The Little Crooked Bookshelf

LILY AND BEAR
by Lisa Stubbs

This week's pick is from Cottager Anika Denise

What it's all about . . .
Lily likes nothing better than to imagine and draw the things she loves. She draws cats and birds and boats and houses, and one day she makes a very special drawing of a bear who comes to life.

Why it's on The Little Crooked Bookshelf . . .
Charming and simple text combined with loosely drawn screen printed, acrylic, watercolor and pencil crayon illustrations give the book a classic story time feel. We especially love the texture and bold childlike line in the art, as well as Lily's fabulous red tutu.

Our favorite lines . . .
But best of all,

they sang really

loudy, while

Bear played 

the banjo

brilliantly.

Our favorite illustration. . .

Why kids will love it . . .

Lily and Bear are hard to resist. Their friendship is sweet and true. And what kid won't love to imagine a favorite drawing coming to life? Especially one who plays banjo brilliantly. 

Why grown-ups will love it . . .

It's a charming and satisfying read aloud perfect for snuggle time or story time. We'd recommend pairing it with Kelly Light's Louise Loves Art for a drawing or imagination themed story hour.

Mr. Pig Live . . . with Louise!

Greetings! Mr. Pig here with another exciting episode of my hit talk show, Mr. Pig LIVE! Today's guest is the star of Kelly Light's picture book masterpiece . . . 

LOUISE LOVES ART!

But before we bring Louise out, let's check out her book. Roll the clip, please!

Brilliant! Everybody, give a warm welcome to Louise!

Hello, Louise. What is your full name? 
My name is Louise Rose Phillips.

What three words best describe you? 
Let’s see. . . . 1. Focused 2. Observant 3. Artistic

Do you have a belly button? 
Why yes, I do. Art calls it his “F-Art button.” Cracks – me – up.

Who is Art? 
He is my little brother, silly! He’s 4. He’s very annoying sometimes, but he is cute. I cut his hair. 

What is the best thing about being you? 
Drawing!

What is the worst thing about being you? 
Sometimes I have to stop drawing and do my schoolwork and chores. So I add drawings to my school work for my teacher! And I fog the windows when I have to clean my room. My drawings are invisible until I re-fog the windows!
 
If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring? 
Paper, pencils, and my BIG book Gardner's Art Through the Ages – it’s got art all throughout forever!! I will memorize every line! Every curve!!
 

From Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Copyright 2014 by Kelly Light.

When do you feel the happiest? 
When I am drawing, of course!! I also love when I am hanging my art shows, and when the cat poses for me!

Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible? 
I think I will say . . .  invisible!!! It would help me sit and draw people without them feeling all weird like I am staring at them!! Sometimes they look up and notice me drawing so I cross my eyes just to make them laugh.

Do you identify more with Goldilocks or the three bears? 
The bears. I do not like people in my stuff. You hear that, Art!?

What is your favorite word? 
Masterpiece!

From Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Copyright 2014 by Kelly Light.

What is you least favorite word?  
“Can’t” – never say that. Always say can!!

What is your favorite sound? 
The scratch scratch scratch of a really sharp pencil point on new white paper! Sigh.

What is your least favorite sound? 
That sound when you go to the dentist and you have your teeth cleaned. . . . ooogy. Ooooooo-gy. 

From Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Copyright 2014 by Kelly Light.

What is your special talent?  
Other than drawing? I am fluent in art language. There are a lot of very complicated words in art! "Chiaroscuro," "juxtaposition,” “goo-wash” . . . See?

If you could dine with three characters from other books, who would they be? 
The Lorax 'cause he’s all cranky like Wilford Brimley, that oatmeal guy on TV. I would love to meet Harold! He has to bring his purple crayon!! He and I would have fun drawing and Art is a big fan. He has a red crayon, ya know. The third is my pal Elliot. He just arrived in August! He always brings cupcakes!!

If a genie gave you one wish, what would you wish for?  
A trip to Paris!! I want to draw in Montmartre with all of the other artists sitting at their easels! I want to visit the Louvre! I want to see where Renoir and Monet and Toulouse Lautrec and especially Mary Cassatt painted!! 

If you have a pocket, what is in it right now?  
Pencil shavings!!!

From Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. Copyright 2014 by Kelly Light.

What is your most embarrassing moment? 
I don’t want to talk about it. It involved paste. I was very little. I might have eaten some. What was I thinking? Wasting good art supplies like that? 

What is your pet peeve? 
My friends who say they can’t draw! Or that I “can’t even draw a straight line!” Like who wants to draw a straight line!? Draw your line. How does your line look? Everybody’s got one, a line of their own! You won’t know you can draw it – unless you draw!!

What was it like working with Kelly Light?
Oh, she is very, very cool and likes to draw a lot, just like me. I give her pointers!! Lots of art tips! She could loosen up a bit. 

Thanks for visiting, Louise! Please stay for a very, very cool Louise lunch made especially for you by our caterer Nina at Mamabelly's Lunches with Love!


About Kelly Light

Author-illustrator Kelly Light has illustrated Elvis and the Underdogs and Elvis and the Underdogs: Secrets, Secret Service, and Room Service by Jenny Lee, and the Quirks series by Erin Soderberg. This is her first picture book.  

Kelly was born in 1970 off exit 149 of the Garden State Parkway. She grew up down the shore surrounded by giant roadside dinosaurs, cotton candy colors, and skee ball sounds. Schooled on Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday Funny pages, she picked up a pencil and started drawing and never stopped. 

