Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

Image of Ellysa Stern Cahoy.
Courtesy of Ellysa Stern Cahoy.

Ellysa Stern Cahoy was a member of the 2019 Geisel Award Committee. She is an Education Librarian and the Assistant Director of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book in the Penn State University Libraries, University Park, PA. At the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Ellysa serves on the jury for the Baker’s Dozen: Thirteen Best Books for Family Literacy, and administers the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize. 

Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride
and Other Stories by Sergio
Ruzzier book cover

Sergio Ruzzier is back with a second Fox + Chick book, The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories! As in the first entry in this series (The Party), Fox and Chick are friends with very different personalities. Fox is contemplative and thoughtful. Chick is disruptive and devilish! Ruzzier shares three tales of the two friends -- The Quiet Boat Ride, Chocolate Cake, and The Sunrise. The Quiet Boat Ride is anything but -- Chick sees danger -- pirates, shipwreck, and sea monsters around each corner. Fox patiently abides the vagaries of Chick, his voyaging companion. In the second story, a gifted chocolate cake presents a quandary -- how will Chick eat the entire thing by himself? Luckily, Fox is there to help out. And in the final story, The Sunrise, Chick’s disarray and disorganization mean a missed sunrise viewing, but the two friends find something even better (and just as beautiful) to enjoy together.

The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories follows the same format as The Party, with colorful endpapers that hint at elements in the story and a layout (including a table of contents and chapter headers) that is easily accessible to new readers navigating their first chapter books. The format is a hybrid of a graphic novel and an early reader, with the action shown in comic panels that are easy to follow. 

Ruzzier’s pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations perfectly depict the humorous depths of each story. When Chick imagines sea monsters, they materialize on the following wordless page as fantastic creatures -- a winding eel with a horn for a nose, a lemon shaped fish, a menacing creature with a foot for a tail. Chick’s house is a small tower (with accompanying miniature outhouse), perilously perched on a singular tree branch. Fox and Chick wander through muted landscapes of lilac, chartreuse, and Tuscan orange that feature rolling hills, fanciful trees, and the occasional cacti. 

Panels of Fox and Chick going on a not so quiet boat ride from 
Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

The text is structured entirely as dialogue between Fox and Chick to help the reader tell the story dramatically -- Chick yells in all caps, and Fox speaks gently and directly to his friend. The layout is consistent and the font is large and almost always enclosed within speech bubbles (an exception is when Chick ‘smooch’es the ground when he reaches land and Fox’s alarm clock ‘riiiiiing’s in the morning). Even these onomatopoeic sounds provide an opportunity for the reader to apply sound effects to the story! 

Panels of Fox and Chick going on a not so quiet boat ride from
Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

The pages are numbered, and at 46 pages, meet the minimum number of pages required for Geisel consideration. The dialogue contains a mix of simple and unusual words, such as plunder, shipwreck, worried, salami, and hammer. Many of the more challenging words are repeated multiple times in the text. The funny stories, imaginative illustrations, and unique friendship of Fox and Chick combine to make a very enjoyable experience for the reader. 

Sergio Ruzzier received a Geisel Honor in 2019 for The Party and Other Stories. Full disclosure: I served on the 2019 Geisel Committee, and I love the originality and accessibility of Ruzzier’s art and stories! Perhaps these winning friends will march forward for Geisel recognition once again this year!  

What are your thoughts? Will Fox + Chick once again gain Geisel attention?

Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

Today's guest contributor is Patrick Gall. Patrick works as the Early Childhood/Lower School Librarian at the Catherine Cook School in Chicago. He served on the 2015 Newbery Award Committee, is currently serving on the USBBY Outstanding International Books List committee, and is a guest reviewer for The Horn Book Magazine.

As far as the last few years of unconventional beginning readers go, Sergio Ruzzier has been an author/illustrator to watch. I’d argue that the wonderfully miniature Two Mice (2015) and the metafictive This is Not a Picture Book! (2016) were both strong Geisel contenders during their individual years, although they certainly don’t follow anything close to a Ready to Read or I Like to Read formula. Notably, Ruzzier’s illustrations for other recent beginning reader-ish texts, such as Eve Bunting’s Whose Shoe? (2015) and Katie Hesterman’s A Round of Robins (2018), are generally more straightforward in terms of narrative structure and format than his previously mentioned standalone titles. Ruzzier’s newest solo work, Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories, is a shift toward more conventional storytelling while still being a slightly unorthodox Geisel contender in that it is both a great beginning reader and superb comic.

In 4 panels, fox sits underneath a ticking clock. Photos provided by Patrick Gall.

