September 1 – It’s Read a New Book Month

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About the Holiday

The beginning of a new school year is a terrific time to celebrate Read a New Book Month—especially for kids. Whether their reading tastes have broadened, their reading level has changed, or they’ve discovered new and fascinating topics to explore over the summer months, there are new books just waiting for them! The books may be recently published—like today’s book—or just new to your child, there are countless fictional stories and nonfiction books ready to inspire learning, to laugh or cry with, and to share with friends. This month visit your local bookstore and library and stock up on books for your kids and everyone in the family! 

The Boy and the Mountain

Written by Mario Bellini | Illustrated by Marianna Coppo

 

“There once was a boy who always looked at a mountain.” It was the first thing he looked at in the morning and the last thing he said good night to before going to bed. The boy loved to draw, and one day he “decided to draw the mountain.” His first attempt didn’t look anything like the mountain he saw out his window. When he looked closer, he realized “the mountain was covered with trees,” so he added trees. 

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Image copyright Marianna Coppo, 2022, text copyright Mario Bellini, 2022. Courtesy of Tundra Books.

Still, his picture wasn’t quite right. Next, he noticed the sky and clouds around the mountain and drew those, but his picture “still didn’t look the same as the real thing.” He tried drawing the mountain at different times of day and in different weather, but “he was never happy with what he had drawn.” 

One day, the boy decided to get a closer look. He took his dog and headed out. One the way, he met a goat and drew a picture of it in his sketchbook. The goat decided to come along. When a flock of birds flew by, the boy drew those too. One bird left the flock to follow the boy and his dog and the goat. When they stopped at a stream for a drink of water, the boy drew that too.

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Image copyright Marianna Coppo, 2022, text copyright Mario Bellini, 2022. Courtesy of Tundra Books.

It was fall, and the ground was covered in leaves. The boy “wanted to draw them all,” but even though he drew many of them, there was no way they would all fit on the page. He continued on up and up into the forest and beyond. Along the way, he picked up other followers, including a frog, a bear, and a beaver. When he had left the trees behind, there was very little to draw “until he looked more closely” and saw a tiny white flower poking up between some rocks. He drew it.

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Image copyright Marianna Coppo, 2022, text copyright Mario Bellini, 2022. Courtesy of Tundra Books.

At last he came to the mountain’s peak. He sat down and flipped through his sketchbook, but he still wasn’t satisfied with his drawings. It was then that he became aware of the goat, the bear, the frog, the bird, the beaver, and a snail who had joined him. “‘Ohhh … hello!'” he said. They played until it was time to go home. The bear gave the boy a ride home on his shoulders. Once home, the boy promised that he would see them all again soon. That night before going to sleep, the boy drew the mountain again with his new perspective. This time his drawing was complete—and the boy was completely satisfied with it.

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Image copyright Marianna Coppo, 2022, text copyright Mario Bellini, 2022. Courtesy of Tundra Books.

Mario Bellini’s thoughtful and well-paced adventure gently guides readers to consider not only their perspective on big and small topics of life but where and how they fit into the wider world. Just as children observe the world from their vantage points of home, school, and activities, the boy in the story looks at the mountain and tries to make sense of it by drawing it. Then, like kids slowly adding bits of what the world has to offer to their lives, the boy includes trees, clouds, and different times of day to his drawing. But he thinks there must be something more, and, now braver and more knowledgeable, he ventures out to get a better look. 

Along the way he sees more of the world and interacts with what he encounters in the way that means the most to him. Some of these experiences turn out well, and others don’t, but he persists. When it appears that he’s finally come to the end of his journey, he sits down (alone, or so he thinks) and ponders his single-subject, disjointed pictures. When he finally notices all of the animals who have joined him on his trek and embraces them as friends, the boy discovers an interconnectedness that has been missing for him all along. At last, with his final drawing, the boy is able to be satisfied with his knowledge, understanding, and place in his world.

Marianna Coppo’s delightful rounded illustrations lend a quiet elegance to the story while allowing readers to view the boy’s drawings for themselves and then join him on his journey to see the mountain up close. Kids will enjoy noticing the animals that begin to populate the boy’s sphere, even while he is unaware that they are following him. The boy’s drawings of the river, the leaf-strewn forest floor, and the hidden mountain peak give kids and adults an opportunity to talk about times when things go wrong, when life seems overcrowded or overwhelming, and when goals seem elusive. Coppo also helps kids see that surprises can be found in the most unlikely of places as well as when you least expect them. 

