News:
PLAY THIS BOOK and PET THIS BOOK
Coming soon: two new picture books with Bloomsbury. Can’t wait to see these interactive picture books come to life!
HAGGIS AND TANK UNLEASHED SERIES
Haggis and Tank Unleashed—All Paws on Deck New York Public Library’s 100 Best Books for Kids 2016
Haggis and Tank Unleashed—All Paws on Deck Amazon’s Best Children’s Books of 2016, Ages 6-8
Haggis and Tank Unleashed—All Paws on Deck #1 Editors’ Pick on Amazon’s Best Children’s Books of 2016 So Far, ages 6-8
Haggis and Tank Unleashed—All Paws on Deck Working Mother’s Best Children’s Books of the Year So Far, ages 6-8 2016
Haggis and Tank Unleashed—All Paws on Deck New York Public Library’s Staff Picks Fall 2016 and Winter 2017
FINLEY FLOWERS SERIES
Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids & Teens, Spring 2016 edition
Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids & Teens, Fall 2015 edition
Empowering Books for Girls Ages 9-12
3 Spunky Heroines to Share With Your Daughter for Women’s History Month
Imagination Soup’s best books for young readers
MY BLUE IS HAPPY
The New York Public Library: Color Philosophy and Synesthesia in Literature
Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California (ACL) 2014 Distinguished Books
2014 Best Books of the Year for Children and Young Adults, Children’s Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education
Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids & Teens Spring 2014 edition
Ontario Library Association’s Best Bets 2013
School Library Journal’s list of picture books related to emotions
Texas Library Association’s 2014 2×2 Reading List
Best Books of 2013, San Antonio News-Express
Pairing of colorful picture books on This Picture Book Life
Toronto Public Library’s 2013 First & Best Booklist top ten picks for preschoolers
Booked for the Evening 2013 Panel Picks list, St. Catherine University
2013 Library of Congress/Center for the Book’s 52 Great Reads
The Atlantic Wire‘s 2013 look at fall picture books
SPY GUY THE NOT-SO-SECRET AGENT
Books for Kids Blog Spy Guy review
Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California’s Bay Views review of Spy Guy
Diapers & Daydreams review of Spy Guy
San Francisco Book Review of Spy Guy
Interviews:
Interview with James Burks on Haggis and Tank Unleashed
Interview with Charles Santoso on Spy Guy
Spy Guy‘s wonderful illustrator, Charles Santoso, featured on 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog
Interview with Chapter 16 (Humanities Tennessee)
Interview with Julie Danielson on Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog
Interview with Elizabeth O. Dulemba on My Blue is Happy
Interview on Celebrating Debutantes 2013 blog
Interview with Word Disco
Interview with One Four Kidlit
Interview with Chapter 16 (Humanities Tennessee) on My Blue is Happy
Interview with Frog on a Blog
“Celebri-Dots” project for International Dot Day — a celebration of creativity that was inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ book “The Dot.” See my happy blue dot, and make a “dot” of your own!
Read some reasons I love picture books for Candlewick’s 20th Anniversary “We Believe in Picture Books” initiative.
Reviews:
MY BLUE IS HAPPY
My Blue is Happy is a great title for talking with kids about how they view the world, and introducing the notion that we don’t all see things in the same way. This may be a debut, but Young’s confidence in her thesis is strong and her voice follows suit. It’s definitely a title that will spark creativity in even the most seriously grounded youngsters (and grownups). . . . The visuals are strong and impactful, and the message is one that will resonate with kids: being yourself can mean that you have a different view of things, and that’s where the beauty and variety of life reside. For little ones just starting to find their independence, Young’s message is reassuring and supports the importance of individuality. Hey, even librarians don’t agree all the time—though I think most would find My Blue is Happy stands out all on its own. — Sprout’s Bookshelf (Whole review here.)
The fresh associations and vivid, concrete descriptions of abstract feelings and ideas will surely inspire young readers and listeners to think about new ways to describe what they see, think, and feel. — Cooperative Children’s Book Center
In this delightfully original picture book, author Jessica Young takes a fresh look at familiar colors, using them as the foundation for a story that celebrates individuality and the pleasures of living in a world informed by multiple perspectives. . . . Young brings a poetic sensibility to this imaginative tale. . . . Her brief, verse-like sentences are enlivened by Catia Chien’s expressive acrylic illustrations. Together, they’ve created a book that encourages kids to think independently and creatively. Remember: Keep those crayons handy! — BookPage (Whole review here.)
