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King Mouse
A few months ago, when I first saw an illustration from King Mouse, the new book by Cary Fagan and Dena Seiferling, I knew it would be one of the most beautiful books published this, or any year. With that one illustration of a tiny, pointy-nosed mouse wearing a crown, I was immediately transported to a miniature, magical world, deeply resonant of classic children's literature. Something about the delicacy of the line and the soothing gentleness of the story felt very old. I was, and am, in love with King Mouse.
It begins with a lost treasure.
A person, presumably a child, rides through a trail strewn with wildflowers, towing a wagon of crowns. Where is she going with her golden cargo? Several crowns fall off, and a mouse in search of a food finds one of these crowns, and places it on his head. Immediately he feels different – and special. A bear asks the mouse if he is a king, and after thinking about it for moment, the mouse answers yes. Soon, other forest dwellers arrive, offering their allegiance as well as a variety of gifts to the newly crowned King Mouse.
Eventually, the adulation grows tiresome and it doesn't take long for King Mouse to become bored – and then jealous, after a snake also finds a crown and the kingdom gains a queen. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, especially if you can no longer claim preeminence. Soon, others start finding crowns, and in one of the funnier moments of the book, all the animals parade around shouting "hail to me!"
But…one creature, the bear, has failed to find a crown. He walks away, slump shouldered, feeling terrible.
King Mouse notices, and it rouses him out of his narcissistic trance. This may be overstating it – King Mouse is a kid's book after all – but the creatures, once they don their crowns, become instantly focused on their heightened status. When the mouse is able to look beyond his own situation and notice someone who is in distress, it is profound and moving. Fagan and Seiferling bring great subtlety and sweetness to their storytelling, but it is never heavy-handed. The joy of this book is in the gentleness of it, but make no mistake, King Mouse is saying something about empathy – the ability, learned very young, to cast your paws into another creature's shoes (even if they aren't wearing any).
Seiferling's exquisite illustrations are a joy all their own. Though her style is distinct, I am reminded of Beatrix Potter, and more recently, Peter McCarty and Chris Van Allsburg, for reasons that have something to do with how she applies her illustrative marks to the page, but mostly for the sensitivity she brings to each character. Her creatures, and the forest that surrounds them, are carefully observed but imaginative renderings that are full of elegant, unforced charm.
Like the crowns that suddenly appear in the forest, King Mouse is a rare treasure. It's not easy to create a picture book this beautiful in a field rife with clunky, pandering efforts. And while Cary Fagan has written many wonderful children's books, including Thing Thing, previously reviewed in this blog, King Mouse is Dena Sieferling's first picture book. How can this be?
I first became acquainted with her work on Instagram, where she posts photos of her needle felting projects. This is a practice I've only recently discovered, by which I mean, I don't do it – I just appreciate the beauty and delicacy of this unusual art form.
BEEautful! An example of Dena Seiferling's needle-felt art
After graduating from the Alberta College of Art and Design, Seiferling kept busy with commercial projects, in addition to working as an instructor at ACAD. She particularly enjoyed the initial pencil sketches that would precede each finished project, which is why she now focuses on graphite as her primary medium for illustration, as seen in King Mouse.
Following the birth of her first child, Seiferling was looking for ways to "switch things up" and began to explore other mediums. I talked to her about this, and King Mouse, which is being released on September 24.
"It was a very magical time in my life, full of new experiences and dealing with many "unknowns," she says, from her home in Calgary, Alberta. "It brought back a longing for the imagination I had as a child, so I began something new – needle felted animal sculptures. I missed working with my hands (too much working on the computer!) so I was excited to evolve my drawings into three-dimensional, tactile forms – and from that point into many new directions including animation, puppets for film and gallery exhibitions. It has also greatly informed and influenced all of my illustration work, including the work that you see in King Mouse."
Can you describe the experience of having your first picture book out in the world?
It feels wonderful! As a child, I would spend hours getting lost in the stories I read, submerged in a world where anything is possible and anxieties of navigating through my youth were calmed with laughter, amusement and wonder. My Aunt Faye was a Teacher Librarian and would give me the best children's books for every occasion, books which I still covet today as an adult. The opportunity to illustrate a children's book feels like a way to give children that sense of wonder and magic I experienced, and I couldn't have asked for better way to start that with King Mouse. Serendipitous in timing and subject matter, it felt like the characters I developed were already there waiting to pair with Cary Fagan's story.
How did you get matched with Cary?
Tara Walker, VP and Publisher at Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers [publisher of Tundra Books], contacted me after seeing the work I promoted on Instagram, proposing that I illustrate a children's book. She happened to have a manuscript she thought might work well with my illustration style – Cary Fagan's King Mouse. It was a perfect match as the story inspired me right from the beginning!
What is your artistic process?
I start with many rough sketches which are then refined towards a final draft. The final artwork is graphite on cotton paper with colour added digitally in Photoshop. Sometimes I create three-dimensional versions of the characters that I'm developing in addition to my drawings.
Your quote, "I enjoy hybridizing hypothetical human and animal experiences, drawing parallels between the two, triggering empathy for animals as well as creating a connection to the viewer in a very personal way," very much gets to the heart of your illustrations and needle-felt work. Can you talk about that?
Foremost, I strive to create a connection between my characters and the audience through anthropomorphism. I realize that there is debate over whether anthropomorphizing animals is damaging or productive, but I think the positives win when the belief that animals have emotion and feelings similar to our own results in valuing and protecting them. Especially as we are losing animal species at astronomical rates. On another note, I think that by drawing ridiculously silly parallels from perceived scary animals to humans, there is a fear being addressed, an anxiety being eased and a tolerance being practised through empathy.
Have you always created art?
Well, the story goes that from the time I was two, I always had a pencil in hand! As I got older, observing character and capturing the underlying personality and soul of a subject is something that specifically gripped my imagination. I spent a lot of my free time drawing portraits during my elementary and high school years, then I would adorn my bedroom walls with the drawings. I was influenced by a mother who appreciates handmade objects with a historical context (antique collecting) and my father's zest for building anything he set his mind to (ranges from airplanes to fuzz pedals for electric guitars) and I think that because of this, I wasn't afraid to try my hand at making new things.
I'm working on my largest body of sculpture work yet for a solo exhibition in May 2020 at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. I will be posting more information about this on my Instagram profile as it progresses. I also just completed the illustration work for a book written by Helaine Becker, published by Owl Books, to be released in the fall of 2020 and soon I will begin working on a new children's book written by Cary Fagan, published by Tundra, to be released Spring 2021.
King Mouse by Cary Fagan with illustrations by Dena Seiferling is published by Tundra Books, 2019.
Read my review of Thing Thing by Cary Fagan here.
To purchase King Mouse in Edmonton, please contact The Prints and the Paper for this book and other personally curated and always amazing children's picture books.
Dena Seiferling:
Website: pickleandfrancois.com
Instagram: @pickleandfrancois
Nobody Hugs a Cactus
Many years ago, a former boss gave everyone on her team a cactus just before the Christmas break. It was an unusually pointy gift, and my suspicion about its inherent symbolism was confirmed a year later, when we all received knock-off Swiss army knives. Stay away – I am prickly. The fact that we already knew this about her was not the point, no pun intended. For some reason, she wanted to give us tiny versions of herself. We got the message, and we obliged.
In Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich, the main character – Hank, the aforementioned succulent, is indeed, very prickly, and boy oh boy he does not want anyone or anything to come near. He is content to sit in his window perch, alone, staring out into the "hot, dry, peaceful and quiet" desert landscape.
Hank watches suspiciously as a parade of well-meaning critters of the animal, reptile, human and tumbleweed variety pass by, all of whom try to woo Hank out of his self-imposed isolation. They are rebuffed, one by one.
It's a cowboy, striding in on hilariously long legs, who first suggests to Hank that he might need a hug, but then adds, "Too bad nobody hugs a cactus."
One gets the impression that Hank may not know what a hug is, but whatever it is, he doesn't want it, and so he doubles down on his next insult to a skittering lizard. "Just in case you're wondering, I don't want a hug." The lizard is only too happy to comply. "That's good, because I don't want to give you one." The tables have now turned, and it's the visitors who reject Hank. A little hurt by the lizard's remark, he begrudgingly offers to hug an owl, who abruptly turns him down.
For the first time, Hank feels lonely.
We don't always know what we need, or we do and we fear asking for it. In choosing a cactus with all its barbs and pointy spines to convey vulnerability, Goodrich is suggesting that underneath even the strongest, most impenetrable armour, there is always something soft. Something that needs attention. Lucky for Hank, in a moment of distress – amusing to the reader but not so much for Hank – he is rescued, literally and figuratively, by Rosie, a cheerful tumbleweed.
The way he thanks his new friend, by growing a flower for her, is the reason I bought this book. This illustration is so hopeful, so beautiful, so full of heart. The posture of his arm, outstretched, with "the best flower he could grow" is Goodrich at his best. He is able to convey feeling without being cloying or manipulative. His illustrations often make me laugh – and one with a jackrabbit made me laugh out loud in the bookstore – but they also make me love. Deeply. When he unveils this flower, I love Hank. And readers will love Hank. He is trying, very, very hard to make a connection. In opening up to kindness, Hank himself becomes kind.
This is not the end of the story, but suffice to say, Hank is a changed cactus.
In Nobody Hugs a Cactus, Goodrich paints the desert background in golden watercolour washes, the details diffuse, focusing instead on the wild array of characters who populate the otherwise sparse landscape. Expression, posture, emotion – this is Goodrich territory. With a deft hand and an empathetic heart, he imbues his characters, even a small, ornery cactus, with such lovableness, it is impossible not to care. This succulent may be prickly, but as Goodrich knows, it's all surface. Bring it in, Hank.
I have long been a fan of Carter Goodrich. My entry drug was his beautiful and often politically barbed covers for the New Yorker, but it's his trilogy of books featuring two dogs, Mister Bud and Zorro, that made me fall in love with this two-time Society of Illustrators gold medal winning illustrator. No surprise, Goodrich is also a character designer for such films as Brave, Despicable Me and Ratatouille, for which won the International Animated Film Society's Annie Award for character design.
Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich. Published by Simon & Schuster, 2019.
Check out Carter Goodrich's website here.
Read my review of Mister Bud Wears the Cone
Read my review of Zorro Gets an Outfit
Read my review of Say Hello to Zorro!
The Honeybee
I love bees.
I may have begun another bee book review this way, but the sentiment remains true. I love bees, and I love books about bees. The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall and Canadian illustrator Isabelle Arsenault would make me fall in love with bees even if – gasp – I hated bees. Instead, this joyous, beautiful book makes me fall in love all over again.
I didn't start out that way. Like most, I feared bees, especially their array of stinger accessories, but the more trails I walked, the more flowers and gardens and fields I observed, the more my admiration grew for these tiny, gentle pollinators.
The Honeybee takes us on a journey through the life of a bee, and a bee colony, as pollen is collected and honey created. The story trajectory is familiar – we all kinda know what bees do – but in word and image, The Honeybee stands alone as a thing of absolute beauty. Kirsten Hall's playful poetry tells the story simply and humourously, but with a kind of meandering lilt, as if the words are perched on the hum of a bee. Isabelle Arsenault continues her run of stunning picture books, finding new ways to visually charm, and at the same time, comfort, with a throw-back warmth reminiscent of classic children's picture book fare.
As the story begins, the reader is invited over a hill to a field of wild flowers, where a bee makes her debut in a celebratory, double-page spread.
A BEE!
Yes, a bee, with an affable, smiling face and a pair of big friendly eyes. Perhaps not quite an accurate portrayal of Apis mellifera, but true to the jubilant spirit of the book. This bee is an absolute darling, buzzing and humming through the pages as she whirls around fields of wild flowers collecting pollen. Who better than Isabelle Arsenault to imagine this blossomed landscape? The three-time Governor General Award-winning illustrator makes yellow and black, and its variations, the dominant colours – a nod to the bees' striped apparel. The pops of pink and blue in the flowers are all the more stunning against this honeyed backdrop.
Like a hive, every element – from Hall's storytelling to Arsenault's glorious illustrations, work in balanced harmony. The text, which has a lovely hand-drawn quality, uses a font designed by Arsenault, named Honeybee. This book lives and breathes…and buzzes…its subject matter.
The Honeybee does what most children's books with a message fail to do. It charms, eliciting an appreciation in the reader not only for bees and the work they do, but for the natural environment that supports their livelihoods, and tangentially, ours. Author Kirsten Hall has a deft hand, lovingly and reverentially telling the story of the honeybee. In making us fall in love, we are much more apt to respond with love. As she states in the postscript: "I wrote this story for an important reason. The honeybee is one of our world's most marvelous creatures. And sadly, it's in danger. In writing this book, I was hoping you might grow a new appreciation for the honeybee – and that you'll join me in caring about its future." Mission accomplished.
Kirsten Hall is a former preschool and elementary school teacher who has authored more than a hundred learn-to-read stories for emergent readers. Today, she is the founder and owner of a boutique children's book illustration and literary agency, Catbird Productions. Hall is the author of the picture books The Gold Leaf and The Jacket, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014. Follow her at: hallwayskirsten.tumblr.com
Isabelle Arsenault is one of Canada's – and the world's – best and most celebrated illustrators. She studied graphic design at Universite du Quebec a Montreal, and in 2004 illustrated her first children's book, Le Coeur de Monsieur Gauguin, for which she received Canada's highest artistic honour, the Governor General's Literary Award for Illustration. Following this, she was a finalist on three other occasions for the GG's: My Letter to the World, Once Upon a Northern Night, and Migrant, which was also among The New York Times 10 best illustrated books of 2011. In 2012, Arsenault received her second Governor General's Award for Virginia Wolf, and in 2013, she received her third Governor General's Award for the French edition of the graphic novelesque picture book, Jane, the Fox and Me (Jane, le renard et moi). See more of her work here: isabellearsenault.com
The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall, with illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault. Atheneum Books, 2018.
Other Isabelle Arsenault illustrated books reviewed in 32 Pages:
Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean Pendziwol
Migrant by Maxine Trottier
Jane, the Fox & Me by Fanny Britt (included in a roundup)
Other BEEautiful books reviewed in this blog: UnBEElievables by Douglas Florian (Beach Lane Books, 2012)
I bought this book for the bear.
That was enough. The bear with the corn-cob grin.
I remember when A Perfect Day was announced in 2016. I said, this will be my favourite book of 2017. I can't say whether this will prove to be true, but I can say this – the illustration of the bear with the corn cob stretched across his mouth is as good as it gets.
Bear aside, the rest of A Perfect Day is a wonder to behold, which of course is what I've come to expect from Lane Smith, an extraordinary illustrator and writer whose work so often ascends into the realm of genius.
Textural, beautifully observed and deeply humourous, Lane's illustrations are instantly recognizable, but the two-time Caldecott recipient always seems to find new and creative ways of making marks on a page. In A Perfect Day, he manipulates the natural lines of the paint strokes to suggest the fur and feathers of the animals in the story, each of whom are enjoying a perfect day for a variety of reasons. This is due – in part – to a boy named Bert, who in his generosity is enjoying his own kind of perfect day.
A cat rolls in daffodils. A dog sits in a wading pool of cool water. A recently filled bird feeder pleases a chickadee. A squirrel is the happy recipient of a corn cob. Each of them is having a perfect day, until a big, brown bear shows up and steals the corn cob from the squirrel, helps himself to the birdseed, guzzles water from the wading pool, and then rolls around in the flower bed, reflecting happily and contentedly on his perfect day.
Oh, bear.
Once I was camping with my family in Jasper and a bear strolled up to our campsite and helped himself to our hamburgers. All of them. Bears do what they want.
Each critter finds happiness in the small pleasures of a summer day, and this is especially true of the bear, who is either oblivious to the havoc he creates or is in fact taking pleasure in it. The way he kind of flaunts his acquisitions, his corn-cob grin for instance, suggests the latter. Not all pleasures are innocent.
The simple narrative is enlivened by beautiful and giggle-worthy illustrations that tell the story so vividly the words are largely unnecessary. Employing a number of different media, including (I believe) watercolour, pen and collage, Smith's sweet, and at times, woeful characters move from peace to chaos as the massive bear abruptly ends their perfect day. He is the ultimate vibe-killer.
There is just enough detail in Smith's illustrations to render form and expression, and the rest is just play. Highly skilled play, but play nonetheless. The way the paint overlaps and adheres to the surface, absorbing the varying textures of the paper. The mix of line, dot and splash, white space and colour. The way Smith captures, with an absence of detail, the luxuriating swish of the bears arms and legs in the flowerbed. Lane Smith has always been a unique and experimental illustrator, but in the creation of this book, he too is having a perfect day.
As any regular reader of this blog will know, and that's asking a lot considering my non-existent production of late, I love Lane Smith. To use hockey parlance, Lane Smith is a generational illustrator. The beauty of his illustrations and the quirkiness of his vision long ago separated this artist from the pack. Of course, there are other generational illustrators and like Smith, they too have carved out their own niche, but there is only one Stinky Cheese Man.
A Perfect Day by Lane Smith, Roaring Brook Press, 2017
Other Lane Smith picture books reviewed in this blog:
The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip (George Saunders, Lane Smith)
Abe Lincoln's Dream (Lane Smith)
Spooky ABC (Eve Merriam, Lane Smith)
Um…yeah.
So I've been away from this blog for…I'm afraid to count the days. Months? No solid explanation other than life. Busy, busy life.
I aim to do better. I want to do better. Children's picture books mean everything to me (as does hyperbole), and just because I've temporarily stopped writing reviews doesn't mean – by any stretch – that I've stopped collecting them or pondering their singular illustrative and literary qualities. I have many beauties lined up for review. On tables, on the floor. I am overwhelmed by books. Maybe that's part of the problem. A happy problem, but still…a problem.
In the time I've been 'away', I have discovered a new artist. Not personally discovered, of course. I'm sure Kenard Pak is aware of who he is, but nevertheless, he is relatively new on the scene, and definitely new to me. He will be my first review, or set of reviews as I have three of his books.
And so, off to write that review…
Rutherford the Time-Travelling Moose
"I rhyme/To see myself, to set the darkness echoing."
– Seamus Heaney, Personal Helicon
Heaney's statement, about the act of writing, also resonates for me as a reader. We read to see ourselves – to illuminate our present and our past – to set the darkness echoing.
In Edmonton we rarely, if ever, are given the opportunity to see ourselves and our city reflected in the pages of a book. There have been strides in adult literature, but until the publication of Rutherford the Time-Travelling Moose, there have been no picture books celebrating Edmonton for children.
Rutherford the Time-Travelling Moose was initially conceived as a picture book about Edmonton's history in the context of Rutherford House, the home of the first Premier of Alberta, Alexander Rutherford (1905-1910). The Friends of Rutherford House Society issued a call for story proposals and Thomas Wharton, an award-winning local author, won the bid along with illustrator Amanda Schutz, also a resident of Edmonton.
Wharton was commissioned to "animate" the bones of the story, taking it beyond its original confines to the places in Edmonton the premier and his family would have known.
The journey begins with a young girl named Robin who is visiting her grandmother at an old brick house on Saskatchewan Drive. (Readers in Edmonton will recognize this as Rutherford House.) The smell of cookies baking in a cast-iron stove elicits a conversation about Edmonton's past. In wanders Rutherford the moose, hungry for his regular Wednesday 'cookies and tea' and eager to help Robin with her questions. (For international readers of this blog, please note that in Edmonton moose typically do not wander into people's homes. Backyards, yes, but…)
As luck would have it, Rutherford is a time-travelling moose. Astride his back, Rutherford spirits the adventurous girl back to the ice-age and then travels forward through various eras, including a visit to a First Nations settlement along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, fur traders at Fort Edmonton, an early 20th century legislature (where the Famous Five can be spotted in the foreground), the High Level Bridge with a streetcar running along the top (as its facsimile does to this day) and other recognizable Edmonton landmarks and historical touch points.
Unless you're from a major city like New York or London, like me you probably get excited when you see familiar people and place names in books, simply because it doesn't happen that often. This alone makes Rutherford the Time-Travelling Moose essential reading for every child in Edmonton, but it's particularly gratifying as an illustration junkie to see my city presented so beautifully. Schutz's bold and colourful palette serve Edmonton well, and her humourous characterizations keep the mood light and fun.
The project took six months from beginning to end, which according to Wharton – author of seven novels – is the fastest he's ever worked. "Writing the YA trilogy Perilous Realm took every ounce of my skill and effort because I had to try and get myself into the head of a younger reader," he says. "That was a good learning experience and in some ways it prepared me for Rutherford the Time-Travelling Moose. It made me realize I had to think about who I was writing for, and how they see the world."
