The grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans has written a Madeline book. The amount of pure chutzpah that must have taken is staggering. Simply being a children’s book author with that familial link would have been filled with pressure, but writing a Madeline book is jaw-droppingly brave.
Madeline and the Cats of Rome is the first completely new Madeline book in more than 40 years. It will be interesting to see if the grandson managed to recreate his grandfather’s charm, wit and feel.
A nice newspaper interview with David Shannon in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Shannon talks about his inspiration for his books coming primarily from his family. The article also talks about his upcoming book, Too Many Toys. Nicely, the article ends with a brief look at how Shannon became a picture book illustrator and the final paragraphs are perfect:
While he’s won fame and fortune as a children’s-book author, however, Shannon says he’s still learning things about the picture-book format and using picture books to tell a story.
"I think I have the best job in the whole world," he said.
Isn’t it nice to have an article underline that writing and illustrating for children is not easy! It’s a nice foil to the innumerable celebrities who try their hand at it and almost always fail spectacularly at this "simple and easy" format.
Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young.
Wabi Sabi is a cat who is doesn’t know what her name means. When her master is asked by another person about it’s meaning, she replies, "That’s hard to explain." Wabi Sabi heads out to find out what her name means. But everyone she asks says that it is hard to explain. Until she herself begins to experience Wabi Sabi, the beauty in the modest and simple and imperfect, she can’t understand it.
The book begins with the definition of Wabi Sabi and then the entire book is dedicated to exemplifying it. Each double spread page is matched with a haiku poem that immediately connects the mysterious Wabi Sabi feeling with the reader. Reibstein has created text that tells a story that lives well next to the tiny haiku treasures throughout the book. Young’s collage art is the perfect example of humble items being beautiful. He uses pine boughs, hair, dead leaves, and paper to create a world in this book that is pure Wabi Sabi. Exquisitely done.
For classes studying Japan or those working on haiku units, this book is a gem. The fact that it is also a work of art will draw in other readers, who will find themselves experiencing something at the heart of Japanese culture. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Waking Brain Cells 