Month: September 2020

Joey: The Story of Joe Biden by Jill Biden with Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Amy June Bates and Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Laura Freeman

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Joey: The Story of Joe Biden: Biden, Dr Jill, Krull, Kathleen, Bates, Amy June: 9781534480537: Amazon.com: Books
Joey: The Story of Joe Biden: Biden, Dr Jill, Krull, Kathleen, Bates, Amy June: 9781534480537: Amazon.com: Books

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice: Grimes, Nikki, Freeman, Laura: 9781534462670: Amazon.com: Books
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice: Grimes, Nikki, Freeman, Laura: 9781534462670: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  The Democratic nominees for President and Vice President are profiled in these two picture books.  Each one traces the candidate’s life from childhood, emphasizing their hard work, integrity, and quest for justice.  Biden’s is a straightforward account of his life, while Harris’s is narrated by a mother to her young daughter who has been told that girls can’t grow up to be President.  Published before she was chosen as Biden’s running mate, Harris’s story ends with her dropping out of the primary.  Joey includes photos, sources for quotations, a timeline, a bibliography, and a list of “Bidenisms”; Kamala Harris includes a timeline and list of sources. 48 pp. and 40 pp.; grades K-5.

Pros:  These books may come in handy as November 3 approaches and students are looking for more information on the candidates (I did try, in the interest of being nonpartisan, to find Trump and Pence picture book biographies, but was unsuccessful).  Readers will get ample biographical information, as well as some insights into both Joe Biden’s and Kamala Harris’s characters.

Cons:  One might expect a book written by the candidate’s wife (Biden) to read like a piece of campaign literature, and one would be right.  I wish the editors had worked a little harder to tone down the fawning rhetoric, letting Biden’s life speak for itself.  Also, the device of having the mother tell her daughter the story of Harris’s life seemed unnecessary, particularly the last page, where the girl tells her mother she’s going to call the kid who said she can’t be President a doofus.

If you would like to buy Joey on Amazon, click here.

If you would like to buy Kamala Harris on Amazon, click here.

Catch the Sky: Playful Poems on the Air We Share by Robert Heidbreder, illustrations by Emily Dove

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Published by Greystone Kids

Catch the Sky: Playful Poems on the Air We Share: Heidbreder, Robert, Dove, Emily: 9781771646314: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  These thirty brief poems celebrate all different things you might see in the air: the sun, butterflies, leaves, birds, and more.  Each poem is just four lines: “Sunflower, standing/taller than me,/what do you see/ that I can’t see?” and is accompanied by an illustration.  Most pages contain two related poems (sunflowers and honeybees) that can be shown in the same picture.  40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A good first poetry book, with short rhyming poems that describe everyday topics.  The illustrations show a diverse group of kids enjoying the outdoors.

Cons:  This felt like a celebration of nature, yet a few of the subjects (kites, balloons, helicopters, paragliding, and fireworks) were about human-made objects.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai

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Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Fly on the Wall: Lai, Remy, Lai, Remy: 9781250314116: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  12-year-old Henry is sick of being treated like a baby by his grandmother, mother, and older sister.  His well-planned act of rebellion is to secretly fly from his home in Perth, Australia to visit his dad in Singapore.  As the journey unfolds, Henry slowly reveals events from the last year, including his creation of an online comic “Fly on the Wall” that skewers his classmates.  But he also has the chance to reflect on his less than stellar behavior, and the fact that he may have misinterpreted the intentions of both his family and his former best friend.  By the end of his trip, Henry is trying to be a better person and begins to make amends with some of the people in his life, opening up possibilities for closer connections with friends and family when he returns home.  336 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Filled with comic book style illustrations, this is a book that may appeal to Wimpy Kid fans, but winds up having more depth.  Henry isn’t always the most likeable protagonist, but his thought processes ring true for a 12-year-old, and he is capable of real remorse for his actions.  There’s plenty of humor and some lighthearted moments, too, including a fun revelation about who his real nemesis is.

Cons:  I read an advanced reader copy, so didn’t get to fully enjoy the illustrations.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Why Do We Cry? by Fran Pintadera, illustrated by Ana Sender

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Published by Kids Can Press

Why Do We Cry?: Pintadera, Fran, Sender, Ana: 9781525304774: Amazon.com: Books
WHY DO WE CRY? – Verok Agency

Summary:  When Mario asks his mom why we cry, he gets a poetic answer describing different scenarios that might make a person cry:  sadness, frustration, anger, and loneliness to name a few.  The most important reason for crying, she concludes, is because you feel like crying.  Mario notices his mom is crying, and she tells him that people also cry sometimes when they are happy.  Includes scientific information about tears, as well as two activities.  34 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The lyrical text and illustrations of a young girl experiencing different emotions will help kids name their feelings and be okay with crying, whether it’s their own or someone else’s. 

