Illustrator of the Week - David Catrow

I ran across a new book today called The Middle Child Blues, and I simply loved the cover, so I decided to look up the author and was extremely happy to see that I actually knew this author's work. Sadly, the biography of David Catrow is rather scarce and rather goofy. So I will let his artwork speak for itself. Some of his books include Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon, I Ain't Gonna Paint No More, I Wanna Iguana, Cinderella Skeleton, Our Tree Named Steve, Take Me Out of the Bathtub, How Murray Saved Christmas, Plantzilla, The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln, among many many others.

Book of the Week - Diary of a Wimpy Kid

I know why the kids love this book. There is nothing else like it. Humor, part graphic novel, part chapter book, and a book any kid can relate to. The first book was the best. Now that I am on the third book though, I can't help but feel like it is too much. Yes, this kid is funny. Hysterical really. He has all the making of a future nobody. There is nothing he is good at, not sports, nor school, not even getting along with his family. When parents ask for books like The Wimpy Kids books, I never know what to recommend, because there is nothing like them.

My complaints? The parents are terrible parents. They are beyond the typical embarassing parents. They are constantly signing this poor kid up to do things that he is clearly no good at and often fails miserably at. Talent shows, sports, brotherly affection. They not only spoil their youngest child, but are constantly blaming and grounding Greg for things he didn't do. Perhaps my biggest issue (as a grown-up) is that he never changes. Greg never learns from his mistakes. No one ever teaches him either. His strange notions about girls, brothers, parents, sports, making money, etc. are never even discussed. Worse yet, Greg is extremely selfish and a terrible friend. He treats his best-friend Rowley with contempt, constantly convincing the less intelligent child to do things that he knows are bad. By the third book, the books feel like they never end. Is the character actually aging? Is he learning anything? Is he failing at school and life as it looks like he is doing in the books.

But in the end, the books are funny. Perhaps I'm missing something, maybe this is the way middle school boys really are. If so, God help us all.

Forgotten Author of the Week - Phillip Ridley

Philip Ridley is a British artist working with various media. Born in the East End of London,England, he works and lives as an artist, playwright, and author. He studied painting at St. Martin's School of Art and is work has been exhibited throughout Europe and Japan. He started out as a performance artist, known for his dark works. Very dark works. Slowly, over the years, Ridley has extended his art forms to include playwriting, of which he has won numerous awards. He has also worked as a filmmaker, his work having showed at the Cannes Film Festival. His first short story Embracing Verdi was published in 1986, followed by over a dozen books and published stories. Despite these other mediums though, Ridley sees himself as first and foremost as a storyteller.

Ridley has written three books for adults, five adults stage plays, and five plays for young people: Karamazoo, Fairytaleheart, Moonfleeve, Sparkleshark, and Brokenville. Some of his children's books include Scribbleboy, Kasper in the Glitter, Mighty Fizz Chilla, ZinderZunder, Vinegar Street, and Krindlekraz, many of which have won awards or been nominated. Lastly, Ridley is a photographer, his photos having been on books and in exhibits. Truly a jack of all trades, Ridley is an author who should never be forgotten.

Illustrator of the Week - Judy Schachner

That's right, Judy Schachner, well-known author and illustrator of the SkippyJon Jones series. Just was born on in 1951 in Massachusetts. Self proclaimed as a poor shy girl, Judy turned to artwork to express herself. After all, there was always a pencil at school. In 1969, she attened Massachusetts College of Art and then began her career designing Hallmark cards. She hated the job so much that she wanted to quit painting altogether, but her husband convinced her to try her hand at children's books. In 1995, she wrote and illustrated her first picture book, Willy and May. She went on to illustrate I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie, Mr. Emerson's Cook, How the Cat Swallowed Thunder, and the very popular SkippyJon Jones series.

Book of the Week - Gone

Gone by Michael Grant

How do you update a classic like Lord of the Flies for a 21st century reader? How do you achieve the sudden enforced isolation of a group in an alien environment? In an area of GPS and satellite communication, it's hard to disappear, impossible to isolate. Not that people can't get lost on islands, but how do you do it convincingly today? The Truman Show suggested a way that might work and Gone borrows some ideas from this world-in-a-bubble.

