A Tea-rrific Time

It would seem that our lives are composed of rituals; certain practices done at specific times of the year, month, or even every day.  During the month of August it might be staying up into the early hours of the morning to watch the Perseid meteor shower, growing up it was new shoes before school started in September, or each night not being able to go to sleep until you've told members of your family good night, I love you.  These routines give comfort, a sense, whether true or not, that all is right with the world.

I'll wager that most people can barely begin their day without a first cup of coffee, or in my case, a cup of tea. In Asian cultures there are beautiful ceremonies for the preparation and serving of tea.  Low tea and high tea are British terms used to distinguish between the times tea might be served.  When you host or attend a tea party there is an etiquette to be observed.  In Tea Rex (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.) written and illustrated by Molly Idle adjustments to tradition prevail in a rather BIG way.

When hosting an afternoon tea for a special friend---
greet your guest at the door.

If a grinning Tyrannosaurs rex, invitation in hand wearing a teeny, tiny purple bowler hat and purple and yellow polk-a-dot bow tie, happens to be filling the open door frame, this could present the first of many...er...challenges during the event.  Having him follow you to the parlor is not going to be easy when he can hardly squeeze through the door.  With meeting the other guests and finding one's spot at the table complete, the polite conversation begins.

In response to shenanigans involving cutlery on the part of the younger brother, Mr. Rex lets out a mighty loud roar of approval.  Offering food, despite its variety, and the pouring of tea proves to be rather problematic.  The guest's enthusiasm for both is a tad over the top.

Mayhem quickly follows on the heels of one mishap after the other. Appropriate music and dance (more like riding  on a roller coaster at the amusement park) concludes the tea party. Whew!  With the special guest barely, in every sense of the word, out the door, a surprise is delivered to the hosts, actually, a bunch of BIG surprises.


Sentence by sentence in a most prim and proper form, Molly Idle provides a narrative which reads like pages from Miss Manners.  With little stretch of the imagination you can almost hear the voice enunciating each and every word chosen with care.  The pauses between page turns elevate the disparity between what is read and what is seen in the illustrations.


On the front jacket and cover we are treated to a snapshot of a very special occasion but a picture on the back, a circular inset, tells a different story, the real story.  The palette of colors displayed on the jacket and cover are used throughout on illustrations rendered with Prismacolor pencils. Opening and closing endpapers provide charming close-ups of an invitation and thank you note sent by Cordelia to Mr. Rex, the opened envelopes against his bowler hat, the notes held by his versatile tail.

The details in the decor, the characters' attire, the table setting and facial expressions (oh, those eyes) only increase the hilarity.  The "before the roar" and "after the roar" differences are the first of many.  For example in a series of three visuals for When everyone is settled, you may serve refreshments.  Be sure to offer several choices---and cater to the individual tastes of your guests, we see all the characters seated at the table hands and feet reaching toward delectable delights followed by the disappearance of all including a portion of the plate and then "whoosh", the teddy bear in attendance is about to be consumed too. My favorite of them all is the double page spread of what's left of the parlor after the party as Cordelia and her brother push (it's a tight fit) Mr. Rex out the door.  All sense of decorum has vanished.


With delicate, dramatic illustrations drawn to illuminate and accentuate Tea Rex by Molly Idle is most memorable.  The very idea of dinosaurs and tea parties is so foreign to our way of thinking, the humor begins immediately and grows page after page.  You'll be looking for a free date to have your very own afternoon tea.  Who will you invite?

Please stop by Molly Idle's website.  A link is embedded in her name above.  This is a link to Molly Idle Picks Kid-Friendly Dinosaur Books at BOOKish. (Thanks to John Schumacher for tweeting this link.) This book trailer is only the start of a wonderful reading experience.

 

To See...To Be...

What I see in the natural world, from the tiniest raindrop to the ferocious approach of a thunderstorm, from a tiny tree toad making his home on my front porch to walking near a bull elk in a snow-covered meadow, hearing his bugle, is what prompted me to pursue a hobby in photography from the earliest days of printing in my own darkroom to the marvels of digital today.  From color schemes to patterns to design and layout we humans use Mother Nature's marvels in our lives capturing and creating to decorate, cloth and imitate.  We liken ourselves to her creatures; fly like an eagle, swim like a fish.

Indeed one of Charles Caleb Colton's more well-known quotes is "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  In the case of Molly Idle's new title, Flora and the Flamingo (Chronicle Books), imitation is depicted as perhaps, flattery, but more importantly as an overture.  In this case it is an invitation to a lasting, mutual respect; friendship.

Without a single word in the entire volume, we are introduced first to a flamingo as part of a double spread for the title.  With a turn of page the same flamingo has changed from a graceful landing to a one-legged pose, straight as an arrow. We see a hint of Flora in the lower, far-right corner, one brown flipper and part of a leg.

To our delight on the next set of pages there are two flaps; one on the left page, the other on the right.  On the left the flamingo is still at attention.  On the right Flora is mimicking his stance.

When the flaps are lowered we see the flamingo turn to sharply glance at Flora.  She turns away whistling, hands behind her back in a pose of nonchalance, when her flap is lowered.  It is beginning, that loveliest of dances, the getting to know one another, step by step.

As the flamingo moves through a series of elegant positions, Flora carefully copies as best as she can until they stop, heads bent and covered. Then the two new flaps are lowered.  Quick peeks are exchanged.

 Both are giving the other a backward-through-the-legs look when unexpectedly the flamingo airs his frustration at Flora's presence; the force tumbling her in a backward roll.  Eventually re-thinking his emotional outburst, the flamingo extends a wing but Flora is reluctant to accept the request.  Her ultimate decision leads to a succession of brilliantly beautiful ballet movements by two beings perfectly in tune with each other.


The front and back jacket and cover allude to the friendship which will be forged within the pages of this wordless title.  Buttercup yellow opening and closing endpapers mirror the shades on Flora's bathing cap.  The color palette of pink, brown and yellow with hints of gray on large expanses of white space combined with the refined, slightly old-fashioned feeling of the illustrations (Flora's bathing suit, cap and flippers) define the overall emotional impact of this title.  Without a single sound being stated we still hear hope, bewilderment, acceptance and sheer, pure joy through the soft visuals created by Molly Idle.

The delicate branches covered in pale pink blossoms which frame the top of all the pages add balance to the figures.  In the beginning a single blossom sits near the two characters until it lands on Flora's head, petals broken. As Flora and the flamingo come together first one larger, then a smaller blossom gently float down from the branches; one becomes two.

The shape and form of wings, arms, and legs with the expressive eyes, mouth and beak conveys the subtle shifts in mood and dance with amazing clarity.  Altering the size of the flaps increases the impact of the actions taken by the two characters.  Using heavier stock for the pages provides for a richness in addition to being more durable.


You can't help but be mesmerized with every page turn in Flora and the Flamingo created by Molly Idle.  Her illustrations full of warmth and humor, dance and a blossoming friendship are absolutely glorious.  One reading will not suffice. No, not at all. Get ready for repeated readings. Who wouldn't want to share or experience this joy again and again?