Climbing the Volcano, A Journey in Haiku
Climbing the Volcano, A Journey in Haiku, by Curtis Manley, Illustrated by Jennifer K Mann, published January 2024, Neal Porter Books/Holiday House
Climbing the Volcano is a non-fiction picture book which tells the story of a child who, together with their family, hikes to the crater of Oregon’s South Sister Volcano. The story is told entirely in haiku poems.
The Horn Book’s starred review says:
Manley offers a child’s point of view of a day-long hike up a mountain (identified in the back matter as the South Sister in Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range). Each stage of the hike is described in a rich, telegraphic three-line haiku poem, beginning with a blazing sunrise. Readers follow along as the child swats away mosquitoes, passes a rushing stream, trudges through the snow, munches trail mix, reaches the summit, and heads back down and to the campsite for bedtime: “trying to sleep— / what mountain will I climb / next?” The economy of words in the haiku form fits the way a child might think and particularly seems to suit the exercise of describing a demanding hike while actually in the midst of one. Mann’s mixed-media illustrations work effectively in tandem with the haiku narration, alternating perspectives— featuring the landscape and the views, or the child’s close observations, or the family on the move. Her cartoonlike characters pop against the natural setting, especially the child protagonist in an orange hoodie and green pants. Back matter includes information about the history and geology of the region, hiking tips, a visual index, a list of resources, and a note about the haiku poem form, which debunks the idea that English-language haiku must follow a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. SYLVIA VARDELL
Booklist’s starred review says:
A young boy and his family awaken at their campsite and prepare to hike Oregon's South Sister, a dormant volcano. In a series of haiku, the child recounts his memories of this trek: annoying mosquitoes that swarm his face, tiny toads found on the forest floor, glaciers with snow that sometimes obscures the path, a mountain lake and a pumice desert, a marmot sunning on a boulder, a trail-mix snack, soaring ravens and colorful butterflies, and the amazing view from the summit. The verses are succinct yet very effective in conveying a sense of the trip: “how to stay warm / in the forest shade: / swat mosquitoes” and “is this the trail? / a line of pawprints / from a bobcat.” Mann's colorful mixed-media artwork captures the majesty of the Cascade Mountain range (“boulders as big / as buildings”) as well as the flora and fauna to be found there (“hawk floats on a thermal / looking for prey”). She makes use of varied panel sizes, enabling her to capture the essence of each haiku. Her double-page spreads depict wide vistas, while smaller close-ups portray intimate family moments. With generous back matter (geologic history, hiking necessities, haiku information, flora and fauna details, bibliography), this makes a great read aloud or prelude to a family adventure.
— Kay Weisman
And Publisher’s Weekly had these kind words:
Manley (The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures) writes a collection of haiku in the voice of a child whose family summits a dormant volcano in the Pacific Northwest. In digitally finished multimedia artwork that maintains a hand-drawn look, Mann (Maple and Rosemary) views the distant, glowing peak from the group’s campsite. Via the poetic form’s short lines, Manley describes the tan-skinned family setting off through pine trees, swatting mosquitoes, and spotting other beings (“I crouch down and smile/ at tiny toads”). Soon, snow appears, the pines grow shorter as treeline approaches, and more marvels emerge (“up here in the sky—/ what everyone talks about/ is butterflies”). At the summit, framed against a breathtaking expanse, the young narrator stands on the spot “I saw blazing/ at dawn.” Fragments of beauty and knowledge echo the fleeting nature of encounters with life in the wild, and readers share the young hiker’s sense of triumph at having taken on an impressive expedition that feels well within the realm of the possible. Back matter includes more about hiking and the animals mentioned. Ages 4–8.
Maple and Rosemary
Maple and Rosemary, by Alison James, illustrated by Jennifer K Mann, January 2023, Neal Porter Books/Holiday House
Maple and Rosemary is the story of a friendship between a young girl and a maple tree. As Rosemary grows and changes, so does Maple, until both are old, and reflecting on the power of abiding friendship.
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books gave Maple and Rosemary this Big Picture starred review:
Alison James and Jennifer K. Mann’s inversion of The Giving Tree begins with a nod to Shel Silverstein’s enduring, controversial classic: “Once there was a tree who was very lonely.” Things change when a distressed girl named Rosemary rushes, in tears, across the field to the sugar maple. Children at the nearby school have hurt her feelings, and Maple offers her friendship. Their bond deepens as Rosemary visits daily; she even plants some maple seeds beneath her friend’s branches.
When Rosemary suddenly stops visiting, Maple grieves, but as seasons and years pass, she manages to bloom and grow anyway. The eager saplings shooting up under Maple’s brilliant leaves also mature. Finally, Rosemary returns, now a grown woman, to tell Maple that she’s become a teacher at the school. She hangs a swing from one of Maple’s branches and introduces her students to her old friend. In the end, we see Rosemary as an older woman, her dark hair white with age. She settles next to Maple with a book and, beneath the sheltering leaves, reads aloud to the tree.
With touching emotional authenticity, Maple & Rosemary explores the bonds of friendship and the promises it entails. James portrays conversations between Rosemary and Maple in straightforward dialogue, as though Maple is actually speaking and Rosemary can understand her. When Rosemary’s visits cease, James writes that Maple “ached with loneliness,” because “once you have a friend, you know what you are missing when they are gone.”
