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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: CATawampus!
WORK NOTES:
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CITY: Cleveland
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COUNTRY: United States
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LAST VOLUME: SATA 357
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: one daughter.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Illustrator, writer, and toy designer. Freelance illustrator for publishers, including Highlights for Children, Disney/Hyperion, Sterling Publishing, Boyds Mill Press, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jenn Harney is an illustrator and author of picture books. That creating children’s literature might make a great career first dawned on her upon meeting renowned author and illustrator Tomie DePaola at a young authors’ conference when she was in second grade. After contributing artwork to other authors’ titles for a couple of years, she made her self-illustrated debut with a fairly safe topic for evoking giggles from youngsters: undergarments. Harney illustrates her work digitally.
Hazy Bloom and the Tomorrow Power, by Jennifer Hamburg, was Harney’s first illustration effort. The series stars a spunky third grader in Denver who starts having visions that anticipate the future. Though helpful at first, the visions are open to interpretation, getting Hazy in ever hotter water. Wanda Seasongood and the Mostly True Secret opens a series by Susan Lurie, about an eleven-year-old who goes on a magical journey after wishing to be an orphan. Harney provides grey-scale cartoon illustrations.
Harney’s debut self-illustrated title is Underwear! A bear parent spies a bear cub emerging from the bathtub and—gasp!—realizes that the cub is not wearing underwear. As the parent proposes a pair and tries to insist, the cub playfully resists, and their dialogue dances around homophones and rhymes as the parent struggles to get baby bear in bed with the purportedly proper attire. A Kirkus Reviews writer—likening the text to the famous comedy sketch “Who’s on First?”—affirmed that “facial features and body language are spot-on” in the illustrations, while the “rollicking rhymes are the icing on the cake” in what is sure to be a “riotous hit.”
In Swim Swim Sink, Harney’s next title, when a mother duck proudly takes her three freshly hatched ducklings to the water, the first two hop in and float along, but the third one sinks—repeatedly, mystifying a bystander worm and a narrator frustrated with the disruption of the rhyme scheme. The duckling tries everything from water wings to stilts to scuba gear to a Jet Ski, but nothing quite suits the occasion, until the duckling realizes a cracked eggshell can make for floating and fun pretending alike.
A Kirkus Reviews writer observed that the family of fowl is “winsomely depicted in the bold, firmly outlined illustrations, with their lovely aqueous blue water and white, yellow, and orange ducks.” In Booklist, Carolyn Phelan observed that in “positioning words creatively within the illustrations and using rhyme when things are moving along smoothly,” Harney’s “satisfying” prose reads “beautifully.” Reviewing Swim Swim Sink in School Library Journal, Mary Elam appreciated how “children will come up with their own suggestions and solutions for a happy duckling ending.”
(open new)In Mike Allegra’s Pirate & Penguin, the titular characters are thrust together when a penguin falls off an icy cliff onto the pirate’s ship below. The pirate paints the penguin and pretends it is a parrot, much to the penguin’s annoyance. As the penguin walks the plank, the pirate concedes that he likes his “parrot” just the way he is. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “an amusing romp that will have landlubbers and scurvy sea dogs alike giggling.”
The titular characters return in Pirate & Penguin: 2 Few Crew. They brightly paint and decorate the ship in hopes of attracting sailors to sail with them. The pirate does not mind others making fun of his ship but takes offence to their attacks against the penguin. A female octopus that has found its way onto the ship ends up meeting all their requirements for the crew and joins them. A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that “adaptability and acceptance are the real treasure at the end of this pirate-y adventure.”
In Hornswoggled!: A Wacky Words Whodunit, a deer wakes up to find a tennis racket has replaced one of his antlers. The deer seeks help from Catfish, who finds that its eyeglasses have been replaced by two donuts. Other animals are shocked by these outlandish substitutions and use colorful vocabulary to express their amazement. A Kirkus Reviews contributor admitted that there is “no snake oil here–just great fun.”
With Ann Marie Stephens’s CATastrophe!, Captain Cat thinks it is awful that a group of kittens have tangled their lines by wearing life jacket colors that do not align properly. Captain Cat makes them line up according to color patterns, which untangles the lines. The kittens need more organizational help while rowing in the canoe. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that “playfulness makes repeated reads a must for fans of cats or calculation.”
