7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #229: Featuring
Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long
July 24th, 2011 by jules
My introduction to this lovely book will be short, because I’ve been out of town, but suffice it to say that fans of 2006’s An Egg is Quiet and 2007’s A Seed is Sleepy will be happy to see A Butterfly is Patient (Chronicle Books, May 2011), again from author Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrator Sylvia Long.
As with the previous titles by this duo, this book is beautifully illustrated, informative, and engaging — all at the same time. This is an introduction to butterflies (the many varieties, their behavioral habits, their development and growth, their migration, and more), and Aston and Long do it up with style with text and illustrations that children and adults will pore over. Also as with the previous titles, many double page spreads are designed to look like the notebook of a nature-lover who has paused to note the beauty witnessed. Long’s illustrations, rendered in ink and watercolor, are lush and elegant. And the handlettering! Beautiful. Publishers Weekly calls this one a “lovely mix of science and wonder” and School Library Journal, a “lyrical, colorful, and elegant production.” Kirkus adds, “{s}imilar butterfly albums abound, but none show these most decorative members of the insect clan to better advantage.”
I said I’d be short, right? I meant it. Sorry not to provide more details, but I’ve got some unpacking to do. While I do so, here are some more spreads. You may click each spread to enlarge. Enjoy.
A BUTTERFLY IS PATIENT. Copyright © 2011 by Dianna Hutts Aston. Illustration © 2011 by Sylvia Long. Published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco. Spreads reproduced by permission of the publisher.
Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you.
1) I spoke at this event this week, and it was great to evangelize my favorite 2011 picture books, but also to hear my colleagues talk about their favorite titles for older readers.
2) While there, I got to see some East Tennessee friends.
3) This CD. Where do I even begin? It is perfect. That’s about all I can muster right about now.
…except to say that “when you lay me down to rest / leave the pistol in my vest” may be my favorite line of all.
4) The music in the new Winnie-the-Pooh film is by She & Him. (M. Ward, exactly one half of She & Him, is one of the world’s great wonders.) And the movie is refreshingly un-3D.
5) There is a one-page “portrait” of Sendak in the current issue of Vanity Fair, complete with a really kickin’ photo by Annie Leibowitz of him and his beautiful dog.
6) Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake’s “History of Rap, Part 2” is well worth your time. You can see it here.
7) I went last night to my 21st-year high school reunion (yes, one year after the year normal people have it — I guess we’re just slow), and I got to see some long-time friends.
What are YOUR kicks this week?
This is a great series! Thanks for the kicks today, Jules!
My kicks:
1. Three poems accepted by editors
2. Moving forward with hush-hush plan for March 2012
3. Lightning over Cape Cod’s Bourne Bridge
4. Hearing my daughter’s thumbs-up review of Winnie-the-Pooh
5. Reading Constance Levy’s and Kwame Alexander’s books of poems
6. Honored to be featured poet on Poetry Friday:
http://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2011/07/eldritch-day.html
7. And a new poem for teens:
School Play
By Steven Withrow
Act 2, Scene 2, of R & J’s
The one event we won’t forget—
Well, most of us—post senior year—
O wherefore art thou Romeo—
And the girl who’s playing Juliet
In this clichéd production stays
In character despite the jeers
Of jocks and jokers yards below her.
Those theater-haters, skater-boys,
And drama-queens too cool to act
On stage combine to form a swarm
Of fierce, unfocused locusts noising
Over her whole soliloquy.
And everybody laughs but me
When Romeo—a kid named Norm
Terwilliger, I think—is smacked
Upside the head by a paper plane,
A folded playbill someone threw
With a starting pitcher’s killer aim,
Which turns “I take thee at thy word”
Into a red-cheeked squeak of shame
That’s a tiny fraction less absurd
Than Juliet’s ad-libbed refrain—
O Romeo!—to press on through
The mess until Act 2, Scene 3,
Of Shakespeare’s lovers’ tragedy.
Copyright 2011 Steven Withrow, all rights reserved
Oh I can’t wait to get a copy of a A Butterfly is Patient. I have her other books. Who knew that
butterflies were poisonous.
