Shelf Awareness--I Am a Capybara

PB Review: I Am a Capybara

I Am a Capybara by Michela Fabbri (Princeton Architectural Press, 40p., ages 4-8, 9781616899455)

I Am a Capybara is debut author Michaela Fabbri's fun and fanciful portrait of one particularly self-aware capybara, who sees life as a series of small delights--including the joys of dressing like a whale!

This charming story begins with an explanation of what a capybara is not: "not a mouse... not a beaver... not a bear, nor a marmot." But, apparently, a capybara is the biggest rodent in the world. And the capybara narrating this particular story is a thoughtful soul, a lover of poetry and the opera, a capybara who wants to watch "the world go by, to play, to explore, to stroll, then to rest and look around again." This singular rodent (who admits to a tendency toward laziness) takes pleasure in connecting quietly with other animals. Though the capybara has a serious expression, "I laugh a lot under my bristles... and amuse myself with things that I never thought could amuse me." This includes dressing up as a whale for laughs and wearing a bowtie to go out. Furthermore, as a self-professed tough guy, this capybara nevertheless knows how--and when--to enjoy a really good "cuddle clump" with its fellow capybaras.

Fabbri's subtle art in gentle earth tones is ideal for her wholly charismatic subject. Fabbri uses body language and spare, well-chosen details to make her deadpan rodent--even with its "eyes always half open"--thoroughly charming. The abundant white space gives a clean, uncluttered feel to the art, and the scratchy, broken line is superb. The delicate drawings invite readers to get to know this diverting capybara, one among many, who looks at life differently, and might make an especially good friend. Gently reassuring, I Am a Capybara is a sweet and unconventional appreciation of the small wonders that surround us all. --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: Michaela Fabbri gives readers a taste of poetry, friendship and other small wonders through the eyes of a capybara that delights in dressing up as a whale.

Interview with Karen Jameson

Karen Jameson, my good friend and critique partner, is the author of MOON BABIES, illustrated by Amy Hevron (Putnam, 2019). Her new lullaby book, WOODLAND DREAMS, illustrated by Marc Boutavant, releases from Chronicle Books on October 27th. WOODLAND DREAMS is featured on Today.com’s list of 36 Best Toys for 2-Year-Olds 2020 and will be reviewed by the New York Times! In addition, WOODLAND DREAMS is being published in French, Chinese, and Italian.

So, Karen, can you tell us a little bit about WOODLAND DREAMS?

Woodland Dreams is the first of three bedtime stories releasing from Chronicle Books. At the time I wrote it, I was teaching a third grade unit on habitats and was surprised to learn that most of my students had little, if any, knowledge of woodland flora and fauna. That inspired me to create a bedtime story featuring them.

Here’s a little blurb from the publisher’s website:

“In Woodland Dreams, young readers say goodnight to beloved woodland animals as they prepare to sleep. This sweet bedtime book is at once a picture book and a lullaby, pairing familiar bedtime routines with nonfiction elements. From the fox curling up in her den to the turtle dozing off in his shell, Woodland Dreams will send your little one off to sleep with a gentle and loving goodnight.”

With two picture books already published, two more scheduled to come out in the next two years, and even more in the pipeline, I think it’s fair to say that you’ve hit your stride as an author in this genre. Can you talk a little about how you got here?

Since my first four books are bedtime stories, I like to joke that my author superpower is putting people to sleep! Ha! All joking aside, I tried writing different kinds of picture books in the five years prior to my first sale. My stride came after realizing that my authentic writing voice is quiet and lyrical. Bedtime books are a perfect fit.

A big part of getting to this place was being intentional about setting writing goals, marking them in a calendar, and following through.

Do you have any advice for aspiring kidlit writers out there?

Here are my Top 10 Tips for Pre-published Authors:

1. Join SCBWI. Attend the events that speak to you.
2. Jump in! Say YES to contests, conference extras, and other opportunities.
3. Reach out and network.
4. Join Twitter.
5. Critique. A good critique group is worth its weight in gold!
6. Keep studying craft.
7. Keep revising.
8. Research editors and agents for a good fit.
9. Query and submit when your work is polished.
10. Have fun! The kidlit community is the best!

The illustrations in WOODLAND DREAMS are gorgeous! Did you provide illustration notes?

I was so fortunate to be paired with the talented Marc Boutavant for this project! His painterly woodland creatures and brilliant use of color are breathtaking.

Free of illustration notes, Marc created his own woodland world. I love his interpretation of the story, which included the main character sketching her way through the woods. Her childlike drawings are featured in a gallery-like spread at the end of the book. Genius!

What can we look forward to next?

Look for Farm Lullaby (Fall 2021) and Where Wee Ones Go (Spring 2022), both from Chronicle Books! A nonfiction picture book—not yet announced—will be coming out from a different publisher in 2022, as well. I’m excited about some nonfiction and concept books I have in the works. I’ll keep you posted! Thank you, Lynn!

Karen Jameson is the author of MOON BABIES (Putnam, 2019) and WOODLAND DREAMS (Chronicle, 2020). Upcoming titles include FARM LULLABY and WHERE WEE ONES GO (Chronicle, 2021 & 2022). More stories are in the works! Lover of books, wildflowers, farmers’ markets and everything chocolate, Karen writes from sunny Southern California.

Karen is delighted to give away a copy of WOODLAND DREAMS to one lucky reader (US resident only, please) who posts a comment below by October 28th. Good luck!

