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Ready, set, start coloring (again)

by Hilli Levin

Remember the coloring books you scribbled in as a kid? Have you ever found yourself wishing you had a grown-up version? Adult coloring books have taken the publishing world by storm, and this blockbuster niche is only predicted to keep growing. This season, enticing titles abound, from world-renowned artists and illustrators, titles that welcome you to color in scenes from your favorite literary worlds and more. Sharpen those long-forgotten colored pencils, pick up a fresh pack of markers and get reacquainted with this fun and relaxing activity.

GET LOST AT SEA
Artist Johanna Basford is one of the pioneers of the adult coloring book and has published two worldwide best-selling collections, but her newest is almost as good as finding sunken treasure. The intricate pen-and-ink illustrations of Lost Ocean feature curious sea creatures, exotic fish, shipwrecks, coral reefs and more. Tap into your inner Jacques Cousteau and get coloring!

EVERY LITTLE THING COLORING BOOK
Those who are especially enchanted by patterns found on textiles and wallpapers will delight in Payton Cosell Turner's Every Little Thing. These playful designs feature woodland creatures alongside irreverent pieces of pop-culture from the 1980s like boom boxes, burgers and Trapper Keepers. This collection is sure to inspire the use of bright and playful color combinations, and the finished products will be welcome additions to any adult's fridge.

A COLORFUL, WIZARDING WORLD
Listen up, Harry Potter fans! Now you can have a hand a making the scenes inside this beloved series come alive with The Harry Potter Coloring Book. Coloring pages feature the grounds of Hogwarts, Snape sitting (and brooding) at his desk, Harry and the gang getting into trouble and so much more. This coloring book is especially perfect for adults and kids to share and color in together.

Illustration from the Harry Potter Coloring Book. HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s15)

THE HIGHLANDS COME ALIVE
If you're looking to take your pencils to a different kind of literary landscape, check out The Official Outlander Coloring Book. Inspired by scenes from Diana Gabaldon's beloved time-traveling romance series, this book features excerpts from her novels juxtaposed with the images or scenes being described.

OUTSIDE THE LINES, TOO
Sometimes a work of art pulls us in, and we long for a more hands-on way of engaging with it. Souris Hong has just the book for this exact kind of art-lover with Outside the Lines, Too. This collection features pages of art from the Eames Office, Kevin Lyons, Audrey Kawasaki, street artists, photographers, graphic designers and more. If you crave stylistic variation in the pages you color, Hong's collection will deliver while introducting you to a wide range of artists from around the world.

“Shilton's Fleas” by MISTER PHIL. From Outside the Lines, Too by Souris Hong, published September 1, 2015 by Tarcher Perigee, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright 2015, Souris Hong.

Art, Photography

Photography Art

Capturing moments in time

Feature by Alice Cary

by Alice Cary

Discover the glorious Renaissance days of Florence, peek at Picasso’s paintbrushes or catch Mick Jagger poised between boyhood and manhood. Whether you’re a serious art scholar or a casual admirer, these books offer something for everyone.

ITALY'S GOLDEN AGE OF ART
Florence: The Paintings & Frescoes, 1250-1743 is an art lover’s dream come true—a collection of nearly 2,000 images that includes every painting and fresco on display in the Uffizi, the Galleria Palatina of the Pitti Palace, the Accademia and the Duomo, and works from 28 additional museums and churches. Arranged chronologically, the masterpieces are accompanied by seven comprehensive essays by art historian Ross King, as well as shorter discussions by art history professor Anja Grebe of the University of Freiburg in Germany.

It’s fascinating to see these treasures of the Western world collected in one volume, with page after page of magnificence, including the works of Uccello, da Vinci, Correggio, Titian, Michelangelo and more. You won’t have a better tour unless you visit the city itself—and even then, reading this book first would be worthwhile.

PORTRAITS OF A CENTURY
Near the end of photographer Cecil Beaton’s life, Sotheby’s acquired 100,000 of his photographs and negatives. Editor Mark Holborn sifted through this vast studio archive to create the truly monumental Beaton Photographs. The deservedly weighty volume is not only an amazing record of a brilliant career, it’s a history lesson as well, beginning with 1920s portraits of Beaton’s sisters at the beach and stretching into the ’60s and ’70s, with mesmerizing photos of Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol and Tom Wolfe. In between, this photographer of remarkable range captured the royal family, Fred Astaire, Truman Capote, Grace Kelly, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor and more. Particularly fascinating are his shots of London ruins during World War II (sometimes with a model in their midst) and portraits of Pablo Picasso in his studio.

As Annie Leibovitz writes in her introduction, Beaton “was a journalist, an artist, a set and costume designer, a memoirist, a historian, an actor. All of this went into his portraits. How can one not be impressed with what he accomplished?”

EVERYDAY DRAMAS
When Brandon Stanton started photographing strangers on the streets of New York City in 2010, he was certainly onto something. He follows up his best-selling first book with the similarly titled Humans of New York: Stories. It follows the same format, with a variety of anonymous photographs accompanied by the subjects’ own words, offering intriguing glimpses into the worlds of strangers: young, old, parents, children, rich, homeless. These “stories” never stray from Stanton’s winning format of anonymity and brevity. For instance, one woman discusses the stark contrast between her sister’s manic and depressive episodes, admitting that she envies her sister’s freedom during the mania: “I’d almost like to join her and run around the city if only she could keep it from spinning out of control.” These longer stories contrast nicely with one-liners, such as the photo of a man’s wrist encircled by a hospital bracelet. “They told me I was fine,” the man says.

This is people-watching at its best, without the guilt of being discovered.

WORDS ABOUT PICTURES
British novelist Julian Barnes didn’t start out as an art lover, but over the years he evolved into one, as revealed in Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art. Each of the 17 essays in this collection explores an individual artist, ranging from Géricault and Delacroix to Magritte and Barnes’ personal friend, British abstract painter Howard Hodgkin.

Barnes often muses on the relationship between viewing art and discussing it: “Braque thought the ideal state would be reached when we said nothing at all in front of a painting. But we are very far from reaching that ideal state. . . . Put us in front of a picture and we chatter, each in our different way.” He writes about art in a perceptive and often humorous way. He contrasts how Manet told his models to be natural, talk, laugh and move, while Cezanne demanded “guardsmanlike” stillness. As a result, Cezanne’s portraits are like still lifes, unintended “to catch a mood, a passing glance, a fugitive moment which releases the sitter’s personality out towards the spectator.”

Art enthusiasts will find Barnes’ artistic journey edifying and enjoyable.

CRASH COURSE IN ART
Art historian Robert Cumming acts as an efficient museum guide in Art: A Visual History, an updated version of the previously released Eyewitness Companion: Art. While working in London’s Tate Gallery, Cumming learned that museumgoers want answers to three questions: “What should I look for?”; “What is going on?”; and “How was it made?” This handy compendium concisely answers these questions about more than 650 artists, arranged chronologically and interspersed with short discussions of Western art periods and movements. Key works are listed for each artist, which is uniquely helpful for those wanting to investigate further. As with all DK books, the visuals are striking; the volume’s sturdy slipcase, shaped like an artist’s palette, adds to the appeal. Art can be used as a refresher course for rusty art lovers, as well as a comprehensive starting point for serious beginners.

