Awards Books

I put off starting to read Lynn's exerpt until I could give it my undivided attention, and I am glad I did! The first chapter pulls you in and won't let go! I want very much to know "what happens next!"

The Short is excellent and very written. The characters are believable as to what he is supposed to be.

i so love lynn v. sadler's work. lynn is elizaPress Publication's editor's pick for WRITER OF THE YEAR, 2007--and had offered this extraordinary story to our press--unless, of course, it wins here--and if it does, this prolific, award winning writer has hundreds more to choose from.... What i love about lynn's stories is that by reading them, complicated characters and rich, authentic, smart experiences are made visceral for the reader. i love that every piece of hers makes me smarter--reveals some actuality gleaned from academic research turned into something useful, inspirational and good. i love the energies between her characters, their loyalties and musings. i love the places i could never get to without the ways she creates them in words. i love the generosity of this writer--spilling out into classics of the modern kind. i love the wit and veracity of each imagined being created wholly through her words. i love the texture of time and space this well traveled author brings alive in her writing.

this is an extraordinary story as are all the ones she shared with us at elizaPress. to date, our books are sold exclusively through www.lulu.com/writressworder--and lynn has a significant body of work shared in all of them.

vote for her! pick her! she is a famous author waiting to be recognized! she is a clearly gifted storyteller--and one for OUR time.

with a wholehearted endorsement for this writer's work,

elizaBeth Benson-Udom
Founder & editor
elizaPress Publications
www.writressworder.com

First, a disclaimer, we have over the years published two of Dr. Sadler's pieces. Her novella, "Foot Ways", was published last year. And in 2006 we published her poem, Again--'Les Fleurs du Mal' in "Bardic Tales and Sage Advice". So I suppose one could say I am very familiar with her work. I feel it important to state this up front in the interest of disclosure.

The excerpt of Dr. Sadler's novel does a fine job of highlighting her strengths as a writer. Sadler has an exceptional ability to create a strong sense of place for the reader. Using both distinctive sentence construction and authentic dialogue, readers are pulled into the world of her characters and can immediate develop empathy for them.

Sadler takes a non-linear approach to plot development, often jumping between the past and present as her characters move throughout the story. As the character of Deona Martindill considers her actions, we follow her thought processes back and forth between the present and the past. Deona Martindill's memories of her childhood don't just provide background filler for the story. They are a integral part of the story.

I am a fan of Dr. Sadler's storytelling technique. She has an original style that captures the essence of her characters and the world in which they live. The excerpt provided for her entry showcases her talents. We all wish her the best of luck in this competition.

Other works by Dr. Sadler
Foot Ways
Bardic Tales and Sage Advice

Though the first paragraph was slightly complicated, I soon fell into the easy rhythm of the story and, as it went along, became increasingly intrigued as to where the author is going. The lifestyle described is interesting because it is so different from any experience I have had, yet I was easily able to become attached to the main character and be concerned for her immediate future (since her eventual future is suggested in the first paragraph). I got the feeling that this story will go backwards and forwards, from its introduction of older age back through her adolescence, then forward again to her future and hopefully to some sort of redemption or salvation, as the title suggests. In all of this I am intrigued. Also, the author clearly knows how to write, a talent that sadly is not fully shared by all entrants in this contest.

A cool, clever and thoughtful book that will have your kids insisting they find all the letters to make a word about emotions. Now how cool is that? Not a typical supermarket checkout line concept book. The sophisticated artwork manages to avoid the usual forced cliches of making faces with letters. And by having the reader focus on words and spelling and emotions there is so much that can be gotton out of this seemingly simple work. I disagree with some reviews claiming it has no repeat value. On the contrary. If your kid is bored with this book after one go, get him to watch less TV.

