Deborah Lee Rose
Picture books have to read well out loud, so the idea that auditory input is important to Deborah Lee Rose is no surprise when considering her success as a picture book author. As I spoke with this exuberant author on the phone, I was impressed with her openness and eagerness to discuss children's literature. We shared many stories about her work and I felt the impact of her humor even though we were separated by an entire continent.
When looking at a listing of her works, one can see that she is fascinated with the sea; a fact she readily volunteers herself. She lives "a couple of hours" from Monterey and spends a great deal of time there with her children. She says that the aquarium there changed "forever the way I look at the ocean." Because of the in depth presentations and the interaction of her own children with the displays and animals, she began to see the ocean with new eyes herself. Having been a researcher for Time Life, and then an "academic translator" of complex materials for students and their parents at The Lawrence Hall of Science (California), Ms. Rose is well equipped to delve into any subject and that includes the ocean. She relates that while at the ocean's edge, writing letters in the sand with her son, she "heard" the auditory trigger for a book growing out of that simple experience. The sound of the waves meeting the shore and the sound of the ABCs met in a dramatic way that became the award winning book, Into the A B Sea.
Other books were also engendered from a specific moment or event; the words of her son after school one day "Do you remember on the first day of kindergarten my teacher gave me..." resulted in the hugely popular 12 Days of Kindergarten. Others of her books have come from historical events such as those that gave a structure for The Rose Horse. Her father was a Jewish artist and her own brother is a wood worker so she already had some insight into the history of the Jewish experience in carving carousel horses. Her own daughter never wanted to get off of the carousel ride at the amusement park and Ms. Rose was sparked to think about a girl who would not ever have to get off of her beloved carousel horse. This tiny idea blossomed and required research. She also needed a structure for presenting a different perspective of the Coney Island park, where many of the actual horses "trotted around to Yiddish songs (among others) on the carousel." Research revealed the story of the premature babies that are the centerpiece of the book and how they were displayed at the Park so that they could be afforded extraordinary medical care. All of the bits and pieces of research were deftly interwoven to create a lovely book about a young girl awaiting the home coming of her own premature little sister. Ms. Rose's experience is that one piece of history can open a whole new dimension of a character or story. The idea of taking so many dispirit parts and making a flowing storyline is what Ms. Rose does extremely well; she says that the "pieces of the puzzle just fall into place." But we all know that nothing happens that easily; it takes talent to put those pieces together!
In only a few moments of speaking with Ms. Rose on the phone, I discovered that the biggest part of personality is wrapped in the gift of humor. She told me that her father was always "cracking jokes." She has obviously grown up with laughter and continues to enjoy life while embracing it with great joy and wit. Her writing is infused with this sense of awe of life and the joy that humor adds to every aspect of that life.
In discussing the technical side of creating a book, she was quick to praise editors as "matchmakers extraordinaire" because of their talents at putting authors and illustrators together to create a picture book. She expresses her delight with illustrators that take her manuscripts and add "more to the text by the visual representation" of what she was trying to convey in the words. She feels that they are "in tune with the text" and that this makes the book even more than it started out to be. She starts her writing process with notes jotted in long-hand and then moves on to the actual composition on the computer. Much of her thinking is done while taking long walks, or swimming. She finds doing needlework calming and restful for a mind that is constantly teeming with ideas for the next book. She defines her approach to writing as one that lets her recreate "childlike experiences" that have often been triggered by sounds in nature. Her book People Who Hugged Trees let her explore the sounds of the trees rustling together in the wind. She listens with her heart and then allows her intellect to capture those sounds in the storyline and rhythm of the text itself.
During school visits, she tells students about a school librarian who greatly influenced her development as a writer. When Mrs. Rosenberg, the librarian, read Charlotte's Web aloud, Ms. Rose felt that she had been given the gift of the importance of writing; after all, "Charlotte thinks a long time before she writes, does research with the help of her friends, re-writes when necessary, shows off her writing in the best light possible, and ultimately uses words to save a life." With this grounding and insight into the power of the written word, Ms. Rose was on her way to becoming the writer that she is today.