Biography, Cookbooks, Memoir, Nonfiction

Nonfiction Memoir Cookbooks Biography

Books for the well-read gentleman

Feature by Martin Brady

by Martin Brady

Sports heroes, military giants, one handsome movie star and savory recipes to satisfy even the burliest man’s appetite—these are the hooks that drive this holiday season’s selection of gift books for guys.

INTO THE WAR ROOM
Best known for his novel Forrest Gump, Winston Groom is also a well-published historian. His latest project, The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II, is a multi-tiered yet wholly accessible examination of the intertwined careers of three brilliant American soldiers: George Marshall, George Patton and Douglas MacArthur. All three were born in the 1880s, gained critical experience in World War I and became key players in World War II. Groom outlines each man’s personal life and military exploits with special focus on the Second World War, where Marshall excelled as an army administrator, Patton as a fiery commander of forces on the European front and MacArthur as an inspirational leader in the Pacific theater. Groom balances the strictly biographical data with well-researched historical accounts, and along the way he offers invaluable perspectives on the world politics that critically influenced his subjects’ lives.

PIGGING OUT
Accomplished author and competitive hunter Jennifer L.S. Pearsall serves up Praise the Pig: Loin to Belly, Shoulder to Ham—Pork-Inspired Recipes for Every Meal, a comprehensive collection of more than 50 pork recipes. Pearsall’s culinary celebration begins with a thorough overview of pork cuts and styles of preparation and cooking (roasting, smoking, etc.), plus an excellent discussion of bacon brands and pork-savvy kitchen tips. Then come the recipes, with inviting full-color photos, starting with Chili-Rubbed, Salsa-Braised Chops with Spiced Rice, moving to Roasted Pork Tenderloin Chili and ending with Connecticut Clam Chowder. In between are hearty sandwiches, soups (porkestrone!), breakfast dishes, puddings, mac and cheese variations and appetizers to die for, including a Bacon and Roasted Corn Salsa that demands the immediate gathering of ingredients. No self-respecting pork lover could ever refuse this book of porcine delights.

MAN BEHIND THE MUSTACHE
Man’s man Burt Reynolds has had a hit-or-miss acting career. Yet his life has certainly been eventful, as his new memoir, But Enough About Me, clearly attests. Penned with veteran author Jon Winokur, Reynolds’ book is frankly revealing but rarely mean-spirited. For example, Burt’s short-lived marriages to Judy Carne and Loni Anderson were admittedly rocky, but he always takes the high road when he can. More enlightening are his reminiscences of his close friendships with Bette Davis and Dinah Shore, both women of substance whom Burt cherished. Coverage here is chronologically ordered, from Reynolds’ youthful days as a Florida football star to his early acting adventures in New York City to his arrival in California in the 1950s, where small television roles eventually led to feature films, including the critically acclaimed Deliverance (1972) and Boogie Nights (1997), for which he received an Oscar nomination. The enduring Reynolds turns 80 in February, and his surprisingly entertaining show-biz retrospective should find a wide audience.

HEAVYWEIGHT HERO
Journalist Davis Miller’s obsession with Muhammad Ali has spanned from his childhood to the present day, and his book Approaching Ali: A Reclamation in Three Acts represents the culmination of that relationship. The heavyweight champ first inspired Miller when he was a sickly, depressed child. As a teen, Miller had an opportunity to spar with The Greatest, an event that spawned a short news account for Sports Illustrated and helped point him toward a writing career. In this latest testament to his hero, Miller blends new material on his more recent experiences with Ali with reworked excerpts from his previous writings, presenting what he believes to be “the all-time most intimate and quietly startling portrait of Ali’s day-by-day life, as well as the only deeply detailed look at his enormously rich years after boxing.” Ali, now 74 and courageously battling Parkinson’s disease, remains one of the great figures of 20th-century sports, and this profile finds the boxer’s playful good nature and magnanimous personal spirit intact.

TALLYING THE SCORE
Veteran sportswriter Gary Myers recounts the careers of the game’s marquee quarterbacks in Brady vs Manning: The Untold Story of the Rivalry That Transformed the NFL. Myers successfully achieves a dual biography of these iconic figures, focusing not only on what the pair have meant to the National Football League but also what they’ve meant to each other. The relationship between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning emerges here as one of keen mutual respect—both on and off the field—despite the differing nature of their media personas. When Myers isn’t connecting the dots of the Brady-Manning friendship, he serves up thorough profiles of their separate lives, including their college football careers and their arrival on the pro scene: Manning as the coveted #1 draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 1998 and Brady as an unheralded 6th-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2000. There are no shocking revelations here, just good information, solid quotes from important football folks and interesting viewpoints on two important athletes.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Animals, Pop Culture

Pop Culture Animals

Thinking out of the (gift) box

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

by Linda M. Castellitto

It’s always fun to give a gift that’s truly memorable (in a good way, of course), and this trio of books won’t steer you wrong. Ordinary is overrated!

RODENT ROMANCE
Jane Austen’s books have been adapted, reimagined and mashed up in seemingly every possible way—until A Guinea Pig Pride & Prejudice, in which writer Alex Goodwin and set designer Tess Gammell join forces to offer an entirely new, adorably hilarious take on the classic story. As in the original, there’s all manner of matchmaking and dissembling afoot—but the feet here are tiny, and they belong to nine guinea pigs who make this photographic retelling most compelling indeed. Gaze into Elizabeth’s shiny black eyes and ponder their effect on Mr. Darcy; feel the tension as Darcy and Mr. Bingley have a rounded-nose-to-rounded-nose stare-down; sigh at Lady Catherine’s displeased moue and towering lavender hat! This affectionate, quietly dramatic homage is the perfect gift for Austen-philes, Austen-newbies, guinea-pig aficionados and anyone who appreciates a tale well told.

ALL ABOUT YOU
Most of us know about IQ tests, BMI charts, Myers-Briggs types and Rorschach blots, but those who want to more thoroughly plumb their own depths will be thrilled with The Test Book. It’s got 64 self-assessments in five sections: personality, health, career, lifestyle and beliefs. After all, as authors Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler write, “When it comes down to it, people care about two things: understanding themselves and being understood by others.” These tests will help you reach those lofty goals, whether you’re the sort to read front to back (including the interesting introduction about the history of personality tests) or just jump in at random with tests like “Am I crazy?”or “How strong am I?” or “Who should I employ?” or “Is it love?” This book is the perfect gift for people who are inquisitive, competitive, contemplative or perhaps just want to entertain with something besides Pictionary at their next party.