In Beth Anderson’s “Smelly” Kelly and His Super Senses, Irish immigrant James Kelly moves to New York City and makes a career for himself by using his strong sense of smell. He helps detect dangerous gasses, water, steam, and other leaks down in the subway. In the process, he ended up solving a series of mysteries. A Kirkus Reviews contributor stated: “Depicted with a confident smile and a mop of bright orange hair, Kelly shines as he goes after suggestive twists and curls of miasmic yellowish green.”
In George Washington’s Spectacular Spectacles, a group of U.S. Revolutionary War-era military officers threaten to storm Congress unless they are paid for their service. While George Washington’s first attempts to calm them don’t work, he puts on his glasses to read them the letter from Congress about their promise to pay. He first jokes about how he lost his ability to see clearly while serving the country, leading the officers to accept his promise on behalf of Congress. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “an enlightening tale, enlivened by droll, retro illustrations.”
With sCATtered!: A Story of Estimation, nine kittens make math fun and easy while planning a party for Grandma. They have to hide the books, make the cake, and decorate, all while estimating the size, distance, space, or cost of something. Booklist contributor Kathleen McBroom remarked that “this effortless introduction to estimation makes a great read-aloud and works equally well for very young audiences.”
In CATawampus!: A Story of Shapes, a group of cats enter a robot-building competition. They make a lot of mistakes but are persistent in their efforts to win. They emphasize the shapes of the objects they are trying in building their robots. Booklist contributor Miriam Aronin found it to be “an entertaining concept book that will shape up to be a hit with kids.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 15, 2019, Carolyn Phelan, review of Swim Swim Sink, p. 60; January 1, 2025, Miriam Aronin, review of CATawampus!, p. 66; January 1, 2025, Kathleen McBroom, review of sCATtered!: A Story of Estimation, p. 69.
Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2016, review of Hazy Bloom and the Tomorrow Power; December 1, 2017, review of Hazy Bloom and the Pet Project; June 1, 2018, review of How to Become a Knight (in Ten Easy Lessons); January 15, 2019, review of Underwear!; March 1, 2019, review of Never Trumpet with a Crumpet; October 1, 2019, review of Swim Swim Sink; November 1, 2019, review of Wanda Seasongood and the Mostly True Secret; August 1, 2020, review of “Smelly” Kelly and His Super Senses: How James Kelly’s Nose Saved the New York City Subway; August 1, 2021, review of CATastrophe!; September 1, 2021, review of Hornswoggled!: A Wacky Words Whodunit; July 1, 2024, review of Pirate & Penguin; March 1, 2023, review of Pirate & Penguin; July 1, 2024, review of Pirate & Penguin 2 Few Crew; November 15, 2024, review of George Washington’s Spectacular Spectacles.
Publishers Weekly, January 9, 2017, review of Hazy Bloom and the Tomorrow Power.
School Library Journal, December 1, 2019, Mary Elam, review of Swim Swim Sink, p. 68.
ONLINE
Critter Lit, https://www.critterlit.com/ (July 11, 2019), “Debut Interview with Jenn Harney.”
Jena Benton, https://jenabenton.com/ (October 14, 2020), Jena Benton, author interview.
Jenn Harney website, http://jkharney.blogspot.com (April 26, 2025).
Hey, over here!
Hi!
I'm an illustrator who has been working in and around children's literature for the last 20 odd years and have amassed some 20 plus odd books. I'm also the author and illustrator of UNDERWEAR! (spring 2019) and SWIM SWIM SINK (spring 2020) both published by Disney Hyperion. And COMING SOON(ish) THERE'S A PONY IN MY APARTMENT! (spring 2026) published by Little Brown
All of my work is created digitally, making it easy to send to press locally or overseas for production.
