Ann Whitford Paul

Picture Book Review – If Animals Gave Thanks

IF ANIMALS GAVE THANKS

Written by Ann Whitford Paul

Illustrated by David Walker

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR; $17.99, Ages 2-6)

 

 

 

If Animals Gave Thanks, Ann Whitford Paul’s fifth book in the If Animals Kissed Goodnight picture book series, delivers sweet, rhyming lines alongside David Walker’s whimsical images.

 

IfAnimalsGaveThanks int1
Interior spread from If Animals Gave Thanks written by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by David Walker, Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR ©2020

e

I appreciate animal facts such as Rabbit purring his thanks and Squirrel using her tail for protection from the weather. As the creatures express what makes them thankful, the story loops back to Bear orchestrating a friendly feast.

 

IfAnimalsGaveThanks int2
Interior spread from If Animals Gave Thanks written by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by David Walker, Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR ©2020

e

Kids will want to repeat the soothing animal sounds such as Raccoon’s “chir-chirrrrr.” And we all could use more comfort as we face a socially distanced holiday season. This story embraces the simplicity of gratitude. The art’s soft lines and warm colors welcome readers to join this gentle celebration, where animals from all walks of life enjoy each other’s company while sharing a lovingly prepared meal.

 

 

Read a review of another book by Ann Whitford Paul and David Walker here.

Share this:

Five New Christmas Books for Kids – A Roundup of Our Faves

BEST NEW CHRISTMAS BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

– A ROUNDUP –

PART TWO

candy cane free Christmas clip art

 

Jane Foster's Christmas board book cover artJANE FOSTER’S CHRISTMAS
Written and illustrated by Jane Foster
(Little Bee Books; $8.99, Ages 0-3)

Illustrator and designer Jane Foster helps make spirits bright with her new board book, Jane Foster’s Christmas. This smartly designed and graphically bold concept book will familiarize babies and toddlers with all the signature items we associate with Christmas. From Santa Claus and sleigh, to gingerbread house and hot chocolate, each spread features a word on the left in black typeface and an illustration on the right. Additional subtle graphic elements on the word pages, like polka dots, waves, trees and stripes are visually pleasing too. The vibrant colors used add to the book’s appeal as does the shininess of the art and text. This board book is sure to get little ones excited for the holiday with its choice of cheery images presented as beautifully as her 10 previous books in the series such as Things That Go, Animal Sounds and First Words. Need a stocking stuffer? Give this to the youngest readers in your house this holiday season.

 

 

All is Merry and Bright board book cover illustrationALL IS MERRY AND BRIGHT
(A Shine Bright Book)
Written by Jeffrey Burton
Illustrated by Don Clark
(Little Simon; $24.99, Ages 1-4

Here is an oversized, thick and bedazzling board book that needs no wrapping and just begs to be opened like a present. As I turned each page I was treated to a parade of pizzazz, foil and color. The glorious graphics jumped off the page filling me with light and delight. The embossed designs also feel fab to touch so let little fingers wander as they wonder what comes next. The text, spare, but lyrical, promises “joyful smiles” and multiple reads to soak up all the positive energy emanating from between the covers. It’s less a story and more a celebration of the joy that Christmas brings. A glowing review for this shiny, happy book that you can feel confident when adding to your Christmas reading list!

 

 

If Animals Celebrated Christmas book cover illustrationIF ANIMALS CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS
Written by Ann Whitford Paul
Illustrated by David Walker
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR; $16.99, Ages 2-6)

The latest in Ann Whitford Paul’s charming series of rhyming stories, If Animals Celebrated Christmas, ponders what each particular animal would do for the holiday. Koala lovers will be happy these marsupials feature prominently in this tale as do penguins, cranes, buffalo, turtles, owls, oryx, beaver and hedgehogs. Crustaceans also grace the pages. “Crabs would scamper from the deep, dark sea, and build a seashell Christmas tree.” Illustrator Walker’s topped that Christmas tree with a starfish, making it my favorite spread. If you’re curious what the others get up to, be sure to include this book in your holiday shopping. It’s a recommended read-aloud that provides a fun jumping off point for a discussion about what other creatures might do to make the holiday their own.

 

 

Where Do Diggers Celebrate Christmas? book cover illustrationWHERE DO DIGGERS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?
Written by Brianna Caplan Sayres
Illustrated by Christian Slade
(Random House BYR; $16.99, Ages 3-7)

If you’ve got an “all things tractors, diggers and cranes” fan at home, make sure to add Where Do Diggers Celebrate Christmas? to your holiday collection. While in some places the rhyme meter felt slightly off, it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the picture book. In fact I was rather impressed how Sayres came up with such clever ways for vehicles to celebrate. And in case kiddos didn’t know it, diggers, cherry pickers, forklifts, mixers, cranes, tankers, tow trucks, tractors, food trucks and even Zambonis celebrate Christmas by doing the exact same things they do. That means stringing lights, singing Christmas carols and even sharing egg nog with their families. Illustrator Slade’s put a mouse on the pages too, so children can watch out for what the creature gets up to in every spread. Wheels are the way to go in this charming, feel good Christmas story.