Walter was worried, alright, he had all 7 letters of the word "worried" pasted on his face! Well, that's not quite right either. Actually, walter grew worried "when the sky grew dark," and imaginative illustrator, Laura Seeger, uses the letters in his and others' emotions make facial features. Take Shirley, for example, who was "SHOCKED when lightning lit the sky." A sideways "C" and "D" are her eyes, within which we see her pupils: A capital "e" and "i." That big "O" in "shocked makes up her very shocked-looking mouth, and the remaining S and K are writ small upon her forehead as raised eyebrows.

The format consists of the person's name and emotion (including Priscilla who was puzzled, and Frederick who was frightened), and a facing page (pun intended) showing the letters of the emotion upon the person's face. Following this is a two-page spread illustrating the storm event that elicited the child's reaction. The faces are drawn fairly flat to emphasize the location of the letters, and the drawings of nature are dramatic compositions (gouache and cut-outs, perhaps) with lots of texture, and combination of bold primary colors, with seeping, slightly psychedelic background tints.

You have to give Seeger credit for managing to write a credible and interesting story around these phoneme faces. Happy children replace the frightened ones as the storm passes. For example, there's Delilah. She's the girl with the L-shaped nose who was "DELIGHTED when the rain turned to snow."
Turn the page, and you see big cut-out snowflakes against a marbleized background of blues, greens, and purples. There's also Henry, who's "HOPEFUL when the sky began to clear." Here, a somewhat more conventional picture shows 3 black birds flying against a milky-clouded sky. Still, the main story here is the pictures. Seeger's narrative, although making a nice cycle from storm to clear, is (not surprising) fairly simple. The faces and letter placement seem perfect for classroom art/reading projects. The book may inspire similar work at home, especially on a stormy, emotion-packed day.

I am in sixth grade and we were studying picture books in my class because we are studying which books we think are most educational for younger kids. Each student brought in their favorite book from home and one of my friends brought in this one. We were all told to list the reasons why we thought each book was good or bad and this one was the favorite of every one in my class because it can be used in so many ways. you can learn your letters and search and find them and you can talk about your feelings too. Then I was surprised because my art teacher decided that we should all make our own pictures like the ones in this book so it became a great art project too. I am a big fan of this book. I love the artwork the most.

Now this is a cool book... Not like any picture book I have ever seen before... A mixture of beautiful fine art, great graphic design, and kid-friendly story. Children will love the "search and find" aspect of this book and, what I love the most, is that it has done something so very rare in kid's books... It has encouraged children to talk about their feelings.. (My kids, at least)...
Totally recommended...

The artwork in this book is fun and interesting (described well by others on this page) but my children (almost 4 and 6) didn't really enjoy it very much the third time we read it through.

I think the problem is that while it was fun to see how the letters were used in drawing the faces, there just wasn't anything like a story to engage them.

Three Stars. Worth taking a look at the library, but there was no long term holding power (at least for my children) because of the lack of story.

Text follows so you can judge reading/read aloud potential for yourself.

Walter was worried when
the sky grew dark.
Priscilla was puzzled when
the fog rolled in.

This excerpt has a nice snappy start, with a great mental picture of a baseball smacking a person's skull. The narrator's assigning guilt to his teammates and himself for the death of the head coach is interesting and piques my curiosity for the rest of the day's story.

The interaction between George and Worrell does a nice job of highlighting their relationship and showing how maddening it is to George, having to deal with this man.

I am intrigued by George's mention of Maddie and children, and I'm left wondering what happened for George to lose his family and feel like he is not able to chase after them.

The baseball game is described very well; I liked how the history of the team members is told alongside the action of the game, and I also liked that George's physical ailments become clear as he tries to stay involved in the game and is betrayed by his body.

This excerpt is a good solid start to a novel. The personalities of the characters have already started to become clear, and George has some great sources of tension and conflict in his life that will make an excellent story.

Baseball is just the backdrop for this story of racism and human interaction. Through the sights, sounds, and smells of small-town baseball, Mike has woven an aging black man's anger and frustration at the condescension and barely veiled bigotry of his soon-to-be-dead head coach.

Excellent first chapter. I'm eager to read more.

The imagery is exceptional and story flows like water. This is the first of my fellow semi-finalists excepts that I really enjoyed. And, I have already read 20.

