Virginia Wolf

It is not a commonplace occurrence where I like a children’s book so much that it prompts an immediate second reading. It happened last year with the release of Weird Al’s When I Grow Up (the better title for which I still believe would have been As I Grow Older) and then again today when Kyo Maclear and Isabelle Arsenault’s Virginia Wolf crossed my desk at work.

Virginia Wolf is a story of how depression may manifests itself for some. It is told through the characters of two sisters, Virginia and Vanessa, one severely depressed and the other seemingly well-adjusted and content. They were inspired (or at least named) after well-known writer Virginia Woolf and her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell, of whose relationship I am generally uninformed besides knowing they were close.

In the children’s book, Virginia gloominess is evidenced by general lack of desire to do anything but stay in bed; she sleeps a lot, tells her friends to go away and doesn’t talk much. She is bothered by the sounds of birds chipping, Vanessa’s tooth-brushing, and even the bright color of her sister’s dress. When Vanessa asks Virginia what would make her feel better, she replies by saying that traveling to Bloomsberry would; Bloomsberry being a perfect, make-believe place, where “absolutely no doldrums” exist. When she falls back asleep, Vanessa takes out her art supplies and begins painting Bloomsberry on the walls of her sister’s room, making “it look just the way it sounded.” When Virginia wakes up, she helps her sister despite the “howling” that initially prevented her from noticing her sister’s work. Together they paint and create stories well past midnight. Through the cathartic release the creative process provided, Virginia is finally able to leave the house by the end of the book.

I believe that the book is an essential oasis amid fluffy, cutesy, nonsensical books with abstract messages of the world that prevalently pollute the children’s bookshelves. Even so, I do wish that the authors incorporated the fact that depression may sneak into lives of even those that are “well-adjusted” and that Vanessa and Virginia may be the one and same. I am also unsure why ‘violin music’ is crossed out on the list of “a few things to help lift a WOLFISH mood” on the inside cover. Surely, stringed instruments may evoke feelings of melancholia, but descriptions of this are devoid from the book. Despite these indiscretions, within the pages of Virginia Wolf lies an important message that depression and gloominess may sometimes be averted through creativity. It is truly a gem among typical garbage force-fed down the throats of American children.

Wiener Wolf by Jeff Crosby

“I can settle dow-own and be doin'just fine

Til I hear an old train rollin'down the line

Then I hurry strai-aight home and pack
And if I didn' go, I believe I' blow my stack
I love you ba-aby, but you gotta understand
When the lord made me
He made a ramblin' man.”

Ramblin’ Man, Hank Williams Jr.

An adventurer’s heart is hard to tame, isn’t it? But what if this heart belongs to a wiener dog bored of life comfortable at home with grandma? Wealthy in illustrations and simple, yet well written narrative, Jeff Crosby’s Weiner Wolf won’t disappoint. Its contents will not only satisfy an adventurer’s heart, but they will also please those with a soft spot for stories about dogs. Jeff Crosby’s beautiful illustrations grace seven other children’s books.

Ages 4 & up

Published by Disney

ISBN 978-14231-3983-6

jeffcrosbyillustration.com

When Bob Met Woody, by Gary Golio and illustrated by Marc Burckhardt

Written by Gary Golio, this spectacular picture book provides an early introduction to Bob Dylan’s life. Through beautiful acrylic and oil illustrations by Marc Burckhardt (an artist from Austin whose art has graced three other picture books and many album covers) a story of Bob’s beginnings is told, from an upbringing in Minnesota to a friendship with legendary Woody Guthrie, one of his heroes.  Bob grew up listening to the radio and music of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Hank Williams and Odetta (on whose life a picture book also recently came out), mesmerized by the power of their music. His childhood was complicated due to his family’s Jewish background and profound inability to find understanding for passion in music, his only solace.

It is my sincere hope that readers are further inspired to look into the work of musicians herein mentioned, as their own lives will be indubitably enriched. In addition to learning about Bob Dylan, they will encounter literary inspirations provided by America’s other son - John Steinbeck. Gary Golio’s inspirational picture book provides valuable insight into how finding understanding may not be easy, as well as how following dreams and passions burning deep within human soul are often quite necessary. 

Little, Brown and Company

Ages: 6 and up

Pages: 40

List Price: $17.99

Cover: Hardcover

Published: May, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-316-11299-4

Prince Valiant

Over the course of last three years, Fantagraphics Books has published the first three volumes of Harold R. Foster’s Prince Valiant, documenting the beginnings of an ingeniously epic adventure. The first volume contains work created during 1937-1938 and the beginnings of a style very specific to this story, while the second volume captures the full extent of Hal’s beautifully rendered panels. During the two prolific years captured in this volume, 1939-1940, we see Hal working comfortably with a style combining qualities of both comic-strip form and classic illustration. This expressive style continues through the third volume of Prince Valiant’s adventures, capturing work published between 1941-1942.