 Set in Ruzzier’s signature quasi-Mediterranean fantasy world of polychrome rocks, pom-pom foliage, and anthropomorphized animals, The Party and Other Stories is centered around the mild-mannered Fox and incorrigible Chick. Each of the book’s three short stories offer young readers a fairly predictable gag, along with an additional element that sets each joke pleasingly askew. For example, when Chick asks Fox to use his bathroom we find, after Fox waits for several hours, that Chick is having a raging party! When asked to leave, Chick indignantly replies, “I guess he didn’t mean it when he said I could use his bathroom.” After berating Fox for eating vegetables instead of critters such as field mice, frogs, and well, little birds, Chick is thankful for Fox’s vegetarian soup, as well as for not being eaten, for which Fox snidely replies, “At least not today.” The final story features Fox attempting to paint Chick’s portrait after being told by Chick that “Landscapes are boring,” and neglecting to do so because the little bird just won’t sit still. Upon completing his landscape painting, Fox receives praise from Chick, along with the following suggestion: “You should paint a portrait of me one day.” Fascinatingly, Fox agrees, stating, “Great idea, Chick. One day I will.”

Fox shows chick a landscape painting he has just finished.

These slight tweaks at the end of each story add an extra layer of narrative complexity. Likewise, Ruzzier’s pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations – although playful and amusing – are also complex and maturely executed. In particular, shifts between varied panel layouts are seamless and carry storytelling import. Young readers familiar with comics will likely glean meaning easily and subconsciously navigate each page without a second thought, but some confusion could arise for those less accustomed to the format. Another point of concern is Ruzzier’s propensity for complex, multi-syllabic words, particularly when those words aren’t directly supported by the illustrations. In the second story, for example, Chick repeatedly identifies difficult to read animal names that Fox should eat, including grasshoppers, chipmunks, squirrels, and lizards – none of which are visually depicted. Part of the charm of this bit is Chick’s rapid-fire diatribe, making for a funny scene, but one that is less than supportive of beginning readers.

Chick tells Fox some of the things he thinks foxes are supposed to eat.

My impression of Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories, like most other Sergio Ruzzier picture books, is that he simply made the book that he wanted to make, and if it turned out to be a beginning reader, so be it. Having that said, this collection of stories is a pretty great beginning reader comic that kids will most likely love (see What Kids Say Series – July, 2018), even though they may ask for some help with the trickier words.

What a Year!: The Guessing Geisel Co-Hosts Share Post-YMA Reactions

In this post, the three co-hosts of Guessing Geisel (Amanda, Amy, and Misti) share their thoughts and reactions to the 2019 Geisel Award winner and honor titles. 

Watching the YMAs

Amy: I watched the YMAs live this year in Seattle surrounded by a sea of very excited book people! I must admit, the fact that the Geisel comes so close to the end of the announcements (third to the last, just before the Caldecott and Newbery) really built the suspense for me. The honors are always announced first and I was absolutely thrilled with all of them. But in those seconds before they said the name of the winner, I realized neither of Corey R. Tabor's books had been given an honor. And I thought, "There's no way the committee won't recognize his amazing work!" So I might have done a fist pump when Fox the Tiger was announced! It was magical. 
Amanda: I came in to the office early to watch the livestream. Not exactly like being in the room where it happens, but delightful to text with friends as things were announced, and to hear the reaction in the room (ALA, could we eventually add crowd reaction shots to the livestream?). I definitely let out an audible cheer when Tiger vs. Nightmare was announced as an honor - while all the books are excellent choices this is the one I was afraid might be overlooked. And I am elated for Corey Tabor's win for Fox the Tiger!
Misti: I also watched the livestream from my office, though being in the Eastern time zone meant a morning of gleeful anticipation, rather than the early wake-up that an east-coast conference necessitates. Since my workspace is shared with other staff members who are not as invested in the results from the YMAs, I watch with my headphones on, and amuse my co-workers with my suppressed exclamations and Muppet-like arm flails at certain key points!

Fox the Tiger by Corey R. Tabor

Amy: I'll be honest, I've been hoping for a Geisel win for Tabor pretty much all year. But I had really put my money on his other title, Fox is Late. Something about a fox on a skateboard really spoke to me, I guess! That said, I'm thrilled with the committee's choice because I think both Fox books pair Tabor's crisp, clean, engaging illustrations with simple, yet fun sentences that build to a satisfying and humorous ending. Fox first made his appearance in two picture books a couple years ago, but I think Tabor really hit on something when Fox made the transition to beginning readers. Let's hope there are more Fox books in the works!
Misti: I'm super pleased with this win (and also with the fact that our Guessing Geisel mock vote resulted in a win for the same author/series). The Fox books have a classic feel, and Fox the Tiger certainly deserves its place on the shelf of Geisel winners.
Amanda: I'm thrilled with this win. Like Amy, I've been super impressed with both Fox titles, but thought Fox is Late stood the better chance (all that page-turning momentum). Fox the Tiger is so special and affirming, though, and I am so happy that more kids will see this book as a result of this win. 
 

