Graphic novels

Hair-raising stories

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Crowning Glory: A Celebration of Black Hair by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Candlewick, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Starting with “five queens” (five Black women, who, in 2019, won the titles of Miss America, Miss USA, Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss Teen USA ), the rhyming text and vibrant illustrations celebrate Black hair. Cornrows, ‘fros, locs, puffs, ponytails, and more–all get their moment to shine. “To heed beliefs or cheer gray days,” women cover their hair with hijabs, geles, headwraps, and hats. “A ritual of hand and heart,/each stunning head a work of art./Each royal coil coaxed by kin./Each strand a story without end.” Includes a glossary.

I hope this beautiful book will be considered for both Coretta Scott King and Caldecott awards. I always love Ekua Holmes collage illustrations, and these are gorgeous. The focus is on female hair, so this could make a good companion to read with Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, which features a barbershop.

My Hair Is a Book by Maisha Oso, illustrated by London Ladd (HarperCollins, 32 pages, ages 4-8). This book looks similar to Crowning Glory, and it has gotten at least two starred reviews. I’ve had it on hold at the library for weeks now, but I haven’t been able to get a copy. Now that I’m finally giving up, it will probably be on its way to me tomorrow!

Knots by Colleen Frakes (HarperAlley, 240 pages, grades 4-7). Nervous about starting at a new school, Norah tries to give herself a new look by first bleaching her hair, then dyeing it blue. It turns out surprisingly well, and school gets off to a good start. But a few weeks in, a boy shares with the class that he is mostly responsible for his two younger sisters because his parents aren’t home much. Norah and some of the other kids get pulled out of class by the police as witnesses, and the boy and his sisters end up getting sent to live at their grandparents’ house. When Norah’s mom and younger sister move across the state for a new job, Norah finds herself feeling neglected by both parents and worries that something similar will happen in her family. Another attempt to change her hair turns out to be disastrous, and her disheveled appearance makes a caring teacher start questioning Norah’s home life. When the family is reunited for the holidays, they finally start communicating about what’s going on, and, while things are still far from perfect, some changes are made that help get them back on track. Includes an author’s note about incidents from her own life that inspired the story and the evolution of the book.

Raina Telgemeier fans will enjoy this fictionalized graphic novel memoir that explores family issues, as well as school and friendship concerns. The hair dyeing is somewhat symbolic of the changes Norah and her family are going through, but also includes a reassuring message that with hair and life, there are always chances for a do-over. The scene with the police pulling the kids out of class as witnesses was kind of jarring; yes, teachers are mandated reporters, but hopefully such methods are not used to find out what’s going on at kids’ homes.

Ghostly graphic novels

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Welcome to Scare School (Scare School Diaries, book 1) by Jarrett Lerner (Aladdin, 144 pages, grades 1-4). Bash is one nervous ghost about starting Scare School, an institution that caters to monsters. His classmates are vampires, spiders, werewolves, and even a snot monster, a creature that scares Bash more than any of the others. He’s happily surprised to find a friend in Itsy, a spider who winds up as his roommate. Classes are tough, though, and the hardest one is his Creature Intensive with grouchy Mr. Crane, where Bash has to learn the skills specific to ghosts. If he’s not proficient by the end of the first two weeks, he’ll get sent home. With the help of Itsy and some other surprising supporters, Bash finds a way to get through it all and is ready to take on whatever else might come his way at Scare School.

Written in a diary format with lots of illustrations, this very unscary book will appeal to kids moving into longer chapter books. Despite being a ghost with some pretty unconventional classmates, Bash has experiences at school that kids will relate to. I’m happy this is billed as book 1, and I hope we won’t have long to wait for a sequel. Scare factor: Too small to detect.

The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln (Dial Books, 256 pages, grades 4-8). Twins Page and Turner Reed are alone a lot, with parents who travel all over the world and a nanny who likes to take a lot of time off. With not much better to do, they decide to go to the New York Public Library one day to find out how much their father’s rare copy of Dracula is worth. When the book goes missing at the library, they’re plunged into a wild series of adventures, guided by Night Librarian Ms. Literati, who shows them how fictional characters can be released from their books. Aided by Wonderland’s Alice, Jim Hawkins, Jack of beanstalk fame, and Tinkerbell, the team sets off on a mission to rescue the library from some of the evil characters who have managed to escape from their books. The final scene results in chaos and the destruction of the library…until H. G. Wells’s time machine turns things back again.