Jules, so you saw Winnie, it is delightful isn’t it? The album cover for Gilian Wekch is intriquing.
My kicks:
1. Sent in the registration for the SCBWI-OR writing retreat in October featuring Ellen Hopkins.
2. Time to work on my WIP.
3. My oldest grandgirl hula-hooing whie reciting the Itsy Bitsy Spider.
4.Redoing my comput
Oh I can’t wait to get a copy of a A Butterfly is Patient. I have her other books. Who knew that
butterflies were poisonous.
Jules, so you saw Winnie, it is delightful isn’t it? The album cover for Gilian Wekch is intriquing.
My kicks:
1. Sent in the registration for the SCBWI-OR writing retreat in October featuring Ellen Hopkins.
2. Time to work on my WIP.
3. My oldest grandgirl hula-hooing whie reciting the Itsy Bitsy Spider.
4.Redoing my computer/writing room, taking out carpet, painting, etc.
5.Lunches and coffees with friends this week.
6. The weather, I feel sorry for those who have been experiencing extreme heat. The NW had not.
7. Finished reading A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young, local Portand author. Great YA book.
Have a great week.
Jules,
Sorry about that. I knew I hit a key but didn’t realize it was the summit a comment key. Oops.
The horrifying events in Oslo have been on my mind this weekend. Norway does not seem so far away right now. I am grateful for the little joys in daily life, though, and will list them:
1. Sunshine has come to Seattle.
2. I’ve signed up for my first 5k. It’s a Halloween fun run to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and there’s a 4k walk, too (in which my husband and daughter will take part).
3. I finally finished A Dance With Dragons last night. I think someone needs to open up a restaurant based upon the A Song of Ice and Fire series and call it “Craven.” Tagline: “Dinner is coming.”
4. Farmer’s market jam.
5. My daughter was in camp all last week, and I got a lot of exercise done as a result.
6. Elisa Kleven likes my dolls.
7. I had coffee this morning! I’m down to 2 cups per week, so I really appreciate the coffee now.
I’ll check in later to catch up on other people’s kicks. I.O.U. an email, Jules.
1. Seeing my pal Dianna’s beautiful new book shown off above.
2. Taking my sons to see their first Shakespeare performance (“As You Like It”) and having my 12 y.o. declare, “That was awesome!”
3. Freshly submitted revisions on a couple of picture books.
4. Seeing such a big turnout for Jennifer Ziegler’s launch of SASS & SERENDIPITY at Austin’s BookPeople.
5. Wingless Angels: http://winglessangels.com/explorethemusic.htm
6. Reading A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA and WIND IN THE WILLOWS aloud to my boys.
7. Looking ahead to a week that includes visiting with Texas librarians, lunching with my editor, and discussing CAN I SEE YOUR I.D.? with local teens.
Steven, congrats on kicks 1 and 2. Thanks for that poem, too.
Jone, I’m smitten with kick #3. And that conference sounds like it’ll be a good one.
Farida, I owe everyone in the whole world an email, it seems. Wait, that sounded terribly vain, but anyway. You know what I mean. I feel like I make time for friends, but I’m behind on blog-related email. … Two cups a week. Do you vary your days? I don’t like drinking coffee in the afternoon, even if I want it (unless I’m out — if I’m out, I make exceptions), ’cause I want to really appreciate it in the mornings. … Your first 5K. RAWK!
Chris, love the series, too (Dianna’s and Sylvia’s)…I love kick #2, but I’m also partial to number 6. I wanna do that with my girls (kick #2, that is). …Thank you for that music link. I’m listening now.
The butterflies are gorgeous, and the pictures are a nice ay to wake up better on a Monday morning.
Your workshop sounds like a heap of fun, Jules, how nice to spruik your favourite books.
Steven, ligtning over a Cape Cod bridge sounds very cool for some reason.
Jone I am just thinking of re-doing rooms at the moment (well, finishing finding homes for things and painting) so am impressed when I hear people actually DOING useful things like your computer room.