Schutz was equally sensitive to needs of her audience and to the historical accuracy in her depictions (Rutherford House provided photographs from the provincial archives), but working and living in Old Strathcona proved a definite advantage. "It was very easy for me to pop over to Whyte Ave or Strathcona Library to take images, or think about what elements were important to include in in the book," says Schutz. "I added a few personal touches. For example, in the Garneau scene a red pick up truck is featured in the foreground. This truck was my grandpa's old Ford Ranger, which he sold to me for a dollar when I turned 16 and got my drivers license."
Wharton admits that working within the constraints of a 32 page picture book was a challenge. "What took most of the work was figuring out how much text we could put on each page, how many visits to different time periods and figuring out how it would look on the page," he says. "A lot of that was done when Amanda came on board. When I first saw her work, I already had the idea in my mind that this would be a fun, a fast-paced story, and Amanda's style fit that perfectly. The story came together that way."
It was Wharton's idea to use a moose as the 'vehicle' for time-travel, based on his own experiences observing the "big, ungainly" animals on the acreage he shares with his wife. It was also his decision to make Robin a girl. "At first we talked about avoiding gender, just making this a kid, which is why I chose the name Robin," he explains. "It's a kid, so take your pick, but that proved to be really problematic and clunky in terms of the pronouns. Eventually I decided to make her a tomboy. So she's got a ponytail, but she's in pants and she's a real go-getter."
For children, seeing yourself reflected in the pages of a picture book is important in terms of cultural and experiential awareness. It's identity-building. Even for adults, a picture book like this provides a colourful doorway into our city's history – a history that for most of us is a blank page. "We tend to get inundated like everyone else with American culture, and we forget that we have our own," says Wharton. "But I think it's important that people understand how things got to be the way they are."
Indeed. Rutherford the Time-Travelling Moose leaves the reader, young and old, hungry for more Edmonton(or moose)-based stories.
It's time to set that darkness echoing.
THOMAS WHARTON is the award-winning author of the young adult trilogy Perilous Realm and the Alberta-centric novel Icefields (a Canada Reads finalist). Wharton was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta and is currently an associate professor of writing and English at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
AMANDA SCHUTZ is an Edmonton-based illustrator and designer. Schutz is the creative director of the design firm Curio Studio and her work has appeared in many children's books and publications.
RUTHERFORD THE TIME-TRAVELLING MOOSE by Thomas Wharton, with illustrations by Amanda Schutz. Rutherford House, 2015
ABOUT RUTHERFORD HOUSE
The story of this book originally appeared in the University of Alberta/Faculty of Arts WORK OF ARTS blog. You may recognize a few phrases…
Marguerite's Christmas
Marguerite's Christmas isn't for everyone.
The story of a fragile, elderly woman alone on Christmas Eve will leave some wondering if this is appropriate subject matter for children. Others will wonder if its appropriate subject matter for adults, given its juvenile format.
But it is a book for me, and anyone who sees storytelling as non-exclusionary. All stories have a place in children's literature, as long as they are told well, told sensitively and honestly, and in the case of picture books, told with illustrative depth.
Marguerite's Christmas is an extraordinary book. Written by Québecois author India Desjardins and illustrated by Pascal Blanchet (Trois-Rivières), Marguerite's Christmas is one of the most beautiful books in recent memory, and it also deeply sad, because in Marguerite's solitude we as readers want to reach out to her, even though her reality – being alone at Christmas – is not particularly unusual. The elderly are not always surrounded by family during the holidays like we see on TV, and some people, perhaps many people, are lonely at Christmas.
It's difficult to know if I am ascribing feelings to Marguerite that she herself does not possess. She claims to be happy cocooning in her home, enjoying comforting rituals like watching her favourite holiday movies and not bothering with the tiresome fuss of Christmas. Many of her friends and family have died, and she is no longer interested in making new memories, just revisiting old. She repeatedly reassures her family that she is OK.
And yet, she is frequently startled by routine noises and fears going outside as if suffering from mild agoraphobia. She could probably use some company, but rejects it. Clearly, Marguerite is nearing the end, and at one point even imagines the grim reaper at her door. The scenes that follow give me pause. Is the episode with the car actually happening, or is it part of her 'passage' to the other side?
Unlike some adults (or this adult), children will take Marguerite at face-value. The story will not make them uneasy. Instead they will be engaged by Marguerite's predicament, by her haplessness and vivid imagination (stunningly expressed by the illustrator). Marguerite is a real character. She is endearingly quirky and fastidious. In the most transcendent moment of the book, her kind heart triumphs over her natural reticence when, in spite of her apprehension about venturing outdoors, she helps a stranded family in a broken-down car. It has been a very long time since she has been outside, and the stillness and chill of the winter night releases her fear.
It's a brave and respectful move by India Desjardins to tell this unvarnished story of an elderly person's winding-down life, and pitch it at children. For everyone, life is a journey, and each moment has its inherent pleasures and torments. And even when you least expect it, a moment of wonder.
The illustrations by Québec illustrator Pascal Blanchet elevate Marguerite's Christmas into classic holiday fare, pulling out and intensifying the humour and poignancy of Desjardins words. The art is simply stunning, full of quiet, snow-dolloped streets and retro-heavy vignettes that draw from Marguerite's life, past and present. The exaggerated angles, stylized imagery and flat colours are very much in the manner of Eyvind Earle, one of Disney's finest background artists. Several years ago, I bought a book of his Christmas card illustrations (800 in total). Blanchet's winterscapes seem plucked from that magnificent collection of cards Earle created over 60 years ago.
Marguerite's Christmas is perfection from the storytelling and illustration to the candy cane end-papers and placement of the type. It's one of those books where everything works in exquisite balance, each element enhancing the expression of the other. Yes, it is at times an uneasy, layered read, but it is also deeply touching. I'll not soon forget Marguerite. I feel like I've known her my whole life.
Marguerite's Christmas by India Desjardins, illustrations by Pascal Blanchet. English edition, published by Enchanted Lion Books, 2015.
The original French edition of Marguerite's Christmas, Le Noël de Marguerite (Les Éditions de la Pastèque, 2014) was shortlisted for the 2014 Governor General Literary Award in Canada for both text and illustration.
For more CHRISTMAS PICTURE BOOK REVIEWS, click HERE. Within that post, is a link to an even longer list of Christmas books!
The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea
When Brenda Z. Guiberson met Gennady Spirin, the picture book gods and godettes smiled. Since their original collaboration Life in the Boreal Forest, the talented twosome have been creating THE most beautiful, non-fiction picture books around. It's not possible to pick a favourite, although I will admit to a strong affinity for the frogs in Frog Song, and as a resident of the north, how could I not love the moose in Life in the Boreal Forest?
Nevertheless, their newest venture The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea is truly amazing, as the title suggests. It's so strangely beautiful, in fact, it could be a collection of alien creatures as imagined by some unfathomably inspired and slightly demented dreamer.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a fan of the sea. I respect it, I worry about it, and I've enjoyed dipping my toes in it, but aesthetically – I prefer a nice tree over a squid. For reasons that I don't quite understand, fish creep me out.
The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea will not endear the squeamish, like me, but it will beguile. The creatures range from Box Jellyfish (and its millions of stinging toxic cells) to the truly bizarre Barreleye Fish, also known as the spook fish – for good reason: it's got a transparent head. There are other non-orifice-clenching sea dwellers represented in the book, like sharks and leatherback sea turtles, but each in their own particular and often peculiar way, are vying for the title of the most amazing creature in the sea.
It's a great premise. Each creature makes its case, and each one is stranger, in an evolutionary sense, than the next. One wonders what selection pressures created this little horror:
"I am an ANGLEFISH. As a female, I lure prey close to my mouth with the light that dangles from my dorsal spine. Smaller males join their bodies to mine, latching on with their teeth until their skin fuses into mine. I eat for us all, sharing the nutrients from my bloodstream. I see for us all when each male attached to me loses his eyes. That's why I'm the most amazing creature in the sea!"
Amazing, for sure. Also horrific, nightmarish and spectacularly homicidal. Guiberson and Spirin show us a fantastical world that stuns the intellect, astonishes the eye, and confronts our deepest fears.
And don't even get me started on Hagfish (aka 'the snot fish').
The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea is a thing of wonder. I may not ever want to meet one of these creatures outside of a Stephen King novel, but I marvel at their very creation. In compelling, but simple detail, Guiberson conveys the individual quality of each creature while making a case for their growing endangerment. As with Life in the Boreal Forest and Frog Song, the author's notes include additional information about the environmental pressures faced by these and other creatures of the sea, as well as links to conservation organizations.
It is Gennady Spirin's illustrations that elevate the book from an interesting and informative read to a work of art. How beautifully he imagines this undersea world! It's as if someone has opened a long buried treasure chest and all the gold and jewels have wafted out, setting the sea alight. I try very hard not to draw a distinction between fine art and illustration, but as I have said before in other posts about this Russian illustrator, Spirin's paintings are true masterpieces. They would be at home in a museum.
In countless publications, most of them re-tellings of traditional folk and fairy tales, Spirin pulls out exquisite detail in tempera, watercolour and pencil, creating illustrations that appear torn from a 500 year old illuminated bible. They are luminescent, flecked with gold, delicately and richly coloured.
The virtuosity of the illustrations suggest (or perhaps demand) a leisurely pace, but Spirin is prolific, which is great news for those of us who are greedy for each new publication. Interestingly, he does not discriminate – whether its Chekhov, Hans Christian Andersen or Brenda Guiberson – every illustration gig gets the full Spirin treatment. It's not a stretch to think he (and Guiberson) reveled in the peculiar, almost supernatural details of these creatures, imbuing them with character in spite of their utter lack of charm. I'm sure they're fine fellows in their own right, but as I have already mentioned, I'm not drawn to the ocean, but in the hands of a brilliant illustrator like Gennady Spirin, I find its creatures admirable, if only for the sheer weirdness of their existence.
Gennady Spirin studied at the Moscow Art School and the Academy of Arts, as well as the Moscow Stroganov Institute, and currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey. Together with Guiberson, he has published three other books: The Greatest Dinosaur Ever, Frog Song and Life in the Boreal Forest. Beyond this, however, Spirin has created dozens of books, all of which are little masterpieces of illustration.
Brenda Z. Guiberson is an author and illustrator who has had a life-long interest in science. Hailing from Washington state, Guiberson has written many books for children, including Cactus Hotel, Spoonbill Swamp, Moon Bear and Disasters.
I am very happy to report that a sort of sequel to this book will be published in 2016 called The Deadliest Creature in the World. Here's a sneak preview.
The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin. Henry Holt and Company, 2015
I have also reviewed these other Gennady Spirin gems (click on link for reviews):Frog Song, Life in the Boreal Forest, Martha,various Christmas titles (short reviews)
The Dark Art of Halloween (updated for 2015)
October is but a mere few hours away from November's hostile takeover and I've yet to post reviews of new Halloween books for 2015, mostly because I have only one. I'm sure there are more, but I've been bereft in my picture book trolling. Nevertheless, Leo: A Ghost Story is a gooder and I am happy to add it to my list of BOOtiful Halloween confections. And so, I bring you my annual celebration of the macabre, the creepy, and the deliciously twisted in children's literature. Yes, this is a re-hash of previous Halloween posts and ghosts of Halloween's past (CLICK on the links for longer reviews):
"Gary, I'm scared!"
This rather amusing statement initiates a series of events in Leo: a Ghost Story (Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson/Chronicle Books) resulting in a young ghost-boy leaving his home and venturing far afield in search of a more welcoming abode. Young Leo is self-entertaining house ghost occupying an old dwelling on the edge of the city. When a new family moves in, his friendly overtures are less than well received. The family calls in a scientist, a clergyman and a psychic to de-ghostify the house, which Leo believes is a waste of money. He knows he is unwanted.
"I have been a house ghost all my life. Maybe I would like being a roaming ghost for a while."
Leo says farewell to his home and ventures into the city. Judging by his Little Lord Fauntleroy attire, he is about a hundred years old, and the city looks very different to him. He is quickly lost in the bustling urban setting. The first person to 'see' Leo is a little girl named Jane, who invites him to play Knights of the Round Table. Jane takes Leo home, where both the girl and her parents assume he is imaginary. When Jane discovers he is a ghost, she's pretty cool with it. In fact, she's a pretty cool girl. Her games are imaginative and inclusive, and it's wonderful to see her calmly accept Leo for who he is – a ghost in need of a friend.
I am familiar with Mac Barnett of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole fame but had not heard of Christian Robinson until his name started popping up on the internet in gleeful anticipation of Leo: a Ghost Story. A previous winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Josephine: the Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker, Robinson's newest book retains the old-timey simplicity of form but introduces a minimalist and much bluer palette. The San Francisco-based artist uses acrylic paint and cut out construction paper to create his humourous and playful illustrations. Leo is a blue outline, but no less substantial than the rest of the characters – just a little more see-through. The use of varying shades of blue is a nice way to bring diversity to the page without being overt. Leo: a Ghost Story is also beautiful. The colours, though limited to blue, black, and orange (on the cover), are stark and chilly. A little haunted, but invitingly so. I'm with Jane on this one – I would share mint tea and honey toast anytime with Leo.
My only quibble – the title. Personally, I would have gone with Gary I'm Scared, or I See Blue People
Published in 2014, the truly scary WHAT THERE IS BEFORE THERE IS ANYTHING THERE by the Argentine cartoonist Liniers. This beautifully illustrated book is wildly funny, and surprisingly disturbing. As a former scaredy-cat kid, I can relate to the lad's nightmarish visitations when the lights go out. Liniers balances humour with creeptastic (and yet somehow affable) creatures that do nothing but stare at the boy – until the thing that is there before there is anything there arrives. Yikes!
I've been meaning to write about the wonderful illustrator Chris Sheban for some time now, almost fourteen years, although in my indefensible defense I've only had this blog for five of those fourteen years, and I have a lot of books.
I first came across Sheban's work at a Washington, D.C. bookstore. It was a tall and slender book called The Shoe Tree of Chagrin, and it remains one of the best and most beautiful 'finds' of any trip I've experienced, which of course always includes a visit or two to a bookstore. One day I will write about that marvel of a book, but for now I have fallen mightily for a dog. A dog in search of a job.
In Job Wanted, written by Teresa Bateman, an old dog must prove his worth to a farmer. It's not stated why the dog is homeless, but suffice to say, he is an experienced farm dog with an empty belly, an imaginative mind and a willingness to do whatever it takes, including impersonating a cow. The farmer is not convinced, believing that dogs "just eat, and don't give anything back". (Clearly, this farmer has never owned a dog.)
"Do you have an opening for a cow?" the dog asked.
"Well sure. But, you're not a cow."
"We'll see about that," the dog said. "I'll start work tomorrow."
The next day, the dog prepares the cows for milking and the farmer is able to finish the job "in jig time". Bateman uses this idiosyncratic turn of phrase several times, indicating that the dog's helpful acts are having their intended effect. Following a confrontation with a fox, the farmer calls the commotion a "foofaraw". These expressions are a nice bit of characterization, deepening the homey, mid-western feel of the book.
Wordplay is one of the many pleasures in Job Wanted, accentuated by Sheban's magnificent watercolour, graphite and Prismacolour pencil illustrations. The Grant Wood-esque landscapes are rendered in sparse detail, allowing Sheban to direct his wondrous imagination to the farmer, the farm animals, and most impressively, the dog. With his grey-flecked snout, plaintive expression, and gangly body, we fall for the old mutt immediately. Surely he has proven his worth just by being so darn lovable? Well, as we learn, farm dogs must earn their keep. It is not enough to be cute (speaking for the farmer, because in my canine world being cute is more than enough).
Author and illustrator extract the maximum amount of humour, charm and pathos from this story of a dog who is not so much looking for a job as a home. It's a testament to my investment in this story, and to dogs in general, that I experienced a fair amount of anxiety waiting for the farmer to accept this mutt into his life, and when it finally happens, it's truly a lovely (and cathartic) moment.
Sheban's illustrations are like opals – soft and deep and ever-changing. Sometimes you see the blue, sometimes the gold, but every colour is present, if variably expressed. A translucent glow lifts the tones, bathing each wash of colour and pencil stroke in morning light. While it's easy to be charmed by Sheban's great warmth and humour, each illustration stands on its own as a thing of beauty – from the bespectacled farmer to the fat hens, and most of all an old hound dog who still has a few tricks up his hairy sleeve. If you've ever loved a dog, or needed a job, or worked on a farm, or if you just plain love funny, exquisitely illustrated picture books, then I would highly recommend that you pick up Job Wanted…in jig time.
Chris Sheban grew up in Boardman, Ohio, attending Kent State University followed by several years of graduate work. He has been awarded three Gold and three Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators. Watch these pages (all 32 of them) for reviews of The Shoe Tree of Chagrin, and a couple of other Sheban beauties in my collection: The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly and Catching the Moon. Chris lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Teresa Bateman was born in Moscow, Idaho, but moved to Washington State when she was three-years-old. She is a school librarian, dog lover, storyteller and the author of many wonderful stories and poems for children. Her book Keeper of Soles is an ALA Notable Children's Book.
Job Wanted by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Chris Sheban. Holiday House, 2015.
Job Wanted sketch
Donna on Under African Skies
Michael Robert Kirkpatrick on Under African Skies
choice websites on The Honeybee
Donna on The Dark Art of Halloween
Mary R on The Dark Art of Halloween
Donna on A Perfect Day
Lisa on A Perfect Day
Lisa on Um…yeah.
Donna's Favourite Sites
Age of Uncertainty
Alice in Baker Street
Book Graphics
Books for Little Hands
Boyz Read
Catherine Rayner
Collecting Children's Books
Curious Pages
Driven to Read/Division 5
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Eric Carle's blog
General Nerdiness
I Can Read That
I Heart Picture Books
John Kenn Mortensen
Kyle Brownrigg Illustration
Lane's Smith's Closet
Nicolas Delort
Peter de Sève
Picture Book Review
Picture Books in ELT
Plumdog Blog
Polly Noakes
Ptak Science Books
RandM Collective
Reads For Keeps
Rose Sanderson
Sketchtravel Blog
Storied Cities
The Saffron Tree
Where the Best Books Are
WTF Art History
Donna's River Valley
Argentina autumn bears birds bugs Canada Candlewick Press Carter Goodrich Christmas conservation death design dogs Edmonton Enchanted Lion Books environmentalism fairy tales France Frank Viva friendship Germany Groundwood Books halloween HarperCollins hibernation Holland illustration Isabelle Arsenault Jon Klassen Little Brown Michael Sowa monsters nature Oliver Jeffers patrick mcdonnell pigs poetry pumpkins sibling rivalry Simon & Schuster snow urban watercolour winter witches
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Clifton, NJ – November 21, 2017 – ClassLink, the leader in single sign-on, class rostering, and learning resource analytics, has announced a strategic relationship with Curriculum Pathways, the award-winning free web-based curriculum from SAS.
ClassLink empowers students and teachers with instant access to their learning resources, including a library of over 5,000 single sign-on apps and instant links to file folders at school and on Google, Office 365, and Dropbox cloud drives. With new sign-on methods, users can now use QR code-enabled QuickCards, facial recognition, or remote login. ClassLink Roster Server™ easily and securely delivers class rosters to any publisher using open technology standard, such as OneRoster™ from IMS Global Learning Consortium. Included with the ClassLink Suite, ClassLink Analytics gives decision makers the usage data they need.
Curriculum Pathways® features tools, apps, lessons, data sets and primary sources that enable technology-rich instruction and engage higher-order thinking skills for students in K-12 and beyond. Designed for a wide range of classroom environments, technology capabilities and learning styles, Curriculum Pathways can be used flexibly – in a one-computer classroom, in small groups, or in 1:1 computing initiatives, where every student and teacher has access to a computer or mobile device.
ClassLink was recently named the Best K-12 Enterprise Solution of 2017 by SIIA, in part because of its ability to enable access to solutions like Curriculum Pathways. The company charges no fees to partners for integration and uses open technology standards to facilitate access to applications. This means partner providers can integrate with ClassLink at relatively little cost and avoid assessing school districts with unnecessary fees. By committing to a collaborative, sustainable partnership model, ClassLink has become the preferred single sign-on and rostering partner for a growing number of education providers across the US and around the globe.
ClassLink empowers your students and teachers with instant access to their learning resources. ClassLink LaunchPad includes a library of over 5,000 single sign-on apps and instant links to file folders at school and on Google, Office 365, and Dropbox cloud drives. ClassLink Roster Server easily and securely delivers class rosters to any publisher using open technology standards. ClassLink Analytics gives decision makers the usage data they need. Accessible from any computer, tablet or smartphone, ClassLink is ideal for 1to1 and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives.
Announced in December 2008 as a no-cost curriculum resource, Curriculum Pathways is now used by more than 2 million teachers and students around the world. The award-winning product provides content in the core disciplines of English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and Spanish. Aligned with state standards (as well as the Common Core State Standards), Curriculum Pathways features tools, apps, lessons, data sets and primary sources that enable technology-rich instruction and engage higher-order thinking skills for students in K-12 and beyond.