Unlike Lord of the Flies which readers young and old have read, horrified and thrilled, Grant's book is solely for the Young Adult audience. In keeping with the zeigeist, the isolation of the young protagonists is achieved through a science fiction device: a rapture of sorts. And then things really get interesting.

I enjoyed Gone, mostly. One day, out of the blue, every single person in the town of Perdido Beach over the the age of fifteen--disappears. Grant at least thought all of this through. Cars crash, stoves are left on, babies are trapped in homes, kids at school freak out, children in day school have no one to take care of them. The main character Sam, is the epitomy of the reluctant hero. And we love him for it. In fact, I loved all the characters. The sub plots and various character view points really added depth and life to the story.

However, the book was long. Not uninteresting, but there were a number of points where I got tired of the survival storyline and wanted to know why this happened. There was also a "supernatural" plot element that I didn't hate, but it vague and forced most of the time. It's Okay for an author to leave the reader in a state of uncertainty, but this feels like the author is uncertain. As if they know there will be a sequel, but doesn't have it all sorted out in his brain yet. The countdown at the beginning of every chapter was pointless as I was getting excited for the climax and understood the timing issues, without an added reminder. I'm guessing Grant watches too much 24. Either that or his editor does.

I'm glad I read the book and I really enjoyed bits of it. There's a lot of good writing and plot potential for the sequel. I wish Grant had been more confident and open in expressing his core ideas, instead of tossing in tons of distractions. Gone has everything...suspense, action , mystery, romance, supernatural, and sci-fi. It would have been nice if some of those elements had been fleshed out more though.

Forgotten Author of the Week - Douglas Hill

I would like to tip my hat to the late sci-fi writer Douglas Hill, whose books I well enjoyed during my teens. Douglas Hill was a science fiction author, editor, and reviewer. He was born in Brandon, Manitoba and was an avid science fiction reader from an early age. He earned a degree in English and married a fellow writer, Gail Robinson. They moved to Britain in 1959, where he worked as a freelance writer and as an editor for Aldus Books. Before starting to write fiction in 1978, he wrote many books on history, science, and folklore, and served as an editor for several anthologies under the pseudonym Martin Hillman, among them Window on the Future (1966), The Shape of Sex to Come (1978), Out of Time (1984), and Hidden Turnings(1988). He is best known for his Galactic Warlord quartet of novels, supposedly produced as the result of a challenge by a publisher to Hill's complaints about the lack of good science fiction for young readers. Sadly, after writer over sixty books, Hill was struck by a bus at a zebra crossing in 2007. He died one day after completing his last trilogy, the Demon Stalkers. Among his other books are also The Exploits of Hercules (1980), World of Stiks (1994), Star Dragon (2002).

Illustrator of the Week - Ethen Beavers

Ethen Beavers is a comic book artist and now children's book artist from Modesto, CA. Ethen's comic industry work includes sequentials on such titles as Justice League Unlimited, SIX, Noble Causes: Distant Realtives, as well as pin ups in Savage Dragon and Hellhounds. He has also done logo design work as well as freelance illustration for various advertising agencies. Ethen also keeps himself busy as storyboard artist for Warner Brothers Justice League Unlimited animated show on Cartoon Network.

Recently Ethen hooked up with Michael Buckley to illustrate the book NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond–style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.

Book of the Week - Robot Zot

I decided to read this delightful little book to the children at story time, expecting the same excitement that I get every time I read a book by Jon Scieszka. Sadly, the looks on the kids' faces was one of confusion rather than hilarity. Now, don't get me wrong, the book is delightful. Robot Zot is a robot from another planet who comes to earth for conquering and conquest. He discovers all kinds of monsters to kill such as various kitchen appliances. Robot Zot is sadly a very small bot. He falls in love with a toy phone and saves her, taking her back to her planet.

The language of the book is great and fun to read. Even better if you read it like a robot. I think the problem with the story is that the kids just didn't get it. They were confused as to whether Robot Zot was an alien or a toy. They weren't sure what the phone toy was. As an adult I loved this book, but it is definitely for the smart older child. Or at least requires some explanation.

