SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: The Mambo Rescue!
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.patricialakin.com/
CITY: New York
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 386
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1944, in Boston, MA; married Lee Koenigsberg; children: Aaron, Benjahmin.
EDUCATION:Boston University, B.A. (education).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and educator. Elementary school teacher in New York, NY, for eleven years; presenter at schools.
AVOCATIONS:Traveling, knitting.
AWARDS:Best Children’s Books of the Year selection, Bank Street College of Education, 2001, for Hurricane!, 2002, for both Subway Sonata and Clarence the Copy Cat, 2004, for both Clara Barton and Beach Day!, 2006, for Abigail Adams, 2008, for Max and Mo’s First Day of School, Max and Mo Go Apple Picking, and Rainy Day!, 2010, for Camping Day, 2013, for Steve Jobs, and 2015, for both Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures and Muddy, Mud, Bud; Amelia Bloomer Project listee, American Library Association, 2004, for Amelia Earhart, and 2007, for Abigail Adams; EUREKA! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards honor book, California Reading Association, 2017, for Skateboards.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
A former elementary school teacher, Patricia Lakin writes both fiction and nonfiction for children. Many of Lakin’s works are designed for emerging readers, among them warm-hearted standalone stories such as Fat Chance Thanksgiving and Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures as well as her playful “Max and Moe” easy readers. In the “Made by Hand” series of nonfiction titles, Lakin describes the work of expert craftspeople who build one-of-a kind skateboards and drums, among other objects. In contrast to her whimsical children’s books, Lakin also writes educational nonfiction titles, including the works in her “Secrets of American History” series, The Founding Fathers Were Spies! Revolutionary War and Heroes Who Risked Everything for Freedom: The Civil War.
An amusing large-format picture book by Lakin, Clarence the Copy Cat features a title character who cannot bring himself to kill anything—not even a mouse. Evicted from his sandwich-shop home due to his un-feline-like behavior, Clarence finally finds a new home at a library. When his peaceful new life is disrupted when a mouse shows up, the cat must find a gentle way to ensure that the tiny rodent will never come back. Booklist contributor Connie Fletcher dubbed Clarence the Copy Cat “a well-plotted, action-packed, comically illustrated story.”
In Lakin’s “Max and Mo” series, which includes Max and Mo’s First Day of School , Max and Mo Make a Snowman, and Max and Mo’s Halloween Surprise , two classroom hamsters deal with simple setbacks. Noting the author’s use of easy-to read sentences and the addition of engaging cartoon art by Brian Floca, School Library Journal contributor Erika Qualls predicted that Max and Mo’s First Day of School “will delight beginning readers.”
In Snow Day! and its seasonal sequels, Lakin and illustrator Scott Nash introduce four unusual playmates: crocodiles Sam, Pam, Will, and Jill. When the friends wake up and discover a thick blanket of freshly fallen snow in Snow Day!, they realize that more fun will be had at home than in the classroom. Pretending to be school principals, the crocodile friends call the local radio station and inform the newscaster that school is out for the day. Praised for its surprise ending, Snow Day! was also noted for its use of simple vocabulary. In Publishers Weekly a commentator called Lakin’s book “a seamless work of storytelling about a classic snow job.”
Also featuring artwork by Nash, Rainy Day! follows the four crocodile pals as the venture outdoors on a blustery day. Sam, Pam, Will, and Jill enjoy playing in puddles until the rain turns to hail and a nearby library becomes a convenient refuge. Beach Day!, another tale illustrated by Nash, finds the four traveling to the seashore for a day in the sun. Lakin’s “use of alliteration, rhyme, and repeated vowel sounds will help listeners build toward tackling [reading the story] … on their own,” commented Jennifer Mattson in her Booklist review of Rainy Day! Praising the book’s well-structured text as useful for beginning readers, Phyllis M. Simon added in her School Library Journal review of Beach Day! that this amusing read-aloud is “a romp for the characters and readers alike.”
