am Number Four - on UNRAVELING )

“Leav[es] the reader wanting more and begging for a sequel to this multilayered debut.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) - on UNRAVELING )

“Readers will enjoy the nonstop action and romance.” (School Library Journal - on UNRAVELING)

“If Veronica Mars snatched a case from Mulder and Scully, you’d get this fast-paced page-turner. With a heroine full of moxie, wicked surprises around every corner, and non-stop action, UNRAVELING is an irresistible thriller.” (Andrea Cremer, New York Times bestselling author of the Nightshade trilogy - on UNRAVELING)

Order your reviewer's copy now.

PTEROSAUR TROUBLE ▪ Non-fiction picture book

PTEROSAUR TROUBLE
by Daniel Loxton  ▪  Kids Can Press  ▪ Ages 4-7

“Prehistoric creatures sport feathers, wrinkles, teeth and scales that are all rendered with hyper-realistic clarity and sharpness. … Dino devotees will devour this eye candy with relish.” –Kirkus

Story:  Follow the pterosaur, a majestic flying reptile, as he encounters a pack of tiny but vicious dinosaurs.  A unique blend of digital illustrations and landscape photography brings the ensuing battle to life.  PTEROSAUR TROUBLE is book two in the Tales of Prehistoric Lives series.  Dramatic stories + eye-popping visuals = a surefire hit with young dinosaur lovers.
Story behind the story: "The Tales of Prehistoric Life series," says author Daniel Loxton,"  strives to attain very high degree of photorealism — I want it to look like I just grabbed my camera and popped back to the Cretaceous in my time machine. To achieve that, I borrow a lot of tricks from Hollywood special effects and visual effects. But there's a big problem with that: Hollywood techniques tend to be very expensive, and work best with huge crews and huge movie industry budgets. We don't have any of that! 

The support and involvement of my own family helps to make that possible. My pregnant wife and young son and I spent days in a tent to capture the key Canadian location photography for Pterosaur Trouble. Those photographic plates get modified a great deal once I get them into my computer in the studio: I stitch them into massive panoramas; paint out the Coke cans and roads and human beings; replace the skies; add the creatures; and modify the landscapes as needed to serve the story. But the more I can capture in-camera on location, the easier and better the process is later. For example, the prehistoric animals in Pterosaur Trouble interact with the water of the river in the story, so it was very useful to capture a lot of splash elements on location. That way, the splashes of water accurately reflect the environment and lighting conditions of the location, so they look intuitively convincing when I add the dinosaurs. To generate those hundreds of splash elements, I drafted my son to spend hours playfully lobbing rocks into the water — nice work if you can get it!

The creatures I select for my stories are sculpted inside a computer as entirely virtual creatures by my collaborator Jim Smith. After expert feedback from our science consultant and a large number of revision cycles, I wrap realistic skin textures around them. That's a laborious, detail-oriented process. The skin texture maps have so much resolution that they're each equivalent to a 67 megapixel photograph! 

I hand paint much of that detail, but for realism it starts once again with photographic reference from nature: detailed photographs of modern living animals from zoos and preserved specimens in museum collections. Bats, pheasants, and herons were especially useful for Pterosaur Trouble.

Although these books are fiction for kids, they are nonetheless informed by the true scientific discoveries of paleontology. In fact, the basic conflict of Pterosaur Trouble was inspired by a specific fossil find from Alberta, Canada. Scientific accuracy is very important to me, to the extent that I actually went back into Ankylosaur Attack to make a correction AFTER it was published:  Throughout the process for Pterosaur Trouble and the third book (in production now), I've kept in close contact with our science consultant, palaeozoologist Darren Naish. He clears all of the basic plot points, reviews the creature designs, and checks the story for scientific accuracy.   See more here.

Reviews and praise: 

"Pterosaur Trouble is a terrific example of how to make a popular book on prehistoric animals both exciting and scientifically sound, an accolade that is all the more remarkable when you consider that a part of its targeted demographic is still learning to read....I get the feeling that real effort was made to render animals which would satisfy fully fledged palaeontologists as much as children. …  there are lots of little details to appreciate."

