Battle of the Books Review and Craft Chat with Melanie Ellsworth by Kathy Halsey

Book Review: Battle of the Books

As a former school librarian, my idea of a “Battle of the Books” was a book-based quiz  competition with student teams. (think spelling bee only cooler.) Imagine my surprise to learn BATTLE OF THE BOOKS is also a delightful picture book with anthropomorphized books who aspire to be the coveted bedtime story. 

This clever tale by Melanie Ellsworth, illustrated by James Rey Sanchez, introduces the idea of book genres: poetry, joke, pirate, humor, pop-up, dinosaur in a magical way. Illustrator Sanchez gives them distinct personalities and author Ellsworth adds extra punch with definitive dialogue for each book character/type. As the books fight to be read, the pushy pirate book is forced to walk the plank. But, below lurks a shark under the bed. The books rally to help Pirate in their own unique ways, only to find that no one can beat Grammie with her beloved childhood favorite. Who will win the day? A satisfying ending makes every book the winner.

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS (little bee books) launched yesterday for children ages 4-8, but parents, librarians, and teachers will enjoy sharing this book that celebrates teamwork and the love of reading. 

Craft Chat with Melanie

Kathy: The book characters are such fun. How did you come up with the personalities and make them distinctive? Did any characters you brainstormed in earlier drafts get cut? Why?

 

Melanie: Thank you, Kathy! I had lots of fun thinking about popular picture book genres and character types that kids see so often - dinosaurs, pirates, poetry, fantasy/fairy tale, humor, and space - and then imagining those books coming alive and embodying those characteristics. Dinosaur Book has great bravado, but its feelings are easily hurt by the overly confident Pirate Book (who secretly has a sensitive side); Space Book is over-the-top enthusiastic; Pop-up Book is a bit snooty about its design awards; and Poem Book wants to help everyone understand their feelings and come together as a community. Much of the book is dialogue, so I was able to use fun pirate expressions and space terminology to distinguish those characters, and Poem book only speaks in rhyme (a suggestion from editor Courtney Fahy). The editorial and art teams chose to use different fonts that match the characters’ personalities, which also helps set them apart.

 

Some characters evolved into others in the writing process; Dragon Book became Dinosaur Book, and Castle Book turned into Pirate Book, which made the dialogue funnier and the character more appealing to illustrate. (I love how James gave Pirate Book an eyepatch!) Comic Book became Joke Book after the illustration process started, in part because James chose to illustrate it with a microphone, like a stand-up comic.

 

Other characters, like Old Book and New Book, were completely cut from the book early in my drafting process. Originally, BATTLE OF THE BOOKS had more of a Velveteen Rabbit feel, with an older, tattered book pushed to the back of the shelf and ignored by the other books as they battled over who would be chosen for story time. And while I liked the ending of the child needing comfort and turning to Old Book, the character of Old Book didn’t have a lot of agency, New Book wasn’t super likeable, and the story wanted to be sillier rather than somber, so out they (and that ending) went! (Don’t tell anyone, but I miss them a tiny bit.) My very first draft also had Number Book and Snowy Owl Book that didn’t make the final cut. I had completely forgotten about them until you asked this question – and now you’ve given me an idea for another book…

Kathy: Love that explanation of how the characters “auditioned” to be kept in the story! You have so many hooks in this clever story: bedtime, intergenerational, book genres, love of reading. In creating BATTLE OF THE BOOKS did you specifically think about hooks or did that happen organically or with the help of your critique group or agent?

 

Melanie: The concept of BATTLE OF THE BOOKS came from watching my young daughter pick books at bedtime; she had her favorites, but sometimes she surprised me with her choices, or I’d try to sneak in a genre she wouldn’t normally read (such a mom move). Then I wondered how that whole process would feel from the books’ perspective – all wanting to be the ones chosen by the child. So I think many of the hooks were there from the beginning – bedtime, story time, love of reading, choosing books, book genres, and the feeling kids can relate to of wanting to be picked first for something. Themes of friendship, forgiveness, and cooperation evolved as I wrote the story. The intergenerational hook came a little later in the writing process when I switched out the mom for the grandmother. I wanted the grandmother to bring her own favorite childhood bedtime story to share with her grandson because that amped up the tension/conflict for the books on the shelf who are all hoping to be picked! Grammie’s book took the role that New Book had played in my earlier drafts. I’m grateful to my critique groups and agent because they are always helpful in identifying more hooks and amplifying existing ones.