text:
Life Without State Qualifiers
Emerson Barrett and Hadley Schrimpf on the starting line at the Region 1 Championship Meet.
Ella Barrett, Managing Editor
For the past several years, the varsity cross country teams have made it to the Region 1 Championship Meet out in Lubbock, Texas. This year's seniors have been every year since becoming Paschal panthers. This year, however, was a different story.
The 2017 season was the first great season of many for the cross country team. Sophomores Whit Dennis and Patrick Estes joined the team and took the season by storm. Along with seniors Arely Jiminez and Samantha Palma, they led the varsity teams to Regionals.
2018 was a continuation of the previous season, with Whit and Patrick leading as juniors and the girls team made up of underclassmen. That year at Regionals, Whit and Patrick made it to the State meet.
The team was facing a sad goodbye in 2019 with Whit and Patrick–and several other members–being seniors. In the end, Whit's last high school race was the Regional meet. Patrick went on to the State meet.
The 2020 season has been anything but normal. The boys team is now being led by senior James Barham and the girls by senior Ella Barrett. With no runners coming close to Whit and Patrick's times and changed qualifications to make it to Regionals, everyone knew that there was a chance Regionals was out of reach.
The girls have had an extremely successful season, coming in first or second at every meet before the District Championships and it's no secret that their saving grace was the introduction of two new teammates. Freshmen Eme Barrett and Hadley Schrimpf came into their first high school meet and blew everyone away. At the next meet, they did the same. And at the next meet. And the next, and at every meet this season.
On October 30, the District Championship rolled around. This year, the competitive district for all sports changed. Instead of competing against schools like Sam Houston and Arlington Martin, Paschal now competes against schools like Weatherford and Boswell. In addition to changing districts, COVID-19 restrictions changed the rules of qualifying for Regionals; whereas in years past the top 3 teams and top 10 individuals not in teams qualified for Regionals, this year only the top 2 teams and top 10 individuals overall qualified.
In the end, neither team qualified for Regionals. James Barham finished first for Paschal and came in 13th place with a 17:30.38 and Aiden Revilla not far behind in 16th place with a 17:43.53. Despite both boys placing well, the boys varsity placed 6th overall.
The girls varsity placed 3rd overall, only 5 points behind Weatherford High School. Freshmen Barrett and Schrimpf are the reasons why the girls were so close to qualifying. Schrimpf placed 3rd overall with a 19:49.35 and Barrett placed 6th overall with a 20:06.61, meaning both qualified for Regionals individually.
At the Regional meet, Barrett and Schrimpf ran against girls like Brynn Brown, a senior from Denton Guyer High School who is committed to run at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is said to be one of the best runners in the nation. Despite the odds being stacked against them, our freshmen performed well under pressure.
Out of 136 runners, Schrimpf placed 48th with a 20:47.6 and Barrett placed 76th with a 21:35.6. While it isn't quite state qualifying level, it is still impressive for a freshman season and offers hope that at some point in the next three years, the varsity teams will make it to Lubbock once again. займ онлайн на карту без отказа займ до получкизайм до зарплаты без процентовзайм на карту без фото долгосрочный займ срокоформить быстрый займсрочный займ на карту без отказа с плохой кредитной историей
Girls Soccer Tryouts and a New Coach
Baseball Season in Review
Paschal Swimmer Breaks Major Records
Spring Sports Suffer
UIL Cheer Competition
Boys VS Girls Soccer Tryouts
All Pantherette Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The city of Dubrovnik is located at the southern tip of Croatia. It has been called the "Pearl of the Adriatic" on the Dalmatian coast, and its Old City is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The following quote is from the UNESCO Web site.
Croatia became a member of the European Union in 2013. Its currency is the Kuna (i.e., not the Euro). Here is a world map with Croatia being highlighted.