- Mark Winton, paleontologist, author of Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy (Princeton University Press, June 2013).

 “…the prehistoric creatures sport feathers, wrinkles, teeth and scales that are all rendered with hyper-realistic clarity and sharpness. … Dino devotees will devour this eye candy with relish.”
–Kirkus

Read an interview with the author on Wired's GEEKMOM blog, and Scientific American.  Plus Daniel writes for Junior Skeptic, the 10-page critical thinking publication for kids bound inside Skeptic magazine.

FYI:  ALL THE REVIEW COPIES FOR THIS BOOK HAVE BEEN SENT.  CHECK OUT THE "COMMENTS" LINK TO READ WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY.

Daisy's Defining Day
by Sandra V. Feder
Available now  ▪ Kids Can Press  ▪ Ages 7-10 ▪ Grades 2 - 5
Book Two in the irresistible Daisy series which introduces children to the satisfaction of independent reading and the joy of playing with language.
Story: Daisy loves words, so she is delighted when Miss Goldner teaches the class about alliteration. When her neighbor Grant starts calling her Lazy Daisy, she decides to come up with an alliterative nickname so dazzling it sticks. As Daisy collects D words that describe her, she shows delightful determination in finding the perfect name.


Story behind the story: Author Sandra Feder offers this behind-the-scenes info on the Daisy series:  "Often I hear parents say that they want to raise children who are avid readers.  We all want our children to curl up on the couch with a book just as often as they reach for the TV remote.  But how do we get them there? With three daughters of my own, I have come to believe that the best way is to start with the building blocks of books – the words. Daisy is a normal kid who likes riding her bike and hanging out with her best friend. 

But what makes Daisy so special in the world of children’s literature is that the thing she loves most is words – she even keeps track of her favorites in her green notebook covered with purple polka dots.  My goal was to create a totally accessible and appealing character, in the hope that she will draw children into her world of words and reading in a natural and fun way.   Each book in the series deals with a different aspect of words and language.   

In Daisy’s Defining Day, the second book in the series, Daisy does what any word-loving girl would do when a neighborhood boy gives her a nickname she dislikes.  She uses her words to come up with a wonderfully long name for herself, so that everyone will forget the awful nickname. Because she’s just learned about alliteration in school, Daisy decides to make her new name alliterative.  I think all children can relate to Daisy’s delightful determination to tackle her problem with creativity and enthusiasm."

On her website, Sandra shares some terrific tips for teachers on using DAISY'S DEFINING DAY (including a great exercise for introducing the concept of alliteration) with students to help children develop a lifelong love of language and begin to understand, even at a young age, the fun and power of words.  Plus helpful ideas for librarians on how to help readers associate the library with books but also the words that are in them.  

PRAISE: 
"Transitioning readers, particularly girls, will enjoy seeing Daisy navigate the familiar shoals of elementary school in this better-than-average early chapter book." - Kirkus Reviews

“This delightful book not only takes us into the everyday adventures of a wonderful character, but it also explores the ways in which words affect us, and sometimes seem to take on a life of their own. Through Daisy, young readers will discover that words are not just inanimate things sitting on a page, they have the power to make people happy or sad. They can inspire and excite people, and they are full of possibilities.”– Through the Looking Glass (for DAISY'S PERFECT WORD)

“Daisy loves words. She collects them like squirrels collect nuts, ever eager to store her selections in her green notebook with purple polka dots . . . Daisy’s irrepressible but realistic enthusiasm for life is charming and irresistible. Her story is a perfect next step for children who have outgrown Jane O’ Connor’s “Fancy Nancy” books but aren’t quite ready for Andrew Clements’s Frindle.” – School Library Journal (for DAISY'S PERFECT WORD)

FYI:  ALL THE REVIEW COPIES FOR THIS BOOK HAVE BEEN SENT.  CHECK OUT THE "COMMENTS" LINK TO READ WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY.

