Thank you everyone for sharing what books you’re reading!
I’m glad people are inspired and having fun with it!
Here’s our book for today:
Another author that we got to meet this summer!
Love her illustrations! You can see I am very excited.
Recently really REALLY loved Balloons over Broadway.
Hopefully someday there will be a hot air balloon of me!
She had an AMAZING breakout session we attended as well.
Melissa gave EVERYONE a copy of one of her drawing books for kids.
Except we were being polite so we ended up being at the end of the line.
Luckily, Melissa didn’t forget and this came in the mail for us:
Title: Balloons over Broadway: The True story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2011
Written by: Melissa Sweet
Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet
In one word: Awe-inspiring
In one sentence: This book is a feast for your eyes with all of its interesting mixed media illustrations AND a feast for your mind with the amazing story behind the Macy’s parade puppets.
Favorite pages:
Likes:
- amazing handmade toys (yes, Melissa made them!)
- a great story line that gives us a great look into Tony Sarg’s life.
- each page is so visually interesting
- the text is just as artistic as the illustrations
- we want to turn the pages and follow along and see Tony figure things out!
- the drawings are so sweet (no pun intended) and lovely…you can’t help but want to stare!
- great author note, notes about the art, and biblography
Learns:
- non-fiction can be SO much fun! And you can illustrate with toys!
- there are many different ways to form illustrations
- and there are many different ways to lay the text on the page!
- collaging looks great! I’m going to try more!
Has anyone read this one? What did you think?
And what are YOU reading today?
Let us know!!
Updated bookshelf:
Enthusiastically yours,
KE and SS
I have never read BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY, yet I have been aware of the book and have heard about the wonderful way in which Melissa Sweet deals with a non-fiction story. However, I was unaware of the visual elements of the story. Wow! Totally gotta check this out…especially with Thanksgiving coming up. I have actually worked the Macy’s Parade in the past. Such an exciting time.
Today I read “The Insomniacs” by Karina Wolf and Illustrated by The Brothers Hilt. I was first drawn to this book because of the artwork. I love the smudgy, dark lines and hues of blues. It has a Tim Burton meets Edward Gorey quality to it. I especially loved the cover and title treatment.
The story was a bit long and wordy for me and had way too much going on. In fact, its 600 words and the reading level is listed on educational sources as 3.3 which puts it at a 8 year old level, even though the publisher markets it for 3-5 year olds.
The Insomniac family moves half way around the world in order for the mother to take a new job. However, once they arrive they cannot adjust to the new time zone. They stay awake all night, then fall asleep during work and school. One night, they decide to take a walk in the woods to ask a bear the secret to a good, long sleep. Along their way they find many, many animals who are active during the nighttime. The Insomniacs decide that if there so much going on at night, it’s worth staying up for, and there’s no need to change their schedule. So, the mother starts working at night, the child starts taking correspondence courses, and the dad does his things at night.
Here is the trailer, which is short and concise. I only wish the story was told in this “tight” manner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBobwd-esUg
So, I wasn’t thrilled about it, but its as important to read things you like as things you don’t. Especially as a writer, it is cool to read and figure out what doesn’t work for you.
If anyone else gives this a read I would be interested in hearing what you think.
I agree, Marcie, it’s GREAT to read things that your aren’t thrilled about.
You worked the Macy Parade?
JEALOUS!
The visual elements are pretty much phenomenal in any Melissa Sweet book 🙂
Kathy Ellen
Marcie, we didn’t care for Insomniacs either.
Kathy…I love the way you review your books…highlighting the ‘like’ and ‘learn’ points is very helpful and fun for the potential reader/buyer of the book. 🙂 I grew up in NYC and saw many Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades…so it was really interesting to see there is a book about it…looks like something I should pick up if I can!
Today I read “Neville” written by Norton Juster and Illustrated by G. Brian karas. Although every picture book should be read for enjoyment…I especially love the ones that have a message that helps young children. “Neville” scores big-time in this department! Using his ingenuity, the mc uses group dynamics to make a place for himself in a new community (and school). There is a ‘surprise’ ending (which really isn’t a surprise for the adult reader, at least). The illustrations are simple and bold and portray the mc’s plight of being moved to a new place without being ‘consulted’ by his family…I know this happens to many kids…it’s a theme similar to the Judith Voirst book about Alexander who is not going to move…etc. 🙂 This is a definite thumbs up for me…I’d use it in my school presentations for kindergarten and 1st graders.
