Author: Janet Dawson

Mystery, fantasy…it must be summer

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Mystery and fantasy aren’t my favorite genres, so I usually hold off on reading them until I have a little extra mental energy to devote to reading…which, not surprisingly is during summer vacation.

Medusa (Myth of Monsters, book 1) by Katherine Marsh (Clarion Books, 288 pages, grades 4-7). Ava tries to control her anger using the techniques that her mother has taught her, but when class bully Owen goes too far, she loses her temper, and Owen mysteriously freezes. The next day, Ava and her older brother Jax are suddenly told they’ll be starting immediately at their mother’s alma mater, the Accademia del Forte in Venice. It’s a startling enough change, but things really get weird when Ava learns on the first day that the Greek myths she loves are all true, gods and goddesses still exist, and that the students are all descended from monsters, sent to the school to be taught to control their powers. With her curly hair and freezing power, Ava soon discovers, to her dismay, that her ancestor is Medusa. But a group of faithful friends help her to discover the misogyny of Greek mythology and that many monsters and other mythological beings–especially the female ones–have been misrepresented. When Ava and her friends stand up to the gods, chaos ensues, and they find themselves one step ahead of angry deities, looking to discover the truth about Medusa and Ava’s family.

Fans of Rick Riordan will love this Greek mythology-inspired fantasy, which features engaging kid characters, each with an emerging superpower, and plenty of white-knuckle adventures. I loved the feminist message and the reimagining of many of the myths, although it occasionally felt a little heavy-handed. Nevertheless, it’s a fast-paced and inspiring story, and it appears that readers can look forward to at least one sequel.

The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow (Quill Tree Books, 320 pages, grades 4-7). Best friends Lucy and Laila dream of attending high school at Sunderland, a private school where Lucy hopes to hone her journalistic skills while Laila gets to explore her passion for baking. When Laila’s given the chance to compete in the Golden Cookie Competition with a grand prize of a free ride at Sunderland, Lucy goes along to write about the contest with the hope of improving her scholarship chances. Five competitors, two chefs, and the one of the chef’s assistants are the only occupants of Sunderland as the contest begins. Laila’s in the lead when Chef Remi takes a bite of her cookie and collapses. He ends up in a coma in a nearby hospital, with Laila the prime suspect in his attempted murder. As Lucy and Laila investigate, they learn that everyone had a reason for wanting to get rid of Chef Remi. When a storm strands them at the school, it soon becomes obvious that unless they can identify the would-be killer, the two of them may be in danger as well.

This is a classic mystery setup: a group of strangers is brought together in an unfamiliar location, a crime is committed, and the detective(s) must figure out who that criminal is before it’s too late. Laila and Lucy’s alternate-chapter narrations keep things moving along, and the reality show-style baking competition adds to the fun.

A roundup of read-alouds

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Quacken by Justin Colón (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). When Hector and his family arrive at Cucumonga Campground, they’re immediately warned: don’t feed the ducks. Signs are posted, and the other kids tell Hector, don’t look at the ducks, don’t think about the ducks, and above all else, DON’T FEED THE DUCKS! But the ducks are so cute and look so hungry that Hector can’t resist. When he runs out of bread, a shadow blocks out the sun, and the fearsome Quacken emerges from the lake. A chase ensues, filled with classic horror movie references, until the monster captures Hector! But it turns out…children taste terrible, and Hector is saved, as the Quacken regurgitates all the other things it’s eaten. There’s plenty of monster action in this fast-paced tale with cartoon-inspired illustrations reminiscent of Dan Santat. A perfect late summer read-aloud.

I Am La Chiva! The Colorful Bus of the Andes by Karol Hernández, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez (Dial Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). La Chiva is a colorful bus that winds its way through the Andes Mountains, picking up farmers and their wares to take to the market. Soon it’s packed both inside and out with men, women, children, animals, and fruits and vegetables. A flat tire can’t slow La Chiva and its crew down, as they all work together to get the bus back on the road. Readers get a tour of the market and various sellers before everyone packs up and heads back home again. Includes a brief author’s note indicating that the story is based on his childhood memories and a glossary of the Spanish words used in the text. If Titlewave is to be believed, a Spanish language version of the story will be available in a few weeks. The spectacular colors of the illustrations and bouncy rhyming text will appeal to kids who love vehicles and give them a nice taste of Andean culture and food. I saw in a review that this story takes place in Colombia, but I couldn’t find that information in the book.