Unlike the coffee, which its sounds like you appreciate more when you have it less often, Farida, I am continally delighted by each sunny day this winter. I don’t know if I’m still catching up from the UK and last rainy summer, but sunshine really can cheer one up, so I’m glad you’ve got some now too!
I love reading how everyone is reading books to their kids on 7 imp, I’m glad your chilldren liked those classics, Chris (though actually I have to admit I’ve never been a Wind in the Willows fan). And super cool that they enjoyed the Shakespeare.
I am running late as usual here, so will pop back with more kicks next week. But yesterday was my birthday, and it was a day full of kicks, so many loving messages, thoughtful cards & gifts, far too much rich food (including the cake I made, rhubarb and sour cream cake, DELICIOUS) and lots of laughing loud conversations.
What beautiful butterflies! Thanks for flying through 7 Imp, Dianna and Sylvia.
Jules: Hope you had a ball at the event, and that you are now relaxing with your family. Happy reunions to you.
My kicks from the past week:
1) Filmed the first three episodes of an awesome webseries. I loved playing this enthusiastic, bubbly character, and I had a fantastic time working with this cast and crew. The director let me improv a great deal. I love making people laugh. I can’t wait to see what makes it into the final cut! I hope we get a lot of viewers, and I hope we get backers so we can make an entire season.
2) Rehearsals for the new play have officially begun. It was fantastic to hear everyone’s voices at the first readthough, and it was fantastic to have the playwright right there, making changes and adjustments. This is going to be a great show.
3) Callbacks for a sketch comedy project. Absolutely fun. Grateful and glad am I.
4) Leverage, the television show, delights me. Watching it now as I type these comments. Leverage is one of the few (very few) TV shows I want to watch without distractions, without being on the computer or doing something else. It’s funny, it’s smart, it’s fast-paced, it’s well-cast = good times.
5) Making things work out.
6) Truth, always.
7) Peace
Thanks to everyone for the kind comments and kicks last week. 🙂 Sorry that I didn’t respond that day – I was on set until nearly 1 AM, technically Monday. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
Steven: Congratulations on the poems!
Jone: Rock that WIP. Thumbs-up to the hula-hooper!
Farida: Woo hoo for the 5k! Kudos to you.
Chris: Glad that the Shakespeare was shared and well-received. Say hi to Jennifer Ziegler for me.
emmaco:
Happy belated birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday, dear emmaco,
Happy belated birthday to you!
Emmaco, time to break out the ‘ol tried and true marquee tag. Too bad John isn’t around to tease me for using it again, but maybe he’ll see it next week:
Little Willow, oooh, a sketch comedy project sounds so fun. And you sound so happy. Particularly, more-than-normal happy. Congrats on good rehearsals and on the webseries!
Thanks, Jules! Hope you’re all unpacked and resettled.
A song and a marquee tag, birthdays don’t get much better! Thanks guys 🙂
Flying by- late this week. Love the butterflies, they always remind me of my mom and her bird & butterfly garden.
emmaco – Happy happy late birthday! Sounds like you had a lovely day!
LW – go you!
Jules – glad you had fun at the workshop, and I will have to check out the new Gillian Welch album.
Jone – the sun has been so nice! I just wish it would stay with us longer….good luck on the wip!
Steven – the hush-hush plan sounds intriguing.
Farida – hooray for signing up for your fist 5K!
Chris – Love your kick #6, love those books.
This is a flyby visit, so no time for a list, but my overall kick this week is that life is good, if a little too busy right now. Have a great week!
Rachel, the CD is soooo good (as I’ve already said). Have a good week. Glad to hear life is good.
I love A BUTTERFLY IS PATIENT! I received a review copy when I asked to weigh in on 2011 titles for PARENTS magazine’s best of list this year and my family has been all over my copy. It is breathtaking and universally appealing!
Congratulations to Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long for remaining true to both science and art!
Hi, Jan! Yes, it’s a lovely example of science + art, isn’t it? The whole series is great.
Ow ow ow… marquee tag… hurt baby’s eyes…!
🙂
John: HA.
I aim to please.