Picture books

14 animal poems

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

At the Edge: Curious Creatures of Planet Earth by David Elliott, illustrated by Robin Clover (Candlewick, 40 pages, grade K-3). Fourteen unique animals from around the world are celebrated, each with a poem and a cut paper illustration of the animal in its habitat. There are insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds. The black rain frog’s poem is just two words (“Bumpy. Grumpy.”), and most of the other poems are under a dozen lines. The final two pages have notes about the animals, with a short paragraph of information about each one.

This would be a great introduction to poetry for young readers, with interesting, colorful illustrations of a host of unique creatures along with short, easy-to-read information. I do kind of wish the information appeared on each page instead of at the end to make it easier to learn more about these fascinating animals. This is part of a poetry series by Elliott called Paws, Fins, Feathers, Claws that looks like it would be an excellent addition to an elementary poetry collection.

Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Candlewick, 32 pages, grades 1-5). How to consider jellyfish? They can be seen in the water by a child on a dock, listed by their unusual common names like fried-egg or flower hat, or looked at from the perspective of the hundreds of millions of years they have lived on earth, predating dinosaurs by millions of years. Each way of looking is described with a different type of poem and shown with a variety of illustration styles, like a page from a scientist’s notebook, or a cartoon showing the emergency of a box jellyfish’s sting, or a dreamy underwater landscape. The back matter includes a bibliography and a list of websites to dive deeper into jellyfish research.

This gorgeous poetic meditation on jellyfish is sure to be considered for awards, whether it’s Sibert for the information or Caldecott for the illustrations. It seems to have been inspired by Wallace Stevens’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” but I couldn’t find that cited anywhere in the book.

Science Friday

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Honeybird Blue by Taunya English, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa (HarperCollins, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Honeybird and Pop get up before the sun to head into the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia for a day of birding. Honeybird has a list of birds by color that she hopes to see, and she’s sure today will be the day that she finally sees Blue: the great blue heron, who has skinny legs and a topknot just like her. Off they go, and as the day progresses, they see Yellow (yellowthroats), Green (mallards), Grey (woodpeckers), Black (blackbirds), Brown (geese)…but no Blue. Pop reminds Honeybird that “birding is seeing what you see,” but she’s still disappointed as they head back to the car. Right before they go, they gather in a circle with other birders, each one naming a favorite bird (“Honeybird,” says Pop). Just as they pose for a photo…there’s Blue! Flying in the sky, then landing nearby so that Honeybird gets a good look and makes the last tick on her list. Includes a birding glossary as well as pictures and additional information about all the birds in the book, including the honeybird.

This lovely book with illustrations by Coretta Scott King Honoree Figueroa is an excellent introduction to birding with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable main character. It would also make a nice Father’s Day gift and might inspire a father-child outing into nature.

Hooray for My Brain! by Paul Meisel (Holiday House, 32 pages, grades K-4). “Look at us!” two kids call from the first page. “We can run! We can read and play the drums! We can jump and draw and throw and talk!” And it’s all thanks to their brains. They then get into the details, introducing readers to the way the brain connects to the spinal cord and nerves to allow our bodies to do so many amazing things. Information on the structure of the brain shows which lobes are responsible for which bodily functions. Glands located in the brain–the pituitary and the hypothalamus–are described. “Hooray for my brain!” the narrators say in unison as they ride their bikes off the last page. Includes a glossary.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Honoree has created a science book that’s accessible for younger readers but doesn’t shy away from challenging vocabulary and complex concepts. The illustrations play a big role in providing clarity, and showing the two kids on many of the pages helps readers understand how different parts of the brain make different activities possible. Kids may want to do additional research on some of the concepts introduced, and a list of resources would have made a nice addition.