Sour Apple by Linda Liu (Henry Holt and Co., 40 pages, ages 4-8). A small green apple wonders why it hasn’t been picked when its rounder red neighbors are fulfilling their apple destinies. In rhyming text, the apple asks questions, “Am I not shiny enough to sell at the market? Or not tiny enough to be used as a target?” The apple suffers further indignities when it’s carried off by munching insects and buried underground: “No use in playing pretend. Looks like this is the end.” But as the seasons pass, an amazing transformation takes place, and the apple is stunned to turn into a tree! “Maybe falling behind isn’t finishing last. Maybe your season has just yet to pass.” The short rhyming text, big colorful illustrations, and a message that it can be tough but ultimately okay not be chosen first make this a winning choice to read aloud. Kids may need some explanation of references to William Tell, Isaac Newton, and expressions like “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but even if some go over their heads, they’ll still find a lot to enjoy.

Touch the Sky by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic, illustrated by Chris Park (Carolrhoda Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Vern goes to the playground almost every day and loves to lie on his stomach on a swing, or spin around until the chains are twisted. What he really wants to do is swing as high as the other kids, feeling like his toes can touch the sky, but Vern doesn’t know how to pump. When a girl named Gretchen offers to teach him how, Vern is ready. He watches and listens as Gretchen shows him how to lift off, straighten your legs on the upswing, then tuck them in to go back. “It feels hard until you get it, and then it’s not,” Gretchen wisely tells him. Vern tries and tries, but he winds up falling on his butt or at the very least not moving. Then, just as he may be beginning to get it, Gretchen has to leave. Vern considers giving up, but he knows Gretchen would want him to keep trying. And then…Vern gets it! His toes touch the sky! A new kid sits on Gretchen’s swing, looking on admiringly. “It feels hard until you get it, and then it’s not,” Vern tells him. “Do you want to learn how?” The message of persistence will resonate with kids, both on the micro level of learning how to swing and the macro one of not giving up on your goals. What really makes this book amazing is the illustrations, a rainbow of color and movement that capture both the frustration of not getting it and the thrill of finally succeeding, with a joyous feeling of flying. It’s gotten a well-earned place on Betsy Bird’s Caldecott 2025 prediction list.

Jump for Joy by Karen Gray Ruelle, illustrated by Hadley Hooper (Astra Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 3-7). Joy, a girl, loves dogs and wants one of her own. Jump, a dog, loves kids and wants one of his own. Each believes they will know their dog/kid when they see them. Through the seasons, on facing pages, each one creates what they want: a dog named Tulip out of flowers and a kid named Fern out of ferns in the spring, a dog named Shelby out of shells and a kid named Sandy out of sand in the summer. Nothing lasts, though, through a whole year. The next spring, Joy and Jump discover new tulips and ferns respectively and call out with excitement. And those cries (or woofs) alert them to each other’s presence, and “Joy jumped for joy and Jump jumped for Joy.” I can easily imagine reading this to a pre-k or kindergarten class, going through the seasons, getting a kick out of Joy and Jump’s amazing creations, and a happy ending at last. This is another one on the aforementioned Caldecott prediction list, and the illustrations are mostly black and white line drawings with the final spread in glorious color. A note at the end says the black and white pictures are inspired by art from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, “collaged together to create something new,” and it does have a very unique and interesting look.

There’s a new kid in school

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Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo (Penguin Workshop, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Jun is a new arrival from Hong Kong, facing her first day of school knowing only a few words (hello, thank you, I don’t know) that she’s written on her hand with the Cantonese translations. She tries her best but struggles with assignments and saying the wrong thing that causes her classmates to either laugh at her or ignore her. At lunchtime, the foods in her lunchbox bring back happy memories with her family and friends in Hong Kong, and it’s ultimately food that connects her with the other kids. A girl from her class has been quietly observing Jun, and one day she says hello and tells Jun that her lunch looks good. Soon, all the kids are trading food, and Jun learns the names of several other kids. The last page shows Jun bringing home those kids, and her mom preparing a snack for them that includes some of the family’s traditional foods and the pizza Jun enjoyed in the cafeteria. Includes a table showing the words from Jun’s hand in English and Cantonese and a labeled diagram (in English and Cantonese) of the food in her lunchbox.

