By Jan
Pease
On our
infrequent trips to the North Shore, my husband and daughter like to hunt for
agates, and we see all sorts of people
pulled up beside Highway 61, all looking down.
This year, my husband missed an eagle that was flying low toward Lake
Superior, just feet above his head.
Imagine my surprise when Becca looked down in our gravel driveway and
discovered a pretty nice little agate without driving all the way “up
north.” If you’re an amateur rock hound, look for a
new picture book published by Minnesota Historical Press, “Rhoda’s Rock Hunt,’
by Molly Beth Griffin. Rhoda loves to
look for rocks, but she faces the dilemma all rock hunters must face: too many rocks to haul home. Her solution is memorable.
“Out of
the Woods,” by Rebecca Bond, is a north woods story based on the experience of
Antonio Willie Giroux, who was the author’s grandfather. In 1914, little Antonio lived in a huge hotel
on the edge of Gowganda Lake near
Gowganda, Ontario, Canada. He was
interested in the wildlife that he knew lived in the nearby woods, but they
stayed hidden until the day a horrific wildfire devastated the area. All of the people of the town and their
livestock went into the lake to take refuge from the fire, and then they were
joined by the animals from the woods.
Bears, elk, moose, foxes, wolves, rabbits, people, all stood quietly together
until it was safe to come out of the water.
Rebecca
Bender, a Canadian author and illustrator has written a sweet book that is not
a north woods story. Giraffe tries and
tries, but he can’t reach the water to get a drink. His friends, Bird, a zebra,
a hippo, and a flamingo, laugh hysterically at his predicament . His goofy friend, Bird, finds a way to get
everyone laughing together instead of at Giraffe. “Don’t Laugh at Giraffe” might spark
conversations about what is funny and what is hurtful.
“It’s
Tough to Lose Your Balloon” is another new book about the downs and ups of
life. The author, Jarrett J. Krosoczka,
says “When life gets you down, look up, up, up!” Each of the injustices faced by the children
in his book has a happy ending. For
example, “It’s scary having a new babysitter, but you get to stay up
late!”
Kathryn
Otoshi, who visited Litchfield schools about one year ago, has published a new
book, “Beautiful Hands.” It was written with her friend Bret Baumgarten after
he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The illustrations are made with hand art, using the hand prints of more
than 100 family members and friends. Kathryn
had a huge party, inviting the guests to use the stacks of paper and trays of
paint to make handprints. The handprints
were then scanned and she used them to create wonderful illustrations that
answer the question, “What will you do with your beautiful hands?” This was the question Mr. Baumgarten asked his
children, Noah and Sophie, every day until he passed away.
Bret Baumgarten wrote: “My hope that this story empowers love, creativity, compassion, and a connection to you and yours, in the fulfilling and remarkable way it
has for me.”
~ Bret Baumgarten, 1970–2014
Information about the writing of “Beautiful Hands” is found in an
article by Kiera Parrott in the
August, 2015 edition of School Library Journal.
What will your beautiful hands do, today?