Inverter DC MMA welding machines are used primarily to weld carbon steel, low and high alloy steel, stainless steel, cast iron and ductile iron. The MMA welding process (Shielded Metal Arc welding / Manual Metal Arc welding) is activated by a stick consumable flux-encased electrode. The welding technique utilized depends on the electrode, the composition of the work-piece and the position of the joint being welded.


Metro Water Services Bill Pay - Pay Now!
Metro Water Services aids the water needs of more than 170,000 residential and mercantile buyers in Nashville, Tennessee. Even though Nashville has right to an overflowing supply of pure and clear water from the Cumberland River, Metro Water Service is carried out to introducing fresh technologies to better arrange captious water resources, raise operational efficiency and produce the foremost buyer service that exceeds your expectations and trust.
To make it convenient and simpler for their customers to pay the way they wish to, Metro Water Services proffer an array of payment options nashville.gov. As a buyer of Metro Water Services, one can pay online, automated services, bank draft, telephone, mail and in person.
Premium Access proffers a complete set of account-access choices and self-service choices, involving e-bill registration, production of service supplications and account-profile management. You will be required to produce an online account for reward access.
Standard Access acknowledges circumscribed account access, involving account balance and payment, billing and convention histories. No registration is needed for Standard Access.
Landlord Access acknowledges circumscribed account access, involving account number, service address, account balance and payment links for a landowner's several properties. No registration is needed for Landlord Access too.
Bank drafts are advantageous and you absolutely not have to worry about late payments. Your account will be assaulted 15 days from the billing date. To modify for payment by bank draft, you should have an account with a bank or any financial institution that proffers Automated Clearing House service. Print an enrollment form or use automated services to supplicate a form 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and by calling 615-862-4600.
By paying the bill over the telephone using VISA or Master Card, automated services can be used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or by calling 615-862-4600.
Bill can be paid in person at Metro's Customer Service Centers from 8 AM to 5 PM during the working days. Use our easily accessible and suitable drive-through window or set down your payment in the night depository at the close of hours and on weekends.