Kathy: This is your third picture book. How has your writing process changed over time with each book?

 

Melanie: In connection with your previous question, now that I’ve written and published a few books, I tend to get more excited about ideas that have multiple hooks. If I can’t see how an idea might have several layers, I’m not as likely to write a first draft anymore. I have a lot of ideas and not enough time to write them all, so I like to focus on those ideas which get my heart racing a little, and those ideas usually have multiple layers. I also gravitate towards ideas with word play potential.

 

Kathy: I noticed from your website that you won a 2017 Writing with The Stars mentorship with author Beth Ferry. How can writers take advantage of these mentorships? In what ways did working with Beth affect your work?

 

Melanie: That mentorship was a turning point for me in my writing career, so I absolutely encourage writers to seek mentorships like “Writing with the Stars” and enter competitions. There are many good opportunities, and I’ve known writer friends who’ve entered Susanna Leonard Hill’s “Valentiny” and “Halloweensie” writing contests and Vivian Kirkfield’s #50 Precious Words contest. Kate Messner also has a free “Teachers Write” on-line summer writing camp for teachers and librarians – not a contest, but an excellent learning opportunity. Look for the opportunities that excite you and join in! One of the biggest benefits of these contests is the connections you make with others in the writing community, so you can support each other on your journeys. I’m still connected with other winners from that 2017 Writing with the Stars contest, and it’s fun to see each of their new book announcements.

 

My mentorship with Beth Ferry was especially helpful because it gave me confidence that I was on the right track with my work. It often feels like you’re writing and submitting into a big void, so helpful feedback and support at the right time is a huge boost for a creator. My mentorship with Beth was for three months, so we had time to discuss and revise several of my manuscripts. BATTLE OF THE BOOKS was one of the books we worked on revising together, and I’m thrilled it’s finally coming out. I wrote my other two published picture books CLARINET AND TRUMPET and HIP, HIP…BERET! shortly after the mentorship ended. Beth Ferry is such a master of writing funny, punny, heartwarming friendship stories, and working with her inspired me to write the friendship story that became CLARINET AND TRUMPET.  

 

Some of Beth’s most helpful advice was to make sure your story isn’t just funny but also has heart. She asks herself, “Why do I care?” as she’s writing each story. Beth also helped in very specific ways with BATTLE OF THE BOOKS. I had originally written the whole book in rhyme, and it had more of a gentle bedtime feel, but Beth encouraged me to try it in prose because in places the rhyme felt forced. The prose version gave me the freedom to play more with the characters and their voices, and the final result was funnier but still has heart (I hope!). Thank goodness for the kindness of the children’s lit community – Beth and many others have given so many hours of their time to emerging writers, and it’s just the kind of encouragement we all need to keep going!

 

Kathy: What do you enjoy most about being a children’s writer?

 

Melanie: I think it’s the permission the job gives me to think more like a child. I can be silly, think outside the box, see the potential for ideas everywhere, and be curious about everything. There’s a certain freedom in the ability to create within that mindset.

 

Kathy: Great answer! I like to keep in touch with my inner kid! What are you working on now?

Melanie: I have a few picture books I’m revising, several on submission with my agent, and a few new ones I’m working on now. Promotion, especially with a new book coming out, is always part of the writing process, too. (Many thanks to you and all the bloggers who help authors and illustrators promote our books!) Marketing is a different kind of writing, but worthwhile, and sometimes it feels good to exercise different writing muscles. I recently wrote an early graphic reader, and it was fun to try something new.

More About Melanie

Melanie Ellsworth writes in an old barn in Maine, surrounded by books. Her picture book titles include Hip, Hip…Beret!, Clarinet and Trumpet, and Battle of the Books. As a former ESOL teacher and literacy specialist with a Masters in Language and Literacy, Melanie loves creating books that make kids laugh while they learn! Visit Melanie at MelanieEllsworth.com, on Twitter @melanieells, or on Instagram @melaniebellsworth.