Imagining animals

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A Fish Like Me by Jamie Sumner, illustrated by Devin Holzwarth (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). A boy celebrates the joys of swimming, comparing his movements through the water to a starfish, a catfish, a seahorse, and a snail. He then shows readers how he moves on land, rolling in his wheelchair like “a rocket ready to launch into space.” He introduces his swim therapy coach who helps him when he gets lost underwater and reminds him how to use his arms and legs in the water. “Wherever I might be,” he concludes, “There is something magical about a fish like me.”

This celebration of swimming is an empowering look at a boy with a disability who fully embraces life and movement of every kind. Even though he’s in a pool, the illustrations show an abundance of marine life, reflecting his vivid imagination as he powers through the water. I wish there had been a little back matter to offer additional information about swimming and disabilities, but this is a great book to show kids the joy of being in the water.

Bear for a Day by Corey R. Tabor (Greenwillow Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). “If I were a bear for a day, my name would be Bear.” So begins this tale, shown from Bear’s perspective, as he gets ready for his day, realizes his best friend Mouse is missing, and heads into town on his motorcycle to begin his search. Text highlighted in different colors interrupts the story to ask questions and make comments about the story. When a commenter suggests a hot-air balloon, one suddenly appears in the sky, and Mouse is shown to be hanging off of one of the ropes. After a rescue by Bear, the source of the story is revealed: a boy is reading it in front of the class, and the other kids are the ones who have been adding to the story. The teacher suggests that the report needs more information, so the boy launches into the rest of the story, which sees Bear and Mouse going home, eating dinner, and getting ready for bed. That concludes the narrative, and the boy takes a bow.

I’m always thrilled to see a new book by Corey Tabor, and I love how this one celebrates the power of imagination. The illustrations never show the bear except when he’s looking in a mirror or having his picture taken, truly making it from his point of view. I love how the teacher refers to the boy telling the story as both “Corey” and “Mr. Tabor.” It would be fun to assign different kids the roles of Corey’s classmates in the book and have them read the highlighted lines in their colors.

Fun American history books for the Fourth of July

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America’s Founding Myths…And What Really Happened! by Christy Mihaly, illustrated by Marta Sevilla (Barefoot Books, 40 pages, grades 2 and up). Each two-page spread covers a different event in American history, beginning with the idea of America as the “New World” and Christopher Columbus and continuing through colonial days and the American Revolution. The myth is printed on a flap on the left-hand page; lift the flap to find out where that myth came from and what the true story is. The rest of the information is arranged in question-and-answer format, with photos, illustrations, cartoon bubbles, and brief facts. Questions are posed to give kids a chance to think critically about the event. The last few pages give some pointers for ascertaining if history is true and encourage kids to record their own history. There’s also a glossary; information about the author and illustrator, including their experiences creating the book; and a lit of additional resources.

Celebrations such as the American 250th celebration this year can often be a reason to trot out old myths about the past. This book is a great antidote, with a fun format and brief but interesting information about each event that may inspire readers to dig deeper into what really happened. I liked the emphasis on being an active consumer of history, asking questions and evaluating sources.

Hot Dog: The History of America’s Favorite Sausage by Christine Van Zandt, illustrated by Steven Salerno (Odd Dot, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Official hot dog historian Frank de Wienerdog takes readers on a journey through the world of hot dogs, a food item consumed by Americans at the rate of 20 billion a year. Starting with the history of hot dogs–aka, frankfurters or wieners–readers will learn how the ordinary sausage became a hot dog, and how it came to be eaten in a bun. Their cheap price and easy transportability made them popular at amusement parks and ballparks, as well as a staple during the Great Depression. Nowadays, the average American eats around 70 hot dogs per year…and a couple people eat that many in a matter of minutes at the famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest held annually in Brooklyn. The last few pages celebrate ways to eat hot dogs, including a U.S. map that shows local specialties around the nation. Includes a timeline of hot dog history, a recipe for Curly Snake Dogs, and additional information and resources on hot dogs.

