In this last installment of Jane Yolen’s trio of books about ordinary objects with extraordinary uses, the humble stick is lauded as “a sword to tame monsters of dread” and “an oar for a rowboat in puddle or pond,” among other imaginative functions. As with most things, though, it fulfills its truest purpose when combined with others: what can be made with a stick, a box, and a string? “Music that goes with … everything!”

My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the publisher, The Creative Company. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

What a fun book for children to read! It will definitely stir the imagination reading about all of the things to do with a simple stick. You can tame dragons, ride it like a witch’s broom, fly a flag, and so much more! All of the ideas are also told in rhyme. The illustrations by Paolo Domeniconi are colorful, realistic, and will help kids’ imaginations soar.

Obviously, I like What to do with a Stick, and recommend it. I can’t wait to read it to my grandchildren!

About the Author

I was born on February 11, 1939 in New York City at Beth Israel Hospital, the first child of my parents, Isabel Berlin Yolen and Will Hyatt Yolen. Because my grandmother Mina Hyatt Yolen’s family, the Hyatts, only had girls, a number of us were given their last name as a middle name to carry it on. So I am Jane Hyatt Yolen, and my brother, Steven Hyatt Yolen, was born three and a half years later. Alas, we are no relation to the Hyatt Hotels, no matter how often I have tried to convince the staffs there.

I love being a writer. In 2018, I celebrated #Yolen365 in which my 365^thbook (yes, that is a Yolen book for every day of the year) was published. Actually, 365 and 366 published on the same day. Since then, that number has grown to 378.

The first man I married, in 1962, David W. Stemple, is the only man I married. He and I have three children and six grandchildren. Alas, he died of cancer in March, 2006 after 44 years of a wonderful marriage. I live in Western Massachusetts right next door to my marvelous daughter Heidi (the little girl in OWL MOON). My sons live far away with their families, Adam in Minneapolis, Jason in Charleston, SC.  I also have a house in Scotland where I live about four months of the year. The rest of my life is all book talk.

For more about Jane Yolen and her books, go to her website.

About the Illustrator

Paolo Domeniconi is an Italian freelance illustrator whose artworks has appeared in international publications.
He started in early 90s with advertising illustration, working for campaigns, print and packaging.
Later, he became interested in the world of children’s books, illustrating his first series of classic fairy tales.
He has collaborated with publishers around the world: Grimm Press, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Mondadori, The Creative Company and many others. His artworks are published in Italy, Spain, UK, Usa, Korea, China and Taiwan.
At present he has illustrated more than 40 books, plus fairy tales collections, covers and scholastic editions.
He’s based 30 mins from Bologna, in the middle north of Italy.