The Adventures of Otto: See Pip Flap by David Milgrim

Misti: Speaking of books with a classic feel, I love what Milgrim is doing with his beginning reader series. We can't have enough of these books on the shelf at my library, and I'm glad the committee chose to recognize this one.  
Amy: This is Milgrim's second Geisel honor (Go, Otto, Go!, 2017), and with more titles in the Adventures of Otto series coming out in 2019 I wouldn't be surprised to see this trend continue! I really appreciate that Milgrim is adding such high quality titles to the too small beginning reader scifi canon. 
Amanda: I agree with Amy - great to see Milgrim's excellent work recognized again this year. I expected it to be the other title released this year, See Zip Zap! but these titles are so strong for the very beginning reader and I'm pleased to see further recognition for the series. 

Fox and Chick: The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

Amy: I've always been a fan of Ruzzier's surrealist style. In this title especially I think the illustrations and Ruzzier's wry sense of humor combine to offer three short stories that never underestimate readers' ability to appreciate a sophisticated, slightly surreal, world. I'm very excited that a second Fox and Chick title is coming out this year!
Misti: It's so delightful when a funny book is recognized by any award committee, and particularly the Geisel. Being funny is hard enough; doing it with a limited word count and an eye towards the needs of the youngest readers is quite a feat! I'm a big fan of this book, and I can't wait to see what's next for Fox and Chick.
Amanda: I'm not surprised that this is the year Sergio Ruzzier gets Geisel recognition. This Is Not A Picture Book and Two Mice both had fans among the Mock Geisel crowd, and with Fox and Chick sharing the multi-story format popular among some easy readers it makes sense that this would be the one to garner Geisel recognition. I look forward to what Ruzzier will create for young readers in the future, both in this series and in other titles!

King and Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers

Amy: Hooray for more Geisel honors for King and Kayla! Butler and Meyers won an honor in 2018 for King and Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats. Representations of humans in beginning reader titles are few and far between, so it makes me so happy that the committee choose this excellent title featuring a human.
Misti: I'll admit, this book was just a blip on my radar when looking at books with Geisel potential -- more fool me! I should have known to pay more attention when this series has already been honored once before by the Geisel committee. Taking a closer look, I can certainly see the distinguished elements that were present in earlier books in the series -- it's good to see that it continues to excel!
Amanda:  Back-to-back honors in 2018 and 2019! King and Kayla are clearly a very solid new series in the tradition of other pet/person combos like Henry and Mudge or Mr. Putter and Tabby, and with a mystery solving element too! Here's hoping they keep going strong with many more adventures. 

Tiger vs Nightmare by Emily Tetri

Amy: When the three of us chose to write about Tetri's book for our CaldeGeisel guest post on Calling Caldecott, we all agreed we loved, loved, loved it, but thought it might be a long shot for Geisel. Imagine our delight when it was announced Monday morning! I think the artwork in this title is so distinguished, so thoughtful, intentional, and lush. I can't wait to see what Tetri comes up with next! 
Misti: Yes, the three of us have been extolling the virtues of this book for a while now, and I was thrilled beyond words when it won its Geisel Honor. The artwork elevates it above others in the field of early graphic novels, and the characters are so lovable and well-developed.

Amanda: I am so pleased that the committee saw and chose to honor the strengths in this beautiful book. I have been pushing it on everyone who comes near my desk, but didn't dare hope too hard that a graphic novel would be recognized in a year with many strong contenders in traditional easy reader formats. This was the announcement of the morning where my joyful surprise couldn't be contained.

Other Thoughts

Amy: It's interesting that of the five titles discussed above, only one is not illustrated by the author. I think that really speaks to the importance of the text and illustrations working together to create a successful reading experience. I also wonder (as I did last year about Charlie & Mouse & Grumpy) about series that have two or more titles published in the same year. There's no rule in the award handbook that says you can't recognize multiple titles by the same author or series, but looking back on past winners and honors, it seems the committee has never done that. If Fox is Late and Fox the Tiger were published in separate years, would both have won in their respective years? How about the Milgrim's See Zip Zap? It's an intriguing line of thought, although, of course, we'll never know the answer. 
Amanda: Like Amy, I too marvel that we have two titles recognized that have other related titles also published this year. I imagine that the Geisel Award Committee had their work cut out for them, differentiating the strengths between a very strong field of contenders with multiple works by the same authors. Congratulations to the committee again on your results - this is a very fine group of winners, and it is clear you worked hard and thoughtfully in selecting them.
Misti: I had also noted the prevalence of books illustrated by the author, both in the actual Geisel winners and in our mock winners. By the way, readers, good work on choosing those mock winners -- we picked two of the actual Geisel Honor books as mock honors, and two of the other books we selected (including our winner) were by authors recognized by the Real Committee. While our goal is more about gaining a better understanding of the process than it is about picking the actual winners, it's always gratifying when we get so close.

