Review of Ninja Baby

Ninja Baby, by David Zeltser and Diana Goode is a funny book with engaging characters and emotional illustrations. Nina the ninja baby comes out of the womb doing ninja kicks and "obliterating" her applesauce. Nina is an independent toddler who is later flummoxed by the arrival of a new Kung Fu master, her little brother. How does he stay so focused and keep the attention of the parents so well? Nina's feelings as an older sister are beautifully portrayed in this zany, clever, and perfect read-aloud! 

There are several laugh-out-loud moments in this book that are perfectly balanced with the heart of the story. The twist ending leaves you wanting to know more about Nina, her brother, and their mysterious parents. 

What ninja books have you read recently?

Squeeze Play Challenge

By Janie Reinart

Embed from Getty Images

We should treat language like play dough when we write...When we use our imaginations and play with words, it's exciting to see the shape...that emerges.

~ Margriet Ruurs

Remember how relaxing it felt to squeeze play dough or clay through your fingers and to make whatever came to mind?

By Dev Petty

Dev Petty took that idea and made a story about two balls of clay that can become anything! And they get a little crazy when the artist is not around.

"So...are you new here?"
"Yeah."
"Me too."
"What do you think is going to happen?"
"Probably something WONDERFUL."

By Mirra Ginsburg

Mirra Ginsburg retells the story of Clay Boy from Russian folklore. Grandpa found a piece of clay and formed it into a boy. As soon as the boy is dried, the clay boy is very, very hungry.

"I am here! I am hungry!"
Grandma gave him milk.
Grandpa gave him bread.
In a wink, the clay boy gluped it all down and cried,
"More! I want more!"

By Byrd Baylor

The lyrical language in this book considers the lives of an ancient people whose pieces of pottery are found in the Southwest.

Women then
must have 
spoken
to the earth
as they took
its clay.
They must have 
sung special songs
for shaping the bowl,
for polishing it,
for baking it
so it would be
strong enough
to last
long after
that tribe
was gone...


Your challenge: squeeze clay or play dough and let your mind wander. Make little characters and move them around. Relax and play. Did something wonderful happen?
Did an idea emerge?
Have fun. Post your squeeze in the comments.


Embed from Getty Images

Author Corey Rosen Schwartz Talks Mentor Texts

Picture book author Corey Rosen Schwartz writes incredible read-alouds that make you laugh and think at the same time. Her rollicking rhymes and fractured fairy tales make for the perfect combination of action and story. My kids and I have loved and enjoyed not only her ninja books (The Three Ninja Pigs, Ninja Red Riding Hood, Hensel and Gretal, Ninja Chicks), but also her many other stories. We can't wait to read her upcoming book, Twinderella!

Not only is Corey an incredible writer, but she is also incredibly kind and helpful in the kidlit community. I'm thrilled to talk to her about mentor texts on ReFoReMo!

Were there any particular mentor texts that inspired you in the creation of Twinderella?

Yes, while I was writing Twinderella (back in 2010), I did some research to see what other Cinderella tales were out there. I read Cinder-Elly by Frances Minters, Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella by Susan Lowell, and Prince Cinders by Babette Cole. But the one that really resonated with me was Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson. This was the only other tale that had two main characters, the famous Cinderella and her neighbor Cinder Edna. I studied it to see how the author drew contrast between the two, so that I could make sure I established clear differences between Cinderella and her twin sister, Twinderella.

What do you feel is the BEST way for picture book writers to utilize mentor texts?

Well, there is definitely a part of me that is afraid to read books with similarities to my manuscript for fear that I will accidentally "borrow" from them. It turns out that there is a play called Twinderella in which Cinderella has a twin brother! I'm sort of glad I didn't know that at the time I was writing my manuscript. It never even occurred to me to give her a brother and had I read about that, I may have been influenced. But that being said, I do think it is important to read as many books as possible and to study our craft. I think we each need to figure out what works best for us. In this particular case, I am pretty sure I showed a draft to my agent who gave me feedback that the twins were not distinct enough, and it was at that point that I looked to other versions. So, I guess mentor texts work best for me in the revision stage rather than in drafting or pre-writing stages.

Thank you, Corey!  And ReFoReMo family, what mentor texts are inspiring you right now?

Corey Rosen Schwartz is the author of many rhyming picture books, including THE THREE NINJA PIGS and NINJA RED RIDING HOOD.  She lives in Warren, NJ with her two kids and her better half.  Corey hopes to one day have grand-twins. 

Mentor Text Author Study: Deborah Underwood

by Keila V. Dawson

New York Times bestselling author Deborah Underwood didn’t always write children’s books. She wrote greeting cards, screenplays, worked as a typist, and a street musician. Perhaps it’s no coincidence Underwood created a main character with so many different occupational interests in her Here Comes Cat series.

A look inside her books explains why Underwood's stories are so well loved. 

Character Development, Escalation, Resolution

Cat is a lovable, grumpy childlike protagonist. Those of us who share our lives with a fickle feline friend are especially amused by how well Underwood captures a cat’s distinctive personality. The idea of giving Cat a sign with pictures to communicate with the narrator is unique and hilarious. The resolution in each story not only makes readers laugh, but beg to know more of what Cat will do next. The latest in this series, Here Comes Teacher Cat, releases next month. 