Forgotten Author of the Week - George Selden

So he isn't exactly forgotten, after all, The Cricket In Times Square is a Newbury winner and bestseller. However, many people are not familiar with the other books he has written.

George Selden was the pseudonym for George Selden Thompson, born in 1929 in Hartford, Connecticut. He was educated at the Loomis School and then later attended Yale University, where he joined the Elizabethan Club and the literary magazine. After Yale he then studied in Rome on a Fulright Scholarship for a year.

Selden describes the way he thought of the idea for The Cricket in Times Square as follows:

"One night I was coming home on the subway, and I did hear a cricket chirp in the Times Square subway station. The story formed in my mind within minutes. An author is very thankful for minutes like those, although they happen all too infrequently.

He wrote several sequels and other books in the series including Tucker's Countryside, Harry Cat's Pet Puppy, Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride, and The Old Meadow. His other books includeThe Genie of Sutton Place, Oscar Lobster's Fair Exchange, and Sparrow Socks. In 1974, under the pseudonym of Terry Andrews, Selden wrote the novel The Story of Harold, the story of bisexual children's book author's various affairs, friendships, and mentoring of a lonely child. (clearly not a children's book.) Selden died in 1989.

Illustrator of the Week - Garth Williams

Garth Williams was a prominent American children's illustrator. He grew up in New Jersey and Canada, but moved to the United Kingdom when he was 10, where he eventually studied architecture. He got a job and a scholarship to work as an architect at the Royal College of Art. He also served as an ambulance driver during World War II. In the latter part of his life, Williams moved to Marfil, a small town west of Guanajuato, Mexico. He was part of a colony of ex-pratriates who built or rebuilt homes in the ruins of the silver mills of colonial Mexico. He was also an excellent guitar and banjo player. He married and had five daughters and a son.

Garth Williams most famous illustrations can be seen in Stuart Little (1945) and Charlotte's Web (1952). In the 1950's he teamed up with Margaret Wise Brown and several Little Golden Books including Mister Dog and Sailor Dog. He also illustrated the original The Rescuers series that was later made into two Disney movies. In 1953, Williams illustrated new editions of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series and then in 1960, he illustrated Geroge Selden'sThe Cricket in Times Square. Perhaps his most beautiful and fanciful illustrations can be found in The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies by Jane Werner (1951).

Wedding Fun/Stress

I'm afraid my posts for last week were rather forgotten in exchange for my best-friend getting married. I apologize to my readers and promise to be on the ball now that I have recovered.

Forgotten Author of the Week - Lucy M. Boston

Lucy Maria Boston was a British author, especially noted for the fact that she did not have her first book published until she was over 60. (for those unpublished authors, there is still hope) She is best known for her Green Knowe books, inspired by her home The Manor, one of the oldest permanently inhabited houses in Britain (her books were illustrated by her son Peter Boston (1918- 1999). Born Lucy Wood in Southport, Lancashire, and educated at a girls' boarding school on the Sussex coast, she married Harold Boston in 1917, and moved to The Manor in the late 1930s, shortly after separating from her husband. She also had a deep love of classical music, and she made a lot of patchwork, as well as being a keen gardener well into her nineties. Besides the Green Knowe series, she also wrote a dozen others including The House That Grew, The Guardians of the House, The Fossil Snake, and The Sea Egg. By recommendations from her publishers, Lucy published her books as L.M. Boston in order to keep her gender anonymous. Publishers assured her that a 1950's audience would not be interested in adventure books written by women. Lucy discussed this as well as her life in The Manor in her autobiography entitled Memory in a House. Lucy lived to be 98 years old and did get to enjoy her fame.

The Manor, home of Lucy M. Boston

Illustrator of the Week - Kady MacDonald Denton

This year, one of the Golden Kite Awards was given to Kady MacDonald Denton, an illustrator from Ontario, Canada, for her book A Visitor For Bear by Bonny Becker. Kady says she works in an old tall yellow brick house that overlooks the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario. Her studio is in the attic. Her husband works on the middle floor and the cat goes back and forth between them. Kady has also worked on books such as Two Homes, A Children's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes, A Birthday For Bear, I Wished For a Unicorn, and over thirty more children's books.

