Middle Grade Monday and Arc Review: Doodleville by Chad Sell.

Image: Penguin Random House

Doodleville by Chad Sell. 288 p. Alfred A. Knopf BFYR/ Random House Children's Books/ Penguin Random House, June, 2020. 9781984894717. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Doodleville by Chad Sell. Mr. Sell was one of the authors of the wildly popular Cardboard Kingdom from a year or so back; so fans of that book should really take a look at this one. Doodleville is Sell's first solo graphic novel. 

Drew may not be the best artist, but she sure does love to draw. Readers see a three-year-old Drew enthusiastically making art in her booster seat at her parents' diner. As she grows, her scribbles become doodles with a penchant for jumping off the pages of her sketch book and getting her in trouble. By age nine, she's using rolls of white paper intended for the diner tables to create homes for her many doodles - Doodleville! She and the art club are headed to The Art Institute where the club will study the masterpieces and practice drawing. Drew gets into trouble when one of her doodles pops out and onto a masterpiece. The guard thinks she has drawn on the art. Then, another doodle decides to steal the hat from a baby in another painting and Drew is suspected of defacing the art! 

All of this conflict is added to feelings Drew already has about not being as good an artist as the rest of her club-mates. When her doodles decide to jump out of Drew's sketchbook and into the other's art, things get a tad tense. Then, Drew creates Levi - short for Leviathan. He's huge and toothy and is supposed to be nice. As Drew's emotions get out of hand, so does Levi. Jeweled purple predominates in the mostly earth-toned art. Panels are dynamic and light and darkness are effectively used as Drew battles demons without and within. Doodleville concludes, but with the promise to return. Hand this charmer to fans of graphic novels and/ or budding young artists. 

Fact Friday: Rise Up! The art of protest by Jo Rippon

Image: Charlesbridge

Rise Up! The art of protest by Jo Rippon in collaboration with Amnesty International. 62 p. Charlesbridge, March, 2020. 9781623541507. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features Rise Up! The art of protest by Jo Rippon in collaboration with Amnesty International. This survey of almost two hundred years of protest poster art concludes our week of books focusing on empathy, human rights and activism. 

Mari Copeny encourages young people to stand up for injustice in the forward of the book. She was eight-years-old when she penned a letter about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan in 2016 to President Obama. He responded to her letter and also visited Flint. She didn't stop there though. She has raised over a half a million dollars to help children affected by the poisoned water. 

The book looks at six key areas of protest -  women's rights, racial equality, anti-war protest, youth activists, lgbtq rights and conservation activists. Each chapter begins with a short overview and features a variety of posters. Each poster is captioned with a title, designer, date and purpose. Socially aware teen and tween readers are sure to be inspired by what they find in this attractive, inspiring volume. 

Fact Friday: Picture This: how pictures work by Molly Bang

Image: Chronicle Books

Picture This: how pictures work by Molly Bang. 134p. Chronicle Books, August, 2016. 9781452135151. (Review of purchased copy.)

Yes, TMS Readers, this is the final Friday of our summer vacation. Enjoy the last few days of summer. Fact Friday features Picture This: how pictures work by Molly Bang. Bang happens to be one of my favorite author/ illustrators. You may have enjoyed some of her picture books. She won a Caldecott Honor three times—for When Sophie Gets Angry, Really, Really Angry; Ten, Nine, Eight; and the brilliant, wordless, The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher. 

Using accessible language, the story of Little Red Riding Hood and simple shapes, Bang helps the reader understand how artistic composition can evoke emotion. The square, slightly over-size format allows for plenty of white-space. It's uncluttered and helps readers focus. This is a book I will refer to often. If you are at all artistic, Picture This would be a great resource. 

Arc Review: Henry and the Chalk Dragon by Jennifer Trafton

Henry and the Chalk Dragon by Jennifer Trafton. Illustrated by Benjamin Schipper. 220 p. Rabbit Room Press, April 28, 2017. 9780986381881. (Review from arc courtesy of Blue Slip Media)

Henry is an artist and a bit of an oddity at La Muncha Elementary School. His teachers and classmates don't know what a great artist Henry is because he does not share his art - not even with his very best friend. When he refuses to color a ridiculous bunny template for his class' entry into an "Eat Your Vegetables" art show in the cafeteria, a note is sent home. His parents are supportive of Henry's talents. His mother allows him to draw on his bedroom walls. Indeed, she created a surface upon which Henry can draw, erase and draw again to his heart's content. They encourage him to take part in the school project but Henry absolutely cannot. He gets quite angry, in fact. He's also angry about a few other things. The kids at school don't treat him kindly and he recently got angry with his very best friend, Oscar and there's a ripped up something under his bed to prove it.

As Henry reluctantly gets ready to go to school, the magnificent dragon that he drew on his wall slips off and into his backpack. Henry has no choice but to bring him to school. He dons a suit of armor because that's what knights do and boards the school bus, where he is ridiculed. His ally, the bus driver, who sees Henry for what he is, isn't able to help Henry. 

Once inside school, the dragon slips out of the backpack and magical mayhem ensues. It's all explained away by the clueless adults who cannot "see" the dragon. It's up to Henry to subdue his work of art who seems to be able to change into anything Henry has drawn in his secret sketchpad. He is joined by Oscar and Jade, the new girl at school. Jade is fierce. She is a poet along the lines of traveling minstrels and has been watching Henry very closely. She sees Henry's potential. If only Henry would recognize the ally that she is!

This book is quirky with a capital Q. I will admit that quirky sometimes rubs me the wrong way. When I read the back jacket and saw that the name of the town was Squashbuckle, I was ready to be rubbed. Thankfully, my edges were smoothed on the first page by the wonder of Henry's door and the lovely, evocative writing. There are lots of italics and the occasional odd capitalization for emphasis that lend charm, like "Work of Art." Speaking of art, the cover, with it's slate feel and chalk writing, is perfect; as are the bits of spot art that were available in the arc I read.

I cannot wait for the book to come out so that I can get it into the hands of a variety of readers - my artists, my quiet kids, my kids who want adventure, my kids who want funny (because many of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny), ...any of my kids really.

Visit the author's site for a terrific curriculum guide! 

Ashley Bryan's Puppets by Ashley Bryan

Ashley Bryan's Puppets: making something from everything by Ashley Bryan. Photographed by Ken Hannon. 80 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, July 2014. 9781442487284. (Purchased)

This book is a photo essay in poems and it's simply gorgeous.  Renowned author, illustrator, poet, and now, puppet maker, Ashley Bryan created a tribe of puppets made of objects found while walking the shores of his beloved Cranberry Isles island of Islesford.

Bryan has created more than thirty unique puppets, named them with African names and imbued them with distinct voices and personalities through poems. One of my favorites is Jojo, the storyteller. Her adorable face is fashioned out of a battered knit glove, mismatched button eyes and a marrow bone for a mouth that gives her either a perpetually surprised expression or the impression that she's always talking. Apt.

The book is a feast for the eyes, brimming with joy and possibility. I have already told the art teacher I have a perfect resource for her unit on found art. This book should serve as a source of inspiration. LA teachers will have much to mine here as well.

I must admit that I possess no objectivity when it comes to Mr. Bryan. I am a long-time fan of his. The Cat's Purr is one of my all-time favorites and sadly, no longer available in hard cover. If you ever get the chance to hear this humble, joyous and vibrant man speak, do please.