Pedro's Pan ~ a chat with illustrator Jacob Souva

by Sue Heavenrich

Pedro’s Pan
by Matthew Lasley; illus. by Jacob Souva
32 pages; ages 5 - 7
Alaska Northwest Books, 2019

A few years ago my dad and mom began panning for gold. They never found the motherlode, but they had a lot of fun exploring new places and meeting fellow enthusiasts. So I was excited to discover Matthew Lasley's new picture book about panning for gold.

From the point of view of the pan! Here’s how it begins:

He is Pedro. I am Pan.
Up here, on Pedro’s pack!
I’m not a Frying Pan.
I am a Gold Pan. You can call me Pan for short.

character sketch, used by permission of Jacob Souva

Yep! I fell in love with this small, round character at first read. Pan is a hard worker, swishing and swirling gravel from icy cold streams. But finding gold is tough, and Pedro is growing sad because he can’t find any. And Pan wonders if he is broken.

I like a lot of things about this book, beginning with the end pages (red plaid like a wool shirt). The language is fun. Having Pan tell the story is brilliant. And there is Back Matter: information about the real Pedro, tips on panning for gold, and some solid gold facts.

I really like the illustrations – and was so fortunate to run into illustrator Jacob Souva at our region's SCBWI Spring Conference last month!  He agreed to share his thoughts about Pedro’s Pan with us today.

Jacob: Thank you. It was lovely meeting you at SCWBI!

GROG:  How did you come to illustrate Pedro's Pan? Have you ever been to Alaska? Panned for gold?

Jacob: My agent let me know of a possible book with Graphic Arts (recently rebranded as West Margin Press; Alaska Northwest Books is an imprint ). She said it was about the Alaskan gold rush. I admit that I knew a little bit about it - but not enough! I set out gathering info and images to help me understand what that period in Alaskan history was like. I love history so it was not a tough sell.

GROG: Talk about the medium that you used for illustrating, and why you chose it for this book.

Jacob: I work digitally and modify my style a little based on what the story needs. It tends to look like collaged paper with a healthy amount of stray pencil marks and rough painting. I think in big shapes.

Pedro’s Pan was a book that seemed to contrast the excitement and beauty of Alaska and gold with the hard work and many disappointments of gold panning. I picked a color palette that would allow for this juxtaposition. For example, Pedro and Pan are both mostly earth tones (dirty) while the sky and mountains and streams are all bright and full of hope

GROG: In an instagram post you said, “I was truly sad to wrap up the final illustrations as I loved living in this world.”

Jacob: Yes, I think that books require a consistency where it’s a believable world to the reader. It’s not hard to get lost in that as the illustrator! The illustration process can be a kind of immersion in the story that is pretty deep. Not quite like the Alaskan wilderness, but maybe close?

GROG: Can you share some spreads and talk about your process?

sketch for spread 2, used with permission of Jacob Souva

Jacob: My process is not that unlike a lot of illustrators. I start with research, then sketches of the main characters. I took some time to study the colors I wanted to work with. I really felt like Pedro and Pan needed to look great together - a real team - so I spent a lot of time on their shapes.

Thumbnailing the book was my favorite step. It was a true challenge in that prospecting and gold panning requires a lot of time in and around streams, but I didn’t want to get repetitive. I think I solved it!

final artwork for spread 2, used with permission of Jacob Souva

GROG:  You mention that the night scene was the spread you were most nervous about.

Jacob: In every page before that final spread it wasis clearly daytime and was a much lighter palette. I was nervous about making it look like it fit, while also clearly showing a kind of “long day, well spent” vibe to the environment. Campfires tend to be just that! But it was tricky.

GROG: How often did you talk to Matt?

Jacob: I didn’t communicate with Matt until the artwork was handed in. I did a lot of googling about gold panning and the Alaska wilderness. I’m surprised I’m not seeing ads for trips to Alaska!

GROG: Got a project in the works that you can talk about?

