Spotlight On… Cynthia Rylant

-by Hanje Richards
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American author Cynthia Rylant was born in Virginia. After her parents divorced, Cynthia went to live with her grandparents in Cool Ridge, WV while her mother attended nursing school. When Cynthia was eight, she and her mother moved to Beaver, WV. Although she went on to college and graduate school, ultimately earning a Master of Library Science degree at Kent State University in Ohio, her early years had a great impact on her writing.
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Rylant is the author of more than 60 children’s books for young readers since her first book was published in 1982. In addition to her beginning-reader series (Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Mr. Putter and Tabby), as well as her Cobble Street Cousins early-chapter series, she is also the author of the Newbery Medal-winning Missing May, the Newbery Honor Book A Fine White Dust, and two Caldecott Honor-winning picture books.

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Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds - Lyrical prose and warm watercolor illustrations bring a "certain part of the country called Appalachia" alive for young readers. Two award-winning artists, forever touched by their experiences growing up in this unique landscape, have teamed to create a quietly powerful and beautifully crafted portrait of life in a timeless place.

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Bookshop Dog - When the owner of Martha Jane's Bookshop goes into the hospital to get her tonsils out, the whole town fights over who will get to take care of the owner's beloved dog.

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The Cobble Street Cousins: Some Good News - It's spring on Cobble Street, and Lily has a great idea – the Cobble Street Cousins' own newspaper! Soon the very first edition of The Cobble Street Courier is hot off the presses, with a poem by Lily, Tess's favorite jokes, and Rosie's yummy recipe for shortbread – even an interview with Aunt Lucy's boyfriend, Michael. Now it's time to deliver the paper to all the cousins' old friends on Cobble Street – and a couple of new ones!
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The Dreamer - Rylant brings the Creator down to earth in a conversational, unassuming narrative, depicting him as a shy young artist who dreams, tests new ideas, and makes other "artist[s] in his own image'' in order to have someone to share the pleasure in his works. He "has always called them his children. And they, in turn, have always called him God,'' the author concludes, finally equating the artist with the deity. Moser's elegantly simple compositions reflect the straightforward tone and sense of a primeval beauty within the everyday world; he shows the stars being clipped out with scissors held in sturdy hands, while the artist also appears as a misty figure beneath the dramatic silhouette of an aging pine, imagining the animal kingdom yet to come.
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Every Living Thing - Rylant offers readers glimpses of the lives of twelve people whose lives are altered by their contact with animals. Each captures the moment when someone's life changes – when an animal causes a human being to see things in a different way, and, perhaps, changes his life.
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Everyday Pets - These board books provide a colorful, generic medium to preschool life. Everyday pets are dogs, cats, fish, ducks, and rabbits. These books are basic statements of events but are written with a subtle rhyme. Colorful cut-papers of various textures are used to create the collages that are the real highlight here.

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Great Gracie Chase: Stop That Dog! - Gracie has been a good dog every single day of her life – that is, until some noisy painters arrive. When she barks at them for causing a racket, she is put outside. So she decides to go for a walk. The painters, the neighbors, and the garbage man all run after her. She can¹t figure out why... so she keeps running. Soon, the whole town joins in. Stop that dog! It¹s the great Gracie chase!

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Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas - Henry and, of course, Mudge love to visit Great Grandpa Bill. He lives in a house with a lot of other grandpas who like to play with a little boy and his dog. But when Henry discovers a swimming pond near the grandpas' house, he finds out how much fun the grandpas really can be.

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Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat - Henry and his 180-pound dog Mudge are best friends forever. And in this book of their adventures, they make friends with a scruffy but lovable cat.

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I Had Seen Castles - John Dante is seventeen when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, and he wants to fight for his country. But then he falls head over heels for Ginny Burton, who is against all war, and his beliefs are suddenly questioned. Rather than be judged a traitor or a coward, though, John enlists – a decision that changes his life forever.

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In November - In November, the air grows cold and the earth and all its creatures prepare for winter. Animals seek food and shelter, and people gather together to celebrate their blessings with family and friends.

