Laura Krauss Melmed
Laura Krauss Melmed wrote her first book just a little over a decade ago. Her warm poetic texts resonate with young and adult readers. And that is clearly evident in The First Song Ever Sung (1993, Lothrop, $16.00), a poem written to answer a question posed by her son. Another endearing and enduring favorite is The Rainbabies (1992, Lothrop, $16.00), a story of an older couple whose wish for children is fulfilled in a magical way. Reviewer Mary Quattlebaum noted that "rhythmical and vivid, Melmed's language calls to mind the classic fairy tales which she says she loved as a kid."
Prince Nautilus (1994, Lothrop, $16.00) is another original tale. It is the beautiful story of a young girl who hears a voice in a shell that leads her on a fairy tale journey to rescue the enchanted prince. The story of Little Oh (1997, Lothrop, $16.00) is a fairy tale about an origami doll that comes to life. She longs to visit the world and her adventures bring about wonderful changes in the lives of the people she touches.
These wonderful stories were followed by I Love You as Much... which has recently been reissued as a board book. In it, simple couplets express the love felt by each mother from the animal kingdom for her baby.
Laura's wonderful texts have been illustrated by several well known artists. Jim LaMarche created the soft pictures of the elderly couple whose faces are filled with puzzlement and joy when they discover the rainbabies. They also collaborated on Little Oh. Henri Sorensen created the paintings for Prince Nautilus and I Love You as Much, which is filled with soft expressive pictures that are a visual delight.
One of my favorite books is The Marvelous Market on Mermaid (1996, Lothrop, $15.00). The cumulative verse transports readers back in time to an old fashioned store where a cat that chases a mouse causes pandemonium, but it is all tidied up with a happy and satisfying ending.
Laura's latest book is Capital! Washington D. C. from A to Z. It was something that lurked in the back of Laura's mind for any years. It harkens back to the day she arrived in our nation's capitol after a long drive from New Orleans. It was dawn and as the city and it monuments came into view, it created a wonderful image--clean and stately, the way one would think a Capital City should be. Her husband was able to serve his medical internship and residency in the Washington area and so they moved here. Laura had always wanted to do an ABC book and finally decided to create something that recalled the memory of her visit to D.C.
She thought about the book quite a bit and really wanted it to be kid friendly. Yet, it was a book that was engaging enough that kids who could read would pick it up and read it themselves. The original book was written in couplets and was purchased by Susan Pearson for publication. It got caught up in the merger and acquisition mayhem and the personnel changes that go along with these corporate upheavals. Consequently, it sat on the back burner for quite some time. During this interlude Laura decided to expand the text and do it in quatrains. In addition, she wanted to add factoids about each of the sights thus the book became one with even more information and a real boon for an enjoyable trip to the capital.
Laura undertook quite a bit of research using the Internet, guidebooks and other reference material. She like Lynn Curlee whose book Capital came out at about the same time, remarked on the rich resource of material available on the web sites for most of these Washington locations. In this book she was more involved with the illustrator than usual. Frané Lessac lives in Australia, but she and her family came to Washington where they all met along with the book's editor. (The pictures in Laaura's book set at Union Station commemorate the meeting even though it didn't actually take place at the station.) In spite of the personal contact, Laura tended to send her comments through her editor; it takes any potential personal sting out of comments that are forwarded to the illustrator and vice versa.
Ever since early childhood, Laura read books and wrote stories, plays and poems. She loved the fairy tales-they allowed her to escape and live in places of mystery and enchantment. As she says in her author biography "writing is hard work. But it is also great fun." We in turn have the fun of reading her marvelous stories.
For more about Laura visit her home page on the Children's Book Guild site.