Mann’s artwork seamlessly complements James’ vivid text. When we first meet Rosemary, James describes her from Maple’s perspective as something “raining from its eyes” and moving “bright and fast like a shooting star.” Mann brings the story to the page with lush landscapes filled with greens of every shade. She captures Maple beautifully throughout the seasons, and her occasional use of panels expertly progresses the pacing as needed. “Leaves bloomed, burned, then fell,” we read as Mann depicts pink-tipped buds, then verdant green leaves and finally the fiery reds of autumn.
This tender story is essential reading for tree-whisperers everywhere.
Publishers Weekly had this to say:
The familiar premise of two outsiders forging a lifetime bond takes an unexpected turn in this The Giving Tree–tinged picture book. Maple is the lone deciduous figure among snooty cedars and pines who “didn’t have time for a tree that was all bark and no leaf for half the year,” writes James (The Drums of Noto Hando) in emotional prose. When child Rosemary, portrayed with light skin and pink cheeks, seeks refuge in Maple’s leafy branches (“Everybody hates me,” she declares), the tree, anthropomorphized via the text, eagerly agrees to be her friend (“The tree’s branches trembled, and all her leaves shook. Her wish had been granted!”). Rosemary initially visits regularly, but when she stays gone for many years with no explanation, scribbly mixed-media illustrations by Mann (The Camping Trip) evoke both the passing of time and Maple’s lonely resignation. Happily, Rosemary does return—as a schoolteacher with an entire class to befriend Maple—and the two friends grow old together in a relationship that’s “as real as roots.” Emotionally honest and visually aware of life’s seasons, this book acknowledges that cherished bonds don’t always follow a simple script. Ages 4–8
Bookpage wrote these kind words:
Alison James and Jennifer K. Mann’s inversion of The Giving Tree begins with a nod to Shel Silverstein’s enduring, controversial classic: “Once there was a tree who was very lonely.” Things change when a distressed girl named Rosemary rushes, in tears, across the field to the sugar maple. Children at the nearby school have hurt her feelings, and Maple offers her friendship. Their bond deepens as Rosemary visits daily; she even plants some maple seeds beneath her friend’s branches.
When Rosemary suddenly stops visiting, Maple grieves, but as seasons and years pass, she manages to bloom and grow anyway. The eager saplings shooting up under Maple’s brilliant leaves also mature. Finally, Rosemary returns, now a grown woman, to tell Maple that she’s become a teacher at the school. She hangs a swing from one of Maple’s branches and introduces her students to her old friend. In the end, we see Rosemary as an older woman, her dark hair white with age. She settles next to Maple with a book and, beneath the sheltering leaves, reads aloud to the tree.
With touching emotional authenticity, Maple & Rosemary explores the bonds of friendship and the promises it entails. James portrays conversations between Rosemary and Maple in straightforward dialogue, as though Maple is actually speaking and Rosemary can understand her. When Rosemary’s visits cease, James writes that Maple “ached with loneliness,” because “once you have a friend, you know what you are missing when they are gone.”
Mann’s artwork seamlessly complements James’ vivid text. When we first meet Rosemary, James describes her from Maple’s perspective as something “raining from its eyes” and moving “bright and fast like a shooting star.” Mann brings the story to the page with lush landscapes filled with greens of every shade. She captures Maple beautifully throughout the seasons, and her occasional use of panels expertly progresses the pacing as needed. “Leaves bloomed, burned, then fell,” we read as Mann depicts pink-tipped buds, then verdant green leaves and finally the fiery reds of autumn.
This tender story is essential reading for tree-whisperers everywhere.
Audrey L and Audrey W: Best Friends-ish
Audrey L and Audrey W: Best Friends-ish, by Carter Higgins, illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann, Chronicle Books, 2021
and
Audrey L and Audrey W: True Creative Talents, by Carter Higgins, Illustrated by Jennifer K Mann, 2022, Chronicle Books
A chapter book series chronicling the second grade foibles and triumphs of Audrey L, and her new best friend, Audrey W.
Publisher’s Weekly gave the first Audrey’s this sweet review:
A second grader navigates the ups and downs of a new friendship.
So far, second grade isn’t living up to Audrey Locke’s high expectations. When the odd number of kids pair up, she’s the extra one. Longing to be best at something, Audrey—class Welcome Ambassador—seizes her opportunity when Ms. Fincastle announces they’ll be joined by a new student whose favorite snack is chocolate-covered crickets. Although Audrey drops the welcome cake she’s made, the new girl, Audrey Waters, is gracious about the mishap, and friendship blossoms. Besides their names, the girls share a liking for winged unicorns and purple nail polish. But as Audrey W excels at music, spelling, and more, Audrey L begins to feel jealous, especially after the class votes for Audrey W’s choice to name the classroom’s hermit crab. With Audrey W best at so much, Audrey L’s determined to prove herself best at baking. Then their baking-focused weekend play date goes awry, and Audrey L lets out all her worries and anger. Mann’s droll illustrations capture the full range of her changing emotions and convey character diversity: Ms. Fincastle and several students have darker skin than both brown-haired Audrey L (presumed White) and black-haired Audrey W (who has olive skin on the full-color cover). The sophisticated vocabulary and syntax might be a stretch for young readers. If mature, accomplished Audrey W is fairly thinly developed in this first series outing, Audrey L’s struggles to establish herself within the chaotic social hierarchies of elementary school are endearingly authentic.