OFF-KILTER COMICS
Like many cartoonists, Reza Farazmand got his start in college, via UC San Diego’s student newspaper. These days, he has a popular web comic, which is at the heart of Poorly Drawn Lines: Good Ideas and Amazing Stories. It contains strips old and new, plus a few short stories and essays; those not immune to existential crises will enjoy think pieces like “Maybe There’s More to Life Than Standing Behind Babies at IKEA.” The comic’s outlandish characters run the gamut: There are chatty mountains, profane ants, a silently judgmental bird who prefers not to whistle and a dude who over-identifies with his beard. Comic fans will dig it, as will those who enjoy funny art but can’t commit to graphic novels and anyone who’s ever wondered if owls feel pressured by stereotypes (and feel compelled to memorize Wikipedia entries on the sly).

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

It’s always fun to give a gift that’s truly memorable (in a good way, of course), and this trio of books won’t steer you wrong. Ordinary is overrated!

Fiction, Literature, Nonfiction

Nonfiction Fiction Literature

Sweet holiday selections for serious readers

Feature by Julie Hale

by Julie Hale

Merry and bright: that’s the forecast for bibliophiles this holiday season. Inspired gift ideas for lovers of literature are as plentiful as snowflakes in December. Our top recommendations are featured here.

OUR BELOVED DETECTIVE
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced Sherlock Holmes to the world in 1887 in A Study in Scarlet, a novel for which he earned £25—not even peanuts compared to the bucks being generated by the lucrative sleuth today. Somehow, a century and a quarter after his debut, the detective has become an entertainment-industry titan as the star of a successful movie franchise and two popular TV series. Doyle’s detective is undoubtedly having a moment, so the timing couldn’t be better for The Sherlock Holmes Book, a handsomely illustrated volume that provides background on every case Holmes ever faced, starting with A Study in Scarlet and ending with The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place. Each case is accompanied by an easy-to-follow flowchart, which breaks down the deductive process Holmes used to crack it. In-depth character profiles, a Doyle biography and fascinating chapters on forensic science make this the ultimate Sherlock scrapbook. It’s a must-have for devotees of the great detective.

BIBLIOPHILES TRAVEL GUIDE
Perfect for the armchair traveler or the reader who enjoys hitting the road, Shelley Fisher Fishkin’s Writing America: Literary Landmarks from Walden Pond to Wounded Knee is a meticulously researched, beautifully written survey of the nation’s most beloved literary sites. From the Walt Whitman Birthplace in Huntington Station, New York, to the Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, the dream destinations of every book lover are included in this fascinating tour. Along with stops at familiar spots like Hannibal, Missouri, and Walden Pond, the narrative includes visits to South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation and sites in South Texas. Fishkin considers the storytelling traditions of these and other parts of the country, highlighting the great writers native to each, and the result is a vivid mosaic of the cultures, voices and geographies that inform America’s literary inheritance. Packed with photographs, this book features more than 150 National Register historic sites. It’s the ultimate trip advisor for lovers of literature and history.

CHARTING THE CLASSICS
In Plotted: A Literary Atlas, Andrew DeGraff interprets classic narratives as maps. Not the Google kind, mind you. DeGraff isn’t a conventional cartographer, he’s an artist, and his maps—subjective, frequently surreal topographic renderings of narratives both epic (Moby-Dick) and miniature (“A Good Man Is Hard to Find”)—rather than orienting the viewer, often have the opposite effect. DeGraff’s depictions defamiliarize well-known works, uncovering facets the reader never imagined. In his treatment of Hamlet, he tracks the path of the prince’s madness as it contaminates the palace of Elsinore. Inspired by the social factors at play in Pride and Prejudice, he maps the novel as a series of precarious catwalks between family estates. In all, DeGraff charts 30 narratives. He’s a genius at identifying and connecting a work’s key coordinates, then using them as the basis for remarkable visualizations. Each of his colorful, ingenious maps is accompanied by an introductory essay. With Plotted, he guides literature lovers off the beaten path and into newly charted territory.

THE MARCH CLAN REVISITED
There’s comfort to be found in the pages of a classic. A tried-and-true title holds out the promise of pleasure to a reader and never fails to keep the contract. Case in point: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott—surely one of the most reread works in all of American literature. The story of the March sisters, first published in 1868-69, receives the royal treatment in The Annotated Little Women, a deluxe edition of the novel filled with rare photographs, illustrations and other Alcott-related memorabilia. This lavish volume features notes and an introduction by John Matteson, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father. Matteson offers insights into the author’s creative life and provides context for the novel, finding new dimensions in the familiar classic. Arriving in time for Christmas—the same holiday the Marches celebrate so memorably in the opening chapters of Little Women—this treasure trove of a book is the perfect gift for bibliophiles who fancy old favorites.

VINTAGE KEYS
We may be living in an age of featherweight laptops and magic tablets, but the typewriter—that clunky classic—remains the most literary device of all. It’s an icon of the writing life, the truest emblem of an author (nothing says “vagabond novelist” like an Olivetti or Underwood). Journalist Tony Allan honors the PC’s stately precursor in Typewriter: The History, The Machines, The Writers. Providing a compact overview of the instrument’s evolution, Allan’s quirky volume is filled with typewriter trivia, retro posters and ads, vintage photos of classic machines and quotes—now golden—from those who pecked their way to fame (including, of course, Ernest Hemingway: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”). With a foreword by Paul Schweitzer, owner of the Gramercy Typewriter Company, this uncommon little stocking stuffer is the sort of thing literary types live for.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Literature, Nature, Photography

Photography Nature Literature

The peace of wild things

Feature by Alice Cary

by Alice Cary

There might be water on Mars, but we still only have one home, and it’s constantly surprising us. These imaginative books offer a lively look at our world—and beyond.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER
Thunder & Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future brims with information so intriguing that it begs to be read in one lengthy sitting. It’s a visual treat, featuring Lauren Redniss’ arresting, atmospheric artwork, plus an original typeface she calls Qaneq LR, after the Inuktitut word for “falling snow.” Every aspect of this creation has been carefully considered by Redniss, a Guggenheim fellow and finalist for the National Book Award for her vivid biography of Marie and Pierre Curie, Radioactive.

Redniss reports extensively, beginning with a mind-boggling stop at a Vermont cemetery where coffins, bodies and bones were washed away by Hurricane Irene’s floods. She discusses weather staples such as rain, fog, wind and cold, finding unexpected treats for each topic and weaving together seemingly disparate strands, such as a conversation with endurance swimmer Diana Nyad and a visit with a wind engineer at Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque.

This is hardly an ordinary weather book. Like a tornado, Thunder & Lighting will blow you away.

HUNDRED ACRE WOOD
A.A. Milne would have been pleased as punch with The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh: A Walk Through the Forest That Inspired the Hundred Acre Wood. Landscape designer and historian Kathryn Aalto combines historical photographs with biography to explore the places that inspired Milne and his artistic partner, E.H. Shepard.