Ruby’s Tools for Making Friends by Apryl Stott (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Ruby’s new at school, but she’s packed a bag full of tools designed to help with her anxieties. Her tape measure reminds her to count her breaths, pliers help her stay flexible, and safety goggles show her a new way of looking at the world. Her new school is a unique blend of people and animals, and Ruby is excited to be on a team with two humans and a goose, designing a holder for an upcoming egg drop. Working with others can be a challenge, though, and Ruby uses her tools to help her stay calm, focused, and confident enough to speak up when she has an idea. Their project wins the class competition and moves on to a schoolwide egg drop. As the principal gets ready to test the various designs on the playground, Ruby realizes she’s left her tools in the classroom, but she’s able to visualize them when she starts to worry. Although their egg ends up breaking, her new friends assure Ruby that she had a good idea, helping her to feel happy and excited to work on a new project.

Sister Friend by Jamila Thompkins-Bigelow (Harry N. Abrams, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Every day is a “play-by-herself” day for Ameena, who’s the only kid in her class with brown skin and twists in her hair. One day, a new girl named Sundus comes to class, and Ameena is excited to see that she has brown skin and that she wears hijab, meaning she’s Muslim like Ameena. After a series of missteps, Ameena sees Sundus at masjid one night when she’s there with her family. Her mother greets Sundus’s mother, “Assalamu Alaikum [peace be upon you], Sister. Welcome!” The next day at recess, when Ameena sees Sundus, she finally knows what to say and gives the new girl the same greeting her mother used the night before. That’s all it takes to reach out to Sundus, and before long, the two girls are the best of friends.

Here are a few more books that may come in handy at the beginning of the school year, especially if there are new kids starting in a class that’s been together for a while. All three would make good prompts to talk about ways to welcome new students and how to bridge differences in culture and/or language (and also good reminders for teachers, who for the most part seemed completely oblivious to the struggles going on in their classrooms.) Ruby offers some suggestions about handling the anxiety that can come from being a new kid (and Abbott Elementary fans may get a chuckle from the egg drop activity). If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Home in a Lunchbox, a debut that has illustrations worthy of Caldecott consideration, and that reminded me of one of my favorite books for sharing, Gibberish, another almost wordless book that shows what it’s like to start in a school where you don’t know the language, and the importance of that one kid who reaches out.

Stories and songs

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Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J. McDaniel, illustrated by April Harrison (Dial Books, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Augusta Baker was raised on her grandmother’s tales of Br’er Rabbit and King Arthur. A college class on folklore encouraged Augusta to become a storyteller herself, and she got a job at a branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem, where she found audiences of children eager for her stories. While most of her young patrons were African American, the books Augusta found in the library rarely had Black characters, and when they did, the portrayals were “RUDE, MEAN, and JUST PLAIN WRONG.” She searched for books (and wrote some of her own) that sought to correct that, compiling lists to share those books with others. Over the years, her work influenced Black writers and educators like James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Carter Woodson, John Steptoe, and Virginia Hamilton. She extended her outreach through teaching at Columbia and the University of South Carolina, a radio show, and an appearance on Sesame Street and is honored by the city of Columbia, SC each year with a festival called A(ugusta) Baker’s Dozen. Includes a timeline, citations, an author’s note, and photos.

Bridges Instead of Walls: The Story of Mavis Staples by Mavis Staples and Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Steffi Walthall (Rocky Pond Books, 48 pages, grades 2-5). Mavis Staples tells the story of her life (in third person), beginning with her family’s trip north during the Great Migration. Mavis was the youngest, born in Chicago, and as she grew older, she began singing with her father and siblings. They became popular as the Staples Singers, performing gospel music in churches around the Midwest, gradually expanding their repertoire to include blues and folk music. Although their lives and music were firmly grounded in their faith, eventually their fame spread to the secular entertainment world, as well as to supporting Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. Mavis also enjoyed a solo career, which continues to this day, as she is the last surviving member of the Staples Singers. Includes a timeline and lists of recommended listening (songs by the Staples Singers and Mavis Staples) and recommended viewing (documentaries).

These two excellent picture book biographies will introduce readers to amazing Black women who overcame discrimination and other barriers to share their gifts of storytelling and singing. Both are pretty long with lots of references to historical figures that will likely need some introductions for kids. The illustrations in both are amazing and do a great job of incorporating each woman’s art into the story.