Funny and engaging. (Fiction. 6-9)
And Booklist had these kinds words:
Audrey Locke was initially excited for second grade and the big changes that would go with it, but it turns out that many of those changes aren’t so fun. There are grades and tests now, and her friend Diego isn’t interested in being buddies anymore. When Audrey is assigned to be the
Welcome Ambassador for the class’ new student, she is determined to do the best job she can—even when it means not being Room 19’s only Audrey anymore. Audrey Waters’ arrival brings a sparkle of hope to Audrey L. that they could possibly be friends, but it also stirs up less desirable emotions, like anxiety, jealousy, and self-doubt. Lots of readers will identify with Audrey L.’s mixed-up feelings and chuckle over minor mishaps that unfold through short, illustrated chapters. A shared love of cupcakes, alicorns (flying unicorns!), and the color purple helps see the girls through a bumpy start, and friendship happily prevails. An instant companion for Ivy & Bean and Clementine, this sweet series-starter holds plenty of promise.
— Julia Smith
This, from The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books:
Higgins has a keen ear for both the chaos of elementary school classrooms and the turbulent inner lives of elementary aged kids . . . The text is simple and direct but often steeped in the sensorial, effectively conveying Audrey L’s emotions . . . Black and white illustrations recall Quentin Blake’s scratchy pencilwork muted with dappling shades of gray. Readers who’ve outgrown the first-grade escapades of Green’s [Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade] but aren’t quite ready for English’s Carver Chronicles . . . will find their sweet spot with this easy reader.
School Library Journal
This delightful tale of friendship struggles and the uncertainties of school shines with humor and spirit. Mann’s black-and-white line illustrations help break up the text and nicely complement the two Audrey’s adventures. VERDICT A great addition to libraries where memorable girls like ‘Ivy + Bean,’ and ‘Judy Moody’ are popular.
Shelf Awareness
Sensitive and gently humorous. . . Higgins (Bikes for Sale; This Is Not a Valentine) captures the complicated dynamics of nascent friendships and perceived hierarchies through small moments that ring with authenticity and humor. Mann (The Camping Trip) drops thematic hints through chapter headers, while spot illustrations featuring moon-faced characters appear in shaded line drawings throughout the story. Well-paced chapters conclude satisfactorily while planting seeds for future installments to feature the classmates and Audrey L's ‘funny... and weird’ family. A natural fit for fans of odd-couple friendship stories like Ivy & Bean and funny school stories like Jo Jo Makoons, this series starter promises double the fun.
Kirkus
“Mann’s droll illustrations capture the full range of changing emotions and convey character diversity . . . Audrey L’s struggles to establish herself within the chaotic social hierarchies of elementary school are endearingly authentic. Funny and engaging.
The Camping Trip
The Camping Trip, May 5, 2020, Candlewick Press
The Camping Trip is the story of Ernestine, a city dweller who is going on her first camping trip ever with her aunt and her cousin. Ernestine’s expectations don’t always match up with the reality of her experience, but by the end of the trip, Ernestine has experienced awe and wonder in nature, conquered so many new things, and she can’t wait to do it again next year. It’s a picture book with graphic novel features, and it’s a little longer than most picture books, perfect for the youngest camping enthusiasts, and slightly older readers who want to dig into Ernestine’s story of first time adventure.
The Camping Trip has been honored and/or appeared on the following lists since it’s publication by Candlewick in May of 2020:
Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended title 2021-2022
2021 Washington State Book Award winner, for picture books
Bank Street Best Childrens’ Books of the Year 2021
CCBC Choices 2021, the annual best-of-the-year list of the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
2021 ALSC Notable Children's Books list
2021 Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens list
2021 Monarch Illinois' K-3 Readers' Choice Award Master List
One of the five finalists for the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration
A Mighty Girl’s 2020 Books of the Year
A very exciting honor is the currently running March Book Madness 2021! The Camping Trip was included among sixteen remarkable books in the original brackets, and has now advanced to the Elite 8! Readers all over the nation are reading and sharing their thoughts about an amazing collection of picture books. I can’t wait to see who wins.
Here are some of the warm reviews received by The Camping Trip
Kirkus, starred review
A young black girl experiences her first-ever camping trip, invited along by her aunt and cousin.
Ernestine, the immediately likable narrator, has never been camping, but she knows she is going to love it. She is thoroughly prepared, barely fitting all the gear her aunt listed into her duffel bag. When at last Aunt Jackie arrives, Ernestine says goodbye to her dad. She and her cousin amuse themselves in the car until they arrive at the campground: a full-bleed, double-page spread of lake and trees and mountains that will have readers ready to break out their own tents. After working hard to set up their tent, the girls are ready for a swim—but newbie Ernestine, who loves swimming at the Y, is surprised to find there are fish in the pond. After lunch, they all go on a hike, but someone seems to have packed too much in her backpack. A campfire, dinner, s’mores, some tossing and turning in her sleeping bag, a touch of homesickness, and a star-filled night all await the narrator in her memorable trip that is full of surprises. Experienced campers will smile knowingly while the inexperienced will gain tips about how real camping compares to the imagined. Mann’s thin, sometime-scribbly lines and earth-toned colors capture the child’s viewpoint masterfully, and the variety of layouts, from pages full of small vignettes with speech bubbles to spread-spanning landscapes, carries readers through anticipation, humor, and awe in this longer-than-usual picture-book/graphic-novel hybrid. All characters are black.
