Poppy's Best Paper - a bookwrap

Writing a story can be hard even for an adult.  Sitting down, focusing, choosing a subject then following it through, can be gruelling indeed.  The self-discipline, the imagination and creativity, and the perseverance to make it all happen can be quite a challenge.  Today's book, "Poppy's Best Paper" will have you nodding your head as an adorable little bunny learns some very valuable lessons about quality writing and important lessons in life...

Unwrapping...

Authored by Susan Eaddy

Illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet

Ages 5-8

Let's unwrap some illustration for you...

About the story...

     Poppy, an adorable and high-energy little bunny, dreams of becoming not only a good writer, but a very famous one.  Her teacher, Mrs. Rose assigns her class daily writing assignments for their homework.  She tells the children that she will choose the one she thinks is best to share with the whole class the next day.

     Poppy is stoked.  Here is her chance to shine, after all who could possibility write better than she?  She rushes home and hops to it.  But alas, Poppy is easily distracted by her world around her, is constantly taking breaks and is overconfident that her story will be the chosen one, even though she hasn't put her very best effort into writing it. She just assumes that because she wants to be a writer she will not have to work for the honour of becoming one. 

      After two days of her stories being rejected by Mrs. Rose, and her best friend Lavender's work being chosen, Poppy is frustrated and not a happy bunny with either her teacher or her best friend.  Why Lavender didn't even want to be a writer, she wanted to be a brain surgeon, how unfair is that?  

     Poppy has to re-think her writing strategies and comes to the conclusion that perhaps she is not working up to her potential and she needs to put way more effort into her writing skills.  Her final assignment "How to Get in Trouble" was her best yet, an autobiography...

""To Get in Trouble is very simple.  First, talk in class even after you are told to be quiet.  Then, be mean to someone who did better than you.  (Her best friend Lavender)  And try to copy that person's paper.  At home, call your bother Scraggle Tail.  Throw your notebook across the room. At Dinner, mush your food and spill your milk and say you don't care.  Stomp your feet and cry.  Last and worst of all, be rude to your very best friend and do not apologize.  This is my advice on How to Get in Trouble.  Follow these instructions and you can get in trouble, too.  The End. "

     Poppy repents of her wrongdoings in her paper earning her not only applause from her classmates, forgiveness from her best friend, but a big fat "A" for her hard work, which of course delight both and her parents and Poppy herself.  The illustrations are full of action, expression and detail...extremely well done.  They reminded me of the Richard Scarry books with so much action and busyness to absorb.  I highly recommend this book.

About the author...

I was born in Lake City FL. USA. Being from a very small town I longed to see the wider world, and today I will travel anywhere at the drop of a hat. My husband is an art professor and I have been lucky to accompany him on his school trips to Italy for many summers. My work is partly inspired by the scores of relief sculptures I have seen in Italy. I love the altar reliefs of Nicola Pisano, the Brunelleschi Baptistry doors, the Della Robbia reliefs and statues, and the column carvings on various Romanesque churches. The simple naive figures of Romanesque and Byzantine art inspire me to simplify (very hard for me to do) and the early mosaics of Ravenna and other Byzantine churches throughout Italy absolutely mesmerize me.

I have always loved to draw, from the time my mother framed the rooster I drew in kindergarten. My Mom had always said that she thought being a creative person, a writer or an artist, was the best kind of life one could have. So truly, she took the small flame of talent that I had and blew on it while encouraging me to pursue what I loved, whether it was a money- maker or not. In school I was always the kid in the class who could draw, so I took art lessons and every art class I could fit into my school schedule.  My parents bought me art books, and for my 10th birthday bought me a drawing book filled with poetry and blank pages I could illustrate. I think that is when I decided that illustrating childrens’ books would be the best job in the world.

About the illustrator...

Rosalinde Bonnet loved to draw when she was little. She would often get into trouble in school because she doodled all over her notebooks during class. After high school she studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Since her graduation in 2004, she has written and/or illustrated numerous children's books, mainly published in France and England. She lives in Versailles, France.

Read on and read always!

It's a wrap.

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