It’s at once a celebration of the world and its colors and a book about feelings and perceptions, contrasting the differences between the way two people see the same thing. . . . Readers and young listeners can have some good conversations about their own color perceptions after sharing this warm, deceptively simple concept book. — The Horn Book Magazine
Blue is sad and red means angry, right? Not for a thoughtful girl who sees colors less conventionally than those around her. . . . Young. . . gently introduces the idea of opposites and invites children to consider the different feelings colors can evoke. — Publishers Weekly
Art teachers will gravitate toward this upbeat title to let children begin to explore the importance of color. . . . Having children compare their notions of the same colors would make for some great conversations. This child knows her own mind and feelings and isn’t about to have someone else’s associations color her world. — School Library Journal
I love Jessica Young’s My Blue Is Happy! I’m adding it to my list of must-have books to inspire creative thinking. Catia Chien’s vivid art is delightful, while really driving home the book’s much-needed message about thinking beyond stereotypes. Highly recommended not just for art teachers, but for any teacher or parent wanting to inspire children to think more creatively about color, art, and our world. — Peter H. Reynolds, author of the Creatrilogy series: The Dot, Ish and Sky Color
Besides being heaven-sent for a bedtime story, a library circle or for a gentle introduction of metaphor in a classroom, this work is oddly subversive (maybe the book creators know it, see the little girl winking on the cover?), and surprisingly evocative, both in its beautiful language and Chien’s washy spreads (already a huge fan of this illustrator since she decorated Dashka Slater’s THE SEA SERPENT AND ME). Blue, in this case, is definitely happy, embracing out-of-the-box thinking and the collapse of cliché, this returns proprietary rights to the reaction of color—and the world—back to individuals, where it arguably belongs. — Esmé Raji Codell, author and certified Readiologist™ (Whole review here.)
MY BLUE IS HAPPY is a fresh, engaging story that encourages young readers to celebrate seeing the world through their own unique lens. . . . This is a lovely book with an important message that is perfectly written and illustrated in a way that will capture young readers. I highly recommend it. — YA and Kids’ Books Central
I can’t tell you how much I love this book! But here are a few reasons: 1. It introduces similes to young kids in a very easily understood way. 2. It helps them see the world on so many levels. Color has power, emotion, and we all see it differently. 3. It’s a great mentor text that gives kids an easy structure to replicate. 4. It has a great message that everyone sees color in different ways. . . . Kids are amazing and such natural poets. We just have to really listen and pay attention to them. And then expose them to great mentor texts like My Blue is Happy! — Mandy Yates, The Picture Book Academy (Whole review here.)
In this cleverly structured book, we get to explore the unique ways in which we each experience colour and emotion. . . . This would be a great book for any budding artists out there or even simply for helping someone scared of the dark to see black in a more reassuring way. It opens up our minds to new ways of seeing the world, and that’s surely a valuable skill for any child to develop. — Kids’ Book Review (Whole review here.)
There are many books about colors, but this more nuanced look is a welcome addition. . . . There will be lots of uses for this title, not the least of which is giving kids the opportunity to discuss how each color makes them feel. — Booklist
The book is about different ways people think, different colors, and ways the colors can make a person feel good or bad. There are a lot of really great pictures and readable words. The start of the book is really good because the character is thinking differently about the color blue and that made me want to read more. Besides the pictures, this is a book I like to try to read entirely by myself.
It’s a happy book to me and I love it! The book is good because there are lots of colors, you get to think about the colors in a lot of different ways, the pictures are good, and colors can make people feel different things.
My favorite part of the book is the part about the color pink. I think pink is good and it’s funny that the girl thinks pink is bad because it reminds her of bug bites and gum — which is true, pink does that too!
The book is special because I like all of the pictures showing the different colors. I also like that I can read most of the book by myself and then think about the pictures, think about the words, and think about the story. The main person is a girl like me and we both see things differently than other people. 5++ stars — Charlotte P., age 5, Denver
ORIGINAL RECIPE (BOOK 1, FINLEY FLOWERS SERIES)
Third-grader Finley Flowers stars in this entertaining series opener, in which she is trying to win her school’s cook-off competition. Young’s story, told in 12 chapters, focuses on Finley and her best friend Henry as they experiment with a slew of culinary mashups. . . . As friendship and family dilemmas spike the plot, Young avoids handing easy victories to her determined and undeniably creative heroine. — Publishers Weekly (Whole review here.)