We Have a Mock Winner (and Honors, too!)

We here at Guessing Geisel are happy to announce the official winner and honor titles for the 2020 Guessing Geisel Mock!

Book cover for Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

Winner: Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

Book covers for mock honor titles

Honors:

• Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot by Cece Bell 
• Penny and Her Sled by Kevin Henkes
• Charlie & Mouse Even Better by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Emily Hughes 

For the first time in Guessing Geisel history we arrived at our mock winner and honor titles after just one round of balloting! Using the same weighted point system as the Real Committee (4 points for each first choice vote, 3 points for each second choice vote, and 2 points for each third choice vote), we were able to clearly see our winning and honor titles. Out of 36 ballots, Ruzzier’s delightfully witty duo garnered 64 points, a full 8 points ahead of the crowd! Or, another way to look at it is 19 out of 36 people included Fox + Chick on their ballot!

As with the Real Committee, we decided there would be no limit (or requirement) for the number of honor titles to be named. Per the award manual, once a winning title has been chosen through the balloting process, the committee then turns their attention to Honor Books.

“The committee first considers whether or not to select Honor Books. If it decides there are to be none, the selection process is complete. If Honor Books are to be chosen, the selection process proceeds. At this point, certain choices present themselves:

• Whether or not to use the winning selection ballot to choose Honor Books. The committee looks at titles with the next highest number of points. 
• Whether or not to ballot one more time. Only one additional ballot is allowed.” 

In this case, we looked at the titles with the next highest number of points on our first ballot. All sitting between 43-56 points, each of our mock honor books were at least 15 points ahead of the next contender (Let’s Have a Sleepover at 28 points). This 15 point gap felt big enough to merit a cut off point. You can see the point tally below.

Ballot tally

Other interesting balloting results:

• Each of our 12 contenders got at least 2 votes. 
• Our readers also voted for two write in titles: Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis and Snail & Worm: All Day by Tina Kügler. 
• Fox + Chick and Chick and Brain both had 10 first place votes, but differed in numbers of second and third place votes. 
• The mock winner and all the honor titles were created by authors and illustrators with works named Geisel Award winners or honor books in previous years. Ruzzier for the first Fox + Chick title (2019, honor), Bell for Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover (2013, honor), Henkes has had two brushes with Geisel fame: Waiting (2016, honor) and Penny and Her Marble (2013, honor), and Snyder and Hughes took home the medal in 2018 for the first Charlie & Mouse title. 
• For more about balloting and reballoting, check out Amanda’s previous post) 

Now all we can do is eagerly anticipate the announcement of the real YMAs on Monday, January 27, 2020, at 8 a.m. ET. We hope you'll join us in live streaming online or watching (and cheering!) in person at ALA Midwinter in Philadelphia, PA.

What Kids Say - October 2019

Welcome to our second post in this year’s What Kids Say Series. This series is meant to mimic an important part of Geisel Committee members’ experience: observing while kids read Geisel contenders out loud. Unlike some kid lit awards, kid appeal and a successful reading experience are part of the criteria and definitely a part of the discussion for committees. In fact there’s a section in the award manual that encourages committee members to “Take an active role and become immersed in the world of beginning readers” [p.19] followed by a list of possible ways to achieve this goal including, “‘Adopt’ a kindergarten or first grade class and observe how children learn to read” [p.19]. 

This series attempts to achieve a similar goal, but in a blog format. Each month I send a list of three or four contenders to a half dozen of our guest contributors that are caregivers of or regularly work with K-2nd grade students. I do my best to select a variety of levels and topics for readers at different stages of the learning to read process. While each of the titles highlighted in this post will be covered by guest contributors at some point this year, the focus of this series is on the experiences and observations from kid readers and their grown-up contributors. 

Image of two children reading Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier. 

Image courtesy of Jayce Senter. 

This month over 100 kids in Kindergarten through 2nd grade participated nationwide. Most read just one or two titles. Contributors can record feedback in any format, however I do provide them with a couple feedback templates (Bookmark, kid feedback sheet, grown up feedback sheet). A big shout out to Jamie Chowning, DaNae Leu, Samantha Marino, Stacey Rattner, Amma Romero, and Jayce Senter for all their hard work sharing, observing, and collecting feedback from the kids in their lives.  