Throughout his books, Milne recreated many of the wonders he experienced as a boy, “hunting butterflies along the coast, bicycling across many shires, and climbing peaks in Wales.” The Hundred Acre Wood is based on Ashdown Forest, “a landscape of sweeping heathland and atmospheric woodlands thirty miles south of London.” In 1925, Milne and his wife bought Cotchford Farm as a country haven on the edge of the forest. (The property was later bought by Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones, who eventually drowned in its pool.) Every March, people gather at a nearby bridge for the World Poohsticks Championship, a game from The House at Pooh Corner that involves racing twigs downstream.

You’ll yearn for a real walking tour of this enchanted forest.

PROTECTING THE SEA
When oceanographer Enric Sala sees swarms of sharks, he happily jumps in, knowing they’re a sign of healthy seas. In 2007 he left academia to actively help protect the ocean, founding an organization that shares its name with his book, Pristine Seas: Journeys to the Ocean’s Last Wild Places. It’s a gorgeous pictorial tour of 10 diverse ocean spots that remain untouched by human activity, ranging from Arctic waters to coral reefs, where vibrant colors abound in seemingly ethereal ways.

On an atoll south of Hawaii, Sala encounters a twinspot grouper with fangs “like an underwater vampire” who surprised him by tugging at his ponytail. Sala and his team discover that pristine seas feature an inverted food chain, with an abundance of predators like sharks, polar bears, seals and crocodiles, which thrive when safe from fishermen and hunters.

Sala’s writing is snappy and informative, while the photos offer glorious, magical glimpses into underwater worlds seen by so few.

Young blacktip reef sharks of Millennium Atoll. Copyright © 2015 Enric Sala.
From Pristine Seas, reprinted with permission from National Geographic.

SNAPS FROM SPACE
You won’t see photographs like the ones in Earth and Space: Photographs from the Archives of NASA anywhere else. Photographing space, known as stellar astrophotography, is the result of collaboration among NASA’s many engineers, scientists and artists. Tour the universe with more than 100 brilliantly colored photos, starting with scenes of Earth, such as a satellite view of the massive debris field created by the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Venture farther into space and see stars being born amid Milky Way dust, an intergalactic “dance” performed by two faraway galaxies and a taffy-like strip that’s the supernova remnants from an exploded star. Detailed captions explain the science behind these unimaginable sights.

As Bill Nye remarks in the book’s preface, “The views amaze and astonish us; the images themselves are artwork.”

OVER HERE, BIRDWATCHER
Nextinction is a colorful, zany follow-up to Extinct Boids, a collaboration between filmmaker and bird lover Ceri Levy and gonzo artist Ralph Steadman. Dubbing themselves “Gonzovationists,” Steadman and Levy focus on the 192 critically endangered birds on the IUCN Red List, all of which can be saved. As with their first book, this one features both the aforementioned real as well as some imagined species.

All of Steadman’s avian caricatures ooze personality and attitude, while Levy’s descriptions are similarly lively. Accompanying the large illustrations are side panels filled with their emails, diary entries and phone conversations about the birds and the making of the book. Nextinction is a memorable, unique book that manages to infuse fun and fancy into a very serious subject.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

There might be water on Mars, but we still only have one home, and it’s constantly surprising us. These imaginative books offer a lively look at our world—and beyond.

Fiction

Fiction

A long, strange trip: 150 years of ‘Alice’

Feature by Julie Hale

by Julie Hale

It’s a story that never goes out of style: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s chronicle of an inquisitive girl lost in a parallel world of talking animals and pompous royals, is a tale unlike any other—one that celebrates the complexities of language, the singular genius of children and the absurdity that lurks just beneath the surface of reality.

In honor of the novel’s 150th anniversary, we’ve rounded up a trio of new Alice-related titles, all of which prove that Wonderland still has mysteries well worth exploring.

DECONSTRUCTING 'ALICE'
David Day combines the expertise of an academic with the fervor of a true Alice enthusiast in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Decoded. In a remarkable act of literary excavation, Day exposes the historical references, classical allusions and subtly disguised symbols that he thinks Carroll embedded in the tale of Wonderland as lessons for his protégé, Alice Liddell. Day believes Carroll included these elements to round out the narrow education Alice would’ve received as a female in the Victorian age. It’s an intriguing theory, and he supports it impressively throughout Decoded. The volume includes Carroll’s novel in full, supplemented by Day’s observations as he painstakingly traces the various themes—music and philosophy, mathematics and poetry—that run through Carroll’s narrative, proving along the way that Alice, even as it celebrates the absurd, exhibits airtight logic. Richly illustrated, this is a book Alice addicts will find irresistible.

A WONDERLAND HANDBOOK
No reader should plunge into Wonderland without taking Martin Gardner along as guide. The celebrated Carroll expert published The Annotated Alice in 1960 to great acclaim and popularity—more than a million copies are currently in print. In the intervening decades, Gardner, who died in 2010, continued to pick at the riddles of Wonderland—the numerical enigmas and verbal brainteasers that make the text so perplexing—and his findings are shared in The Annotated Alice: 150th Anniversary Deluxe Edition. This comprehensive volume collects all of Gardner’s notes, his correspondence with Carroll critics and his introductions to previous Alice-related works. Filled with breathtaking illustrations by a wide range of artists, including Beatrix Potter and Salvador Dalí, the book offers invaluable insights into the Victorian mores, literary movements and real-life elements that inform Alice’s adventure, including all manner of Carroll arcana (it seems the writer, like the White Rabbit, had a fixation on gloves). For the latest in Alice analysis, Gardner’s your man.

The Nursery Alice (1890) from The Annotated Alice: 150th Anniversary Deluxe Edition.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
As he proved in Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire is a wiz when it comes to taking a fresh angle on a classic tale and spinning it into a fully formed story—one that lives up to its distinguished lineage. In his new book, After Alice, he works his customary magic, using Carroll’s story as a springboard for his own inventive novel. Maguire casts Alice’s friend Ada (who is mentioned briefly in Carroll’s narrative) as a leading character. When Alice disappears down the rabbit hole, Ada pursues her. In Wonderland, she encounters the usual suspects (including the pipe-smoking Caterpillar and unsettling Cheshire Cat), as well as a number of new—and equally eccentric—inhabitants. Meanwhile, back in the rational world, Charles Darwin, Walter Pater and other Victorian-era personages provide a rich contrast to Ada’s surreal adventures. The blend of fact and fiction results in a magical addition to the literature of Wonderland. Maguire and Alice: It’s a pairing Carroll himself would’ve consecrated.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

It’s a story that never goes out of style: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s chronicle of an inquisitive girl lost in a parallel world of talking animals and pompous royals. In honor of the novel’s 150th anniversary, we’ve rounded up a trio of new Alice-related titles, all of which prove that Wonderland still has mysteries well worth exploring.