For the birds

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Sparrow Loves Birds by Murry Burgess, illustrated by Tamisha Anthony (Christy Ottaviano Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Sparrow is an observant girl, who loves noticing the people, animals, and sounds of her neighborhood. Most of all, she loves to watch birds, and she’ll often head out with her sketchbook and binoculars to look for them. She learns to identify different birds by their movements, colors, and songs, carefully drawing them and labelling them when she knows their names. The last page invites readers to explore their own neighborhoods, and there’s lots of back matter to help them, including tips for birdwatchers and a guide to eighteen birds mentioned in the text. There’s also an author’s note describing her journey from a childhood spent learning about nature to a career in wildlife biology, and encouraging kids to get outside and observe nature, whether they live in rural, suburban, or urban neighborhoods. This a great introduction to birdwatching, and just generally enjoying the outdoors, that introduces lots of different birds and birdwatching techniques through an enthusiastic young narrator. The illustrations and back matter add to the educational value.

Owls in Our Yard! The Story of Alfie by Carl Safina (Norton Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 2-5). For some real-life backyard birdwatching, here’s the story of Alfie, a baby eastern screech owl found on the ground and given to ecologist Carl Safina for rehabilitation. After nursing her back to health, he and his family gradually reintroduced her to the wild. He wasn’t sure she would ever completely lose her reliance on humans, but slowly, Alfie started leaving her nesting box for longer periods of time and learned to hunt for food on her own. Eventually, she showed up with a mate, and Carl discovered that Alfie had built a nest and laid three eggs. During the pandemic, the family had plenty of opportunities to follow the adventures of the new baby owls, including battles with blue jays and robins for backyard territory. While Alfie has stayed close to her old home, she’s completely integrated into the wild now, having raised three broods and raised a total of ten owlets. The photos and compelling nonfiction story make every step of Alfie’s journey an adventure that animal lovers are sure to enjoy. It’s a bit text heavy, so younger kids may need some help with the reading, but the narrative is engaging enough to keep them going to learn what happens to Alfie and her babies.

Marching to the beat of your own drum

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Frankie D., Vegan Vampire by Sally and Brian Dutra (Kids Can Press, 192 pages, grades 2-5). Frankie and his family have moved from Transylvania to the U.S., hoping, like so many immigrants before them, for a better life. In their case, that life is eternal, since they’re a family of vampires. Being immortal is just the beginning, as Frankie and his family struggle to hide their fangs, their ability to turn into bats, and the fact that they’re used to sleeping during the day (and in coffins). Switching to a healthy vegan diet has fortunately dampened their taste for blood, and Frankie enjoys starting fourth grade and making new friends. He suspects that one classmate, Eddie, might be a troll, but as he learns more about Eddie, he comes to realize why he’s such a bully. The family successfully negotiates having one of Frankie’s new friends and his family to dinner, and Frankie has fun at a human birthday party, but the grand finale comes with the school concert, when Frankie and Eddie save the fourth-grade performance. Pumped after this success, Frankie decides to fly home and burn off some of his excess energy, only to realize that Eddie has seen him transform into a bat.

There’s plenty of humor in this de-fanged vampire story, and the last page makes me hopeful that there will be a sequel. It’s an illustrated chapter book, but at close to 200 pages, I wouldn’t exactly call it an early chapter book. Still, I think it could find an audience with fluent readers in the earlier years of elementary school, and maybe older kids who are reading a bit below grade level.

Band Camp #1: All Together Now! by Brian “Smitty” Smith (little bee books, 80 pages, grades 1-4). This early graphic novel gives summer camp a new twist: all the campers are musical instruments. Bunk J, a.k.a. Junk Bunk, the cabin that always loses all the competitions, has four unique residents this summer: Trey the triangle, Kaylee the ukelele, Zook the kazoo, and Cordelia the accordion. Each instrument has a unique personality and well-defined likes and dislikes, but they’re united in their determination to put an end to the Bunk J legacy. In a relay race at the end of this book, they combine their talents for an unexpected victory. Camp’s not over yet, though, and book 2 is due out in September.

As a veteran of eight–yes, eight!–band camps, I love this premise and was amazed at how Smith was able to create instruments with real personalities. Early readers will get a kick out of the story and illustrations. The ending seemed abrupt, and I kind of wish the whole camp session had been included in a single volume.