text:
Shake Shack Tax Receivable Agreement
Second, a loaded IPO often includes one or more tax receivables agreements (TRA). A TRA is a contract between the pre-IPO owners and the "new" limited company. In a typical TRA, the corporation promises to pay owners, prior to the IPO, a portion (usually 85 per cent) of the benefit obtained by the tax assets generated by the IPO in the use of the assets (i.e. because the higher deductions decrease from the increase in the base that would go to the IRS or another tax authority). The entity retains all of the benefits from the remaining tax duties. As explained later in this article, KRAA`s recent agreements for pre-IPO owners include obtaining some of the benefits of all a company`s tax claims prior to IPO, not just benefits created from a strengthened asset base. In its simplest form, an IPO is a tax-free event for both a company and its pre-IPO owners. Owners before the IPO are taxed if they sell their shares before the IPO, which is often the case after the IPO. What distinguishes an IPO loaded with a standard IPO is a) it creates additional tax bases for the underlying assets, which in turn results in an increase in tax deductions, and b) the benefits are shared between the company and the owners before the IPO by a so-called tax debt agreement. Shake Shack filed for an IPO in early 2015.
Nestled in Shake Shacks S-1 is a TRA between Shake Shack and its pre-IPO owners in an up-C structure. In this agreement, Shake Shack agreed to pay the owners, before the IPO, 85 per cent of the future tax benefits to be used. At the end of 2015, Shake Shack reported an accumulated liability of $173.1 million for the TRA. Shake Shack revealed that, although this number is significant, the grip will be reversed over time. The five-year plan shows that Shake Shack is expected to expect us$33.6 million to owners before the IPO over the next five years. There are few certainties in this world. But I`m almost 100% certain that when Shake Shack — the restaurant chain that offers premium burgers, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fries, shakes, frozen custards, beer and wine — later in the morning, they`re going to explode. Despite what I think, a first day pop at least 50% above that $21 — update: his stock exploded 125% to $47 when they opened — there are seven reasons why I think you`re about to get rid of those delicious sha shakecke actions. But if you think rational thinking is useful for making investment decisions, lower your desire to invest in Shake Shack stocks. This has led some critics to speak of "bizarre cash withdrawals"10 and to a "unilateral agreement"11 that only benefits pre-IPO owners. On the other hand, TRA proponents believe that TRAs are helping to improve the efficiency of the IPO transaction. This view is based on the principle that investors who evaluate the entity at the time of an IPO may undervalue tax assets.
Please direct requests and inquiries to Rhiannon Richards - Sr. PR & Communications Manager, 22837 Ventura Blvd, 3rd Floor, Woodland Hills, CA 91364 or call 818-225-5100 ext 249 or rrichards@guarachiwinepartners.com