Contributor: Marilyn Courtot
Reviews
Capital!: Washington from A to Z
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Frané Lessac
Melmed welcomes readers to the city she now considers home through a series of poetic verses about major spots in our nation's capital. It runs alphabetically from "A" to introduce the Air and Space Museum to "Z," where in addition to meeting plants such as the Xanthosoma and creatures like the Yellow-spotted sidenecked turtle, we come right back to "A: because "It's Amazonia, at the Zoo!" A clever touch that brings everything full-circle. In between, the pages are packed with information about the places that tourists and certainly kids would be interested in visiting. The Capitol of course, Federal Bureau of Investigation and White House are among those. The little factoids on each page add to the fun, and trivia buffs will revel in picking up a few more gems to dazzle friends and family. Frane Lessac's primitive style is a perfect match for this picture book. Her map that makes up the end papers is a real treat, because it lays out all of the places mentioned in the text and helps put the city in perspective. Melmed sums it up very neatly in her introduction: "If you have been to Washington, you can use this book as a remembrance of what you saw and did. If not, I hope that one day you will have the chance to visit or live here, so that you can explore for yourself, from A to Z, your very special capital, Washington, D.C." 2003, HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-688-17562-7
ISBN: 0-688-17561-9
Fright Night Flight
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Henry Cole
Our modern witch-y narrator sets out on her broom for her Halloween flight, to "...zoom/ upon my super jet-fueled broom" to pick up appropriate passengers from their spooky habitats. "There's always room" for a Vampire, a Werewolf, a Ghost, a Monster, a Skeleton, a Mummy--the cumulative rhymes adds them all to the broom. Their destination makes for a neat and funny conclusion. Cole's cartoon-y characters fill the double-page scenes with appropriately seasonal comic horror. He adds a touch of his own to the clich Halloween standards. But his sense of humor really lets loose in several scenes. Don't miss the inscriptions of the tombstones in the cemetery, the contents of the Mad Doctor's specimen jars, and the museum display cases. 2002, HarperCollins Publishers, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 0-06-029701-8
ISBN: 0-06-029702-6
Fright Night Flight
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Henry Cole
The students in my second grade loved this book! The describing words are fun, and since they are repeated several times, the students enjoyed repeating them with me. The students were asked to guess what would be the next creature to ride the super jet-fueled broom. They loved making guesses and were usually correct. The pictures are great, and the expressions on the creatures' faces are fun to look at, too. The students also loved the rhyming words. Fiction, Highly Recommended. 2002, HarperCollins, Unpaged, $17.89. Grades K-2. Lisa Larremore (Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 15, No. 2)
ISBN: 0-06-029701-8
ISBN: 0-06-029702-6
A Hug Goes Around
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
This simple, rhyming picture book depicts the adventures and misadventures of a farm family's day. Syrup is spilled, dishes are cracked, chickens run loose, the dog chases the cat up the oak tree, and an ominous thunderbolt rings out. Not to worry, this loving family always has a hug to go around. In remarkably few words, Laura Krauss Melmed is able to convey a palpable sense of familial affection. Caldecott Honor artist Betsy Lewin's colorful illustrations add a graceful touch to this feel good early reader. 2002, HarperCollins, $15.95. Ages 3 to 8. Christopher Moning
ISBN: 0-688-14680-5
ISBN: 0-688-14681-3
A Hug Goes Around
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
A Hug Goes Around follows a family that lives on a farm from morning through bedtime. Throughout the day, during the fun things and the hectic things, the family is frequently hugging on one another and enjoying each moment throughout the day. The text is rhyming and fun to read. The illustrations are inviting and descriptive of the story. This book would fit in well during a "family" unit. Fiction. 2002, HarperCollins, Unpaged, $15.89. Grades PreK-1. Jennifer Janecek (Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 15, No. 2)
2002, HarperCollins, Ages 3 to 6, $15.95.