Book of the Week - People of Sparks

People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau

The second in the Ember series, I am shocked that I hadn't read this sooner. The first book, City of Ember, set up the story of a futuristic city build underground after some kind of disaster. The city itself is slowly dying, food has run low and the lights flicker, sending the inhabitants into darkness. Lina and Doon discover a way out of Ember after finding a series of clues. The second book picks up where the first leaves off. The people of Ember, having received Lina and Doon's message, emerge into the outside world. But they know nothing. They don't know what the sun, a bird, winter, fire, or even a cow is. They happen upon a town called Sparks who is hard pressed to take care of the 400+ people of Ember who know nothing.

This book was a little heavy handed as far a morality tale is concerned. Once the book ended I found myself shaking my head and thinking, yes yes, I get it. We all have something to contribute. We should get along. The story itself was engaging, predictable at points but not to the point of redundancy. The mystery and adventure that were present in the first book are greatly diminished, replaced by a simple survival story. All in all the story was rather ho hum. A nice edition to the Ember series, but not as exciting as the last. Here's to hoping the next one has a bit more--spark.

Forgotten Author of the Week - Spencer Johnson

Spencer Johnson is known for his 1998 motivational book, Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life. I remember this book because when they restructured my company, they forced all the employees to read this book. Little did I know that Spencer Johnson was the same author to pen a beloved children's biography series from the 1970's.

The Value Tales is a series of simple biographical children's books publishes primarily by the now defunct Value Communications, Inc. There were over 40 books in the series. Thirty of those by Ann Donegan Johnson from 1977-1997. Fifteen were authored by Spencer Johnson from 1977-1988. Each book gave a simple and slightly fictional biography of a historical figure that would also serve as an allegory for a particular value. The glossy hardback books used to line the bookshelf of my library with brightly colored characters. The books had titles like The Value of Determination: The Story of Helen Keller, The Value of Believing in Yourself: The Life of Louis Pasteur, The Value of Love: The Story of Johnny Appleseed. A new company has been reprinting the books since 2007. I should restate that the books are mostly true. In some of the books the story is completely accurate, but the authors often took creative license with what the person said, thoughts, and dialogue. Even so, I will never forget the Louis Pasteur story and did panic when someone mentioned that these Value books were inaccurate. I ran to my nearest Encyclopedia and was relieved to see that all the details I remembered about Pasteur's life were just as I had learned them.

Illustrator of the Week - Lane Smith

Lane Smith is most famous for the work he has done in conjunction with Jon Scieszka. His most recent books, Madam President and John, Paul, George & Ben, were both New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-sellers. With Scieszka, he illustrated the Caldecott Honor winner The Stinky Cheese Man; The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs; and Science Verse. Lane's other high profile titles include Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! by Dr. Seuss and Jack Prelustsky, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders; Big Plans by Bob Shea; and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. In 1996 Lane served as Conceptual Designer on the Disney film version of James and the Giant Peach. Lane also wrote and illustrated the retro, cult favs The Happy Hocky Family and The Happy Hocky Family Moves to the Country. He and book designer Molly Leach live in a little town in rural Connecticut.

He has so many books coming out that it is hard to keep up. In the past two weeks alone I have seen There's an Elephant in the Room and Princess Hyacinth. Both are adorable.

National Book Festival 2009

This year was my first trip to the National Book Festival. I suspect it will not be my last and may in fact become a yearly tradition. I had intentions of listening to authors speak and getting books signed in between. However, I did not take into consideration all the people. Thousands upon thousands of book lovers wandering the National Mall, slurping up book goodness. There were six genre tents, Fiction & Fantasy, Children's, Teens, Poetry, Mystery & Thriller, and History & Biography. In each of the tents were some of the best and renowned of writers in those genres. There was John Grisham, Sue Monk Kidd, Judy Blume, John Irving, Nicholas Sparks, Lee Child, Jodi Picoult, Kate DiCamillo, Lois Lowry, Walter Mosely, and possibly a hundred more.