text:
Three, Two, One… Swish
By Ernie Haase
Ernie Haase & Signature Sound May/Jun 2013
"I'm as proud of this new record, Glorious Day as I have been of anything I've ever released. The music is more traditional, pure, gospel quartet than anything we've done. It sounds and feels like a hybrid of the Cathedrals, Signature Sound and a little bit of the Vocal Band. The material came together. We went in the studio, we were relaxed, our voices were in good form. There are a lot of 'slam dunks' on this record, a lot of highlights.
"Paul Harkey has added so much. Everyone loves a bass singer. George Younce proved that on a team you've got to have a huge center, a big man — that power voice. Every night Paul walks on stage, he's a human highlight film. He's laid-back, but when he opens his mouth, it freaks people out. He's featured on 'Scars in the Hands of Jesus', an old Southern Gospel song. He sings it every night, and it's a showstopper. Then there's Doug Anderson, my favorite singer of all time. He's featured on 'Sometimes I Wonder,' and it's shutting the show down wherever we go.
"I think this is where we have found our voice, with that classic quartet sound, the four-part harmony, the piano and bass. It's a simple, traditional sound, and it has been like somebody just opened a door with a fresh spring breeze."...


New Delhi: Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR has entered into an Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore for 'Development of ground water flow models and preparation of aquifer management plans for parts of Karnataka'.
The study has to be completed within a year and IISc will present an inception report and a final comprehensive report. The inception report has to be submitted within two months of the signing of the agreement. The inception report will include detailed work plan and timelines specific to the study area keeping in view the objectives, scope, methodology, timeline and deliverables outlined in the Agreement. The final report will include executive summary, introduction, data analysis, hydrogeological setting, conceptualization and model study plan, calibration, validation and sensitivity analysis, groundwater related issues, response of groundwater system to different scenarios, block wise management plans, block wise impacts of proposed management interventions etc.
The MoA was signed by Dr. Dipankar Saha, Member, CGWB and Prof. V Rajarajan, Registrar, IISc, Bangalore.


The Group Conference of the Archaeology & Heritage Group is an annual event featuring presentations on a range of archaeology and heritage topics reflecting the interest and expertise of our members. The aim is to share images and enthusiasm with others both within and outside the group. The event is a good opportunity to get to know members of the group and to appreciate the range of photographic interests it supports. All are welcome.
The event starts with refreshments at 10:00, with the formal programme commencing 10:30. After the morning session we break for lunch. Members make their own arrangements, but many congregate in the 'Edmund Tylney' which is just a couple of minutes' walk away. We then reconvene for the afternoon session.
The Conference Programme can be downloaded from the link to "Information Pack", above. It would be appreciated if those who will be attending would advise Mike Sasse, the events organiser. Offers to present at the conference should also be made to Mike Sasse.


Settle an argument I'm having with my wife. I say if you open one of those big plastic bottles of soda, pour out the drinks, then crush the empty part when you close it back up again, the carbonation will stay in the soda better because there's less room for it to escape to. My wife thinks I'm nuts but can't tell me exactly why it wouldn't work. We turn it over to you. I'm right, right?
On paper, you're a genius. Can you keep the soda bottle squashed? Probably not. That's the flaw in your plan. When you uncap the fresh bottle, the CO2 gas dissolved in the soda is freed like a flock of little birds. Recap it and the CO2 will continue to escape until the pressures above and inside the soda are equal. Unfortunately, pressure from the escaping carbon dioxide will reinflate the bottle before equilibrium is reached and keep the cycle going for a while. Those big jugs of soda have to be chugged if you want them to be crisp and sparkly. They start dying as soon as you uncap them. If you're desperate, you can slowly pour the soda into a glass jar with no headroom, then put on a top. But of course the agitation of pouring makes the carbonation flee even faster. Basically, you're doomed. And that's probably why the missus sneered at the idea. "Guy" ideas (and this is a typical "guy" idea) always sound great, but usually they're danged hard to pull off. But she'd let you find that out for yourself.


Can I Work While Under A Canadian Visitor Visa?
Similar to the United States, Canada protects itself against labour problems by generally not allowing visitors to work. As such, most people will be unable to apply for a work permit while in the country for vacation or to visit family. However, there are certain circumstances and programs that offer a chance for visitors to apply for a work permit while holding a visitor's visa. Selecting the right path may simplify the process for you or your loved ones.
The visitor visa is designed to allow people to enter Canada for the purposes of tourism, family, or other short stays. Depending on the country from which you arrive, the duration of the stay may last as long as six months – the length that residents of the United States are allowed to stay under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Depending on the application you put forth, you may be granted a single-entry visa or a multiple-entry visa. For multi-entry visitor visas, you may be valid to leave and re-enter for up to a decade, with the longest stay being half-a-year. With the single stay visa, in most cases, when you leave you'll need to reapply for another.
One of the requirements for these types of visas is showing that you will return to your native country, with ties to home such as employment and/or financial assets there considered proof. In other words, the point of the visitor visa is that you're not arriving in Canada specifically to work. If an immigration official thinks that you're attempting to gain access to a work permit in Canada through a visitor visa, then you may be denied entry altogether.
Keep in mind that the Immigration Canada will soon require all visitors to have an Electronic Travel Authorization to visit the country as of September 29th, 2016, regardless of whether you're arriving to work or to visit as a tourist.
When you're within the borders of the country as a visitor, the majority of applications to work within Canada will be immediately denied. Essentially, while you're in Canada as a visitor, there are only specific circumstances that will allow you to apply. For the majority of cases, you'll need to apply from outside the country before you'll be allowed to obtain a work permit.
A valid study or work permit is held by your spouse or parents.
You want to apply for a permit for a different type of employment while possessing a permit for your current work.
You possess a temporary resident permit with a validity longer than half a year.
As an applicant for permanent resident status while within Canada, you pass stages in the process that allow you to apply for a work permit.
You'll need to pay fees and sort out which offices you must apply through for the work permit. Even if you're allowed to apply while inside Canada, you may need to submit this application to an embassy that's located within your home country.
Canada welcomes tourists under visitor visas partly because of tourism dollars. Another way Canada seeks to improve the economy is through labor and investment programs that address key needs within sectors that are important to the growth of the Canadian economy.
When applying for a temporary work permit, there's a good chance that your employer will need to fill out a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in order to be able to hire you under the work permit. The idea behind this revolves around protecting jobs that may be performed by Canadian citizens or permanent residents, instead focusing on parts of the labour market that have shortages that need to be addressed.
Depending on the area of Canada that you wish to work in, you may also find that certain provincial programs may be appropriate for the type of work you want to apply for. One example is the PEI provincial nominee program, which invites workers and investors to the province under their business impact or labour impact category.
Questions About Immigration? My Visa Source Has Answers.
My Visa Source stays updated on all immigration news and announcements across Canada and the United States, including sudden changes in government law. Our legal solutions help individuals, families and businesses from North America and around the globe.
Partnering with an experienced lawyer can greatly increase the likelihood of achieving your specific immigration or visa goals. Immigration is a complex process that requires strong legal strategy, precise submission of legal documents and perfect attention to detail, reducing the risk of wasted time, money or permanent rejection.
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text:
Liangkang Kangri är ett berg i Bhutan på gränsen till Kina. Det ligger i distriktet Punakha, i den norra delen av landet. Toppen på Liangkang Kangri är  meter över havet, eller  meter över den omgivande terrängen.