While not exactly scary, the black and purple palette of the nighttime library conjures up spookiness, offset by the fun adventures and opportunities to meet literary characters. Younger readers might need a little help straightening out who’s who, but the nonstop action, humor, and fun characters will appeal to kids right through middle school. Oldsters like myself will be inspired to learn that author Christopher Lincoln is publishing his debut graphic novel at the age of 71. Scare factor: Pretty low, mostly just a spooky atmosphere.

Read At Your Own Risk by Remy Lai (Henry Holt and Co., 160 pages, grades 3-6. Hannah recounts in a journal the story of how she has been cursed. It started when she and her friends went up to the school’s attic and played a Ouija board-like game to try to summon up spirits. Hannah tried to trick them, and as a result, it seems as though she’s been cursed. At first, there are small signs, like being pushed by invisible hands and skinning her knees, but soon things get more gory: a gash in her forehead, a tooth that mysteriously falls out, silverfish crawling through her gums and coming out of the gash. School rumor has it that she has eight days to break the curse–or else. By day eight, it seems as though everything is in a downward spiral, but there may be one last hope….

Wow, Remy Lai sure has changed since she created the cute and charming Pawcasso! Although there’s some humor and maybe even a little macabre charm, this story is a genuine horror tale. It’s a pretty quick read, thank goodness, because you won’t want to put it down! Kids who are looking for scary stories will be flocking to this one, for sure. Scare factor: Considerable.

Graphic novels that root for the underdogs

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We Are Big Time by Hena Khan, illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 240 pages, grades 3-7). Aliya’s not happy that her family is moving from Tampa to Milwaukee just as she’s about to start high school. Although it’s nice to be close to her grandparents, she misses the Florida weather and her basketball friends. Her new Islamic school has a girls’ basketball team, but they’re not very good. A new coach arrives at the school at the same time Aliya does, and before long the girls are working harder than ever on their conditioning and teamwork. Slowly, huge losses turn into smaller losses, then wins. As the team improves, they start attracting some media attention, which more often than not focuses more on their clothing and religion than on their basketball playing. The girls learn to navigate all kinds of new situations as they slowly build a winning season and make their way to the big end-of-the-year tournament. When the season finally comes to an end, the team and their families have plenty to celebrate. Include’s an author’s note about the real-life team that inspired this book and a behind-the-scenes look at the development of some of the artwork.

This is sure to be a big hit with fans of Raina Telgemeier-inspired graphic novels. The story reminded me a little bit of Hoops, with its team of scrappy underdogs breaking barriers for girls’ sports. Their turnaround from huge losses to wins seemed to happen very quickly, reminding me of the storytelling limitations of graphic novels.

Lion Dancers by Cai Tse (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 304 pages, grades 4-7). Wei is trying to find his place in middle school, but despite academic success, he hasn’t found a place where he feels he belongs. When he literally runs into a teenager wearing a lion dance t-shirt, Wei begs him for a chance to join his team. Wei’s late father was a championship lion dancer, and Wei danced a few years back, but he quit when he had some conflicts with another boy named Hung. Hung is part of the new team as well, and Wei struggles to work with him. When Lunar New Year comes around, the team is booked solid with performances all over the city, and everyone has to pitch in to make things work. When Wei and Hung’s rivalry gets in the way of one of their dances, it threatens everything the team has worked for. Wei has to decide if he’s going to work through his problems to continue with the dance form he loves or once again walk away from it.

I struggled a little at the beginning trying to keep the various characters straight and get up to speed with lion dancing, but once I figured things out, I very much enjoyed learning more about the dance and seeing how all the interpersonal drama played out. After reading this and Lunar New Year Love Story, I am ready to attend my first lion dance performance.

