Sophie Blackall

Middle Grade Fiction – The Beatryce Prophecy

 

THE BEATRYCE PROPHECY

Written by Kate DiCamillo

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

(Candlewick Press; $19.99, Ages 8-12)

 

 

The Beatryce Prophecy cover

 

 

★Starred Reviews – Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly

 

NOTE #1: I meant to write about The Beatryce Prophecy almost a year ago when I first read it. However,  being in dire need of a feel-good story, I just reread it so I’m happy to finally share my review of this fairy tale. NOTE #2: You definitely do not need to be between the ages of 8-12 to enjoy every last word of this wonderful novel. Written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, The Beatryce Prophecy is full of promise and a resounding message of love we could all use.

The book begins with:

It is written in the Chronicles of Sorrowing
that one day there will come a child who will unseat a king.
The prophecy states that this child will be a girl.

Because of this,
the prophecy has long been ignored.

 

The kingdom, readers learn in text running parallel to the main narrative, is at stake due to the disappearance of a young girl according to the “Prophecies,” so the hunt is on. At the same time a child, no more than 10 years old, burning with fever and clinging to the ear of an ordinarily unruly goat, is discovered in the barn. The rescuer is Brother Edik, a thoughtful monk who belongs to the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. He is the monastery illuminator of the “glorious golden letters” that begin the text of each page of the Chronicles. Brother Edik also looks after the goat, Answelica.

 

The Beatryce Prophecy int.1
THE BEATRYCE PROPHECY. Text copyright © 2021 by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrations copyright © 2021 by Sophie Blackall. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

 

Brother Edik, aided by the unusually attentive Answelica, cares for the girl who, when recovered, remembers only that her name is Beatryce. This name also happens to be one that appears frequently in the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Most notable however is that Beatryce can read and write, something forbidden by law for girls in the kingdom. Could this rare ability be a clue to Beatryce’s identity?

It doesn’t take long for the monk to feel a strong bond with Beatryce, but his superior, Father Caddis says she must leave to find her people. As Beatryce is gaining her strength, she encounters Jack Dory. This industrious 12-year-old orphan possesses an excellent memory and gift for mimicry which comes in handy. He’s been dispatched to the monastery by a dying soldier to find a monk to write his confession. But since Father Caddis wants Beatryce gone to keep the Order out of the king’s crosshair, he sends Beatryce instead of Brother Edik.

 

 

The Beatryce Prophecy in tree int.2
THE BEATRYCE PROPHECY. Text copyright © 2021 by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrations copyright © 2021 by Sophie Blackall. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

 

The pair (with Answelica of course) set out for the village inn where Beatryce, dressed as a monk with shaved hair and pretending to be mute, begins the task committed to. But when the king’s men begin to search, Jack tells his friend they must leave or risk capture.

 

The Beatryce Prophecy dark woods int.3
THE BEATRYCE PROPHECY. Text copyright © 2021 by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrations copyright © 2021 by Sophie Blackall. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

 

 

In the dark woods during their escape, Jack and Beatryce encounter a mysterious but benevolent bearded old man who helps them evade the soldiers and other threats. He then accompanies the children on a journey so Beatryce, who now remembers who she is, can confront the king. As the parallel text unfolds, readers learn the awful truth about what transpired to cause Beatryce to wind up at the monastery haunted by bad dreams and incomplete memories. Tension, which has been building ever since the close call at the inn, continues to grow as the group converges to enter the castle.

Between the gripping and creative DiCamillo storytelling and the detailed, evocative Blackall art, there is so much to enjoy about The Beatryce Prophecy. I rank this novel up there with DiCamillo’s finest novels and my great mood was on par with how I felt after finishing Flora & Ulysses. Not only is the story one of love, friendship, and fate, but it’s also an homage to the written word, the power of books, and how the truth can set you free. There’s a meaningful unexpected twist at the end, too. I always worry about endings after a page-turning book has taken me along on a journey with characters I care about. And while in a fantastical story such as this, anything goes, anyone reading the novel will be more than satisfied with how DiCamillo wraps it up and offers it like one huge hug. I’m curious if you find yourself humming the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love,” like I did?

  • Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

 

For all downloads for this book including a sample chapter and teachers’ guide, click here.

 

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Three Kids’ Picture Books About Hope

A ROUNDUP OF THREE KIDS’ PICTURE BOOKS

ABOUT HOPE

 

Here’s a fantastic selection of picture books about hope providing a great way to lift spirits at home while spending meaningful time with your children.

