Perfect Picture Book Friday Goes Job Hunting

This Perfect Picture Book Friday, my book choice could be the key to helping a child choose their future job!

When my daughter was about five, she wanted to become an apple farmer. However, after Googling apple farming, the job description changed her plans. “Instead of growing apples, I’ll just eat them,” she said. Although I was certain that eating the crop wouldn’t generate a good income stream, I didn’t burst her dream bubble. The following year, after winning a dressmaking doll kit at a school carnival, she changed her career path to fashion design, which led to some fabulous outfits she created with fabrics I’d collected over the years. Unfortunately, her creations were a tad too extravagent to wear in the third grade. Along the way, other career ideas popped up, like becoming a mask maker in Venice after she discovered the joy of pasting pom poms and feather on paper plates, a violinst so she could play pretty music on one of the violins her grandfather made, a picture book illustrator when I started on my path of writing stories and poems for children, a Montessori teacher, a physical therapist, a medical researcher, a chef. It turns out the world is filled with amzing jobs, and choosing one that’s the best fit isn’t always simiple.

Many years have passed, and my daughter will be starting college soon. Who knows what career path she’ll choose, but whatever direction she takes, I’ll encourage her dreams and believe in her. This brings me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday Review of a book that contains some pretty interesting jobs, including some I never knew existed.

Title – Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of

Written and illustrated by  –  Natalie Labarre

Published by – Nosy Crow, 2019

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Opening – Do you know what you want to do when you grow up? I bet you get asked that a lot, right? You might already have one of these jobs in mind–The Classics! (doctor, lawyer, farmer, teacher, chef, athlete, pilot) And these are great… but did you know that there are ALL SORTS of incredible jobs out there that you’ve probably never heard of? One of them might be just right for you!

High-rise window washers need more than a ladder to reach these windows. They work suspended in midair as high as 1,000 feet (300 meters) up — except when it’s too windy!

For the most expensive beef in the world, Cow Massagers in Japan make sure their cows are as relaxed as possible by giving them regular massages.

Why do I like this book? — I wasn’t sure what jobs I would learn about when I saw this book, but I promise I didn’t expect to find occupations such as Mattress Jumper or Cheese Sculptor. And if those jobs aren’t unique enough, how about Toy Breaker or Dinosaur Duster? The comical and colorful illustrations pair perfectly with the unexpected jobs described throughout the book. In no time, kids will tap into their amazing imaginations and get excited about new jobs that could exist in the future.

Until next Friday,

Leslie

Perfect Picture Book Friday Explores, What If One Day…

This Perfect Picture Book Friday asks a question my dad once asked me… “What if one day…” To be clear, when my dad posed the question, our conversation centered around meeting beings from other planets. Dad was an astrophysicist, so pondering questions about the universe was normal.

“Do you suppose they would see a handshake as a friendly greeting?” I asked.

“It’s possible,” Dad said. “But… extending our hand to shake on another planet could be viewed as a formal contract in which ten goats are traded for a daughter’s hand in marriage. Or it might be taken as an invitation to cook us for dinner with a side of potatoes.”

“Okay, forget the handshake, if we make it to an inhabited planet, we’ll just smile.”

Dad shook his head. “In the animal kingdom, showing your teeth could be viewed as a sign of aggression.”

“True,” I said. “What about holidays? Do you suppose beings on other planets celebrate occasions like weddings and birthdays?”

The “What if?” conversation with my dad went on for some time, and I loved every minute. This brings me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday Review where what if questions center around Earth.

Title – What If One Day…

Written by  –  Bruce Handy

Illustrated by – Ashleigh Corrin

Published by – Enchanted Lion Books, 2023

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Theme – Celebrating the wonders of our world.

Opening – What if one day…

all the birds flew away?

Mornings would be quieter. Skies would be plainer. Worms could relax.

But there are BIRDS!