Children's & YA, Picture Book

Children's & YA Picture Book

New takes on old Hanukkah tales

Feature by Jill Ratzan

by Jill Ratzan

Some years I approach the new crop of Hanukkah picture books with trepidation: What new stories could possibly be told about the Jewish Festival of Lights, an ancient holiday that’s become a staple of December festivities? Happily, though, this year’s Hanukkah books include three titles that reimagine the genre in ways that are rich, fresh and delicious.

KINDNESS IN NYC
Holocaust-inspired Hanukkah books can be tough creative territory, but authors Richard Simon and Tanya Simon, with Sibert Honor-winning illustrator Mark Siegel (To Dance), stake their claim admirably in Oskar and the Eight Blessings. Told in a style halfway between a picture book and a graphic novel, this story follows Oskar through a day in New York City, where he’s been sent to live with his aunt after the 1938 anti-Jewish Kristallnacht riots. Wandering the streets hoping to find Aunt Esther before the last Hanukkah candle is lit—on a night that also happens to be Christmas Eve—he meets a variety of kind people, including a generous newsstand man, a whistling jazz musician and even a thoughtful celebrity. A Holocaust story focused on small kindnesses is a pleasantly subversive way to approach this difficult part of history, and Seigel’s illustrations use bright accents against muted backgrounds to achieve an effect that’s perfect for winter . . . and uniquely New York.

SHARING AND CARING
When Sara notices an old man eating—and juggling—an apple that the local market has decided has too many bad spots to sell, she (literally) cooks up a plan to bring him good things to eat . . . along with homemade holiday cheer. It’s hard to choose the best part of Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles by David Adler, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Maybe it’s the portrayal of Sara’s wise and loving grandmother (when Sara speaks of the apple’s bad spots, her grandmother answers, “It has lots of good spots too.”). Maybe it’s the gentle moral about dignified ways to help the poor, or the illustrations that play with perspective and point of view while showing the ethnic diversity of Sara’s urban school and synagogue. Or maybe it’s the intriguing idea that participation in religious life can be as much about connecting with other people as connecting with the divine.

A YUMMY TIME OF YEAR
A generation of children have grown up learning about Judaism with Sammy Spider, a curious arachnid who always wants to join in his human family’s holiday celebrations. Now readers can interact with Sammy even more through cooking and crafts in Sammy Spider's First Taste of Hanukkah: A Cookbook by Sylvia A. Rouss and Genene Levy Turndorf, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn. Easy-to-follow Hanukkah-inspired recipes, each marked with its kosher category, combine with craft projects, cooking tips and instructions for lighting a menorah in this bright, welcoming addition to the Sammy canon. (I’m a fan of the Fruity De-lights myself, although the Candle-Glow Biscuits sound quite tempting too.) The colorful collage-style illustrations are fun to look at outside the kitchen as well.

Happy Hanukkah!

Jill Ratzan matches readers with books in a small library in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Stunning maps tell humanity’s story

Feature by Sheila M. Trask

by Sheila M. Trask

Who among us hasn’t used Google Maps to get a detailed aerial survey of our neighborhood, right down to the tricycle in the driveway? We no longer need anything as old-fashioned as a map to navigate our world. Or do we? We may think we’re getting the whole story with our digital access to up-to-the-minute street scenes, but no satellite image delivers the artistic elegance and historical context of the maps reproduced in these four gorgeous collections.

A GLOBAL APPROACH
If you think of maps as antiquated and utilitarian, maybe even boring, prepare to reconsider. Map: Exploring the World, an attention-grabbing collection of more than 300 maps, brings the art of cartography to life with meticulously reproduced, full-color maps ranging from a Catalan atlas manuscript on parchment to modern digital data maps that trace airline flight paths with light trails. The editors play with the expectation that maps are historical documents, and thus should be presented from earliest to latest. Instead, they follow a gold-highlighted 1547 map of Java la Grande from the Vallard Atlas with a 1997 painting of the sacred Baltaltjara site by Australian aboriginal artist Estelle Hogan. Turn the page and you’re in the Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie-the-Pooh, courtesy of Ernest H. Shepard’s 1926 drawing. A new scene unfolds on each page, accompanied by just enough text to give context, while encouraging readers to make their own connections between art and history.

URBAN SPACES
Jeremy Black, University of Exeter history professor and author of more than 80 books, sheds a different kind of light on humankind’s history as it is reflected in our mapmaking ventures. In Metropolis: Mapping the City, Black focuses on a single subject of cartography: the cityscape. Noting that as civilization developed, so did the human desire to control and organize the rapid pace of change, Black suggests that maps are perhaps the perfect tool for urban planning, allowing people to measure, navigate, plan and protect their newly organized cities. A mapmaker’s vision could affect an entire culture, as evidenced by examples like side-by-side planning maps of New York City in 1815 and 1867. The former shows a relatively featureless grid of streets, while the latter allows the lush, green space of Central Park to dominate, a factor that shapes the settlement of the city to this day. Black’s maps range from bird’s-eye views and panoramas to skyline profiles and schematics, giving readers multiple visual perspectives along with his ample and authoritative text describing each map in its historical context.

THE COURSE OF WAR
Focusing the historical lens even more closely than Black are Richard H. Brown and Paul E. Cohen in Revolution: Mapping the Road to American Independence, 1755-1783. This unique collection illuminates the battles—physical and political—that defined America’s fight for independence. Brown and Cohen carefully curated this collection, scouring sources from the King George III collection at the British Library to the archives of Revolutionary War map printer William Faden and previously undiscovered family collections. Many of the maps are published here for the first time, with full-page reproductions and enlarged insets providing astonishingly detailed accounts of each battle. The 1777 “Plan of New York Island,” for instance, allows readers to see the “carefully placed British forces, twenty-one-thousand strong,” as they “attacked the poorly organized and ill-equipped rebels.” The authors’ lively commentary runs throughout the book, but as they take pains to note, the maps are the focus. Where other history books might use maps to support the narrative, Revolution uses narrative to support the maps themselves.

A "Map of Video Websites" from Vargic's Miscellany of Curious Maps, courtesy of Martin Vargic.

