It’s okay to do some items on the list more than once, right? Like, daily even?
Try a gelato (or ice cream) flavor you’ve never had before.
In Italy (and throughout Europe), gelato is the ultimate pleasure. With options from pistachio to lavender to tomato-basil, you could have a different flavor every day for weeks. Your assignment: Track down a great gelateria…and give a new flavor a whirl.
Amorino is a gelato shop very near the cathedral square in Strasbourg . . . so it does a steady business. If there is a line, as there usually was in the evening, you can just stare at the cathedral and watch the sandstone’s rich colors shift as the sun sets.
And it is a chain, but it is also excellent, and the name Amorino means love. And their Amarena (cherry) flavor is divine!
I also tried other ice creams in other towns — including a lovely little shop in Colmar, where I had the Crumble Fruits Rouges.
Everything I tried was delicious! The hardest part was the choosing. This is a challenge I will happily repeat on future trips!
Back in June I visited a little bit of Switzerland and explored Strasbourg and walked part of the Alsace Wine Route on a 30th anniversary trip. As a long time Rick Steves’ fan, I found his European Scavenger Hunt just before the trip, and enjoyed checking off several of these items.
I documented several scavenger hunt items on my Facebook/Instagram feed #KeepOnTraveling as they occurred, but wanted to compile them together with more details and reflection, and in a more lasting way for myself.
Visit a monument to a notable woman from European history.
Women’s stories are often underrepresented, on both sides of the Atlantic. Seek out a statue or monument dedicated to a notable woman from European history, and take time to learn her story.
I’ve been an admirer of Audrey Hepburn since my teen years. What began as a more superficial interest deepened over time as I learned more about her past (her childhood) and watched her devotion to her role as goodwill ambassador for UNICEF –– pioneering the role of celebrity spokesperson and using her lovely voice for good. As a children’s librarian, I loved her recording of stories, “Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales.” I also loved the Gardens of the World series, as I enjoy gardening as well. After her death, learning more about the mother she was from the books written by her children, at the same time that I was becoming a mother myself, was very impactful. So visiting the town of Tolochenaz, Switzerland where she lived for many years was on my bucket list for some time. Even though I knew I couldn’t visit her house (La Paisible is privately owned), I would be happy to walk down the street where she lived.
The tourist office in Morges was very helpful, and even has a brochure devoted to Audrey. So many people make this pilgrimage, the brochure is even in Japanese!
And I was not disappointed! We stayed in nearby Morges, at Maison d’Igor (where Stravinsky lived for a short time; lovely hotel that I also highly recommend). Saturday morning we visited the market in Morges (which Audrey also frequented) and then biked to Tolochenaz. There is a bust of Audrey in the town square. We walked around the town, noting the honor system produce market in one building, the school garden and church, the open, self-serve library in the back of the town hall, the beautiful flowers in so many window boxes and around entrances. Scroll through the gallery below to take a photo tour of Tolochenaz. I could see why she would choose to live in such a beautiful, charming, peaceful place.
It was a short ride (downhill this time!) back to Morges and beautiful Lake Geneva, with its’ view of Mont Blanc in the distance. A perfect picnic spot on a lovely summer day.
It was a cold February afternoon when I ventured to the Columbus Museum of Art to hear Floyd Cooper speak. The museum was currently exhibiting drawings and artwork from the book “Back of the Bus” (written by Aaron Reynolds, Philomel, 2010) and Cooper was an artist-in-residence at neighboring Columbus College of Art and Design.
I love learning about the artistic process, and Cooper’s was quite unusual. I’ve never seen an eraser used to such masterful effect. Cooper created incredibly realistic depictions of children in his many picture books, with a soft, tactile quality to the images. You can hear him demonstrate the technique and share his thought process as he creates in this video:
Cooper shared “When I was a child, I would see things in shapes. I would gaze up at those big Oklahoma skies and I would look up at the birds . . . I was real fascinated by birds, just the sky in general.” And while he spoke, he used the eraser to draw, to create shapes that became a face on the page in front us. He described being able to “see things that aren’t there yet” in the textured surface, and that is the essence of art. He spoke about how he loved to share this process with students, who are so open to learning, to help them find their “visual voice.”
The exhibit, “Back of the Bus” featured Cooper’s paintings and some preparatory sketches for the book.
The background of the room was highlighted with bright yellow, referring to the instantly recognizable yellow of a school bus.
To find books by Floyd Cooper, check out your local library. (This link is for the Westerville community). I hope you will be inspired to read, view, and pour over some of the wonderful books by this amazing illustrator. His depictions of people, from history and from story, are warm, individual, personable, accessible, and recognizable. What a wonderful contribution he made to this world through his visual voice.
I’ve been wanting to do a story trail for some time -(since first visiting one at Dawes Arboretum in 2009!). When we discussed a late fall opening, and were thinking about a book choice, Thank You Omu! by Oge Mora leaped out as the perfect choice — a book about community, neighborhood, sharing, family, food, and kindness. I’ve been a fan of Mora’s vibrant collage artwork for several years and was delighted to be able to share this story with the community. This Story Trail is the result of a wonderful partnership with Westerville Parks and Recreation, with funding provided by the Westerville Library Foundation.
with fellow Odyssey Committee member Beth Rosania at the Live Oak Media booth adding the Odyssey sticker to the CD.
What a year 2020 has been. In thinking about what I’m grateful for, I think all the way back to January. It was filled with such promise. I was preparing for ALA Midwinter, and for days of meetings and deliberations with the Odyssey Committee. And that conference in Philadelphia remains a highlight of my year. The committee spent 2019and early 2020 listening to hundreds of audiobooks, and many of them more than once. It was intense. I’ve always listened on my morning commute, and now my lunchtime walks were always with earbuds, as were most household tasks: laundry, organizing closets, gardening, dishes, cooking.
