Poetry is not to communicate information. It is to give us a sense and a perception of life. It is not to tell us about experience, but to allow us to participate in it fully.

Poetry is the most concentrated form of literature. It tells us, more is not better.

Poetry is active and rhythmic. It draws on resources to deepen our experiences. We use all of our senses to absorb it: intellect, imagination, emotion.

Poetry is alive. Its function is to allow us to live more meaningful, richer lives.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

ONE WOLF HOWLS by Scotti Cohn

• Publication Season/Year: Spring 2009
• Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
• Release Date: March 10, 2009
• ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-934359-92-1
• ISBN (paperback): 978-1-607180-37-1

Spend a year in the world of wolves with Scotti Cohn and her picture book, One Wolf Howls! Written for ages 4-8, this adventurous children’s book uses the months of the year and the numbers1 through 12 to introduce children to the behavior of wolves in natural settings. The lively, realistic illustrations of Susan Detwiler complement the rhyming text and bring each month to life.

One Wolf Howls is aligned to State Science and Math standards, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, National Science Education Standards, and National Geography Standards based on the story text and the “For Creative Minds” educational section. Cross-curricular “Teaching Activities,” English/ Spanish eBooks and audio, child-friendly “Related Websites,” and Comprehension and Math quizzes are also available.

March 23, 2009

In celebration of my first book’s release four days ago, we’ll read Before You Were Here, Mi Amor.  My son loves hearing about all the different things that family members did to prepare for a baby’s birth and reading the book has prompted interesting questions about things our family did in anticipation of my son’s arrival.  In this age of “Go, Diego, Go!” and “Dora the Explorer,” among other television shows incorporating Spanish and English, it’s amazing to realize how much Spanish vocabulary our children have easily absorbed.  As we review the Glossary, my son’s eyes light up, knowing he has impressed me with his growing vocabulary.  A child’s brain is most receptive to language at a young age.

March 24, 2009

Seattle experienced a surprise snowstorm on the 9^th of March.  On that day, we read the 1999 Caldecott Medal winner, Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin with remarkable, hand colored woodcuts by Mary Azarian.  After, we talked about Wilson Bentley and the fact that no two snowflakes are alike.  Today, we’ll read about another snowstorm and an irrepressible dressmaker’s daughter, Brave Irene in author-illustrator William Steig’s wonderful book.  My son always smiles when Irene’s tenacity is rewarded.

March 25, 2009

The middle of the week calls for reliable (please don’t imply dull) favorites. First, the lyrical, rhyming-counting book, Dinner at the Panda Palace by Stephanie Calmenson with hilarious animal guests à la illustrator Nadine Bernard Westcott.  Second, Agent A to Agent Z by author-illustrator Andy Rash because my son loves the hunt through the alphabet of spies, and I, in turn, enjoy a little “Get Smart”-toned humor.

March 26, 2009

We celebrate Women’s History Month in March and in honor thereof, we’ll read a book inspired by true facts:  Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan with graphite and colored pencil illustrations by Brian Selznick.  Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and former aviatrix Amelia Earhart  (the first woman to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic (1932)) take to the sky in this book about two iconic, pioneering women.  An Author’s Note distinguishes fact from fiction and provides fascinating background information.  Rafael López, the illustrator of my second book, The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred (Charlesbridge, Fall 2010), created a brilliantly colorful landscape for Ryan’s Our California and I always enjoy reading her work.  I also like the idea of introducing Brian Selznick’s work now as I’ve saved a hardcover of Selznick’s uniquely illustrated chapter book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret for reading with my son when he’s older.

March 27, 2009

Give me a reason to read the rollicking, zany verse of Theodor Seuss Geisel (a/k/a “Dr. Seuss”) and I’ll gladly take it.  In belated celebration of Dr. Seuss’s 105th birthday, which took place March 2, 2009, we’ll devour some chocolate as we read our perennial favorites: Horton Hatches the Egg, The Sneetches (which imparts an important lesson about prejudice), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

March 28, 2009

Since we’re still layering to keep warm outside, we’ll read “What Will Little Bear Wear” from the collected stories of Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik with charming illustrations by Maurice Sendak.  When my younger sister was a child, she loved having my mother read these stories.  More than thirty years later, “Birthday Soup” and “What Will Little Bear Wear,” among others, continue to delight my son and me.