Den högsta punkten i närheten är Gangkhar Puensum,  meter över havet,  kilometer sydost om Liangkang Kangri.

Trakten runt Liangkang Kangri är permanent täckt av is och snö.

Källor

Berg i Punakha (distrikt)
Berg i Bhutan 7000 meter över havet eller högre
Berg i Kina 7000 meter över havet eller högre

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Eyewitness reports of repression and revival.
During China's brutal Cultural Revolution in 1968, Peter Xu Yongze, newly called to Christian ministry, surveyed the bleak future facing Christianity in China and was overcome with grief.
Climbing a mountain near his village in the rugged Henan Province, Xu stopped and prayed, "Dear Lord, please revive your church!"
During the intervening 30 years, Xu evangelized, planted new house churches, and trained local church leaders, eventually creating the Born Again Movement (BAM), which has an estimated 3 million followers independent of the official registered church in China. Spinoffs from BAM, one of the fastest-growing religious groups in China, have an estimated 20 million followers, nearly twice the size of the registered church, which was re-established in 1979.
HERETIC OR HERO? This year, however, Xu will not be celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of his mountaintop plea. Last September he was sentenced to serve ten years in a "re-education-through-labor" camp in Henan. Chinese authorities arrested Xu, now 58, on charges of being a leader of a banned religious cult, disrupting public order, and spreading religious heresy about the imminent end of the world.
After Xu's arrest, the official Chinese news agency compared him to David Koresh, the Branch Davidian leader who in 1994 died in a fiery apocalypse in Waco, Texas, as the fbi attempted to arrest him. Both registered-church and house-church leaders, including Samuel Lamb and Allen Yuan, have criticized Xu and his movement for alleged doctrinal aberrations, such as the expectation that new converts weep for three days to bring about forgiveness for their sins.


Wonder Productions are pleased to be returning back at the Barnfield Theatres as part of a 6 week national tour of Jack and the Beanstalk .
Times are hard for the Trott family; they have no money which means they can't afford to pay the rent. The only thing they have of any value is their beloved cow, which they decide they have to sell. But when Jack is sent to market to do the terrible deed, he comes home with nothing but a handful of mouldy old beans – and that's when the magic really begins!


Ghanaian internet sensation, Pamle Odame Watara has confessed in an interview on Adom FM that she wouldn't mind becoming Sarkodie, the Ghanaian rapper's second wife.
According to Pamela, she likes Sarkodie for several reasons with his gentle nature being one of them and if they (She and Sarkodie) can reach an agreement she wouldn't mind being the second wife the rapper at all.
Pamela Odame Watara explained that, although she may not really like being the second wife of anybody, she can make an exception for the husband of Tracy Sarkcess any day.
The Instagram model who is gradually shifting to acting revealed that Sarkodie was already married to Tracy before she met Sarkodie and became his friend so there was no way she could have taken the center stage in Sark's life.
In an attempt to deny she was not the person in the video, she was disgraced and exposed by the movie producer, Ola Micheal after she lied about being a student of Wisconsin University.


Evening everyone hope you are all well. This evening I have a card which I made for a special friend's 60th birthday. Hope you like it.
WOW Pat this is stunning!
Another stunner Pat. I used to use the boards but not very neat at cutting out so i prefer now to use dies but this card is so neat and looks so expensive.
Absolutely awesome - a gift to be treasured!!


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Statement from District 97 Superintendent Carol Kelley - Jan. 7, 2021
"When you see something that is not right, you must say something. you must do something. Democracy is not a state. it is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself."
- John Lewis
Dear District 97 Family,
There are a host of emotions and feelings I'm sure you have experienced over the past 24 hours. Thus, I won't belabor this message.
I have had the privilege and opportunity to serve as your superintendent of this great school district—a community whose primary focus has been to create a positive learning environment for all of our students that is equitable, inclusive and focused on the whole child. A school community with the following stated beliefs, which provide the lens through which we embrace our work:
We believe… in all of our students and staff. We value and respect every individual, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression, language, religion, economic background or culture.
We believe… in providing every student access to engaging and challenging academic learning experiences.
We believe… in supporting students to develop tolerance, empathy, and care for each other and the world in which they live.
We believe… that we must address the inequities we see in our school and community. We know our inequities are rooted in systemic oppression, racism, and white supremacy and that we must challenge them directly.
As such, as a school community, we must do as John Lewis stated. When we see something that is not right, we must say something. We must do something.
Yesterday morning, in our beloved community, we stood witness to a racist hate attack at L!VE Cafe. We also bore witness to a domestic terrorist attack on our nation's capital. Finally, we bore witness to differential experiences and treatment to those participating in yesterday's insurrection.
Although we have a few days until we are back with our students, it is likely that the domestic terrorist attack on our nation's capital, as well as the act of racist hate at L!VE Cafe, will be on students' minds and they will need time and space to process what they have seen, heard, and are feeling.
I urge you to please join us in speaking up for our beloved community.
If you are able, this evening at 5 p.m., I encourage you to join community members at L!VE Cafe for a vigil. (Masks are required.)
If your schedule permits, I invite you to join the virtual telecast of our upcoming board meeting on January 12 to hear about the efforts our district is taking to teach an anti-racism curriculum.
Finally, I invite you to explore the collection of resources pulled together by our Senior Director of Equity, Dr. Carrie Kamm.
January 6, 2021, may go down in our local and national history books as a day that attempted to damage our soul. I believe those circumstances will only make us stronger; but only if we act to protect what we hold true and dear to our hearts. Please speak up and stand up.
I hope you will join me.
Dr. Carol Kelley
Oak Park School District 97
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text:
Q: How do I open a TCP port I am beginner of socket programming. I want to open "closed port", i can listening port like
serverSocket = new ServerSocket(port);
What is the difference between listening / open port and how do i open port. Anyone can help?

A: You can't open a port with Java. It's a firewall operation. You can listen at a port, which your code sample exemplifies, or you can connect to it, by constructing a new Socket(...) with the appropriate hostname:port parameters.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I'm looking for a new project. Under "Work with me" you can get some information about me, like work examples and even an 'old-fashioned' profile. But that's only a part of the story: I think the project purpose should match the team members' personal values. Therefore, it makes sense to describe my ideal next project team; my "dream team" so to say.
So what does that dream team look like?
Picard management tip: Don't let a crew member's age blind you to their skill level, in either direction.
The team has started to follow agile practices, but wants to get better at agile and/or lean development. It experiments with new ways of achieving the goal of the project. It also found ways to work together well as a distributed team, even though it may be spread across time zones. It also values working remotely.
If this resonates with you, feel free to contact me at the.tester@seasidetesting.com.
Yes, this is the first post about the Agile Testing Days 2015.
Again, thanks to everyone involved in making this possible!