ISBN: 0-688-14680-5
ISBN: 0-688-14681-3
This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Mark Buehner
Simple rhymes for each number from one to twelve fill in some background about the Pilgrim and Wampanoag children preparing for the Thanksgiving feast. All join together at twelve tables in a prayer of thanks. Everyone is happy and everything seems fine in this probably more legendary than truthful taste of the holiday's history. Buehner's paintings supply youngsters going about their chores in a benign autumn setting of fall leaves and intense blue sky. The color-rich double pages depict the preparations, historic costumes and artifacts with an emphasis on the decorative rather than the details. 2001, HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 3 to 6, $15.95. Reviewers: Ken and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 0-688-14554-X
ISBN: 0-688-14555-8
This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Mark Buehner
What are the ingredients for a great Thanksgiving? Food, family, friends, and favorite stories. Acclaimed author Laura Krauss Melmed leads a romp to the table in This First Thanksgiving Day. In this counting story, pilgrim and Native American children are shown gathering nuts, harvesting turnips, fetching water--and all bringing something to the "12 tables groaning" under the feast that serves as a satisfying finale. Mark Buehner's colorful illustrations are both engaging and informative, showing how people lived in our country almost 400 years ago. 2001, HarperCollins, $15.95. Ages 2 to 5. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
ISBN: 0-688-14554-X
ISBN: 0-688-14555-8
This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Mark Buehner
This is probably the best Thanksgiving book that I have read in recent years. The illustrations are eye-catching and wonderfully drawn. The book also contains rhyming words on every page along with numbers that help a young reader learn to count. The artwork with the Pilgrims and Native Americans, the trees, animals, ocean, and the entire scenery in the book is exceptional. This is a great book to help explain the settlement of the Pilgrims, the first Thanksgiving, and how to count to a young learner. This is a highly recommended book for children and adults. Nonfiction (811), Highly Recommended. 2001, HarperCollins, Unpaged, $15.89. Grades PreK-2. Reviewer: Carl Contreras (Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 14, No. 2)
ISBN: 0-688-14554-X
ISBN: 0-688-14555-8
I Love You as Much
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Henri Sorenson
The author celebrates the bond between mothers and their babies in I Love You as Much. Henri Sorenson's luminous portraits of mother animals and their little ones beautifully complement Melmed's lullaby, which ends with a human mother softly saying, "Now sleep, child of mine, while the stars shine above.../I love you as much as a mother can love." 1994, Lothrup Lee and Shepherd, Ages All, $16.00 and $6.95. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
ISBN: 0-688-11718-X
I Love You As Much...
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Henri Sorensen
The tender connection between mother and child is universal. Here it is warmly expressed in beautiful paintings that spread across two pages. Each features an animal mother and her offspring. Gentle rhyming verse expresses the mother's love for her child and the soft expressive pictures are a visual delight. This children's picture book really makes a nice transition to board book form. 1998, Tupelo Books, Ages 1 to 3, $6.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-688-15978-8
Jumbo's Lullaby
Laura Krauss Melmed
Paintings by Henri Sorensen
The lovely poetry and softly painted, imaginative illustrations make this a perfect book for bedtime. A sense of calm and reassurance is conveyed throughout as various animals lull their babies to sleep. Jumbo was the name of an African elephant that was kept at the London Zoo until, in 1892, P. T. Barnum bought the huge animal and made him a star of the circus in the United States. Because elephants have good memories, the author imagines that Jumbo, in captivity, might still recall the lullaby crooned to him by his mother back on the African savanna. While the baby elephant is held closely to his mother, the great gorillas dream of dancing, the gazelles dream of bounding above the clouds, and the hippopotamus dreams that she can fly with the beautiful wings of a butterfly. As the zebras doze, they envision themselves striped in vivid hues rather than in black-and-white. 1999, Lothrop Lee and Shepard/William Morrow, Ages 2 to 5, $16.00. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford
ISBN: 0-688-16550-8
Jumbo's Lullaby
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Henri Sorensen
Parents and wide-awake kids alike will love this one. On a moonlit African savanna, a mother elephant sings to her lively baby as, one by one, the surrounding animals-- yawning ostrich, thumb-sucking chimp drop off to sleep. Henri Sorensen's oil paintings capture with tender humor, the vivid dreams of the various animals, including the hippopotamus that envisions herself as a butterfly. It is perfect for read-aloud snuggles on cold winter evenings. 1999, Lothrop Lee and Shepherd, $16.00. Ages 1 to 4. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature).