Jacob: I have two more books with West Margin Press currently in process. They are a little lighter and funnier! I also am working on a beautiful book about a boy with a big heart and another about how beautifully gross butterflies can be. It’s all been a lot of fun and a dream come true.

Thank you for dropping by for a chat, Jacob. Good luck with your books!

Check out the trailer for Pedro's Pan here. You can find more of Jacob's work at his website. Here's a fun video filled with tips and techniques on how to pan for gold, and here's a list of places where you can still pan for gold - and maybe find some!

A SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY STORY with Amy Losak -- H IS FOR HAIKU

Amy talks about her late mother, haiku and the gift of sharing her mom's poetry with young readers . . .

By Eileen Meyer

Mother’s Day is just around the corner -- that special day where we celebrate and honor mothers, grandmothers, aunts, mentors and other special women who have meant so much to us.

I have a special story to share with you:

One about a daughter honoring her mother’s life and her beautiful poetry.

It’s a LOVE story.

A mother-daughter story.

A children’s publishing story.

(Photo: Sydell Rosenberg

 with daughter, Amy)

Welcome to one of my TAKE FIVE interviews. I hope that you’ll take five minutes to get to know Amy Losak and learn about the new children’s picture book, H IS FOR HAIKU, by her late mother, Sydell (“Syd”) Rosenberg.

Syd was a public school teacher in New York City and also a charter member of the Haiku Society of America when it was formed fifty years ago. The story of this book and Amy’s efforts to share it with readers is a powerful story of love and family -- and so appropriate as we prepare to honor the women in our lives on this special holiday.

Eileen:  Since Mother’s Day is this weekend, May 13^th, I wanted to interview you for our blog readers. You have a beautiful story about your role in bringing your mother’s work to publishers for the newly released picture book, H IS FOR HAIKU. Will you share that with our readers?

Amy: Thanks, Eileen. It’s such a pleasure to be here! As you kindly noted, my mother Sydell Rosenberg was a teacher in New York City schools. She also taught adult ESL. Mom also was a writer her entire life: poetry, short stories, literary and word puzzles, and more. The “more” includes, among other things, a racy novel she published as a young woman – I think almost straight out of Brooklyn College in the early 1950s. She worked as a copy editor for a small publishing company. This potboiler was published under a male pseudonym, Gale Sydney (a reversal of her maiden name initials, Sydell Gasnick.) It was titled “Strange Circle.” Interestingly, copies are still available online!

Syd was a product of New York but she had a love for nature and an intense curiosity about big and small things around her. At some point in the 1960s, Syd became captivated by the poetic form, haiku. She spent years learning about haiku and related forms. She even studied Japanese, I vaguely remember, perhaps to try and read the original masters. She was a charter member of the Haiku Society of America (HSA) in 1968 and attended the founding meeting. She also served as HSA secretary in 1975 and on their Merit Book Awards committees. Some of her poetry won awards and honorable mentions.

Decades ago, Syd wanted to publish a children’s poetry book –a haiku alphabet book. She submitted her manuscript to publishers back in the 1970s and 1980s. (Going through her papers, I unearthed some of the rejection letters she had saved.)

Mom was successful in publishing an assortment of poetry and other works over the course of her decades-long writing career. But when she died suddenly in1996 from an undiagnosed heart condition, she had not fulfilled her dream of publishing a book for children. Her family members resolved to fulfill that dream of hers!

However, it took many years before I was ready to take on this task. The project itself was daunting -- and the more I procrastinated, the more insurmountable this project became for me. But the need to share her poems with young readers was a great incentive. Around 2011, I began slowly to sort through, collect and curate a good selection of her work, especially her haiku and senryu. Among her papers, I found at least one of her old manuscripts.

I endeavored to share some of her short poems with arts, nature and literacy groups that serve children. I contacted a lot of organizations! I’m proud of a rewarding partnership that has been underway for several years with NY’s Arts For All (arts-for-all.org). AFA is an excellent nonprofit arts education organization that provides programming to city schools. I fund the teaching artists’ residencies. In several grades and classes, AFA’s teaching artists have used mom’s visually appealing poems to convey the basics of painting, drawing and collage; music; and theater.

