Out of my Mind

Out of my Mind
by Sharon M. Draper

publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010



What is it like to be trapped in a body that will not do what your mind wills it to do? When physical movement is completely arrested but the mind races with these exhilarating ideas and thoughts, which shall forever remain uncommunicated?

Melody is eleven years old and has not spoken a single word. She has a photographic memory and a brilliant mind that observes and records everything, non-stop, with no delete button. She also has cerebral palsy, which affects body movement and muscle co-ordination, making her unable to talk or walk, leaving her frustrated.

As we see the world through Melody's eyes, we realize that she is not entirely resentful or enraged by her situation, but is in fact trying her very best to communicate her thoughts and share all that she knows and feels, with such a positive spirit that it will put us to shame for complaining about our petty problems.

The resident 11-year old reader simply could not put the book down. It made her want to learn more about cerebral palsy and understand what it is like to just not be able to talk or walk or do the things we take for granted everyday, and yet be filled with so much positive energy and enthusiasm in the mind that has no way of coming out. And, it made her so angry that her classmates were hurtful and unkind thinking Melody cannot hear or understand what they were saying. Wrong! Melody can, and it is heart-breaking.

Eventually, with Medi-Talker, Melody is able to communicate, albeit one thumb-movement at a time, only to realize how odd it all seems to her friends who think this is too weird. Ultimately, Melody realizes she can never be what is considered "normal", never be like her other friends who have all their faculties working as designed. This self-acceptance allows her to let us revel in her sense of humor and loving spirit.

Melody would not want us to feel sorry for her and neither will we dare. What we do end up doing is cheering for her and respecting her fierce dignity and wanting to be someone like Mrs.V, Melody's mentor and life coach, who loves her deeply and champions for her success in life.

[image source: multcolib.org]

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
by Cari Best
illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2015


"In class 1-3, there are 22 chairs and 22 desks, 22 pencils, 22 hooks and 22 smocks. There are 22 people and 22 names - and one of them is mine. Zulay."

Right off the bat we love Zulay's spirit. As we read along, we start realizing that Zulay pays attention to minute details that many kids either take for granted or never register.

"... when the shoe-shuffling stops, we all line up for two-arm hugs..."

"Good morning, everyone,", says the teacher. Then her key clicks the lock for the class to begin

"I feel with my knees for where the chair fits and sit in my seat.."

The illustrations shows this bright and cheerful girl enjoying her school day with her three friends Maya, Nancy, and Chyng. Not until we read this little snippet do we start to take notice:

"Inside my desk there are crumpled papers, pencils and kisses, and a folded-up cane - a folded-up cane that I push to the back for later."

We also notice how diverse the classroom is with kids of different ethnicities, Zulay herself being African American.

When Mrs. Seeger announces to the class that after some common morning work the kids will go to the gym while Zulay goes with Mrs. Turner, it does not sit well with Zulay.

"I don't like when I hear my name sticking out there by itself. If no one else has to have Mrs. Turner, then why do I? But I don't say the way I feel. I might stick out even more, like a car alarm in the night waking everybody up."

We begin to understand Zulay's apprehension when we read that Mrs. Turner is there to help Zulay learn to use her cane. "That fold-ing hold-ing cold-ing cane" as Zulay puts it.

When class resumes with Ms. Seeger, Zulay learns of a big surprise coming up in three weeks: A Field Day! With contests, races and games outside. "Go home and think about which events you'd like to be in," says Mrs. Seeger.

Maya wants to play Capture the Flag, Nancy wants to try Tug-of-War, and Chyng thinks she can walk holding an egg on a spoon. While everyone has something they'd like to do, Zulay also thinks hard about what she would like to do on this big day.

"I would like to run the race in my new pink shoes, " I say - to a class as silent as stones.

From here on begins Zulay's determination to run that race - with the help of her cane. She must get over her dislike for it and work with Mrs. Turner to practise running, with their arms entwined.

On the big day, her friends all shout, "Run, Zulay, run!" and Zulay is ready to run the smooth round track that she knows like her own hands by now.

"So with the wind pushing me and the sun shining me, I feel like that bird that went flying."