This colorful introduction to hot dogs with a friendly dachshund narrator is full of interesting facts about hot dogs that are fun and easy to digest (which may or may not be the case for the food they describe). The eye-catching cover and interesting topic will make this an easy nonfiction book to sell to kids.

Science, art, and nature

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Reaching Across the Sky: A Celebration of Bridges by Christy Hale (Christy Ottaviano Books, 48 pages, grades 2-6). The author’s note introduces readers to bridges, not only as structures that help people travel across gaps, but also as both real and symbolic ways to connect people and communities. She then looks at more than 100 bridges around the world, dividing them by categories on two-page spreads: “Bridges span obstacles,” “Bridges join places,” “Bridges take people where they need to go,” etc. Each spread shows one, two, three, or more bridges that illustrate this concept, along with a sentence or two of additional information about each one. She also looks at how human bridge builders have been inspired by nature, whether it’s a fallen tree, a stone arch, or a spider web. There are fourteen pages of back matter, giving extensive additional information about bridges with more real-life illustrations, as well as a glossary, and resources for learning more.

This book really has something for everyone, from kindergarteners to older students studying engineering or physics. The gorgeous collage illustrations made me want to visit many of the bridges shown. I confess I didn’t wade through all the back matter, but it would be a great starting place for kids engaged in bridge building projects.

Kaleidoscope of Hope: How Butterfly Life Cycles Reflect Our World by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Hari and Deepti (Greenwillow Books, 40 pages, grades K-4). The collective noun for butterflies is kaleidoscope–as I learned on the first page of this book–and kaleidoscopes are used not only to show the brilliant patterns of butterflies’ wings, but to explain the various stages of the butterfly life cycle. Eggs are a kaleidoscope of hope, caterpillars are a kaleidoscope of growth, and metamorphosis is a kaleidoscope of change. Each stage is introduced with a two-page spread that includes a few sentences and illustrations. Turn the page for more detailed information about that stage, along with gorgeous kaleidoscopes of eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, etc. The final two sections (A Kaleidoscope of Nothing? and A Kaleidoscope of Action) discuss threats to butterfly populations, as well as actions kids can take to welcome butterflies to their yards. Includes a note from the author about the hundreds of butterflies she and her family have raised, instructions for making a butterfly puddle, a note from the artists about how they created the illustrations, and a list of sources.

The more I examined this book, the more impressed I was with every aspect of it. Not only does it introduce the butterfly life cycle in ways that will be understandable to younger kids, but it gives additional information for those wanting to take a deeper dive. The paper sculpture illustrations by husband-and-wife team Hari and Deepti are unique and gorgeous, particularly the kaleidoscope ones, and I’m glad they got to show how they created them in the illustrators’ note.

Caldecott contenders

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Bing’s Cherries by Livia Blackburne, illustrated by Julia Kuo (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades K-3). As the narrator and her dad enjoy Bing cherries from the tree in their backyard, Daddy remarks that they should be grateful to Ah Bing for his cherries, adding that not much is known about him, just that he was Chinese “like us” and was an orchard man. Later that night, the girl imagines a story about Ah Bing. He was so tall he could pick fruit without a ladder, and his singing voice was so beautiful trees grew taller just to hear it. He had a happy life in Oregon, making many friends, but he missed his family back in China, and he was sad that he and the other workers encountered so much prejudice in America. One day, he planted a cherry tree, and a huge tear fell where it was planted. When it grew, it had the first Bing cherries, deep red and growing in groups of two, three, or four, so that each cherry always had a friend. When people ate the cherries, they would remember happy memories of home. Bing had so many good memories, that after thirty years, he finally returned home to his family. Includes notes from the author and illustrator and additional information about the real Ah Bing. Currently #5 on the Goodreads Mock Caldecott 2027 list.

This book was not at all what I was expecting; I thought it would be a straightforward nonfiction book, but instead it is a magical tall tale that incorporates elements of the real Ah Bing and his experiences as a Chinese-American immigrant. I loved the unique illustrations, all done in red, tan, black, and blue-gray, with a nod to Chinese art.