 

A Tuba Christmas book cover illustrationA TUBA CHRISTMAS
Written by Helen L. Wilbur
Illustrated by Mary Reaves Uhles
(Sleeping Bear Press; $16.99, Ages 4-8)

Who knew that tuba Christmas concerts were a thing? Now that I know about them, having read A Tuba Christmas, I cannot wait to attend one! Unlike my family, the family members in this picture book all play an instrument, and when the story begins, it’s time for the youngest child, Ava, to choose an instrument, too. Everyone is surprised, however, when Ava decides to take up the tuba. She’s helped along by lessons from Rodney, a compassionate high schooler in the marching band. When the tuba’s challenges (it’s clearly rather cumbersome) get to her along with the kids at school (as well as her brothers) teasing her about the tuba, Ava’s ready to call it quits. But Rodney’s not concerned about her progress and invites her to participate in a tuba holiday concert at her school at just the right time. Being part of an ensemble is exactly the kind of supportive and spirited musical environment Ava needs. The audience is enthralled and impressed with the concert including Ava’s performance and she’s over the moon. As Rodney like suspected, rather than giving up on the instrument and her instruction, Ava feels proud of her accomplishment and decides to continue playing. Back matter details the history behind Tuba Christmas concerts and will likely have readers seeking out the nearest one this holiday season. Uhles’s cheerful illustrations pair wonderfully with the exuberance of the tale and perfectly capture Ava’s up and down moments. Wilbur’s written a special kind of Christmas story to share because, in addition to centering around the holiday, it’s also a heartwarming tale about perseverance and how wonderful and motivating it feels when someone (in this case Ava’s instructor) has your back. 

 

  • Reviews by Ronna Mandel


ALSO RECOMMENDED:

Construction Site on Christmas Night
Written by Sherri Duskey Rinker
lllustrated by AG Ford
Chronicle Books; $16.99, Ages 3-5)

Oliver Elephant 
Written by Lou Peacock
Illustrated by Helen Stephens 
(Nosy Crow; $16.99, Ages 2-5)

Click here to see Part One of our 2018 Christmas book suggestions.

 

 

Share this:

World Make Way – Art Inspired Poetry Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins

WORLD MAKE WAY:
New Poems Inspired by Art
from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
(Abrams BYR; $16.99, Ages 5-9)

 

World Make Way cover image of Cat Watching a Spider by Ōide Tōkō

 

A curious, crouching cat on the book’s cover immediately drew me into World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Eighteen thoughtful and evocative poems and the accompanying works of art that prompted their creation kept me turning the pages. This beautiful collection is everything a poetry anthology for children should be: diverse, original and, as the title suggests, inspiring. In the book’s back matter I learned that Lee Bennett Hopkins, the editor of World Make Way, holds the Guinness Book of World Records citation for compiling the most anthologies for children, making him more than well-suited to spearhead this satisfying project in conjunction with the Met.

I appreciate the breadth of art that was selected and the variety of poems that were commissioned for World Make Way. There is something that will appeal to every reader who dives in, whether they like short, simple poems or those more complex and layered. There are serious poems and those that have fun with the reader like Marilyn Singer’s poem, Paint Me, the first in the book. In it the teen subject of Gustav Klimt’s portrait, Mäda Primavesi, bids the artist to make haste and finish up the painting because she’s such a busy person, hence the book’s title World Make Way, a line she utters in desperation! She has places to go. People to see. After all, if her family can afford to have Klimt paint her, she’s likely a socialite. Ultimately the book will show children how to look at art with fresh eyes and take from it something unique to them. Art evokes something different in each person who beholds it and the poems included perfectly capture that.

One particular poem that stayed with me was Young Ashoka Sundari by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater inspired by Shiva and Parvati Playing Chaupar: Folio from a Rasamanjari Series, 1694-95 by Devidasa of Nurpur. Her poem introduces readers to Ashoka who secretly observes her parents: I stand behind this neem tree / to watch my parents play / a game of chaupar / on a tiger rug / beneath bright mango sky. Offering a child’s perspective in her poem, Vanderwater helped me to have a lightbulb moment with the artwork. It’s not always about what we see when observing art, it’s also about what or who the artist left out, or where the scene is set. What a wonderful conversation starter! What does this art say to you? What do you think is happening here now? How does this picture make you feel? What might happen now that the child has witnessed this scene?