This delightful trip will be savored again and again. (Picture book. 5-10)
Publishers Weekly, starred review
Fans of Alison Farrell’s The Hike will find much to love in this graphic novel–style picture book by Mann (Josie’s Lost Tooth) about Ernestine, a city kid on her first camping trip. Gathering provisions and driving to the campsite with her Aunt Jackie and cousin Samantha is lots of fun, but once they arrive at a lakeside campsite shaded by towering pines—rendered in woodsy-toned collaged pencil drawings—Ernestine is definitely out of her comfort zone (“It’s so quiet. And big. It smells like trees, and fire, and dirt”). Using first-person narration and balloon dialogue, Mann takes Ernestine and readers through a journey of rude shocks and newfound resilience toward mastery. Ernestine discovers, to her wide-eyed horror, that there are real fish in the lake, and the hills are bigger than anything in the city. A bout of late-night homesickness leaves her missing her single father, but there are also s’mores (Ernestine turns out to be an expert marshmallow toaster), an awe-inspiring starry sky, and, in the last swim before returning home, “The fish don’t bite me once.” Mann wisely refrains from tying up her story with a big ribbon, but readers will understand what Ernestine knows: the world looks different after a wonderful adventure. Ages 3–7. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (May)
Booklist, starred review
Ernestine, who lives with her father in the city, narrates this story of going overnight camping with her aunt and cousin. It is the small African American girl’s first such trip, and she’s excited to buy needed equipment and spend time outdoors. Though she thinks she knows what to expect, the child is surprised by a number of new experiences. For example, swimming at the Y and swimming in a lake are very different: “There are fish in here!” she exclaims, with eyes wide and teeth clenched. Hiking in the woods is not the same as walking to school, and spending a night without her father nearby is lonesome. But finding new insects, admiring huge trees, and gazing at a startling starlit sky help her discover the wonders of the outdoors. Sweet pencil illustrations, collaged and painted digitally, appear in a variety of sizes, including some graphic-style panels that employ speech bubbles for dialogue. Beginning readers will enjoy being able to look at a picture and read the camping word placed nearby—camera, hat, swimsuit, pillow, sunglasses—on the endpapers as well as in the story. This title can serve as a manual for children who are about to go camping for the first time or as a remembrance for those who have had that exhilarating adventure.
The Hornbook, starred review
City-dweller Ernestine has never been camping, but when Aunt Jackie and cousin Samantha invite her, she gets her dad's okay and starts preparing: new flashlight and sleeping bag, a homemade batch of trail mix, and a long list of things to pack all helpfully pictured and labeled in the engaging art. After a long car ride, they arrive at the campground, and Ernestine learns that tent pitching is harder than it looks and that hiking in the woods is tougher than walking to school. Dinner (tofu hot dogs and broccoli salad) and swimming (with fish!) present some new challenges for the girl, but bedtime proves the trickiest time of all. Aunt Jackie knows just what to do to help her niece get over her homesickness and enjoy the night: "Let's go look at the stars"—accompanied by a stunning double-page spread in deep purple and black. Ernestine narrates the story in first person and present tense, capturing the immediacy of her experiences. Mann's skillfully crafted pencil and "digitally collaged and painted" illustrations, in a nicely paced mix of panels, full-page illustrations, and double-page spreads, quietly foster a love for the wilderness while they show how time spent outside can bring families closer. A rare and welcome depiction of an African American family going camping (see also Hike, rev. 3/20). MICHELLE H. MARTIN
If I knew someone who was about to go camping for the first time, Jennifer K. Mann’s THE CAMPING TRIP would be the perfect gift. From sleeping bag and pillow to lantern, whistle, marshmallow-roasting fork and playing cards, Mann offers a visual checklist of what to take with you. And that’s just the endpapers.
Ernestine is invited to go camping with Aunt Jackie and cousin Samantha. Her anticipation builds as she packs supplies (stuffed Foxy is a must), tests her new flashlight and makes trail mix with Dad.
In graphic-novel-style layouts, the road trip from city to country unfolds — the girls look at comic books, play cat’s cradle, stare out the window, sing along with the radio — culminating in a full-spread illustration of the destination, a lake in the woods.
Ernestine has much to discover. Setting up camp is work. Lake swimming might include live fish. Hiking is not the same thing as walking. But there are wonderful things as well: massive trees too wide to reach around, strange bugs to study, unfamiliar foods that prove to be surprisingly tasty.
The first-person voice is on point: Ernestine loads her backpack so full of food for a short hike — supplementing the trail mix with essentials such as “leftover chips, cheese sticks, peanut butter crackers and cookies” — that she can barely climb a hill. “When we finally stop, I eat a lot so my backpack will be lighter on the way back!”
Her excitement, curiosity, hesitations and fears play out in her dialogue and keep her awake when everyone else is sleeping: “I’m boiling. I need to get my socks off! Where’s my water bottle? Where is Foxy? I’m freezing. Is anyone else awake?” The magic of the nighttime sky is just the tonic she needs; stargazing with Aunt Jackie and Samantha settles her down. By the next day, a confident Ernestine tackles a swim in the lake and helps break down the campsite.
