PPBF: Wanda Gág: The Girl Who Lived to Draw

Author/Illustrator: Deborah Kogan Ray
Publisher: Viking
Date: 2008

Ages: 7-11

Themes: biography, authors, illustrators, dreams, determination.

First lines: In 1928, an artist named Wanda Gág created her first book for children. The lively tale was about an old man in search of one kitten. Except that he didn't just find one cat, he found-

Hundreds of cats,
Thousands of cats
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.

Jacket flap: "I can't help it that I've got to draw and paint forever; I cannot stop; I cannot; CANNOT...I have a right to go on drawing...And we are all going through high school!"

en.wikipedia.org

These words from Wanda Gág's diary, written when she was a teenager, reveal the two most important parts of her life-her art and her family. And the two were very much entwined. Wanda's idyllic childhood was filled with German fairy tales, musical evenings, and hours spent in her father's painting studio. As soon as Wanda learned to draw, she couldn't stop and dreamed of becoming an artist.

But when her beloved father died, teenage Wanda put her family before her art, taking care of her ailing mother and six siblings. It wasn't until she knew that her family could support itself that she finally attained her dream-winning a scholarship to a famous art school in New York City and eventually creating one of the most beloved children's books of all time, Millions of Cats.

Why I like this book: What a story! If Wanda could develop her painting with all the roadblocks in her way, we should be able to realize our dreams. The story of her journey is beautifully written, and holds our attention to the very end. There we find snippets from her diary, and extra info about her life. And a gorgeous photo of Wanda in her art school days (with a cat, below)! I always wondered how to pronounce her name, and now I know. She said, "It should rhyme with jog, not bag please!"

The illustrations have an "old world" appeal. I was thrilled to discover that her ethnic heritage was Bohemian (Czech) like me!

Online Activities:  

Lesson plans for author study: Wanda Gag here.

"Millions of Cats" lesson plans here.

minnesotahistorycenter.org

Don't you just love the above photo???

PPBF: Comet's Nine Lives

Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Fridays, where we review picture books which we deem worthy of mention.  This concept was created by Susanna Hill, and is a helpful resource for librarians, teachers and parents.  For a list of all books reviewed so far, along with activities to complement them, click here.

Alright...winter is dragging on, so here is one that will take us on a summer holiday!

Author/Illustrator: Jan Brett
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Date: 1996

Ages: 6 to 11 primarily, but all ages would enjoy it!

Genre: Fiction, but based on an actual location.

Themes: Nantucket, lighthouses, cats, islands, summertime.

Jacket Flap:  Like all cats, Comet knew he had been born with nine lives. But he'd never thought much about it until the day he lost life number one in a flower garden on Nantucket. He'd spent lazy days wandering all over the island, not calling any one place home. Now he knows it is time to settle down. But Comet's lives begin to disappear all too quickly, as he gets into one humorous predicament after another. Then comes the day of the big hurricane...

Beautiful island scenes--sandy beaches, hillside flower gardens, seaside trails, villages, and the sea itself are set within exquisite shell borders. Once again Jan Brett brings her originality and charm to a familiar setting as she inhabits her Nantucket with colorful canine residents, among them a shaggy sheepdog captain who travels throughout the story and into the borders looking for a friend to live with him and his lighthouse cat.

Why I like this book: First of all, I love everything Jan Brett has written and illustrated. I think her art is my favorite among picture book illustrators. Second, I LOVE Nantucket Island...my favorite island in the world! I visited there every September for three years during my college days, and each time, was caught in a hurricane. What memories!

In this picture book, Jan illustrates various locations on the island. As a matter of fact, the bookstore where I purchased "Comet's Nine Lives" is pictured on its pages. I feel as though I have taken a vacation after reading this account of an adventurous cat on a scenic New England island.

Online activities:

Jan Brett author studies (includes activities for all her books).

Lesson plans including cats, hurricanes and Nantucket, here.

Can you smell the salty air and feel the island breezes?

PPBF: Minette's Feast

Welcome to another Perfect Picture Book Friday, inspired by children's picture book author, Susanna Hill.  Each Friday, we review a children's book of our choice and include links to crafts and other activities. Check out her comprehensive list of books categorized by subject for Teachers, Librarians and Parents here.

Today's review is perfect for an after Thanksgiving book, while we are still on the topic of food!

Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat

Author: Susanna Reich
Illustrator: Amy Bates
Publisher: Abrams Books
Date: 2012

Ages: 8 to Adult!

Themes: Cats, Cooking, French language and culture, Julia Child, Paris

First sentence: Minette Mimosa McWilliams Child was a very lucky cat,
perhaps the luckiest cat in all of Paris.

Inside Jacket: Minette is the luckiest cat in Paris. Day and night she smells mayonnaise, hollandaise, cassoulets, cheese soufflés and duck pâtés wafting from the pots and pans of her owner, Julia Child. But while Julia is in the kitchen learning to cook up delicious dishes, the only feast the mischievous Minette is interested in is that of fresh mouse!

Minette's Feast captures Julia Child's transformation into America's most iconic chef through the tale of her beloved Parisian cat. In some of Julia Child's own words, and complete with an author's note, glossary, and more, Minette's lively story is as large and rich as her appetite.


Why I like this book: It includes four of my favorite things: cats, Julia Child, cooking and Paris! The charming watercolors, and whimsical way the cat is woven into the story makes this a winner in my book.

Here are some related links:

French Cooking for Kids

http://www.easy-french-food.com/easy-recipes-for-kids.html#.UK0ciaUe9LY
http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/cooking-French-lesson.html

Paris for Kids

http://mylittlenomads.com/family-travel-paris

French for Kids

http://www.digitaldialects.com/French.htm

Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Celebrations...Au Revoir!

The Cantankerous Cat: A to Z Blogging Challenge

Cats...you love them and, at times, you hate them!  Have you noticed there are more quotes and jokes about cats as opposed to dogs?  

Maybe these quotes from "The Quotable Cat" selected by Denise Little, will give you a clue:


Cats invented self-esteem; there is not an insecure bone in their bodies.  Erma Bombeck 

The smallest feline is a masterpiece. Leonardo Da Vinci

If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.
Mark Twain

Playing the Sphinx

When it comes to the advantages of cats versus dogs as pets, there is no competition.  Try going away for a weekend, leaving your German Shepherd alone with a bowl of dry food, some water, and a litter box.
Robert Stearns

No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can remove his fur from your couch.  

Leo Dworken

I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult.  It's not.  Mine had me trained in two days.  Bill Dana

Cats are dangerous companions for writers because cat-watching is a near perfect method of writing avoidance.  Dan Greenburg

Our Ragdoll, Cosette

Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you.
Missy Dizick and Mary Bly

A cat will be your friend, but never your slave.  Théophile Gautier

"I am not amused"

Here are a few descriptive words for the cat:

neat and clean
quiet
scare easily
suspicious
sly
hate water
can't be lead around
will not fetch...only as it desires
meows and hisses and purrs and howls
tail wags sideways if angry
stealth

Can you think of others?  What is your cat joke or story??