PPBF: Mountain Chef

Posted on September 23, 2016 by viviankirkfield

Hurray…autumn is here! I love the scarlet and gold of New England’s fall foliage. The cool crisp mornings and the warm sunny afternoons remind me of the vacations I’ve taken at many of our country’s incredible National Parks where even in the middle of the summer, the mornings can be really chilly because you are at a high altitude.

Have you been to any of our National Parks? Yosemite is the one featured in today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday selection. If you’d like to see more of this week’s Perfect Picture Book reviews, please visit Susanna Hill’s blog.

I’m really excited to review this brand-new book—I just connected with the author, Annette Bay Pimentel…and guess what? I’ll be interviewing her for Will Write for Cookies next October!

MOUNTAIN CHEF: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook Up the National Park Service

Written by Annette Bay Pimentel

Illustrated by Rich Lo

Publisher: Charlesbridge (2016)

Ages: 5-9

Themes:

Discrimination, conservation, National Parks, cooking, ingenuity

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

The true story of a Chinese American mountain man who fed thirty people for ten days in the wilderness–and helped inspire the creation of the National Park Service.

Tie Sing was born in the mountains. The mountains were in his blood. But because he was of Chinese descent at a time in America when to be Chinese meant working in restaurants or laundries, Tie Sing’s prospects were limited. But he had bigger plans. He began cooking for mapmakers and soon built a reputation as the best trail cook in California.

When millionaire Stephen Mather began his quest to create a national park service in 1915, he invited a group of influential men—writers, tycoons, members of Congress, and even a movie star—to go camping in the Sierras. Tie Sing was hired to cook.

Tie Sing planned diligently. He understood the importance of this trip. But when disaster struck—twice—and Tie Sing’s supplies were lost, it was his creative spirit and quick mind that saved the day. His sumptuous menus had to be struck and Tie Sing had to start over in order to feed the thirty people in the group for ten whole days. His skills were tested and Tie Sing rose to the challenge.

On the last night, he fed not just the campers’ bodies, but also their minds, reminding them to remember and protect the mountains.

2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, created by Congress on August 25, 1916.

Today, you can hike to Sing Peak, named for Tie Sing, in Yosemite National Park.

Opening Lines:

Tie Sing was a frontier baby, born high in the mountains in Virginia City, Nevada. Growing up, he breathed crisp Sierra air and scuffed through sagebrush. He learned to write in both English and Chinese.

Why I like this book:

I love unknown gems of history uncovered by writers who weave great picture book stories for kids.
This story has so many different levels…National Parks, racial discrimination, conservation, cooking, ingenuity, courage…parents and teachers can use it as a springboard for many different discussions.
Wonderful illustrations that help you feel you are camping right alongside Tie Sing.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

This summer was the 100^th anniversary of the National Park System: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/index.htm

If you have a National Park in your area, why not plan a day trip. When we lived in Colorado, we often drove 2+ hours to get to Rocky Mountain National Park…in the summer, we’d fish…in the fall, we’d stroll around Estes Park, the town right at one of the park’s entrances, where elk would walk up and down the streets…and in winter, we’d go up for a weekend and stay at one of the local lodges in the park…to snowshoe and cross country ski during the day and soak in the outdoor hot tub in the evening.

Fortune Cookies

Photo courtesy: Taste of Home

Have you ever made fortune cookies? The kids will have fun thinking up their own fortunes to put in the cookies.

You can find the recipe here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-fortune-cookies

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susannah Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, dear friends and readers.

Diana Murray: Will Write for Cookies PLUS GIVEAWAY

Posted on June 18, 2016 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

DIANA MURRAY

You guys are always hearing me rave about this amazing kid lit community. But I hope you are not getting tired of listening, because that’s how I connected with today’s Will Write for Cookies guest.

This past November, I participated in Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo, and for those of you who wait with anxious anticipation for her annual challenge, you know she offers a zillion prizes for those who comment on each post and complete the pledge. Well, I won a prize package from Diana Murray…awesome swag from her forthcoming picture books…and I was blown away with the quality of her stories and the number of new books she has coming down the pike. And when I asked if she’d do us the honor of an interview, SHE SAID YES!!!! And guess what???