Summer camp

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Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas (HarperAlley, 256 pages, grades 3-7). Max feels like he doesn’t need friends when he immerses himself in the world of video games, and he’s excited to qualify for the big Gamerville championship. In some unfortunate timing, his mother signs Max up for Camp Reset, a monthlong summer camp designed to get kids unplugged and back to nature, which takes place the same time as Gamerville. The gaming venue is right across the lake from the camp, and Max spends his days plotting an escape. His nemesis is a girl named Zanzi, great-great-granddaughter of the camp’s founder, who eschews all technology. Surprisingly, the two eventually become friends, along with a third boy, Dylan, who has anger issues and has been shunned for being a bully. When they finally succeed in getting Max to Gamerville, he ends up using the lessons he’s learned about teamwork and friendship to make some surprising decisions at the competition.

Although this lacked the interesting historical flashbacks that made Johnnie Christmas’s Swim Team one of my favorites, it’s an engaging story with interesting characters and some good messages about friendship and finding a balance with technology. I’m sure you can introduce this as “a graphic novel about a gamer,” and kids will be clamoring for it.

Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 256 pages, grades 4-7). Tate is just starting viola, and they’re feeling unsure about their musical talents as well as their nonbinary identity, which is still a secret. Their original inspiration for learning viola was another nonbinary violist named Eli; when Tate went to see Eli’s debut concert, Eli got stage fright and never performed. The two meet at a summer music camp, Camp Prodigy, where they both struggle to find a balance between a love of music and a quest for perfection. Other campers help them to have fun or to perfect their playing. By the end of camp, they’ve both come a long way toward discovering what works for them, Tate has come out to friends and family, and Eli has loosened up on their perfectionism. Several pages at the end show how Caroline Palmer created the art for the book.

Kids are going to be begging their parents to go to camp after a handful of graphic novels this summer that portray it as a middle school paradise for making friends and experiencing personal growth. This one is an excellent addition, with two loveable nonbinary characters and a host of other interesting kids (I had a little trouble keeping track of them all) that make Camp Prodigy a fun and rewarding time for everyone.

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.

Middle school angst

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Upstaged by Robin Easter (Little Brown Ink, 256 pages, grades 4-8). Ash has had a crush on their best friend Ivy for quite a while now, and they’re excited about having one last summer with her at theater camp before going off to high school. Ash is stage manager, and Ivy has the lead of the musical Ella, based on the story of Cinderella. But things don’t turn out according to Ash’s plans, and as the summer progresses, it seems as though Ivy is always with her co-star Luke. Despite a surprising crush that another girl has on them, Ash is only interested in Ivy, and eventually lets their middle school emotions get the best of them, resulting in an angry outburst at Ivy and Luke. Fortunately, Ivy is able to cool things down, and there’s a fairy-tale style happy ending in store for everyone–and a successful show to wrap things up.

Not If You Break Up with Me First by G. F. Miller (Aladdin, 288 pages, grades 6-8). Andrew and Eve have been best friends for most of their lives, but things start to change in eighth grade. Eve gets pressured by her friends into asking Andrew to a dance, and the next thing either one of them knows, the whole school considers them a couple. Both Andrew and Eve (who alternate narrating the chapters) hate the expectations that seem to come with dating and want to get back to the comfort of their old friendship. They each have their own reasons for not wanting to be the one to initiate the break, though, so they each decide to do what they can to make the other one break up. Having been friends for so long, they are experts at pushing each other’s buttons, and things escalate until the whole school gets involved, and the two of them are facing detention. Fortunately, the truth comes out at both their homes, and Andrew’s mom coaches him on “the grand gesture” that results in (finally) an honest conversation between Eve and Andrew. Both acknowledge having feelings for each other, but also wanting to keep their old friendship, and a mutual break-up seems like the best solution for the time being.

Any Way You Look by Maleeha Siddiqui (Scholastic, 256 pages, grades 4-7). Ainy is excited about the end of sixth grade and the beginning of summer, looking forward to adventures with her best friend Safiya and helping her mother, Amma, and older sister, Bajja, at Amma’s clothing boutique. Ainy dreams of designing modest fashions for a living, so she’s thrilled when Amma entrusts her with an important design job. Unwanted attention from a boy from her class threatens to ruin her summer, though, and Ainy doesn’t know who to turn to for help. Amma is swamped with work, Bajja has unexpectedly stopped being a hijabi, and their dad is back in Pakistan, taking care of his mother who has cancer. Ainy decides to start wearing hijab in the hope that it will make the boy lose interest in her, but it ends up precipitating a crisis in which the truth finally comes out. Once Amma, Bajja, and Safiya learn what’s been happening, they help Ainy find the strength to speak up and set boundaries, and they teach her the true meaning of hijab and help her to decide whether or not she’s ready for it.