A MAPMAKER’S WORDPLAY
The maps are the narrative in the wildly original Vargic’s Miscellany of Curious Maps: Mapping the Modern World, in which 17-year-old Slovakian artist Martin Vargic reimagines our planet not just geographically, but culturally, too. Famous for his viral “Map of the Internet,” which remapped the world in terms of website popularity (countries like Facebook and Google dominate North America, for example), Vargic takes his near-obsessive attention to detail to new heights with atlas-style maps that contain vast alternative vocabularies for describing the globe, with thousands of words in each entry. Vargic’s meticulousness was not always obvious when huge pieces like his “Map of Stereotypes” made their way around the Internet. Here, though, full-page, two-page and even foldout maps, along with insets, allow us to see every word he has imposed upon our previously well-ordered vision of the globe. Do you recognize the island relabeled with words like Cigars, Vintage Cars and Uncle Fidel? Would you sail on the Jack Sparrow sea? There’s a sly sense of humor to everything Vargic does, which lets us laugh at ourselves a bit while we contemplate the larger truths he’s telling.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Religion & Spirituality

Religion & Spirituality

Many paths to God

Feature by Heather Seggel

by Heather Seggel

Several new books on religion and spirituality look at faith and God with both fresh and traditional views. From irreverent humor to pure devotion, these books follow Dorothy Day’s edict to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

THE ULTIMATE BEST-SELLER
The Bible is a holy text but also a revered work of literature; as such, it is open to consideration and interpretation by all. In The Good Book: Writers Reflect on Favorite Bible Passages, editor Andrew Blauner collects musings that run the spectrum from irreverent to heartbreaking. Lois Lowry’s tale of family love and a tragic loss that has parallels to the Book of Ruth is absolutely wrenching, while Reverend Al Sharpton’s take on the Book of Psalms connects it to the lamentation over black lives lost today and ends with a bracing, “No justice. No peace.” Daniel Menaker mines the Book of Jonah for humor in a manner that must be read to be believed (a sample: “In truth I was much relieved later to learn that Jonah hath not gone, yea, all the way through the whale, if you knoweth what I mean.”). An introduction by Adam Gopnik, the inclusion of a poem by Robert Pinsky and a short story by Colm Tóibín break up the march of the essays. If one piece sings God’s praises, the next may well argue that He doesn’t exist. This is substantive reading that casts the Good Book in a new light.

OLD STORY, NEW TWIST
Another fresh vision of a central religious text comes in artist Sandow Birk’s American Qur’an. This illuminated rendering of Islam’s holy text—which took 9 years to complete—is hand-lettered in an angular style reminiscent of graffiti, with each passage superimposed over a scene painted by Birk and bordered in ornate blue, red and gold accents. It’s gorgeous, and will most likely be controversial. Some of the paintings depict people, which in Islam can be considered a form of idolatry. Yet Birk’s goal was never to rewrite the Qur’an, but to make connections between the text and the daily lives of Americans; without seeing representations of ourselves, that connection would likely remain tenuous at best. Scenes at a funeral or a beach feel inhabited and abandoned at the same time, and an aerial view of a city looks like a tweedy New Yorker cover but for the block of text in its midst.

Religious scholar Reza Aslan writes in the introduction about how, lacking a central authority like the Vatican, Islam is not the same from one place to the next. “Religion is water and culture is the vessel; Islam takes the shape of whatever culture it encounters.” Whether this American view helps to foster understanding remains to be seen; it is, however, a stunning work of art.

TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS
This Moment Is Full of Wonders: The Zen Calligraphy of Thich Nhat Hanh captures the Buddhist author and meditation teacher’s brushwork, much of which contains simple messages that grow in meaning with consideration. “You have enough” is surrounded by a circle that’s just slightly open at the bottom, as if to allow a little more in or out as needed. A single panel with just the word “Look” on it, is followed by a panel reading, “Look deeply,” with the second word much smaller and placed below the first as an almost literal instruction. These beautiful messages, rendered with care and a spirit of play, offer a gentle path to focus and contemplation. For their sparse design and construction, they’re remarkably rich.

Two pocket-sized volumes, The Illuminated Book of Psalms and The Illuminated Life of Christ, pair Bible verses with classic paintings that were either directly inspired or strongly influenced by them. The Life of Christ follows the gospels, and the paintings are by turns lush and romantic, then suddenly stark and frightening, bringing the story home with power; a rendering of the ascension that depicts two feet disappearing up into the ceiling would almost be funny, were it not for the fear and wonder on the faces of the witnesses. The flexible cloth binding, end papers and ribbon bookmark make these beautiful keepsakes, and the juxtaposition of art and text offers material for deep reflection.

LIFE-CHANGING LESSONS
Finally, all this talk about religion can make a person itchy. Commandment this and thou shalt not that, but how do you put all these lessons into action? Lori Deschene’s got you covered, with a little help from her friends in the Tiny Buddha community. Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges offers daily suggestions for a more friendly, loving and socially connected life. Ideas include making a small sacrifice for someone else (such as giving up your spot in a slow-moving line), people-watching with the intent to compliment everyone rather than judge them and passing along praise instead of gossip. There are questions for reflection, a cue to review at the end of the day and illustrative stories of the big results that can come from small actions.

While they’re not Buddhist per se, these practices put a practical spin on spiritual ideas, beginning with self-care and carrying it forward into the world, from friends and family to strangers. Take these challenges and help create more for yourself and those around you.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Biography, Design, Film, Nonfiction, Photography, Pop Culture

Nonfiction Pop Culture Photography Film Design Biography

Heading to Hollywood for the holidays

Feature by Pat H. Broeske

by Pat H. Broeske

An unstoppable film franchise. A luminous Golden Age star. A beloved oddball actor. This season’s standout entertainment-themed books run the gamut from design to drama, from stand-up to the stage.

THE NAME'S BOND
Whatever your take on the Bond films—including the vastly differing opinions on which actor is the best Bond—the franchise’s production value is not up for debate. The large-format Bond by Design salutes the behind-the-scenes artists—including renowned production designers Ken Adam, Syd Cain and Peter Lamont—and features a copious display of artwork, sets, costumes and embellishments, making this hefty tome a must-have for 007 fans and devotees of production design.

With many sections written by Meg Simmonds, the archivist for the Bond empire’s production company, the book moves film by film, featuring storyboard sequences, costume illustrations, gadgetry ruminations and more. Styles vary from artist to artist. Adam, whose Bond career dates back to the 1962 debut title, Dr. No, liked to work with a Flo-master felt tip pen. Jump ahead many decades, and the artists embrace digital design; what is consistent is the quality and attention to detail. No wonder Bond is the most successful franchise in film history, with the 24th entry, Spectre, now in theaters and thoroughly represented in this elaborate collection.

A HOLLYWOOD LEGEND
Though she won three Academy Awards, Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman is best known for her role opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. Published to commemorate the centenary of her birth, the lavish and loving Ingrid Bergman: A Life in Pictures takes readers on a journey through her career, including her downward spiral and triumphant encore.

With daughter Isabella Rossellini serving as co-editor, this book boasts more than 350 photos—some from Bergman’s private collection—an introduction by her co-star and friend Liv Ullmann, a lengthy Bergman interview and texts by various acquaintances.

Her highly controversial liaison with Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini is detailed alongside the image that sparked the media frenzy: Bergman and Rossellini, who were both married to other people, walking hand in hand on the Amalfi coast. Published by Life magazine, the photo established Bergman’s reputation as a loose woman. When she became pregnant with Rossellini’s child and delivered the baby prior to their marriage, she became a Hollywood pariah.

Beauty, talent, choices and sacrifice—they’re all on display here in Bergman’s intriguing story, all of it captured by the camera.

THE CULT OF BILL
Whether he’s battling gophers, ghosts or zombies, Bill Murray is the quirky king of offbeat humor. As Robert Schnakenberg puts it in The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray, his on-screen persona is that of “the sardonic slacker-trickster who charms his way out of precarious situations.”

