Ode To Steven Kellogg

A Rose for Pinkerton
Steven Kellogg
Puffin Books (1981)

A Hunting We Will Go
Steven Kellogg
Morrow Junior Books (1998)

A My Name is Alice
Author:  Jane Bayer
Illustrator:  Steven Kellogg
Dial Books for Young Readers (1984)

Lately ,books by  Steven Kellogg have been randomly showing up everywhere and I am struck by the rich and lavish illustrations.   But also, the books take me back, well, somewhere.   I have this vague memory that perhaps Steven Kellogg came to my school for a visit when I was kid.   I asked my mom, but she doesn't remember.     At any rate, the illustration style seems familiar and comforting---like all that a children's book should aspire to be.  

The best part of his illustrations are that you have to look closely to see all the little details.   For example, in  A Rose For Pinkerton (named for his dog Pinkerton and his feisty cat Second Hand Rose),  a story about a kitten that wants to be a poodle and a Great Dane that wants a friend, there are all these little thought bubbles, signs that are funny such as Take Home a Spring Bouquet of Kittens, the dog dish that says Chow on it, the dog saying Lick, lick, lick, lick, and  a million other details that make it fun to look at.  An added benefit is that Mirette can enjoy these books for a long time on her own.  

A-Hunting We Will Go takes the English country song (and possibly game of chase) from the 1600's and plays on the tradition of making up verses.   In this case, the verses are all about getting ready for bed:  "Pajamming we will go!  Pajamming we will go!  Put the llamas in pajamas.  Find the fox a pair of socks.  Give each bear clean underwear. Then, with our friends in tow. . .a hugging we will go!"  It's very cute and again tons of details to explore with your toddler.

A My Name is Alice is based on a ball game that my mom taught me when I was a little girl.   You bounce a ball and say something like A my name is Alice and my husband's name is Arnie.  We live in Alaska and we sell Apples.    Every time you say a word that starts with A, you bounce the ball one time.   Sometimes when I took long walks with Mirette, I'd go through the entire alphabet as a way to fend off boredom or chill.   Here's an example from the book for the letter P: " P my name is Polly and my husband's name is Paul.  We come from Pittsburgh and we sell Pebbles.   Polly is a Puffin.  Paul is a Pig."   The window of the shop says Pebbles LTD: Rare specimens for Advanced Collectors.  then there are various signs in front of the pebble displays:  Precious Pebble, Assorted roadside pebbles, rare prize winning pebble, odd purple pebble, pond pebble, pebbles found in puddles.  Funny!

Steven Kellogg lives on a farm in Connecticut and has written over 110 books for children and won many awards.   His website http://www.stevenkellogg.com/page2.html has an awesome video of him speaking at the Library of Congress's National Book Fest.   He decided to be a children's book illustrator in Preschool and never lost site of his vision!!!   Geez!

  He has a great piece on his website about the power of picture books.  To him, it's like a stage, where turning the page itself creates dramatic movement.  He says, "The individual spreads are designed so that they crackle with graphic vitality. The characters seem to speak, cavort, and leap from the page so energetically that their life and movement are totally convincing."  He also says,  'There are limitless possibilities available to the artist, who sets up relationships and tensions between the illustrations and the text, allowing magical discoveries and subtle revelations to emerge in the areas between. When this happens, there is an uncanny fusion of all the elements, and the dynamic new expression that is created introduces young readers to the world of art." 

  My heart pitter-patters when I read something that so affirms why I love picture books.   I love you Steven Kellogg--thanks for bringing so many great books to my childhood and to Mirette's childhood too.