 

IfYouCometoEarth cvrIF YOU COME TO EARTH
Written and illustrated by Sophie Blackall 
(Chronicle Books; $18.99, Ages 5-8)

★Starred Reviews – Booklist, Horn Book, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal

As a big Ivy and Bean fan, I’ve enjoyed two-time Caldecott winner Sophie Blackall’s art for years. Her author-illustrator 2018 picture book, Hello, Lighthouse, was a top book. Now, If You Come to Earth, follows with its amazing accomplishment of summing up, well, everything. This 80-page book is big in size and in heart. Addressed as a letter to “Dear Visitor from Outer Space,” the story includes factual matter such where our planet’s located (and that “the blue stuff is water”) to how “We live in all kinds of homes. / In all kinds of families.” The narrator Quinn’s voice is that of a helpful, insightful child who provides personal details about how “every body is different,” except for their identical-twins friends—yet even then the narrator notes one has a mole. The wide world comes together as a unit as Quinn explains and welcomes an unknown visitor.
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This comprehensive yet personal explanation describes our world exceptionally well. In the back matter, Blackall reveals twenty-three kids gave her lots of ideas, and how she didn’t expect this book to take five years. To me, five years to create this sounds reasonable with its all-encompassing subject matter and massive number of illustrations. Blackall’s talents range the gamut, from her expertise in capturing facial expressions to lifelike renditions of plants and animals. If You Come to Earth belongs in classrooms, houses, and spaceships everywhere.

 

TheWorldNeedsMorePurplePeople cvrTHE WORLD NEEDS MORE PURPLE PEOPLE
Written by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart
Illustrated by Daniel Wiseman
(Random House BYR; $17.99, Ages 3-7)

#1 New York Times bestseller! 

Coming out during the heated election year, The World Needs More Purple People, feels well-timed. Beyond stating, “purple is a magic color made when red and blue work together,” Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart’s New York Times best-selling picture book avoids politics by simply stating, “the best things are purple.” As someone fond of the color (and the sentiment), I agree.

The story’s serious recommendations (ask questions, give good ideas, and help someone) are balanced with fun (“We laugh at donkey dances and hairy elephant knees”). Daniel Wiseman’s engaging, kid-friendly art accents the humorous text. My favorite lines: “Purple questions are the kind that help you learn something really BIG about the world or something really small about another person” and “Purple people come in every color you can dream up and every size you can think up.” This book engages young reader with important issues by encouraging curiosity and silliness.

 

ThereIsaRainbow coverTHERE IS A RAINBOW
Written by Theresa Trinder
Illustrated by Grant Snider
(Chronicle Books; $15.99, Ages 3-5)

★Starred Reviews – Booklist, School Library Journal

There Is a Rainbow by Theresa Trinder is a feel-good picture book filled with hope and reminders that we’re in this together. Inspired by the rainbows her children drew during while sheltering in place for the pandemic, the book expresses our universal experiences such as having to stay separated from family or friends, and attending online school.

Illustrations by Grant Snider perfectly fit the spare, lyrical text. A rainbow of colors glows against a white backdrop. Echoing a child’s style of drawing, Snider elevates that sentiment with details capturing this time in our lives.

Beyond the pandemic, this beautiful picture book “encourages readers to look past their immediate surroundings and find comfort, community, and inner courage—which are all closer than we might think.” And if that’s not enough, peek under the book jacket for a fun, different cover art!

Click here to read a recent picture book about hope reviewed by Christine.

Click here to read a review of another picture book about hope.

 

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Ivy and Bean are Back in One Big Happy Family (book 11)

IVY + BEAN:
ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY (BOOK 11)
Written by Annie Barrows
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
(Chronicle Books; $14.99, Ages 6-9)

 

cover illustration fron Ivy and Bean One Big Happy Family

The wait is over because Ivy and Bean are back! In Ivy + Bean: One Big Happy Family (the eleventh book of the critically acclaimed series), second-grade teacher Ms. Aruba-Tate has the class draw the Important People in their lives. This leads Ivy to wonder whether she’s spoiled because she’s an only child. After the BFFs try various things to test whether this is true, Ivy realizes the “cure” is to get a sister!

 

int artwork and text from Ivy and Bean One Big Happy Family
Interior spread from Ivy and Bean: One Big Happy Family (Book 11) written by Annie Barrows and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, Chronicle Books ©2018.

 

As usual, misdirection and mayhem unfold as the girls conjure up creative ways to obtain a sibling. They discover baby sisters are almost as bad as big sisters, leaving only one solution: twins. Although One Big Happy Family tackles a somewhat common premise, the story line goes to unexpected places. Other books involve siblings issues, but Annie Barrows finds new ground in which to grow this story. She continues the series with the humor we expect from adorable troublemakers, Ivy and Bean. Fans and new readers alike will enjoy spending some time with these girls as they traverse their Pancake Court neighborhood, taking life by storm.