March 29, 2009

We’re always looking for a laugh to ward off Seattle-gray skies and The Moon Is La Luna: Silly Rhymes in English and Spanish by Jay M. Harris, illustrated by Matthew Cordell does just the trick.  The rhymes – with Spanish words included in the English text rhymes – are entertaining and easy for a beginning Spanish reader.  Cordell’s spare, simple illustrations are the perfect accent.

March 30, 2009

No week would be good for us without a book that has a focus on numbers – my son loves them.  Presently, that means 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental with comical illustrations by Joëlle Jolivet.  365 Penguins delivers information about math and our environment in an amusing and innovative way.  We’ll also enjoy the exotic, miniature paintings in author-illustrator Demi’s One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale about a clever and resourceful village girl.  Last, we’ll read How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.  This book combines math, science, and a lesson in kindness.  Karas’s illustrations depict a diverse class of students.  I discovered McNamara’s book after looking for other Karas-illustrated books, having become a fan of his work in Diane Stanley’s entertaining Saving Sweetness.

March 31, 2009

With a nod to April as National Poetry Month, we’ll read the work of two poets – one English and one American.  First, in belated honor of English poet Mary Howitt’s 210^th birthday (March 12, 1799), we’ll read Caldecott Honor book The Spider and the Fly featuring stunning paintings by Tony DiTerlizzi.  Second, a “realio, trulio” favorite in which two characters “chase[] lions down … stairs” – how appropriate to bid farewell to a lion-like March! – American poet Ogden Nash’s The Tale of Custard the Dragon featuring Belinda, Ink, Blink, Mustard, and Custard.

April 1, 2009

Welcome, April: may you be mild, SUNNY, and warm!

ONCE UPON A TWICE by Denise Doyen

• Pub. Season/Year: Fall 2009
• Publisher: Random House
• Release Date: Aug.25, 2009
• ISBN: 978-0-375-85612-9
• GLB: 978-0-375-95612-6

Once Upon a Twice is a nonsense adventure reminiscent of Jabberwocky. The story of a hero mouse, Jam Boy, and his nemesis, a water snake, will keep kids on the edge of their seats–waiting to see how  Jam’s moonlit antics play out.

Once Upon a Twice is an exciting, dramatic read-aloud for children, 4 – 10.

This picture book is illustrated by renowned artist, Barry Moser, in a series of dark emotive images. Mr. Moser has won major awards for his illustration and letterpress editions of literary classics. His work is included in the collections of New York’s Metropolitan Museum and the National Gallery of Art.

AWARDS & ‘BEST OF’ LISTS: 

E.B. White Read Aloud Honor Book 2010

 Marion Vannett Ridgway Award

 Denise Doyen, author of “Once Upon a Twice”, is the 2010 Honor Recipient. 

The Ridgway Award is given each year to an author or illustrator in recognition of an outstanding debut in the world of children’s picture books.

 KIRKUS REVIEWS:

“Once Upon a Twice” has been selected one of The Best Children’s Books of 2009

A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION, Fall 2009

 “Count on JLG to provide your library with books destined to become beloved and enduring classics.”

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:

 July 15, 2009

“Undeniably arrayed in a gorgeous brocade, woven of fresh, inventive wordplay and masterful illustrations.”

ONCE UPON A TWICE  *Starred Review

A foolish mouse is prone to jamming up the line of fellow night-foragers to smell a rose and wandering off to watch a beetle. After nearly becoming a snake’s dinner, “Jam” lives on to lecture mouslings on the dangers of moonlit meanders. The lushness here is in Doyen’s “Jabberwocky”-inspired verse, delivered chiefly in rhyming four-line stanzas. “ ‘Beware the dangershine of Moon, / Do not disturb the bugs of June!’ / The elder mouncelors whispercroon / A tune that tells Jam what to fear…” The scansion’s near perfect, and deliciously inventive words (riskarascal, jaw-claws, furlickt) invite repeat read-alouds. Moser’s fulsome full-bleed pictures employ a palette of midnight blue, inky charcoal, grayed greens and luminescent ochres. Jagged stalks silhouette ominously against a fat, full moon that picks out detail in a cluster of white roses and the reptilian gleam of a snake’s scales. In a particularly effective spread, pairs of eyes, anonymously aglow, peer at prey from near-pitch darkness. This slight cautionary tale is undeniably arrayed in a gorgeous brocade, woven of fresh, inventive wordplay and masterful illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7)

 August 2009

“Taut with suspense …this wonderful book is a marvelous read-aloud that children will want to hear again and again.”  