From Amazon – View Here

What if one day, all the birds flew away? Mornings would be quieter. Skies would be plainer. Worms could relax. What if there were no more bugs? What if there ceased to be day and night? By asking how our world would change if it lacked birds, water, or people, and how we would feel about that, this playful text from Bruce Handy (The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth), accompanied by joyful art from Ashleigh Corrin (Layla’s Happiness), invites readers to celebrate the beauty and wonder of existence, and all that makes our world what it is.

Why do I like this book? — I was instantly drawn to this book and couldn’t wait to see the direction the “What if” questions took. What if all the birds flew away? This is the first question the book poses, and the sad image of a world without birds took away more than the birds… it took away their music, too. The questions make us think. I was delighted that each question, no matter how bleak the outlook, delivered a set of reponses that included one humorous answer.

I picture a classroom filled with lively discussions, hands flying up with answers to each what if question. I picture a project where children are asked to draw the meaning of each question. This would be a colection of art I would greatly enjoy seeing.

I hope you’ll gather with family and friends and ask what if questions to see where the answers take you. You might even play this game by yourself to create a prompt for a story, poem, or picture.

I’ll start you off

1. What if our pets could speak?
2. What if birds didn’t like to eat insects.
3. What if, instead of speaking, we could only sing?
4. What if the sun were a different color?

If you’d like to share a what if question in the comments, I would absolutely love it!

Until next Friday,

Leslie

An Ever-Growing Collection This Perfect Picture Book Friday

I was about five or six when I started collecting small treasures: a miniature rooster, a pink seashell, the cap from an acorn, a wooden spool, a straw star, an old type letter, a miniature dictionary, a doll’s teacup, and more. Much more. I kept my treasures in a cookie tin, and when I could no longer close the lid, I moved my collection to a bigger box.

Years later, I realized my little trinkets and toys would bring more happiness if I could see them. I stood my wooden animals on the window sill in my writing room, nested my shells and beach pebbles among my books, and filled an old type case with more treasures. For those of you who aren’t familiar with a type case, it’s a shallow, wooden box that is compartmentalized to hold moveable type used in letterpress printing- an ideal place to display my small and marvelous curiosities.

Of course, my tiny treasures are tucked here and there throughout my home, because seeing them brings me joy, and speaking of collecting treasures leads me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday Review of The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell by Candace Fleming.

Title – The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell

Written by  –  Candace Fleming

Illustrated by – Gerard DuBois

Published by – Schwartz & Wade Books

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Theme – Turning a collection of objects into art.

Opening – 

Joey Cornell collected everything… anything… that sparked his imagination or delighted his eye. “If I like it, I keep it,” Joey always said.

At first, he stowed his collection in his bedroom. But it grew… and grew… and grew, until…

From Amazon – View Here

Joey Cornell collected everything — anything that sparked his imagination or delighted his eye. His collection grew and grew until he realized that certain pieces just looked right together. He assembled his doodads to create wonderful, magical creations out of once-ordinary objects.

Perfect for introducing art to kids, here’s an imaginative and engaging book based on the childhood of great American artist Joseph Cornell, told by master picture book author Candace Fleming and lauded illustrator Gérard DuBois.

Why do I like this book? — The second I read the word ‘Collection’ in the title and saw the cover illustration of Joey Cornell pulling his red wagon, brimming with an eclectic collection of items, I needed to know more. I discovered a child, much like my younger self (and current older self), with a powerful attraction to interesting objects that hold memories or serve as pure curiosities. Reading how this young boy grew up to transform his treasures into art was a journey I enjoyed. From the first page to the last, the joy Gerard DuBois felt in illustrating this story was abundantly evident in his loving, vintage style.

Learn about Candace Fleming HERE.

Learn more about Gerard DuBoise HERE.

Collecting treasures is something many of us have in common. While I like miniature curiosities, someone else might enjoy collecting vintage picture books, musical instruments, postcards from their travels, stamps in their passport, maps, or recipes. Anything can become a collection. I hope you’ll take the time to write about something you love to collect in the comments.