I work quickly, but carefully. I revise gladly, without whining. And, I'm willing to take on any project that needs to be done.
represented by
Rachel Orr
Prospect Agency
rko@prospectagency.com
clients include
Little Brown
Scholastic
Disney Hyperion
Page Street Kids
Sterling Publishing
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Boyds Mill Kane/Calkins Creek
Highlights for Children
email
jennharknee@gmail.com
bluesky
@jennharknee
all images © jenn harney unless otherwise noted
Simply 7 with Beth Anderson & Jenn Harney–“Smelly Kelly and his Super Senses”
October 14, 2020 / jenabenton
Today I get to talk to another dynamic duo that I’ve been dying to get on my blog.
thumbnail_Beth Anderson hi res squareBeth Anderson, a former English as a Second Language teacher, has always marveled at the power of books. Armed with linguistics and reading degrees, a fascination with language, and penchant for untold tales, she strives for accidental learning in the midst of a great story. Beth lives in Loveland, Colorado where she laughs, wonders, thinks, and questions; and hopes to inspire kids to do the same. You can learn more about her at her website.
SMELLY KELLEY_FC“Smelly Kelly and his Super Senses” is a nonfiction picture book about an incredible human being who really did have a super sense of smell. He also found a way to harness that gift and creative inventions to help with that gift that are akin to no one else I’ve quite heard about. This book is why I’m convinced that nonfiction picture book biographies are NOT a thing of the past. There are endless tales to be found within history that are every bit as fascinating as this one.
Welcome to my blog Beth!
Me: I always love finding another teacher-writer. What is it that draws you to writing picture books about history?
Beth: Teaching definitely guided me to my niche. I taught ESL for a number of years, and always appreciated books with characters that appealed to any age and provided rich potential for language arts work, language acquisition, and content area support. Illustrations add so much to all those areas, too. But the most powerful aspect of all has always been the response of students, with amazement, questions, and the inspiration that comes when they learn—Yes, this is true. History for me as a child wasn’t particularly engaging, and I think it’s because, with a focus on names and dates, the human side was missing. As a result, I’m drawn to digging into those human challenges that provide models for kids to inspire, and help them understand the world today.
Me: This is your third historical picture book, with several more coming out over the next few years! What is the secret to your success? How do you find such amazing nuggets of real life to turn into a picture book?
lizzie-cover-hi-res-jpegBeth: Well, full transparency here, Lizzie Demands a Seat, “Smelly” Kelly and His Super Senses, and 2 more coming up are actually historical fiction. Lizzie because some of the actual words she used are dated, and “Smelly” Kelly due to limited information to create a story. Sometimes I’m faced with a choice between a limited nonfiction story or adding a bit of fiction to create a more engaging story. I tend to go with story first and end up with 90-98% true. I think it’s important for kids to be aware of this, so I share information on the research in the author’s note.
The secret? I’ve learned to persevere for the sake of telling a story I adore. I’ve learned a lot from the incredible and generous kid lit community. And I take advantage of opportunities to learn about writing for children. So, I guess if there is a secret, it’s to dig in and learn every chance you get.
And no doubt the most valuable thing I’ve learned is about the importance of what I call the “heart.” (Candace Fleming’s “vital idea,” Barb Rosenstock’s “so what?” Others might say “takeaway.”). It’s not theme, but something that springs from the author seeing the story through their own special lens. It moves a telling from “reporting” to “experiencing” and threads an idea through the narrative that resonates with the reader at the end.
I keep my eyes and ears open to sniff out potential stories just like “Smelly” Kelly in the underground world of the subway on the lookout for danger.
Me: I love that! What was it about “Smelly” Kelly’s story that first grabbed you and drew you to write about it?
Screen Shot 2020-08-12 at 10.17.13 AMBeth: The articles I found about him told about bizarrely interesting experiences. Some were hilarious, some disgusting, some pretty unbelievable. And then his incredible nose…his story definitely had kid potential. Kids are all about smells, and the idea that your nose could make you a hero—wow! That’s a superpower that hasn’t been explored! 😆
Me: Was it hard researching about someone who had very little information available about him? Did you have to get creative or do a lot of extra research for this story? Can you tell us a bit about that process for this story?
Beth: Yes! The minimal information was definitely a challenge! I found only a handful of anecdotes and a bit of information on the man. I researched in all directions and came up with zilch. But his story was so fun that I didn’t want to give it up. I had to find a way to connect the anecdotes into an arc. I needed a “vital idea” or “heart” thread with a special angle that could resonate with kids at the end.