The lovely poetry and softly painted, imaginative illustrations make this a perfect book for bedtime. A sense of calm and reassurance is conveyed throughout as various animals lull their babies to sleep. Jumbo was the name of an African elephant that was kept at the London Zoo until, in 1892, P. T. Barnum bought the huge animal and made him a star of the circus in the United States. Because elephants have good memories, the author imagines that Jumbo, in captivity, might still recall the lullaby crooned to him by his mother back on the African savanna. While the baby elephant is held closely to his mother, the great gorillas dream of dancing, the gazelles dream of bounding above the clouds, and the hippopotamus dreams that she can fly with the beautiful wings of a butterfly. As the zebras doze, they envision themselves striped in vivid hues rather than in black-and-white. 1999, Lothrop Lee and Shepard/William Morrow, $16.00. Ages 2 to 5. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Children's Choices, 2000; International Reading Association; United States
ISBN: 0-688-16550-8
ISBN: 0-688-16996-1
Little Oh
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Jim LaMarche
The story of Little Oh is a fairytale of an origami doll that comes to life. Readers follow Little Oh on her adventures, discovering just how dangerous a dog or water can be to someone made of paper. Little Oh becomes the tie that brings a family together. It is a book that stretches the imagination. Creative, colorful illustrations make the book even more appealing. 1997, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, Ages 7 to 10, $16.00. Reviewer: Sheree Van Vreede
ISBN: 0-688-14208-7
The Marvelous Market on Mermaid
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Maryann Kovalski
The Market is an old fashioned store where the bell rings when the door is opened. Grandma and her granddaughter tend the customers, coo over babies, and serve bread and cheese to a hungry man. The story's cumulative verse is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a cat that chases a mouse, resulting in pandemonium. The hungry man graciously offers to sweep up, and Grandma soon offers him a permanent job. Kovalski has nicely illustrated a delightful peek into days long past. Her pencil and watercolor artwork fills every page. We really get a good look at Mermaid Street and Grandma's Marvelous Market on the opening spread. 1996, Lothrop, Ages 4 up, $15.00 and $14.93. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-688-13053-4
ISBN: 0-688-13054-2
Moishe's Miracle: A Hanukkah Story
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by David Slonim
Moishe the milkman is poor, but gives what he can to the other unfortunates of Wishniak when "the wind prowled the icy lanes of the village like a starving jackal." His wife Baila is furious at his generosity when there is no money to buy what's needed for latkes at Hanukkah. When a magic frying pan left by a stranger produces latkes enough for them to share with all the villagers, selfish Baila wishes to make money from the magic pan, despite the warning that only Moishe should use it. The frightening results change her behavior for the better in this vividly told original folk tale. The story almost demands visuals that suggest rather than stipulate, providing the foundation of belief in the possible but leaving a window open for individual response. Slonim's rough-brushed paintings of the snow-encrusted village do just that. There is warmth in his pigments, and a lively, humanistic depiction of character, even of Baila, that allows us to smile at the temporary adversity as we anticipate a happy ending. There are notes about Hanukkah and a glossary of Yiddish and Hebrew words. 2000, HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 4 to 8, $15.95. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 0-688-14682-1
New York, New York!: The Big Apple from A to Z
Laura Krauss Melmed
Illustrated by Frané Lessac
Kids can journey through the alphabet and the Big Apple in Laura Krauss Melmed's New York, New York!. Through a short rhyme, each letter focuses on a specific place, with additional information provided in sidebars and captions. Frane Lessac's bright folk-style paintings capture the color and verve of this energetic city, from the American Museum of Natural History to the (Bronx) Zoo. The book provides a wonderful way to prepare for a trip to New York, to guide the visit, and to talk about highlights after. And with the many details provided in word and picture, this paean to "the city that never sleeps" begs for repeat readings. 2005, HarperCollins, $16.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature).
This vibrant alphabet book explores the five boroughs of New York--Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Whether children live in New York or dream of visiting some day, this book covers all of the major tourist attractions. The folk-art painting illustrations are so busy and detailed; children will find something new each time they read the book. The author has written interesting details about the many historic places in New York City. The small print and the amount of text will prohibit young children from reading this book alone. It is a great book for a read-aloud with school children or at bedtime. There is so much material that you could read the book over the course of several days. The book explores places like Central Park, Harlem, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Rockefeller Center. This book would make an excellent addition to any library. Children and adults alike will not tire of looking at the beautiful illustrations or the fascinating facts about the Big Apple. 2005, HarperCollins Publisher, $16.99. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Renee Kirchner (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-06-054874-6
ISBN: 0-06-054876-2
Prince Nautilus
Laura K. Melmed
Illustrated by Henri Sorensen
This is the beautiful story of a young girl who hears a voice in a shell that leads her on a fairy tale journey to rescue the enchanted prince. When he requests her hand in marriage, she declines and says that first she must experience more of the world and together with her father, the trio sets sail for more adventures. Beautifully illustrated. An original fairy tale with a good role model for young girls. 1994, Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, Ages 5 up, $16.00. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-688-04566-9
The Rainbabies
Laura Melmed
Illustrated by Jim LaMarche
Rhythmical and vivid, Melmed's language calls to mind the classic fairy tales, which she says she loved as a kid. In this story, an elderly couple's yearning for a child is fulfilled when twelve tiny babies appear after a moonlit rain. 1992, Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, Ages 3 to 8, $16.00 and $15.93. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
ISBN: 0-688-10755-9
ISBN: 0-688-10756-7
Updated 2005
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