And now, let’s get to the books and what kids have to say about them! 

I Will Race You Through 

This Book! by Jonathan 

Fenske book cover

I Will Race You Through This Book by Jonathan Fenske 
In her recent post, Kahla Gubanich writes that this book “calls back to both the endearing fable of the tortoise and the hare as well as the rich history of metafictional children’s literature, while still standing strong on its own (speedy) legs.” Let’s see what nearly fifty 1st and 2nd graders who read this title had to say. 

Many kids liked that the rabbit broke the fourth wall to talk directly to the reader. One child said, “It’s like you can talk to him!” The racing element was much discussed by kids. One wrote that they liked, “that the bonee wos raceing [sic}.” and another wrote that they liked “that we won.” Some kids loved the cheating bunny, others weren’t so sure, “I did not like thet the bune chedid [sic].” Most kids loved the “funny bunny”, but one kid just wrote “winey!” when asked what they didn’t like about the book. 

Most found the book interesting and easy to read and follow, but a few found it confusing and uninteresting. Unfortunately, none of them shared any comments about what they thought was lacking. “Through”, “now”, “even”, and “readers” were called out as difficult and one child wasn’t sure how to navigate “Wow” as a verb, but otherwise it seems the rest of the kids breezed through the text. 

One grown up contributor wrote, “In my experience, kids this age really like to feel smarter than the book and enjoy humor that plays off of the characters knowing they're in a book, so this was right in their zone.” 

Will this book win the Geisel race? We’ll have to wait to find out! 

Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride 

and Other Stories by Sergio 

Ruzzier book cover

Fox + Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier 
The second title in Ruzzier’s Fox + Chick series (book one received a 2019 Geisel Honor) was read by twenty 1st and 2nd graders. It really seemed to shine for these kids, who all said they enjoyed the book and would read another in the series. In addition to enjoying the book, the kids found it easy to follow and easy to read. The speech bubbles were a particular hit with a few children. 

A few kids thought the book was long and one kid specifically pointed to the yellow water as something they didn’t like. Most kids only needed help 1-5 times. The following words were called out as difficult by various children: 

• Received 
• Shipwreck 
• Stressful 
• Plunder 
• Captain 
• Still 
• Pirate 
• Quiet 
  

Chick was the most talked about character in this book. Here are a few kid comments (written exactly as kids wrote them): 

• That chick did’in whant to opne the box 
• Wen chic found the choclet cake 
• Wen cick gode on the botride 
• Chik was so silly 
• How chik kepe asking qestens 
  

Overall, it seems that despite some difficult vocabulary, that kids enjoyed the book enough to stick with it. Will that page turning dynamic equal a Geisel nod? 

Harold & Hog Pretend for 

Real! by Dan Santat and

 Mo Willems book cover

Harold & Hog Pretend for Real! by Dan Santat and Mo Willems 
In her review, guest blogger Sylvie Shaffer writes that this book “is the brain-bending story of Gerald and Piggie reading the story of Harold (an elephant who looks quite a bit like Gerald) and Hog (a pig resembling Piggie) pretending to be Gerald and Piggie, who are reading the book Harold and Hog Pretend for Real.” Over eighty 1st and 2nd graders read this title. Let’s see what they had to say. 

A majority of the kids were able to read the book through without needing help sounding out words, although a handful needed help with 1-5 words, and another handful needed help 6-10 times. “Pretend” and “Real” were difficult words for one child, however the word that seven kids struggled with was “Carefree.” 

The kids who found the book easy to read and follow also found the book interesting. On the flip side, of the dozen kids who found the book a challenge to read also found it to be confusing, uninteresting or both. 

Unsurprisingly, the humor was a big hit with kids. One child wrote, “It is funny. It makes me happy. It is joyful.” The characters were much loved and written about by kids. Notably the characters pretending to be other characters, but also specific moments. Here are a few answers to the question, “What did you like about this book?” (again, written exactly as the kids wrote them): 

• Its when Harold and Hog asked pigi to drive the bus. 
• Harold and Hog looked so realistik. 
• When Harold tride to fly. 

It’s hard to deny the power of Elephant & Piggie. Will they have another brush with the Geisel Award? We shall see… 

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So that’s what kids have to say this month! What are your kids saying about these books? Let us know in the comments. We also invite you to share kid feedback on any of the titles we blog about via the comments.