102 by Matthew Cordell (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, ages 4-8). George remembers the day well–October 2–when he got sent home from school with a 101 degree fever. In his home at 102 Greenbriar Drive, he and his mother see a mouse running through the kitchen with something small and black in its teeth. His mother catches it, and George puts it in a tank. As his temperature climbs to 102, his mom tucks him in, and he falls asleep. At precisely 1:02 a.m., he wakes up to the sound of chirping. A cricket leads him out of bed, where he shrinks down to the size of a mouse, then follows the cricket on a series of adventures that wind up in a mouse’s house. There, a mother is making 102 bean soup for her sick son, and is lacking the 102nd bean necessary for its healing properties. George knows where the bean is, so he goes back home, is restored to his old size, and frees the father mouse who has the missing bean. Exhausted, George goes back to bed, where he sleeps until 1:02 PM, and wakes up completely cured. The last few pages reveal that a 102-year-old George is recounting this story. Currently #4 on the Goodreads list.

Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell will undoubtedly be considered by the committee for this book, which tells a weird and wonderful story that reads like a fever dream. It kind of reminded me of some of David Wiesner’s books and seems like a story you will want to revisit again and again–102 times, perhaps–undoubtedly seeing new things with each reading.

Hold by Randy Ribay, illustrated by Zeke Peña (Kokila, 40 pages, ages 3-6). A father and son are getting ready to walk out the door when the dad asks his son to hold his sippy cup. “Hold, please,” he says, to which the son replies, “Hold?” And with that, the little boy is off, wanting to hold more and more items: toys, the cat, a tree, rain, an airplane. The dad’s facial expressions show him moving from frustration to a playful joy, coming up with innovative ways to help his son, like giving him a leaf from the tree to hold. Finally, the father asks, “Ready now?” and the child drops everything with the request “Hold Daddy?”After a happy hug, they finally make it out the door. Currently tied with Bing’s Cherries for fifth place on the Goodreads list.

This simple story with minimal text shows almost everything through the bright, cartoon-style illustrations which are sure to appeal to young kids, and which make you want to slow down to absorb all the details. The addition of a couple of Spanish words (gato, listo) shows the family’s bilingualism.

Family ties

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Sixteen Games of Hide and Seek by Stephen Barr, illustrated by Steve Teare (Neal Porter Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Ro and his dad are playing hide and seek, and it’s NERVE-WRACKING, SORT OF SCARY, but SO MUCH FUN. As the game goes on, rules evolve: Dad should find him, but not too quickly. It’s important to decide ahead of time who is the hider and who is the seeker. The best hiding places can become too scary when a thunderstorm hits. But Dad comes to the rescue, and Ro calms down enough to continue the game when the best seeker of the family comes home: Mom. Includes thumbnail illustrations at the beginning and the end that show the eight first rounds of the game at the beginning and the last eight at the end.

Parents will enjoy this book as much as kids, as they recognize some familiar behaviors, like a kid who hides in plain sight and a dad who gets distracted from the hunt. The scene during the thunderstorm is touching and shows the strong connection between Ro and his dad. Here’s hoping we get to see what happens once Mom enters the game.

Dad by Christian Robinson (Balzer + Bray, 48 pages, ages 3-7). Each spread shows an animal and its offspring with a sentence about the dad pictured. At first, the sentences are what you’d expect: “Dad is strong” with a gorilla, “Dad is sweet” with a fox, and “Dad is here now” with a frog. But then, “Dad had to go away” shows an owl flying away from its two babies in a nest. A couple pages later, a shark dad “needs lots of space.” And then, “Dad lets you down and makes mistakes.” But the next few dads pick you up, listen, and make you feel safe. Then come the human dads who both wipe away tears and shed a few of their own. And finally, “Dad dreams of watching you grow and grow and grow.” Includes small pictures of all the animals with a dad fact about each.

