Ocean Soup: A Recipe for You, Me, and a Cleaner Sea
By: Meeg Pincus Illustrated by: Lucy Semple Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press Publication Date: March 2021 ISBN: 978-1534111189 Reviewed by: Ellen Feld Review Date: March 17, 2021
From a distance, the ocean looks to be a beautiful place, but take a closer look and you'll see all the plastic trash that has inundated the sea. In her new book, Ocean Soup,Author Meeg Pincus takes on the task of educating children about what has happened to the world's oceans and what they can do to help.
The story gets going quickly with these opening lines:
"From afar the vast ocean appears pure and clean. How it sparkles and shimmers - a beautiful scene. But dig in a bit deeper and test a small scoop, and you'll see that, up close, the sea looks more like...soup!"
Just what is "ocean soup," readers will ask. And the author answers by explaining that for decades, people used all sorts of plastics for convenience. Styrofoan cups, single-use bottles, straws, and ballons are just a few of the examples readers are given. Unfortunately,
"Once it's made, any plastic is with us to stay. It's on Earth till forever - there's no real 'away.'"
And sadly, much of that plastic finds its way to the world's oceans where,
"Once the plastic's pureed in the gyres' mighty waves, it spills out as a soup that no animal craves."
What will happen to all that plastic that's been dumped in the ocean?
Ocean Soup gives an excellent overview of how one-use plastics have contaminated the world's oceans. Written in rhyme and with facts given at a level that children will understand, this book doesn't just explain the problem, but goes a step further but offering lots of suggestion on how to help. At the back of the book is a two-page spread explaining in more depth just what "ocean soup" is and then offers, "A Recipe for Cleaner Oceans (in 10 Steps)" that will give readers plenty of ideas on how to help.
Quill says: It isn't easy to write an interesting story about ocean pollution that will engage children and get them to want to help in the clean up effort, but author Meeg Pincus does just that in her new book, Ocean Soup.
You asked - we listened... last year we began honoring books that almost placed in our award program but were just a few points from scoring one of the big three spots - gold, silver, or bronze. These "almost won" books were given Finalist status and we gave each of these winners a digital finalist seal. We didn't have physical seals and promised if there was interest, we'd have some made. Since last year there has been a ton of interest and so this year we are happy to report that we now offer beautiful, embossed, finalist award seals. If you've won a finalist award in the Feathered Quill Book Awards, and would like some seals for your books, you can find them here:
Dear Me: Letters to Myself, For All of My Emotions
By: Donna Tetreault Illustrated by: Elisena Bonadio Publication Date: March 2021 ISBN: 978-1736479803 Reviewed by: Holly Connors Review Date: March 12, 2021
A young boy, who is happy "most of the time," but struggles with some of his more confusing emotions at other times...sound familiar? Children often have trouble understanding all the emotions that come flooding toward them, and parents frequently don't know how to help. Now, debut author Donna Tetreault has addressed this common but difficult issue in her new children's book,Dear Me: Letters to Myself, For All of My Emotions.
To anyone looking in from the outside, the protagonist of our story (we never learn his name), is a very happy, well-adjusted little boy. He smiles, he loves his mom, and seems to enjoy classes at his school. But then he admits that he can feel many things, from excited and peaceful to scared and frustrated. His mother explains that what he's feeling are emotions and that it's okay to feel all sorts of different things at different times. To help her son really understand his emotions, she comes up with a great idea - she suggests he write down all his feelings, when he's feeling them, and what's happening at that particular time. By writing everything down, he'll learn how to control and even change how he feels.
The next day the star of our story heads to the park to play with some friends. And then he writes down how he feels:
Dear Me, I love feeling the sun's warm glow on my face. If I could, I'd climb up and down the trees all day long. Love, Me
Unfortunately, not all experiences are as fun as playing at the park. There's the first day at a new school, visiting grandma at the hospital, and waving goodbye to dad as he heads off on a business trip. Each of these events, as well as many others, are filled with emotions but thanks to mom, our protagonist writes everything down and it helps him understand just what is going on. As he continues to record his feelings, he gradually comes to understand, and more importantly, control, his emotions.
