Wednesday, February 19, 2020

NF Picture Books Reveal the Night - Blog Tour & Giveaway





   Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy -- hashtag #nfpb2020! Thanks to her hosting and sharing and those who add their posts, you can discover and celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books! 

      



                  I'm on a blog tour today, excited to share a new book of poetry written by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis that is out February 25th. It's After Dark, poems about nocturnal animals. And, you have a chance to win a copy of this book!




           Vincent Van Gogh said, "I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day."  For this book, David has written twenty-two poems about animals who live and ensure their survival in the night and Stephanie Laberis shows their unique hues and markings in her own "richly colored" illustrations. When you read and see examples below, I imagine you will say that Van Gogh is right.

            Sometimes, I sit outside (longer in summer) to see if I can be still enough to spot a creature moving nearby, to hear an animal's cry. Most often I see a rabbit hopping, stopping for nibbles. Sometimes I hear owls, and one very surprising time, I saw a coyote walking down the street, readying itself for night work. Here is one view from my porch. We humans can't see much, but many animals can and need to.

        I don't fool myself, however. I know that other creatures are out there, living their night lives, just as David shows us through his poems, as Stephanie has illustrated those words. In this book, they've offered a peek at the magic "After Dark". As I read the poems, I imagine sharing them with students, excited that David cleverly includes so much of each animal's behavior in his words, including clues in the titles. For example, the very first one, "The Rehearsal" includes the behavior of grey wolf adults who hunt for food to feed young pups, keep them safe for now as they grow. I.E., they rehearse!
                   "For now, 
                     play tag,
                     pretend grr,
                     pounce ferociously
                     on your siblings."
Stephanie creates three scenes from the comprehensive poem with a double-page spread, a wolf howling at the moon, allowing the moon to light up the entire two pages; the wolf mom nursing her pups; and the pups themselves playing in the night. Here are those pups and the poem:


        This opening poem's delight sets the stage for more questions, this time about wolves, but also a wonder about what's next, what else can be discovered in the night? If only for a time, we can explore the night through David's and Stephanie's "night eyes"!


         There, the cougar, in "Posted Property" hides his leftover night meal, leaves his mark, "reminding others/where they should not be." In "Night Class", a mother skunk warns that "The street is/never empty." I smiled in remembering my own camping trips, when an owl goes hunting in "Owl Rules" and David reminds "you'll keep us sleepless/half the night" while Stephanie shows a camping family with its own 'owl' eyes hearing that owl in its nest hideout.


          I imagine many of you know some "night" creatures, but perhaps not the insects that are out,  taking their own meals in smaller bites. "The King" tells of the tarantula "flexing fangs/like spears in the night/moving off like black ink". A second scare "In A Mood" shows the scorpion "Stinger raised, pinchers ready, you enter the night."
          Peepers are possibly familiar to many, and David celebrates them in "Hear This! Hear This!, as are slugs, of "Slimy Character" who "leave a sticky line/across the walk". However, I cannot say I've known that the "Armored Night Knight", a nine-banded armadillo, can go underwater and "finds a brook of bubbling promise, holds his breath, strolls the bottom."
           Here in these poems and pictures lies a world to explore. I've shared some peeks, hoping you want to discover more about the animals at night we rarely see, as David writes of the raccoon in his poem that ends the journey in "No Fooling": "Fading shadow, shaggy streak,/vanishes silently up a tree." These survivors in the night trick us into believing nothing is out there, but they are. 
           Added in the book are brief paragraphs offering more information about each animal. The poems, illustrations and these notes will be a terrific start to more research if you choose to know more about the creatures "After Dark"!

           Be sure to find and visit all those who are sharing on this blog tour. Many are hosting a giveaway that you can enter. The deadline for entering my giveaway is this coming Sunday, February 23rd!

Here is the blog tour list!
          You can discover more about David HERE on his website. If you don't know David's work, you are in for a treat. His bio shares that he "has published ninety original titles that have sold millions of copies." and "His work has been anthologized in more than one hundred eighty-five books, appeared in dozens of magazines, professional journals, and interviews in print and online, translated into twelve languages, and presented on television, radio, cassette, and CD-ROM." There are so many books that I've loved from David, but you need to explore them yourselves, and be sure to find this new wonderful one, After Dark. Also find David on Facebook and twitter, @DavidLHarrison1
                   
          Find more about Stephanie Laberis HERE on her website, on twitter, @StephLaberis and Instagram. You'll delight when seeing her art!