The illustrations, a mix of pencil line drawings with digital collage and painting, are evocative and effective. Step-by-step sequences, presented in panels, deconstruct key activities like making a campfire. Mann’s diagram showing how to assemble a s’more might inspire even those who rarely leave their apartments.
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Ernestine has been invited to go camping at Cedar Tree Campground with her Aunt Jackie and her cousin Samantha. She’s excited, though a bit worried her father might miss her too much. It’s her first camping trip. What can she do when she wakes in the middle of the night, scared and ready to go back home?
This is the newest picture book from Jennifer K. Mann, The Camping Trip (Candlewick, April 2020), and it’s another satisfying, well-executed tale from her about children’s everyday anxieties and how they overcome them. Bonus: This one has s’mores!
This is a longer picture book — it clocks in at 56 pages. And with the action on many pages divided into panels and the dialogue in speech balloons, at times it has a comics feel about it. It’s a remarkably child-friendly story about a child’s first adventure in the great outdoors and the thrill of it all — the story is told from Ernestine’s point of view — but Mann also touches on the vulnerabilities of that, such as the hesitancy the girl feels in being away from her father.
Mann fills the book with the tangible and sensory details of the girl’s experience. We see her pack and see each and every thing she decides to take with her (the endpapers also include tiny images of her camping supplies); we see how the girls pass the time on the way to the campground (including a game of cat’s cradle, as well as some simple staring-out-the-window); we see what Ernestine eats (she’s not too thrilled about tofu hot dogs), what she needs for her hike (bandages and her favorite plush toy, Foxy), and what they experience while they’re out there (banana slugs!). My favorite moment of the detailed and lovely sensory imagery is when they first arrive, and Ernestine thinks: “It’s so quiet. And big. It smells like trees, and fire, and dirt.” (This spread is pictured below.)
When, on the first night, Ernestine can’t sleep and wants to call her father (there’s no reception for Aunt Jackie’s cell phone), her aunt has a wise solution, which I won’t spoil for you. After that, Ernestine is able to sleep and gently settle into her camping experience. When she makes it home, we read an understated “I think my Dad missed me.” Here, he gives her the tenderest and tightest of hugs, his eyes closed as he leans down to embrace her.
And as Dr. Michelle H. Martin noted in her starred Horn Book review of the book (one of several for this book), it’s a “rare and welcome depiction of an African American family enjoying nature.” (If you missed her 2019 piece on the portrayal of “minoritized children having immersive experiences outdoors in children’s picture books,” you can read it here.)
Josie's Lost Tooth
Josie's Lost Tooth, September 11, 2018, from Candlewick Press
This is the story of Josie, who is pretty darn good at just about everything. But, she is the last in her class to lose a tooth. With her faithful pal Richard looking on, Josie tries everything to lose that tooth. Will she ever have a tooth to leave for the Tooth Fairy? (You can order it here.)
Here is what Kirkus has to say about Josie’s Lost Tooth:
Josie, usually the best and first at almost everything, is the last in her class to lose a tooth—and she’s determined to change that.
Josie and Richard are friends with a healthy dose of competition at Blueberry Hill Elementary School. After a few unsuccessful attempts to lose a tooth just like Richard (and all her classmates), she laments, “What if she had baby teeth for the rest of her life?” Richard, the perennial friend, cheers her up with a game of shark-chases-squid tag during which Josie accidentally loses her tooth—literally. Josie worries that the Tooth Fairy won’t come through on her end of the bargain and writes her a letter of appeal. A surprising gift reveals an understanding Tooth Fairy who boosts friendship over money. Mann’s rustic pencil-and-pastel illustrations so closely resemble a child’s drawings it’s as if Josie has chronicled her own story. The inclusion of the letters to and from the Tooth Fairy may very well inspire young writers. The realistic dialogue, effective use of italics, and simple, kidlike vocabulary work well with the illustrations to create a satisfying tale on a familiar theme centered on friendship, play, and imagination. Josie has brown skin, rosy cheeks, and dark brown braids, and Richard has pale skin, freckles, and red hair.
Readers will feel assured that anxiety is short-lived and friendship endures. (Picture book. 4-7)
This is what Julie Danielson, of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast wrote about JOSIE’S LOST TOOTH:
I am always interested in seeing the latest picture book release from Jennifer K. Mann. Her stories possess such respect for the inner lives of children, and she captures domestic and school-related dramas so perfectly. (Here’s my 2016 7-Imp interview with her, if her books are new to you, by chance, and you want to explore.) Her newest picture book, Josie’s Lost Tooth (Candlewick), is no exception. It will be on shelves next month. Here’s a quick peek inside.
Now, let’s just admit that this whole tooth-losing part of childhood is hard. And CREEPY. (Is it just me? I always have dreams my teeth are falling out, so it may be just me.) The whole experience can be rife with drama and pain and tears — but also some thrills, on account of the tooth fairy herself. Whether or not you had a tooth fairy as a child and/or whether or not you have children now and engage in the whole tooth-fairy thing, Mann’s book resonates. This is the story of Josie, whose baby teeth stubbornly remain. She really wants to lose a tooth, and she really wants a coin from the Tooth Fairy. When it finally happens for her, as the result of a stumble on the playground at school, she is unable to locate the tooth that dislodged itself from her gum. What can she put under her pillow now?