Learning to understand and control one's emotions is an important part of growing up and something that many children struggle to understand. Parents, too, frequently don't know how to help their youngsters deal with all the confusing feelings that inundate them every day.Dear Me: Letters to Myself, For All of My Emotionsuses the practice of journaling to help children understand their emotions. While journaling is common for adults who need to deal with various things - marriage, family interactions, etc. - having children use it certainly isn't as common. The author keeps things simple - starting each "entry" with "Dear, Me" and ending with "Love, Me" - with just a few sentences of text to explain the child's experiences. This simplicity is perfect for keeping the explanations at a level children can easily understand. Every "Dear Me" letter the child writes to himself is written in a font that looks handwritten and on what appears to be lined paper, much like that given to students at school. It's a nice touch that will appeal to children. The author uses lots of examples, all of which are likely to be experienced by most, if not all, children, and the entries our protagonist writes down are understandable and useful. "It's okay to be scared...It just takes some time and practice to feel comfortable," "It's natural to be sad..." and "One kid laughs [at me], but it's okay. Another helps pick me up..." are things most young readers will relate to and understand.Dear Me: Letters to Myself, For All of My Emotionsdoes a great job of helping children come to terms with so many everyday emotions. This is the perfect book for classroom reading and discussion, as well as a bedtime story where your child can ask questions and you can discuss each and every confusing emotion with him/her.
Quill says:Dear Me: Letters to Myself, For All of My Emotionsis a perfect book to help youngsters deal with all of their confusing emotions in a fun and constructive way.
For more information onDear Me: Letters to Myself, For All of My Emotions,please visit the author's website at:www.donnatetreault.com
By: Terry Lee Caruthers Published by: Black Rose Writing Publication Date: July 2020 ISBN: 978-1684335275 Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott Review Date: March 14, 2021
A girl survives a life-threatening journey that will engender her lifelong wish to protect the helpless, in this dynamic, highly credible novel by Terry Lee Caruthers.
When we first meet Vivie, it is 1956 and she is twelve, preparing to flee with her father, mother, and younger sister Mae as Russian troops assault the city of Budapest. Getting out of Hungary, across the nearest border, is their only chance for safety. It won’t be easy, and for Vivie, one of the hardest things to do is leaving her beloved pet, her cat, Norsk. Her father leads the way through fields and forests, on trains and automobile, hitching rides and camping out with members of the resistance movement. Food is hard to come by and sometimes the things Vivie sees, such as a dismembered hand lying on the ground, will take away what appetite she has. They find safety in Austria, but the harrowing journey has taken its toll on her mother and sister, even as Vivie herself seems to grow stronger – but she will harbor a family secret to the end of her days.
Yet her father has a plan. Eventually, through his contacts, he sends her off with a wealthy couple who will become her foster parents. As she adjusts to a life in the US, enjoying luxury, world travel, educational achievement and great affection from her foster parents, she never forgets the past. And she doesn’t forget Norsk – all through her life, cats will be her contacts and closest companions, helping her to adjust to new situations and seeming to carry messages of remembrance and hope.
Author Caruthers has based this gripping story on the life of a woman with whom she shared a love for feline friends. Vivie was an inspiration, Caruthers says, to all who met her, and bringing her story to light and life as a debut novel was a labor of love. It required considerable research, which gives her account a realistic feeling without burdening the reader with too much detail. The book is suitable for older children as well as adults, with many lessons embedded in its pages and much opportunity for empathy.
Quill says: In all aspects of Vivie’s Secret, the author allows us to feel that we are with Vivie, seeing the chaotic world of revolution and its consequences through the eyes of a sensitive, very observant girl and later, a self-made, successful woman with a mission.
Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Holly Connors is talking with Kathleen Marcath, author of My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere With Me.