The color of panels retelling the story of King Arthur and his knights is vibrant despite relatively limited four-color printing standards (although cheap, four-color has established a certain esthetic associated with pre-modern printing standards). This is largely due to Hal’s carefully thought out use of line and deep, black contrast commonly associated with the comic book style.  

Original scans for these volumes were provided by The Special Collections Center of the Syracuse University Library and are here presented in full size and color. This collection is essential not only for fans of Hal Foster’s work, but also for those with passion for comics and King Arthurian adventures. Hal Foster succeeded in capturing the childhood wonder of individuals that would grow old making a difference in fields of science fiction and comics. His tales helped flare passion in many, including Ray Bradbury and of many talented artists staffing Entertaining Comics (EC). Of later, Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood satirized Hal's work in Prince Violent, MAD magazine #13 (July 1954).

Prince Valiant’s saga totals over 3,700 Sunday strips and continues to appear in about 300 newspapers. Volume four of this distinguished story will be out in October.

To Market, To Market, by Nikki McClure

This awesome book has been inspired by farmers selling goods at the Olympia Farmers Market. It celebrates and shares the virtues of hard work, communities, growing and eating food on the local level. Stories and food making processes found within the book have been shared by farmers, providing an intimate look into how important small and locally owned farms and business are. Food and other preparation techniques are also shared; readers will learn how smoked salmon is prepared with rock salt and Alder smoke, as well as how fabric is dyed with Indigo plants using traditional Japanese methods.

Also included is the technique for apple grafting, a process in which a new tree is created by splicing a small scion (branch cutting) to a rootstock (tree grown for its roots). Yet another point of interest is the story behind honey collection – did you know smoke convinces the bees there is a fire, so they eat a lot of honey, which in turn sedates them?

Nikki McClure has illustrated many books, including Mama, Is it Summer Yet? and New York Times bestseller All in a Day. In mid-90s she released music through K Records, but has since focused on books. She creates illustrations by cutting images drawn on black paper with an X-Acto knife. This process is time consuming but rewarding, resembling lace after it is cut. Cup paper is then scanned and digitally colored, using simple color themes for each section of To Market, To Market.

Nikki just finished Market to Market tour where she held readings and signings at farmer markets across Washington, Massachusetts and New York states. Please make sure to read her other books as they are wonderful.

Abrams Books for Young Readers

Ages: 4 and up

Pages: 40

List Price: $17.95

Cover: Hardcover

Published: 4/01/2011

ISBN: 978-0-8109-9738-7

First Garden : The White House Garden and How it Grew, written and illustrated by Robbin Gourley

Readers of this book will find a plethora of information regarding past presidential gardens, the White House, as well as how to garden successfully and learn about its many benefits. 

Michelle Obama has been working towards alerting American families to proper nutrition; she recently redesigned the food pyramid to make it easier to use. Keeping the importance of healthy, locally grown organic food in mind, she proposed the idea of keeping a vegetable garden to her husband, President Obama, who thought it was a great idea. Last time a vegetable garden was planted at the White House was back in 1943, during World War II by Eleanor Roosevelt, who wanted to set an example of the importance of growing  food.

To assist with the project, Mrs. Obama invited twenty-three students from a local school, who helped by digging up grass, breaking up earth, mixing organic material and installing a beehive. They planted seeds and vegetables that grew to feed not only the guests to the White House, but also Miriam’s Kitchen, an organization that provides healthy, homemade foods to the homeless of the area. At the end of the season, Mrs. Obama threw a Harvest Party for the students that helped make the White House Garden a success.

Robbin Gourley wrote and illustrated this beautiful and informative book full of lovely watercolor images. It is also beautiful in the message it passes along – locally cared for gardens provide not only healthy organic food, but they also teach the importance of growing it. Gardens show children how hard work and patience pay off, connecting them with the way nature works and how food finds its way to their table.

Clarion Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Ages: 4-8

Pages: 48

List Price: $16.99

Cover: Hardcover

Published: 4/04/2011

ISBN-10: 0547482248

And Tango Makes Three

This delightful true story follows the lives of chinstrap penguins living in the Central Park zoo. Through beautiful watercolor illustrations a story of families is told, imparting the importance of love and care above all. Story’s central characters are Roy and Silo, two male penguins that work towards forming a family.  Following the example of other penguin families at the zoo, Roy and Silo form a nest and take turns sitting in it. However, lacking an actual egg, they sit in vain, until a zookeeper places a penguin egg in need of care into their nest. They name the penguin that hatches “Tango”, “because it takes two to make a Tango.”  The lesson all readers can take away from this story is that love, patience, and care define the concept of family. This story has received numerous awards, but has also encountered censorship due to its theme. The American Library Association reported that And Tango Makes Three was one of the most challenged books from 2006 to 2011.

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Ages: P-8

Pages: 32

List Price: $16.99

Cover: Hardcover

Published: 4/26/2005

ISBN-10: 1442424109