Because I so fell in love with her picture books, I decided to offer a copy of City Shapes which is JUST LAUNCHING NEXT WEEK!!! So after you enjoy reading the interview, please leave a comment telling us which is your FAVORITE city. One lucky person will win a BRAND NEW copy of Diana’s new book! I reviewed the book on yesterday’s Perfect Picture Book Friday post, so you can check it out here.

In case you don’t know anything about Diana, I grabbed part of her bio from her website.

Diana Murray writes poetry and books for children. Her award-winning poems have appeared in magazines including Spider, Ladybug, Highlights, and High Five. Diana recently moved from the Bronx to a nearby suburb, where she lives with her husband, two very messy children, and a goldfish named Pickle. She is represented by Brianne Johnson at Writers House literary agency.

So, without further ado, welcome Diana!!!

ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

DIANA:

I wasn’t a big reader as a child. I don’t remember reading any picture books at all. When I was a bit older, my favorite books included ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, and THE GOOD EARTH, by Pearl S. Buck. Those books transported me to another time and place and the characters stayed with me long after I’d finished reading. I was also a huge fan (and still am) of Gary Larson cartoons. It wasn’t until my first daughter was born that I became obsessed with picture books. We read maybe ten books a day.

ME: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing for children?

DIANA:

It’s important to learn and absorb as much as you can. Writing for children is an art form, but it’s also a business. Those are two disparate disciplines and both were relatively foreign to me.
I wish I knew that my first manuscript wouldn’t sell. I spent about a year or two revising it every which way before finally realizing that I needed to move on. I think it’s common for new writers to get attached to a project. But it’s likely that the first thing you ever write isn’t going to be your best work. You can always set it aside and come back to it later.

ME: Where do you like to write/draw – inside, outside, a special area in your home, on the computer, in a notebook? And when do you find time to write?

DIANA:

I love to write outside on the patio when the weather is nice.

Or even when it’s not so nice. I love the sound of rain. I prefer my laptop to pen and paper because I’m a very fast typer.

I also have an indoor writing space in the basement. It’s still a work in progress and I haven’t finished hanging all the art.

ME: When during the day (or night) are you most productive? Do you set a schedule for working or do you write/draw when the muse speaks?

DIANA:

I don’t have a set schedule. I write whenever I can. Sometimes I even write in my head while waiting in line at the grocery store.

ME: Why do you write for children?

DIANA:

I studied child psychology in college and have always been interested in child development. Also, I discovered that reading picture books with my daughters was the most magical experience. Reading together creates a lovely moment of closeness. I can’t think of anything more rewarding than being part of that experience or helping kids to become readers. Finally, kids have the most amazing imaginations. We tend to lose some of that when we get older, so I feel lucky that I still get to be part of that world.

ME: Diana, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear.

DIANA:

My biggest advice to aspiring writers is to find some good critique partners or a critique group. When you critique other people’s work on a regular basis, you start to internalize that voice and you become better at revising your own work. Also, try not to be sensitive about criticism. Let it marinate for a while before you decide whether you agree or not.

WOW! Thank you so much, Diana. I know everyone is going to get so much out of this interview.

To find out more about Diana’s awesome books or get in touch with her, she’s got an awesome website:

http://www.dianamurray.com

And now, for everyone who has patiently waited for the sweet treat recipe at the end, your wait is not in vain. Diana has outdone herself and provided something easy-peasy enough for kids to help with! That’s always a winning idea in my book!

EASY SUGAR COOKIES (My 10-year old makes these herself)

½ cup plus 2 tbsp. of softened butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup flour
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Whip together butter and sugar.
Stir in the flour.
Form the cookies into balls and place on baking sheet. Flatten them into a disc shape if you’re topping with sprinkles before baking.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden.
After baking, you can mix some powdered sugar and a little milk with a drop of food coloring to make colored icing.
Decorate with sprinkles if you like.

Thank you so much for stopping by, everyone! Don’t forget to leave a comment telling us your favorite city. And have a wonderful weekend. To all the dads, grandads, and father-figures, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!