She decides to leave a note for the toothy fairy — and she gets one in return. Plus, a surprise for both herself and her friend at school. This is a story of vulnerability, friendship, mystery — and maybe a little bit of wanting to grow up. Oh, and SHARK TEETH. Bonus!
Percy, Dog of Destiny
Published by Boyds Mills Press, Percy, Dog of Destiny is due on bookstore shelves March 28, 2017.
Some of the great reviews:
“This exuberant story is perfect for the preschool set, who will love the dogs’ antics and Percy’s peppy personality. The minimal text and energetic, digitally colored pencil illustrations…will ensure that listeners’ attentions never stray.” – Booklist “Percy, the Dog of Destiny, is on his way to the dog park with his ball and friends…Readers quickly learn the canines’ personalities while watching them play…Simple art in pencil…creates an uncluttered flow for the action of the characters…in a tale for those who love their four-legged canine friends…A dog lovers’ delight…” School Library Journal
“Percy…recounts his adventure at the dog park in this chipper picture book…McGhee humorously creates an imagined inner dialogue of a high-energy pet…and Mann's breezy portraits will be familiar to anyone who's spent even a little time around dogs in action.” Publishers Weekly
“Percy is a bright-eyed dog…(who) plays with his canine pals at the dog park, culminating in an encounter with a feisty, ball stealing squirrel. He narrates the story with just a few words and a snappy attitude, using witty expressions. Minimalist, digitally produced illustrations…compliment the sophisticated tone of the text..” – Kirkus Reviews
SAM and JUMP
Sam and Jump, published by Candlewick Press, has received this lovely starred review from Publisher's Weekly:
Sam and his stuffed bunny, Jump, "do everything together. Because they are best friends." But when Sam goes to the beach, he meets a boy named Thomas, and they have so much fun that Sam forgets all about Jump when he leaves. Luckily, Thomas doesn't. With its simple sentences (set in a typeface that has an understated poignancy), roundheaded characters, and softly colored watercolor-and-ink renderings, Mann's (I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson's Blackboard) story raises some powerful and provocative questions about loyalty, responsibility, and friendship. Was Sam being thoughtless or even disloyal when he put Jump aside to play with Thomas? On the other hand, Jump is a toy--perhaps even a "baby toy"--and Thomas is a real peer who seem like he's make a very good friend (and proves it when he rescues the forgotten Jump). Doesn't Thomas have a greater claim on Sam's attention? Mann splits the difference in the end, but both adults and kids should find this ostensibly unassuming story offers significant food for thought.
This sweet review comes from Kirkus Reviews:
When a small boy forgets his precious stuffed rabbit at the beach, he fears the worst.
“Best friends” who “do everything together,” Sam, a white boy, and his stuffed rabbit, Jump, go to the beach, where they meet a black boy named Thomas. They play together all day. When he gets home, Sam realizes he’s left Jump at the beach. His mother promises they will return to the beach in the morning, but Sam can’t eat dinner or enjoy his bedtime story and spends the night imagining terrible things happening to Jump. In the morning, Sam can’t find Jump anywhere at the beach and “nothing was fun” without him. Then Thomas returns carrying the missing Jump, and all’s well. Sweet, endearingly simple illustrations created with pencil, watercolor, and “digital magic” judiciously use white space to focus attention on inseparable Sam and Jump sharing tea, soaping up in the tub, and sitting side-by-side on a tree branch and in an overstuffed chair. Following Jump’s abandonment, murky, blue-gray backgrounds emphasize Sam’s sadness, isolation, and fear, while Sam’s solitary figure on the beach echoes his loneliness and loss, reprieved later in the silent hug of his reunion with Jump.
Kids with their own favorite toys will identify with this gentle, tender tale of Sam and Jump’s special bond. (Picture book. 3-7)
And one more lovely review from Booklist:
Sam, an endearing, round-headed boy, has a best friend in his tiny stuffed bunny, Jump. They do everything together. Sam even makes sure Jump has his own book while the boy reads in a comfy armchair. At the beach one day, Sam meets another boy, Thomas, and the two play together all afternoon, dashing through birds, tossing a beach ball, burying one another in sand. When it comes time to go home, Jump is forgotten and left at the beach. Sam is horrified and worried. As he lies in bed that night, he pictures Jump getting picked up by a mean-looking girl, drifting in the sea, and being carted off by a bird. At the beach the next day, there’s no sign of Jump until Thomas arrives with a familiar bunny in his pail. The pastel-hued watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations are absorbing and encapsulate both the summery feel of the beach and Sam’s range of emotions. This familiar and cheerfully told saga will resonate with many tots. — Connie Fletcher
I Will Never Get a Star From Mrs. Benson's Blackboard.
My newest picture book is now available wherever you buy books! It's published by Candlewick Press, and was released June 9, 2014.
This book has been very dear to me in so many ways: the first project in my long journey to publishing that really felt like it might be publishable. I learned dilligence I waited a long time to see this one in print, but the wait has been totally worth it.
I've gotten some lovely reviews and a couple of stars, from Publishers Weekly, and The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books!