To learn more about Kelly and see her portfolio, visit www.kellylight.com.
 




About the book
LOUISE LOVES ART
by Kelly Light
Balzar & Bray, September 2014
ISBN: 978-0062248176

Louise loves art more than anything. It's her imagination on the outside. She's determined to create a masterpiece—her pièce de résistance! Louise also loves Art, her little brother. This is their story. Louise Loves Art is a celebration of the brilliant artist who resides in all of us.

“Light . . . is a confident visual storyteller with a gentle sense of comic timing.” —Publishers Weekly

“Budding artists, those not only crazy for art but who have their eyes and heart open, will find a muse and a collaborator.” —School Library Journal

“A fresh and bright sibling tale. . . . Cheerfully art-ful." —Kirkus Reviews

Literary Lunch . . . Louise Loves Art

Louise Love Art, by Kelly Light, is a beautifully illustrated book about the importance of creativity. In Louise's own words, "I love art! It's my imagination on the outside." But working on a masterpiece is hard when your little brother is working on his own masterpiece at the same time. This sweet and imaginative story is a great book for all budding artists out there! 

To celebrate all creativity, Nina from Mamabelly's lunches with Love packed a lunch anyone could imagine in their lunchbox:

• strawberries with a purple crayon decoration
• corn puffs with fruit leather handprints
• and a Louise chocolate-filled tortilla with melted chocolate and fruit leather decorations

We're back and we're throwing a party!

Hello! Mr. Pig here. I've thrown open the shutters, dusted, mopped, picked some late-summer blooms from the garden, and put the kettle on. I can't tell you how good it feels to be home!

It's been a whirlwind adventure this summer—but more about that later.

Right now, I have to start the preparations for a party. That's right! What would The Little Crooked Cottage be without a good welcome home party? We have so much to celebrate!

Cottager Anika Denise's new book Baking Day at Grandma's, illustrated by Christopher Denise, releases TODAY, August 14th! (Grandma Bear and her grand-cubs should be arriving shortly. They're bringing the cake, of course.)

Here's what School Library Journal had to say about the book: "The text is a wonderful rhyming poem/song with the refrain, 'It’s baking day!/It’s baking day!/It’s baking day/at Grandma’s!' And it’s such fun to read aloud. 'Old-time music, soft and sweet./Skippy notes and tapping feet./Learning songs that Grandma sings–/when the kitchen timer rings!' A recipe for Grandma Rosie’s Chocolate Cake is included. This gentle story will leave children feeling warm and fuzzy. It’s perfect for individual sharing, storytime, baking time, and pretty much any time."

Let's see, what else?

Oh! Jamie Michalak's Joe and Sparky Go to School, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz, released in paperback in June! I know several little piglets who'll be heading back to school soon and I can't wait to for them to read it. Speaking of back-to-school, the Cottagers are working on a list of their favorite back-to-school books to share with you on August 20th.

Kara LaReau has been visiting young readers all over the world and talking about her newest book, No Slurping No Burping! A Tale of Table Manners, thanks to Skype Classroom.

Kristen Tracy has been traveling and writing up a storm this summer, as well. She has some fun new project news we'll be breaking shortly. We'll tell you all about it when we do our summer vacation recap on August 28th. 

What have you been up to? I hope you've read a ton of great books like I have. I met many talented children's book authors, illustrators, and characters in my travels, and I invited them all to visit the cottage soon! It's going to be a busy and exciting season. I've lined up some absolutely fabulous guests for my hit talk show: MR PIG LIVE!

Louise from Kelly Light's highly anticipated Louise Loves Art will drop by on September 15th, and Leroy Ninker will trot in for a chat about his all new book Leroy Ninker Saddles Up: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, from the one and only Kate DiCamillo and the fabulously talented Chris Van Dusen on September 29th.

Authors Ann Stott (What to Do When You're Sent to Your Room, Always), Elise Broach (Masterpiece),  Nina Laden (Once Upon a Memory), Nancy Castaldo, (Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs [And Their Noses] Save the World), Deborah Underwood (The Quiet Book; Bad Bye, Good Bye), and others will be here to talk about the books they Loved-to-Pieces as young readers.

As you know, I'm a pig on the go. I'll be heading out to visit the studios of the talented Matt Tavares (illustrator of Growing Up Pedro, Becoming Babe Ruth, Jubilee! and others), the aforementioned fabulous Chris Van Dusen (author-illustrator of many wonderful books including Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson and Leroy Ninker series), children's book superstar Rosemary Wells (Max and Ruby, Time-Out for Sophie, Yoko Find Her Way), the delightful Debbi Ridpath Ohi (illustrator of Naked! and I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black, and creator of the hilarious Inky Girl comic), and many more!

We are also pleased to announce that Nina of MamaBelly Lunches with Love will be with us again this year, making her popular and delicious Literary Lunches!  

The Cottagers have been busy cooking up new content, too, including a special Little Crooked Bookshelf spotlight, where we pull something lesser known but wonderful off the shelf and tell you why we love it—along with new monthly reading recommendations written by librarians and kidlit experts to help kids and parents discover new books in their favorite genres.

So get ready, folks! It's going to be a great year at The Little Crooked Cottage. For now, I better run. Grandma Bear is here with twenty two chocolate cakes, and . . . oh my, from the looks of her cubs they've had a lot of sugar. I hope they haven't gobbled up all my milk and honey.

In the meantime, help yourself to a cup of tea, and check out the all-new book trailer for Baking Day at Grandma's by Anika & Christopher Denise! See you soon!