Good Luck Michael. I wish you were competing in a different
category than me.

Matt Musson
Author of '51 Rocks - Batboy on the Worst Team Ever.

A great beginning to what is probably a very good story. I felt like I was there watching the game and the expressions on George's face and could almost feel his pain and regret about his family. This author can write. He knows how to subtly bring the reader in to both the present and past, interweaving the two, flawlessly.

As a baseball fan from childhood, maybe I'm a bit biased when I read this excerpt. But I can honestly see its appeal to a broader audience than fans of our National Pastime. From what little bit of the novel that readers have the pleasure to read here, Jasper seems to be painting a portrait of a sad, lonely man looking back on his life with some regret (an accessible theme) in addition to dealing with the racism that was not only prevalent in the sport but also the country as a whole at the time. The topic of racism is sprinkled throughout the excerpt, but it comes in specks of subtlety rather than clubbing the reader over the head. I admire Jasper's technique, both in terms of the subtle writing and in terms of his ability to draw a reader into the narrative. The excerpt opens with Grunion reflecting on the demise of his team, hinting that something tragic has happened, but then he steps back, thinking that he should perhaps begin his narrative further back in time. Brilliant--the reader is intrigued and wants to know what happened and will, therefore, take the journey with these characters in order to find out. Hope to see this in print.

Emily Dickinson said "If I read a book and it makes my body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry." This reaction is felt many times when reading this collection of poems. Each of them is a precious gem with many facets to reveal its inner light and meaning. Hallerman's vivid imagination expands into poetic thought expressed with word so carefully selected that when we meet them on a page, we can share the experience. "The lily opens into brown velvet glove tips erect, its speckled yellow silk folded under, opening all the way like a woman whose eyes are closed in fantasy" (from "The Woman in the Magic Show." This book is perfect.

These quiet, stirring poems make you want to whisper them aloud and read them again and again. Victoria Hallerman has a way of inviting you in to listen to her think about love, home, mind, and world, in a way that feels both profound and easy. It's a relief to read a poet who is so approachable and yet so wise. I love this book!

Finally, poetry that is clear and concise while also being stimulating and thought-provoking. This book is wonderful!

This is wonderful poetry - modern but not incomprehensible, with startling images (yes! just right!) and references to all our lives and our childhoods, delicate but sturdy - poems to keep coming back to and to quote to friends.

This story has so much going for it: delightful phrasing, conflict, humor, and a satisfying ending.

I love that the story is told from a child's perspective. "Delicious" truly saves the day. Isn't that the dream of every child? ;-)

The illustrations are the cherry on this story sundae. They're colorful, fun and engaging. Yum!

So I was doing my usual Thursday storytime (as is my librarianly duty) to a group of open-mouthed red-cheeked youngsters when I happened to ask if any of them knew what a tall tale was. You could have heard a pin drop. Now there were roughly ten or so children ranging in age from nine to toddlerhood and amongst these not a single child (that would admit it) knew that great family friendly and thoroughly American art of over exaggeration. I was sorely aggrieved but read from Anne Isaac's marvelous, "Swamp Angel" and felt much better in the end. Since that time, I have come to the conclusion that it is the duty of every good honest citizen of our fair Etas Unis that writes for children to make at least one tall taleish picture book in their lifetime. So far, there are plenty of writer/illustrators out there shirking their duties, but Deborah Hopkinson and Nancy Carpenter are not among them. Between the two of them they've concocted a rip-roaring, snorting, fit to be tied narrative based on true events and spun into utter silliness and fantasy. The result is the fun freewheeling, "Apples To Oregon", and after reading it your tots may well want to make the trip themselves.