Here is what Publisher's Weekly had to say when they gave it a starred review:
"In a world—in this case, Mrs. Benson’s elementary school classroom—where the neatniks and rule-followers get stars by their names on the blackboard, what’s an inveterate doodler and daydreamer like Rose to do? Fortunately, Mrs. Benson isn’t as autocratic and uncompromising as she seems: she gives Rose a much-needed pass on desk inspection day (“Close call, huh, Rosey? I’ll look at yours tomorrow”), and sees star-worthy creativity in an enormous thank-you card that Rose makes for a visiting painter (“Rose, you are a true artist, just like Mr. Sullivan”). Mann, in her second book as both author and illustrator, works with assurance as she puts her jittery ink line and layered washes of color to work in the service of both emotional vulnerability and schoolroom slapstick without missing a beat. On the heels of her similarly sensitive treatment of an outsider making it work in Two Speckled Eggs, Mann is well on her way to becoming a champion portrayer of those who color outside the lines or march to a different drum. Ages 5–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (June)"
School Library Journal called my illustrations "effervescent"!
More adept at doodling and daydreaming than correctly completing math problems on the board, reading aloud clearly, or maintaining a “spick-and-span” desk—all achievements that are lauded in her classroom—Rose has begun to tell herself, I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson’s Blackboard (Candlewick, 2015; K-Gr 2). And indeed, the teacher does maintain high expectations for her students, though she kindly redirects the young narrator and even cuts her some slack (as in a much-needed desk-inspection reprieve).
When the class is instructed to craft thank-you cards for the painter who visited the day prior, Rose pulls out her art supplies and manages to once again make a mess of her desk (and herself), but also creates a “super-gigantic” masterpiece that catches Mrs. Benson’s eye (“Rose! You are a true artist, just like Mr. Sullivan”). After a bit of clean up, the proud teacher allows Rose to draw her very own star on the board. Jennifer K. Mann’s simple text and effervescent mixed-media illustrations sparkle with keen understanding of a child’s perceptions, tender humor, and an empowering message about individuality.
Here is what the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books had to say when they gave it a starred review:
Rose’s teacher, Mrs. Benson, gives stars for neatness and spelling, but Rose is a daydreamer and a doodler, so she’s certain that she will never get a star on the blackboard. It’s not for lack of trying, but when she raises her hand to participate she loses track of the question, and when she offers to pass out the snack she ends up tripping and dumping it on the teacher. When it’s time for students to make thank-you notes for a visitor, Rose dives headfirst into the task with her usual chaos, only to find herself facing a neatness check. Much to Rose’s surprise, however, when Mrs. Benson spots Rose’s magnificent painting amidst the paints, pencils, and spills, she not only doesn’t get angry but notes that Rose is a “true artist,” gives her time later in the day to clean up, and awards her a star. This charming story is both affirmative and celebratory of the different skill sets children possess; Rose may not fit into the typical star-on-the-blackboard mold, but she is fortunate to have a teacher who appreciates her passion and artistry. Rose’s narration is authentic, equal parts longing and fatalistic as she tries to fit in. Her chaotic tendencies are on fine show in the ink, gouache, and digital collage illustrations, which slightly resemble Lauren Child’s in their childlike linework and streamlined visuals. Rose herself is a bit haphazard, with red braids flying and shoes untied; hard at work on her painting during desk check time, she’s particularly hilarious, a smudge-faced, big-eyed dreamer looking up petrified from a chaotic scene of spilled paint and crumpled paper. There’s considerable potential for classroom conversations here, particularly as students gather to talk about different strengths, and Rose’s story will resonate with many an earnest artist trying to find his or her way onto the board.
The Boston Globe liked it a lot:
"The tyranny of childhood takes many forms: penmanship counts, as does neatness. Both daydreaming and doodling are discouraged. Poor Rose — the scattered, imaginative protagonist of “I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson’s Blackboard” — is suffering from these common varieties of childhood blues, out of synch with her teacher, Mrs. Benson, and her classmates. Rose stares dreamily into space while children around her eagerly raise their hands. She sketches a charming row of vehicles and animals on the chalkboard instead of listening to Mrs. Benson dictate a math problem.
It takes a visit from a painter with a Miro-like style to set Rose on the road to discovering her gifts and earning her star. But you don’t have to be a visual artist to identify with Rose — shoelaces untied, braids askew, face adorably smudged. Being misunderstood and feeling out of step with your teacher and classmates is a feeling all children can keenly relate to. Many days even the kindest teachers can seem full of reproach.
Remember the James Marshall classic, “Miss Nelson Is Missing,” the book about the docile teacher bullied by her students? The recalcitrant kids get their comeuppance when the severe “substitute,” Miss Viola Swamp (spoiler: she’s really Miss Nelson in a clever disguise), is dispatched to school them in manners.
On the cover of Mann’s book Mrs. Benson has a distinct, Miss Nelson vibe, post witchy makeover. The sketchy pen line and wash of watercolors are delightfully Marshall-esque. But Mrs. Benson isn’t as harsh as Viola Swamp. She laughs with her head thrown back and she knows a true artist when she sees one. In fact, by the end, Mrs. Benson even gets a star of her own.
Nicole Lamy can be reached at nicole.lamy@globe.com."
