{"id":4562,"date":"2018-02-11T00:01:16","date_gmt":"2018-02-11T06:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=4562"},"modified":"2018-02-12T12:02:30","modified_gmt":"2018-02-12T18:02:30","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-573-featuring-sonia-sanchez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=4562","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks #573: Featuring Sonia S\u00e1nchez"},"content":{"rendered":"

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“And she did.”<\/em>
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\n“Ruby’s mind was always full of ideas,” opens Brenda Maier’s<\/a><\/strong> The Little Red Fort<\/a><\/em> (Scholastic), illustrated by Sonia S\u00e1nchez<\/a><\/strong>. In a story whose framework follows that of the classic folk tale The Little Red Hen<\/em>, we read as Ruby asks for her brothers’ help to build a fort in their backyard. But when she’s met with a series of repeated rejections, she forges ahead, building it all by herself. She learns how to do it; she draws up her own plans; she gathers her supplies; she cuts the boards for the fort; and she hammers and builds. (She gets some help from her mother, who knows her own way around a set of tools, as well as her grandmother.) The result is a pretty rad fort. <\/p>\n

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Ruby did all the work, so Ruby plays in her fort. Not only did her brothers refuse to help her; they also laughed at her. But given that they’re ever-so curious about the killer little building she’s made, they build a mailbox, plant some flowers, and even paint it “fire-engine red.” Then they all enjoy a snack inside the fort, because … well, snacks make kick-ass forts even better. Yum. <\/p>\n

I love to see S\u00e1nchez’s artwork. (She illustrated Patti Kim’s Here I Am<\/em>, published in 2013 and which I posted about here<\/a><\/strong>.) For this book, S\u00e1nchez uses a combination of traditional and digital mediums, and her busy lines and bustling spreads captivate. (The spread in which we see Ruby drawing the plans for her fort is covered in delightful scribbles.) We readers are treated to several close-up perspectives of glorious, self-sufficient Ruby at work, and the colors throughout are rich. Ruby pops off the page in her bright red cardigan, her red boots, and her busy-at-work red cheeks. <\/p>\n

Here are a couple more spreads. Please note: This book will not be released until March 27. I try not to post about books well in advance of their publication date, as that could be frustrating for you, reading about it but not being able to get your hands on it. I really thought this came out sooner (I sort of assumed it was already out but failed to check the publication date), so my apologies.
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“One day, she found some old boards.
‘Who wants to help me build something?’ she asked her brothers.”<\/em>
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Illustration on closing copyright page<\/em>
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\nIllustrations from THE LITTLE RED FORT, written by Brenda Maier. Art \u00a9 2018 by Sonia S\u00e1nchez. Used with permission from Scholastic Press. <\/em><\/p>\n

Note for any new readers: 7-Imp\u2019s 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. New kickers are always welcome.<\/p>\n

* * * Jules’ Kicks * * *<\/strong><\/font>
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1)<\/strong><\/font> USBBY’s (United States Board on Books for Youth) 2018 Outstanding International Booklist (OIB) is out, and I love to see the list every year. You can read about the books here<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n

2)<\/strong><\/font> I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this interview<\/a><\/strong> with Maggie O’Farrell, and I especially love what she says about being a reading child who grew up to become a writer. <\/p>\n

3)<\/strong><\/font> This tweet. This letter is everything, and I mean EVERYTHING:
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LOVE is a picture book. But maybe picture books aren\u2019t exclusively for kids. Maybe they\u2019re for humans. This is a note handed to @lorenlong<\/a> and I by a woman in her fifties. She was teary-eyed and didn\u2019t say much. And I treasure every word of it. #TeachLOVE<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/AmFqSU6xC2<\/a><\/p>\n

— Matt de la Pena (@mattdelapena) February 6, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n