I love Ed Young..I think I fell in love with his illustrations when I read “Lon Po Po” a while back.
And  I love to hear about an artist’s childhood,
and this book features both those things!
Title: The House Baba Built: An Artist’s Childhood in China
Published by: Little Brown and Company, 2011
Written by: Ed Young, as told to Libby Koponen
Illustrated by: Ed Young
In one word: Stunning
In one sentence: Ed Young will take you through his childhood and all the memories that surround that time in photographs, pictures, and stories that took place in the house his father built to keep them safe.
Favorite pages:
Likes:
- I love how the story is a bunch of smaller stories woven together. You can just imagine sitting at a table with Ed and hearing all these stories.
- the story centers around the house that his father built. I can relate; my father built our house.
- the illustrations are awesome. Multimedia, with pictures, cut paper, paintings, collage…super cool.
- A few pages fold out, and this works really well, especially at the end, for the map of the house.
- It’s awesome to hear about his connections with his family and simple childhood pastimes.
Learns:
- Childhood can provide SO MUCH FODDER for children’s books.
- What you think may be a run of the mill childhood experience really may not be; mine that and get writing!
- Collage and multimedia are a fun way to go, illustration wise.
- Longer picture books can still have good pacing (I feel this one has GREAT pacing!)
Wow, one more book to go!
Singe Singe is excited that he gets to finish everything off.
Are you ready for November?
I have a chart I made for PiBoIdMo and NaNoWriMo, so I think I am.
Excited!
Enthusiastically yours!!
Kathy Ellen and Singe Singe
I’ve never heard of that book, but I have heard of Ed Young. I read an older pb, “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney, an inspiring and award winning story. A young girl tells the story of her great-aunt’s life and how she is to make the world a more beautiful place. Even though the book has more words than today’s pb, the words are beautiful as well as the illustrations.
Happy Halloween…since we’re practically a day ahead, we celebrate soon! Wow, it’s been 30 days of wonderful pb’s. 1 more to go. Thanks, Kathy Ellen!
Well we faired the storm ok. But I live on a hill in Brooklyn so I am lucky. Crazy stuff here today.
I am working on a teacher’s guide for THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN by Tiffany Haber. My copy hadn’t come in the mail yet, but luckily my neighborhood indie bookstore was open yesterday. The owner lives right upstairs. I grabbed a copy so I can get started on the guide, seeing as we are still without public transportation and it could be a few more says without work. So… I read it this morning. Very cute.
I found it hard to get myself to read a picture book this morning, since I’m so focused on thinking about all who are dealing with that horrendous storm, but once I got into the book it was a delightful few minutes of simple joy.
Today I read another book by a Canadian author, this one published in 2002, “Priscilla’s Paw de Deux” by Sharon Jennings, illustrated by Linda Hendry. Priscilla is an alley rat — not a creature one would expect to grace a picture book, but nevertheless, she and her friends are alley rats, but rats with a difference. Priscilla wants to be a dancer, and considers moving to a new home. Her friends (over goodies at a local Italian restaurant) try to discourage her. While she’s out hole-hunting with a friend, they come upon a ballet studio, and she decides to stay where she is, and dance at the studio. Great idea! But — the studio has a cat. The way the book works out is delightful with some hilarious moments. I enjoyed the illustrations — the artist obviously has a sense of humor, as does the author. A fun read to lighten the spirit of the day.
I met Ed Young this summer at the National Book Festival. What a great man! One of the highlights of the weekend.
We read HUSH LITTLE ALIEN by Daniel Kirk. Another book we had to sing! My kids love this book. I think this is one those books that I could pull out at any time and it would make them smile.
I’m so late today…that it is actually tomorrow here in Colorado…just too much to do. 🙂 🙂 Your book pic looks great, Kathy…and your advice about mining childhood experiences is a valuable tip that I will tuck away as I prepare for PiBoIdMo.
I grew up in NYC…so the images of the storm there are so meaningful…and scary. I actually lived right across the street from the East River in a project off the FDR Drive…my best friend and I used to cross the overpass and picnic by ourselves in the park that ran right along the river…can you believe we were 6 years old and our moms let us go by ourselves? It was definitely a different time. 🙂
Today I read, “Grandpa Green” by Lane Smith. This is one of the books you read earlier, Kathy. I loved the illustrations (the boxwood bushes cut in amazing shapes) and it was a sweet story about an intergenerational connection played out in a fantastic garden. It’s also a book with a message about aging and loss of memory. I loved it!!!!
I also can’t believe an entire month has come and gone…this was a perfect challenge, Kathy…I hope you do it next year…I’ll be happy to join the party!