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May 18, 2009
My Profound Love of Books by Jan Thomas
I might as well admit it right out loud on the Internet: I am in love with books by Jan Thomas. I have never before put all of an author's books on our story shelf at WPL, but I have all four of Thomas's there, and I read at least one of them in storytime pretty much every week.
Thomas's books have been getting good reviews, but overall they aren't getting fussed over at the feverish pitch I think they deserve. I suspect people are not taking her as seriously as they might because she uses such thick lines and bright colors. For instance, the cover of her first book, What Will Fat Cat Sit On?, features this wonderfully electric lime green, which is so eye-catching and perfect for her preschool-aged audience but is also not exactly the kind of color one wears to a job interview, either.
Those bold lines and bright colors are just the things that make Thomas's books ideal for storytimes. The contrasts make the illustrations easy to see, even if you have a very large group, and Thomas knows how to use those thick lines to create expressive faces and tell her stories. Look at the the cover of The Doghouse:
Mouse's emotion is conveyed brilliantly through the one bold thick line of his mouth, his two wide circle eyes, and a pair of apostrophe eyebrows. That's no little trick, especially given that his face isn't even fully visible.
Then there are the stories-funny, funny stories that make audiences, adults and kids alike, laugh out loud. Thomas takes fairly standard picture book scenarios and gives them subtle, funny twists. In her newest, Rhyming Dust Bunnies, she gives us a new take on patterned rhyming books. Ed, Ned, Ted, and Bob are dust bunnies who like to rhyme. Ed, Ned, and Ted start out rhyming "car" with "far," "jar," and "tar"-and then Bob interjects, "LOOK!" Ted corrects him, missing Bob's extremely pertinent point entirely. The pattern repeats itself until Ed, Ned, and Ted catch on to what Bob's trying to say. The book is brilliant on many levels-the humor is dry and witty, the turn of events is truly a surprise, and who *doesn't* identify with being the person no one's listening to?
Except for, I can tell you, everyone listens to you when you're reading one of Thomas's books out loud.
So, people, please, start making a fuss. Buy these books for your libraries, talk about them, use them in storytime, buy them for all the preschoolers you know. I want to ensure that Thomas gets to keep making books for a good long while.
Books mentioned:
Thomas, Jan. A Birthday for Cow! Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 2008. (HC: 9780152060725)
-The Doghouse. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 2008. (HC: 9780152065331)
-Rhyming Dust Bunnies. NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2009. (HC: 9781416979760)
-What Will Fat Cat Sit On? Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 2007. (HC: 9780152060510)
Posted by adrienne at May 18, 2009 09:41 AM
Comments
I read Rhyming Dust Bunnies during preschool storytime last week. It went over like gangbusters. I had several requests to read it again because it was "so funny", and we did just that!
Posted by: Sarah at May 18, 2009 12:13 PM
And that doghouse on a hill!It's ready to pounce!With its ghost-shaped,pitch black entrance...hmm.I'm afraid:0
Posted by: momster at May 18, 2009 12:31 PM
Sarah, LOOK OUT! ;)
Momster, You'd like the inside even better, when the storm clouds and bats move in.
Posted by: adrienne at May 18, 2009 01:24 PM
Hi agree COMPLETELY! I just read one to the 1st and 2nd graders today. They never get old. She is BRILLIANT! And she has a new one coming out soon. I can never decide which is my favorite. I love them all! I have been making a fuss for a while but I will start making a louder fuss!
Posted by: Franki at May 18, 2009 10:45 PM
Franki, I started out thinking I was going to write a post ranking Thomas's books from my most favorite to least favorite, but it was too hard. I'm really looking forward to the new book.
Posted by: adrienne at May 19, 2009 03:13 PM
I've just requested two of the books. Thanks!
Posted by: Saints and Spinners at May 20, 2009 11:40 AM
I am so with you! And I think it's 'cause of you that I ever picked up her books. I am very slowly in the process of trying to contribute to the Making A Fuss you call for: I have her name scrawled in chicken-scratch writing (I'm not very organized) on my people-I-want-to-interview-one-day-at-7-Imp list. And I have for a long while now. I need to get on that.
RHYMING DUST BUNNIES cracks. up. my. girls. Me, too, for that matter.
Posted by: Jules at May 23, 2009 11:30 AM
Farida, Hope you enjoy them!
Jules, I encourage this chicken-scratch writing business.
Posted by: adrienne at May 23, 2009 12:19 PM
I really like What Will Fat Cat Sit On? My daughter doesn't really get it (we've pointed out how hilarious the facial expressions are), but she's not big into animals.
Posted by: Saints and Spinners at May 29, 2009 10:53 PM
Farida, I've noticed that some kids kind of just look at the books, others kind of titter, and some just LAUGH OUT LOUD. Humor is elusive like that, different to different people.
Posted by: adrienne at May 30, 2009 12:40 PM
Hey, Adrienne. Look: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/380045238.html. Did you see that today?
I finally just interviewed Jan to see if I could Q & A her.
Posted by: Jules at June 3, 2009 11:20 AM
I mean, emailed her...Ergh.
Posted by: Jules at June 3, 2009 05:57 PM
Three cheers for Jan and three more for you and three more for Fuse besides!
Posted by: adrienne at June 3, 2009 10:10 PM