Many gave talks and almost all gave book signings. I'm afraid that I cannot tell you much about the book talks as I spent my entire day standing in line, waiting for author signatures. It is something I have always loved to have, that little personalized signature at the front of my book. It means something to me. I brought 20 books with me to be signed, which was an impossibility, but how was I supposed to know. I received signatures from Megan McDonald, Mo Willems, Kadir Nelson, David Shannon, Jon Sciezska, Jaqueline Woodson, Sharon Creech, and Steven Kellogg, Sadly, the lines were just too long for Lois Lowry, Jeff Kinney, Tony DiTerlizi, Judy Blume, Kate DiCamillo, Liz Kessler, Shannon Hale, and Rick Riordan. Or I just didn't have time to stand in line because I was standing in another.

What I really needed was a relay team of line standers. I took along my friend and mother, but due to a baby in tow and wet cold rain, they spent the day at the museums while I stood in lines. I have a cold to prove my dedication. Next year I will probably on take two or three books with me and then spend the rest of the day going to some of the talks. Yes, I would love to have signatures for all my books, but this is the field I am going into, and I imagine this is not the first time I will run into these authors. After all, Jane Yolen will be our commencement speaker in January and Kate DiCamillo almost always makes an appearance around graduation.

I did meet some interesting people while standing in line. A kindergarten teacher who was adopted from Korea and enjoys knitting. A deaf grad student who couldn't afford to buy Kadir Nelson's new book, but came anyway because his books meant so much to her. Two precocious little girls, one of which calls herself Queen Greta the Beautiful and had Megan McDonald dedicate the book thusly. A first grade teacher who brought one of her students who learned to speak English using Mo Willems' books. A Georgetown student who would get extra credit (5 whole points) added to her grade if she managed to get at least 3 author signatures. A Book Festival veteran who agreed that the reason she came was to get author signatures, and like me had a suitcase full of books. "Just get as many as you possibly can," was her advice.

It was a fun trip. I will upload pictures as soon as I get them off the camera. Due to the inclement weather I am feeling rather sickly now though. A terrible cough that has settled in my chest is proving to be my undoing. But it was worth it. I'm already looking forward to the National Book Festival 2010. Anyone want to come stand in line with me?

Ellen Levin & Kadir Nelson

Sharon Creech

Mo Willems

Kadir Nelson

Steven Kellogg

Sharon Creech

The View

My View for most of the day. Lines.

Book of the Week - Elephant and Piggie Series

Mo Willems can do no wrong in my eyes. I haven't read a book yet that I haven't enjoyed thoroughly. Not only are they great reads, but they are incredible to read aloud. The Elephant and Piggie series is no exception. So far the series has 10 books.

Pig Makes Me Sneeze

Elephants Cannot Dance

Watch Me Throw the Ball

Are You Ready to Play Outside?

I Love My New Toy!

Today I Will Fly!

I Will Surprise My Friend!

My Friend Is Sad

I Am Invited to a Party

There Is a Bird On Your Head!

Each is a morality tale dealing with issues like sharing, annoyance, self-esteem, having fun, and most of all friendship. Young and old readers alike will love the banter that goes on back and forth between Piggie and Elephant, reminiscent of Pigeon. Mo Willems has a great interactive website for all those who love his books and wonderful resources for teachers and librarians.

Forgotten Author of the Week - Lois Lenski

Because I would feel bad to call any of the authors I am going to go see as Forgotten, I scoured the internet for books that influenced one of those writers. Lois Lowry said that one of her favorite authors as a kid was Lois Lensky, not just because they shared a name, but also because she loved her book, Strawberry Girl.

Lois Lenski, born in Springfield, Ohio in 1893, was a popular and prolific children's writer. In 1946 she was awarded the coveted Newbery Medal for Strawberry Girl. For over fifty years Lois Lenski pursued her professional career as an illustrator and author of books for children. During that time she illustrated some fifty books for other authors, and wrote and illustrated nearly 100 of her own books. Lenski's writing included picture books and stories for very young children as well as intermediate forks for older children and young adults. Although, she wrote mostly prose, Leski also published books of

poetry, songs, and plays for children.