Cons:  I thought this was a science book and was looking forward to a little more scientific information than this delivered.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.


Saturdays Are for Stella by Candy Wellins, illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Page Street Kids

Saturdays Are For Stella: Wellins, Candy, Eve Ryan, Charlie: 9781624149214: Amazon.com: Books
Book Giveaway: SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA by Candy Wellins | Writing and Illustrating

Summary:  George’s grandmother, Stella, makes everything fun, which is why George likes spending every Saturday with her.  Sometimes they go out to the dinosaur museum, to the park, or downtown, and sometimes they stay in and have ninja tournaments or play games together.  One Saturday, George wakes up late, and gets himself dressed and ready for his visit.  But when he comes into the kitchen, his parents have some sad news about him about Stella.  He’ll never spend another Saturday with her; from then on, George hates Saturdays.  But other changes are afoot, and one day George gets a baby sister…and her name is Stella.  As Stella grows, George teaches her to do the things he and Grandma Stella used to do together.  And soon he loves Saturdays again, because Saturdays are for Stella.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  We all need a story about the ups and downs of life right now, and this one is at the perfect level for kids to understand that life is made up of both joy and grief.  The illustrations are adorable; I love Stella Junior’s pink hair.

Cons:  I don’t think I could read this to kids without losing it; I got kind of choked up just writing this review.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Lost Cities by Giles Laroche

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Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

Lost Cities - Kindle edition by Laroche, Giles. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Lost Cities: Laroche, Giles: 9781328753649: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Thirteen lost cities are profiled from all over the world.  Each includes an illustration of the city, a second-person introduction (“If you were a young Roman living in Herculaneum…”), the location, who lived there, why the city was lost, how it was rediscovered in modern times, and an unsolved mystery about it.  Includes a map showing the location of each city, a timeline of when each was first settled, a page showing how the illustrations were created, and a list of selected sources.  40 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  These amazingly detailed cut-paper illustrations will draw readers in to learning more about ancient cities from around the world.  The information, especially the “What’s mysterious?” section will definitely whet some appetites to look for more information.

Cons:  This is a jumping-off place for getting kids interested, rather than a resources for any kind of serious research.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl

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Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Blue House: Wahl, Phoebe: 9781984893369: Amazon.com: Books
The Blue House: Wahl, Phoebe: 9781984893369: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Leo and his dad love their blue house, despite its mossy roof, peeling paint, and unreliable heating system.  Astute readers will notice clues in the illustrations that the neighborhood is changing: small houses are being torn down, replaced by larger buildings.  One day, Leo’s dad picks him up from school and tells him that their house has been sold, and they have to move.  Leo is devastated.  Slowly, he and his father pack up their house, painting pictures on the bare walls to make themselves feel a little better.  They move into another small house in the same neighborhood.  “’I hate it,’ said Leo.  ‘That’s okay,’ said his dad.”  Leo’s idea to paint a picture of the blue house on his bedroom wall helps, though, and slowly, the new house starts to feel like home.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  There’s a lot to love about this book: it portrays a single-parent family that is succeeding despite the fact that they clearly are struggling financially; it deals with the sadness of moving and leaving a beloved home; and the illustrations offer tons of details that both help tell the story and are just fun (I loved the record albums).  Both the story and pictures should be enjoyed slowly and savored.

Cons:  It doesn’t seem like a great idea to move to another small house in the same neighborhood that seems to be undergoing gentrification.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by First Second

Snapdragon: Leyh, Kat: 9781250171115: Amazon.com: Books
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh, 240 pp, RL 4

Summary:  Snapdragon believes a woman in her town is a witch, and when her dog goes missing, she’s afraid the witch has eaten him.  An angry confrontation winds up being the beginning of an unusual friendship.  The “witch”, Jacks, turns out to be a lonely old woman whose business is rescuing roadkill and rebuilding their skeletons to sell online.  Snap and Jacks bond over their love of animals, but as they get to know each other better, Snap discovers that Jacks has a deep connection to her own family from long ago.  Not only that, but the woman turns out to possess some of the magical powers Snap first suspected her of having, and Snap begins to learn some magic herself.  When Snap’s mom’s abusive ex-boyfriend shows up, it’s up to Snap and Jacks to use their magic to save the day.  Jacks finds herself back in the family again, and it looks like there just might be a happy ending for everyone.  Includes pages showing the process of early sketches and turning them into the finished pages as well as some other book cover ideas. 240 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  Kat Leyh packs a lot into this graphic novel, with an ambitious story and lots of interesting characters including the two main ones, as well as Snap’s mother and grandmother, and Lulu, her transgender best friend.  She masterfully cuts from one scene to the next, keeping the action moving quickly.

Cons:  The ending wrapped up pretty neatly, and I don’t see any sign of a sequel.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.