Finally, in April, 2011, I began to submit H IS FOR HAIKU directly to publishers that welcomed non-agented submissions. I received either rejections or silence – not surprising. 


Time passed and I thought about self-publishing this book. Then in 2016, thanks to a poet and teacher, Aubrie Cox Warner, I connected with Penny Candy Books. To my great joy, they LOVED mom’s poetry and acquired the manuscript! It has been a wonderful experience to collaborate with Penny Candy. Finally – many years later, mom’s dream has come true. I have many people to thank in the KidLit and poetry communities (not to mention family, friends, coworkers …) – they kept me going when I felt like giving up.

Eileen:  Your mother’s poetry was inspired by her life in New York City. The haiku selections encourage readers “to slow down, linger, and pay attention to the moments we often overlook.” Can you share a favorite experience about city life and your mom/family?

Amy:  Mom and dad (Sam Rosenberg) did so much. We went to the theater, concerts, museums, botanical gardens, beaches, zoos, city parks – and more. Mom had this hunger to immerse herself in various enriching events and experiences both in New York and beyond, and she tried to impart her sense of adventure to my brother Nathan and me.

During our family jaunts, or as a result of them, she crafted a good number of poetry and stories. Some no doubt stayed in her head; others made it to the page. All these years later, I now appreciate her keen “eye.” Syd had a penchant for engaging with so-called “small moments” and making them matter. I think – hope -- mom would be pleased, but it’s even more important that readers be happy with this selection of her wonderful poems.

Eileen: Which poem in the collection is your favorite and why?

Amy: One of my favorites is “So pale”

This one was published a few times in journals, including a 1968 issue of Haiku West (where it won a “best-of-issue” award.) I love its simplicity and sense of stillness and peace. “It” can be anything readers wish to imagine. In H IS FOR HAIKU, Sawsan Chalabi’s illustration of an affable moon perfectly captures the understated enchantment of this poem.

Eileen:  Speaking of the great illustrations -- Sawsan Chalabi’s work is lovely and playful. What can you share with us?

Amy:  Sawsan’s wonderful artistic style is such a vivid complement to the poems! I asked Sawsan to tell us more about her process. . .

Sawsan Chalabi is a designer and illustrator with an MFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work is mostly digital and conceptual in nature. With H IS FOR HAIKU, she let each poem speak to her as she interpreted each random thought into a visual. Because the individual poems were not connected to one another (other than via the overall alphabet “framework”), this allowed her ample room and freedom for playfulness with the imagery and hand-lettering. To maintain a smooth transition from one page to the next, Sawsan used the same color palette throughout the book. She made sure each spread worked as one harmonious piece, with the visuals of one poem flowing freely into the next, thus allowing the reader to glide through the poet's thoughts with ease.

Eileen: Where can readers and fans find more information about you and your mother’s book on social media?

Amy: H IS FOR HAIKU and Penny Candy’s other titles can be found here:

https://www.pennycandybooks.com/

https://twitter.com/pennycandybooks

https://www.instagram.com/pennycandybooks/

https://www.facebook.com/pennycandybooks

https://pennycandybooks.tumblr.com/

The book is available on Amazon and via other retailers, including independent bookstores.

Sawsan’s vibrant artistry is showcased here:

http://www.schalabi.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sawsanChalabi

https://twitter.com/schalabi1

https://www.instagram.com/schalabi.illustration/

Thank you, Eileen, for this lovely opportunity to chat and to share the story of H IS FOR HAIKU. 

Happy Mother’s Day to you and all of the GROG BLOG readers!

How to Coach Girls (Review by Christy Mihaly)

Heads up! 
Many parents and educators struggle with helping our girls maintain a healthy self-esteem through the difficult adolescent years. Studies find that participation in organized sports is one way to encourage girls to find their own strength. But many girls quit sports.

If you've parented, coached, or watched female athletes, you may have noticed that males and females approach athletics differently. But coaches don't always know how to adjust their approaches to account for these differences.

Mia Wenjen

Now, Mia Wenjen (who blogs about education and multicultural books at "PragmaticMom.com") and Alison Foley (Boston College Women's Soccer Head Coach) have co-written a book, How to Coach Girls. Published this month by Audrey Press, it's a much-needed practical manual for coaches and parents. 

