hotTEAs of Children’s Literature: Matthew Cordell

November 5, 2015September 25, 2017 ~ jama ~ 17 Comments

Matthew Cordell is the illustrator of over 25 books for children including picture books, novels, and works of poetry, several of which he has also written, including New York Times Notable picture book, Hello! Hello!. Matthew lives in a suburb of Chicago with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children.

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: Coffee. I also love tea, but a cup of coffee gets me going in the morning. I’m not a morning person, but I am a dad of kids who are morning people and husband to wife who’s morning people too. Therefore, coffee is essential. I use a French press for my daily AM coffee routine. It may sound fancy schmancy, but I’m no coffee freak or purist or anything. I’m the sole coffee drinker in the house and this is really the simplest form of delivery for basically one cup a day. And no filters, man!

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Wish (Disney-Hyperion, March 2015); Special Delivery, written by Philip C. Stead (Roaring Brook Press, March 2015); First Grade Dropout written by Audrey Vernick (Clarion Books, July 2015); Lost. Found., written by Marsha Diane Arnold (Roaring Brook Press, November 3, 2015).

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK: I’m a big fan of HEY, PANCAKES! by Tamson Weston and Stephen Gammell (Silver Whistle, 2003). It’s a family favorite, actually. Great, fun story and great, fun art. We’ve used the recipe in the back many times. Every time you read it, you’re guaranteed a serious craving for some pancakes!

☕ Visit Matthew Cordell’s Official Website and blog.

☕☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Bonus Pic of Matthew’s steamy French Press:

☕ ☕ ☕ CAN’T GET ENOUGH: Check out the Blog Tour for Lost. Found. to learn more about this beary cool book just released this week!

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friday feast: fly soup and apple brownies

October 30, 2015August 26, 2017 ~ jama ~ 57 Comments

*Please help yourself to a cup of tea and an apple brownie (spiders and centipedes optional).*

On this crisp and clear Halloween Eve, we’re serving up a tasty poem by London-based author Elli Woollard.

I love noshing at her wonderful blog, Taking Words for a Stroll, which is a gold mine of fun, whimsical, silly and nonsensical rhymes, sure to put a smile on your face and make you want to indulge in some wordplay of your own.

One never knows just what Elli will write about next — ducks? vikings? cats? farting mermaids? I admit I was first drawn to her foodie poems. Who could resist such titles as “Kitchen Bullies,” “Feeling Like Cake,” “Best Biscuit Race”, “The Joys of Toast”? Here’s a poet who’ll riff on cheese even though she doesn’t personally care for it. Oh, and did you know there’s a “Shortage of L’s”? Nasty business, that. I don’t ike it one bit. 🙂

When I saw “There’s a Fly in My Soup,” I knew I just had to share it here. Soup — my middle name! And since it’s almost Halloween and all, it’s a good time to swallow a few flies, spiders and other creatures with rascally relish. Bugs, birds and goats never tasted so good.

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hotTEAs of Children’s Literature: John Parra

October 29, 2015September 25, 2017 ~ jama ~ 14 Comments

John Parra is an award-winning illustrator, designer, teacher, and fine art painter. His books have earned starred reviews, the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for illustration, and the International Latino Book Award for Best Children’s Book Interior Illustrations. He lives in Queens, New York.

☕ CUPPA OF CHOICE: Café Bustelo, a Cuban-Style coffee, brewed and cloth strained old fashion style mixed with milk and Solgar sweetener to kick start any day.

☕ HOT OFF THE PRESSES: Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina and the Spirit of New Orleans, written by Phil Bildner (Chronicle Books, 2015); Green is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong (Chronicle Books, 2014).

☕ FAVE FOODIE CHILDREN’S BOOK: The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred (Charlesbridge, 2011), written by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Rafael López is wonderful. The NEW children’s book by Sonia Manzano [illustrated by Marjorie Priceman], Miracle on 133rd Street (Atheneum, 2015), is equally terrific. Lastly when I was young I loved Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

☕ hotTEA IN THE FLESH: I will be participating in the Third Annual Picture Book Panel: Too Good to Miss – Picture Books for Older Readers, November 8th, from 5pm to 8pm, at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.

☕ Visit John Parra’s Official Website

☕☕ JUST ONE MORE SIP: Bonus pic of little John with avocado tree (Santa Barbara, April 1975)

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10 Cool Things on a Tuesday

October 27, 2015November 14, 2017 ~ jama ~ 26 Comments

1. Virginia author Madelyn Rosenberg has two new books out! Remember when we featured How to Behave at a Tea Party (Katherine Tegen Books, 2014), a picture book about bossy Julia wanting everything just-so, while her younger brother Charles and his friends have different ideas? Well, Julia and Charles are back in How to Behave at a Dog Show!

Is Rexie cut out to be Best in Show? Probably not. Does Julia enter him in the Happy Tails Best of Breed Dog Show anyway? She sure does. This companion to How to Behave at a Tea Party offers readers more laugh-out-loud silly fun with sister-brother duo Julia and Charles and their lovably mischievous dog, Rexie.

With subtle themes of losing gracefully and celebrating the things that make each of us winners in our own ways, this book is perfect for preschool and early elementary children, for readers who enjoyed the How to Babysit a Grandpa series, and for anyone who has ever loved a less-than-perfect pet.

Julia and Charles end up hosting a pet show of their own—don’t be surprised if young readers are inspired to do the same!

Ruff ruff! Sit up and beg for this funny tail, which is again illustrated by Heather Ross. 🙂 Check out this cute trailer:

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AND, Nanny X fans will be happy to know she’s back in Nanny X Returns (Holiday House, 2015):

Something fishy is up and Nanny X, an agent for Nanny Action Patrol, and her young charges plan to investigate in this sequel to NANNY X, which was called “a fun and funny blend of Spy Kids and Mary Poppins” by Kirkus Reviews.

In their second adventure, eleven-year-old Ali, eight-year-old Jake and baby Eliza go fishing with Nanny X, only there is something odd about their catch, it’s robotic! While the gang wonders about this strange occurrence, a robotic squirrel shows up and tries to steal Nanny X’s computer, which is disguised as a box of baby wipes. Meanwhile, a mysterious person known as The Angler is threatening the nation’s treasures if the President doesn’t install a statue of a fish on the White House lawn. Nanny X wonders if these weird incidents are connected, and a series of investigations surrounding a jealous artist yields non-stop action and humor.

Be sure to check out both Nanny X chapter books, written especially for ages 7-10!

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Poetry Friday Roundup is here!

October 22, 2015September 11, 2017 ~ jama ~ 84 Comments

WELCOME TO POETRY FRIDAY AT ALPHABET SOUP!

Have I told you lately you’re as cute as a button? 🙂

Although National Button Day isn’t until November 16, Mr. Cornelius and the rest of us here decided we wanted to celebrate it a little early.

That’s because we love a particularly charming poem by Penny Parker Klostermann in the Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations (Pomelo Books, 2015).

Most of you probably know that Penny just recently published her first picture book — There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight (Random House, 2015), that showcased her enviable chops as a clever wordsmith and humorist — but did you know that “Buttons” was not only Penny’s first published poem, but her first published work for children?

We’re happy to celebrate this wonderful milestone with a batch of peanut butter button cookies and sugar button cupcakes. Please help yourself, enjoy Penny’s poem and backstory, then leave your PF links with Mr. Linky.