And The Wall Street Journal liked it too:
A successful first day of school does not, of course, mean that a child’s apprehensions will disappear. There are plenty of other things to worry about, such as gaining the approval of a neatnik teacher when you yourself are rather messy. That is the anxiety that torments young Rose in Jennifer K. Mann’s “I Will Never Get a Star on Mrs. Benson’s Blackboard” (Candlewick, 40 pages, $16.99). Here the poor heroine tries repeatedly to earn a star—volunteering to solve a math problem, offering to read aloud—and feels wretched that instead, each time, her teacher mildly corrects her. And when Rose learns that Mrs. Benson will check the children’s desks for neatness at the end of the day, she begins to feel sick: “I wondered if Mrs. Benson was the kind of teacher who dumps messy desks on the floor.” In ink, gouache and digital collage illustrations we see this terrible scene as Rose imagines it, with a vengeful teacher, jeering pupils and her own humiliation. As the reader will have already realized, Mrs. Benson is not nearly as ferocious as Rose thinks and, indeed, in her classroom it turns out that a degree of artful messiness has its place.
I hope you will like it as well. Let me know what you think!
Two Speckled Eggs
Two Speckled Eggs is my first picture book as author and illustrator, and it was published by Candlewick Press in April, 2014.
Since then, it received the 2015 Washington State Book Award/Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award.
it was selected for the Spring 2014 Kids' Indie Next List--"Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers!"
It was also awarded a Parents' Choice Gold Award.
The Boston Globe gave it a wonderful review and included it on its Best Picture Books of 2014 list:
Anyone who thinks children’s birthday parties are easy has never had one, thrown one, or attended one. In “Two Speckled Eggs’’ Ginger’s mother rightly decrees that either all the girls in Ginger’s class must be invited to hers or none.
That includes even weird, unpopular Lyla Browning who “smelled like old leaves . . . didn’t talk much, and she even brought a tarantula in a pickle jar for Show-and-Tell.”
Needless to say, Lyla is the first guest to arrive.
Ginger isn’t exactly thrilled to see her new guest at first. Slowly but surely the “nice” girls begin acting not so nice. They cheat at party games, make fussy demands, refuse to eat the special birthday cake that Ginger and her mom have so carefully prepared.
Lyla stays off in a corner studying something through a magnifiying glass.
Her steadfast calm, good humor, and her gift of “two speckled eggs” proves she has the makings of a truly great friend.
“Two Speckled Eggs’’ gives us the flavor of childhood as we actually live it — that high-tension mix of sweet and the sour, terrific and the terrible. Author-illustrator Jennifer K. Mann conveys all this almost telegraphically in the sparest language, the most off-hand images. No picture book pyrotechnics here, but plenty of soul.
“Two Speckled Eggs’’ is not so much old-fashioned as it is ageless and timeless. Mann’s soft color illustrations bring the birthday party alive with gentle humor and self-deprecation.
More than a birthday book, “Two Speckled Eggs’’ is about the gift of friendship. Without fanfare or fantasy, Mann has made her debut as writer-and-artist with a genuine picture book classic.
Here's what Publishers Weekly had to say about Two Speckled Eggs:
Ginger doesn’t want weird, nerdy Lyla Browning at her birthday party, but Mom insists she “invite all of the girls in her class—or none of them.” When her guests play fast and loose with her party plans (“Maya and Julia stuck all the tails for Pin the Tail on the Donkey on each other”), and the birthday cake is not a hit, Ginger realizes that Lyla may actually be kind of cool. Certainly, her present is: a handmade bird’s nest worthy of Martha Stewart, with two malted-milk eggs inside. In a nod to geek pride, illustrator Mann (Turkey Tot), in her debut as an author, doesn’t portray Lyla as a needy, sad wallflower—instead, Lyla is entirely self-assured and independent (though she’s also open to making a new friend in Ginger). Mann understands well how peers can disappoint and parties can go wrong, and her scraggly-lined drawings, filled in with washes of soft color and set against white backgrounds, give a strong sense of Ginger’s emotional vulnerability and the unanticipated possibilities offered by Lyla’s friendship. Ages 5–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)
And this is what Kirkus had to say:
Two opposites may not be as opposite as they imagined in Mann’s look at grade school cliques and oddballs.
Ginger wants to invite all the girls in her class but Lyla Browning to her birthday party. Lyla wears drab clothes and glasses, and her affection for insects (not to mention pet tarantula) is certainly unpopular among Ginger’s crowd of friends. But Ginger’s mom says it’s all or none, so Lyla’s invited too. But Ginger’s friends turn out not to be the best party guests, doing whatever they want and ruining the games. At this point, Lyla is just part of the background with her ever-present magnifying glass. But that changes when she is the only one to appreciate the much-anticipated “silver-and-gold cake.” And Lyla’s present turns out to be the most thoughtful of all—a handmade bird’s nest with two speckled malted-milk eggs in the center (two peas in a pod, anyone?)—and the start of a lasting friendship. Mann’s pencil, gouache and digital collage illustrations keep the focus on the girls, their bright clothes and accessories standing out against the white background. The placement of characters in page composition plays a large part in getting Mann’s message across, girls either center stage or relegated to the background (if they’re even on the page at all!).
Readers may not look at their classmates the same again. (Picture book. 5-8)
Click on the book's image above to order Two Speckled Eggs!
Turkey Tot, by George Shannon
Turkey Tot, by George Shannon, is my debut book as an illustrator. It was published by Holiday House, October, 2013. Available here, or through your favorite independent bookseller!