Sophie Blackall’s illustrations on each two-page spread convey hilarious facial expressions and silly predicaments. Images and text interweave, boosting these chapter books to something better than each half alone. Carefully placed details add depth beyond the humor. The girls tackle real-life issues but do so in a way only Ivy and Bean can. Their escapades, while outrageous at moments, also work out issues in kid-relatable ways, demonstrating why this series continues to be a hit at home and in the classroom.

  • Reviewed by Christine Van Zandt

Writer, editor, and owner of Write for Success www.Write-for-Success.com

@WFSediting, Christine@Write-for-Success.com

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A FINE DESSERT: Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat by Emily Jenkins

One of BuzzFeed’s 25 Ridiculously Wonderful Books to Read with Kids in 2015

Starred Reviews – Kirkus, School Library Journal, & Booklist

A FINE DESSERT:
Four Centuries, Four Families, One Delicious Treat
by Emily Jenkins, illustrations by Sophie Blackall
(Schwartz & Wade Books, $17.99, Ages 4 and up)

Read Cathy Ballou Mealey’s rave review then enter our giveaway to win a copy! 

A-Fine-Dessert-cvr.jpg
Jenkins and Blackall combine Literature, History and Home Economics into one most scrumptious and delightful course in their stellar new title A FINE DESSERT. Following one sweet treat – blackberry fool – through four families, four cities, and four centuries, the book succeeds in creating an authentic and engaging portrayal of food history perfect for children and adults alike.

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Interior spread from A Fine Dessert by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, Schwartz & Wade ©2015.

Readers will follow the creation of blackberry fool from the first scene – a field in Lyme, England in 1710, where a mother and daughter are shown picking blackberries. Smoke curls from the cottage chimney, and berry juice stains their white aprons. They return home where the mother milks the cow, skims the cream, and whips it for fifteen minutes with a wooden twig whisk. Combined with the squashed and strained berries, the mixture is iced outdoors in a hillside pit. Finally it is served for dessert by candlelight in front of a roaring fire.

The tale next leads us to a plantation in Charleston, South Carolina in 1810 where once again the dessert will be prepared. Readers will immediately notice changes not only to the characters and the setting, but also to the methods, preparation, family, and society where the dessert is served. More changes are revealed in the third preparation, set in Boston, Massachusetts in 1910 and finally in a modern portrayal in San Diego, California in 2010. Each segment is tied together by various text details and artistic elements, and especially focuses on the gusto with which the delicious treat is enjoyed. The child always gets to lick the bowl clean!

A-Fine-Dessert-2829spread.jpg
Interior spread from A Fine Dessert by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, Schwartz & Wade ©2015.

This book is a must-have for classrooms because of the infinite and engaging connections to Common Core teaching. It is also a wonderful book for families to bring right into the kitchen to prepare the blackberry fool recipe provided at the back. There is also an extensive note from the author about exploring history, research, and food preparation methods as a way to encourage conversations about work and social roles. The illustrator’s note is equally charming, and discusses the materials she used to create the unique purple endpapers.

Jenkins and Blackall have choreographed a delightful rhythm and repetition connecting the words and images throughout this book. There are endless marvelous discoveries on page after page that encourage readers to flip between the tales, uncovering similarities and differences that will challenges them to think and question. Have a second or third helping of A FINE DESSERT – you will be glad you did!

– Reviewed by Cathy Ballou Mealey 

Where Obtained:  I reviewed a promotional copy of A FINE DESSERT from the publisher and received no compensation. The opinions expressed here are my own.

WIN A COPY!
Leave a comment below about your favorite dessert then follow us on Facebook for a chance to win a copy of this scrumptious picture book. No entries after 11:59p.m. PST on February 18, 2015. One lucky winner will be randomly selected on Thursday Feb. 19, 2015. If you do not leave a comment and follow GRWR on  Facebook you will forfeit your chance to win. If you are not on Facebook, following on Twitter will qualify instead.

 

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Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire! by Polly Horvath

Hopping Good Fun! Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire! by Mrs. Bunny (Schwartz & Wade, trade paperback, $8.99, Ages 8-12), Translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath, illustrated by Sophie Blackall and reviewed by Hilary Taber.

