Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2016

Kooky Crumbs

By J. Patrick Lewis, Mary Reaves Uhles (Illustrator)

Celebrate quirky holidays with playful poems.

3.5/5 Goodreads · 30 ratings

32 pages

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Dive into a whimsical world where every day is a celebration. From hats to vinegar, explore a year of quirky holidays through playful poems that bring joy and laughter.

From the publisher

From National Hat Day (January 15th) to National Vinegar Day (November 1st), former Children?s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis rejoices in this calendar of dizzy days, celebrating them all in poetic style.

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 32
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture

Themes & topics

Books about holidays Books about science Books about nature Books about animals Books about alligators and crocodiles

Good to know

Stories behind the story

What was the hardest part about creating Kooky Crumbs?

Unlike my other pictures which follow a narrative story over 15 or 16 spreads, Kooky Crumbs is a collection of poems about unusual holidays. That meant i was creating a world on each page! I decided to make a cast of recurring characters - a skunk, cat, crocodile, and shark - that show up every few spreads so that the book had a little bit of a cohesive feel. By Mary Uhles (illustrator)

What part of creating Kooky Crumbs did you most enjoy?

Actually, once I got in the groove of it, NOT having to worry about keeping characters or a setting the same on every page was quite freeing. By Mary Uhles (illustrator)

Are there any details of Kooky Crumbs that you particularly love that readers should watch for?

I did research on most every holiday to try to get inspiration for each illustrations. Our Invisible Friends proved to be a challenge because the holiday is based on something kind of somber - funding research for chromosomal diseases. I feel like I created a hopeful scene... the older brother waiting for his sibling to be born. But pay attention to the pattern on mom's dress. That's how I was able to bring the heart of the holiday into the book. By Mary Uhles (illustrator)

For readers who can't stop at one