Comics - Part One

There’s no doubt about it, comics and the Geisel Award go together like peanut butter and jelly! With honor titles like Sergio Ruzzier’s Fox and Chick: The Party and Other Stories, My Kite Is Stuck! And Other Stories by Salina Yoon, Emily Tetri’s Tiger vs Nightmare (just to name a few), and Laurie Keller’s Geisel winning We Are Not Growing!, there are a lot of comics for beginning readers to love. And yet, if your library is anything like mine, there’s a definite need for more comics for developing readers. They seem to fly off the shelves! So in today’s post I’m going to highlight a few beginning reader comics. Could one of them be the peanut butter to this year’s jelly? 

Book covers: Baloney and Friends by Greg Pizzoli, Chick and Brain: Egg or Eyeball? by Cecel Bell, Cookie & Broccoli: Ready for School by Bob McMahon

Baloney and Friends by Greg Pizzoli 

Given his Geisel track record -- Watermelon Seed (winner 2014), Good Night Owl (honor 2017), Book Hog (honor 2020) --, a new Pizzoli book always generates some Geisel buzz. In a combination of longer, multi-page stories and brief, single-page mini-comics, a pig named Baloney and his gaggle of animal friends support one another through swimming pool fun, magic show hilarity, and days when they’re feeling a bit blue. Color-coded speech bubbles match the color of each character, making it easy to follow the dialogue-driven stories. Although there’s occasional unfamiliar vocabulary and a word here and there printed in a decorative font, overall there’s much to appreciate in what promises to be the start of a new series. 

 

Chick and Brain: Egg or Eyeball? by Cece Bell 

Just last year Bell took home a Geisel honor for Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot. All the supporting elements from that honor title -- clever word repetition, a story arc that creates a wonderful page turning dynamic, and text printed in an easy to read font positioned in well-placed speech bubbles -- are once again present in the duo’s newest adventure. In four chapters of hilarious wordplay, Chick and Brain debate egg versus eyeball with an eleventh hour reveal that will have everyone giggling. Readers of the first book will be delighted to encounter Spot the dog, as well as a few new, completely original characters. While there are definitely nods to the first book, this title stands on its own quite well. 

Cookie & Broccoli: Ready for School! by Bob McMahon 

Starring a cast of talking foods with stick-like appendages and large expressive eyes, McMahon’s author-illustrator debut is jam-packed with jokes. From the first moment Cookie and Broccoli meet at school, it’s clear they are destined to become best friends whose opposite personalities complement one another. School day mischief and misunderstandings provide the backbone for this series starter. While the silly humor and friendly illustrations scream kid appeal, the sheer amount of text along with the many different decorative fonts used throughout the book may pose some barriers to a successful reading experience for new readers. 

 

As I close this post, I want to highlight the need for developing reader comics by BIPOC creators, as well as creators with/from other marginalized identities and communities. And we need those identities and cultures to be reflected in the books as well. Have you noticed something all of the titles mentioned in this post have in common? They all feature animals, plants, or other inanimate objects (with the exception of Brain, who is a walking, talking brain…), rather than human characters. I long for comics that provide windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors to new readers. That’s not to say that any of the titles or creators we’ve mentioned in this post aren’t Geisel-worthy, rather, let’s take note of these gaps. Make your voice heard by asking publishers to actively seek, publish and promote diverse comics by diverse creators.

2020 Contenders (and Ineligible Titles, too!)

As the Youth Media Awards (YMAs) announcement draws near we've been thinking about all the wonderful books for developing readers published in 2020. We didn't have time to blog about as many as we'd hoped, but that doesn't mean we can celebrate them! So we're using this last post before the YMAs to present you with a list of eligible contenders. And to wrap it up we'll include some of our favorite ineligible titles at the end.

While we've done our best to include as many eligible contenders as we could find, this list is in no way comprehensive. There's also no way to know what the real committee read or discussed. Perhaps this year's winner and honor titles are on this list. Perhaps none of these titles will be announced on Monday! We'll just have to wait and see. 

Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments. 

Eligible Contenders

Note: Titles with an asterisk (*) are written and/or illustrated by a previous Geisel winner/honor author and/or illustrator.