ONCE UPON A TWICE  *Starred Review  

K-Gr 3 – Doyen’s utterly sound and alive story is paired with the perfect illustrator, whose deft touch provides all the eeriness that it begs for. The cautionary tale begins with the “eldermice” telling the youngsters who are gathered to play in the night air that the woods and ponds are filled with creatures dangerous to their kind. With gloriously nonsensical words and phrases (e.g., “scritchscrambles”), the author manages to get the point across that there is much to fear in the night. Jam Boy doesn’t listen and instead brags that he is unafraid, and he stays to play alone by the pond. Here the language grows taut with suspense, and Moser’s dark backdrop is punctuated with fireflies. “Half-submerged, a slender queen/Esses ’cross the pond unseen,/Sly serpentine–bound not to miss….” Out of nowhere a snake roils, coils, and lashes. Splash! What has happened to Jam Boy? Children will be sitting on the edge of their seats awaiting some news about their fallen protagonist. Despite the dark feel, there is much to rejoice about in learning of Jam Boy’s fate. Ultimately a story of youthful arrogance–or as Doyen calls it, “furry overconfidence”–versus the elders’ wise experience, this wonderful book is a marvelous read-aloud that children will want to hear again and again. It is too good to save for Halloween.  –Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA  

July 1, 2oo9  

“With just the right balance of scariness and comfort, this handsome book offers a terrific opportunity for a capable narrator to deliver a captivating read-aloud.”  

ONCE UPON A TWICE  Review  

In the tradition of Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky,” this moody picture book presents a harrowing night in a swamp. With danger ever lurking, a group of mice prowl about.  Impetuous Jam refuses to heed his elders’ warnings about the night’s many perils, and sure enough: “…a slender queen / esses ‘cross the pond unseen, / espies the furlickt mouse’s sheer/ sly serpentine….”  Doyen’s agile rhythms and nifty near-nonsense language heighten the sense of being adrift in a threatening world.  The tense climax delivers a cautionary tone, but not to worry: Jam lives to warn a new generation of the dangers awaiting them.  Moser’sluminescent mice lighten the pervading dark hues and deep shadows that drench the pages. Children likely won’t be able to follow the text’s sophistication on their own, but with just the right balance of scariness and comfort, this handsome book offers a terrific opportunity for a capable narrator to deliver a captivating read-aloud.  — Ian Chipman   

 BLOGOSPHERE REVIEWS:  

 Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009 

 This is beautiful writing with well-matched pictures, deserving of repeated, breathless readings. 

ONCE UPON A TWICE  Review  

Once upon a twice,
In the middle of the nice,
The moon was on the rice
And the Mice were scoutaprowl…  

Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky,” featured in the companion to Alice in Wonderland, THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, is considered a masterwork of nonsense verse. Longtime the manxome foe was sought: the student who could match the teacher, and Doyen may have raised the vorpal sword. Using the same structure as “Jabberwocky” (a description of setting, a warning by someone older and wiser, a flouting of good advice, a conflagration, a celebration, and a return to the setting), Doyen takes us into the world of predator and prey. Amidst the titled heads of hungry barn owls and the glow of amphibious eyes, “the world afield is dangerouse./Foraging is–for a mouse–/A nightly knightly duel and joust…” but all the same, a little mouse named Jam ventures an adventure:  

Out in the open, in the clear,
Where any wisenmouse would fear,
Jam licks his paw, he grooms an ear,
And never hears approaching hisssss.  

Half submerged, a slender queen
Esses ‘cross the pond unseen,
Espies the furlickt mouse’s sheen.
Sly serprentine–bound not to miss…  

With no shortage of the kind of suspense that keeps eyes wide, acrobatic acts of portmanteau abound, verse winding and then pivoting on its own lyrical scheme with the hypnotic charm of a witch casting a midnight spell. Against the dark palette, the moon illuminates every page like a flashlight on a secret, nocturnal world; the illustrator’s stylistic mix of realism and fancy is fitting. Though the connections to Carroll’s work are plain, it’s hard not to also be reminded of good ol’ Beatrix Potter’s TALE OF PETER RABBIT in a small creature’s brazen oblivion to warnings, and the comeuppance of a good scare. ONCE UPON A TWICE ends with the suggestion to “be forewarned,” but like the Disney Alice, you can be sure that “I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it” is a more likely mantra for children and other small creatures. They know their own capacity for mischief and adventure…even the likelihood of it, surely…and at the completion of these pages, they can hold it like their own secret in the dark.  