Topics are arranged alphabetically: Under “cats,” we learn that he’s allergic to them; under “Chase, Cornelius ‘Chevy,’ ” we hear about his rocky relationship with his fellow “Saturday Night Live” alum, including their fistfight prior to a February 1978 taping. His movies are all featured, as are the roles he turned down (like porn producer Jack Horner, subsequently played by Burt Reynolds, in Boogie Nights).

As the book observes, the beloved Murray is a complicated guy. (See the listing under “Ramis, Harold,” about his two-decade estrangement from his former pal and director.) Comedians usually are.

Photo of Bill Murray in Caddyshack from The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray, reprinted courtesy of the Everett Collection.

MAKE ’EM LAUGH
Speaking of comics, more than a century of stand-up gets the spotlight in The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy. Author Kliph Nesteroff, a former stand-up comic, conducted more than 200 interviews for a book that manages to be both encyclopedic and hugely entertaining.

Did you know that the term “stand-up comic” was invented by the Mob, which owned the early clubs? Or that it was Redd Foxx, of TV’s “Sanford and Son,” who triggered the comedy album boom in the 1960s?

Nesteroff takes us through the history of stand-up, with vivid stop-offs in burlesque, radio, early television, Vegas and the talk show circuit. Of course, comedy has a dark side. Nesteroff uses Robin Williams to remind us that the funniest guy in the room is sometimes hiding a world of pain.

BROADWAY'S BEST
Celebratory and jam-packed with facts and great imagery, Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated Story focuses on more than 140 great musicals of stage and screen from the past century. The enduring classics are all accounted for, from Show Boat to The Phantom of the Opera, from Jesus Christ Superstar to Hair. Lush production photos, fascinating essays and facts about the genre’s geniuses, including Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse, make this a choice coffee-table tome. There’s much to sing about here, in what could easily become a favored reference work.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

An unstoppable film franchise. A luminous Golden Age star. A beloved oddball actor. This season’s standout entertainment-themed books run the gamut from design to drama, from stand-up to the stage.

Children's & YA, Picture Book

Children's & YA Picture Book

Festive picture books celebrate the season

Feature by Julie Hale

by Julie Hale

There’s no topping the sense of excitement that comes with the countdown to Christmas. And there’s no better way to celebrate the season than snuggling up with a holiday story. Surprise the little reader in your life with one of the delightful books featured below, and let the countdown begin!

SANTA AT THE FARM
Duck and the rest of the barnyard rascals get caught in a Christmas jam in Doreen Cronin’s hilarious Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho!. Spruced up for Christmas Eve with a sprig of holly in his hat, Farmer Brown is hanging stockings by the fire. All is merry, bright and quiet, until he hears noises on the roof. Must be Santa, right? Wrong! It’s Duck, stirring up Christmas mischief. He’s hoping to deliver a gift to Farmer Brown in the style of Saint Nick. But upon seeing Santa in the sky, Duck dives into the chimney and gets stuck. Sheep, goats, cat and cows come to the rescue, but they get trapped, too. Luckily, Santa’s on hand to set them free, and soon they’re making merry around Farmer Brown’s tree. Betsy Lewin brings the Christmas revelry to life in spirited watercolor illustrations. As usual, Duck and friends deliver big fun.

REUNITED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
With Over the River & Through the Wood, Linda Ashman offers an inspired update of Lydia Maria Child’s beloved 1844 poem. In this contemporary take on the classic, a group of widespread relatives—all very different—reunite for a seasonal celebration. Summoned by Grandma and Grandpa (“Come to our house for the holidays—and bring your favorite pie!”), the family members make the journey from various corners of the country by train, car, plane and ferry. When unexpected obstacles delay the travelers, a surprise sleigh ride saves the day. Brimming with holiday cheer, Ashman’s festive tale pays tribute to the modern family in all its varied configurations, and Kim Smith’s dynamic digital illustrations make this a holiday journey worth taking.

GIFT-GIVING AT ITS BEST
In David Biedrzycki’s Me and My Dragon: Christmas Spirit, the boy-and-beast team are preparing for the holidays. Lacking the funds to buy Christmas gifts, they take on odd (very, very odd) jobs for cash. Dragon’s fire-breathing abilities prove lucrative: He broils up menu items at the Burger Barn and toasts marshmallows, which his enterprising little partner sells for 50 cents. But when it’s time to go shopping, the boy has a change of heart, and he donates his money to a worthy cause. As for Dragon, he contributes homemade cookies (although his baking skills are questionable). Biedrzycki’s clever digital illustrations are crammed with Christmas goodness—snowy sidewalks, costumed carolers and two happy friends.

MEDIEVAL MERRIMENT
Filled with holiday witticisms, The Knights Before Christmas is a clever send-up of Clement Clarke Moore’s classic poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Joan Holub’s playful adaptation features three bumbling noblemen—Brave Knight, Silent Knight and Polite Knight—who are guarding the king’s castle on Christmas Eve. Peace reigns, but not for long: A clatter on the drawbridge signals the arrival of Santa. Mistaking the jolly old elf for an invader, the knights set out to repel him, swords drawn and flourished. But Santa has gifts that he’s determined to deliver, and he launches a special attack on the castle—with sugarplums and chewing gum. Packed with Christmas wisecracks and colorful digital illustrations by Scott Magoon, this is a very merry olde Yuletide tale.

NEIGHBORHOOD CHEER
“Sesame Street” alum Sonia Manzano tells a big-city Christmas story in Miracle on 133rd Street. In their cramped apartment, José and his parents celebrate the holidays, although they pine for their native Puerto Rico. When Mami discovers the stove’s too small for her roast, José has a solution: cook the roast at the neighborhood pizzeria. As José and Papi embark on this tasty mission, they encounter cranky grownups and quarreling kids, none of whom seem happy about the holidays. But on their return trip, a bit of Christmas enchantment occurs, and the tempting aroma of the cooked roast works like magic. Marjorie Priceman’s whimsical illustrations, with swirling eddies of color, are perfect for this tale that will make readers believe in the power of Christmas.

CLASSIC COME TO LIFE
No Christmas would be complete without a few rounds of “Jingle Bells,” the timeless sleigh-ride tune composed by James Lord Pierpont in 1857. In Jingle Bells: A Magical Cut-Paper Edition, artist Niroot Putta-pipat brings the holiday gem to vivid life through precise cut- paper montages. A pair of sweethearts—shown in dramatic, dark silhouette against a snow-filled backdrop—takes off on a sleigh ride through a 19th-century winter wonderland. Song lyrics run along the bottom of each spread, and at the end of the ride, there’s a pop-up surprise the little ones will love. A sing-along is definitely in order!

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Children's & YA, Middle Grade, Picture Book

Children's & YA Picture Book Middle Grade

Treasured books to wrap in brightly colored paper

Feature by Alice Cary

by Alice Cary

Take a fresh look at some age-old classics, or stash away some ideas for family fun. It’s a bumper year for children’s gift books, and the stars of this year’s crop include something new for Harry Potter fans, a Star Wars extravaganza and an ingenious offering from David Macaulay for budding engineers.