Sam, Pam, Will, and Jill also return in Camping Day!, as the adventurous but inexperienced crocodile companions plan an exciting trip that involves hiking, bird watching, and outdoor cooking. Unfortunately, the young crocs lose their way in the woods, encounter difficulties pitching their tent, and scare themselves silly with ghost stories before deciding on a change of venue. Critiquing the work in School Library Journal, Anne Beier noted that the “spare, rhyming text” in Camping Day! is suitable for group read-alouds or one-to-one sharing. A writer in Kirkus Reviews observed that Lakin’s narrative is “bouncy enough to engage listeners and simple enough for early-grade readers to manage.”
Another work for emerging readers, Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures, offers two stories about a pair of animal pals. In the first tale Bruno—an energetic squirrel—and Lulu—an imaginative chipmunk—outsmart a group of selfish cats that refuses to share a tasty treat, while in the second they look for a creative way to pass the time after a misbehaving Lulu is banned from the local playground. “The streamlined vocabulary, simple sentences, and word repetition are on-target for beginners,” a contributor remarked in reviewing Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures for Publishers Weekly. Jeannette Hulick noted in Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books that “Lakin writes skillfully for this audience, injecting humor and clever teachable moments.”
Lakin’s nonfiction works include the biographies Amelia Earhart: More than a Flyer, Albert Einstein: Genius of the Twentieth Century, and Steve Jobs: Thinking Differently. Described as “an interesting and informative read” by Voice of Youth Advocates critic Elaine Gass Hirsch, Steve Jobs explores the life of the visionary entrepreneur who cofounded Apple Computers. Noting that Lakin addresses not only Jobs’s professional successes but also his personal failings in the book, Booklist reviewer John Peters concluded that Steve Jobs “will provide students … with unusual insight into [its subject’s] … values and distinctively brash personality.”
In Skateboards, the debut work in the “Made by Hand” series, Lakin follows the efforts of designer and woodworker Jake Eshelman. A lifelong skateboarding aficionado and the owner of Side Project Skateboards in Houston, Texas, Eshelman creates unique boards from discarded strips of hardwood such as maple and cherry, laminating, cutting, and shaping the boards by hand. Additionally, Lakin provides readers with a brief history of skateboard culture. “The tone of the narrative voice remains upbeat and energetic throughout,” a critic noted in Kirkus Reviews. Erin Anderson, writing in Booklist, remarked that Lakin “seeks to celebrate craftsmanship and creativity.”
Bicycles and Steel Drums are two other works in the “Made by Hand” series. In Bicycles, Lakin profiles Aaron Dykstra, the founder of the Six-Eleven Bicycle Co. in Virginia. A former member of the U.S. Air Force, Dykstra creates custom steel bike frames for both competitive and recreational cyclists, drawing on his years of experience as a bike shop mechanic as well as his tutelage under Koichi Yamaguchi, a master Japanese builder. School Library Journal reviewer Kathia Ibacache applauded Lakin’s “well-organized, dynamic, and engaging prose.
Steel Drums focuses on West Virginian percussionist Glenn Rowsey, a builder and tuner of steel pan drums who studied under Ellie Mannette, a Trinidadian musician known as “the father of the modern steel drum instrument.” “Easy-to-understand text and plentiful full-color photos make this book accessible even for younger readers,” a writer observed in Kirkus Reviews.
The third book in the “Made by Hand” series, Guitars, offers not only a historical overview of this popular musical instrument but also takes readers more closely into the work of a luthier, or guitar maker, following how this craftsperson makes both acoustic and electric guitars. The book also provides graphics that demonstrate how a guitar works. Writing in School Library Journal, Kate Fleming noted that the “information is interesting and the graphics are somewhat compelling.” In an interview for Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, Lakin remarked on what she learned while researching Guitars: “I discovered that this elegant instrument is ancient, has ‘cousins’ in all parts of the world, is central to such a range of musical styles, from classical to flamenco to jazz, to blues and to rock and roll. Finally, I learned just what a work of art it is to create an acoustic guitar entirely by hand.”
Lakin returns to picture books for younger readers in her 2020 work, Park Here, a beginning reader with illustrations by Daniel Tarrant. The cheerful red car, Carl, at the center of the action, is looking for an outdoor park where he and friends can have some fun. But Carl is misdirected by following a sign that reads “Park Here.” He goes up the ramp and instead of finding trees and grass, there are only other cars. Finally, after numerous adventures, Carl and his friends go back down the ramp and find the real park. A Kirkus Reviews critic termed this picture book a “wayward trip righted, though beginning readers may need some assistance to figure it out.”
