Nonfiction

I Am the Shark by Joan Holub, illustrated by Laurie Keller

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

I Am the Shark: Holub, Joan, Keller, Laurie: 9780525645283: Amazon.com: Books
I Am the Shark: Holub, Joan, Keller, Laurie: 9780525645283: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  A great white shark makes the case that he is the greatest.  Or is he?  Turns out, there are other sharks that are bigger, smaller, faster, and every other superlative he tries to be.  By the end, he’s ready to change his name to the just-okay white shark or the not-so-great white shark.  But then a little fish comes along and tells him there’s always going to be someone who is bigger, faster, smarter, or whatever than you are, and it’s best being happy to be you.  That makes the great white happy, and he concludes by flashing his 300-tooth-grin…the greatest smile in the book.  Includes thumbnails of all sharks mentioned with additional information and “More Books to Sink Your Teeth Into”.  48 pages; ages 4-9.

Pros:  It’s a no-brainer that any book featuring sharks is going to be hugely popular, and the funny premise of this one, combined with Laurie Keller’s humorous illustrations will only add to that.  Don’t be misled by all the jokester sharks, though…there is also plenty of information to fill your hammerhead shark-size-brain.

Cons:  I thought the pages with a labelled diagram of the great white shark and the shark facts in the middle of the book kind of interrupted the story; they seemed more like back matter.

The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field by Scott Riley, illustrated by Nguyen Quang and Kim Lien

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Millbrook Press

The Floating Field - By Scott Riley (hardcover) : Target
The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field Book Review |

Summary:  Prasit Nemmin and his friends could only play soccer a couple of times a month, since the sandbar they played on in their island village of Koh Panyee, Thailand was underwater the rest of the time.  Watching the World Cup on TV made them want to play every day, inspiring their plan to build a floating field.  Using cast-off wood and old barrels, they were able to build a platform that could stay afloat on top of buoys.  They practiced just about every day, and their persistence paid off with a third-place win at a local tournament.  Includes a two-page author’s note with photos and maps, and a note from Prasit about how and why he and his friends built the field back in 1986.  His love of soccer endures, and his son has played on the national champion Panyee Football Club.  Also includes some soccer words in Thai and a bibliography.  40 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  A great read for soccer fans and anyone who enjoys a good underdog story, with an emphasis on the importance of teamwork and persistence.  The back matter adds extra dimensions to the story.

Cons:  It looked like a huge nuisance to have to go into the water any time the ball went out of bounds. 

Wilbur Wright Meets Lady Liberty by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor

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Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Wilbur Wright Meets Lady Liberty | Robert Burleigh | Macmillan
Wilbur Wright Meets Lady Liberty | Robert Burleigh | Macmillan

Summary:  On September 29, 1909, Wilbur Wright flew for six and a half minutes around the Statue of Liberty, the first time either of the Wright Brothers had flown over a body of water.  His feat was witnessed by a large crowd of New Yorkers, including 10-year-old Juan Trippe, whose conversation with his father bookends the main narrative of this story; Trippe would grow up to found Pan Am Airways.  The story is supplemented by extensive back matter, including an author’s note with additional information about the Wright Brothers and their New York flights (a few days later, Wilbur took a longer flight down the Hudson River).  There’s also a list of facts about other aspects of the story, an illustrator’s note, and a bibliography.  Front end papers show a newspaper article reporting the event, and back papers show a map of the flight.  40 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  This veteran author-illustrator team has created a picture book that perfectly captures the tension and excitement of Wilbur Wright’s flight, while also conveying the peacefulness of flying.  The extensive back matter adds a lot of information, and is written in a way that is accessible to younger readers.

Cons:  I wish the back matter had included a few photos.

This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Amazon.com: This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth (Audible Audio Edition): Sean Rubin, Jennifer Ceci, Macmillan Young Listeners: Audible Audiobooks
This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth: Rubin, Sean: 9781250788504: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  A Callery pear tree narrates its experiences, beginning with its earliest days in a plaza near the World Trade Center.  It was buried on 9/11, and near death when discovered in the rubble several weeks later.  Moved to a different location, it survived against expectations, and in December 2010, it was dug up and replanted in a new plaza near its former location.  Surrounded by other trees that give it strength, the Survivor Tree helps the people who come to see it by giving them peace, hope, and the promise that spring will always come again.  Includes an author’s note; a two-page history of the World Trade Center, 9/11, and the Survivor Tree; a note on the illustrations; and a list of six sources.  48 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  A beautifully written and illustrated story that makes a unique introduction to the events of 9/11 and also speaks to anyone who has survived a traumatic event.