[image source: multcolib.org]

Welcome to CROCUS 2016: Exploring Inclusive Narratives in Children's Literature

Starting in 2009, at my other home, Saffron Tree, we have been celebrating a short and exuberant annual blog event, a festival of books we call CROCUS: Celebrating Reading of Culturally Unique Stories.

Each year, we adopt a theme after much deliberation and peaceful voting -- a theme that speaks to us at that time, a theme that guides our book picks to share during the few days of the festival.

Our CROCUS 2016  theme is: Exploring Inclusive Narratives in Children's Literature.

We are focusing the spotlight on our fellow humans who are marginalized based on arbitrary criteria that usually defies logic. Folks who are practically cast aside because they do not fit the mould made for social acceptance. Folks whose physical or mental make-up is so different from the generally accepted idea of "normal" that they are pushed into social isolation.

What better way to break this cycle than by talking about it, through children's books that showcase kids of all sorts - kids with disabilities both physical and cognitive, kids who have suffered abuse, kids who have not had a stable home/family, kids whose gender identities are not binary, kids who simply want to be who they are and not be judged and categorized and limited in any way...

To seal the idea, our own talented Lavanya Karthik has created the gorgeous poster for our theme this year, reiterating that differences are good and that we are the same no matter how different we seem.

Starting today, Dec 1, through Dec 4, we hope to bring children's books with diverse characters who believe that their disability is not a limitation, who know that their differences do not define them, and who help us see that their abilities cannot be measured and quantized in conventional terms.

Visit Saffron Tree during this time, as well as any other time, to find the wonderful books on diversity and inclusiveness.

Monster on the Hill

Monster on the Hill

by Rob Harrell

Riotously funny, at the same time both quirky and silly, Monster on the Hill is a huge hit with the 10 year old and me! We each enjoyed it on our own at our leisure and couldn't help sharing our favorite pages, pointing out the fun parts that kept us chuckling.

1867 England is dotted with a resident monster in every self-respecting town -- monsters who take their monstering duties very seriously and do a great job of assisting their town's tourism: they periodically terrorize tourists and rampage through the streets for everyone's benefit.

However, Stoker-on-Avon is stuck with their monster, Rayburn, who proves to be completely inept. He simply broods and stays in the pits not much unlike Eeyore, becoming a source of deep embarrassment for his townsfolk. He just doesn't have the fire in him to go on a rampage and chase the unsuspecting victim.

An eccentric professor, Dr.Charles Wilke, whose experiments always go awry and whose lab always smells suspicious, is called in to cure Rayburn. Along with paperboy Timothy and Rayburn's old schoolmate, Tentaculor (what an awesome name for a monster!), Dr.Wilke bumbles along in a bizarre adventure (with sideplots involving Timothy turning into a mushroom), providing some of the funniest pages to read.

Of course, where's the villain? Where's the conflict and resolution? Well, it's in the form of Murk, an evil monster who doesn't play by the rules and wants to take over Rayburn's place. The showdown on the streets of Stoker-on-Avon is redemptive for Rayburn who triumphs in the end by proving his mettle.

All in all a fantastic story with plenty for the kids to laugh about and some inside jokes for adults to nod in approval.

[image source: Author website]

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes
Edited by Kazu Kibuishi
Contributed by various authors


Seven little gems in this box of a book
Seven little gems all fun.
Seven little gems full of possibilities
Seven little gems, must read.


The Mystery Boxes in the title is the theme of this book that collects seven unique stories ranging from funny to cheeky to creepy to philosophical edited by Kazu Kibuishi, written by various authors: Raina Telgemeier, Dave Roman, Emily Carroll, Jason Caffoe, Rad Sechrist, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte.

The one thing common in all the stories is that it involves a mysterious box. What's in the box? Do we dare open it?

Under the Floorboards by Emily Carroll is quite creepy: the box under the floorboards holds an innocent-looking wax doll, but it is no ordinary plaything. While many versions of this story exist in the horror genre, the illustrations and storytelling, plus the refreshingly fitting ending makes this a pleasurable read.

Spring Cleaning by Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier is a top favorite with the kids as it is a bit cheeky and funny and ends well. With droll wizards and Internet shopping, and a fairly regular kid, Oliver, who finds this mystery box while forced to clean out his closet, the story is straight and sweet, where lost loves get reunited with a little bit of magic afoot. When you cannot help but move from panel to panel in a hurry to find out what happens, the comic book has achieved its goal.