Screen Shot 2020-08-12 at 10.16.24 AMI had discovered that the time period was the heyday of detective stories, so I tried telling it from a mystery/detective angle. But it didn’t have a strong “heart” piece. The 1930s-40s also saw the emergence of superheroes like Batman, the Phantom, and Captain Marvel. So I took the hero angle and dug for the heart. Don’t all kids secretly want to be a superhero? Wish for a superpower? What’s the difference between a hero and a superhero? What makes a person a hero? Digging deeper, I found my special takeaway. It’s not the power or strength or speed that makes a person a hero. It’s why and how they use it. Ultimately, it’s about the power of their heart.
So, I worked to thread that idea through every scene, bringing it to resonate at the end. (going back to an earlier question, that’s the secret—making your story matter) Though that sounds simple and easy here, creating this thread, using limited anecdotes to create scenes, transitioning scene to scene, and stacking them to create an arc, was a huge challenge for me. And in that process, more research was required to fill in all the holes. Lots of learning!
Me: Jenn Harney’s illustrations in this book are amazing! Did you communicate with her at all during the creation of them? Were there any illustration surprises for you?
Beth: Communication passed through the editor about research and historical information every once in a while. I think it was Jenn’s first experience having to do historical research for a story, and I was thrilled to learn that she found it fascinating and absolutely loved that aspect.
When I saw the sketches, the energy just popped off the page. And when I saw them in color, the two palettes she used for the above ground world and underground world just knocked my socks off. Jenn did such an amazing job to create this character and his world!
thumbnail_SMELLY KELLEY_F&G high res p3 JPEG
thumbnail_SK p6 jpeg
Me: I agree! Any advice for other picture book writers?
Beth: Persevere! I think that rule about putting in your 10,000 hours is absolutely true. And take advantage of opportunities! Kwame Alexander recently commented on the notion of being “lucky.” The more you put yourself out there, the more chances you have to get lucky.
Me: Great advice. Can you talk a little bit about your future book projects? What can we look forward to reading from you?
Beth: I’m so very excited about Tad Lincoln’s Restless Wriggle, due out fall 2021. We’re in the stage of proofing the passes now, and I love S.D. Schindler’s illustrations more with every round. So much tenderness in the father and son relationship, and so much fun in Tad’s antics! Both father and son were definitely powered by their hearts.
2022 will be busy with three releases. Franz’s Phantasmagorical Machine, a STEAM story about curiosity and the drive to create, is based on the life of Franz Gsellmann. Revolutionary Prudence Wright is a little known story of how the women of Pepperell, Massachusetts rallied when the men were called away to Lexington and Concord. My fall release, Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science, focuses on the scientific inquiry process, the impact of bias, and importance of truth.
Wow Beth! Those all sound so amazing to me. I can’t wait to read them. Thank you again for stopping by my blog. But wait, dear readers, there’s more!
I also get to introduce you to the illustrator. Jenn Harney and I have been virtual friends for a few years now. I’ve always loved her illustration style and I’m delighted to finally interview her on my blog.
harney_jenn_headshotJenn Harney is an illustrator who has been working in and around children’s literature for the last 20 odd years. She’s the author and illustrator of UNDERWEAR! and SWIM SWIM SINK both published by Little Brown. Her most recent collaborations include PROBABLY A NARWHAL written by Shelly Armstrong Moore (Boyds Mill Kane) and the one discussed today SMELLY KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES written by Beth Anderson (Calkins Creek). You can learn more about her at her website.
Thank you for stopping by my blog Jenn!
Me: What was your artistic journey? When did you start creating art work?
Jenn: I’ve always drawn…I really don’t remember ever not drawing. Just something I could always do….never thought about when I first started creating artwork because I’ve always done it. Like eating.
Me: You have had several books published as either an illustrator of others’ work or an author illustrator now. How did you get into the work of illustrating picture books? Can you tell us a little bit about your journey to illustrating this particular book?
Jenn: I met Tomie dePaola from afar when I was in first or second grade. It was the first time that I realized that making books was an actual job that you could do as a grown up. Since then, it was always in the back of my head that it was what I wanted to do.