In a wonderful statement, that I think sums up her philosophy of writing, she told me that her writing is an effort to "translate complex concepts, whether scientific or emotional, into highly accessible language, whether fiction or nonfiction." She has done just this in a variety of books and continues to find ideas in everyday moments and events. Ms. Rose was very open in speaking with me and revealed that "in writing children's books I regained some of the capacity to hear the language of things all around me...things that I had not been listening to for a long time." I can only hope that she keeps listening to those "auditory triggers" and keeps giving children's literature more wonderful books.
Contributor: Sheilah Egan
Below are some of her books with reviews. Visit this web site for more information: www.patriciamnewman.com/rose.html
For contact information or to arrange a school visit use this web site: SWimmer@scholastic.com)
Reviews
Birthday Zoo
Deborah Lee Rose
Illustrations by Lynn Munsinger
Birthday parties are always fun, and this one is no different. However, since the party is being held at the zoo, believe it or not, the animals are in charge of everything. How will the giraffe make the children laugh? Will the monkeys come up with a game to be played? Can the animals succeed in making this a fantastic party? You must read this rhyming story to find out. It is such a fanciful book full of illustrations that you can look at it every day and still find things you hadn't seen before. This book is perfect for reading aloud to three-year-olds and a great way for preschool children to learn rhyming sounds and patterns. I heartily recommend this book and believe it will be a favorite that your child will want you to read over and over again. 2002, Albert Whitman & Company, $15.95. Ages 3 to 5. Reviewer: Kathie M. Josephs (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003; H.W. Wilson; United States
ISBN: 0807507768
Into the A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet
Deborah Lee Rose
Pictures by Steve Jenkins
The letters of the alphabet offer a chance to introduce a wide variety of creatures from the sea, each named as involved in an activity, one per double-page. More detailed descriptions of each are given at the end of the book. But more important is the opportunity Jenkins takes to use a wide variety of cut and torn papers to create double-page scenes that combine fishy facts with esthetic elegance. Even the granite-skinned tiger shark looks a bit less frightening in a mottled, blue rice paper sea. Every creation is here to delight us and to be admired. 2000, Scholastic Press, $15.95. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2001; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2002; H.W. Wilson; United States
The Children's Literature Choice List, 2001; Children's Literature; United States
ISBN: 0439096960
ISBN: 0439096979
Ocean Babies
Deborah Lee Rose
Illustrations by Hiroe Nakata
By comparing and contrasting marine life Rose is able to capture the diversity of the oceans' creatures from blue whales, to hermit crabs, to sea anemones. Using broad statements, easily grasped by her child readers, she explores many aspects of birth in the ocean, from the size of the babies, to what they know, to where they live. More importantly, through both pictures and text the book establishes a relationship between the child reader and marine life. Nakata's almost childlike brushstrokes are a perfect complement to the simplistic language. The watercolors capture the peaceful beauty of the ocean in a lovely picture book. For young children the book is a wonderful lap book. However, the use of sight vocabulary words is also perfect for beginning readers. The endnotes, which provide additional information about the ocean life featured in the pictures, make this an excellent resource for an early elementary school ocean unit. 2005, National Geographic Society, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Mary Helen Sheriff (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0-7922-6669-2
ISBN: 0-7922-8312-0
One Nighttime Sea
Deborah Lee Rose
Pictures by Steve Jenkins
The creatures in the nighttime sea are counted from one to ten and back again in numbers and words in simple rhymed couplets that bring them to life. One blue whale calf and two humpbacks lead to "Three white belugas come up for air. Four spider crabs pretend they're not there." Then "Seven reef lobsters stretch out their legs. Eight coral polyps explode with new eggs." At the end, day approaches. "Two speedy porpoises wake up to play...and one brand-new seal pup discovers the day." Jenkins's remarkable command of cut paper is clearly displayed in both the visual images and the page designs. He finds just the right papers to produce accurate representations of animal forms engaged in natural actions within their usual environments. The delightful creatures seem not only alive but almost three-dimensional. Added notes give further details on each. 2003, Scholastic Press, $16.95. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
From one to ten, then from ten to one, a wide array of sea life is depicted in this ocean counting rhyme. The verse flows through familiar faces, from two humpback whales to nine sea lions, as well as a few more mysterious characters, from nine nudibranchs to three zebra morays. Steve Jenkins' cut paper collages are bursting with life and color and coordinate perfectly with Deborah Lee Rose's verse. The story teaches counting, forward as well as backward, and also relays the concept of quantity through the illustrations. Collaborating with marine biologists Catherine Halverson and Brian Gibeson, Deborah Lee Rose also provides useful background information on each sea animal at the end of the book. 2003, Scholastic Press, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Jared Reck (Children's Literature).