The Keeper's Treasure by Jason Caffoe brings the joy of possibilities, of anticipation, of uncertainty. The box could hold anything - from limitless wealth to terrible plague. Would you rather let the "Schrödinger's Cat" out of the box or is the mystery-of-not-knowing the real thrill you seek? Who is wiser-- the treasure-keeper who guards without any desire to look into the box or the treasure-seeker who opens it to find all the gold he desires?

The Butter Thief by Rad Sechrist is another big favorite with the kids, in this collection. The young Japanese girl, whose grandmother is convinced that there is a butter thieving spirit in the house, couldn't help herself. When Obasan traps the spirit in a box and buries it in the yard, the girl doesn't believe any of it. So, naturally, she digs it up and - opens the box! Of course, Melphador, the butter thief spirit is indignant when he is released from the box he was trapped in, so he turns her into a miniature creature. What follows is a very satisfying story that ends well.

The Soldier's Daughter by Stuart Livingston explores Shintoism and the mysteries of  life, death and beyond. Futility of war and vengeance is highlighted in a philosophical way that speaks without preaching.

Whatzit by Johane Matte looks at nepotism from a lighthearted perspective. Grandpa promotes his grandson to a more responsible job in his intergalactic factory, checking boxes against inventory before shipping. The other senior employees are miffed and they plant a mystery box with a Whatzit that wreaks havoc and gets the grandson in trouble. Of course, the grandson finds out about it and gets back at them. Simple and straight.

The Escape Option by Kazu Kibuishi spins a futuristic fable about a boy who is given the chance to escape from Earth that is doomed, only not by alien invasion but by environmental disasters. The alien who offers him the option doesn't tell him the whole truth, and just as well, because for the boy, escape is not an option. He chooses to stay and fix things so earth won't go belly up as the alien claimed.

Thumbnail bios on the last page lists these highly accomplished artists and their various works.

The joy of this book for me is to be able to sample various styles of art and storytelling in condensed and crystal form. My pet peeve about this book is that the stories are too short, and there were so few.

From bright cartoon-like illustrations bursting with colors to muted and hauntingly ethereal art that transports the reader to another world, the book is a treasure in itself. The picture above is just a quick look at the various styles -- clockwise from top left: Spring Cleaning, The Keeper's Treasure, The Butter Thief, and The Soldier's Daughter.

To think that each of these artists and storytellers were given a simple theme of a mystery box and see that they came up with such a widely varying set of stories is immensely breathtaking for me.


Explorer: The Lost Islands is the highly anticipated second book in this series , which collects seven stories on the theme of lost islands, some of which are by the same contributors as in Explorer: The Mystery Box.

[cover image source: Abrams Books]

Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust

Hidden: A Child's Story of the Holocaust

written by Loïc Dauvillier
illustrated by Marc Lizano
colorist Greg Salsedo



Six-ish French girl, Dounia Cohen, believes her dad when he says that it is a sherrif's badge that Nazis force her family to wear. It is, in fact, the obligatory yellow star that identifies them as Jewish.

Suddenly her teacher sends her to the back of the classroom and gives her the harsh treatment. Her classmates avoid her. She puts two and two together and realizes that she is being shunned just for being Jewish.

"I didn't understand how being Jewish made me different from the other girls in my class. Also... why had Dad made up that story about sheriffs? [There aren't any sheriffs in France.]"

A frightening nighttime police raid claims her parents, but, Dounia is well-hidden and left alone thanks to her Dad's quick-thinking: "My father told them that I had gone to Marseille to stay with relatives. It was the second time I'd ever heard my father lie."

Kindly downstairs neighbors, Pericards, hide Dounia in their apartment for a while but it still was too unsafe. Dounia is smuggled off to a farm in the French countryside with Mrs. Pericard, who pretends to be her mother to dodge persecution. Dounia had to change her name to Simone Pierret to sound Catholic. While at the farm, Dounia learns a lot, pretends to be a Roman Catholic attending Mass, and stays there for the duration of the war.

However, Dounia does see her mom - emaciated and unrecognizable after serving at the Nazi camp.