Character, Conflict, Obstacles 

In a story, the author creates a character and gives them a problem to overcome.  Obstacles are thrown in to create tension. The right mix makes a story meaningful to a child. In A Balloon for Isabel, a porcupine + balloons in school = trouble

In Underwood’s latest release Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten, a new student + first day in kindergarten = anxiety  

Concept Books, Emotional Resonance, Re-readability

When a quiet book sells in market overflowing with non-quiet books, and it becomes a New York Times bestseller, there has to be something extra special about it. In The Quiet Book, Underwood and illustrator Renata Liwska tap into all the feels. In this book, you can find all kinds of quiet that evoke emotion, from serious to funny, and for all ages such as “Lollipop quiet”, Right before you yell “SURPRISE!” quiet,” “Best friends don’t need to talk quiet”, “What flashlight? quiet” .

The Loud Book and The Christmas Quiet Book that followed are also packed with a range of emotions. 

Bad Bye, Good Bye takes the reader on an emotional journey with a child who is moving to another town. "Bad truck/Bad guy", "Bad wave/Bad bye"

Theme, Rhyme, Word Choice

Interstellar Cinderella is an old fairy tale retold into a new modern fairy tale. This Cinderella is decisive and determined and a heroine. Well done! Underwood created fun words like zoombroom, and godrobot for her story set in space. Good Night, Baddies is a bedtime story. Through gentle lyrical rhyme Underwood explores the softer side of baddies, villains from numerous folk and fairy tales, after a day of causing mayhem. "Sun dips down; the day has gone. / Witches, wolves, and giants yawn. / Queen and dragon, troll and gnome: / tired baddies head for home." 

In addition to fiction picture books, Underwood writes non-fiction books, content for educational publishers, chapter books, and has published articles, poems, and stories in magazines such as National Geographic, Pockets, Ladybug and Spider.

When looking for mentor texts to study, there's a lot for writers to learn from Deborah Underwood's diverse and extensive body of work.

Happy reading!

ReFoReMo Reviews- Maria Gianferrari, plus Giveaway!

By Carrie Charley Brown

Maria Gianferrari is really on a roll. Since July 2015, she has released four picture books, with today marking the release of her fourth. She's expecting multiple book babies from Little Bee, Boyds Mills Press, and Roaring Brook Press in 2018 and beyond. In the picture book world, that's a ton of success in a very small amount of time! 

Can I get a standing ovation, please?

via GIPHY

Maria is doing something very right, which makes her a great mentor to study. I recommend that you take some time to look back on the perspectives that Maria has shared with us during her journey. Explore the themes running through Officer Katz and Houndini and Penny & Jelly: The Sleepover, discover the research that went into Coyote Moon, and get inside her ReFoReMo 2016 thoughts about crossing genres.  Dissect her books to research how great craft is applied.

In celebration of her newest book and appreciation of her service to us, 

it's my honor to review Hello Goodbye Dog:  

As seen through the eyes of Moose, a dog who can't bear to be separated from his girl Zara, hellos are the best of all. Especially when Zara's hello is a loving pat on the head and story time. But when goodbye is a closing door, a lonely backyard, and no scratch-time with Zara, Moose has a tough time being home without her. He knows his special place is with Zara and he always finds a way to break free and return to her side. Zara shares his sentiment and puts a plan in motion that might keep them together all through the school day. Maria Gianferrari relays an endearing story of the unconditional love that dogs offer humans and an author's note about the importance of therapy dogs. Patrice Barton's illustrations compliment this special bond with soft colors and strokes that relay acceptance and understanding from all who witness the special bond between Moose and Zara. 

As you look at Maria's entire collection, it's pretty evident that she loves dogs. Just as dogs make great companions, they also make amazing characters. Maria has explored the anthropomorphic side with a magician dog (Houndini), a pet/best friend (Jelly), a wild dog (Coyote), and a therapy dog/pet (Moose). And she has more on the way; dogs, hawks, bobcats and more, some fiction and some nonfiction. When it comes to animals, there's not just one road to explore. Which road will you explore with your writing?

What are your favorite animal characters and what roles do they play?

Roaring Brook Press is sponsoring a giveaway of Hello Goodbye Dog for U.S. residents!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More about Maria...

Maria Gianferrari is the author of the Penny & Jelly books, Officer Katz and Houdini, Coyote Moon, an ALA Notable Book, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and most recently, Hello Goodbye Dog. For Maria, hello is sunshine after a snowstorm, the scent of cinnamon, and happy greetings from her beloved mutt, Becca. Maria lives in northern Virginia with her dog, Becca, her scientist husband and her artist daughter. She has additional titles forthcoming from Roaring Brook Press, Boyds Mills Press, GP Putnam’s Sons and Little Bee. To learn more about Maria, visit her website: mariagianferrari.com, on Facebook and Instagram.

HELLO GOODBYE DOG BLOG TOUR!

GIVEAWAYS EVERY DAY!!

*Monday, July 24^th:                           Pragmatic Mom + THREE book giveaway!

*Two for Tuesday, July 25th:          Librarian’s Quest
                                                                     Reading for Research + giveaway

*Wednesday, July 26th:                   Homemade City

*Thursday, July 27^th:                        Kid Lit Frenzy

*Friday, July 28^th:                              Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook

*Monday, July 31^st:                            Picture Books Help Kids Soar

*Tuesday, August 1^st:                        Bildebok

*Wednesday, August 2^nd:                 The Loud Library Lady

*Thursday, August 3^rd:                     DEBtastic Reads!

*Friday, August 4^th:                           Mamabelly’s Lunches with Love

*Monday, August 7^th:                        Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

EXTRA: August 25^th:                         Kidlit411—Interview with Patrice Barton