Alison Foley

What inspired the authors to write this book? A statistic: Girls quit organized sports at six times the rate of boys. Given the well-established benefits of participating in organized athletics (such as improved health, social skills, motor coordination, and strong friendships), Wenjen and Foley wanted to educate coaches about how to retain girls on their teams. 

How to Coach Girls is informed by the personal experiences of both authors as well as Foley's coaching background. The two women are friends, brought together by their own soccer-playing daughters. Their book is based on research including interviews with coaches. My own informal survey of coaching parents confirmed -- coaches need this book. According to Vermont author and girls' coach Mark Freeman, many girls have limited options when seeking to play on athletic teams. If they end up on boys' teams, they--and their parents--are often unhappy with the lack of coaching attention the girls receive.

Marekpramuka [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]Wikimedia Commons

What's the best way to keep girls on teams? Mia Wenjen says, "What we learned is that research shows the number one reason why kids play sports is to have fun. But for girls, 'fun' means being valued and respected." Winning, she explains, is less important than just having fun as part of the team.

The book starts by identifying differences in the ways girls and boys approach sports. For example, the authors report that girls are more likely than boys to doubt their abilities and to seek approval, and that girls have a greater need to know where they stand with the coach. Boys tend to be more confident, and more willing to perform for a coach they don't feel connected to, and they are more likely to inflate their own abilities. Coach Mark Freeman observes that when a coach criticizes the team as a whole, "boys externalize criticism and feedback while girls internalize it." By this he means "if you tell the boys that we as a team are getting beat on defense, the boys take the criticism as other players not doing their job or as a failure as a team, whereas many girls take that criticism on themselves." Based on such insights, How to Coach Girls gives readers a series of practical pointers for working effectively with girls.

Jarek Tuszyński[CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Part One of the book, "The Big Picture," explains background concepts such as promoting a growth mindset in players, and developing players who are also good people. The second part offers approaches to specific issues such as building players' self-confidence, handling losing streaks, and avoiding cliques among teammates. The final section gives coaches concrete tools including model codes of conduct for players and parents, checklists for pre-season preparation, and constructive forms for player evaluations.

Brisbane City Council [CC BY 2.0(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]Wikimedia Commons

How to Coach Girls focuses on fostering a love of sport. If girls have fun and make friends on the team, they're more likely to stay. This doesn't mean girls can't be competitive. But the key is making the competition fun. 
Here are some of the book's practical examples: 

• Make it clear that the main goal is fun.
• Recognize girls for their improvement (not only talent) and praise those who show the courage to try and fail.
• Rotate team captain duties to give all team members a chance.
• Be clear about expectations so girls aren't in the dark.
• Avoid letting teams break into cliques by forming new groups at each practice.
• Keep practice drills engaging by creating lively variations, such as those that mix sports: Soccer Baseball!
• Avoid exacerbating girls' body image issues -- don't refer to players by their physical size.
• Develop a good understanding of each player as an individual, and know what level of feedback and encouragement she needs.
• Participate in team projects that involve service to the community.
• Set clear expectations for positive parent participation -- no Crazy Sports Parents screaming at refs and players -- and enforce that parent code of conduct.
• Let them eat cake!

Erica's Edibles, https://ericasedibles.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/soccer-cake/

Eat cake? The authors emphasize that it's not healthy to focus excessively on "healthy eating." When a girl celebrates her birthday, let the team eat cake! As Alison Foley says, it's not so much about the cake, as about "the fuel of happiness." Being celebrated with sweet treats tells team members that they're appreciated. "Celebrating individual milestones (a great test grade, first communion, bat mitzvahs, first goal) are all great reasons to bring in a little sugar. It does volumes for your team spirit!" Foley explains.

How to Coach Girls is a welcome practical guide for adults who wish to help girls succeed in sports -- and in their lives. Some of the recommendations would no doubt go a long way to improving the experiences of many boys in athletics, as well. Thanks go to Wenjen and Foley, two moms who saw the need and wrote the book!

More resources and book information are available at this website.

This review is based on an advance reader copy which I received in exchange for an honest review.  ~CM