Told in flashbacks as Dounia recounts her life story to her granddaughter, Elsa, one night, the book is at once heart-wrenching and hopeful. The illustrations appear childlike with giant oval heads and dots for eyes. Muted palette of earthy greens and browns complement the mood and the tone of the proceedings. While the seven year old had some trouble keeping the Elsa parts and Dounia's flashbacks separate and clear, the 10 year old had no such issues.

First Second look at the book

[cover image source: US Macmillan]

Roller Girl

Roller Girl

by Victoria Jamieson



Middle grade novels with girl protagonists who are authentic and not not stereotypical are on the rise. And what's more? Middle grade graphic novels with girl protagonists is on the rise as well with quite a few of them being memoirs of sorts -- like Smile, Sisters, El Deafo, and now Roller Girl.

What happens when two BFFs don't like the same thing? And, what happens when one likes this thing too much and the other doesn't? Can they still feel the close kinship? Can they be there for each other even if they don't see themselves doing things together? How do you unfriend your BFF, and should you have to?

Twelve year olds, Astrid and Nicole, find themselves in this strange land of limbo one summer when they realize they are growing apart. A trip to the roller derby reveals more than their respective interest in this sport. While Astrid is gung-ho about roller derby and signs up for camp, Nicole prefers her ballet and would rather not venture into roller derby with Astrid.

Things start getting complicated when Astrid makes new friends with her roller derby cohorts and Nicole hangs out with her ballet clique. The ins and outs of friendships during adolescence is explored with a keen understanding, especially since Astrid is not particularly good at roller derby and she has to work very hard to master basic skills.

With the intense backdrop of adrenaline-pumping high-energy sport of roller derby (which I have only read about and never witnessed in person), the author deftly explores every facet and dynamics of friendship among pre-teens with acute depth and honesty.

According to the resident ten year old: Astrid was overreacting quite a bit and was blowing things out of proportion and complicating her life. Nicole wasn't being mean and till then Nicole and Astrid did whatever Astrid wanted to do, but when Nicole wanted Nicole and Astrid to do what Nicole wanted, Astrid didn't want to . Why did Astrid dye her hair without permission, she could've just asked her mom? But Astrid doesn't make friends easily so she probably feels bad about losing Nicole's friendship. In the end,  things work out for Astrid anyway.

As a skater with Rose City Rollers in Portland, OR, Ms. Jamieson has chronicled her adventures at Roller Derby Comics. The book draws from her personal experiences which explains how rich and powerful the moments are when we see it through Astrid: her excitement, self-doubt, frustration, determination, and commitment all ring so very true in this coming-of-age style story.

The illustrations are bright and colorful with lots of action. We loved El Deafo, Smile, and Sisters, and now the ten year old and I are just bowled over by this starkly candid story which has a satisfying ending, even if not the happily-ever-after kind.

Free eBook on the Making of Roller Girl

Look Inside the book at Penguin Random House

[image source: author Jamieson's website]

Anya's Ghost

Anya's Ghost
by Vera Brosgol


Anya  Borzakovskaya is a teen who rejects her immigrant origins and tries very hard to "fit in" among her typical high school flock. An unrequited crush, an eager-and-friendly fellow immigrant, a mostly-selfish friend, plus a curious little brother and an overly-loving mother (as seen by Anya) all add up to a full range of emotions surging in her teenage life.

Add to this a 100-something year old ghost, Emily, who died 90 years ago. A seemingly understanding, friendly ghost who inches her way into Anya's life and turns it upside down with her dark thoughts and overbearing attitude. Anya has it tough indeed.

However, most of her troubles are self-wrought. I could easily understand Anya's struggles in terms of shedding her original cultural identity -- from her determination to overcome her accent, to her resorting to shortening a difficult-to-pronounce last name, to her need to distance herself from a fellow-countryman who is still exhibiting the eager-foreigner impulse -- in order to feel totally accultured in her new country.

Walking along one day while agonizing over her expanding thighs and irritation at her mom's home-country-cooking, Anya tumbles into a tunnel with very little hope of being rescued. Which is where she meets Emily, the ghost, eager for companionship.