Until next Friday,

Leslie

Author Interview: Ariel Bernstein

Last week, on Perfect Picture Book Friday, I shared YOU GO FIRST, a highly relatable story for all ages that addresses the fear of trying something new, especially when that something new is a playground slide that’s BIG and CURVY and might be TOO exciting and provide TOO much fun. Today, as promised, I’m happy to bring you the interview with Ariel Bernstein.

Me: Can you take us back to the exact moment you knew you wanted to write books for children?  

Ariel: I don’t have an exact moment as it was more a build up over time. I loved reading books for children back when I was an actual child of course! And then I fell in love with children’s books again when I started reading them to my kids. It was when I was reading them to my kids that I began to think of some story ideas, and realized I needed to learn how to write a good manuscript.

Me: What were the first steps you took on your journey toward publication? 

Ariel: I found critique partners, joined SCBWI, and attended a conference. I also researched a lot online through websites like kidlit411.org and subitclub.com.

Me: What is the most challenging or favorite aspect of writing a picture book?

Ariel: The most challenging aspect can be figuring out how to improve a ‘good’ manuscript to something worth submitting to editors. That’s when critique partners can be incredibly helpful for getting an unbiased opinion on what still needs work.

My favorite aspect of writing a picture book is creating something from scratch that I end up being proud of. You don’t have to write a picture book to do that of course as it happens anytime someone creates something new like a song or dance, etc. But it just feels very cool whether it ends up being published or not.

Me: An idea pops into your head. (I love it when that happens.) Take us through the steps you take to write a picture book. 

Ariel: I’ll read a bunch of picture book mentor texts to get into the ‘picture book mindset.’ I write down whatever notes I have about the idea. Sometimes before I write I’ve already thought of a character, or line of dialogue, or even the title. But mostly I just start with a sliver of an idea that seems interesting and see what comes up when I start writing. If I get stuck, a walk helps a lot, and sometimes taking little breaks. Often when I sit back down to work on it again, I figure out another layer of the story until I finally reach the end. 

Me: Where do you most love to write, and what makes this place special to you? 

Ariel: I love writing in my living room, either at my writing desk or on the sofa. It’s a very relaxing area with big windows that get some nice sunlight with lots of pretty trees to look at. If I’m not working on non-book things, I appreciate having the room to myself during most weekdays when my kids are at school so there aren’t many distractions.

Me: For each manuscript I’ve written, I remember the Ah-Ha moment that sent me running to my laptop to type up my ideas. Can you share the source of inspiration for your book, You Go First?   

Ariel: I wish I could, but I can’t with this one! The original story was told in first person and was about a pig who was scared to go on a diving board. It kept changing with every revision so there really wasn’t an ah-ha moment. It was more of a gradual progression to the current version.

Me: If you could go back to the first months of your writing journey, knowing what you know today, what advice would you give to yourself? 

Ariel: You don’t always have to say yes to everything. It’s okay to pick and choose what works for you, whether it’s a writing schedule or which critique partners you work with or what promotion you feel is a good investment. I burned myself out a bit in the beginning by doing too much, and eventually realized it’s not necessary or the best way to manage my time.

Me: What was the best comment or reaction you received from a child about your book? 

Ariel: I got a message through my website from a young reader telling me how much he enjoyed the WARREN & DRAGON chapter books and asking very politely if I could please write some more. I felt bad having to explain that it would only be a 4 book series, but gave him a ton of other chapter book recommendations. It was just so nice to know directly from a reader how much they liked the books and wanted more. It also felt great to hopefully lead him to some other wonderful titles.

Me: What were your favorite books/authors when you were a child?

Ariel: Definitely Maurice Sendak, Beverly Cleary, Bill Watterson, and Shel Silverstein. I would have read anything CALVIN & HOBBES countless times.

Ariel is the author of eight books for children, so if you love You Go First as much as I do, I hope you’ll check out her other books. Click on the titles to read more about each one on Amazon.

We Love Fishing

Where is My Balloon?

I Have A Balloon

and her four-book series: Warren & Dragon

You can visit Ariel at her website: https://www.arielbernsteinbooks.com/

See you next Friday!

Leslie