FQ: As I mentioned in my review, My Monster Truck Gets Everywhere with Me isn't just a great American Sign Language book, but it's also a really cute story. What came first? The plot of the story or the desire to write a fun ASL book for children?
MARCATH: Holly, your review is delightful. I loved reading your thoughtful comments, the deep dive into the heart of the book, and detailing all the great bonuses we offer with it. Thank you for a lovely review! I am honored to be spotlighted by Feathered Quill. Thank you!
The desire to write for children came long before the plot of My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me. I first had taken a course with The Institute of Children's Literature. Later earned a degree centered around sign language and work in with children many years before everything came together. I was writing a poem for a writing contest. As I wrote, I thought this is an excellent story for the children's book I always wanted to write—A simple, fun story with pictures of children on every page using sign language as a regular part of everyday life.
FQ: You mention in your dedication that your grandson Dylan inspired the story. Was he infatuated by monster trucks?
MARCATH: Yes, my grandson Dylan has monster trucks with him all the time. We attended Monster Jams at our county fair before COVID. Together have done all the things mentioned in the story, build ramps, use a big wrench to fix a truck, make tracks in the mud, and line them up to races. He does love his monster trucks.
FQ: Do you find that there is a dearth of children's books that use ASL? Particularly in a fun way?
Author Kathleen Marcath
MARCATH: The lack of children's books that use ASL became evident when I attended Madonna University. I was learning about inclusive literature in a writing class. When given the assignment in a sign language class to tell a children's story in American Sign Language, my first thought was to find a children's book that did just that. I searched and searched and could not find one. There are dictionaries in ASL. There are stories about being Deaf, books that talk about using sign language; I could not find any picture books where the characters were using sign language. I am delighted to help fill the need for inclusion literature in picture books illustrated in American Sign Language.
FQ: Have you experienced watching a deaf child read your book? What was the reaction?
MARCATH: With the pandemic, I have not been able to do any school visits. I am thrilled to hear from teachers and school personnel in the Deaf and HOH classrooms that the children's eyes light up when they see the characters in the book signing. Isaac said they would. Hearing these reports is hugely satisfying for both myself and Isaac for everyone who diligently contributed to the book's completion. The older children who are Deaf and ASL is their first language enjoyed the book and appreciated the videos signed by Deaf Storytellers.
I am looking forward to seeing those smiling faces with school visits.
FQ: The illustrator bios at the back of the book mentions that one of your illustrators, Isaac Liang Zhi Jie, is Deaf. He did a fantastic job at creating clear and concise illustrations to convey the ASL words/letters. Has he done other ASL children's books?
MARCATH: No, this was his first book to illustrate and his most extended project. I was thrilled to connect with Isaac; I am very proud to know him and his work. Isaac designed the storyboard and then worked diligently, clearly illustrating each sign. Along the way, he had several ideas that we implemented into the book. The first-page spread shows one of my favorites, where the boy introduces his monster truck. "This is MY M-O-N-S-T-E-R T-R-U-C-K. He goes EVERYWHERE with ME." I love that this page shows the boy signing a sentence and the sun rising and setting on his playful day.
FQ: My son is studying ASL for his job so I "volunteered" him to check out your book. We spent a while with it and he was quite impressed with the quality of the illustrations that showed the child using ASL. I quizzed him on the words illustrated at the front of the book and we were both able to follow along with the images. How difficult was it to get those illustrations "just right"?
MARCATH: How fun and enjoyable! I would love to hear more about his job—a perfect example for the audience this book is reaching. Parents, children, adults, students, interpreters—I love hearing how families gather around the book, connecting in new ways. Thanks for sharing that.
