Information
ISBN: 9780671899035
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Date: 1991
Author: Diane Johnston Hamm
Illustrator: Kate Salley Palmer
Illustrations: water color pencil
Reading level: preschool - Grade 3
Retail price (softcover): $5.99
ISBN: 9781563975592
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
Author: Laurence Pringle
Illustrator: Kate Salley Palmer
Publication date: 1993
Illustrations: Colored pencil
Reading level: K-5
Retail price (softcover): $7.95
ISBN: 9781563978760
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
Publication date: 2003
Author: Laurence Pringle
Illustrator: Kate Salley Palmer
Illustrations: Acrylic paint and watercolor
Reading level: K-5
Retail price (hardcover): $15.95
Books by Other Publishers
How Many Feet in the Bed
Kate has illustrated many picture books for other publishers. Her first was How Many Feet in the Bed for Simon and Schuster in 1991. Feet is a fresh, happy counting book filled with the helter-skelter of family life. The book takes place in a bed, with family members - dad, mom, and the three kids jumping into and out of the bed at the start of the day - most likely a weekend day. The young reader counts feet by two's - helping learn to add and subtract.
This little paperback book is in its 11th printing and is especially popular with very young children.
REVIEWS:
"The illustrations are particularly effective in showing sets of two. As the story progresses, the feet of the family members are usually shown sticking through the slats at the end of the bed, inviting young readers to count by twos."
Arithmetic Teacher, 1991
"A relaxed counting book with brightly colored, bouncy, cartoon-style illustrations has fun with the feet of a family that come and go in the parents' bed in the morning. First, we see Dad's two feet. When the little girl somersaults into the bed, there are four feet. The toddler snuggles in, mom brings the baby, and there are 10 feet in the bed. Then two by two, they leave to start the day. Lots of white space, lots of smiles and gentle family slapstick, lots of feet."
Booklist, 1991
Octopus Hug
In 1993 Kate illustrated the first of two books written by Laurence Pringle about his family. Octopus Hug is another happy family story about a dad who plays rough-house games with his two children while the mom goes leaves on business for the evening. The reviews below do an excellent job of describing this book.
REVIEWS:
"When Mom goes out to dinner with a friend and leaves them with Dad, the gaptoothed narrator and his little sister feel so out of sorts that they begin to squabble - but not for long. These lucky kids have a humongous dad who enjoys roughhousing as much as they do. 'You are about to be hugged by an octopus!' he announces, counting to eight as he wraps the boy in his arms. When he sings 'Rock-a-bye, Baby,' somehow everyone falls, laughing out of the rocker; before he packs the children into bed, still giggling, he's also been a tree for them to climb, a monster, and a horse. Palmer, who's worked as a political cartoonist, represents this ebullient African-American family with appropriately broad humor and enthusiasm. A likeable book that's sure to start kids romping, and maybe their parents, too."
Kirkus Reviews, 1993
"Clemson's Kate Salley Palmer did the illustrations for a new children's book......Octopus Hug, by Laurence Pringle, is a book about a Dad's night babysitting while Mom is out. The play begins with an 'octopus hug' and gallops through bucking broncos and all manner of roughhouse games that dads seem to specialize in. Mrs. Palmer's lively illustrations show members of an African-American family immensely enjoying their time together. The book was published by Boyds Mills Press, the Pennsylvania-based publisher of Highlights children magazine."
The Greenville (SC) News, 1993
Bear Hug
The sequel to Octopus Hug, Bear Hug features the same African-American family, except this time the mom stays at home to work on business and the dad takes Jesse and Becky on a camping trip to Bear Lake. This book is filled with Kate's colorful illustrations of a happy family's camping adventure.
Reviews:
"The fun-loving family introduced in Pringle's spirited Octopus Hug is back. Here Dad takes Jesse and Becky camping. Jesse, the narrator, and his sister wonder whether they will see any bears at Black Bear Lake. With a playful roar, Dad reveals that there is one bear at Black Bear Lake after all, and swoops his children into his arms for a warm, loving bear hug. Palmer's harmonious watercolors perfectly illustrate the changing faces of Black Bear Lake and the changing emotions of the faces of Jesse, Becky and their father."
School Library Journal, 2003
"In a companion volume to Octopus Hug, Bear Hug by Laurence Pringle, illustrated by Kate Salley Palmer, the children are excited about their first overnight camping trip with their Dad to Black Bear Lake. But when they hear noises at night, the wonder, 'Is it a bear?'. Fortunately, Dad explains the noises they hear and eases their fears."
Publishers Weekly - 2003