I took the scenic route.
Children’s books were always the end goal, but I got to them via coloring books, educational publishing and toy design. Only after YEARS did I feel confident enough to come back to just doing illustration. I started doing Hidden Pictures with Highlights, started building the portfolio up with things I wanted to draw, and went on a search for an agent.
Screen Shot 2020-08-12 at 10.15.28 AMThis book? I lucked out! Seriously lucky! Beth’s story came to me (via my awesome agent Rachel Orr) and I pounced on it. Early 20th century New York City…all of that research?! (I’m a total research nerd) Sign me up! I loved it as soon as I read it.
Me: What does your illustration process look like? HOW did you create such amazing textures in each page of this story? Is it a blend of traditional media and digital? Or just digital? Can you talk about your process in creating images for this story?
Jenn: I start on envelopes. Everything for me starts on envelopes. They’re cheap, easy to throw out, and always around. I do SUPER rough thumbnails on an envelope. I snap quick photos with my phone and bring everything into Photoshop to start tightening up.
I tighten up my sketches, do the final line art and the color work digitally. At the very end, I have a stash of watercolor washes (thanks John) that I will layer over the top to add some extra texture and interest. I love specs and spots and dust too. Lots of underpainting and big rough brushes to let some of those underpainted colors show through. Lots of trial and error until things look right. Lots of adding and removing layers. Lots and lots and lots and lots of layers. An embarrassment of layers.
Me: The way you designed this book just blows my mind. There is one spread with an eel in the middle that made my jaw drop! In some ways, it reminds me of the page layout design flow that LeYuen Pham was just talking about at the Summer Spectacular. Do you think about flow in an image? Or flow from page to page?
KELLY_eelspread
Jenn: Thank you so much! I honestly had so much fun with this project. Beth had all of these great details in her manuscript and Calkins Creek (Carolyn Yoder and Tim Gillner) gave me a lot of leeway with the layout. Flow is so important…you’ve got to engage the reader in each image, but also you have to move them from page to page. That’s the fun part (let’s face facts…it’s all the fun part…..it’s children’s books) The page with the skyline and Kelly in the window studying?….that’s where I cracked the layout. Once I sketched that spread, I was able to see the rest of the book.
KELLY_newyorkerskyline
Me: I absolutely loved the color palette you chose and the way you portrayed the wisps of smoke. Especially the way you managed to bring the story back full circle visually, just like the text! I almost missed the elephant wisps the first time I saw them! Was this in the plan for the design you had all along? Was the use of these colors intentional for you? Can you talk about those choices a bit?
Jenn: YES! As soon as I read about the fossilized elephant dung I knew I was going to have draw stink elephants…because ELEPHANTS…and the wisps just worked so well for their trunks and much more visually appealing than fossilized dung. (Although poop is always funny!) Bringing it full circle was all Beth. I just followed her lead on that.
KELLY_smellephants
The colors were very intentional. I wanted to make sure the subway tunnels were interesting…dark, but colorful. The street view and city scenes are sepia tones like old photos and duller than the underground world of Kelly. I put Kelly in blue tones so that he stood out in the sepia tone scenes, like he didn’t quite fit above ground, but matched the blue of the underground. Then, I wanted to contrast all of that with the jarring yellow artificial light. Stink is always gross green in my mind, so that was a given. and Kelly has the bright orange hair so you can always find him in the scene. Color is just so much fun to play with and I love limiting the number of colors I use…makes you make some unexpected visual decisions.
Me: What is one thing that surprised you in illustrating SMELLY KELLY?
Jenn: Honestly, nothing. I read the story and jumped right into the research. I research everything and Beth’s story let me indulge my research nerd. So, no, there were no surprises because I had so much reference in front of me.
Me: Any advice for other picture book illustrators?
Jenn: You’re going to have bad drawing days. Bad drawing days do not mean that you can’t draw. Sometimes the best thing you can do is put the pencil down and walk away for a little bit and come back later. I have to remind myself of this all the time…especially on those “it looks like I drew that with my foot” kind of days. We all have those days. I promise, they go away.
Oh man did I need to hear that. I feel like I’m having a BAD drawing month! Thank you for stopping by my blog Jenn.