While there are no cliched jocks, nerds, popular girls, and the usual misfits in this high school, the characters seem equal parts realistic and exaggerated. I kept wondering why Anya feels the need to dress a certain way even if it makes her uncomfortable, why she is friendly with the Irish-immigrant Siobahn but otherwise doesn't try to form deep friendships-- until I stepped back in time to my own high school days when it was very hard to know who understands you the most and therefore is worthy of your trust and friendship, who will not backbite and sell you out but would be there for you when you need it most...

Anya is not necessarily ugly, but she is not exceptionally beautiful in the classical sense either. She is just another awkward teenager who is trying to find her place. While it was troubling to read about casual smoking among the high school kids, Anya seems to have it under control. She seems like a kid who will turn out all right when she grows up.

The panels flow effortless to tell the story. The grays and deep violets and the diaphanous ghost add to the drama of the storytelling. Dialogues are perfectly rendered, the crisp words being smart and believable.

Anya's Ghost Step By Step from Vera Brosgol

View Inside Pages at MacMillan

Author's website Verabee

[image source: macmillan]

The Supernaturalist: Graphic Novel

The Supernaturalist: Graphic Novel

by Eoin Colfer with Andrew Donkin
illustrations by Giovanni Rigano

Sci-fi stories lend themselves well to graphic novel format mainly because it is much more fascinating (and challenging) to illustrate complicated machinery and futuristic world and beings, as opposed to describing them in great detail. A picture is truly worth a thousand words in this context.

Being a big fan of the written word, I thoroughly enjoy reading the thousand words and letting my brain come up with the visuals, but sometimes it helps to see it all in pictures conjured up by a talented artist. The book was quite the regular sci-fi fantasy, and this graphic novel adaptation stays true to the original.

Cosmo Hill is 'parentally disadvantaged'. Since there are no state funded orphanages, his particular shelter has resorted to fund-raising by allowing experiments on its inmates- the little orphan kids. Cosmo escapes with the help of some friends who happen to be similarly gifted as himself: they can see the Parasites that drain the human life force in Satellite City.

Together, the group of kids take it upon themselves to protect Satellite City from the Parasites.

One thing that can get annoying in graphic novels is the urge to have narration tell big chunks of the story rather than through characters and illustrations. A lot of exposition and filling in happens along the way, through wordy text boxes, which takes away from the graphic novel experience. 

The deep green palette and the style of illustrations align well with the grim dystopian story, but it was not quite appealing to behold as most of the panels were dark and intense. More for the older kids, the graphic novel is an interesting presentation of the story.

[image source: amazon.com]

Gaijin: An American Prisoner of War

Gaijin: An American Prisoner of War

A graphic novel by Matt Faulkner


Imagine being an American teenager growing up with not much doubts about your place in society, having aspirations to realize the typical American dream. And then, picture the world turning upside down with World War II, and you realize you don't belong anywhere anymore, except this deplorable interment camp, simply because you are half-Japanese, your father happens to be from Japan, even though you are an American citizen by birth.

That's what happens to 13-year-old Koji Miyamoto, who is suddenly thrown into a chaotic environment in Japanese internment camp after Pearl Harbor. His father is missing and his mother is trying to do her best to keep them together. He struggles with finding his own identity in the midst of being bullied by other teens at the camp, and not relying on anyone to guide him through this troubling times. Gaijin is a term meaning outsider/foreigner, used in a not very complimentary manner, meant to isolate and ostracize.

However much we want to cringe and sweep it under the rug and pretend everything's fine, racism exists even today. The plight of Japanese Americans during this time period is quite heart-wrenching.

Bright and bold illustrations bring out the emotional struggles Koji goes through, especially since teenage years are tough to deal with anyway without added stress. His anger and his irrational response to his mom's choices to keep them together are depicted with full impact in the graphics. Koji says some cruel words to his mother and her relationship with the men in the camp. He does find a kindly father-figure who helps him see reason and not fall into the gang that could destroy his life.

Best suited for older kids due to the subject matter, this graphic novel is based on a true story involving the author Matt Faulkner's great-aunt, which did not end in a happily-ever-after fashion. Just enough background context is woven into the story to put things in perspective for the young readers of today who may not be familiar with this dark part of American history.


Read More from Matt Faulkner on his graphic novel, Gaijin.