I got a triple dose of middle school angst with these three books. Each featured a main character with a big problem and an unwillingness to talk to anyone about it, resulting in lots of drama and a near-crisis that finally led to getting things out in the open. Upstaged is a graphic novel perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Drama; Not if You Break Up With Me First almost drove me mad, but resulted in the sweetest ending that middle schoolers in search of realistic romance will love; and Any Way You Look is a heartfelt and engaging story that looks at sexual harassment, setting boundaries, and learning to advocate for yourself, all from the perspective of a Muslim girl considering wearing hijab. Each book could have been a very short story if the main character had just had a conversation already, but hey, that’s middle school for you.

Games people play

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

The Life-Changing Magic of Chess by Maurice Ashley, illustrated by Denis Angelov (Harry N. Abrams, 40 pages, grades 2-6). Maurice Ashley, the first Black Chess Grandmaster, weaves together his own story with some basics of playing chess. The book is divided into ten tips from Ashley (#1 – It’s like being a magician, #2 – Everyone starts as a beginner), which he elaborates on in a series of two-page spreads. In addition to introducing the pieces and explaining how they move, he includes a few suggested series of plays. It’s clear that becoming a good chess player involves a lot of hard work and research, and Maurice talks about some of the setbacks he experienced on the road to Grandmaster, encouraging kids to persevere and hold onto their dreams. The last few pages include more information about him, along with several photos, and there’s also a glossary.

This new series includes The Life-Changing Magic of Skateboarding, with drumming and baking due out at the end of the summer. Although I have never understood chess nor had the inclination to play it, I found this book very engaging, and I like the way Maurice Ashley tells his own story as he explains the fundamentals of the game. The illustrations add a lot and are essential for showing how to move the pieces to start or end a game. I hope there will be many more additions to this series.

Curveball by Pablo Cartaya, illustrated by Miguel Diaz Rivas (Disney Hyperion, 192 pages, grades 3-7). Elena is an excellent baseball player, the only girl on the boys’ team, with a mother whose support borders on helicopter parenting. When Elena hurts her knee at the beginning of the summer, she’s a bit relieved to have to give up her planned baseball clinic, but she soon realizes that she has no friends outside of baseball. With nothing else to do, she starts hanging out with her younger brother and his live action role-playing (LARP) pals. Elena’s kind of forgotten how to use her imagination and have fun, but the other kids talk her through it, and before long she’s not only figured out a way to combine baseball and LARP, but she’s met a couple of sporty girls her age who have learned how to strike a balance between athletic competition and fun. Their example helps Elena find the courage to talk to her mom, who reveals how her own early disappointments have fueled her passion for Elena’s baseball playing and agrees to let Elena have more autonomy over her own life.

Part Roller Girl, part Cardboard Kingdom, this colorful graphic novel has something for everyone, with a strong Latina character (Spanish is expertly woven into the dialog), and a nice message about finding a balance in life.

Lucky Scramble by Peter Raymundo (Dial Books, 192 pages, grades 3-7). The story of the national Rubik’s Cube championship focuses on 12-year-old Tyler Gooden, an up-and-coming cuber who got his start after his dad died three years ago. The Rubik’s cube was a gift from his father, and although Tyler had never solved it, focusing on it after his dad’s death helped him with his grief. Other competitors are profiled, including egotistical champion Dirk Speedman, 8-year-old prodigy Eli Newton and his obnoxious dad who will stop at nothing to see his son win, twins Izzy and Lizzy who are learning to establish their own identities, and 1980’s great Miles Wizzinski, who’s hoping for a comeback despite his carpal tunnel syndrome. The national championship competition brings out the worst–and eventually the best–in many of the characters, as they all learn and grow on their way to fighting it out for the title.