In my multiple readings I found myself wondering what I’d write about a certain piece of art such as Henri Rousseau’s The Repast of the Lion, but if I ever see the painting again, I’ll forever associate J. Patrick Lewis’s poem with it. Now that he’s fed and jaguar-full— / Finally his appetite is dull— And of Joan Bransfield Graham’s Great Indian Fruit Bat, a poem about a painting of the same name attributed to Bhawani Das or a follower, 1777-82  I marveled at her internal rhyme and alliteration. As my wings whisk me, swooping through / this black velvet night, who will admire / my elegant attire, the intricacy …  A bat’s point of view, fantastic!

Other featured poets are: Alma Flor Ada, Cynthia S. Cotten, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Julie Fogliano, Charles Ghigna, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Irene Latham, Elaine Magliaro, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Marilyn Nelson, Naomi Shihab Nye, Ann Whitford Paul, Carole Boston Weatherford and Janet Wong. Other featured artists are: Rosa Bonheur, Fernando Botero, Mary Cassatt, Liberale Da Verona, Leonardo Da Vinci, Han Gan, Martin Johnson Heade, Frank Henderson, Utagawa Hiroshige, Winslow Homer, Kerry James Marshall, José Guadalupe Posada and Ōide Tōkō.

While I can definitely see educators enjoying the book for its varying forms of poetry and the individual interpretations of the poets to accompany the magnificent works of art, I can also easily see a parent sharing the book before any museum visit or simply as a way to spark a child’s imagination. It certainly sparked mine.

  • Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

Read a review of another poetry collection here.

 

Share this:

Three Magic Words We Love to Hear – If Animals Said I Love You by Ann Whitford Paul

IF ANIMALS SAID I LOVE YOU
Written by Ann Whitford Paul
Illustrated by David Walker
(Farrah Straus Giroux; $16.99, Ages 2-6)

 

If Animals Said I Love You book cover art

 

 If Animals Said I Love You is a charming and worth-waiting-for companion to Ann Whitford Paul’s and David Walker’s If Animals Kissed Goodnight, and this new bedtime tale does not disappoint.

There are lots of different ways that animals say I love you to their family and friends, and young readers will welcome how creatively they show their love any time of day or night in this picture book. Although the story’s star is Gorilla who appears several times throughout the book in addition to being featured in the beginning and end, children will also get to meet nine other animals including Whale, Boa, Lion, Secretary Bird, Cheetah, Spider, Ostrich, Impala and Alligator.

 

int 1 spread If Animals Said I Love You
Interior spread from If Animals Said I Love You written by Ann Whitford and illustrated by David Walker, Farrar Straus Giroux ©2017.

 

Can you guess how a Whale might say these three important words? Would it be in whale song? Perhaps, but only partially. “Whale would sing it and, from his spout, shoot some heart-shaped bubbles out.” And what about Boa? “Boa would hiss, “Hatchlings, come please. Time for a loving, squish-hugging squeeze.”

 

int 2 spread If Animals Said I Love You
Interior spread from If Animals Said I Love You written by Ann Whitford and illustrated by David Walker, Farrar Straus Giroux ©2017.

 

Each individual animal grouping demonstrates its love in a unique way, one that youngsters will want to imitate whether that be the slap-slap chest pound from Gorilla or the big tail swish and shower splashity-splish of Alligator. 

Paul’s lyrical text is playful and inviting. It’s hard to resist repeating the whappity-whaps, click-clacks and heapity-heaps. Walker’s soothing artwork is a sweet accompaniment to Paul’s well-paced rhythm and rhyme. His animals are adorable and endearing and never stagnant until the closing spread seen below. From twisty Boa  to leapity-leaping Impala, these animals’ motions move the reader to turn the page for another new treat of words and illustrations.

 

int 3 spread If Animals Said I Love You
Interior spread from If Animals Said I Love You written by Ann Whitford and illustrated by David Walker, Farrar Straus Giroux ©2017.

 

If Animals Said I Love You may be packed with tons of heart-warming animal love and affection, but rest assured, there’s always room for more hugs and kisses and I love yous at the end as you tuck your own little one into bed.

  • Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

Read another bedtime story review here.

Share this:

Feeding the Flying Fanellis by Kate Hosford

FEEDING THE FLYING FANELLIS
and Other Poems from a Circus Chef
Written by Kate Hosford 
Illustrated by Cosei Kawa
(Carolrhoda Books; $17.99, Ages 5-8)

Today Good Reads With Ronna is delighted to welcome author
Ann Whitford Paul as our guest reviewer
for Feeding the Flying Fanellis.