A multi-layered story that invites thought, observation, conversation, and discovery (of both the self and the world), The Boy and the Mountain would be a favorite read for quiet story times or as a prelude to any new experience at home or in school. The book is highly recommended for home bookshelves as well as classroom, school, and public libraries.

Ages 3 – 7

Tundra Books, 2022 | ISBN 978-0735270251

You can connect with Marianna Coppo on Instagram and Twitter.

Read a New Book Month Activity

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Take a Bookworm Trek! Maze

 

These two friends love reading! Can you help them through the maze to meet the bookworm? 

Take a Bookworm Trek! Maze Puzzle | Take a Bookworm Trek! Maze Solution

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You can find The Boy and the Mountain at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from 

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

June 11 – Making Life Beautiful Day

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About the Holiday

Today’s holiday was established to celebrate all of those people who make life more fun, meaningful, joyful—more beautiful—for someone else. This can be done in so many ways, from spending more time talking with someone to using your talents to make something you know a friend, family member, or coworker would love, to just giving a smile to those you meet during the day. Making someone else feel good will make life more beautiful for you too!

Ray

By Marianna Coppo

 

At the bottom of the staircase there’s a closet. This is where Ray lives. Ray is a lightbulb. Before taking up residence in the closet, Ray lived in the family room (which was fun) and in the bathroom (which was not so much). Now, though he hung above a collection of stuff—like winter hats and scarves, books, cleaning supplies, an elephant-shaped watering can, some old toys, and a spider—that gave him something to count when he was bored. Sometimes, the child made a fort in the closet and hid out reading books.

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Copyright Marianna Coppo, 2020, courtesy of Tundra Books.

But there’s a downside: “The closet, the thing, and even Tom the spider often disappear. Ray does not like this.” These times were even more boring; even Ray’s sleep was “dreamless.” Then one day, Ray felt a twist. Then he was moving and seeing the world pass upside down. When the car stops, he finds himself outside in a place he’s never seen before. “Ray can’t tell where it begins or where it ends,” and there are way too many things to count.

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Copyright Marianna Coppo, 2020, courtesy of Tundra Books.

When the man and the child go to sleep now, Ray stays awake. He makes a wish on a shooting star just before he falls asleep, just before dawn. “When he wakes up, right there in front of him, shines the biggest light bulb in the world.” Seeing the sun gives Ray a whole new perspective on the world. Soon, the man and the boy and Ray are heading back home. The same closet awaits. But for Ray, it will never be dark or boring again.

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Copyright Marianna Coppo, 2020, courtesy of Tundra Books.

To read Marianna Coppo’s Ray for the first time is to feel all the wonder of new discovery, imagination, and creativity. When reading Ray for the second time (which kids will beg to do after Ray’s new perspective is revealed), the story unfolds with new enlightenment that invites readers to linger on each page. Ray, with his bright eyes, rosy cheeks, little smile, and filament that creates a tuft of hair is an endearing character that kids will love.

Coppo’s story is a sweet metaphor for discovering the wonders of the wider world and the value of engaging kids in stimulating experiences. It also reminds us that too often we can be “in the dark” and that looking at things differently results in new perspectives and more appreciation. Coppo’s clever illustrations invite interaction and close observation as the items in the closet transform into so much more after Ray’s return from the camping trip. Ray’s vision of himself has also changed: in his dreams he is now the sun shining on his little world.

A unique story that encourages the exploration and introspection that sparks imagination and self-esteem, Ray would be a favorite for home, school, and public library collections.

Ages 3 – 7

Tundra Books, 2020 | ISBN 978-0735265776

Discover more about Marianna Coppo, her books, and her art on her website.

Making Life Beautiful Day Activity

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Share Your Bright Idea! Page

 

Do you sometimes have a lightbulb moment when an idea seems just right? Use this printable Share Your Bright Idea! Page to write about or draw your idea!

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You can find Ray at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop| IndieBound

Picture Book Review