Labor pains

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Shift Happens: The History of Labor in the United States by J. Albert Mann (HarperCollins, 416 pages, grades 8-12). Low wages, long hours, wealth inequality, immigrants accused of “stealing” jobs: issues workers face today have in fact been around since the earliest days of United States history. This breezy but thoroughly researched account tells the painful story of American labor, in which actions for improved conditions have all too often been met with resistance, violence, and even murder. There are occasional hard-won victories for workers, and the twentieth century brought substantial legislation and improvements for labor–until they were eroded during the backlash of the Reagan years and beyond. The media is also implicated here for telling stories that favor capitalists and demonize labor organizers and unions. Teens looking for the truth about labor’s history will find plenty to think about, presented with short chapters and irreverent humor that will keep them engaged.

It’s taken me weeks to work my way through this book, but it was well worth it, with fascinating and disheartening stories that make it a good companion to Lies My Teacher Told Me. I was hoping to be able to recommend this for younger kids, but there’s definitely some language that might raise a few middle school eyebrows (starting with the title), and I think that, and the complexity of the topic make it more appropriate for high school.

For a more in-depth look at a single incident in U.S. labor history, try The Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers’ Rights in the West Virginia Coalfields by Steve Watkins (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 272 pages, grades 6-10). I was too saturated on labor history from Mann’s book to read this one, but it looks like it includes many of the elements I read about: workers paid paltry wages in scrip for long hours of dangerous and back-breaking labor, and a strike that ultimately resulted in several killings. This particular story takes place in West Virginia in the early 1920’s, an era when it was particularly dangerous to be part of a union. This might be a better choice for a middle school introduction to labor history and will potentially appeal to fans of Steve Sheinkin.

Bare feet and cowboy boots

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Cesaria Feels the Beat by Denise Rosario Adusei, illustrated by Priscila Soares (Roaring Brook Press, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Cesaria is a little girl who loves to dance, and she’s excited to be part of a group that’s dancing for Carnival. She dons her tutu and beautiful peacock feathers, but she doesn’t want to wear the shoes the director tells her to put on. “Peacocks don’t wear shoes,” she signs, but he is insistent. Finally, Cesaria relents and joins the rest of the troupe on stage, her tail feather drooping. But when the music begins, she kicks off her shoes so that she can feel the beat in her feet. “Take off your shoes,” she signs to the other dancers. “Feel!” They join her in a lively dance that brings cheers from the audience and a sign of “Thank you!” from Cesaria, before she rushes off the stage, leaving her shoes behind. Includes notes from the author, who drew inspiration from watching a Deaf cousin appreciate music by putting her hand on the speaker (which was initially discouraged by family members), and the illustrator, who was diagnosed with hearing loss as a teenager but didn’t get help for it until her son was born deaf.

Beautiful illustrations of Carnival use brilliant colors to portray the crowds and Cesaria’s peacock-themed dance troupe. The story of a courageous Deaf girl showing others how she dances is sure to resonate with readers, and possibly educate them as well. Kids will need to use some inferencing skills to figure out from Cesaria’s signing what is going on in the story.

My Daddy Is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales, illustrated by C. G. Esperanza (Harry N. Abrams, 48 pages, ages 4-8). A girl and her father rise before dawn to take his motorcycle out to the ranch where the girl takes riding lessons, and where Daddy rode as a child with a group of friends who call themselves cowboys. Together, they saddle up the horses and set out through the dark silent streets of their city, returning when the sun comes up. Some of the cowboys are there to greet them, and Daddy takes his daughter home before heading back to the ranch to ride with his friends. When he asks her what her favorite part of the morning was, she considers the horses and the beautiful morning before responding, “Just us time!”

This is a sweet book that I wish I had seen in time for Father’s Day. It’s another one with vibrant illustrations, the colors popping off the pages, and I hope it will be considered for a Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and/or Belpré award. The family’s Panamanian heritage is woven into both the text and the illustrations. I would have loved to find out the inspiration for the book and was disappointed that there was no back matter.

