Jonathan Bean: Illustrator Extraordinaire

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast � Blog Archive � Seven Questions Over Breakfast with  Jonathan Bean

A wonderful interview with the talented Jonathan Bean, who illustrated the US (Henry Holt/Macmillan) editions of Mokie and Bik, and Mokie and Bik Go to Sea. He had a break for a while, and I'm so glad to hear that he's working again. His own One Night is another favourite on my shelf. Go have a look to see some of his amazingly varied work.

Title page spread from Mokie and Bik, and last page of Mokie an Bik go to Sea.

Jonathan Bean

lost and found awards

Looking at Henry Holt's catalogue page I discovered that Mokie and Bik had won two awards I hadn't heard about: Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year;and CCBC Choice (Univ. of WI). What a lovely surprise!

I'd already heard (and celebrated!) the NYPL Book for Reading and Sharing.

missing messages

I've just discovered that most of my emails have been blocked from November 23 till today. (I wondered why I was getting so few!) So, if you've emailed me, or posted a comment here that hasn't been accepted, please try again. I try to answer all my emails within a week, so if I've ignored you, there's a good chance it's because I didn't get your message.

New York Public Library's Best Books for Reading and Sharing

Somehow I missed the email last February about this list, but it's still very nice to see it now: Mokie and Bik are included in the list of 6 books for children aged 6 to 8. YAY!

I was also thrilled to see that Jonathan Bean's own book At Night is on the picture book list, and Linda Urban's A Crooked Kind of Perfect on the list for 8 to 12 year old kids. (I got to know Linda through her championship of Mokie and Bik on her own blog!)

To see the whole list, go to: http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/bookletter/showlist.html?sid=5796&list=CNL9

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast � Blog Archive � EarlyEmergingBeginningInterChapterMediateReaders

An early review of Mokie and Bik go to Sea - I can't help it, it's fun to read such nice things!

Eisha and I co-reviewed the first Mokie & Bik title here, in which we talked about Orr’s wordplay in these chapter books, which feature the adventures of two twins who live on a boat called Bullfrog, who “lived in it, on it, all around it—monkeying up ladders . . . over the wheelhouse and across the cabin floor.” As we said back then, Orr’s rhythmic language and clever wordplay (”Bik paddled as fast as a fisk, flick kick swick, back to the rowboat tied behind Bullfrog“) could easily be a bit too precious or unbearably cute, but she manages to stretch her words in such a way that bypasses cute and goes straight to captivating and hilarious and please-read-me-out-loud.

To read the whole review:


Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast � Blog Archive � EarlyEmergingBeginningInterChapterMediateReaders

“You’ll Really Like This Character…” (I hope)

Interesting thoughts from Steven Engelfried of the Association for Library Services for Children

I like a good story, and appreciate eloquent writing, but the element that I seem to respond to most strongly in books is characterizations. And I think many kids respond that way too. In a year’s worth of children’s books, we get to meet so many very interesting people (and animals). My favorite 2007 characters include a girl who chases chickens (The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice Harrington) (I like Miss Hen a lot too), two boat-loving twins with a language of their own (Mokie and Bik by Wendy Orr), a girl who masters a Neil Diamond song on an organ (A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban), and a dog who serves in the Vietnam War (Cracker by Cynthia Kadohata).

To read the rest of his review:

ALSC Blog � Blog Archive � “You’ll Really Like This Character…” (I hope)

Children's Music that Rocks: Words are meant to be fun!

Another lovely review, this one by Warren Truitt of the Donnell Central Children's Room, The New York Public Library. Could there be anything nicer for this than to be in a list with Dr Seuss?

"Words are meant to be fun!

Words are meant to be fun. Sure, most people use them to communicate, but think about certain words in the English language: squelch, thimble, gallon. Their sounds alone can induce giggles if pondered long enough.

By that reasoning, sentences should be chock full of silliness because you can bounce words and sounds off each other and make syllables and rhymes roll off your tongue and tickle your eardrums.

Here are six picture books and a short chapter book that are a hoot to read aloud in storytime or at home, books that take advantage of the creative possibilities of language:"

To read the list go to:


Children's Music that Rocks: Words are meant to be fun!