Dedicated “To caregivers who give what they never got,” this book may defy your expectations by admitting that dads can be less than perfect; that may be the best kind of Father’s Day gift to give for everyone involved. Young kids will enjoy seeing all the animals, while older readers may find things a bit more thought-provoking.

While We’re Here by Anne Wynter, illustrated by Micha Archer (Clarion Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). A girl and her mother are in a hurry to get somewhere, a place where they have to dress up and bring a present. They rush out of the house, to the train station, down the trail, across the bridge…only to find the remains of the birthday party that was actually yesterday. Disappointed, they’re ready to head back home when they spontaneously decide to roll down the hill. Then they explore under a bridge, watch the ducks, and walk the trail until it runs out. “We’ll wander off, just you and me. We have nowhere to be.”

Although there are only a few words on each page, they powerfully convey a sense of urgency in the first half of the book, followed by a slower pace and a more relaxed, enjoyable afternoon after the disappointment of realizing they missed their party. Caldecott Medalist Micha Archer has created beautiful collage illustrations that perfectly capture both moods.

Under the sea

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The Secret World of Seahorses by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Lou Baker-Smith (Candlewick, 32 pages, grades K-4). This straightforward introduction to seahorses includes information on eating, mating, reproduction, and body structure. Human activity endangers millions of seahorses–76 million are caught every year and turned into lucky charms, key rings, teas, and tonics. Three projects to save seahorses around the world are described, in Malaysia, Cambodia, and England. Additional information about seahorses and climate change is given at the end.

This would make a great nonfiction companion to Eric Carle’s Mister Seahorse, offering more information about different aspects of seahorses that are touched on in that book. The mixed media illustrations with a wide color palette do a beautiful job of portraying underwater scenes. While Nicola Davies doesn’t shy away from describing human dangers to seahorses, the specific projects to save them add an upbeat note.

If You Went to the Bottom of the Ocean by Brooke McIntyre, illustrated by Gordy Wright (Chronicle Books, 50 pages, grades 1-5). Follow a submersible as it heads out into the ocean, then dives down, down, down. In the sunlight zone, there’s still plenty of light and life, but as you head through the twilight zone and the midnight zone, there is less and less of both. It gets colder and darker, with the weight of the water pressing down harder. Finally, 3.5 miles down, you’ll reach the floor of the ocean…but there are still more depths to explore. The Mariana Trench is another 3 miles deeper, and if you reach the bottom, you’ll be in a place few other humans have ever seen. Includes additional information about the layers of the ocean, their geography, and milestones in human exploration.

Both the writing and the illustrations do an amazing job of conveying the vastness and wonder of the ocean depths. The illustrations grow darker and darker, illuminated by the bioluminescent creatures that live there. The back matter adds interesting information and may inspire readers to dream about traveling to a part of Earth that is still 90% unexplored.

Two innovative artists

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The True Ugly Duckling: How Hans Christian Andersen Became a Swan by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Calvin Nicholls (Levine Querido, 32 pages, grades K-3). Hans Christian Andersen’s life is presented as a story that parallels his ugly duckling fairy tale. As a child growing up in a small town, he spent his days making up stories and creating costumes to act them out. While a few townspeople were kind, most made fun of him, and young Hans headed to the city of Copenhagen as soon as he could. There, he tried to make it as an actor, dancer, and singer, but he failed at each of these endeavors. Finally, a play he wrote caught the eye of a director who sent him to school. Teachers there made him put aside his storytelling in favor of Latin and history. After six long years, he was able to return to his stories, and although adults found them strange, children loved them. Hans Christian Andersen’s stories and cut paper illustrations earned him a place among the royalty of Copenhagen, and those stories live on today. Includes an author’s note with additional information about Andersen, including how her own autism drew her to write about the storyteller, who likely had both autism and Marfan syndrome.