There’s something extra special about passing along your favorite books to a new generation of young readers. Classic children’s tales really are gifts that keep on giving.

Whether you’re a longtime Harry Potter fan or are introducing a new reader to the series, check out the superbly illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Award-winning British illustrator Jim Kay has created more than 100 illustrations for this gorgeous book, full of colorful visualizations of Harry’s first adventure. Kay didn’t have an easy task, as so many fans already have fully formed images of these beloved characters and scenes. Never fear: His art glimmers with all the excitement, joy, mystery and thrills of this magical tale. Rowling has given her approval, saying she loves “his interpretation of Harry Potter’s world,” which “moved me profoundly.” This special edition features an attractive layout with text that’s easy on the eyes, a bonus for young and old alike, making it perfect for reading aloud. Avid Potter fans will want—no, need—to add this book to their collections.

Another classic tale gets a redo with Gillian Cross’ retelling of Homer’s The Iliad, with striking illustrations by Neil Packer. The duo previously collaborated on The Odyssey, and both books make an excellent introduction for middle schoolers discovering these ancient tales for the first time. Cross’ text is riveting, elegant and accessible, bringing epic battle scenes to life: “The Greeks threw huge rocks down onto them, but the Trojans replied by hurling bigger stones at the wall. They flew like snow in blizzard, clanging against helmets and shields and covering the ground.” Packer’s artwork is contemporary, colorful, dramatic and just right for luring in a preteen audience. A helpful introduction, an informative afterword and a reference spread showing the names and faces of major characters and their allegiances are also included.

Tales from the Brothers Grimm features the artwork of famed Swiss poster designer Herbert Leupin. After taking the advertising world by storm in the 1940s, the late graphic artist began illustrating fairy tales. Leupin’s legacy is given new life here, and his illustrations are indeed poster-worthy. These nine fairy tales include classics like “Hansel and Gretel” and “Snow White,” along with less familiar choices such as “Hans in Luck” and “The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids.” As noted in the book’s epilogue, Leupin infused his illustrations with humor and a magical glow, and most importantly, he made sure that when “danger threatens . . . children are not just afraid but also have something to laugh at.” Leupin’s creations burst with personality and color, and children as well as adults will delight in these offerings.

MOVIE NIGHT MADNESS
Star Wars fans eagerly awaiting the release of The Force Awakens will want to get their hands on Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know. This is a book made for perusing and quizzing fellow enthusiasts, with graphics galore and numerous statistics, quotes, questions and trivia. Do you know what a nerf herder is, or the name of Hondo’s favorite ship? My favorites are the “Peek behind the scenes” tidbits, such as the fact that Han Solo was a big green alien in the original rough draft. Who knew that a termite infestation in George Lucas’ house inspired the buzzing swarm of Geonosians, and that he brought in specimens for his art designers? An index helps readers keep track of all of these facts and figures.

Planning a family movie night can be challenging, but things just got easier with 101 Movies to See Before You Grow Up: Be Your Own Movie Critic—The Must-See Movie List for Kids. Instead of trying to strong-arm your kids into watching an old favorite of yours, just hand them this book and let them decide. Suzette Valle’s interactive guide is aimed at third- to seventh-graders, but there’s something for everyone in a wide range of categories that includes everything from classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and Toy Story to discussion-provoking choices like Life Is Beautiful and Super Size Me. Each page-long entry contains a synopsis, rating and run time, a variety of fun facts and space for viewers to make notes about their own reactions to the film. (A few classics, like The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music, get two-page spreads.) Natasha Hellegouarch’s illustrations and graphics add just the right touch of color and fun.

LESSONS THEY’LL LOVE
David Macaulay, celebrated for his best-selling The Way Things Work, has created a unique exploratory adventure in How Machines Work: Zoo Break!. First, it’s a story about two animals, Sloth and Sengi (a little elephant shrew), trying to break out of the zoo. More than that, however, it’s an interactive pop-up book that brings six simple machines to life in a wonderful way: wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw and pulley. Sloth and Sengi try to put these simple machines to work, and the book succeeds grandly as both a fun story and an educational experience just right for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum. Macaulay is a Caldecott Medal winner and a MacArthur Fellow, and his trademark humorous illustrations hold everything together with spreads that are equally intriguing and enlightening. A glossary at the end helps solidify the scientific concepts, while the madcap ending is perfectly pulled off.

Kids of all ages will enjoy SENSEational Illusions, an engaging book filled with quick and quirky activities to test your senses, as well as simple scientific explanations for each. Readers will find a variety of optical illusions, including a large pop-up sculpture with three hidden animals waiting to be found. There are scratch-and-sniff quizzes and directions for easy taste tests that require only simple ingredients. Experiments involving touch and balance include two mazes to be completed with one finger at the ready and both eyes closed, as well as a maze full of booby traps to be navigated by three small ball bearings (included). Chock-full of fun, it can be enjoyed solo or with buddies. Either way, it’s sure to be a hit.

ON-THE-GO FUN
Planning a road trip? Bring along The 50 States, a large book of fact-filled maps that allows young geographers to get lost in the many details. A two-page spread for each state includes the map, an introductory overview, a chart of key facts (capital, largest city, etc.) and a timetable of memorable moments in history. Also included are brief mentions of famous people from each state, from familiar faces to contemporary notables. Alabama’s pages spotlight Rosa Parks and Helen Keller, as well as track-and-field athlete Carl Lewis and actress Octavia Spencer. Author Gabrielle Balkan’s research and writing draws readers in with a fun mash-up of history, geography and pop culture, while Sol Linero’s illustrations make every spread a delight. I even learned a few new tidbits about my beloved West Virginia.

If you need to occupy a preschooler or an early-elementary student, grab a copy of Making Faces!: Star in Your Own Works of Art by Jacky Bahbout and illustrated by Momoko Kudo. This large, placemat-sized drawing pad has a simple, silly concept: Each page has a hole in the middle and contains drawings and a theme (party time, clown, soccer player, dragon, etc.) to which young artists can add their own details. The page titled “Moose on the loose!!!” encourages youngsters to draw their own antlers and add extra trees to the forest. Once complete, kids can tear out the page, put their face in the hole and pose for a photo. This is a great choice when waiting for restaurant meals and appointments, a creative alternative to video and phone distractions. Send the photo to Grandma and everybody’s happy!

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

All Features

Ready, set, start coloring (again)

Capturing moments in time

Books for the well-read gentleman

Thinking out of the (gift) box

Sweet holiday selections for serious readers

The peace of wild things

A long, strange trip: 150 years of ‘Alice’

New takes on old Hanukkah tales

Stunning maps tell humanity’s story

Many paths to God

Heading to Hollywood for the holidays

Festive picture books celebrate the season

Treasured books to wrap in brightly colored paper

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