         Thanks to Boyds Mills and Kane for the advanced copy and the giveaway!


             
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36 comments:

  1. I love how you captured the sense of wonder this book incites, Linda!

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    1. Thanks, Jane. It's going to be a favorite for kids.

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  2. David left a comment, but blogger wouldn't accept it. If you have trouble, be sure to let me know so I can add it to the giveaway! Here it is: Linda, thank you so much for hosting my blog tour today. I'm honored. I love how you describe both words and pictures and remind us that a picture book is indeed a partnership between two people who may not ever meet in person. When these collaborations work, it's part of the magic that goes into any book. Thank you again.

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  3. Another great review! February 25 can't get here quick enough!

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    1. I want to remind everyone that you can preorder copies of AFTER DARK now and they'll be shipped when stock comes in.

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    2. Dear Unknown (Su), am I in good hands or what!

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  4. Ugh! Why do my posts keep coming up as "Unknown?" The above post is from Susan Hutchens! LOL!

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    1. Thanks, Susan, I don't know either, but your name is noted!

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  5. Sounds like a wonderful book for our newest granddaughter! She is totally in love with books and has several David Harrison’s in her private library! Thanks for the review and recommendation!

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    1. I'm glad you have a granddaughter with such excellent taste in literature! (:>

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    2. Thanks for coming by! I imagine your granddaughter will love this one!

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  6. Thanks for a wonderful post. I especially like the Owl poem; i think it's my fave so far. I tried to leave a link to my fb page words are my world but it didn't work. I don't have a blog yet...

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    1. I'll add you to the 'party', Yvona! Happy to share that owl poem, a delight!

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    2. Thank you, Yvona. The call of an owl at night always startles and delights. I'm glad you like the poem.

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  7. Lovely post, Linda. The more I see of this book, the more I want to share it with my grandkids.Thanks!

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    1. You're welcome, Karen. They will love it, and then you'll need to take a night hike!

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    2. Hi, Karen. I'm glad you're interested in having a copy of the new book. I hope your grandkids enjoy my night out with the animals.

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  8. I love all of David's books and am really looking forward to reading this one. Thanks for your post.

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    1. Hi, Rosi. Thank you for coming by Linda's post today. I can't wait for next Tuesday when the book comes out at last. Work started on in five years ago. I'm tired of waiting!

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    2. I was thrilled to share this new & sweet book, Rosi. Thank you for the visit!

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  9. I just read the F&G of this book this weekend! I have it featured in a post coming soon. I absolutely loved this book!

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    1. Oh, love that you're going to share it, too, Michele. It is a special book. Thanks for letting me know.

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    2. Thank you, Michelle. I look forward to your host post too.

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  10. Linda, thank you again for making this lovely day possible. I've loved all the comments and know that your own kind remarks helped immensely to set the tone.

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    1. You're welcome, David. It was a pleasure! Best wishes for the rest of the tour!

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  11. Linda, I like how you captured tiny scenes from many of the poems while highlighting the illustrations, Linda. I am still receiving visitors to my post and am so glad that David's book is being well-received. Thanks for the Van Gogh quote that David and Stephanie so richly embellished in "After Darrk".

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    1. Thanks, Carol, I'm glad you enjoyed my post and that quote. I know that you already love the book from your own review!

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  12. What a great review! I'm always fascinated by how the different stops on book blog tours reveal different nuances or aspects of a book. This one sure looks like a winner! Thanks!

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    1. Thanks, Molly, and yes, each post so far has been quite different. Although i"ve read the book, I've loved reading David's answers. Thanks!

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    2. Molly, I left you a note that seems to have disappeared, so I'll say again how pleased I am that you enjoyed Linda's host post and like what you've seen of the book. I'm having a fine time all along the way.

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  13. Am late to this tour! Glad you and David are shining light in the night with these poems and poempeeks. Love the owl poem. While my night vision isn't as good as in the past, though it's not terrible! Can't wait for my copy to arrive. I know quite a few who will love this book!
    Janet F.

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    1. It makes it exciting to get those 'peeks', doesn't it, Janet. I've also been reading a history of the "night frights" of people centuries ago. They had a tough time! David's book will open a new world for children if they have never been out watching at night. I know your grandchildren will love this! Thanks for coming by!

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    2. Hi, Janet,
      I love how Linda presented my new book. Am I a lucky guy? I think so!

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  14. Thanks for sharing this, Linda.

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    1. You'll welcome, Earl. Look for it at your bookstore!

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Thanks for visiting!