A Follow Up on Canned Goods

by Jen Kulman

This year marks the the 16th anniversary of Canstruction, a construction competition that aids in the fight against hunger. Teams must assemble their structures in a single night, made entirely from full cans of food. At the end of each competition, all canned food used as building materials is donated to local food banks.

New York City's exhibits will be shown today through December 2, followed by one hundred cities across North America who will hold their own competitions in the coming year. The price of admission for the general public to view these amazing creations? Why, canned goods, of course!

The creativity in these structures knows no bounds. Yet even more amazing is their charitable impact - millions of pounds of food are donated to needy families through the food banks. Aren't these things unbelievable? Check out more photos here, including the national winners.

In related news, a local library is also doing their part to assist with local hunger. The Fraser Public Library is accepting food donations in lieu of late fees. The Food for Fines project allows patrons to donate one can of food in exchange for having fifty cents waived from their library fines. This is a great way to get the reading community active in solving the hunger crisis.

Isn't it uplifting to read stories of the creative ways in which communities are helping their local food banks?

Good Question

I attended the ALSC pre-conference storytelling event last night, where I met many friendly, and humorous, librarians.

One woman asked me a very good question - one that I love answering but rarely have the opportunity to. She asked, "How long have you worked for Kane/Miller and what do you like about it?"

Instantly, I smiled. Actually, I think I beamed. I found it so intriguing that this woman actually wanted to know about my role and my experience with the company.

I'll sum it all up for those who haven't heard this before (Yes, this is the shortened version):

I've worked for Kane/Miller for seven years now, since March of 2001. I remember every detail of my career, especially the interview and requesting that I start after March 1st since I was flying home (St. Paul, MN) at the end of February to surprise my mom for her birthday.

I started working for K/M knowing little, if nothing, about children's publishing, even though I grew up with books, spent several years of my youth (cumulatively, of course) in the library, inside a book - and fell in love with language and literature because of my early exposure to storytelling.

My mom taught me to read before I started kindergarten. We went to the library often for story time, quiet time, and now that I have a child of my own, I realize that we also went there so my mom could have some alone time.

Now, thanks to my mom, teachers and librarians who encouraged my love of reading, I now have a job that I absolutely love. It was simply meant to be.

Kane/Miller is a small, independent publishing company, founded by siblings who shared a love of language, children's literature, art, and the world - and what I love most about Kane/Miller is...Everything. From the atmosphere at our office to the books we publish; from the mission statement that hasn't changed in 25 years to the logo which has; I can't see myself working in any other industry or for any other company.

I was honored to be asked such a personal question and I think it's safe to say that my response - my strong emotional reaction - impressed upon my audience why Kane/Miller is so unique.

While no job is perfect, I would have to say mine is pretty close. I get to work with people who share a love of language, children's literature, art, and the world. Plus, now that I have a son, I am able to pass on that love, nourish it, and watch it grow.

I can't imagine anywhere else I would rather be.

Have You Found Your Other Half?

With Valentine's Day two weeks away, folks are either asking themselves what to give their loved ones this year, or when they'll ever find their other half. I'll leave it up to you to decide which question is more prominent on my mind this year!

For those of you who are lucky enough to have someone to share your days (and nights) with, you'll understand the fright - followed by relief - felt by the main character in Gusti's Half of an Elephant. When the world suddenly splits in two and elephant finds half of himself missing, he searches the world over to find a replacement - with no luck.

From Mexico

Half of an Elephant
by Gusti

When the world suddenly returns to normal and his missing half is found, both halves recognize that while they could manage on their own, being part of a whole has its benefits (and they undoubtedly learn not to take one another for granted).

Readers will enjoy the off-the-wall art that Gusti created with his own "found" objects. Come V-Day I'll be reading this one, along with other picture books, with my other half (my son, who knows all too well what the world is like when something - or someone - goes missing).

Language Lessons for Little Ones

I love San Francisco. I can't wait until my son is old enough to really enjoy visiting new places and experiencing the city. There's so much to see and do there but for families who live in, or near the city, there is a wonderful opportunity to have your children learn a foreign language at a very early age. Language at Play offers courses in Mandarin, Chinese, Spanish or French.

For those of us who live outside of this beautiful Northern California city, there's always the Lingolook Flashcards.

Oh, and in case you haven't already been to the site, I highly recommend that you visit the San Francisco Musem of Modern Art online to get a glimpse of what the museum has to offer. Their gift shop (and print catalog) are filled with amazingly beautiful products (and books) designed by fantabulous artists. I can't wait to get my hands on the next catalog when it comes in the mail.

Pay Close Attention!

For those of you with young children, you'll understand my awe at how amazing my son's memory is and the details he notices when we're driving in the car and of course, among the illustrations in the books we read.

Of course, my argument for this is that I'm too focused On the Road to notice the dog in the back of the van or too busy concentrating on reading the words in the story to see the small frogs hiding in the pictures (Paul Needs Specs).

Look closely, and you will discover many things in picture books that you might otherwise miss. Spend a day looking at the pictures alone and ignore the text. You may find a new appreciation for the stories that can be told without words.

From England
On the Road
by Susan Steggall


From Australia
Paul Needs Specs
Written by Bernard Cohen
Illustrated by Geoff Kelly


From Japan
Animal Faces
Written by Kyoko Toda
Photographs by Akira Satoh


From Germany
Something is Not Quite Right!
by Ralf Butschkow

From Japan
Who's Hiding?
by Satoru Onishi


From Mexico
Half of an Elephant
by Gusti


From South Korea
Yellow Umbrella
Illustrated by Jae Soo Liu
Music composed by Dong Il Sheen


From Australia
Fly, Little Bird
by Tina Burke

Now, see if you can't find all twenty-two frogs hidden in the illustrations of Paul Needs Specs, or if you can tell me what your favorite animal is made of from Half of an Elephant (mine is the giraffe made from a tape measure). Happy Hunting!