[open new]Lakin opens her “Tow on the Go!” series of easy readers, starring the lively Tow Truck Mo, with The Mambo Rescue! Called to the wintry scene when ten cars gets stuck in the snow, Mo gets himself in gear by listening to mambo music and grooving to the beat. When each and every car wants to be helped first, Mo sees fit to help them all together: he instructs them to hold onto his chain and sway with the music, and soon they all wiggle free. In School Library Journal, Annmarie Braithwaite deemed The Mambo Rescue! “delightful,” as children will both “see the 10 cars working together to fulfill a goal and get an introduction to the beauty of mambo music.”[close new]
In an online YA and Kids! Books Central interview with Beth Edwards, Lakin offered the following advice for aspiring writers: “I would encourage new writers to write, write, write and find a supportive critique group to join. Be open to the suggestions others may make as it’s a great learning experience. I would also encourage new writers to read, read, read and above all, write what truly moves you.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 15, 2000, Shelley Townsend-Hudson, review of Hurricane!, p. 445; September 1, 2001, Shelley Townsend-Hudson, review of Fat Chance Thanksgiving, p. 119; November 1, 2002, Connie Fletcher, review of Clarence the Copy Cat, p. 508; November 15, 2002, John Peters, review of Snow Day!, p. 611; February 15, 2007, Jennifer Mattson, review of Rainy Day!, p. 84; April 15, 2014, Martha Edmundson, review of Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures, p. 52; December 1, 2016, Erin Anderson, review of Skateboards, p. 49.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, May, 1985, review of Don’t Touch My Room, p. 169; May, 1987, review of Oh, Brother!, p. 171; October, 2001, review of Fat Chance Thanksgiving, p. 64; June, 2004, Elizabeth Bush, review of Beach Day!, p. 425; May, 2014, Jeannette Hulick, review of Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures, p. 464.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2001, review of Fat Chance Thanksgiving, p. 1215; October 1, 2002, review of Clarence the Copy Cat, p. 1473; May 1, 2004, review of Beach Day!, p. 444; January 15, 2007, review of Rainy Day!, p. 75; May 15, 2009, review of Camping Day!; March 1, 2014, review of Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures; December 1, 2016, review of Skateboards; October 15, 2018, review of Steel Drums; February 1, 2020, review of Park Here.
New York Times Book Review, August 23, 1987, review of Oh, Brother!, p. 27.
Publishers Weekly, April 24, 1987, review of Don’t Touch My Room, p. 94; July 27, 1990, review of Jet Black Pickup Truck, p. 231; May 15, 1994, review of Don’t Forget, p. 64; September 30, 2002, review of Clarence the Copy Cat, p. 70; October 21, 2002, review of Snow Day!, p. 73; March 5, 2012, review of Steve Jobs: Thinking Differently, p. 73; February 3, 2014, review of Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures, p. 57.
School Library Journal, October, 1995, Rosanne Cerny, review of “Around the World” series, p. 127; January, 2001, Sally R. Dow, review of Hurricane!, p. 103; October, 2001, Marlene Gawron, review of Fat Chance Thanksgiving, p. 123; October, 2002, Kristin de Lacoste, review of Clarence the Copy Cat, p. 116; November, 2002, Harriett Fargnoli, review of Snow Day!, p. 128; December, 2002, Edith Ching, review of Harry Houdini: Escape Artist, p. 124; May, 2004, Phyllis M. Simon, review of Beach Day!, p. 116; March, 2007, Linda Ludke, review of Rainy Day!, p. 174; September, 2007, Erika Qualls, review of Max and Mo’s First Day of School, p. 168; June, 2009, Anne Beier, review of Camping Day!, p. 94; April, 2012, John Peters, review of Steve Jobs, p. 156; May, 2014, Ellie Lease, review of Bruno and Lulu’s Playground Adventures, p. 86; December, 2016, Carol Connor, review of Skateboards, p. 140; February, 2017, Kathia Ibacache, review of Bicycles, p. 116; November, 2021, Kate Fleming, review of Guitars, p. 94; October, 2023, Annmarie Braithwaite, review of The Mambo Rescue!, p. 73.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2012, Elaine Gass Hirsch, review of Steve Jobs, p. 189.
