#micha archer

[the-dust-jacket]

Congratulations to the 2022 Caldecott Medalist and Honor Books! 

[nevinslibrary]

Totally Youthful Tuesday

This is the cutest, most aww inducing book I’ve read in a while (all in a good way).

Daniel always hears people say ‘have a good day’, but, doesn’t know what a good day is. So, he asks the same question of every one of his neighbors as he walks to his grandmother’s house. And he gets a bunch of different answers, such a wide range of answers. The bus driver’s answer is related to his work (good passengers), the nanny too (sleeping babies). Ooh, ooh, and my favorite is the good day for the gardener bees. Heh. Daniel then puts all the responses together to form a poem of lots of good days.

As I said, there was such a caring undertone to this book. I also liked the art, and, apparently it’s sort of part of a series, so, I may go search for “Daniel Finds a Poem” too.

You may like this book If you Liked: Boogie Boogie, Y'all by C.G. Esperanza, I'm From by Gary Gray Jr., or Layla's Happiness by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

Daniel's Good Day by Micha Archer

[gettingready2read]

Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer

April is National Poetry Month! Daniel wants to figure out what poetry is, so he asks his animal friends in the park.

This colorful book's illustrations will delight young children who can share their background knowledge about the featured animals. Adults can point to the pictures and ask children to identify the animals or ask follow up questions like “What does this animal eat?” Try talking about the animals you see on the pages or in your own yard or park.

Extend the Book by Writing a Poem!

Supplies Needed:

Paper

writing or coloring utensils

Ask your child to help you write a poem about an animal. You can take turns coming up with the words for the poem, or let your child dictate the whole thing.

Remember, just like Daniel's poem in the book, not all poems need to rhyme!

Let your child practice their writing skills by drawing an illustration to go with your new poem.

Check out Daniel Finds a Poem

[wateryrealm]

micha archer’s illustrations for her book snow horses 🤍

[everybook]

Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer

In Daniel Finds a Poem, I can tell Micha Archer illustrated as well as wrote the book. The illustrations tell the story so well, giving every detail life. The pictorial interpretation of not only the story, but the theme and concept are right on the money. The emotions, the life, and the wonder are completely conveyed to readers. 

The collage and paint gives so much shifting color and depth to the park. The stamped and painted paper pieces give detail to tiny things, like the dew on the spider’s web, the grasses near the pond or that stunning sunset at the end. Daniel himself is by far the least complex thing in his environment, which allows readers to really see him as the context or frame for the questions, not the actual subject of the book. This isn’t to say he’s boring or not well-illustrated, but just that as a title character, he takes a step back in the images. His body language is expressive and completely true to any kid in real life. He’s also pretty small in almost every spread so the animals’ environments take up most of the pages. 

I like what shadows and darkness look like in this one, especially the silhouettes in the park on Sunday. The people, animals, and trees of the park create a frame for the city that contains it. It’s a lovely image that reminds readers that parks like this don’t only exist in idyllic back country but wherever they are cultivated. 

[burlveneer-music]

Alien Ensemble - Thousand Lights District -  groovy soul-jazz from a Notwist side project

Earlier this year, Micha Acher and his band The Notwist returned with their latest full-length “Close To The Glass” and received rave reviews around the globe. Yet, it’s not the only album he’s going to release this year, since Acher’s about to introduce his latest musical entity – the Alien Ensemble. Alien Ensemble is comprised of bandleader Micha Acher (Trumpet; Indian Harmonium), who is joined by The Notwist’s Karl-Ivar Refseth (Vibraphone) and Andi Haberl (Drums), as well as Mathias Götz (Trombone; Harmonium), Stefan Schreiber (Bass Clarinet; Saxophone) Oliver Roth (Alto flute) and Benni Schäfer (Bass) ,all of them long-time friends and frequent collaborators of Acher’s over the years. Since you’ll hear anything from Minimal Music to Krautrock influences, from delicate brass sections to the sound of New Orleans, it’s pretty much impossible to pigeonhole Alien Ensemble’s sound or slap a genre term on it. What’s more important: Micha Acher’s compositions, the way he arranges these songs and has these great musicians make them come alive, is certainly unique in Germany’s musical landscape. Always willing to think outside the box, Alien Ensemble’s music ultimately serves as a reminder that you need to get rid of pigeonholes and stereotypes if you want to create true art.