This hybrid mix of illustrated chapter book and graphic novel is sure to be a hit with its colorful cartoon-style illustrations and intriguing, if slightly one-dimensional, characters. Watching the competitors solve the cube in record-breaking times will surely have readers seeking out winning strategies on YouTube.

Animals, dead and alive

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Jason Chin (Neal Porter Books, 48 pages, grades 2-5). When a 90-year-old blue whale dies on her annual northern migration, her body slowly sinks a mile before settling on the bottom of the ocean. Scavengers like hagfish and sleeper sharks, attracted by the chemicals released to this rare source of food, start devouring the whale meat. This process can go on for years until only the skeleton is left. A second stage begins with a new set of scavengers (hello, bone-eating zombie worms), who feed on the whale remains for decades. 150 years later, the bones are still releasing chemicals that feed algae, which in turn feed krill. The krill is eaten by a pregnant blue whale, thus completing the cycle of life that includes the old blue whale and the new one. Includes additional information about blue whales, ecosystems, and the four phases of a whale fall ecosystem, as well as additional resources.

This beautiful, well-written science book is sure to be a contender for the Caldecott and the Sibert awards, both of which amazing illustrator Jason Chin has won before. The information is fascinating, with descriptions of a process and animals that exist so far under the sea that scientists are just beginning to learn about them. There’s a lot of text and scientific information, which made me wonder if the book would hold the attention of younger elementary readers. If it’s too much, you can direct them to Melissa Stewart’s Whale Fall.

I Was: The Story of Animal Skulls by Katherine Hocker, illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Candlewick, 40 pages, grades 2-5). A skull says, “I was,” as the teeth, bones, holes, and cracks help tell the story of the animal it belonged to. Each two-page spread shows a skull with the voice of the animal describing part of the skull that hints at its identity. Turn the page and see the animal as it looked when it was alive. There’s a lynx, a deer, a beaver, a hummingbird, a wolf, and an owl. The last few pages celebrate the human skull, which protects the brain that allows us to understand the world around us. Includes a labeled diagram of a human skull with additional information about different parts, more information about the animals in the book and the human skull, and a few additional resources.

The large, vivid illustrations capture both the skulls and the animals beautifully. I always enjoy a book that gives kids the opportunity to guess what’s coming next, as it makes for a more engaging read-aloud. I found the premise kind of sad, though, with dead animals describing themselves when they were alive, and I wish the name of the animal had been included with the picture.

Survival of the Fittest: Who Will Come Out on Top? by Rebecca Donnelly, illustrated by Misa Saburi (Henry Holt and Co., 112 pages, grades 2-5). A reality TV show has six animals competing for the best engineering feat, with a hermit crab serving as host and three sharks judging. A chameleon, humpback whale, gecko, elephant, peacock mantis shrimp, and diabolical ironclad beetle each make a case for why it should be the winner, showing off a unique adaptation that allows it to survive. A winner is declared in the final chapter, and additional information about each animal’s “invention” is given on the last few pages.

Billed as book 1, this looks to be the start of a graphic novel series that may appeal to fans of the Who Would Win series. It’s cute and funny, with some interesting animal information, although not nearly as much as Who Would Win provides. The winner seemed like kind of a random choice, but I guess that’s more or less in keeping with the nature of reality TV.

Summer reading

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Samira’s Worst Best Summer by Nina Hamza (Quill Tree Books, 336 pages, grades 4-7). Sammy’s hoping for some down time over summer vacation to recover from a rough seventh grade year. Painfully shy and insecure, her best times are when she’s behind a camera observing and taking pictures. When her house is toilet papered on the last day of school, she’s sure her ex-best friend Kiera is behind it, part of a campaign of cruelty that has gone on all year. Sammy’s grandmother, Umma, arrives from India to look after Sammy and her younger brother Imran, while their parents and older sister travel to India for a family wedding. Umma is loving, supporting, and also extremely outgoing, and she slowly draws Sammy out of her shell, helping her to connect with some of the neighbors, especially Alice, a new girl on the street. As Sammy and Alice work together to solve the mystery of the TP’ing and another mean prank, Sammy slowly learns to speak up for herself and to claim a new identity for herself as Samira.

Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim (Random House Graphic, 240 pages, grades 3-7). Maya’s another one recovering from a difficult school year, her only refuge being the kitchen where she enjoys whipping up delicious masterpieces. She’s not sure how she feels when her dad and his girlfriend, Charlotte, announce on the last day of school that Charlotte is moving in, but the blow is softened when she learns that Charlotte has offered to send her to culinary camp. A mix-up at the bus station lands Maya at Camp Dracula, where the other campers have fangs, drink blood boxes instead of juice boxes, and don’t have reflections. Horrified at first, she slowly begins to bond with the other campers and finds them friendlier and more accepting than the humans she’s been around recently. By the time she gets the opportunity to switch to culinary camp, Maya realizes that Camp Dracula is where she belongs.

Although these books have many differences, they are remarkably similar with introverted protagonists who have endured a grueling middle school year, and who find supportive friends and family to help them embrace their strengths and come into their own during summer vacation. I found both of them extremely engaging stories that would make for some great beach reading. Of all the vampires I’ve been forced to read about over the years, Maya’s friends may be my favorites.

A picture book potpourri

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Everyone Gets a Turn by Marianne Dubuc (Princeton Architectural Press, 60 pages, ages 4-9). When friends Bear, Mouse, Turtle, and Hare discover an egg, each one wants to take it home. The egg provides the answer: “Everyone gets a turn!” Mouse found the egg, so he brings it home first, getting to know the egg and learning how to keep it comfortable. Next is Bear, who gets a surprise: the egg hatches, and Little Bird arrives. Hare and Turtle figure out how to feed and care for a young bird, and by the time the visit with Turtle ends, Little Bird has built her own home and is ready to take care of herself. There’s a housewarming party, at which time Little Bird declares she will henceforth be known as Clara, and the five friends and neighbors “continue to grow, each in their own way.” The story could hardly be any cozier or more heartwarming, and the longer page count and graphic novel format will make it appealing to older readers as well as younger kids. I’d love to know the story of how this came to be published by the Princeton Architectural Press.

The Bicycle: How an Act of Kindness Changed a Young Refugee’s Life by Patricia McCormick and Mevan Babakar, illustrated by Yas Imamura (Balzer + Bray, 40 pages, grades 1-4). Mevan tells the story of her childhood, beginning with idyllic early years surrounded by family in Kurdistan. When the Iraqi government begins persecuting the Kurdish people, Mevan and her family are forced to flee, first to Turkey, then to Russia, and finally to the Netherlands. Mevan learns to make herself as invisible as she can. In the Netherlands, she watches people outside her window riding bicycles, but she rarely leaves the apartment herself. It feels like no one sees her, but it turns out that Egbert, the building’s handyman, has noticed her, and one day he brings her a red bicycle. His gift makes Mevan feel “a hundred feet tall,” and before long, she’s outside riding with the rest of her neighbors. An epilogue describes the miraculous reunion she had with Egbert as an adult, including a photo of the two of them, and an author’s note describes her life as a refugee, how it has made her feel like an outsider, and the miraculous power of kindness. This is a touching if bittersweet memoir with an emphasis on the power of one person’s kindness to make a difference. I like how the epilogue ends, describing the ripple effect of her story of finding Egbert: “In a world where there are many people running from war, from hunger, from hatred, people everywhere, of every age, asked themselves: What’s one kind thing I can do?”

The Elephant and the Sea by Ed Vere (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Gabriel is an old elephant when we meet him on the first page, sitting in the harbor and remembering his younger days. Back then, he loved to visit the lifeboat crew and dreamed of helping sailors at sea, singing “Heave away, haul away, heave-HO!” But then Gabriel grows…and grows, and the other animals say he’s too big for the lifeboat. He refuses to give up his dream, though, and spends his days collecting driftwood and building. When a storm hits that’s too strong for the lifeboat crew, Gabriel is ready with his own boat that he uses to haul in the entire fleet. “Brave Gabriel, our hero!” the animals hail him. “Can we join you?” “Of course,” Gabriel replies. “But we might need a bigger boat.” And Gabriel enjoys a career of lifesaving, bringing us back to the old elephant remembering. It’s a cute story with a nice theme of perseverance and determination, with a fun “Heave away” repeating refrain. This would make a nice companion to read with Swashby and the Sea.