Imagine the Possibilities

Today I’m participating in Perfect Picture Book Friday on Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog. Be sure to check out it out here.

Title: Cyril and Pat

Author: Emily Gravett

Illustrator: Emily Gravett

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2019

Fiction, Ages 4-8

Themes: friendship; diversity

Opening Lines: Lake Park only had one squirrel, all alone and sad (poor Cyril). Until the morning he met Pat, his new best friend, a big gray…

Synopsis: Cyril is the only squirrel in Lake Park until he finds Pat. Although Pat is a rat, Cyril thinks Pat is another squirrel. They become friends and have lots of fun together. When Cyril learns of Pat’s true identity, the other animals tell him he can’t be friends with a rat. But Cyril and Pat soon learn that some things are more important than being the same or listening to what others have to say.

Why I Like This Book: This book is a fun read aloud. The rhyming couplets invite reader participation to help Cyril discover Pat’s true identity. The illustrations complement the text well and bring the story to life. Don’t miss the hard cover and the end pages for more hints at what happens. This book imparts a wonderful message of inclusion and diversity in a way that will relate to children.

For Susanna’s complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

This week I’m finishing up a middle grade novel by Pat Cummings that I picked up at the Highlights Foundation the week before last. Trace is he story of a young boy coming to terms with the accident that killed his parents. This is a story of grief, love, and how we are connected to the past.

This weekend I was at the New Jersey SCBWI conference. Of course I picked up a few picture books:

Lola Shapes the Sky by Wendy Greenly with illustrations by Paolo Domeniconi

BunnyBear by Andrea Toney with illustrations by Carmen Saldana

I also purchased a YA novel What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper. Vesper is both an author and illustrator, so the text is peppered with haunting illustrations. This novel tells the story of a young girl living through the horror of the Holocaust.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a fondness for bluebirds. Over the past few years I have battled house sparrows who have been known to bully bluebirds. For a few years the bluebirds didn’t come back at all and I was heartbroken. But I have taken desperate measures with the sparrows (quite unlike me), and the bluebirds have rewarded me by returning.

Last week I was delighted to find a nest which inspired this poem:

Bluebirds

The bluebirds are back!

I know because

I spied the rust-red breast.

I know because

I felt the pine needle nest.

I know because

I heard hellos expressed –

Tu-a-wee! Tu-a-wee! Tu-a-wee!

The bluebirds are back!

I know because

I peeked inside

where five smooth eggs reside.

April is sometimes a very in-between time in the garden. In-between weather, in-between color, in-between visitors. The daffodils and forsythia provide a welcome splash of yellow, but the tulips aren’t up yet. The cherry tree is weeks away from blooming. Where can I find more color?

Pansies!

Many of my regular activities have been curtailed due to some back issues, but yesterday I was determined to plant pansies by the mailbox. There’s something about their heart-shaped faces that are so cheery and welcoming. They are also edible with a minty flavor, although I have never eaten any. At the garden center I chose deep purple and soft yellow (even though I already have lots of yellow in the back). Those shades just seem to go together.

Wiggly worms scurried for safety as I gently removed the withered chrysanthemums. The soft earth gave way easily to my spade. I was careful not to disturb the few emerging Tete-a-Tete daffodils already residing in that space. I tapped the containers, massaged the roots, and before long my planting was done. I hope I can keep the flowers blooming, although the hot summer may prove to be too much for these cool-weather lovers.

Pansies are a symbol of thoughts. Most of what is delivered to my mailbox are advertising flyers and bills. But occasionally there is a card or letter from a friend, perhaps an invitation, or if I’m very lucky – a book! Someone sending their thoughts into the world. Yes, I think a spot by the mailbox for pansies is perfect!