This lightly fictionalized account of Hans Christian Andersen’s life would make a good introduction to a study of his work, with both biographical information and references to some of his well-known stories. The cut-paper illustrations are beautiful and mirror Andersen’s own work with paper.

Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive by Erin Frankel, illustrated by Stacy Innerst (Calkins Creek, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Growing up in New York City, Stephen Sondheim was a curious kid who liked to figure out how things worked. When he saw his first musical, he was completely captivated by how the different pieces–music, story, dance–all fit together. After his parents split up, he and his mother moved to Pennsylvania, where he made a new friend Jamie, whose father, Oscar Hammerstein II, became Stephen’s mentor. Stephen wrote his first musical, By George, when he was 15. After college, he got a lucky break when he was offered the role of lyricist for the new musical West Side Story. That brought him enough recognition to start creating his own musicals, and Stephen Sondheim became a Broadway legend. Includes an author’s note, photos, a timeline of Sondheim’s life, and a bibliography.

Another good book for introducing the work of an artist, with a short enough story to easily read aloud but plenty of allusions to Sondheim plays in both the text and illustrations. The puzzle metaphor felt a little forced to me, but it did give me a deeper appreciation for all the parts of a musical that have to work together.

Liberty and justice for all

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Walk the Walk by R. J. Owens, illustrated by Reggie Brown (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Dex and Papa are walking to his piano lesson, a walk that seems to Dexter to take forever. But Papa tells him, “If we’re going to talk the talk, we’ve got to walk the walk.” This means supporting the Montgomery Bus Boycott, just like other Black people are doing all over the city. Along the way, Dex and Papa see signs reminding people not to ride the bus and giving information about how to get a ride if they need one. They’re hassled by police and people riding in a truck with a Confederate flag in the back. When Dex has to pee, they can’t go in a restaurant with a “Whites Only” sign out front. At last, the two of them walk past a church where people are outside celebrating. The boycott is over, and they can ride on any seat in the bus! Even though the piano teacher is only a few blocks away, they hop on a bus and choose a front seat, each one wiping away tears of joy. The last page shows a grown-up Dex and an older Papa crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge with a crowd of protesters. “And sure enough, as the years rolled on by, Papa and I just kept on walking, together.” Includes an author’s note, a Montgomery Bus Boycott timeline, and lists of sources and further reading.

This is a great introduction to an important chapter in the civil rights movement, with Dex serving as a generally cheerful but occasionally whiny kid narrator, and Papa keeping his spirits up with his refrain of “walk the walk.” The text and illustrations work together to show features of the boycott, including the racism the participants encountered. Although readers may need a preliminary introduction to the boycott’s history before reading the book, it’s a story that would work well with kids as young as preschool or kindergarten.

We the People Is All the People by Howard W. Reeves, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh (Harry N. Abrams, 40 pages, grades 1-5). Starting with the Preamble to the Constitution, the narrative states, “We the people is all the people,” then goes on to celebrate the huge diversity of people living in the United States: different religions, cultures, occupations, sexualities, physical abilities, and homes. The illustrations bring this diversity to life, showing all kinds of people in a variety of American settings. One particularly memorable one shows a Native woman with outstretched braids and arms that hold people from history, like a Chinese-American railroad worker laboring up one braid, and a white man leading two enslaved people in chains up one of her arms. The author’s note talks about both the revolutionary nature of the U.S. Constitution and its shortcomings, with references to unnamed people in power who seek to undo it and a sobering but realistic look at the work still needed to ensure that “all the people” are served by it. Also includes an illustrator’s note.

This timely book is a thought-provoking meditation on the diversity of people who are (or should be) served and protected by the U.S. Constitution. Along with the author’s note, it’s an excellent springboard for learning about and discussing the Constitution and the freedoms it outlines that are currently under threat. Duncan Tonatiuh’s illustrations are truly spectacular, and, in my opinion, should receive Caldecott consideration.