SPIKE: The Mixed-Up Monster ▪ Picture book (non-fiction)

SPIKE:  The Mixed-Up Monster

by Susan Hood ▪ illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Available now ▪  Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books ▪  Ages 3 - 8

Meet Spike, a lovable monster—and a real-life salamander—who’s looking for friends in this lively picture book that includes Spanish vocabulary.
Highly Commended for the 2013 Charlotte Zolotow Award (presented annually to the best picture book text by the Cooperative Children's Book Center)

Story:  Spike is a scary-looking salamander who keeps trying to frighten other animals—until he finds that using fear is not the best way to make friends. And since Spike lives in Mexico (he is an endangered species called the axolotl), this story is peppered with easy-to-understand Spanish words. In addition to a charming tale of friendship, this picture book contains nonfiction information about the axolotl and a Spanish/English glossary.  As the Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books writes, "use this in a lesson on unusual animals, Mexican fauna, or possibly include it in a monster-themed storytime to throw a nonfiction twist into that popular theme."

The Story Behind the Story: I spoke with Susan and Melissa and they have LOTS to share about the making of this book.  Plenty of background that will be helpful in showing students what goes into the thinking of making of a book.  Per author Susan Hood:  "One day I stumbled upon this photo in a book about baby animals. I was dumbfounded! I couldn’t believe this pink Muppet-like creature with its blue eyes, feathery spikes and slight smile was real.  I discovered it’s a type of Mexican salamander.  And the more I researched, the more I was fascinated.

One Home In the wild, this impossibly cute critter lives in only one place in in the world—Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico and its largest city.

The Peter Pan Effect Axolotls never grow up—just like Peter Pan! While most salamanders lose their gills and develop lungs for a land-based life, the axolotl never goes through metamorphosis. It lives its whole life and even has children as a teenage water baby.

Superpower  Axolotls has long been studied by scientists because of their amazing regenerative powers. Just as a sea star can regrow a lost arm, the axolotl can…get this!...regrow a lost limb, its tail, internal organs, even parts of its brain and spinal cord.  The fact that the axolotl is a vertebrate like us has enormous implications for science and medicine.

Ecological Peril Unfortunately, the lake where the axolotl lives is now a major tourist site called The Floating Gardens, and according to the Washington Post, a crashing ecosystem. A recent article in The New York Times reports that as result of this pollution, the axolotl is

critically endangered, about to go extinct.  And with extinction would go our window into the axolotl’s amazing biological traits.

Fan Base Given this backstory, I knew I wanted to write about the axolotl, but was convinced I would find a glut of children’s books on Amazon. Here’s what I found:

Pet Owner Guides: It turns out that many, many people keep axolotls as pets (see axolotl.org).
They have more than 9,000 fans on Facebook!
A Mad Magazine connection: “Axolotl” was one of the odd words Mad frequently used in comic strips, along with words like “potrzebie,” “furshlugginer” and “veeblefetzer.” Mad also published a poem about axolotls —a take-off on William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.”
An Adult Short Story: Like the narrator in Julio Cortázar’s “Axolotl," I was transfixed by this little guy.  

So, I started writing. You might wonder why Spike is “a mixed-up monster.”  The name “axolotl” comes from the native Aztec language (Nahuatl) and means “water monstrosity,” “water sprite” or “water dog” after the Aztec god Xolotl. 

I thought Spike might have a little identity issue. In the story, he believes he’s a monster, given his slithery tail, spiky crown and stumpy teeth. So he acts monstrously, trying to scare all his friends. There’s only one little problem. Spike is no bigger than a lily pad. So no one is afraid of Spike. Then one day, when a real monster appears at the lake, Spike discovers his true nature and what it takes to make a friend.

The book uses a few Spanish words to reflect the Mexican setting, and includes a glossary. It also includes all the facts about the axolotl and the other animals in the back for the book.