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DAP proposes that Cabinet should cancel award to MMC-Gamuda JV and re-open bidding for the multi-billion ringgit electrified double-tracking rail project in the interests of fair play, competitive pricing, transparency and integrity – giving Abdullah an opportunity to demonstrate that he is concerned not only about petty corruption but also "Grand corruption"
(Penang, Saturday): DAP proposes that Cabinet should cancel the award to MMC-Gamuda JV and re-open bidding for the multi-billion ringgit electrified double-tracking rail project in the interests of fair play, competitive pricing, transparency and integrity – giving the new Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi an opportunity to demonstrate that he is concerned not only about petty corruption but also grand corruption.
The controversy over the award of the multi-billion ringgit double-tracking railway project is a multiple blow to the reputation of the country, not only with regard to transparency and integrity, our handling of international relations but also to the new Prime Minister.
Some three weeks have elapsed since the shock award of the RM14.5 billion electrified double tracking rail project, the country's single largest privatized construction project, to latecomer Malaysia Mining Corporation Bhd -Gamuda consortium (MMC-Gamuda JV) in utter disregard of the Government-to-Government transactions with India and China and earlier Letters of Intent issued to Indian Railway's Ircon International Ltd. with DRB-Hicom/Emrail to handle the 328.km northern stretch from Ipoh to Padang Besar and China Railway Engineering Corp (CRET) with DRB-Hicom Hikmat Asia to handle the southern stretch of 287.5 km from Seremban to Johore Bahru.
The award of the RM14.5 billion electrified double tracking rail project to a local consortium which had slipped up from behind and in circumstances which reeks of scandal because of the gross impropriety and international sensitivities displayed is definitely not a good start for the new Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his pledge of a government which is "clean, incorruptible, modest and beyond suspicion".
The only way to cut the Gordian Knot of the controversy over the multi-billion ringgit award for the electrified double-tracking rail project in a way which is fair to all interested parties as well as to the nation is for the Cabinet to cancel the award to MMC-Gamuda JV and re-open bidding for the project by way of a public tender to all interested parties, whether local or foreign, on a level playing field, to ensure fair play, competitive pricing, transparency and integrity.
This will give Abdullah the opportunity to demonstrate that he is concerned not only about petty corruption but also "Grand corruption".
In his first week as Prime Minister, Abdullah's focus on the war against corruption had been on "petty corruption", or conventional bribery, which occurs when a public official demands, or expects, "speed money" or "grease payments" for doing an act which he or she is ordinarily required by law to do, or when a bribe is paid to obtain services which the official is prohibited from providing.
Hence, the new Prime Minister's emphasis on the reduction of bureaucracy, cut red tape and to revamp front-line agencies in particular the land office, district office and local councils belong to this class of "petty corruption".
But there is another category of corruption which Abdullah has yet to address, "Grand corruption", which occurs when a person in a high position who formulates government policy or is able to influence government decision-making, seeks, as a quid pro quo, payment, usually off-shore and in a foreign currency, for exercising the extensive arbitrary powers vested in him or her.
Scholars of public ethics and corruption have identified five main categories of supply to government in which grand corruption plays a significant role, viz:
The purchase of aircraft, ships and military supplies, including telecommunications.
The purchase of capital goods required for major industrial and agro-industrial projects.
Major civil engineering contracts such as in respect of dams, bridges, highways, railways, airports and hospitals.
The ongoing purchase of bulk supplies, such as oil, fertilizers and cement, where distribution is through a parastatal company, or where there is a need for standardization, such as repeat orders for pharmaceuticals and school textbooks.
Consultancy fees, the usual beneficiary being the public official whose sole responsibility it is to select the consultants.
The re-opening of the bidding by way of open tender for the multi-billion ringgit electrified double-tracking rail project by all interested parties, whether local or foreign, on a level playing field, will remove all whiff or scandal and shadow of doubt or suspicion linking the whole controversy with "grand corruption".
DAP welcomes Abdullah's statement yesterday that he had asked the Attorney-General's Chambers to speed up several outstanding corruption cases, including the case involving national steel corporation Perwaja, as this would be the first case in the category of "grand corruption" he had adverted to in his first week in office, involving not just tens, hundreds or thousands of ringgit in the case of "petty corruption", but billions of ringgit.
However, why is the Prime Minister asking the Attorney-General to speed up the Perwaja case when Anti-Corruption Agency investigations after seven long years into the matter have not seen any light at the end of the tunnel? Is Abdullah prepared to give MPs a report on the latest update situation of all the outstanding investigations into the "grand corruption" cases before Parliament adjourns next Tuesday at the end of the budget meeting?
After his first Cabinet meeting, Abdullah announced that he had directed Ministers to set up a task force in their ministries to tighten procedures and reduce bureaucracy to spearhead the fight against corruption.
Ministers do not have any credibility to lead the campaign against corruption in their respective Ministries to end "petty corruption" unless they have an unblemished record and reputation on "grand corruption" – and this is why Ministers must publicly declare their assets and those of their next of kin to demonstrate that their private wealth had nothing to do whatever with any form of "grand corruption".


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Call for doctors to be barred from practicing is insanity
The call by New Zealand Medical Association chair Alistair Humphrey for medical professionals who have not been vaccinated to be barred from practicing smacks of the Dark Ages thinking that called for witches to be burnt at the stake.
At a time when our health system is facing unprecedented challenges, when there is a desperate shortage of doctors, nurses, and other health staff, the call by the NZMA and other doctors for hundreds of medical staff to stand down beggars belief.
Dr Humphries' statement that "the consequences for a doctor getting Covid is not only that they spread it into the community, but they also may transmit it to their vulnerable patients" if they're not vaccinated is in direct contradiction to that of Council of Medical Colleges Chair Dr John Bonning.
On TV3 News last night Dr Bonning said "The vaccine won't stop you completely getting the illness and it won't stop you spreading the illness".
They can't both be right.
Even the Prime Minister and the Director General of Health have publicly voiced the same view as Dr Bonning.
The consequences of doctors or other people transmitting the virus clearly apply whether they are vaccinated or not.
Dr Humphries is at odds with the science and a large chunk of his own medical establishment.
It seems a precedent was set less than 160 years ago which caused Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis, to drummed out of the profession.
Dr Semmelweis raised concerns about why hundreds of women in maternity wards, and numerous pathologists, were dying from puerperal fever — commonly known as childbed fever.
He discovered it was because doctors and nursing staff did not thoroughly wash their hands between operations, but the medical establishment would not listen to him and he lost his job.
They eventually did, to the extent that today, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says it is one of the most important ways to prevent hundreds of thousands of hospital patients getting infections each year - infections that can be deadly and hard to treat.
The NZMA call flies in the face of the first principle of the Hippocratic Oath which calls on medical professionals to first do no harm.
Leaving patients without medical staff is not doing them no harm.
It tramples on the absolute right of patients to seek the kind of medical care that they deem appropriate for themselves.
None of those medical professionals who have chosen not to be vaccinated themselves, or who have raised concerns about the vaccine, would refuse to help their patients get vaccinated if that was their choice.
Medical professionals spend thousands of dollars and thousands of hours studying the very best of scientific and medical literature and passing the most stringent of exams in order to practice.
They are not the kind of people whose thinking is informed by watching conspiracy theory videos on the dark web deep into the night.
They are people who study the latest in published medical literature from across the world to stay up to date and who make clinical decisions every day based on that data, but those clinical decisions are not always the same.
The latest reports from countries like Israel, the United Kingdom, and others show the effectiveness of vaccination is wearing off within a few months and is the reason why boosters are now being rolled out to try and maintain any protection it may have delivered.
Those reports are detailing how thousands of people who have been vaccinated are catching Covid-19 in a further wave.
Alistair Humphrey's call therefore defies scientific thinking, defies the very basis of the Do No Harm principle of medicine, flies in the face of the latest reports, and defies common sense at a time when more medical professionals are needed not less.
That being the case one must ask what is really behind this call for unvaccinated doctors to be barred from practicing.
Disclaimer: -
Social Credit is not against vaccination.
Social Credit is not aligned with Voices For Freedom or any other similar organisation.
Social Credit does stand up for the right of people to choose the medical treatment they deem appropriate and that includes vaccinations.
Social Credit does stand up for the right of people to refuse medical treatment should they so choose.


Each year, in honor of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women.
It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Marlene Hitt of Sunland, California.
A lifelong Sunland resident and consummate volunteer, Marlene has been active in many organizations in the Sunland-Tujunga community. She has been a member of the SunlandTujunga Neighborhood Council for many years, serving in various leadership roles and on many committees.


text:
Ohio Rep. Bob Gibbs retires abruptly, blames fight over maps
By Julie Carr Smyth - Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs announced his sudden retirement on Wednesday, declaring himself a casualty of "the circus" over Ohio's still-unresolved congressional map.
The six-term congressman from Amish Country exits a primary race in northeast Ohio that, under new temporary maps, would have put him up against Trump-backed Republican Max Miller.
Early voting is already underway.
Miller was initially recruited to defeat U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who joined a handful of fellow Republicans who voted in favor of the former Republican president's impeachment. Gonzalez has since retired.
In a statement, Gibbs said "almost 90% of the electorate" in the new 7th Congressional District where he would be required to run is new, with nearly two-thirds drawn in from another district "foreign to any expectations or connection" to the district he now serves.
Trump weighed in to congratulate Gibbs on "a wonderful and accomplished career." He called Gibbs a strong ally of his America First agenda and the fight against "the Radical Left."
"Thank you for your service, Bob—a job well done!" Trump said in a statement.
Calling the decision to retire difficult, Gibbs called it irresponsible "to effectively confirm the congressional map for this election cycle seven days before voting begins."
He appeared to be referencing a March 30 procedural ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court, which extended the briefing schedule for the legal challenge to Ohio's congressional map well past this year's primary.
However, congressional districts for 2022 elections had actually been set since March 2. That was when Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the state's elections chief, ordered county boards of elections to reflect the Ohio Redistricting Commission's second congressional map on ballots.
Gibbs said he believes Ohio's prospects are bright "despite the circus redistricting has become."
"These long, drawn-out processes, in which the Ohio Supreme Court can take weeks and months to deliberate while demanding responses and filings from litigants within days, is detrimental to the state and does not serve the people of Ohio," he said.
The high court's bipartisan majority, comprising Republican Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor and three Democrats, has been engaged in a protracted back-and-forth with the Republican-controlled redistricting commission for months.
In response to lawsuits brought by voting rights and Democratic groups, justices have tossed four plans and counting for legislative and congressional lines, declaring each an unconstitutional gerrymander that unduly favor Republicans.
Their faceoff continues to escalate.
As justices consider a request to hold mapmakers in contempt for their repeated failure to craft lines that meet constitutional muster, Republicans who control the state Legislature are thinking hard about bringing impeachment proceedings against O'Connor.
Gibbs is the 17th House Republican to say he won't seek reelection, compared to 30 Democrats. His term runs through January 2023.
By Julie Carr Smyth
Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: Ohio Rep. Bob Gibbs retires abruptly, blames fight over maps. Here is a link to that story: https://www.recordherald.com/news/73765/ohio-rep-bob-gibbs-retires-abruptly-blames-fight-over-maps


Welcome to Plug In Illinois®, the Official Electric Choice Website of the Illinois Commerce Commission. Here you can learn about electric competition in Illinois and find out how to choose a supplier. Even if you are not interested in choosing a different supplier at the moment, you can learn more about your utility rate, find out what real-time electricity pricing is and learn about additional ways to conserve energy, regardless of who you choose as your electric supplier.
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about electric choice and the process of switching electric suppliers.