This is a light, endearing story of friendship that will work well as a read-aloud or for a newly solo reader. — Booklist
Love that Finley was included in 3 Spunky Heroines to Share With Your Daughter for Women’s History Month! Full of fun and flavor, Original Recipe is a book that my girl could really sink her teeth into. . . . So if you know a little girl like mine, remember that her books don’t have to be filled with damsels in distress. Find her heroines with some spunk and gumption, and you’ll create a young reader who’s well on her way to discovering her own sense of power and potential. — Booktrib
Young writes in a spirited style that displays Finley’s seemingly unbounding optimism, but she also shows that her bravado masks a lack of confidence. . . . Recipes don’t always turn out as planned, but Finley discovers her strengths and what matters most in life. — Canadian Review of Materials
SPY GUY THE NOT-SO-SECRET AGENT
Fluffy fun that promotes visual literacy and will make a positive addition to interactive storytime collections. — School Library Journal
Children who love to play at being spies in their own homes and neighborhoods will appreciate the question posed by this hilarious and heartening book. . . . Santoso’s wonderfully noirish illustrations make this book fun and engaging, as do Young’s rhyme schemes and wordplay. — Booklist
This is a fun blend of savvy parenting and on-point comedy. — BookPage
Santoso’s art conveys broadly comical action, and his slightly retro palette and exaggerated cartoon style are well-suited to the undercover prowess Spy Guy seeks. — Kirkus Reviews
Santoso’s crisp images and liberal use of white space keep the focus on domestic comedy . . . but it quickly turns into a tribute to savvy parental mentoring. — Publishers Weekly
ALL PAWS ON DECK (BOOK 1, HAGGIS AND TANK UNLEASHED SERIES)
Kids dipping a toe into the waters of early chapter books will find themselves challenged by the text while simultaneously enticed by the alluring art. These salty sea dogs put the bite back in buccaneering. — Kirkus Reviews (Whole review here.)
Odd-couple antics, loads of goofy humor, and an appealing comics/early reader format make for an all-around entertaining read. — Publishers Weekly (Whole review here.)
The spare, easy-to-read main text describes the events, and the stylized, full- color cartoon illustrations, complete with amusing speech-balloon conversations and asides, expand the story. Tank and Haggis have many homophone-related miscommunications . . . which both helps aid reading comprehension and boosts the funny factor. . . . The animated, distinctly drawn characters . . . will have kids seeking their future adventures. — Booklist
A must-have for the difficult-to-fill niche for readers transitioning from picture books and beginning readers to early chapter books. — School Library Journal
The word play is both funny and educational . . . an attractive little book full of funny dialogue from two very appealing doggie protagonists. Prereaders will be entertained by a read-aloud full of animal characters, a pirate theme, and silly sound effects and scenarios. Older children reading for themselves will enjoy the graphic-novel layout, the sophisticated word play, and the character development. — Chapter 16
DIGGING FOR DINOS (BOOK 2, HAGGIS AND TANK UNLEASHED SERIES)
Tank, a Great Dane with a nose for excitement, and Haggis, her smaller, saner Scottish terrier companion, are pulled into another adventure thanks to a book on dinosaurs. . . . This sequel is far from a dinosnore; here’s to joining these two pals on all their future adventures. — Kirkus Reviews (Whole review here.)
The dog pals are back for another exciting, imaginative playtime adventure. . . . The narrative’s simply constructed sentences describe events, while the colorful comics panels, lively dialogue in word balloons, and amusing commentary and wordplay further extend the story and add fun detail. Once again, the delightful pooch duo shines in this entertaining, fast-paced, and fun read. — Booklist
HOWL AT THE MOON (BOOK 3, HAGGIS AND TANK UNLEASHED SERIES)
Loaded with comparative homophones, onomatopoeia, and puns, each page becomes an opportunity for linguistic discussion and delight. . . . The real subject of Young’s charming series is the transporting power of imagination and the joy of language. Early readers and their parents will love catching a ride on the Fearless Flyer with the lovable Tank and her trusty copilot, Haggis. — Chapter 16
Awards:
MY BLUE IS HAPPY — 2014 Marion Vannett Ridgway Award for books by first-time children’s book authors/illustrators; 2014 Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title; nominated for the 2016/2017 Volunteer State Book Award; nominated for the Ontario Library Association’s Blue Spruce Award; nominated for the 2014/2015 Abilene ISD Mockingbird Award; Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators 2014 Crystal Kite Award finalist.
Events:
2017
January 21: ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits, Atlanta, GA
January 31: Southeast Library STEAM Club, Nashville, TN
February 6: University School of Nashville Evening Class, Nashville, TN
April 8: Nashville Symphony Children’s Series Green Eggs and Ham (pre-concert activities), Nashville, TN
April 21-22: Southern KY Book Festival, Bowling Green, KY
May 13: Haggis and Tank Unleashed — Howl at the Moon launch party, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
2016
January 15: Haggis and Tank Unleashed — All Paws on Deck launch party, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
April 22-23: Southern KY Book Festival, Bowling Green, KY
May 17: Scholastic Summer Reading Road Trip, Joseph-Beth Bookstore, Lexington, KY
May 21: Children’s Festival of Reading, Knoxville, TN
September 10: Mid-South Book Festival, Memphis, TN
September 16: SCBWI Midsouth Conference, Nashville, TN
October 14-16: Southern Festival of Books, Nashville, TN
November 3-5: Tennessee Association of School Librarians Conference, Murfreesboro, TN
November 12: Etowah Young Authors’ Conference, Etowah, TN
December 5: Tennessee Reading Association Conference, Murfreesboro, TN