More information about the book

[image source: Disney Hyperion]

Fairy Tale Comics

Fairy Tale Comics

Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists
Edited by Chris Duffy; Various Authors

published by :01 First Second, 2013


Seventeen fairy tales ranging from the popular Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and  Rapunzel to slightly obscure ones like Give Me the Shudders and  The Boy Who Drew Birds are presented here by various artists, each in their own unique and inimitable style, with refreshing interpretations, while remaining close to the popular version of the tales, no radical changes.

Wordless Goldilocks by Graham Annable; earth-toned full-page panels of Baba Yaga by Jillian Tamaki; digitally rendered Red Riding Hood by Gigi D.G. featuring a female lumberjack; 8-page story distilling the Rapunzel tale by Raina Telgemeier; The Small Tooth Dog by Charise Mericle Harper; and Rumpelstiltskin by Brett Helquist were some of the favorites.

Back of the book gives a short bio of each of the contributing artists; and  Editor's Note lists additional versions of the stories.

The ten year old liked many of the stories instantly, especially thanks to the graphic rendering, and kept going back for repeat reads.

[View Inside the book at MacMillan]

[Westfield Comics interview with Chris Duffy]

[Interview with Gigi D.G at sare-endipity]

[Interview with Raina Telgemeir]

[image source: MacMillan]

Bird and Squirrel

Bird & Squirrel (series)
On the Run,
On Ice,
On the Edge
by James Burks

published by Graphix, an Imprint of Scholastic

Making the leap from animation for movies and television to children's publishing, James Burks has successfully drawn from his experience to present a set of delightful books. While Haggis & Tank, and Beep & Bah had a modest influence on the seven year old, somehow, Bird & Squirrel caught his attention and held it for long, entertaining and amusing him suitably.

There are three books so far - Bird & Squirrel On the Run, Bird & Squirrel On Ice, and Bird & Squirrel On the Edge (released Oct, 2015). The very first book, On the Run, introduces the happy-go-lucky devil-may-care Bird, meteorite-might-fall-on-my-head Squirrel who likes to play it safe and follow the rules, plus the I-am-going-to-eat-you Cat who, obviously, wants to eat them. But he has to catch them first!

The clean and colorful panels, the crisp and kid-friendly text, plus plenty of action just leaping out of the page made this a favorite read for the resident seven year old. The story is fairly predictable. This being the first, we learn how Bird & Squirrel become buddies and seal their friendship by helping each other out of dire situations, that somehow seem to be brought on by Bird most of the time. The entire book is one long scene or episode of Bird & Squirrel on the run, no plot per se or intricate storytelling.

Bird & Squirrel On Ice has elements of fantasy and slightly more involved plot than the first book, with the introduction of a new character and a sense of urgency and quest. Of course, being gullible, Bird doesn't sense the danger of becoming Killer-Whale-Food, and he bungles through, but comes out fine in the end, thanks to Squirrel and the new friend, Sakari, the female penguin warrior.

Bird & Squirrel On the Edge has some tense moments and cliff-hangers, with a new friend, and plenty of close-calls with the wolves. When the usually cautious Squirrel accidentally hits the Bird on the head while trying to ward off the slavering wolves, naturally the Bird develops amnesia and loses his unaffected bravado. Role reversal is inevitable. Squirrel takes on the task of protecting the baby bear - yes, a lost cub can't be thrown to the wolves - and Bird just gets in the way... Until... of course, Bird gets another bonk on the head accidentally and everything turns out fine - bear cub is united with Mama and the friends are safely home.

The stark contrast of the two main characters, with Squirrel acting as the perfect foil for Bird's exuberant lunacy, plus precise sound-bites-style dialog that reflects the snarkiness that today's generation has a facility for, the books seemed to have made an impression with the kids at home.

Why does Squirrel wear an acorn cap helmet? Doesn't he know it is not going to protect him from meteorites? Besides, it has to be a giant acorn to have a cap that fits Squirrel, unless Squirrel is a miniature one so the normal size acorn would fit... Now, what kind of bird is Bird? He is yellow and orange, his beak doesn't give a big clue... How does Cat keep coming back, even after it falls all the way down a ravine? These are some of the questions the kid was itching to know the answers for, which is a good indicator that the book engaged him positively. Why else would he care to know so much, right?