A new spin on a counting book, One Nightime Sea, follows animals in their nocturnal habitats. The rhyme is dependably prosodic and yet is embedded with reliable information. In fact, this rhyming, counting book is catalogued in the 513s. Jenkins' illustrations feature his marvelous collage work that somehow manages to capture the personalities of the animals. The front cover-spread of the otter is a good example that makes you want to take this one home. Back matter fills the reader in on the behaviors of these undersea creatures. All in all, here is a counting book that presents information in an appealing way. Note: this book is certainly appropriate for the younger set given the rhyming nature of the text. However, the information provided throughout the text and in the back matter suggests that the 7-10 crowd will enjoy it as well. 2003, Scholastic Press, $16.95. Ages 5 to 10. Reviewer: Joan Kindig, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2004; H.W. Wilson
ISBN: 0439339065
The Rose Horse
Deborah Lee Rose
Illustrated by Greg Shed
It's 1909 in New York and Lily's little sister, Rose, is born prematurely. Rose and her mother are sent to Dreamland on Coney Island, to a world-famous clinic that will allow the child to be cared for properly. While they are there, Lily's mother finds that she can nurse more than her own child, and literally saves at least one tiny baby's life. And Lily gets to explore Coney Island and ride on the beautiful palomino her uncle has created. To help keep track of the six weeks until her mother comes home, Lily's aunt uses a Jewish calendar, brought from Russia. Some discussion of Jewish customs and the pogroms that forced the family to leave Kishinev add to the drama. This is a fascinating look at a vanished time and place. 1995, Harcourt Brace, $16.00. Ages 8 to 13. Reviewer: Judy Silverman (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Best of the Bunch, 1995; Association of Jewish Librarians; United States
ISBN: 0152000682
The Twelve Days Of Kindergarten: A Counting Book
Deborah Lee Rose
Illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis
On the first day of kindergarten, my teacher gave to me the whole alphabet from "A to Z" begins this variation on a familiar cumulative pattern. On each double-page the number rises, from two picture books and three pencils to ten coins for counting, eleven seeds for planting and twelve eggs for hatching. Meanwhile, the active children are busy about their typical activities guided by a creative but daily more exhausted teacher. The illustrator has created a cast of eight youngsters, each with distinctive behavior characteristics displayed scene by scene: the artist, the hyperactive boys, the girl who never lets go of the teacher's leg, etc. The myriad details of kindergarten life fill the double pages, demanding time to linger, study each child, and enjoy the hilarious fun. The colored drawings may be a bit exaggerated, but maybe not. Watching the teacher gradually get more frazzled amid the happy children will delight both young readers and empathetic adults. 2003, Harry N. Abrams, $14.95. Ages 3 to 6. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Kirkus Book Review Stars, July 1, 2003; United States
ISBN: 0810945126
Added 08/26/05
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