To get the illustrations just right, we spent many months working on getting every detail correct. Every sign produced has parameters: a handshape, palm orientation, location, movement, and associated facial expression (called a non-manual marker). Isaac used a fading technique to help show the beginning and ending hand positions for many of the signs. It was important to me to have a Deaf illustrator who knows the language, understands the movements, the expression, and body posture. Isaac provided some lovely choices of signs to use. One of those we used in the story was signing "NO EAT" rather than "NO LUNCH." The time on the clock gives a clue that it's lunchtime. However, I loved that Isaac chose Grandma waving her finger for "NO EAT." The message is the same. That waving of the finger may be a bit more English than true ASL. I loved his interpretation of the illustration.
After Isaac completed the sketches, Pardeep Mehra began the coloring process. Pardeep and his team learned a lot about sign language. A bonus!
FQ: I had never heard about a "classifier." Would you tell our readers a bit about this ASL term?
MARCATH: I would love to! There are many standard classifier handshapes used to represent categories or object classes. A classifier identifies a specific person, place, or thing, which is first signed or fingerspelled; then, the classifier becomes that object for the duration of the communication. The classifier can move freely, representing the movement of the item identified.
The CL:3 classifier used in the book to signify "monster truck" is the standard classifier handshape for most vehicles. The handshape is produced by holding up the thumb and first two fingers, also known as the number three handshape. This is not the English representation of the number three: holding up the three middle fingers. With this horizontal handshape now representing the monster truck, we can move the truck up and over ramps, spin it in a cloud of dust, or show it sitting on a table. Using the book's QR code, you can watch Michelle Osterhout and Diana Campbell, both brilliant storytellers, show the monster truck race, jump, spin, and crash. Dustyn Blindert produced these incredible videos.
Think of categories or classes of things. Different categories or classes of items use specific classifiers. Using any classifier enables the signer to convey the motion, movement, speed, or interaction of a person or object.
Classifiers are great for telling stories and conveying detailed information on any topic. Included with the book are bonuses and value we have added: 1. ASL alphabet chart 2. Four instructional bonus pages 3. Four videos available using the Q.R. code 1. Dianna Campbell, a Deaf storyteller, signs the story. 2. Michelle Osterhout, a Deaf storyteller, signs the story. 3. Dennis Neubacher narrates the story. 4. Michelle Osterhout shows you how to sign all 32 signs illustrated in the book.
FQ: I had never thought about learning ASL, thinking it would be too hard and time-consuming but your book has opened my eyes to the possibilities. What would you tell someone who was thinking of learning ASL but has so far hesitated?
MARCATH: I am so delighted to hear my book has opened your eyes to the possibilities. This means so much to me. One of my goals for this book was for sign language to appear as simple means of communication, a normal part of life. I would tell anyone thinking about learning ASL, FEAR NOT! Beginning to learn ASL doesn't have to be complicated. The Deaf community is very kind and gracious if they see you are interested in learning; they are delighted and very patient. ASL has so many benefits for everyone. Learning a little at a time is perfectly fine. To be fluent, immerse yourself in the Deaf community. Learning from a native signer is the best. It is their language. Most of all, have fun!
FQ: You have a B.A. degree in Deaf Community Studies - what prompted your interest in helping the deaf community?
MARCATH: On the first day of classes at Madonna University, I stepped into a world full of new perspectives that challenged the mainstream ideas I had known for too long. Through courses at Madonna University, I learned the history of the Deaf community, their culture, and the challenges they have faced in our education systems and society. My heart broke; no human should be mistreated, denied language access, or forced to hear, or not allowed to sign. A Deaf person's brain is wired for visual language, and the human heart is wired for communication and love. Children should be allowed to thrive, and sign language offers this privilege to children who cannot hear or speak, children with autism—labeled special needs. Children need to be heard; to have access to language, communication, they need to know they matter.
FQ: Do you have plans for publishing more children's books that use ASL? If so, would you share with our readers a bit about your plans for future books?
MARCATH: Our fans are hoping for more! That's exciting. My grandchildren are an inspiration, and we are working on the next book—no title to share yet.