Delicious and her daddy are two of a kind. They both love their beautiful Iowan fruit orchard. And they'd give everything they have to preserve and protect those awesomely tasty trees. So when Delicious's daddy decides that the family should pull up stakes and head for Oregon, it's only natural that the trees should come along with. Trouble is, it's hard enough to get a family the size of Delicious's across the plains (there are eight or so children), let alone finicky fruit bearers. But her daddy's determined, so off go Delicious, her mother, father, and seven siblings to make it to Oregon. Along the way they ford a mighty river using only their feet, battle a mighty windstorm, are saved of thirst by finding water filled boots, and finally engage in combat with the sneaky low down Jack Frost himself. By the end, Oregon has its trees and Delicious has a new home to settle in.

Hopkinson writes in an easygoing drawl that doesn't try too hard or rely on an abundance of silly cliches. And the various adventures visited upon the clan are silly but never too frightening or woeful. The fact that Delicious's father seems to care more for his trees than his children is a bit off-putting. And I can definitely see various children reading this story and getting ticked at his callousness. But if you take it for what it's worth, the rest of the reading is easy going. Hopkinson even includes in her Author's Note some information on the man this tale was loosely based on. It may certain interest adults to know that as a result of 1847's Henderson Luelling, Oregon remains one of the finest fruit producers in the continental United States.

As for illustrator Nancy Carpenter, she's given the pictures here a nice feel. You jump in sympathy as you see the poor kids leap through the sand without their boots (and you can't help but curse their lazy father who is not only booted but riding a horse... some Pop he is!). You cringe as Jack Frost's hand reaches to get past clever Delicious, ever watchful at her post. The pictures here are a sweet compliment to a nice story.

I don't know if I can say that this is the best tall tale book out there. But it is nice to see how the hero in this particular case is an entire family and not just one single striking individual. As I've noted, I've some problems with Delicious's father's misplaced loyalties, but otherwise this is a nice enough book and should make a fun storytime of its own. For anyone who's ever wanted to interest their very young offspring in the Oregon Trail, this might be a great way to spark interest at an early age.

I'm a second grade teacher and I love to use picture books in the classroom. What a find this is! With hilarious illustrations, it also covers all the bases -- apples, the Oregon trail, and a great story based (loosely) on real events, besides. I love the Apple Facts on the back cover. A great book!

This is the vegan version of "Oregon Trail," an ancient computer game that was once -played on the Apple IIe, and featured "blam-blam" cheesy sounds as you gunned down moose, dear, and bear. Here, there's no fishing or hunting, but you follow the same trail past Chimney and Courthouse Rock, ford a river, climb the Rockies, and raft down the Columbia River to Oregon. Although I wondered the book violated any copyright laws, all resemblance to the "Oregon Trail" ends there.

Unlike the game, there's no dysentery, crooked traders, stampeding animals, or cranky settlers. Instead, a plucky family travels from Iowa to Oregon with a gigantic wagon holding a holding a whole orchard of fruit trees: Apples, plums, cherries, pears, and peaches. The book is more enjoyable than I expected, given its resemblance to the game, mostly because of the colorful girl, "Delicious," who narrates the story, and the sometimes silly obsession of her fruit-minded father. When "Delicious" (at least her father didn't name her "Gravenstein") alerts us "Daddy was ready for the most daring adventure in the history of fruit," you know you're in for a clever and exciting tall tale.

On the way to Oregon, the family encounters nasty skeptical fellow travelers, weather changes, and natural obstacles. They build a raft and start paddling the Platte River, the "muddy drink started to pull us down":

"'The peaches are plummeting!' my sisters shouted."
"'The plums are plunging,' boomed my brother."
"'Don't let my babies go belly-up!" howled Daddy.

Apparently, Daddy's has unbounded concern for the apples of his eye...and he also loves his kids. Delicious, who knows that children raised on apples are "mighty strong" (there's lots of "Western" dialect festooning these pages), gets her sibs to kick off their shoes and kick their feet against the Platte. Later, a windstorm strikes, half-denuding the family (sure to get some laughs from the younger set), and eliciting another cry from Daddy (always in big, bold font):

"Guard the grapes! Protect the peaches!"

