Nonfiction

To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  One person, one carbon molecule, one degree of warmth can all seem insignificant, but when they are multiplied, they can wreak havoc on a planet.  Likewise, one person can also feel insignificant when it comes to making positive changes to help our planet, but combined with the efforts of others, they can make a real difference.  Includes back matter with additional information about climate change and what people can do to make a difference.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A perfect introduction to climate change and the need for environmental activism.  The text is spare, just a sentence or two per page, but it really shows the impact, both positive and negative, of small changes.  The colorful illustrations help show this as well.

Cons:  I find every book about climate change anxiety-inducing.

Lola Out Loud: Inspired by the Childhood of Activist Dolores Huerta by Jennifer Torres, illustrated by Sara Palacios

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Lola loves helping out at the hotel where she lives with her mother and grandfather.  Her mother is always ready to help guests; if they don’t have money to pay, she’ll accept food or even just a handshake and a promise.  Lola is an enthusiastic worker, but she sometimes gets in trouble for talking too much.  “Lolita Siete Lenguas (seven tongues)” her grandfather calls her teasingly, reminding her that sometimes it’s good to be quiet but other times “one strong voice is just what we need.”  Lola remembers this lesson when she’s the only one who sees a woman and girl thrown off the streetcar in front of her house because they can’t pay the fare.  She stays quiet about the two at first, but, remembering Grandpa’s words, she rallies her family and the other hotel guests to help them, using words that she would later become famous for, “¡SÍ se puede!”  Includes additional information about the labor leader Lola grew up to be: Dolores Huerta.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Keep this book in mind for the upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month, especially if you’re looking for something for younger readers.  They’ll enjoy the story of young Lola, learn a little about Dolores Huerta, and take away an empowering message about using your voice to speak up about injustice. The illustrations add just the right touch of fun and energy.

Cons:  It would have been nice to have a list of additional resources for older kids to dive into.


Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten illustrated by Garry Meeches Sr. 

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Maple and Quill love visiting N8hkumuhs (pronounced NOO-kuh-mus), their grandmother, and hearing her stories.  One story she tells is of Weeâchumun (corn), and how she and her sisters Beans and Squash helped new people who came to their land.  They sent dreams to the First People to alert them of the newcomers’ plight, and the people sent Ousamequin and Tisquantum to greet them and show them how to plant corn, beans, and squash.  When there was a successful harvest, the First People and the new people celebrated together with a three-day feast.  “Many Americans call it a day of thanksgiving,” concludes N8hkumuhs.  “Many of our people call it a day of mourning.” Includes a glossary and introduction at the beginning and additional information about the Wampanoag tribes, storytelling tradition, harvest feasts, and tradition of giving thanks at the end, as well as a recipe and a photo of the real Maple and Quill.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  An excellent addition to Thanksgiving collections that gives the Wampanoag perspective and includes some good information in the back matter.  The illustrations beautifully portray various animals and the spirits of the Three Sisters.

Cons:  Kids might need some help with the transition between the opening scene with N8hkumuhs, Maple, and Quill and the main story. I was confused until I realized that the weeâchumun (corn) that N8hkumuhs mentioned was the same as Weeâchumun, the spirit of corn and the protagonist of N8hkumuhs’ story.

More Than Peach: Changing the World…One Crayon at a Time by Bellen Woodard, illustrated by Fanny Liem

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Scholastic

Summary:  When Bellen Woodard noticed that her classmates were using the term “skin-colored” when asking for a peach crayon, she felt confused.  Her mom suggested she hand them the brown crayon instead, but that didn’t feel right either.  She decided to ask them what color they wanted because skin “can be any number of beautiful colors”.  Her friends appreciated the reminder, so she kept going, changing the language in her classroom, her school, and, eventually, the larger world.  The last five pages tell the history of Bellen’s More than Peach Project and give kids steps for creating their own campaigns.  40 pages; grades K-3.  

Pros:  This inspiring story tells how one young girl made a difference in her community and beyond and gives readers good advice, from one kid to another, about how they can become activists.

Cons:  I liked the part of the back matter written in Bellen’s voice, but the page giving her history read like it was written by a proud parent.

What Is Math? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Christy Ottaviano Books

Summary:  Rhyming text and lively illustrations show the many ways that math is used in everyday life from cooking to making change to building a house.  Many mathematical concepts are introduced including counting, measuring, comparing, geometry, money, and patterns.  The illustrations show lots of busy children using math in a variety of activities which may better answer the question of how math is used than what math is.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A spirited introduction to math for preschool and early elementary kids.  It would be fun to spend some time brainstorming about how math is used before reading this book.  There are not enough math picture books in the world, and this is a good addition to that limited collection.