If you like Junie B. Jones…

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Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules by Sarah Kapit (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, grades 1-4). Eight-year-old Rachel has plenty of energy and sometimes doesn’t understand the reason for having so many rules in her life–at home, at school, at the temple when she and her dad and brother attend Shabbat services. But when Rachel wants to meet famous gymnast Holly Luna when she comes to town, her dad makes a deal: if Rachel can follow all the rules for a week, he’ll let her go with her best friend Maya to see Holly. Rachel makes it through six days, but then a situation arises where she feels that she must break a rule. She and her dad don’t see eye to eye, and when Rachel stages a rebellion at a Shabbat service, Dad puts his foot down. But a conversation with the rabbi leads to a greater understanding and a compromise that satisfies everyone.

Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Dung Ho (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 128 pages, grades 1-4). Bibsy is another eight-year-old who has always loved school and her teachers until she hits third grade. Mrs. Stumper doesn’t seem to like Bibsy, especially the many contributions to class discussions Bibsy loves to make. A bulletin board features each student’s name on an apple that hangs from a tree, but which gets moved to the ground for behavior issues. Bibsy’s apple frequently falls to the ground, but things come to a head one day when Bibsy, defending what she’s sure will be a championship science fair project, goes too far and gets a worm hole punched in her apple. She has to bring the apple home to show her parents, which leads to a good conversation about how to handle her situation. Mrs. Stumper will probably never be Bibsy’s favorite teacher, but they come to an understanding, and Bibsy and her best friend Natia enjoy science fair success.

Both of these series openers feature spunky girls who have strong opinions and are not afraid to share them. Rachel’s book is a conventional chapter book with illustrations, while Bibsy’s is written almost like a book in verse, making it perhaps a more manageable choice for those just transitioning to chapter books. Both feature black and white illustrations, with highlights of apple-red in Bisby’s. While no new ground is broken–there are plenty of early chapter books featuring spunky girls–these are both sure to find an audience among the newly independent reader crowd who enjoy relatable protagonists and situations with plenty of humor.

Back to school books

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I know July 1 is a little premature for this post, but I like to have a good book to read aloud for the first week of school. The hunt has begun.

The First Week of School by Drew Beckmeyer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades K-3). Get ready for an extra exciting first week of school, looking at what happens in a classroom each day of that week. At first things seem pretty ordinary: students include a talented artist who lacks self-confidence, an inventor who brings a creation to share on the first day, and the sports kings who like to be either playing or discussing sports. There’s also a teacher and a bearded dragon named Pat, who’s the class pet. Things start to get weird when the inventor’s satellite makes extraterrestrial contact, and a creature named Nobody shows up. Everyone thinks Nobody is the new kid who was expected to start a few days late, so they don’t pay much attention to him, allowing him to bond with (a somewhat reluctant) Pat and to find a way to showcase the shy artist’s talents. Nobody’s last act before heading back home is to get some plutonium for the inventor’s time machine, which seems to work, since the last page is the same as the first, showing the kids arriving for the first day of school.

This book is cute and a lot of fun, with the alien providing an unexpected twist to ordinary events like recess, lunch, and STEM class. The illustrations look like they could have been created by the student artist with her crayons or colored pencils and move between close-ups of different parts of the classroom and aerial views. Would I use it as a read-aloud? I’m not sure. The text is mostly lots of small captions about what’s going on in different parts of the pictures, and it may be hard for younger kids to follow. I would want to project the pages to allow them to see everything that’s going on.

The Yellow Bus by Loren Long (Roaring Brook Press, 48 pages, ages 4-9). A school bus has a busy and happy life transporting kids to and from school. Time passes, and the bus gets a new job: carrying senior citizens around town. When the bus no longer runs, it seems like it’s been abandoned, until unhoused people come and find a place to rest inside the bus. Later, it’s towed to a farm, where goats climb all over it. Finally, the bus is washed away by the river, and comes to rest under the water, where fish, frogs, and turtles find a home. With each group shown, the repeating line, “And they filled her with joy,” makes this a celebration of all the eras in the bus’s life. A two page note at the end tells how Loren Long got the idea from a real-life abandoned school bus and gives a fascinating look at how he created the art using models that he built.

This book is really a masterpiece, and one that I hope will be considered for a Caldecott. The bus and her inhabitants are brightly colored against a black and white background. I’m so glad Loren Long included information on how he created the art, which made me even more appreciative of the work that went into this. Having said all that, I don’t think I will be using this for my back-to-school classes. It’s more of a meditation on life, and I found it a bit too melancholy for the first day of school.