The persistent, albeit slightly goofy Daddy, is shown on a great two-page spread resembling the Disneyland diorama of the Grand Canyon. The family is hauling the wagon up about a 50 degree incline, an impossible task, of course, while the unvanquished Daddy announces, "just a hundred miles to go." In one of many colorful illustrations, Delicious-looking more and more like a young pioneer woman, fights a wispy Jack Frost with a bonfire and a blanket. Very soon, "that low-down scoundrel was hightailing it out of there, heading straight for Walla, Washington. Delicious stands tall and proud. The illustrations slightly recall those of Patricia Polacco with their emphasis on people's faces and long exaggerated lines, although they're not quite as loopy and personal as Polacco's.

The books concludes with a successful orchard planting in Oregon, just as in the true story of the parents and their eight children who brought the first apple trees from Iowa to Oregon in 1847. Delicious, easily the most appealing and emotionally satisfying character in the book is last seen high up in an apple tree, munching away and pondering the Gold Rush that that began shortly after their trip. All those fruit trees, she says "made us richer than any prospector. We were happier, too. After all, apples taste a whole lot better than gold."

This book is short, which is great when you are running late for bedtime. More importantly, it's a lot of fun. The basic story is of the grandkids trying to scare Grandpa that all the animals have gone crazy on the farm. Grandpa, knowing that it's Aprill Fool's Day, makes the appropriate concerned noises, but his actions clearly show he is not fooled. That is, he is not fooled until a very smart Grandma tells him April Fool's Day is tomorrow. He runs out in a panic and she gets to enjoy the breakfast he made for himself before letting loose with a cheery, "April Fools." Needless to say, Grandpa looks very sheepish at the end while Grandma and the grandkids look quite pleased with themselves.

The text is simple and rhymes, which makes it enjoyable to read aloud. The illustrations are hysterical (sheep sunning themselves on beach chairs while listening to an iPod or goats wearing clothes from the laudry line are just a couple of examples) and I laugh right along with my 3 and 6 year old boys when I see them. I have read the book several times and it doesn't get tiresome. Definitely money well spent.

This is a fun and enjoyable book for young children. I teach k-3 art and was able to not only refer to the April 1 theme but to the marvelous art work as well. The pictures are very funny and the children were engaged the entire time I shared it with them.

The grandkids are visiting Grandma and Grandpa on their farm. Grandpa is fixing breakfast for everyone when suddenly his grandson bursts into the kitchen shouting "The cows have got loose! I think Big Brown Bessie just stepped on a goose!" But Grandpa doesn't respond to the news -- he just calmly pours himself a glass of milk. Grandpa is so relaxed because its April Fools' Day and the children are playing tricks! Then Grandma steps in with a trick of her own!! In creating her lyrical text for April Foolishness, author Teresa Bateman draws upon her own experiences growing up on a farm and creates a story to which Nadine Westcott's lively illustrations are a perfect complement.

Kids love to visit their grandparents, and grandparents love to have them (most of the time). A visit may hold many surprises when it begins on April Fool's Day, which is what happened when two rambunctious youngsters arrived at the farm.

Told in lilting rhyme and illustrated in bold full-page color "April Foolishness" is a merry look at that special day. Grandma begins the day as grandpa is cooking breakfast in the kitchen. She thinks, "Life on the farm keeps a gal on her toes. That's what grandma thought as she flung on her clothes."

Well grandpa needs to be on his toes, too because the first thing he hears from his young visitors is that the cows have gotten loose and one stepped on a goose. Next is the announcement that the chickens are out, and the pigs broke the gate.

Children will smile their way through this rollicking story until they learn who pulls off the best April Fool joke of all.

- Gail Cooke

Bird Patterns are lovely, very detailed and realistic looking. I would recommend to a friend.

I purchased this book for a quilting friend who is also a birdwatcher. She loved the book and was looking forward to using the new techniques on a quilt she is working on.

This book is wonderful. It gives you very clear instructions and the illustrations are very helpful. It also gives you ideas for future ideas.

I was pleased with the clear instructions, well-drawn diagrams and appealing patterns in Applique Birds. I can't wait to try my hand at applique.