Cons:  I wanted to weep when I reached the last page and discovered there was no back matter.

Rewilding: Bringing Wildlife Back Where It Belongs by David A. Steen, illustrated by Chiara Fedele

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Neon Squid

Summary:  Humans have done much to damage or eliminate the populations of so many animals; rewilding seeks to reverse some of that damage by introducing animals raised in captivity to the wild or relocating a wild animal population.  This book looks at dozens of animals, giving each a two-page spread with information about a rewilding project (including successes and failures) and plenty of illustrations.  Other pages address wider questions like why animals go extinct and how scientists measure the success of a rewilding project.  Includes information on what kids can do, a glossary, and an index.  80 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  It’s refreshing to find a book that offers at least some glimmers of hope and optimism amidst our current global crises.  The writing and the illustrations are engaging, and the last couple pages offer readers some concrete actions to take.

Cons:  Each story was so interesting that two pages didn’t seem enough to cover it.

Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre with Jeff Sayre

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  Follow a sloth through its day in the rainforest as it eats, climbs, rests, and hides.  The photos mostly tell the story, along with a few short sentences.  Longer side bars on every other page add additional information.  The story ends with “the changing of the sloths” as the diurnal three-toed sloth falls asleep and the nocturnal two-toed sloth awakens.  Includes additional information about sloths and a list of four resources “for more leisurely chewing.”  48 pages; ages 4-10.

Pros:  April Pulley Sayre’s photos never disappoint, and these capture sloths doing all kinds of interesting things.  The short text and photos make this a good read-aloud for preschoolers, while the sidebars and back matter make it just as good a choice for older kids.

Cons:  A book about sloths is not a thrilling page-turner.

If You’re a Kid Like Gavin: The True Story of a Young Trans Activist by Gavin Grimm and Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by J Yang

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  There are some choices kids get to make and others they don’t.  Gavin Grimm didn’t choose to be a boy or a girl, but as a transgender kid, he chose to talk about it, to tell his family he was a boy, and to start high school as a boy with a new name.  At school, though, he didn’t have a choice about what bathroom to use; he had to use the bathroom in the nurse’s office.  As months went by, and no one seemed to care, Gavin started to use the boys’ room.  A teacher objected, and kids started bullying.  So Gavin decided to speak up.  When this didn’t work at his school, he went on the news and to the ACLU and has continued to fight for his rights and those of other trans kids.  And “since you’re a kid like Gavin Grimm, you can always decide to believe in yourself and fight for what you believe in.”  Includes notes from both authors and a link to the ACLU’s webpage for students about their rights.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Kids will relate to Gavin’s personal story which lays out his choices in terms that are understandable for an elementary audience.  An excellent resource for trans kids and those who work or go to school with them.

Cons:  A list of resources (besides the ACLU site) would have been useful.

If the World Were 100 Animals: A Visual Guide to Earth’s Amazing Creatures by Miranda Smith, illustrated by Aaron Cushley

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Since there are over 20 quintillion animals on Earth (that’s 20 followed by 18 zeros), it’s easier to get a grasp on that population by reducing it to 100.  For instance, if there were 100 animals on Earth, 6 would be vertebrates and 94 invertebrates.  If there were 100 animals in the ocean, 9 would be known and 91 left to be discovered.  If we imagine 100 animals have lived during the history of the Earth, 10 would still be living and 90 would be extinct.  The final two pages address the issue of extinction and encourage kids to work to save endangered animals.  32 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  I found myself thinking “Wow!” on almost every page; I can’t wait to share this book with kids.  Kudos to Aaron Cushley for creating illustrations that really bring these ideas to life.  

Cons:  There are no source notes or resources listed.

Before Music: Where Instruments Come From by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Madison Safer

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Each section of this book begins with a person observing a natural phenomenon, like the sound rocks make when banged against each other, the sound of a silk thread being plucked, or the sound of air through a reed.  From there, the narrative looks at how that particular item inspired the creation of musical instruments, instruments in different categories (“rock instruments that are struck”, “rock instruments that are blown”) and musical innovators.  Includes a list of selected sources and instructions for making your own instrument.  88 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  An excellent addition to any music library, encouraging readers to look deeper into the history of music and instruments, with fabulous illustrations portraying instruments and musicians.

Cons:  This book is almost 15 inches tall, which felt unnecessarily large and unwieldy to read.  Also, I would have appreciated a table of contents, index, and/or glossary to give a little more structure.