Picture books

Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Neal Porter Books

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Summary:  A little girl addresses water as she experiences it in many different forms: “Hey, water, I know you!  You’re all around. You spray up. And down,” she says, as the illustrations show a faucet, sprinkler, and shower.  Each page has a single word on it, as well as the picture and line(s) of text. Although the text is spare, the book explores different states of matter, bodies of water like lakes and rivers, properties of water, and its importance in our everyday lives.  “Hey, water, thank you!” the narrator concludes; the pages following that have information on water forms, the water cycle, and conserving water, as well as additional resources. 48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  For such a short and entertaining read, this book packs a pretty good educational punch, providing an excellent and engaging introduction to many aspects of water.

Cons:  While the section on conserving water emphasizes the importance of doing so, it doesn’t give any practical tips.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Little Larry Goes to School: The True Story of a Timid Chimpanzee Who Learned to Reach New Heights by Gerry Ellis with Mary Rand Hess

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Published by National Geographic Children’s Books

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Summary:  Shortly after his birth, Little Larry was injured in an accident and rescued by humans.  His caregivers taught him some rudimentary chimpanzee skills, but he didn’t hang out with other chimps until he was eight months old.  He got along well with his playmates, but seemed to be afraid to climb trees. After months of watching the others climb, Larry slowly started to explore, first on vines close to the ground, then eventually high into the trees.  After graduating from his forest school, Larry was released into a chimpanzee sanctuary in Cameroon where he still lives today. Includes tips on speaking chimpanzee, sources of more information, additional facts; and an author’s note about the endangered status of chimpanzees.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Larry’s story is short and simple, but the photographs of him and his playmates are irresistible.  Facts about chimps’ diet, behavior, and communication are woven into the narrative, and the information at the end provides lots of other places to go for more research.

Cons:  There was very little information on Larry’s caregivers or the sanctuary where he lived.

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No More Poems! A Book In Verse That Just Gets Worse by Rhett Miller, illustrated by Dan Santat

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Rhett Miller, who apparently is a famous enough singer and songwriter to be in Wikipedia, has created a collection of 23 poems on such kid-friendly topics as dogs, homework, baseball, and how to use karate to flush a toilet in a public restroom.  Each poem is accompanied by a Dan Santat illustration; some include the poem as part of the picture, such as “My Device” which is written like a series of texts. Includes an author’s note at the beginning explaining his use of punctuation (or lack of).  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Fans of Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein will love this colorful collection that includes just enough bathroom humor (“3:00 AM Pee”) and gross themes (“Hairs”, “Stinky-Mouth You”) to keep any elementary kid happy.  The poetry perfectly captures kids’ voices (“My dad is a rock star/And I’m just like whatever” begins the jaded kid narrator of “Rock Star Dad”), and the illustrations provide the perfect complementary comic touches.

Cons:  “Brotherly Love” gets a little dark for the younger elementary crowd.

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A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America On the Moon by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Similar to last year’s Counting on Katherine, this picture book biography tells the story of Katherine Johnson’s life, beginning with her early fascination with math that eventually led her to a career at NASA.  Her brilliance was finally recognized there as she broke down the barriers that had kept women and blacks from the higher-level positions. This story focuses on her contributions to Apollo 11, the mission that included the first walk on the moon.  Katherine was instrumental in helping to calculate the flight plan that took the three astronauts to the moon and brought them safely back home again. Includes photos of Katherine and some of the documents she worked on at NASA, a time line, and author’s and illustrator’s notes.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Katherine Johnson’s story is brought to life in a way that is accessible for younger readers.  There’s an emphasis on her love of counting from an early age, and a fun incorporation of incorrect math facts (segregated schools seemed as wrong as 5+5=12; Katherine being excluded from NASA meetings was as wrong as 5×5=20).

Cons:  The story is light on dates and places, and there’s no list of further resources, so this wouldn’t be the best book for research or reports.

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Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuko Ando by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz

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Published by little bee books

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Summary:  Walking around postwar Japan in the late 1940’s, Momofuko Ando was saddened to see hungry people waiting in long lines to get a bowl of soup with noodles…if they were lucky enough to have money and not to be eating grass and bark or scrounging through the trash.  He believed that peace was only possible if people had enough to eat, and set out to make a cheap, easy, and nutritious food. After many, many failed attempts, he learned to make noodles in chicken soup that could be cooked by adding boiling water. He and his family started a business making and selling ramen, a passion he continued to work on into his 90’s.  Includes an afterword with more information about Ando and the Nissin Foods company. 40 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  This beautifully illustrated picture book demonstrates Momofuko Ando’s perseverance through many failed attempts to create a food that has helped millions in all kinds of conditions throughout the world.  