[Video of Cleaning up Bird & Squirrel On Ice]

[Read an Excerpt at Scholastic Canada]

[image source: scholastic.ca, jamesburks.com]

CROCUS:Celebrating Reading Of Culturally Unique Stories

It's that time of the year again!

Saffron Tree's annual festival, CROCUS:Celebrating Reading Of Culturally Unique Stories, is a four-day long joy-ride of fantastic books and interviews shared by our contributors on a specific theme or topic, to foster the love of reading in children.

I am happy to be a part of this vibrant community of individual contributors who have all come together through their love for children's books and passion for fostering early childhood literacy and developing a lifelong fondness for reading in children.

Many of the contributors are authors of children's books, powerful storytellers in their communities who reach out to the underprivileged and offer this simple joy of entering into a book for the pleasure of it.

Being an admin for Saffron Tree blog (ST, for short) has been the best volunteer-job for me so far, not just because I get to hobnob with my talented and generous pals and talk about all my favorite children's books, but because I get to reach so many people across the globe through the simple act of sharing a good book.

While Saffron Tree Blog is nine years old, this is our 7th CROCUS, and the theme is Comics and Graphic Novels -- a genre that is oft-neglected and gets very little exposure. I grew up with Amar Chithra Katha comics, plus assorted Phantom, Steel Claw, Zorro  and so on, and it was considered legitimate "reading". The right kind of graphic novels and comics can attract reluctant readers, getting them interested in entering the fictional world, rather than be intimidated by stark pages filled with words.

Having an incredibly talented illustrator with her own popular comic strip, plus a couple of passionately skilled artists in the mix at ST, I love peeking into their works and learning from them. Hop over to Saffron Tree to read the various posts on graphic novels and comics over the next few days.

Back in 2009, when we started this annual celebration, the theme was Around the World. It was a vague idea we had and wanted to cram as many books on the topic as possible to share with our readers at ST.

2010: A Cultural Odssey had us thinking about what Culture means in this increasingly global world and how to preserve it and celebrate it.

Our 2011: A Tribute to the Five Elements gave us a chance to understand the five universal elements - Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Space. - and their roles in shaping our lives.

2012: A Menage of Math and Eco-Science came about as a means to remove any stigma attached to Mathematics, to find accessible books that make learning math fun. Plus, to balance it, we added eco-science to get the little minds thinking globally and caring for our Earth.

In 2013: Migration and Exploration takes us back to our ancient roots and travels through time to present day: We looked at animal and human migration and our boundless energy for exploration that led to the moon landing and Mars rovers - things that only we, humans, continue to do because we are not happy staying put.

2014: Prehistoric Life and Ancient Civilization: Civilizations are works in progress. If we don’t know what happened in the past, how can we move towards the future? We need knowledge of history in every aspect of our lives – science, sports, fashion, communications, engineering...

Bookmark www.saffrontree.org and visit it as often as possible, especially over the next few days to join in the CROCUS fun!

Kids and I had a fantastic time reading over three dozen graphic novels and comics over the last 3 months in order to prepare for this year's theme. Even though only a handful of those books resonated with us, it was an eye-opening experience, especially to realize how few graphic novels are out there for kids. Over the next several days, I'll be cross-posting graphic novels here that was reviewed especially for ST's CROCUS 2015. 

CROCUS 2014: Celebrate Reading Of Culturally Unique Stories

CROCUS, our annual online four-day book festival is here! The theme this year is Prehistoric Life and Ancient Civilizations. Essentially, all about where we came from and what can we learn from these history's stories.

The beautiful flyer showcasing our theme for this year was made by the very talented, Lavanya Karthik, who quietly and unassumingly gets her brilliant work done! I am in awe of her talent.

So head on over to Saffron Tree to follow the reviews, interviews, contest, giveaways, and other fun stuff for the next four days of this unique festival of books!

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway, and have fun doing our CROCUSWORD puzzles to win prizes!

Books on Migration

As my good friend Art so wonderfully summed up, CROCUS 2013 may have closed for now but the books  shared there are always open, always available.


Starting with animal migration, we explored the nomadic life in present day context, as well as forced moves (refugees) and voluntary moves as the world gets smaller by the day and no corner remains remote enough to stay isolated.