This is beautiful writing with well-matched pictures, deserving of repeated, breathless readings. For the young audience, it will give them a renewed ownership of the validity of their nonsense talk and accidental mixed-up words. I wonder if this will be one of those years where a picture book is considered for the Newbery award? If so, do you think the shiny round sticker will be confused with the moon on the cover? Such problems. (4 and up) — Esme Raji Codell  

http://www.readaloudreview.com/REVIEWS/FrontList.html  

“…when reading it aloud, just follow the author’s exquisite punctuation, which makes her intent clear.”   

Time: 7 minutes
Ages: 3 and up  

Doyen’s outstanding debut children’s book is nearly as challenging to read aloud as its inspiration: Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky. Read this book first to yourself for rhythm and familiarity with the cleverly constructed mergerwords such as “riskarascal,” “preycautious,” “whispercroons,” etc. Then, when reading it aloud, just follow the author’s exquisite punctuation, which makes her intent clear throughout.  

Listeners quickly identify with Jam, an adventurous young mouse, who manages to survive though he defies “eldermice” advice and flaunts mouse safety rules. Younger children may enjoy “discussing” the story through role-playing central characters: Jam, eldermouse, a snake, etc.  

For older children the cautionary tale itself may be overshadowed by their interest in the creative language which transforms the story from ordinary to extraordinary. When discussing their reactions to some of the words, you might want to ask: What does the word “scoutaprowl” convey? Is that more, or less, than the phrase or sentence it would otherwise take to convey the same meaning? Those questions will pertain to many of the other words as well. Listeners will enjoy creating their own words and explaining when, where or why the word could be used.  — Arlene Rossen Cardozo, PhD  

 _____________________________________________________________  

 The Author: Denise Doyen
Location: Pacific Palisades, CA  

AUTHOR QUOTE:  

"Alice", summer 5th grade

  

“When I was little, I loved listening to my grandfather recite The Night Before Christmas or my mother sing-song through The Owl and The Pussycat or being in an Alice play which featured the mysterious-sounding Jabberwocky; those were magical moments in my own childhood. I was thrilled by unusual,  evocative words that conjured visions of sugar-plums in my head, ‘piggywigs’ with rings on their noses  or scary creatures who ‘burbled’ through the woods.  

“My fondest hope is that parents, teachers and librarians (and kids!) will embrace Once Upon a Twice as a READ ALOUD.  I hope they imbue it with their own squeaky, smart-aleck Jam Boy voice  creating quirky, personal readings designed to entertain their bedroom, classroom or library listeners with the fun of a recited story.”  

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY  

Denise Doyen studied creative writing, art, poetry and design at Stanford University where she received her BA.  She attended film school at the American Film Institute, where she received her Masters, in Directing.  

Ms. Doyen enjoyed many years working in the world of children’s television. She was director and choreographer of the Disney Channel’s beloved series “Welcome to Pooh Corner” and “Dumbos Circus” as well as other productions for children including the video library “The Mother Goose Treasury”.  

  

With cast of Dumbo’s Circus.                 With cast of Welcome to Pooh Corner.  

Leaving show biz to raise her boys, Paul and Max, she also worked as a graphic designer. But her first love was writing.  So, as her older son approached college age, Ms. Doyen decided to return to school (UCLA Ext) and study writing for children.

“I’ve found that my work in other creative arenas helps my writing: The rhythms a choreographer expresses in a dance are not all that different from the metric beats a writer follows through a poem.  The focus of a film sequence– the elements a director considers–are similar to the dramatic and construction considerations of a writer.  Storytelling comes in many forms; in that broad sense, I might make a small claim of being a veteran story teller. I really am looking forward to writing for children.”

Asked about starting a new career as an author in her 50s, she says ”Finally taking time to pursue my writing seriously, working hard to reach a  professional level, has proven to be a deeply rewarding experience for me, both personally and creatively.  I’m so glad that I followed this dream.”

Ms. Doyen lives in Pacific Palisades CA with husband Michael, an attorney, her sons, Paul & Max and two cats, Zik & Echo.