Benny's Pets is my two year old daughters favorite book. The vibrant pictures and well thought out rhyming allow us to enter Billionaire Benny's imaginary world. His rare and exotic animals explore far off lands. Mom and Dad will never grow bored of reading this book. One will try to master reading each verse to perfection stressing different words. My daughters favorite characters are Attila Gorilla, Zebra Dinah and Lilly the Filly. This book is fabulous for all ages and makes a wonderful gift.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

I love this book! It so imaginative and wonderful. Every child who sees it wants one for their very own. Very positive messages boost the child into believing in themselves. And the artwork? No words to describe the whimsical pictures, on every page. Thank you, Mr Whimsy!

Wow! What an awesome book! It is a breath of fresh air to find something so creative and witty! My daughter loves this book... she loves the animals, their names, the stickers, and the map! I love that it teaches her to be rich in imagination, just like Benny! Way to go Mr. Whimsy! Everyone should have a copy of this book!

We haven't purchased this yet, but it's going on the kids' Christmas list. We borrowed it from the library and my 4 yr. boy and 2 1/2 yr. girl are always wanting me to read it or are "reading" it themselves.

My children were starting to ask questions about what happens to their food when they eat it, discussing what muscles were, why we drink water, etc. This book covers a large topic but it a very interesting and kid friendly way. I borrowed quite a few from the library but this is the only one that both I and my kids enjoy.

Very well done!

i brought this to my 2nd grader's class and read it to them as a group and it was perfect. Really great for this age group. They ate it up.

What a super book. It is kid friendly and makes learning about our bodies fun. The pictures and wording are both age appropriate. My grandsons (ages 3 & $) are both gaining from the book and love to see what happens to their food. It also has a great message to keep your body moving (that thing called exercise). Kudos to the author!

This is a great book that introduces many different systems in the body while emphasizing that keeping active is so important for your body to work better. Using your muscles makes them stronger instead of wearing them out it tells us. The illustrations are detailed and colorful and the book is fun, overall, with an important underlying message to encourage children to stay busy and healthy.

Fun having the same story brought up to date and a terrific way to show how things change.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Carmine:A Little More Red"; it is a creative interpretation of a classic. The illustrations are beautiful!! While the vocabulary was too advanced for my 3- and 4-year old children to grasp, the pictures held their attention and I am sure that it will be a treasured book for years to come.

Little Red Riding Hood is reincarnated in this imaginative retelling of a favorite tale, Carmine taught to read by a beloved granny who uses alphabet soup to instruct the child. She started with a spoonful of letters and now Carmine can read a whole bowl. Whenever Granny makes a fresh pot of soup, like today, Carmine is invited for lunch. Before she leaves, Carmine sorts through her clutter for anything she might need on her journey, pencils, paper and paint. Accompanied by her beloved dog, Rufus, Carmine has been known to dilly dally on the way to Granny's house, although she has been warned by her mother that the route is fraught with danger. This time a lurking wolf spots the child, who has stopped to paint a picture for her grandmother, distracted by nature's abundant beauty. Racing ahead... well, you know this story. Luckily for Carmine, her Granny doesn't meet the same fate as the original grandmother, this one hiding in the closet as the hungry wolf gathers an armful of soup bones to take home to his pups. Happily reunited, Carmine, Granny and Rufus sip their soup while admiring Carmine's latest work of art.

The artwork in this book is vivid and imaginative, combined with a layout that introduces new vocabulary words used in context with the illustrations. This artist thinks outside the box, using both visual images and language to inspire young readers, cartoon balloons filled with Carmine and the Wolf's dialog as they confront their situations. Words like pluck, dawdle, mimic and nincompoop add alliterative rhythms, balanced with lively drawings, a bright palette accented with every shade of red: scarlet, carmine and fuscia. A multi-level reading experience, Carmine is a fabulous addition to a child's library, a visual and verbal feast as exuberant as its young heroine. Luan Gaines/ 2005.