We ended the festival with a nod to exploration, from past to the future - without the bold explorers, we would have remained as isolated pockets of civilizations unaware of our geographical neighbors, or, for that matter, just dreaming about the stuff our Moon is made of...





Here are some of the books I shared at Saffron Tree for CROCUS 2013:
The Long, Long Journey
Desert Elephants
Caravan
Making it Home
Look to the Stars



View all CROCUS 2013 posts.

Join us for CROCUS 2013 - Starts Tomorrow!

Each year, we at  Saffron Tree (ST)  family throw a home-grown party online - a festival of books called CROCUS: Celebrate Reading Of Culturally Unique Stories.

And, each year, we try to zone in on a theme and highlight books via reviews, interviews, arts/crafts, games and such.

This year is no exception. CROCUS 2013 starts tomorrow for a week-long celebration of:

Migration!

Join us at www.saffrontree.org from Oct 23rd to 26th as we present children's book reviews, interviews, and puzzles related to migration and exploration.

As Sandhya shares in this in-depth post about our theme, migration has been a way of life possibly ever since life began... and a theory even suggests that life on earth was sparked by something migrating here at the right time from the cosmic soup.

ST's very own talented Lavanya created the flyer to represent the theme - a brilliant combination of elements that showcases migration and exploration.

Hope to see you all there!

CROCUS 2012 Starts Tomorrow!

Back in 2007, I joined a handful of like-minded parents - five, if I recall correctly - to share our favorite books that resonated with our kids, at the wonderful online repository called Saffron Tree.

Over the years, I've gained more from the association than the other way round I am sure. And, as Saffron Tree (ST)  family grew, it is exciting for me to benefit from the reading choices of the 'older kids' in the family, and quietly carry on some of the behind-the-scenes work for ST.

Each year, we throw a home-grown party online - a festival of books called CROCUS: Celebrating Reading Of Culturally Unique Stories.

And, each year, we try to zone in on a theme and highlight books via reviews, interviews, arts/crafts, games and such.

This year is no exception. CROCUS 2012 starts tomorrow for a week-long celebration of Mathematics and Eco-Science!

Join us at www.saffrontree.org from Oct 23rd to 27th as we present Math and Eco-Science related children's books, interviews and puzzles.

CROCUS: Celebrate Reading Of Culturally Unique Stories

Since 2007, Saffron Tree (ST) has been a household name: not only do I contribute to this wonderful repository of children's book reviews, but also benefit from its expanding resource, thanks to fellow moms/dad, friends, who have become almost like family over these past few years.

For the third year in a row, we are celebrating ST's birthday with our homegrown festival CROCUS: Celebrate Reading Of Culturally Unique Stories. Each year we focus on a theme to keep things interesting and entertaining.

CROCUS 2009 had us going around the world to bring stories to our kids, tales we had not read before - folk tales, fairy tales, trickster tales - from each of the continents, all reinforcing the fact that it is One World, despite our geographical boundaries.

CROCUS 2010 had us exploring multiculturalism based on aspects that make up the crux or core of a culture - mythology, folklore, arts, crafts, dance, music, lifestyle, food, traditions, festivals, even games.

Now that it is time for CROCUS 2011, we've pulled up our socks and gotten around to yet another adventure in understanding our world and in turn ourselves: The Five Elements. Most ancient civilizations recognized common elements of nature that pervade the universe we inhabit, attributing all material (perhaps non-material) objects to be made up of five elements variously identified as Air, Water, Fire, Aether/Space, Earth. And that is what we are exploring and celebrating for CROCUS 2011.

Our very own CROCUSWord - a crossword game for kids and adults, interviews with wonderful folk who do what they do to preserve, protect and raise awareness about the elements, books of course, plus arts and crafts are all lined up to be shared with you over the next week.

Please Join us for CROCUS 2011 from Oct 23rd to Oct 30th at www.saffrontree.org. Readership and comments are a great way to connect with each other and support our efforts... and we hope to see you there cheering us on, not just at the festival but all through.

CROCUS 2010 starts today!

Saffron Tree is a growing repository of children's book reviews. For the last three plus years, I have shared wonderful children's books at Saffron Tree and come to learn about many more.

Please join us as we get ready to embark on a week-long virtual odyssey with our second annual festival, CROCUS: Celebrate Reading Of Culturally Unique Stories.