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Islander - After his parents die and he is sent to live in British Columbia, young Daniel has a difficult time coping with his emotions; yet, a magical encounter with a mermaid and the gift of a special key placed inside a shell turns his life around.

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Margaret, Frank and Andy: Three Writers’ Stories - Profiles three enduring figures in children's literature – Margaret Wise Brown, L. Frank Baum, and E. B. White – paying particular attention to the special moments that shaped their lives and their stories. Each writer's profile is under 15 pages, the author focuses on the dominant themes of their lives.

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Missing May - When May dies suddenly while gardening, Summer assumes she'll never see her beloved aunt again. But then, Summer's Uncle Ob claims that May is on her way back – she has sent a sign from the spirit world. Summer isn't sure she believes in the spirit world, but her quirky classmate Cletus Underwood – who befriends Ob during his time of mourning – does. So at Cletus' suggestion, Ob and Summer (with Cletus in tow) set off in search of "Miriam B. Young, Small Medium at Large," whom they hope will explain May's departure and confirm her possible return.

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Mr. Putter and Tabby Take the Train - Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, are going for a train ride with their neighbors, Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog, Zeke. They've planned the perfect afternoon trip. But when they get to the station, they're in for a big surprise: No pets are allowed on the train! It looks like the trip is off, until Mr. Putter comes up with a clever idea.

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The Old Woman Who Named Things - How does an old woman who has outlived all her friends keep from being lonely? By naming the things in her life she knows she will never outlive – like her house, Franklin, and her bed, Roxanne. When a shy brown puppy appears at her front gate, the old woman won’t name it, because it might not outlive her. Tender watercolors capture the charm of this heartwarming story of an old woman who doesn’t know she’s lonely until she meets a plucky puppy who needs a name – and someone to love.

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Poppleton Everyday - Three tales about Poppleton for beginning readers, with charming illustrations by a best-selling artist, in which Poppleton gets sick while stargazing, goes in search of a new bed, and finds sailing anything but relaxing.

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Poppleton Forever - Poppleton the pig gets help from his friends when his tree begins to wilt, when he catches a cold, and later when he decides to wallpaper his house.
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The Relatives Came - In a rainbow-colored station wagon that smelled like a real car, the relatives came. When they arrived, they hugged and hugged from the kitchen to the front room. All summer they tended the garden and ate up all the strawberries and melons. They plucked banjos and strummed guitars. The relatives are depicted as a support system to help a fatherless family with all the things that need to be done in and around their house.
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Scarecrow - The world becomes an extraordinary place when viewed through the eyes of a scarecrow. They perch high above gardens and fields, with borrowed coats and button eyes and pie-pan hands that glint in the sun. What else is there to know about scarecrows? Perhaps more than we realize...

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Summer Party - Cousins Lily, Rosie, and Tess are saddened to learn that their parents will soon return from their European ballet tour. Then the girls must move from their temporary home with Aunt Lucy back to their respective families. To stave off their sorrow, Aunt Lucy helps them look ahead to future visits and family reunions. For the present, they focus on a party to celebrate the parents' return. The cousins brainstorm, and each one contributes to the gathering in her own way. Aunt Lucy's surprise engagement ensures that the girls and their families will reunite in a few months.

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Van Gogh Café - With her usual mix of elegance and down-to-earthness, Rylant offers seven vignettes of life at the Van Gogh Café. Situated off I-70 in Flowers, Kansas, the café (formerly an old movie theater) is run by Marc and his 10-year-old daughter, Clara, who appreciate the magic that comes from the café's very walls.

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Wedding Flowers - Fans of this sweet series will know to expect extra frosting on their wedding cake. In this installment, Lily, Tess, and Rosie return to Cobble Street and combine their trademark enthusiasm and cooperation to create a sunny morning for Aunt Lucy's wedding.

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When I Was Young in the Mountains - An evocative remembrance of the simple pleasures in country living: splashing in the swimming hole, taking baths in the kitchen, sharing family times – each is eloquently portrayed here in both the misty-hued scenes and in the poetic text.