Truck Stop was released just five days ago last Thursday and author, Anne Rockwell, and I have been enjoying doing guest posts and interviews on our blog tour. So far, here are our stops:
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Imagine a magical Hawaiian night with a fat, round moon streaming its silvery light on ocean and shore, illuminating a mango tree drooping “with heavy, ripe fruit.”
A mother and daughter sit on the lanai of a tiny blue house that is “tucked under the tree’s broad branches,” engaging in a fanciful dialog of “what if” questions and answers. There’s no limit to little Ānuenue’s* curiosity and wild imaginings, no boundaries to her mother’s love.
What if I ate up all those mangoes one by one, and I got so full of them that I turned into a mango tree?
Then I would bring you fresh, cool water to drink every morning. I’d gently pull out any weeds that block the sun and keep the soil healthy for your roots to grow deep and strong. And I would spend my days resting in your shade so that I could tell you about the fantastic adventures of your great-great-grandparents.
Moon Mangoes, a warmhearted, stunningly illustrated picture book that Papertigers reviewer Aline Pereira calls, “an ode to children’s imagination and a meditation on parental love,” has all the makings of a modern classic alongside such perennial favorites as Mama, Do You Love Me? and The Runaway Bunny.
I love the pairing of Lindy Shapiro’s lyrical, poetic narrative with Kathleen Peterson’s highly evocative, color saturated spreads rendered in rich jewel tones. Here is a universal theme presented with a distinct Hawaiian flavor, illuminating the lush, natural beauty of the islands and the spirituality and animism characterizing the native peoples.
Posted in book reviews (all genres), picture books | Tagged bedtime stories, book reviews, children's books, hawaii, illustration, kathleen peterson, lindy shapiro, mangoes, picture books | 11 Comments »
Last week, these lollipops mysteriously appeared in the mail.
Cornelius had been dying to taste a caper-flavored lollipop ever since he read Dan Krall’s The Great Lollipop Caper.
Despite the warning, he was sure he’d never be appalling.
Well.
He removed the wrapper. The lollipop was strangely smooth and unsticky. No smell.
Lick.
Lick.
Lick lick.
Nope, not him. He was a good bear, a likeable bear — no lollipop in the whole wide world could ever change that.
Oh?
Without asking permission, he raided the cookie jar.
When he got thirsty, he took to the bottle.
Hiccup!
Then, I’m sorry to report, he began writing nasty words.
*covers eyes*
Lick lick lick lick lick lick lick lick.
He decided he would do every naughty thing the children did in the book!
And that wasn’t all.
My stars, you WILL NOT believe what he did next.
Desecrated the title of an otherwise tasty book. GASP!
Beyond appalling!
Antidote lollipop to the rescue!
Lick.
Lick.
Lick lick.
Phew!
Guess Dan’s story is true.
Read The Great Lollipop Caper with great caution.
DO NOT eat any caper-flavored lollipoopspops unless you have Antidote lollipops on hand.
Cornelius has learned his lesson. He’s back to being his well-behaved self.
Well, almost.
* * *
♥ For a chance to win a SIGNED COPY of The Great Lollipop Caper + lollipops, enter the giveaway at this post (if you dare).
Deadline for entries: Midnight (EDT) Friday, May 24, 2013.
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Copyright © 2013 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.
Posted in just for fun, picture books, soup of the day | Tagged candy, children's books, dan krall, food, giveaways, humor, illustratin, picture books | 24 Comments »
When I was little, every so often my father would take us for a drive around the island. This was an all-day affair, where we’d see what we could see and eat what we could eat all over O’ahu.
Mahi Plate Lunch via Go Backpacking
I loved spotting the lunch wagons parked along the Honolulu waterfront, hoping to feast on an onolicious plate lunch with beef stew, teriyaki, or breaded mahimahi. No matter what you ordered, you always got two scoops of rice and macaroni salad. But usually we’d drive right on by because it wasn’t lunch time yet. This only intensified my fascination with lunch wagons: I thought it would be so cool to cook on a little stove in a truck and wait on people through the window on the side. 
I don’t know exactly when people in Hawai’i started calling lunch wagons, “food trucks.” But they’re still a big part of the local scene, enticing the always hungry on side streets and main streets with longstanding island favorites as well as gourmet treats.
In jaunty rhyming verse, Beth Greenway’s Hawai’i's Food Trucks on the Go! takes kids on a fun and tasty ride around the island from sunrise to sunset.
The trucks all rev their engines up
and head out on their way:
it’s time to feed the working cars
this bright Hawaiian day.
All illustrations © 2012 Jamie Meckel Tablason
The Harbor’s where the cranes all work
unloading boats and ships,
a bowl of saimin’s great for lunch
just right for slurps and sips.
Posted in asian pacific american heritage month, book reviews (all genres), picture books, poetry friday, weekend cooking | Tagged beth greenway, book reviews, food, food trucks, hawaii, hawaiian cuisine, illustration, jamie meckel tablason, picture books | 62 Comments »
I'm thrilled to announce the release of TRUCK STOP, written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by moi!! The official Viking pub date is this Thursday, but we are kicking off our blog tour today. TRUCK STOP is a fun picture book for young kids that celebrates all the different trucks and their drivers who gather for breakfast every day at the young narrator's family's truck stop diner.
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
