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Last Picture Book Standing by Marsha Diane Arnold

8/18/2013

11 Comments

 
Picture
Every week I check out 5 to 15 picture books from the library to read, study, and enjoy. It’s part of my effort to keep up with the ever-changing picture book market. Sadly, the number that touch my heart is usually only around 10%.  

What I look for is a text that will stay with a child, a story a child can dream with or have fun with for weeks or years. Art is subjective and others will surely love the ones I discard, but here are the reasons I discarded the 6, which shall remain unnamed.

#1 is saccharine. And that’s saying a lot coming from me.
#2 is boring.

#3 is multi-layered and unique and will certainly be enjoyed by little ones, but I missed having one main character.

#4 is a fun idea, but there’s no arc. It’s the type of manuscript that, in years past, would have been called “too slight.”

#5 is on the fence. It’s fun and it’s about dinosaurs, so little ones will certainly enjoy. However, the main character has no name (I really like book characters with names.) and for little ones, it’s challenging to know which of the several characters is speaking.

#6 is wobbling violently on the fence. It’s visually stunning and presents a complex issue in a simple way, but the resolution seemed too easy to me.

What I missed in all but one of these books was a strong main character.  (Yes, I’m biased.  Afterall, I have an e-course on character-driven picture books.)  

Books that aren’t character-driven rise to the top of Amazon’s ranks and become NY Times Best Sellers, but they aren’t necessarily books I want children to fall asleep with night after night.

Which book survived my steely stare? Which is the last book standing?

Black Dog by Levi Pinfold.  It’s timeless as well as original.  I love the simple story-telling beginning. “One day, a black dog came to visit the Hope family.” First to see the dog is Mr. Hope, then Mrs. Hope, Adeline, Maurice, and finally Small. With each character we get a little view of who they are, but it’s Small who is our hero, as she goes outside to meet the dog who has become larger and larger with each family member’s stare. With a song and a playful obstacle course, Small entices the black dog to follow her. As he follows, he grows smaller and smaller…and becomes Small’s friend.

There’s a nice narrative arc, which I’m a fan of. The black dog, which is a metaphor for fear, gets bigger as each family member sees him; it takes Small to face fear and bring the dog down to size.

I always enjoy layers in picture books. Even if the reader doesn’t know what the layers are, they still add depth. In this case, the layers let us admire Small all the more.
Picture
The black dog is found in the folklore of the British Isles. He’s usually nocturnal, larger than a normal dog, and associated with death. Ghostly! Scary!  It took me awhile to find the video where Levi Pinfold confirms that he knew about this myth, that indeed it was his main inspiration.  Levi had wanted to write a ghost story, so he was reading lots of stories about ghosts. That’s where he found a reference to Black Dog in the British Isles. In many counties the dog was considered a terror, but in one county, the dog was considered “nice.” Levi’s imagination went to work. One of the most poignant comments in this interview is when Levi talks about how difficult it is to pin down where inspiration comes from. He thinks, “it’s a collection of influences over a certain period of time.” Exactly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLSpBdQaaX8.

I believe above all, above information, above fun, above silliness, above sweetness, touching readers’ hearts is the most important thing a picture book can do.  Black Dog did that for me. It was a 2013 Boston Globe-Horn Picture Book Honor Winner and Levi was winner of the 2013 Kate Greenaway medal.

I suspect if you’d read these 7 books, many of you would have chosen a different favorite.  So, I invite you to share a picture book that touches your heartstrings. Is it because of a special character?

Thanks in advance for sharing.
11 Comments
Sylvia Liu link
8/19/2013 12:34:45 am

I will definitely check this one out. It sounds really great. Thanks for the review!

Reply
Donna L Sadd link
8/19/2013 01:53:59 am

I've placed it on my Goodreads list, thanks, Marsha. One book that recently touched my heart is "A Sick Day for Amos McGee", by Phillip C. Stead. The illustrations, by Erin E. Stead, go perfectly with the story. I just love, love, love it!

Reply
julie link
8/19/2013 01:54:47 am

Have checked this one out multiple times. Nice post on how you break down your choices. I make piles by prejudhing the covers - love being surprised!

Reply
Lori Mortensen link
8/19/2013 03:10:14 am

Loved your blog, Marsha. Black Dog is on my reading list and I was thrilled when my library had a copy of it. With budget cuts these days, it is more challenging to get all the new books one would like at the library.

Reply
Carol Gordon Ekster link
8/19/2013 05:12:25 am

Marsha, I agree with you. I take out so many picture books each week, and only a few do I write reviews for because as a picture book author myself, I'm hesitant to to put anything less than 4 stars up on Goodreads or Amazon, though I have done just that! I haven't read Black Dog, but will order it immediately from my library. Yesterday I read Exclamation Mark! and loved it. It was so clever and had no character. But I most certainly would have shared that book every year when I taught 4th grade. For me, if a book has word play and touches lives in some way, it doesn't have to have one main character. Thank you for your thoughtful post.

Reply
Teresa Robeson link
8/19/2013 07:12:33 am

I always want to know why certain books appeal to people and loved reading your list of why you rejected 6 of the books you read. Will go read Black Dog now!

Reply
B.J. Lee link
8/19/2013 05:30:43 pm

Great post, Marsha! Can't wait to read this one. I really liked Gordimer Byrd. It's interesting in that it has a good message for adults, yet children will love it on a different level. quirky and off-the -wall. It's one that I've been enjoying recently and my husband and I read it together and he oo'd and aah'd over it too.

Reply
Lori Mozdzierz
8/20/2013 02:03:14 am

Appreciate your share, Marsha! Black Dog has been added to my Must Read list.

Reply
Dawnyelle link
8/21/2013 08:43:47 am

Thank you! Gotta have it now! Nice to know that someone else visits the library with the same purpose

Reply
Marsha Arnold link
8/21/2013 01:46:17 pm

Thanks all, for your comments.
Donna, I adore A SICK DAY FOR AMOS McGEE. It's a treasure. It's a Neal Porter book and Neal just bought two of my manuscripts so I feel in very good hands.
Carol, I found EXCLAMATION MARK extremely creative too. It's one of those books where I read it and say, "Wish I'd thought of that." Ha. But as I recall, that cute little exclamation mark is the main character. :) That's how I see it.

Reply
Autumn link
5/14/2014 06:44:06 pm

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Reply



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    Meet the Friday Blogonauts

    First Fridays will feature Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer , man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    Second Fridays will feature  awesome multi-award winning author Marsha Diane Arnold who will be writing about character-driven and/or nature-based books and/or anything she likes :)

    Third Fridays
    will feature independent Aladdin/Simon & Shuster editor Emma Sector who has helped bring many books into the world.

    Fourth Fridays will feature the great Christine Taylor-Butler who has published over 70 award-winning fiction and non-fiction and nonfiction books including the acclaimed new middle grade series - The Lost Tribes.

    Fifth Fridays will feature the fabulous Carl Angel award-winning multi-published Illustrator and graphic designer.


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  • Home
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