Beginning Readers

Bumble and Bee (series) by Ross Burach

Bunny Will Not Jump by Jason Tharp

Charlie & Mouse Outdoors by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Emily Hughes*

Dog Meets Dog by Bernice Myers

Duck and Cat's Rainy Day by Carin Bramsen

Come In, Zip! and For Otto by David Milgrim*

Fox Tails (series) by Tina Kügler

Fox Versus Winter by Corey R. Tabor*

Frog & Dog (series) by Janee Trasler

Horse & Buggy Plant a Seed! by Ethan Long*

Go, Go, Go by Bob Barner

Jack Books (series) by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli*

King & Kayla and the Case of the Unhappy Neighbor by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers*

Layla and the Bots (series) by Vicky Fang, illustrated by Christine Nishiyama

Lunch Box Bully by Hans Wilhelm

A Pig, a Fox and a Fox by Jonathan Fenske*

Princess Truly: I Can Build It! by Kelly Greenawalt, illustrated by Amariah Rasucher

The Really Rotten Princess and the Awful, Icky Election by Lady Cecily Snodgrass, illustrated by Mike Lester

Run, Mo, Run! and Swim, Mo, Swim! by David A. Adler, illustrated by Sam Ricks*

Score One More by Marilyn Janovitz

See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

Shark Report (series) by Derek Anderson

Snow is Fun by Steve Henry

Testing the Waters by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mike Moran

Ty's Travels: Zip Zoom! and Ty's Travel's: All Board! by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Nina Mata

Unlimited Squirrels: I Want to Sleep Under the Stars! by Mo Willems*

What About Worms!? by Ryan T. Higgins 

Who Ate My Book? by Tina Kügler

Who Needs a Checkup? by Norm Feuti

Picture Books

Black is a Color Rainbow by Angela Joy, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

Blue Table by Chris Raschka

The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann

Round by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Lisa Congdon

Sun Flower Lion by Kevin Henkes*

Turtle Walk by Matt Phelan

Up on Bob by Mary Sullivan*

Graphic Novels

Baloney and Friends by Greg Pizzoli*

Chick and Brain: Egg or Eyeball? by Cece Bell*

Cookie and Broccoli: Ready for School! by Bob McMahon

Noodleheads Lucky Day by Tedd Arnold, Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss, illustrated by Tedd Arnold*

Pizza and Taco: Who's the Best? by Stephen Shaskan

Puppy Problems by Paige Braddock

Nonfiction

Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre

Early Chapter Books

Astrid & Apollo and the Happy New Year by V.T. Bidania, illustrated by Dara Lashia Lee

Kondo & Kezumi Visit Giant Island by David Goodner, illustrated by Andrea Tsurmi

The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem by Shannon & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Ineligible Titles

If we're wrong about the eligibility of any of these titles, please let us know! 

• All the Dear Little Animals by Ulf Nilsson, illustrated by Eva Eriksson - Swedish author and illustrator
• Ana & Andrew (series) by Chrstine Platt, illustrated by Anuki Lopez - Illustrator born and currently living in Spain
• Beach Day! by Candice Ransom, illustrated by Erika Meza - Illustrator born in Mexico and currently living in the UK
• Big Shark, Little Shark, Baby Shark by Anna Membrino, illustrated by Tim Budgen - Illustrator born and currently living in the UK
• Bug Dipping, Bug Sipping by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Lucy Semple - Illustrator born and currently living in the UK
• Cat has a Plan by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Fred Blunt - Illustrator born and currently living in the UK
• Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song - Exceeds the 96 page limit
• Fairylight Friends (series) by Jessica Young, illustrated by Marie Vanderbemden - Illustrator born and currently living in Belgium
• Fox & Rabbit by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Gergely Dudás - Illustrator born and currently lives in Hungary
• Hound Won't Go by Lisa Rogers, illustrated by Meg Ishihara - Illustrator born and currently living in Japan
• Houndsley and Catina at the Library by James Howe, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay - Illustrator born and currently living in Canada
• If You Love Books, You Could Be...by Elizabeth Dennis, illustrated by Natalie Kwee - Illustrator born and currently living in Singapore
• Interrupting Cow by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Joelle Dreidemy - Illustrator born and currently living in France
• It Is a Tree by Susan Batori - Author born and currently living in Hungary
• King of the Birds by Elise Gravel - Author born and currently living in Canada
• Sea Sheep by Eric Selzter, illustrated by Tom Disbury - Illustrator born and currently living in the UK
• Shadow in the Woods and Other Scary Stories by Max Brallier, illustrated by Letizia Rubegni
• Tip and Tucker Paw Painters by Ann Ingalls & Sue Lowell Gallion, illustrated by Andre Ceolin - Illustrator born and currently lives in Brazil
• You Can Do It, Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly  - Egyptian born illustrator currently living in Canada

What Kids Say Series - July, 2018

Welcome to the first post in the new monthly What Kids Say series meant to mimic a major part of the Geisel Committee experience. Unlike some kid lit awards, kid appeal and a successful reading experience are part of the criteria and definitely a part of the discussion for committees. In fact there’s a section in the award manual that encourages committee members to “Take an active role and become immersed in the world of beginning readers” [p.19] followed by a list of possible ways to achieve this goal including, “‘Adopt’ a kindergarten or first grade class and observe how children learn to read” [p.19]. 