October Recommendations

Novels:

IGNITING DARKNESS, by Robin LaFevers, is the glorious conclusion to the Courting Darkness duology. There’s enough action, intrigue, romance, and betrayal to keep readers up late for many a night. And if you haven’t encountered LaFevers’s assassin nuns before, please go find the book that started it all, Grave Mercy. It’s the first in the His Fair Assassin trilogy, which precedes this duology. It’s all top-notch fantasy! (YA)

WE DREAM OF SPACE, by Erin Entrada Kelly, tells the story of Cash, Fitch, and Bird, who live with parents who fight—a lot. Cash loves basketball, but was kicked off the team for failing seventh grade last year, and he’s in danger of failing again. Fitch is obsessed with his favorite video game, but his temper scares his friends and family—and himself. Bird is a space nerd, obsessed with becoming NASA’s first female shuttle commander, but it’s 1986 and her class is closely watching the lead-up to the launch of the Challenger mission… Bird emerges as a sweet but sensitive, quiet child, one who easily becomes lost in a rambunctious household. The author does a terrific job of presenting this page turner without passing judgement on any of her complex characters. (MG)

THE FABLED STABLES: WILLA THE WISP, by Jonathan Auxier, illustrated by Olga Demidova, features Auggie who works at said Fabled Stables looking after one-of-a-kind creatures, some of which are “magical," some “mysterious," and some “just plain weird.” When a new stall appears, heralding the arrival of a wisp named Willa, Auggie must brave a dark swamp to find and bring her back —before three nasty hunters capture her. The language in this chapter book for ages 6 to 9 makes it fun as a read-aloud, and plenty of whimsical illustrations should appeal to emerging readers. (CB)

Picture Books:

SOAKED, by Abi Cushman, is narrated by one very gloomy bear. It’s raining and his ice cream cone is wet, and his cave is crowded, and he can’t find his umbrella… But when he helps out his friend, a hula-hooping moose, he discovers at least one thing that’s fun in the rain. The pencil and digital illustrations are full of movement and nicely capture the emotions of the dismal bear and his rather more upbeat friends. Bear’s voice should be especially fun as a read-aloud.

WHEN I DRAW A PANDA, by Amy June Bates, is a terrific exploration of the joys to be found in following your own creativity wherever it leads, as opposed to adhering to the “right” way of doing things. A young girl gets upset when she’s told her perfectly drawn circle is “a little wonky,” but finds joy as she describes her “not-perfect” way of working. Luckily, her panda agrees! Delightful watercolor, gauche, pastel, and colored pencil illustrations complete the package.

THANK YOU, MIYUKI, by Roxane Marie Gallierz, illustrated by Sen Soun Ratanavanh, is the third book in this endearing series about the diminutive, always-impatient Miyuki, who lives with her gentle, understanding grandfather. In this installment, Miyuki wants to learn to meditate, so Grandpa shows her in terms she can understand. Also look for Time for Bed, Miyuki, and Patience, Miyuki. All are whimsically illustrated in watercolors and colored pencils.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

YA Review: The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix (Katherine Tegen Books, 416p., ages 14-up, 9780062683250)

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London delivers a fantastic journey through a 1983 England where mythic beings from the Old World threaten the safety of the New.

When Susan Arkshaw turns 18, she leaves her mum and the family farm behind and goes to London to find a father she's never known. She meets the gloriously dressed, "shape-shiftery" Merlin as he is executing her mother's old friend with a pin made of "silver-washed steel." (Apparently "Uncle" Frank was a crime boss and a blood-drinking "Sipper"--said to be the basis for the vampire legend.) When the police arrive, Susan finds there's a special branch devoted to covering up "the ancient weird sh*t" that sometimes bubbles to the surface of her world. Merlin is part of the St. Jacques family, booksellers all with the mission of making sure "most Old World entities are bound" and thus unable to interfere in the "prosaic human world"--that is, "reality." Merlin is left-handed and deals with, in his words, the more "active stuff," while his sister, Vivien, is a right-handed researcher sort who can "weigh the truth." Susan, Merlin and Vivien set off to find Susan's father before the supernatural activities escalate any further.

Fans of Garth Nix's other works, such as the Old Kingdom series or Angel Mage, should enjoy this exhilarating volume. Action, light romance and otherworldly machinations keep the tension flowing as Nix reveals a warm-hearted and clever fantasy. Readers will almost certainly leave this magical London searching for hints of the Old World peeking through our own. --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: In Garth Nix's smart literary fantasy, 18-year-old Susan Arkshaw arrives in London looking for her father and is greeted by all manner of supernatural creatures.

October's Book of the Month--The Phantom Twin

October’s Book of the Month is THE PHANTOM TWIN, by Lisa Brown. A ghost story just in time for October’s longer nights and Halloween.

Jane and Isabel, collectively called Jan-Iss, are conjoined twins who share an arm and a leg. They’ve been sold by their parents to a carnival sideshow, where they perform with the other “freaks” who soon make up their real family. Jane is the bossier twin, so when she decides they will undergo surgery to become separated, they do it, despite Iss’s misgivings.

Then Jane dies on the operating table, leaving her twin all alone—and yet not! Promising they will be together “no matter what,” Jane haunts Iss, becoming “not just a phantom limb,” but a “whole phantom person.”

Iss goes back to the carnival and does odd jobs, but she struggles to find her place. A new, custom-made prosthetic arm and leg may hold some answers...

This mildly spooky graphic novel is worth at least one read, and maybe two or three. The accomplished art clearly and cleverly illustrates a heartfelt story—it’s beautifully designed and I’m in love with Brown’s palette and color choices.

Really, don’t miss this one!

--Lynn