Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 23, 2023

      This English author/illustrator was born in 1812, the last of 21 children. Life was tough for the family, but he amused his siblings and himself with nonsense rhymes and limericks.  He wrote The Owl and the Pussycat, The Scroobious Pip and The Nonsense Alphabet and never sought to moralise to Victorian  children, only to entertain them. Although he never wrote a novel, he was mentioned as a novelist in a song by the Beatles, who admired his wordplay. This is Edward Lear.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 16, 2023

   When he was a child this Canadian author's family took in a pair of owls. As a teen in Saskatoon, he wrote a coulmn about birds for the local newspaper. He studied zooloogy and never finished his degree but continued to be fascinated by nature and became a passionate environmentalist. He wrote a book about his dog Mutt (who had nightmares and needed goggles to ride in the family car) and about the owls his family adopted, but his most famous book, published in 1963, is about wolves and faulty government policy towards them. This is Farley Mowat, and his book is Never Cry Wolf.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for May 9, 2023

 This singer/songwriter turned her lyrics into a picture book published in 2016. But her biggest contribution to literacy is her donation of more than two million books each month to children around the world. She started her Imagination Library in 1995 to honor her father who couldn't read or write. The writer is Dolly Parton and her book is Coat of Many Colors.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for April 17, 2023

 This American author/illustrator, born in 1944 in Lansing, Michigan draws on her Irish and Russian Jewish roots for inspiration. As a child she loved to draw but struggled to learn to read. Her book Thank You Mr.Falker honors the teacher who recognized her dyslexia and took time to help her. Other books include The Keeping Quilt, Fiona's Lace, Babushka's Doll and Thundercake. This is Patricia Polacco.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for April 11, 2023

This third grade teacher wanted to pep up his students' reading time so he started adding music. A chance encounter at a stoplight with an artist known for his cat paintings led to a 2008 self-published book about a cat who stains his white shoes. The book led to a publishing contract and three more books. The duo performed at schools, the artist creating a cat painting to leave behind while the author read the story and played guitar. At an Austin school the microphone failed, and the audience of kids recited the book from memory. The illustrator and his wife now write the books in the growing series, but the original author has gone on to write The Nuts and The Poop Song. He has no children and no cats. The author is Eric Litwin, and the artist is James Dean.The cat is Pete, based on the artist's adopted pet.

Tuesday Kidlit Trivia for April 4, 2023

 This Swiss author began writing at age 43 and donated her profits to help war refugees. Her first novel was translated into English in 1884. Her character's innate goodness and love of life in the Alps continue to charm readers today. The author is Johanna Spyri and her book is Heidi.

2023 Spring Fling entry THE FIRE GROWS

 

The Fire Grows  145 words

WILDFIRE! Mom said take one thing, and we’ll drive to get Granny. One? I pick the treasure box Gramps carved when he was sick. The trees are dry as cornhusks, the smoke tastes like burnt beans, and the fire grows. Granny cries, leaving her cabin and her garden. It’s hard to sleep at the shelter. Inside, people sob. Outside, helicopters come and go, dropping water on the flames.  I hold my treasure box all through the night. News comes in the morning: our home is OK, but Granny’s cabin and garden are gone. All that’s left is her old clawfoot bathtub. Granny comes to live with us, and I tell Dad my idea. The truck rumbles down the hill, carrying Granny’s tub. My treasure box holds seeds from her garden. We fill the tub with soil, and start over. And now, the garden grows.