Dear readers, if you haven’t yet tracked down “Smelly Kelly,” I can promise that this is a story you won’t want to miss. Not only is this a story about someone with “super” powers that kids will go ga-ga over, but there’s heart, invention, and perseverance. Plus really amazing art work!
And if you want to support indies? You can order signed copies with swag by visiting Old Firehouse Books HERE, or Boulder Book Store HERE, and let them know any personalization you’d like in the comment box.
CATawampus! A Story of Shapes (A Catastrophe Tale).
By Ann Marie Stephens. Illus. by Jenn Harney.
Feb. 2025. 32p. Astra/Astra Young Readers, $18.99
(9781635927986). PreS-Gr. 2.
More is more in Stephens' zany, math-based picture book. The subtitles tell it all. Is it "A Catastrophe Tale" of a STEM competition to build a robot, in which the energetic feline competitors make explosive mistakes, bounce back from challenges, and show persistence? Yes! Is it "A Story of Shapes," in which the cats hold up various objects sporting outlines of circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles with a few misplaced shapes for readers to call out?
Also yes! The text is clever, with subtle wordplay. Harney's illustrations capture and add to the busyness and energy of the story. Each page is full of kitties, robot-building materials, and occasional extras, such as chalkboards or poofs of glitter. The four spreads that introduce the shapes are less chaotic, embedding basic shapes into the larger story and giving readers the opportunity to test their identification skills. Surprisingly for the setting, only two-dimensional objects are introduced. An entertaining concept book that will shape up to be a hit with kids.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Aronin, Miriam. "CATawampus! A Story of Shapes (A Catastrophe Tale)." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 9-10, Jan. 2025, p. 66. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A829739497/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=09d4a788. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
sCATtered! A Story of Estimation.
By Ann Marie Stephens. Illus. by Jenn Harney.
Feb. 2025. 32p. Astra/Astra Young Readers, $18.99
(9781635927979). K-Gr. 3.
Kids who find math rigid or daunting will be charmed by this messy, busy story of nine kittens frantically scurrying around, planning a welcome home party for Grandma. The cats encounter all kinds of obstacles: finding hiding places for all the books and toys strewn everywhere, ingredient requirements for a volcano cake, the price of a perfect present, and the length of a festive banner. The solution to each conundrum involves estimation, and in each case, the kittens rise to the challenge. At first, they throw out wild, random guesses but eventually get closer, and tips for estimating are even provided at the end. The vibrant, page-filling illustrations do an especially effective job of capturing the chaos with exploding frosting, shredding banners, and Grandma leaping into the fray. This effortless introduction to estimation makes a great read-aloud and works equally well for very young audiences and as reinforcement for slightly older students, who might also enjoy the additional estimation challenge hidden in the book. Pair this with Stephens' previous CATastrophe (2021), a first book about patterns.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
McBroom, Kathleen. "sCATtered! A Story of Estimation." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 9-10, Jan. 2025, p. 69. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A829739518/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6540f243. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Harney, Jenn GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SPECTACULAR SPECTACLES Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers (Children's None) $18.99 1, 21 ISBN: 9781662680434
By donning his glasses, George Washington thwarts soldiers from committing treason.
Castrovilla, who's written four other books about the Revolutionary War, describes Washington's need for glasses as an embarrassment ("It was a secret"). She uses this fact to launch a storyline about the Newburgh Conspiracy ("It was a secret," she repeats), a plan hatched by frustrated army officers to storm Congress and demand payment. Having defeated the British, Washington refuses to allow his new government to be toppled. His spectacles, illustrated by Harney in shimmering sepia, appear only when he slams his office door to read in private. During one of those sessions, he reads Congress' answer to him about when his officers will be paid--soon, they say. Washington shares this response in a windy speech that doesn't convince them to stand down. Putting on his spectacles to read them the actual letter from Congress, he prefaces his remarks with an apology ("I have grown gray in your service and now find myself growing blind"); they are moved to tears by his sacrifice. The book uses a variety of fonts, from hand-lettered notes to onomatopoeic sound effects, alongside comical close-ups of Washington's bug eyes and emotive crowd scenes that lend the story a pleasing, old-timey feel. Allowing readers to experience this event through Washington's lens, literally, makes for an original, thought-provoking framing, and it's hard not to draw a connection with the January 6 insurrection--though with a vastly different outcome.