Little Red Riding Hood. There is probably more psychological baggage and scintillating undertones associated with this little tale than any other story in the Grimm repertoire. Accordingly, with every year more and more alternate versions and retellings hit the market full force. From James Marshall's classic version to Ed Young's stylized Chinese retelling ("Lon Po Po", in case you're interested), there are more little girls in red hoods out there than you can shake a fist at. "Carmine" is one of the most recent additions to the fold, and it makes for a lovely little read. Bringing together such disparate elements as the alphabet, gradations in color, a heightened sense of tension, and even a recipe at its conclusion, "Carmine" is not the most accessible of Little Red tales out there, but it's certainly one of the most pleasant to thumb through. You're not going to get the straight dope on Little Red with this version, but for the modern kid Sweet's interpretation of the events involving one girl in a hood, one granny, and one wolf makes for a perfectly nice and perfectly new story of its own.

Each plot twist in this book begins with a letter of the alphabet. So the first step in the story comes with the word "Alphabet". Carmine loved going over to her granny's for a little alphabet soup. "Beware". There was a wolf about and Carmine was warned to go straight to granny's and not to dilly-dally. Unfortunately, Carmine is a world class dilly-dallier. There are few dallys she hasn't dillied (or, alternately, dillies she hasn't dallied). Since Carmine is a fan of painting she spots some poppies on her route and decides that granny deserves a picture of them. "It may seem farfetched to think that any painting can be improved by adding a little more red, but Carmine believes it to be true". Unfortunately, the wolf is most certainly about. After a quick conversation with Carmine's terror stricken dog, it heads straight for granny's and catches her unawares. Fortunately for everyone involved, the soup bones by granny's pot strike the carnivore as more enticing than her old creaky ones. Carmine learns her lesson, granny loves her painting, and a fine bowls of alphabet soup are had by all.

The essential conceit of beginning each new thought with a letter of the alphabet is all well and good but there isn't much rhyme or reason to Sweet's choices. All the same, I was a little amazed at how effectively the author cranks up the suspense when the wolf has visited granny and her cry for help has been foreshortened. Adults familiar with the original granny-in-the-belly-of-the-beast versions of this tale will be as relieved as their offspring to learn of her safety. The story itself does, I should add, make the reader think for a moment that the wolf has returned home to its young with its arms full of granny's bones. But however bleak that image, it is quickly remedied by a simple extraction of the old lady from her own closet.

Prior to reading "Carmine", my only other association with Melissa Sweet came with her lovely illustration work done on Catherine Thimmesh's fabulous, "The Sky's the Limit". In that book Sweet conjured up a very satisfying selection of mixed media. "Carmine", similarly, draws upon a variety of different elements. Open the book up and immediately the first thing you see is a collection of color swatches. Each shade of red is spelled out with alphabet soup letters and they have everything from Sienna and Vermillion to Crimson and Magenta. The rest of the book is a combination of cartoon and illustration. Sweet makes continual oblique references to fairy tales and nursery rhymes throughout the story too. For example, the wolf creeps by Little Boy Blue asleep on a haystack and The Three Little Pigs make a brief appearance in a small cartoon panel. What could have come across as haphazard or messy in the hands of another artist merely takes on a rather vibrant and exciting feel under Sweet's direction.

The version of this story that "Carmine" seems the closest to (at least in spirit) would probably be Lisa Campbell Ernst's, "Little Red Riding Hood: A Newfangled Prairie Tale". Both books feature the heroine on a bike on the cover. Both are updated retellings and both end happily for the wolves involved. Both even have recipes for the foods mentioned (muffins in Ernst's, alphabet soup in Sweet's). But while "Carmine" is a far more stylized retelling with a very real sense of tension to it, Ernst's tale makes for a much better readaloud, especially when you take into consideration its homey southern drawl. All the same, "Carmine: A Little More Red" is a lovely modern take on a old story and one that I'm sure many a child (particularly those enamored of the many shades of rouge) will find themselves enjoying.