Children and their zest for life inspire me, the joys they find in simple things, and their big infectious smiles. We are building networks with like-minded organizations to bring social awareness to the power and beauty of sign language, the Deaf Community, and creating awareness for the necessity of ASL for children with hearing loss and their families. We hope to expand hearts and minds to the limitless potential of a beautiful language and Deaf Community.
By: Steve Zell Published by: Tales from Zell, Inc. Publication Date: March 2021 ISBN: 978-0-9847468-9-7 Reviewed By: Amy Lignor Review Date: February 21, 2021
It is the blistering hot summer of 1968, and Investigative Reporter Deanne Mulhenney awakens to an odd headache. She’s more than a bit confused, and when she staggers out of bed and looks up into the bathroom mirror, the image of her face seemingly disappears. All she gazes upon is a bright blue moon and a star that suddenly flashes before her eyes. She watches the star turn into an all-too-familiar shot of fire that shatters the mirror and, once, shattered her world.
Medical Examiner Sara Poole is back in Los Angeles, but instead of being next to the phone ringing in her rental home on Hermosa Beach, at this moment she’s standing on a balcony looking out on Hollywood Boulevard, not knowing her own world is about to be altered again.
Soon, Sara finds herself at work staring down at a corpse that is a floater from Sara’s own past. The swollen body is Sondra Tucker, just one of the people who was involved in a full-scale murder campaign that she and Deanne had investigated in Arizona. A young man she works with named Ben asks for information. He asks to have a drink with his boss because he wants to learn exactly what happened to her on her supposed vacation to Arizona; a trip that not only seemed to change everything about Sara, but had also opened their lab to the FBI.
What Ben doesn’t know (yet readers who read the amazing book by Zell titled True Creature know), is that when Sara went on holiday to Phoenix, she’d actually gone there to solve a crime. Sara was looking for data about two victims that she and Ben had autopsied in L.A. who were strangely tied to two other drowning murders in Phoenix. The oddity came from the fact that only one out of the four men had drowned in an area that had enough water to actually do the trick. Sara can’t explain to her assistant the secrets she’s holding because of that case, nor the personal pain she felt when it ended.
Later in the week Sara answers the phone to hear Deanne’s voice. Deanne has suffered through the nightmare once again, always remembering the sniper who’d shot a suspect in the Arizona case right before Deanne’s eyes; she can’t forget that moment because she still waits for him to come back and carry out the threat he once made against her.
Sara learns that Deanne has gotten her old job back at the Arizona Tribune – a supposed gift for all the work she’d done in solving “The Lilly Murders.” Of course, the job was actually a reward for how she and Sara had buried the real story that the ladies refer to as ‘true creature’ between themselves. But as Sara listens to her tale, she also hears the strange chaos out on the street and the wail of a siren in the distance. Hanging up, she heads out on the beach toward Detective Rick Cromwell, a man so perfect looking that he should be in movies, and spots yet another floater. A corpse has been found by a now traumatized little boy, and because of its’ headless state, Sara and Rick know this is definitely a professional hit.
Is the violence starting up again? And, if so, is this a continuation of the women’s ‘true creature,’ or a brand new one that will bring more pain and violence into their lives? Add in drug dealers and a Don from Mexico; a murderess that children refer to as ‘the alien’ working the streets of NYC; Johnny Handsome; Gorain Evanov and the exciting appearance of “The Mantis” in 1945 Berlin right before Hitler took his own life—and so much more—and you find yourself on a thrill ride that combines the past and present in a way you will never forget.
For those not already a huge fan of Zell’s work—both the standalones and Mulhenney & Poole, who have now become a duo—after reading this one, you most definitely will head to his website to learn about some of the greatest adventures out there.
Quill says: Zell knocks it out of the park with his Investigator/Medical Examiner team that is as entertaining and exciting as Mulder and Scully.
For more information on Mantis (Mulhenney & Poole), please visit the author's website at: www.talesfromzell.com.
Feathered Quill Book Awards has been getting lots of national attention this year. Here's one example of the great press one of the winners, Mark Edward Langley, author of Death Waits in the Dark, has received.