I’m hoping that SPIKE can help call attention to the plight of the axolotls and support the efforts of Dr. Luis Zambrano, a biologist who is trying to save them."

And, if that wasn't fascinating enough, wait until you read (and see!) what illustrator Melissa Sweet has to share: "Susan and I had worked together a long time ago when I did illustrations for Nick Jr. When I got the call that she had written this book, I wasn't at all sure I could fit it in, but I was intrigued.Then I read the story, saw the picture of the axolotl, (who was preposterously cute!) and I was smitten with both.

Usually I do quite a bit of research for picture books, especially one with a nonfiction slant. 

Axolotls come in various colors and we decided that, since they are green in the wild, Spike would look best this color. The other animals in the story are also true to their species, but in my artistic style and anthropomorphized so they can have a lot of emotion and expression. The sketches in my dummies are notorious loose. It's hard to plan a collage--you just have to start."

"Sometimes when I set out to find the collage materials something shows up that will set the tone of the book. In this case, I found a paper with colored squares arranged in a grid in gorgeous, earthy-hues. That paper is used on the endpapers and throughout the book, even in the stem of the flower below: 

Our art director, Lizzy Bromley did such beautiful job with the book design.I was over the moon when I saw how she used the type on the jacket.  The hand-lettering in the book is done separately but I create it by drawing, painting and cutting out each letter. All books are huge team effort, and on this one everyone went the extra mile. We just wrapped up the Activity Guide for SPIKE which will be available on our websites. (Crafty kids, get your scissors out!).

Check what reviewers are saying: EarlyWord, Kirkus, 5 Minutes for Books, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Booklist, among many others.

FYI:  ALL THE REVIEW COPIES FOR THIS BOOK HAVE BEEN SENT.  CHECK OUT THE "COMMENTS" LINK TO READ WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY. 

Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure ▪ Picture book

Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure
by Wynton Marsalis ▪  illustrated by Paul Rogers
October 2012 ▪ Candlewick Press ▪ Ages 4-7
The creators of Jazz ABZ are back for an encore! With infectious rhythm and rhyme, musical master Wynton Marsalis opens kids’ ears to the sounds around us.
Story: What’s that sound? The back door squeeeaks open, sounding like a noisy mouse nearby – eeek, eeeek, eeeek! Big trucks on the highway rrrrrrrumble, just as hunger makes a tummy grrrrumble. Jazz Legend Wynton Marsalis combines the everyday sounds of doors creeking and clocks ticking, with the whomp’s and tlawk’s of classic jazz instruments to create a culmination of sounds that turns a lazy neighborhood into a concert in this exciting new book.
Story behind the story: Five years after illustrator Paul Rogers’ and musician Wynton Marsalis’ first collaboration with Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits, the creative duo present their new children’s book, which suggests the musical qualities of everyday sounds. By presenting two everyday sounds, and then an instrument that has a similar sound with accompanying poems, the story encourages children to take a closer listen. Marsalis reveals his inspiration, “When I read books to my kids I always animate the stories with sounds. So I started thinking about how everyday sounds we hear in our homes or on the street relate to the sounds of musical instruments.” Rogers hopes that the book inspires readers beyond its pages. He says “This is a book for children written by a jazz musician, and the poems are hip. I hope the drawings measure up to the words. We both hope children and their families enjoy it and listen to the sounds around their own neighborhoods in a new way.”

Read a conversation with Wynton and Paul here.

Praise for Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!:

★“Loud and clear, the creators show how tuning into everyday sounds can inspire music. Clap, clap, CLAP!” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review
 ★“Who better to lead children in a celebration of sound than jazz virtuoso Wynton Marsalis? From the “tluck…tlock” of a dripping faucet and the “Chrrick chrrrick” of toast being buttered to the noises of trucks, drums, and washboards, the musician gives voice to the sounds enveloping an African American boy throughout the day…  This exuberant articulation of sounds both subtle and grandiose is sure to inspire closer listening and creative responses.” – School Library Journal, starred review

Order your reviewer's copy now.