This series attempts to achieve a similar goal. Each month I send a list of four contenders to a half dozen of our guest contributors that are caregivers of or regularly work with K-2nd grade students in a school setting. Why four titles? That allows me to choose a variety of levels and topics for readers at different stages of the learning to read process. Disclaimer: This month you’ll see only three titles covered in this post. I didn’t realize until after the fact that one of the titles wasn’t eligible because the illustrator was born and currently resides in Europe. 

Contributors can record feedback in any format, however I do provide them with a grown-up contributor feedback sheet, as well as a kid version adapted by school librarian Stacey Rattner for kids to fill out themselves (Thanks, Stacey!). Thanks to Jamie Holcomb, Sarah Lee, Benji Martin, and Stacey Rattner for sharing and observing with the kids in your lives. Thanks you to this month twenty kids across the United States participated. Some read all the titles, others just one or two. 

Guest contributors will be reviewing each of these titles later this year, so this series focuses on the experiences and observations from kid readers and their grown-up contributors. 

Without further ado, let’s jump into our first title! 

Pig and Cat are Pals by Douglas Florian 
I’m a big fan of Holiday House’s I Like to Read titles, especially for the very newest reader. But I wondered how the artwork and text of this very simple and well-worn story about a duo of friends expanding to a trio would work for readers. 

Several adults have mentioned to me that they struggle with Florian’s artwork in this book. The images seem blurry at times and pages, filled to bursting with crayon marks, can be overwhelming at first glance. One grown-up contributor wrote, “the dog didn’t look like a dog.” 

Kid readers, on the other hand, had no such qualms. Most kids liked or loved the book and found it easy to follow. One grown-up contributor mentioned that her kids liked the artwork with one child saying to other that they could draw pictures like the art in the book. Several kid readers found the kites especially wonderful with the octopus and bumblebee kites getting specific shout outs. 

This is definitely a book for the very newest of readers and those were the kids who enjoyed it most. For one child, this was one of the first books they read completely by themselves and they read it every night before bed. More advanced readers found the story a little boring and said they probably wouldn’t read it again. 

Oddly enough, the most difficult word for 50% of the readers was “pals.” The only other word that required help for one child was “read.” 

Please, No More Nuts! by Jonathan Fenske 
In this companion book to last year’s We Need More Nuts, two squirrels try to give all their acorns to the reader because they just can’t stand to eat them anymore. I chose this title because I wanted to see how kid readers responded to the layout of panels and speech bubbles, as well as the slapstick humor in the illustrations and rhyming text. 

Notably, only two kids choose to read this book, which makes me wonder about the cover appeal. Neither child said they would read it again, although both read it with a minimum of difficulty. Both struggled with the word “adored.” Other tough words were “hoard” and “supper.” 

One kid lamented the lack of plot saying “And all it was about was two squirrels and some nuts.” The child’s grown-up agreed, “there is not enough substance to keep kids coming back.” However, the second kid reader said, “It was kind of weird, but I liked it.” From a layout perspective one grown-up contributor found the change in speech bubble color, rather than staying consistent to each character, was “unnecessarily confusing.” I'd love to have more kids read this title and see how they respond. Was it just not a good fit for the two kids who read it? Would it be more engaging to kids who have read the first title?

Fox and Chick: The Party and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier 
I’ll be honest, as a grown-up I found this graphic novel featuring three friendship stories about a well-meaning fox and a slyly clever bird hilarious. But I wondered, would kid readers grasp the humor or would it sail over their heads leaving them confused? 

I needn’t have worried, all the kids who read this book said they loved it, would read it again, and would happily read a sequel. Many of them wrote about their favorite funny moment. “Weh thay said can I you’s your bathroom [sic]” wrote one six-year old. One grown-up contributor appreciated that the humor was a good match for the reading level. They pointed out that the bathroom joke was a particular hit, but not gross. All readers found the layout of panels, speech bubbles, and other design elements easy to follow. 

Based on kid feedback, this title seemed to be attractive and successful for more confident readers (around 1st and 2nd grade). Most kids were able to read most words without needing help, however the following words were cited as difficult for one kid or another (but no two kids got stumped on the same words): wonder, grasshoppers, guys, sometimes, supposed, moles, parsley. Upon rereading this book I noticed that nearly all of those words are introduced and repeated several times. There wasn’t enough information from the feedback forms to know if readers were able to learn and retain these words once introduced. 

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That’s what kids have to say this month! What are your kids saying about these books? Let us know in the comments. Also, you can use the comments to let us know if there are any titles you’d like us to cover in future installments of What Kids Say.