Cons:  The events of 9/11 are not described at all (“It was an ordinary morning.  Until it wasn’t”), so kids will definitely need an introduction before reading this book.

Fearless World Traveler: Adventures of Marianne North, Botanical Artist by Laurie Lawlor, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

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Published by Holiday House

Fearless World Traveler: Adventures of Marianne North, Botanical Artist: Lawlor, Laurie, Stadtlander, Becca: 9780823439591: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Growing up in Victorian England, Marianne North was never encouraged in her passions for art and botany.  Self-taught in both, she stayed home and cared for her “irritable, demanding” father until his death when she was 40.  When an elderly widow invited her to be a traveling companion to North America, Marianne jumped at the chance.  This trip led her to Jamaica and the tropics she had long dreamed of seeing.  She eventually circumnavigated the world several times, seeking out exotic plant species that she could paint.  When her paintings crowded her London flat, she arranged to have a gallery built for them as part of the Royal Botanic Gardens.  The Marianne North Gallery opened in 1882 with 627 paintings on display.  She spent the last few years of her life at home in the English countryside, gardening, painting, and writing her memoirs before her death in 1890 at the age of 59.  Includes additional information on her legacy and writings, as well as sources and a who’s who of people Marianne encountered throughout her life.  44 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  This fascinating account of a woman who defied social expectations to lead an adventurous life makes for an inspiring read.  Her single-minded passions, preference for being alone, and discomfort with social situations made me wonder if she was neurodivergent.  The brilliant illustrations capture the spirit of North’s work, and make sure to check out the endpapers for reproductions of some of her paintings (identified in the back matter).

Cons:  The small font of the text.

Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss by Gregory Mone, photographs by Levon Biss

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Published by Harry N. Abrams

Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss: Mone, Gregory, Biss, Levon: 9781419731662: Amazon.com: Books
Bound To Stay Bound Books, Inc. - Bookstore

Summary:  Levon Biss is a photographer whose work was mostly focused on celebrities and political leaders until the day his son Sebastian brought a beetle into the kitchen.  When the two of them looked at it under a microscope, Levon was captivated by the beauty and complexity of the insect.  Since then, he’s created amazing photos of all kinds of creatures, taking thousands of photos of each one, then piecing them together on his computer.  This book includes 16 insects, with the photos as the main attraction, but also including some information about where each one lives, its size, a description, and a few facts.  Includes a glossary.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Anyone with the slightest interest in insects will be amazed by these photos and enriched by the information; anyone without that interest may be surprised to find out how beautiful and complex insects can be.

Cons:  The author has a note at the end that begins, “Normally an author wouldn’t send his or her readers to the Internet.  Not when there are shelves and shelves stacked with wonderful printed books….”  It’s okay, here in the 21st century, it is actually okay to unapologetically send readers to the Internet.

The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee’s Story by Jay Hosler

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by HarperAlley

The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story: Hosler, Jay, Hosler, Jay: 9780063007369: Amazon.com: Books
The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story: Hosler, Jay, Hosler, Jay: 9780063007352: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  The life cycle of the honey bee is given a whole new twist in this graphic novel that follows the life of a Nyuki (Swahili for bee) from her early days as a pupa until her death at the base of a flower.  She is mentored by her older sister Dvorah, who tries to hold back Nyuki’s early urges to explore.  A premature sojourn from the hive results in some close calls with a praying mantis and a spider, and Nyuki returns home vowing to never leave again.  Now Dvorah has to find a way to lure her out, and her success is bittersweet.  As Nyuki grows older, she becomes a beloved member of the hive and ends up in the role of mentor herself, helping out a younger bee named Melissa.  Nearing the end of her life, Nyuki goes for one last flight and finds an unusual way to ensure that she will return to the hive after her death.  Includes labeled diagrams of the honeybee; ten pages of chapter-by-chapter annotations; and a list of references.  160 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  The graphic nonfiction just keeps on getting better and better.  Written and illustrated by a biology professor, this one manages to tell a fascinating story, creating interesting insect and flower characters, and also to impart a wealth of information.  With the extensive back matter, this could easily be used as a high school or even a college text, yet is engaging and understandable enough for older elementary kids.