Spurred by her first born son Stephen, Lenski began her "Mr. Small" series with The Little Family (1932) and The Little Auto (1934). In the early stages of her writing in the 1930s Lenski wrote "a group of imaginative stories for p

ure amusem

ent." These included Grandmother Tippytoe, Arabella and Her Aunts andBenny and His Penny. Lenski next moved into historical fiction, beginning with Phebe Fairchild, Her Book (1936), a story based on the Lenski farmhouse in Connecticut, built in 1790. Over the next decade Lenski wrote six more historical books including Bound Girl of Cobble Hill (1938), Blueberry Corners (1940) and Indian Captive (1941).Phebe Fairchild and Indian Captive both were named Newbery Honor books. As a change of pace from her intensely researched historical books, Lenski also published picture books including Sugarplum House (1934) and Gooseberry Garden (1935). She continued to illustrate the works of other writers, most notably Maud Hart Lovelace's first four Betsy Tacy books. She worked very closely with Lovelace and her publishers to make the books true to their real-life context.

During the 1940s two other major factors, her travels and her grandson, influenced Lois Lenski's writing. Due to poor health, Lenski was ordered by her physician to get away from the fierce Connecticut winters. She and Arthur Covey chose to spend winters in the South. It was during her travels that Lenski began research and writing on her series of regional books. Beginning with Bayou Suzette (1943), based on life in the Louisian

a backcountry, Lenski wrote some 16 regional books over the next twenty years. Perhaps her most successful regional story was Strawberry Girl (1945), winner of the Newbery Medal in 1946.

Inspired by her grandson, David Chisholm, Margaret'

s son, Lenski began the "Davy" series of books in the mid-1940s. David lived with his grandparents during the summers of 1943-1945 and was initially a very difficult child. Lenski's grandmotherly kindness finally won him over and his childhood activities became the basis for a series of six picture books including Davy's Day (1943) and A Surprise for Davy (1947).

In the 1950s and early 1960s, Lenski published the Ro

undabout series, also based on various areas of the U. S., but written for somewhat younger children. Much like the regional series, the Roundabout books explore the geographically and culturally diverse lives of children from peanut farms (Peanuts for Billy Ben, 1952), to cranberry bogs (Berries in the Scoop, 1956) and from housing projects (Project Boy, 1954) to Indian reservations (

Little Sioux Girl, 1968).

Although Lenski suffered from illness again in the early 1950s, she gradually recovered and resumed her writing. Lenski and her husband began

to spend half the year in Florida and built a house there in 1951. Arthur Covey, a man blessed with near perfect health all his life, became seriously ill in 1958. Although he resumed sketching and painting in their Florida home, he succumbed to his illness in February 1960. Lenski eventually sold the Greenacres farm in Connecticut and made her home in Florida year round. She continued writing in her later years, publishing her autobiography in 1972. In September 1974 at 80 year

s of age, Lois Lenski died at her home in Florida.

Lenski's many books have become classics in children's literature. Her books depicted children's lives much more realistically than other children's authors. She enthusiastically tackled areas and subjects long neglected in writing for children. The p

opularity of her works and their distribution in other languages are testimony both to her skill as a writer and to her continuing appeal to children.

Illustrator of the Week - Steven Kellogg

I know I missed two entries last week. I can only claim insanity due to writing, or the lack thereof. This weekend I am heading the National Book Festival in Washington, DC. As such, I'm going to focus on some of the writers and illustrators who will be at the festival. This may be a trend for the next week or so as it is all I can think about.

Steven Kellogg is a writer and illustrator of many children's classics. He was an enthusiastic young artist who geared his entire education around his love of drawing. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he majored in illustrations. It was there that he discovered his love of picture book illustrating. In his senior year he won a fellowship that allowed him to work and study in Florence, Italy. Upon his return to the US, he did some graduate work and teaching at American University and also began submitting picture book ideas to publishers. Almost thirty years later, Kellogg has written and illustrated almost ninety books.

His book Pinkerton, Behave! was based on his beloved harlequin Great Dame named Pinkerton, whose stubborn unadaptability during puppyhood made him write not one but two books about the dog.

Kellogg says about his artwork, "The individual spreads are designed so that they crackle with graphic vitality. The characters seem to speak, cavort, and lap from the page so energetically that their life and movement are totally convincing."