An enlightening tale, enlivened by droll, retro illustrations. (author's note, the Newburgh Conspiracy players, glasses in 1783, about the research, bibliography)(Informational picture book. 7-10)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Harney, Jenn: GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SPECTACULAR SPECTACLES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A815560457/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5f9e7893. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Allegra, Mike PIRATE & PENGUIN 2 FEW CREW Page Street (Children's None) $18.99 9, 3 ISBN: 9781645678625
In this follow-up to Pirate & Penguin (2023), the titular pair aim to recruit fellow corsairs.
Penguin--whom Pirate now refers to as his Ground Parrot--and tan-skinned Pirate, still a one-man lexicon of sea terms, make two. That's too few. They need a crew. To attract new careerists, they paint the ship in vibrant pastels, substitute a smiley face for the skull and crossbones (creating "the Jolliest Roger" imaginable), and tie bright balloons to the yardarms. But the "funnest flagship" elicits only guffaws from would-be buccaneers (depicted with tan skin). Their cries of "goofy ship" and "goofy pirate" don't bother Pirate, but when they mock his "extra-goofy parrot," he bristles and threatens to send them to the "bottom of the briney deep!" The "yellow-bellied landlubbers" scatter. But then Pirate spots a stowaway: a female octopus who meets their exact requirements ("four pairs o'arrrrrrrms") and who likes the odd couple "for who we arrrrr." As a squall arrives, the cry is "Man--and woman--yer stations!" and the decorative ship departs for "adventure and bountiful booty." Black speech bubbles lend grimness to Pirate's declarations, and a few somber touches contrast with the frivolity of their spiffed-up man-o'-war. The verses carrying this excellent yarn roll like the ship's deck under our feet.
Adaptability and acceptance are the real treasure at the end of this pirate-y adventure. (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
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"Allegra, Mike: PIRATE & PENGUIN 2 FEW CREW." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799332921/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f432a366. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Allegra, Mike PIRATE & PENGUIN Page Street (Children's None) $18.99 5, 30 ISBN: 9781645677123
When a very dim pirate mistakes a penguin for a parrot, confusion ensues.
When a small penguin slips on an icy cliff and lands on the deck of a sailing ship, the tan-skinned pirate assumes that it's a longed-for parrot with faded plumage--remedying that with a paint pot. The penguin is not amused and, rather than cooperatively perch on the pirate's shoulder, furiously attacks the pirate. The pirate tries to elicit some parrot-talk, producing a lexicon of pirate slang: "Batten down the hatches?" "Mizzenmast?" "Hornswoggle?" "Doubloons?" "Booty?" When the pirate offers a cracker, the penguin spits it out, and the irate pirate responds with anger ("SNOGGERS!" " 'Tis Mutiny!"). But when the penguin walks the plank, the pirate is remorseful ("I be a rotting rapscallion!"). Then the penguin returns with a welcome gift of fish, and the pirate concludes that, strange as the "parrot" seems, "I like ye just the way ye arrrrrrrr." Dialogue balloons are black with white type; splashes of parrot-paint color enliven the neutral ship setting. Varied compositions often feature small insets on large spreads; this one will be a great read-aloud to an audience close enough to see the images. The solitary pirate is a cartoon figure, drawn with every stereotypical accoutrement except an eye patch: peg leg, hook hand, gray beard, and 18th-century attire. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An amusing romp that will have landlubbers and scurvy sea dogs alike giggling. (Picture book. 4-8)
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Allegra, Mike: PIRATE & PENGUIN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738705431/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1df3d31c. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Crute, Josh HORNSWOGGLED! Page Street (Children's None) $17.99 11, 2 ISBN: 978-1-64567-284-5
Absurd words have a field day.