Madeline has had a very rough time lately. Her hippie parents have been kidnapped! The only lead Madeline has is a note left on the refrigerator written in code. She’s also been the witness of a most amazing thing. She thinks she saw a car full of foxes, with a fox for a driver, leaving her small hometown around the time that her parents went missing. With only these leads to go on, Madeline meets Mr. and Mrs. Bunny who are just as astonished as Madeline to learn that she can understand Rabbit. Madeline, amazingly enough, understands every word Mr. and Mrs. Bunny say!

Bunny-Detectives-cover.jpg
Mr. and Mrs. Bunny – Detectives Extraordinaire! By Mrs. Bunny. Translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath with illustrations by Sophie Blackall, Schwartz & Wade.

The story takes many amusing detours, and Madeline learns something wonderful about her parents. For all their annoying candle making, jewelry making, and general hippie ways, she loves them dearly. Madeline misses her parents so much that she is willing to trust two sometimes muddled, always adorable (and even occasionally correct) fedora-wearing rabbits in order to get them back.

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny have their own story, of course, as to why they are interested in solving crimes. One day Mrs. Bunny said to Mr. Bunny, “I think we should be detectives!” Mr. Bunny, she firmly believes, should give up his job, they should immediately go buy fedoras, and therefore be detectives. Mr. Bunny does bring up a sore point though, which is that they have no license to prove that they are, in fact, detectives. To that bit of logic Mrs. Bunny replies, “I think fedoras are enough. Anyone who sees a bunny in a fedora will not feel the need to see a license.”

At this point in the story I was more than amused. I was laughing and reading parts of it aloud to my family. Although it is extremely funny, this book delves down deeper. It seeks to answer the eternal question, “Why do I put up with my crazy family? Why do I love them so much that I would do anything for them?” while adding detective bunnies on the side. You just can’t ask much more than that from a book. There is a sequel out now titled Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-Almost Royalty, which I am looking forward to reading very much! Well done, Polly Horvath!

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Lord and Lady Bunny – Almost Royalty! By Mr. & Mrs. Bunny. Translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath, Schwartz & Wade, 2014.

This book would unquestionably make an adorable gift to fans of Mr. Roald Dahl’s or even Mr. Lemony Snicket’s books. Horvath is just as clever, but infinitely sweeter. Additionally, her characters are just as much fun. Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-Detectives Extraordinaire! won a Parent’s Choice Gold Award, and got starred reviews from The Horn Book Review, Booklist, and Publisher’s Weekly. As if that were not enough, there is a bonus to these books because Mrs. Bunny has her very own blog! It’s not a mystery why your children should be reading these books now, is it? No, it’s more a mystery why we aren’t all reading these books because they are so much fun! Case closed!

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The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield by John Bemelmans Marciano

Always looking on the dark side of life? Reviewer MaryAnne Locher says you’ll find that with The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield.

Cover art for The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield by John Bemelmans Marciano with illustrations by Sophie Blackall
The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield by John Bemelmans Marciano with illustrations by Sophie Blackall, Viking, 2013.

If you’re looking for a book with a happy ending, one where the protagonist learns a lesson or has personal growth, this may not be the book for you. However, if you like to read about things on the darker side of life, The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield might be the perfect book for you.

This is the story of the last in a long line of miserable bullying Baddenfields, as well as the only remaining servant in the kind and caring lineage of Winterbottoms.

We’ve all heard the rumor that says cats have nine lives, right? Who would ever think to test that theory? One very horrible rotten boy, that’s who. To make things worse, Alexander uses his own cat Shaddenfrood in his experiment. With the help of a mad scientist, Dr. Krastenenif, Alexander has the nine lives of his cat transplanted into his own body!

It would seem that nine lives would be sufficient to last well, nine lifetimes, and for any normal person they would. Not so for Alexander. Not even under the guidance of his faithful servant, Winterbottom. The boy was so reckless, so disobedient, and so foolish as to think himself invincible, that he used up his nine lives in less time than you or I would use just one.

Written by author John Bemelmans Marciano, The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield (Viking, $16.99; eBook, $10.99, ages 10 and up) will delight readers who love Lemony Snicket or who have an appreciation for grim humor. The black and white pictures by illustrator Sophie Blackall, scattered throughout the 135 page book, complement the contrast between darkness and light, evil and good, and Baddenfields and Winterbottoms.

This book comes with a warning to all readers about one-third of the way through, marked by a skull and crossbones. It reads: “You are about to embark on a tale that recounts the sometimes gruesome deaths of a young boy, and his not always pleasant rebirths.” It says more than that, something about “enjoying the story so far” and “being made of sterner stuff,” but I think you get the idea. In my opinion, this book is bad to the bone, and I mean that in the best way possible.

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