At in person meetings we got to know each other — a group of people with varied interests, at different stages of our careers, from all corners of the country. We got to know what things people noticed — and what each other’s pet peeves were (mouthsounds, sibillance anyone?) We benefitted from those who knew another language, who could point out an inaccurate accent or inconsistency. We also soon knew what each others favorites were. There was laughter, discovery, frustration (we are human!), wonder, respect, and looking back, for me — gratitude. Gratitude for the time each member of the committee devoted to listening and to discussion, to active participation in the process.
The big screen at the ALA Youth Media Award announcements on Monday morning!
And, since it is November, I’ve been thinking of one of “our” honor books, We Are Grateful, Otsaliheliga. It is thanks to this being an audio book, and to a fellow committee member who encouraged me, that I can now say Otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) . It is an altogether wonderful production, with Cherokee words and cultural elements, recorded in a Cherokee studio, with such an eye to accuracy and authenticity throughout. It is an exemplary picture book, and the audio adds another dimension for those who want to learn more about Native culture. The book celebrates the seasons and celebrations of the year with a Cherokee family. Read an incredible review here, in which Eti Berland explores many of the elements that work together to create this audiobook, to create this “immersive soundscape.” You can also enjoy this video interview with author Traci Sorrell.
It’s Indigenous People’s Day, and I’m thinking of whose land I am standing on, as challenged to do at the recent ALSC Institute. The conference site included a “Land Acknowledgement” statement which included the following:
ALA and ALSC acknowledge the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of all Indigenous peoples that call this land home. The Institute was originally going to be held in Minneapolis, so we take this opportunity to celebrate and support Minnesota Indigenous communities.
As part of this acknowledgement, ALSC requests our Virtual Institute attendees visit https://native-land.ca/, carefully read the disclaimer, research, and answer the question: “Whose land am I standing on?” learn to recognize the Indigenous nations, communities, and organizations in your area.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is located on Wahpekute and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ land. Minnesota is home to seven Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and four Dakota nations (MN Indian Tribes).
The maps at Native-Land (https://native-land.ca) are fascinating. I have learned that I live and work on Hopewell land, live on Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee) land, and work on land that belonged to the Myaamia (Miami). I grew up in Georgia, on land belonging to the Mvskokee (Muscogee/Creek). I have a lot to learn about these peoples and am excited by this resource.
It is the Hopewell that I feel closest to, as I live close to several earthworks, structures built by the Hopewell, including the Octagon and Great Circle Earthworks, that align in significant ways with the sun and moon cycles. Below are a few photos from a recent walk around the Great Circle. It is an awe-inspiring place, and a nominee for UNESCO World Heritage status.
Hanna is tired of moving from place to place. Since her mother died, her father has moved them from California further and further east. Hanna longs to stay in one place, to go to school, and dreams of being a seamstress. She draws and designs any chance she can. And she hopes that this latest move to LaForge, in the Dakota Territory, will be a lasting one.
Hanna is half Chinese, and faces discrimination and prejudice wherever she goes. Hanna herself shows kindness to the Native Americans in the story. She faces challenges in making friends and is determined to change people’s minds, despite the hurt that she feels. Young readers will be drawn in to Hanna’s story, feeling her pain, and rooting for her as she seeks a way to find a place for herself.
Linda Sue Park says that it took her whole life to write this book. It’s personal, based on her childhood love of Little House, and her experiences as a Korean American in the United States. She explains this experience in Sticks and Stones and the Stories we Tell, sponsored by SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. You can also read more about it in this New York Times Review.
Recommend to those looking for historical fiction — a welcome alternative to Caddie Woodlawn and Little House. I was a fan of the Little House books myself — they were the first chapter books that I read — a gift the Christmas that I was in second grade. I still remember vividly the feeling of trust — an important adult in my life believed that I could read these books. I’m so glad to have Prairie Lotus to recommend to young readers.
So much is happening in the world right now. I haven’t been actively blogging for a while, but I need a place to record some of my thoughts. Going back, I’m pleased to remember some of how I got to this place — proud of the posts that reference diverse books and books in translation — books from around the world. But this year I’ve been reminded how far I have to go. And that’s okay, it’s already been a wonderful journey and I hope to record more of it as I read, listen, and learn.
Earlier this summer I listened to this amazing session, Sticks and Stones and the Stories we Tell, from SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Each author tells of one incident (I’m sure each of them could fill up the hour, but they had to choose a single one) and how it affected their work. It’s an amazing line-up, with Christian Robinson, Floyd Cooper, Rafael Lopez, Lisa Yee, Shadra Strickland, Pat Cummings, Meg Medina, Crystal Allen, Lamar Giles, and Linda Sue Park. Near the end, a member of the audience asks what they can do. Floyd Cooper advises us to read — and I nod my head — this I can do, this I already do. Then Linda Sue Park adds that she spent a year reading, buying, and requesting from the library only books by “black and brown women.” And she challenges us to read only books by marginalized people. And I thought — can I do something like this? and then, how can I not do this? How many people of color have had to read, for years, books by and about white people? and never read something by someone of their race or culture?
So this year I’m embarking on that journey. My scope is a bit broader — to read books by non-dominant authors — which is broad, and allows me to include race, culture, ability, and gender. I also include international authors in my scope, though I am looking more for non-English speaking countries outside Europe, Canada and Australia. It’s not a perfect process — for different work-related projects I have some necessary reading. So, in my own time, for my personal reading, I’m focusing on books by non-dominant people, from around the globe. Thanks to Linda Sue Park for the challenge and inspiration.
Photos & tweets from Day of Dialog, with a few comments and observations in between. Moderated my very first panel of picture book creators – -What an amazing day!
Bookmuse 