FeedingtheFlyingFanellis

 

For those of you who loved Kate Hosford’s imaginative and beautiful Infinity and Me (I count myself as an admirer) her newest book, Feeding the Flying Fanellis, is equally full of pleasant surprises. This rollicking collection of poems isn’t just about circus performers and their acts. It focuses on the chef and what special meals he must cook for them. Opening as any circus does with the ringmaster, the chef must prepare a picnic (because the ringmaster never sits) that he tucks into his hat that the ringmaster tips in order to eat. Feeding the juggler is a struggle for everything must be round so he can easily toss his food in the air and catch it again. The high-strung tightrope walker must never have caffeine and obsessively watches what she eats—only 27 grains of rice! The lion thinks of food all day, driving the poor chef to distraction trying to satisfy his appetite so he won’t be Lion’s dessert. And then there’s the poor human cannonball who has to stuff himself to remain round.

 

FEEDING THE FLYING FANELLIS_pp4-5 illus. © 2015 Cosei Kawa
Interior artwork from Feeding the Flying Fanellis by Kate Hosford with illustrations by Cosei Kawa, Carolrhoda Books © 2015 Cosei Kawa

 

The circus is filled with fire-eaters, trampoline performers, a ballerina dancing on a horse, a strongman and a hoop jumping dog that require special foods. The final poem features a summer circus feast prepared by the chef and the human cannonball who grew tired of being shot out of the cannon, and became the chef’s pastry assistant instead.

 

FEEDING THE FLYING FANELLIS_pp6-7 illus. © 2015 Cosei Kawa
Interior artwork from Feeding the Flying Fanellis by Kate Hosford with illustrations by Cosei Kawa, Carolrhoda Books © 2015 Cosei Kawa

The illustrations are utterly charming, full of life and movement. You will sense the tension of tightrope walker, feel the pain of being shot from a cannon and the joy of swinging through the air with the trapeze artists.

Although writing and illustrating is always painstaking work, this must have been a fun project to work on and will be an equally fun book to read.

Click here for a helpful curriculum guide.

  • Ann Whitford Paul

Ann Whitford PaulWritingPictureBookscvrAnn Whitford Paul is the author of picture books (fiction and non-fiction, rhymed and prose), early readers and a collection of poetry. Her book for adults is WRITING PICTURE BOOKS, a Hands-on Guide from Story Creation to Publication. Check out her recent publications ‘TWAS THE LATE NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS and the board book IF ANIMALS KISSED GOOD NIGHT and visit her website at www.annwhitfordpaul.net

 

 

 

 

Shop Indie Bookstores


Good Reads With Ronna is proud to be an IndieBookstores Affiliate. Doing so provides a means for sites like ours to occasionally earn modest fees that help pay for our time, mailing expenses, giveaway costs and other blog related expenses. If you click on an IndieBound link in a post and buy anything, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your purchase supports our efforts and tells us you like the service we’re providing with our reviews, and for that we sincerely thank you.

Share this:

An Interview with Ann Whitford Paul, Author of ‘Twas the Late Night of Christmas

Ronna Mandel interviews local L.A. author Ann Whitford Paul who’s written a new book, ‘Twas the Late Night of Christmas with illustrations by Nancy Hayashi.

NOTE: Consider making your purchase before the holiday season and house guests roll in. It’s an ideal present for the moms in your life who need to know there is light at the end of the hectic, sometimes dim Yuletide tunnel. With tongue-in-cheek (and all her holiday shopping already completed), Paul manages to entertain readers in need of a laugh and a nudge from one who’s been there whispering wisely, “Let it go!” Check the GRWR Facebook and Twitter pages for dates of Paul’s appearances at bookstores around town.

Q&A with Ann Whitford Paul

'Twas the Late Night of Christmas cover art
‘Twas the Late Night of Christmas by Ann Whitford Paul with illustrations by Nancy Hayashi, 2013.

Good Reads With Ronna:
Santa’s gone. The kids are complaining. Mom and dad have reached capacity. ‘Twas the Late Night of Christmas, your new gift book and a parody of Moore’s famous 19th century poem, shares the exhaustion of post-holiday-partum. The house is a wreck and who’s left to clean up? The parents. Or in this case the mom. Who or what inspired you to pen this tongue-in-cheek tale?

Ann Whitford Paul:
I’ve always loved the magic of Christmas and gone all-out, filling my house with handmade decorations—Christmas quilts and throws, pillows and pictures, wall hangings and toys.  Right after Christmas I begin making new decorations for the following year.  As you can imagine, the number of decorations has gotten out of hand and the more I make, the more exhausted I’ve become.  This book came out of a combination of my love for the holiday of giving and thinking of others and at the same time my weariness from all the work involved.  I dream Mrs. Saint Nick might come and help me with the resulting chaos of the holiday.

Share this:
Back To Top
%d bloggers like this: