Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Perogies &Gyoza.

For Nonfiction Monday --  "Giant Squid: searching for a sea monster" written by Mary M. Cerullo with Clyde F.E. Roper.

 

Monsters, mystery and a real-life adventure: no wonder this topic appeals to young readers.  Giant Squid have eyes as large as dinner plates and tentacles armed with rows of sharp suckers capable of leaving scars on their natural enemy the sperm whale.  The largest specimen ever recorded was 43 feet long but despite their enormous size, these creatures remain elusive and difficult to study.

Cerullo has teamed up with marine biologist/Giant Squid expert Roper to provide her audience with the latest information and current research on this remarkable animal.  Roper's decades of study, together with the work of a Japanese expert, form the basis for the book.  Photographs, drawings, maps and a glossary are paired with the facts and fiction that surround this little known monster from the deep to invite young scientists begin their own exploration.      

Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Think Kid, Think!

For Poetry Friday -- "Imaginary menagerie: a book of curious creatures" -- poetry by Julie Larios with paintings by Julie Paschkis.

 

Larios offers readers a cross-cultural collection of poems that explore the nature of fourteen mythical creatures.  The familiar dragon and phoenix serve as bookends for the less well known beings that include the thunderbird of Native American traditions, naga of Hindu and Buddhist lore, and the Russian firebird along with hobgoblin, troll and will o the wisp. 

Boldly colored paintings by Paschkis appear inspired by the folk art traditions of each creatures' cultural heritage and enrich the reading experience with every turn of the page.  

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by InstantlyInterruptible.

For Nonfiction Monday --  "An eye for color: the story of Josef Albers" by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Julia Breckenreid.

 

Wing offers readers a thoughtful look at the life and work of Josef Albers, a man she first knew as the kindly gentleman who strolled her childhood neighborhood.  Only in later years would she come to understand the remarkable life that Albers led from his days as part of the German Bauhaus Movement in the 1920s to a nearly thirty yearlong study of color.  He began his experiment, titled Homage to the Square, to determine the way colors reacted when placed side by side and noted the optical illusions and the effect of afterimages that occurred as a result. His study culminated in the 1963 publication of his book, Interaction of Color, which forever changed the way the way artists understand color theory.

A comprehensive Author's Note, photographs, and Glossary complete the book.

Breckenreid's paintings illustrate Albers' life and demonstrate his painting style which utilized flat colors and geometric shapes.

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Booktalking.

For Nonfiction Monday --  "Hold your horses!" (and other peculiar sayings) written by Cynthia Amoroso and illustrated by Mernie Gallagher-Cole.

 

Hold Your Horses is one of four titles by Amoroso that include I'm All Thumbs, It's a Long Shot and That's the Last Straw.  Each title explores idiomatic English sayings by explaining their meaning, using them in context, and providing readers with an entertaining introduction the peculiarities of English language. 

Gallagher-Cole's cartoon-style illustrations make literal use of the phrases under discussion which provides readers with ample opportunities to smile while helping to clarify word usage.

Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Elizabeth Steinglass Poet.

For Poetry Friday -- "Dogku" by Andrew Clements with illustrations by Tim Bowers.

Just for fun -- the story of a dog told in page-by-page haikus that successfully capture the humor, drama and suspense of a stray's search for a home.  Clements follows his story with a short author's note about haikus.  Dogku is a simple introduction to the haiku that invites readers to play with this poetry form and demonstrates the power of this simple verse.

Bowers' charming illustrations enrich the plot points as they unfold.

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Stacking Books.

For Nonfiction Monday --  "Biomimicry" written by Dora Lee and illustrated by Margot Thompson.

Biomimicry is defined in the dictionary as: the mimicking of life using imitation biological systems.

Lee explains that "Biomimicry is a way of thinking that encourages scientists, inventors and ordinary people to study nature and use its solutions to solve our problems."  She encourages readers to consider all the ways we've already begun this process.  Airplanes? Birds flew first.  Sonar? Bats beat us to that one.  Velcro? Thank the cockleburs that inspired George de Mestral.

Lee takes the discussion to another level by looking at developing or future uses such as competition swimwear modeled on sharkskin, a Zimbabwe building with air conditioning modeled after the efficient cooling of a termite mound, self cleaning painting inspired by the lotus flower, and NASA's seed-wing flyer for off-planet exploration.

Thompson's illustrations are richly colored glimpses of the natural world under discussion.

Writers Wednesday

Contemplating rejection -- something every writer must face, come to terms with and then keep on writing.

I recently found a post at Gotham Writers Workshop on this very topic.  I'm sharing a few excerpts from the post.

If misery loves company, consider the struggles of these authors.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – 38 rejections

Louis L’Amour, author of over 100 western novels – over 300 rejections before publishing his first book

John Creasy, author of 564 mystery novels – 743 rejections before publishing his first book

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter – rejected so universally the author decided to self-publish the book

From rejection slip for Norman MacLean’s A River Runs Through It:
“These stories have trees in them.”

From rejection slip for article sent to the San Francisco Examiner to Rudyard Kipling:
  “I'm sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just don't know how to use the English language."

And my favorite --

Rejection from a Chinese economic journal:
  “We have read your manuscript with boundless delight. If we were to publish your paper, it would be impossible for us to publish any work of lower standard. And as it is unthinkable that in the next thousand years we shall see its equal, we are, to our regret, compelled to return your divine composition, and to beg you a thousand times to overlook our short sight and timidity.”

To read the complete post, click HERE.