ONLINE
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (October 26, 2021), “Q&A with Patricia Lakin.”
Patricia Lakin website, https://www.patricialakin.com (April 16, 2024).
YA and Kids! Books Central, https://www.yabookscentral.com/ (January 14, 2022), Beth Edwards, author interview.
Let's start at the beginning.
I was born in Boston Massachusetts. I'm an only child and I had a pet dog, named Skippy.
Now let's turn it over to you!
Here are the top eight questions I'm often asked at a school visit. If you come up with a great new question, please email me and I'll be sure to answer you.
1. Where do I get my ideas?
Many of my ideas are remembrances of events I experienced or emotions I felt during my childhood.
2. When did I know I wanted to be a writer?
I was an adult and took a writing class and it was in that class that I knew I was meant to be a writer--a daydreamer who has a vivid memory of my childhood, and who loves imagining, 'what if.'
3. Did I write or keep a journal when I was young?
No. I went to a school that didn't stress writing--but only using correct spelling and practicing good penmanship so the idea of writing was not pleasant for me, especially because I was, and still am, a terrible speller. Now I keep a notebook with me at all times and I write every day!
4. What were my favorite things to do when I was young?
Movies! Movies! Movies--and television. I loved watching television as a kid and also read--but only comic books. When I was in fourth grade, I was given a mystery book in the Nancy Drew Series. That was it! I was hooked on books. I still love going to the movies but hardly ever watch television any more and am an avid reader.
5. What is my favorite book?
I don't have a favorite book that I wrote because each book took me a great deal of time and thought and I put so much of myself into the writing of it, that I can't pick. My favorite book that I didn't write is Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers.
6. How long does it take me to write a book?
It generally takes me about six months to write a thirty-two paged picture book. After I write the story down, I read it out loud to myself and see all the places where I need to make changes--either to explain something better or make it funnier or use a stronger, more descriptive word. Those revisions number in the hundreds and takes me weeks and weeks and weeks.
7. What book am I working on now?
I have just finished writing a middle grade novel. It has not sold yet and I'm rereading this story because I want to make sure that characters come to life for the reader and make sure it's as funny as it can be.
8. What kind of book do I like writing best, fiction or non-fiction?
I can honestly answer--BOTH! I get very excited about a topic and whether it came out of my own imagination or is based on real people, places, or things--I become very involved in the topic and can't wait to write it down and share it with....ALL OF YOU!
LAKIN, Patricia. The Mambo Rescue! illus. by Chiara Galletti. 32p. (Tow on the Go!). S. & S./Spotlight. Aug. 2023. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781665920070; pap. $4.99. ISBN 9781665920063.
PreS-Gr 1--Tow Truck Mo loves mambo music. When he gets a call stating that 10 cars are stuck in the snow, he prepares himself to get going by listening to mambo music. Listening to the music makes him move, sway, dance, and go faster. When Tow Truck Mo gets to the cars, they each shout out for him to help them first. "That is not fair, so Mo says, 'No.' I can tow all ten of you. Here is what I need to do." He lowers his chain and tells the cars to sway to the beat of the music from his radio as they hold onto it. At first the cars think the plan is foolish, but as the music begins to play, they move and sway to the beat. Eventually, they get unstuck from the snow and all leave with happy smiles. "Three cheers for Tow Truck Mo!" they declare. This brightly colorful Ready-to-Read book with large font will be a delightful story for any child learning to or beginning to read. Children reading this story will see the 10 cars working together to fulfill a goal and get an introduction to the beauty of mambo music. VERDICT A great addition for a children's library collection.--Annmarie Braithwaite
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Braithwaite, Annmarie. "LAKIN, Patricia. The Mambo Rescue!" School Library Journal, vol. 69, no. 10, Oct. 2023, p. 73. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A766727709/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=775ffe7b. Accessed 20 Feb. 2024.