Vivian, that’s funny! Just picked this one up from the library today! I’ve heard it is REALLY GOOD!
And thanks for the feedback on how I do the books…
I basically do that a bit for me….it’s good to know what I liked and what I learned and have documentation of that….I also like to write down the first and last line so I can flip through my reading journal when I’m not feeling the best about my first or last line 🙂
Kathy Ellen
What a great creative writing tip, Kathy Ellen…I’ll keep it in mind.:)
Your Melissa Sweet post is great, Kathy. Thanks for posting some pages as I haven’t gotten my hands on a copy yet. I know some other people who attended the session with Melissa in LA– Diandra Mae set up a Sweet Squares (3x3inch squares for experimentation) challenge on her blog last month. I’m still doing them! (They’re posted on my blog.) I ordered the drawing book but haven’t gotten it yet. Sounds like the session was fantastic.
I read an old Golden Book today– you’ll laugh at this one THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. It’s a vintage book pubbed in 1954 but my copy is new. I’ve always wanted to write a cumulative tale so I’m rereading this classic. I found this version it a bit long by today’s standards.
Hooray for a cumulative tale…I’ll have to pull one out…I think I have Clever Jack…but I want to find other ones. I’ll have to check out the sweet squares thing you’re talking about…sounds cool!
Kathy Ellen
Great post on Melissa Sweet! So cool that you got to meet her!
Today we went to the library, so we read a lot — a couple of books got read twice — JUMPY JACK AND GOOGILY by Meg Rosoff (this has been a favorite of ours for a long time, but we found it again at the library), and THE MONSTER RETURNS by Peter McCarty (we have been reading a lot of Peter McCarty this month. My boys love Jeremy and the monster!)
Erik, I love when books get read twice, don’t you?
These both sound so fun…
I am going to have to put so many books on hold at the library next month!
And yes, meeting Melissa Sweet was so cool!
Hi Kathy!
I read SERIOUS FARM by Tim Egan today. I’m like Marcie…I really couldn’t get into this story much. It was about a farmer who didn’t like to smile who took care of animals who wouldn’t smile because the farmer didn’t smile, and the animals tried didn’t ways to make the farmer smile without any luck so they decide to leave the farm which makes the farmer sad…so obviously he didn’t smile! I won’t give away the ending but for me the entire story fell flat. II can appreciate the efforts of the author and I enjoyed most of the illustrations but I don’t think I will be adding this one to my picture book collection…
Donna L Martin
http://www.donnalmartin.com
http://www.donasdays.blogspot.com
Thanks for the honest review, Donna.
I think it’s important to also find what doesn’t resonate with us in a book.
Screeching in at the last moment (almost… it’s 9:34 pm here) because I suddenly realized I hadn’t read my book yet today! First, I need to say I loved Balloons Over Broadway, but it’s been too long since I read it, so I must read it again. Do the books we read for 31 in 31 have to be new-to-us books, or may I count a re-reading of Melissa’s book?
Today (just now, so I should say tonight) I read Angelina’s Halloween by Katharine Holabird with illustrations by helen Craig. It’s delightful, as one would expect an Angelina book to be, with lovely detailed illustrations, and quite a wordy story.
Hey Beth!
No, 31 in 31 books don’t have to be new to you!
Re-read away!
Most of them are new to me, but a lot are ones that I got at the SCBWI summer conference too. Of course I read them all quickly, but I’m enjoying spending time focusing on them one by one too.
Angelina is so sweet.
I didn’t know there was a Halloween one!
I read Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and love everything about it. My daughter knits, and so I was fortunate to win this book from another writer friend’s blog. The story line has a fairy tale, classic quality to it.
That’s neat you met Melissa Sweet.
Hey Tina,
I met Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen and have a doubly signed version of this book…my local bookstore had an Extra Yarn event!
I LOVE Extra yarn so much. It’s sweet, the illustrations are amazing, and I agree, it has a classic quality to it.
That’s great that your daughter knits, and you won the book!
I just started knitting and crocheting a few years ago, and wished I could have learned when I was much younger!
I just saw that book in the library today! Guess now I have to check it out! haha
Day 3 book was a classic:
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I needed some brilliance after my disappointing turn from the day before!
SOOO classic.
But you know what?
I don’t think I own that one.
I know!
SHOCK!
It would be lovely to meet Melissa Sweet. I really like how she combined the mediums in this book.
I read OH, NUTS! by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Dan Krall. The fat squirrel was a pretty great character.