picture book illustration

Ahoy there, mateys!

Pardon for sayin’ so, but yer lookin’ a might peckish, mebbe a trifle peaked.

No worries, here be a tasty tater tale to tempt your tum-tum. Yarrr! We’re off to the high seas with Pirate Pearl and her perky parrot Petunia in pursuit of provisions. So twirl yer tricorns and climb aboard!

In the rib-tickling read-aloud, Potatoes for Pirate Pearl by Jennifer Concepcion and Chloe Burgett (Feeding Minds Press, 2023), a hungry pirate and her squawky sidekick learn how to plant, grow, and harvest potatoes, all while making a new friend.

Pearl and Petunia, who had been at sea for many months aboard the Jolly Oyster, were absolutely fed up with eating hardtack biscuits day after day. “I’ll make this codswallop walk the plank!,” Pearl said, just before she tossed their barrel of grub overboard.

Now what?

Luckily, with a “splish splash SQUAWK” they were soon able to make landfall to scope out some fresh grub. They “splashed through streams . . . hiked hills . . . and trooped through trees” when they spied a red barn and silo in the distance. “Thar she grows!”

Fading fast, Pearl and Petunia could barely drag themselves toward the farm. Just in the nick of time, a friendly landlubber named Farmer Fay came to the rescue. She carted them off to her kitchen to revive them with a steaming bowl of potato soup. Blimey, was it good!

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1. Think pink and chew on this: behold the crazy cool bubblegum sculptures of Rome-based artist Maurizio Savini!

Yes, I did say bubblegum. Don’t worry, he doesn’t have to pre-chew his chosen medium. Two assistants help him soften bricks of the stuff into malleable sheets before they’re applied to plaster molds like traditional clay, and then carved with a razor-sharp scalpel.

His subjects include animals, objects from pop culture, and people — sometimes for the purpose of political or social commentary (“pink represents artificiality — when you see it, you associate it with a fake world”). He’s been working with bubblegum for over 20 years, and his pieces are exhibited in galleries all over the globe.

Since bubblegum cannot typically be recycled or composted, Savini’s art is a creative way of “stretching the boundaries of environmental conscientiousness.” Oh, and don’t worry, his sculptures are preserved with a special mixture of antibiotics and formaldehyde, so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. 😀

2. It’s time to order your 2020 Julie Paschkis Vision Calendars!

This 2020 Vision Calendar is a one page poster, printed on heavy stock, 11″ x 17″. The watercolor and ink drawing celebrates the hope that our democracy will be strengthened and the rights of all protected – that 2020 will be a year of clarity and vision in the United States.

Each calendar costs $12. The entire $12 for each calendar sold goes to the ACLU. They make great gifts. Please get several of them! Shipping is free for 5 calendars or more.

A great cause, a beautiful calendar! Zip over to Julie Paprika to place your order.

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