Cons:  This is actually a revised edition of the author’s earlier book Clan Apis, so it feels like a little bit of a stretch to call it a new book in 2021.

Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas by Elizabeth Shreeve, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas: Shreeve, Elizabeth, Preston-Gannon, Frann: 9781536214109: Amazon.com: Books
Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas: Shreeve, Elizabeth, Preston-Gannon, Frann: 9781536214109: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Which two are the most closely related: hippo, dolphin, shark?  That question is asked before the title page; the text goes back to the beginning of life on earth to find an answer.  Each two-page spread shows animals for a geologic period, with several sentences of text telling what happened during this time.  The final three (Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, and Cenozoic Era) are covered on two pages and take us up to the present, where we learn how the hippo and dolphin are related.  “Always changing.  Always evolving.  From out of the blue…and back again.”  Includes a list of sources.  32 pages; grades 1-5.  

Pros:  An excellent introduction to geological history and evolution.  Kids will enjoy poring over the illustrations of so many interesting creatures from so many different time periods.  A first-rate science book.

Cons:  It’s pretty challenging to cover the history of life on Earth in just 32 pages, and I can’t help thinking a little more back matter could have added more substance.

A Shot in the Arm! (Big Ideas That Changed the World) by Don Brown

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Harry N. Abrams

A Shot in the Arm! (Hardcover) | ABRAMS
Bound To Stay Bound Books, Inc. - Bookstore

Summary:  Lady Mary Wortley Montagu narrates this graphic history of vaccines from the early 18th century.  After losing a brother to smallpox and becoming scarred by the disease herself, she was determined to protect her children from it.  Living in the Ottoman Empire with her family, she heard of a procedure that involved introducing some matter from a pox sore into a cut on a person’s arm.  She decided to have the procedure done on her son, and when she returned to England, on her daughter.  Princess Caroline, future Queen of England, got wind of this, and began her own series of experiments which eventually popularized the procedure in Great Britain.  From there, Lady Montagu continues the story of vaccines against various diseases: measles, mumps, polio, and, of course Covid.  The narrative ends in November of 2020 as Covid vaccines are being developed and tested: “The world holds its breath…and hopes.”  Includes a timeline; additional information on Mary Wortley Montagu; a lengthy bibliography; an author’s note; and an index.  144 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  I looked for an interview of Don Brown to see if he began work on this book before or after Covid, but couldn’t find one.  Either way, this book could hardly be more timely.  It does a great job of explaining the science in an understandable way, coming down firmly on the side of vaccination while acknowledging those who fear it with a certain degree of sympathy.  (Although I did love page 67 showing 19th-century British anti-vaxers saying things like, “I heard the doctors are wrong!” and “I don’t like the government telling me what to do!”).    The back matter makes this an excellent research tool.  

Cons:  This book is billed as #3 of 3 in the Big Ideas That Changed the World series.  I do hope that doesn’t mean it’s the last one.

How to Build an Insect by Roberta Gibson, illustrated by Anne Lambelet

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Millbrook Press

How to Build an Insect - Kindle edition by Gibson, Roberta, Lambelet, Anne. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
How to Build an Insect: Gibson, Roberta, Lambelet, Anne: 9781541578111: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Readers learn about insects’ body parts as a young artist works on creating one.  First comes the head, followed by the thorax and the abdomen.  Decisions are made about a skeleton, legs, and wings.  Then the senses are considered: eyes, ears, a mouth, and antennae.  Decorations like hair and horns are the final touch before the insect is given a place to live and a snack, at which point the artist declares the work done.  Includes a two-page labeled illustration of an insect, a glossary, and instructions for building an insect model.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  An engaging way to learn about insects, with large, colorful illustrations and text that reads like a conversation between the narrator and the artist.  A perfect example of blending art and science.

Cons:  Kind of an anti-climactic ending.