Deer wakes one day to discover that one of his antlers is missing--and has been replaced by a tennis racket. He's been "hornswoggled!" He seeks aid from Catfish, who reaches for her glasses to better see what's happening--and in turn finds that they've been replaced by two doughnuts (with sprinkles). "What a load of codswallop!" The pair troops over to other pals, all of whom discover to their annoyance that their belongings have also been stolen and replaced with nonsensical items. Each friend declares itself the victim of "poppycock," "hogwash," "horsefeathers," and other dastardly offenses. When a skunk detective with a Belgian accent offers help but realizes his deerstalker has been replaced by a slice of pie, frenetic scurrying about ensues--until the culprit and purloined items are located. The thief has the effrontery to boast of her skill at fooling everyone, but there's one final trick to be played .Kids will savor the silliness of this vocabulary-boosting treat, love rolling their tongues around goodies like bamboozled, and look for opportunities to use them. The targeted fun words are printed in boldface throughout and defined via explanatory signs (held up by an armadillo) on the pages where they occur or nearby. Some unfamiliar words or phrases go unexplained but should be understood through context. Droll cartoon illustrations match the expressive animal characters' comic shenanigans.
No snake oil here--just great fun. (Picture book. 4-9)
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"Crute, Josh: HORNSWOGGLED!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A673649819/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=962c36ac. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Stephens, Ann Marie CATASTROPHE! Boyds Mills (Children's None) $17.99 8, 10 ISBN: 978-1-63592-321-6
Will learning patterns help these felines fish?
A bevy of kitties sets out to catch some dinner. They line up on the dock. Captain Cat checks their boots: good; and their poles: good…but they are lined up with no regard for life-jacket color, and their lines have become tangled. It’s a “CATastrophe!” Their leader says they need some order, a pattern. First they identify their pattern core, noting that jackets are either orange or green. When they line up orange, green, orange, green—no more tangled lines. (Anglers may question this phenomenon.) Captain Cat calls out the pattern for rowing in the canoe, but the kitties get it wrong and they spin in circles. When they all repeat the pattern core, things move smoothly. The swishing of tails nearly tips the canoe as they wait for a tug on their lines, but another pattern settles things. All the patterning is for naught when two small, wily fish tie the lines to a giant fish, and all the cats end up in the drink. They troop back to camp sodden, but a warm fire and a snack soon have them purring in a pattern as they snooze tucked up in their sleeping bags. Stephens deftly incorporates the concepts of patterns and pattern cores into her simple tale and includes an enjoyable explanatory page at the close as well as integrated seek-and-find challenges. Harney’s bright, energy-filled cartoons are a great match and maintain a fine balance of cute, color, comedy…and cats. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Playfulness makes repeated reads a must for fans of cats or calculation. (Picture book. 3-7)
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"Stephens, Ann Marie: CATASTROPHE!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A669986520/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a2a15611. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Anderson, Beth "SMELLY" KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills (Children's None) $18.99 10, 13 ISBN: 978-1-68437-399-4
A tribute to the New York City subway’s first official “leak detective.”
Gifted with a literal nose for trouble, James Kelly arrived in New York from Ireland “with nothing but a suitcase and a keen sense of smell”—and leveraged the latter into a long career over the first half of the 20th century sniffing out dangerous gas, water, steam, and other leaks in the subway system and elsewhere. Along the way he solved mysteries (“the most nauseating, nose-scrunching stench ever to hit the subway,” detected at the 42nd Street station, turned out to be caused by a buried deposit of circus-elephant dung beneath the site of the old Hippodrome) and averted several potential disasters. Anderson casts him in a heroic mold, as he had not only a special ability, but the inner motivation to use it in service to public safety: “With such an honor came great responsibility.” (Shades of Spider-Man.) Depicted with a confident smile and a mop of bright orange hair, Kelly shines as he goes after suggestive twists and curls of miasmic yellowish green in the illustrations’ succession of antique-looking street scenes and cross-sectional views of underground pipes and tunnels. Harney tucks a dark-skinned couple into a line of subway riders, but otherwise human figures present White throughout. In a set of endnotes the author adds a portrait photo, describes some of the specialized gear that Kelly invented, and closes with leads to more information about New York’s underground. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 77 % of actual size.)
Another immigrant gets the job done. (source notes, bibliography.) (Picture book/biography. 7-9)
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"Anderson, Beth: 'SMELLY' KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A630892243/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a4db5976. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.