Cons:  I’ve never actually eaten ramen.

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Side by Side: A Celebration of Dads by Chris Raschka

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Phaidon Press

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Summary:  A diverse group of kids and their dads take turns leading and following each other.  For instance, the first spread shows Dad as a horse and his daughter as the rider; in the next one, she is the queen and he is the jester.  In the next, a boy and his father are crane and cargo, followed by engine and railcar. The book concludes with “Today and tomorrow. Side by side.”  Front endpapers show the hats for each character, and back ones show their shoes, which will make for some fun matching games. 40 pages; ages 2-7.

Pros:  Chris Raschka, who lists being a dad as his greatest achievement, surpassing even his three Caldecotts, has created a perfect gift for Father’s Day, or any occasion that celebrates dads.  This could also be a good prompt for writing and drawing about one’s own father.C

Cons:  You try coming up with a con for a book celebrating fathers by a man who has won two Caldecott medals and a Caldecott honor.

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A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park by Ashley Benham Yazdani

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

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Summary:  The opening spread shows a busy day in Central Park; turn the page to see the swampy, rocky landscape of the early 19th century.  How did this transformation take place? Architect Calvert Vaux and park superintendent Frederick Law Olmsted teamed up to create the winning entry in New York City’s contest to design a new park.  Their scale-model drawing was ten feet long and so detailed that they almost missed the deadline.  The first part of the park, the lake, opened in 1858. From there, they moved on to paths, bridges, and a children’s area.  Olmstead worked carefully to select and plant trees, keeping in mind what they would look like for the next century. After their success creating Central Park, Vaux and Olmsted moved on to design many more green spaces throughout America. Includes additional information about these two men; questions and answers that provide more tidbits about the park; an author’s note, and a bibliography.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Ashley Benham Yazdani’s debut picture book is packed with fascinating information and beautifully illustrated with detailed ink and watercolor pictures.

Cons:  I was wishing for a list of the parks Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted created.

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Otto and Pio by Marianne Dubuc

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Published by Princeton Architectural Press

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Summary:  Otto the squirrel isn’t particularly interested in the spiky green ball that has landed on a branch outside his front door until it breaks open, and a fuzzy white creature emerges.  After leaving the creature outside for awhile, Otto reluctantly brings him inside for the night. Over the next several days, the squirrel hunts around his neighborhood for the creature’s mother, while Pio grows substantially larger every night.  While Otto worries about what to do with this gigantic creature who is taking over his house, Pio busies himself cooking and cleaning for Otto. Finally, Otto leaves home, feeling like he no longer can share space with such a large roommate. As he searches for a new place, an eagle swoops down, ready to grab the squirrel in its talons.  It’s Pio to the rescue as the monster arrives in the nick of time. Otto finally realizes that Pio has become part of his family, and the two head back home hand in hand. 64 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A sweet story of friendship and an unconventional family, endearingly illustrated with ink and watercolors.

Cons:  The 64-page length may not lend itself to all preschool attention spans.

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Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Daniel Egneus

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Dial Books

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Summary:  When Lubna arrives by boat with her father on a strange beach, she finds a pebble.  The next morning, she and her father have arrived at a city of tents. They stay there for awhile, and Lubna’s best friend becomes Pebble.  She draws a face on it, and tells it about her home, her brothers, and the war. When Amir arrives, he and Lubna become friends. One day, Lubna’s father tells her he’s found them a new home.  It’s time for Lubna to leave, and after much consideration, she gives Pebble to Amir. The final pages show Lubna leaving on a boat, whispering goodbye to Pebble while Amir whispers hello. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  While this describes the experience of refugees, any child will be able to connect to the story’s ideas of friendship, having an imaginary friend, and missing home.  The illustrations are beautiful and capture the desolate surroundings from a child’s imaginative viewpoint.

Cons:  I can’t decide if an author’s note about refugees would have been a useful addition, or if it’s better to let this story be more universal.

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Because by Mo Willems, illustrated by Amber Ren

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Published by Hyperion Books for Children

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Summary:  “Because a man named Ludwig wrote beautiful music–a man named Franz was inspired to create his own.”  And that music inspired people to form an orchestra. And individuals worked hard to get into the orchestra.  When a man with a ticket to hear the orchestra got sick, his wife invited their niece to go to the concert instead.  That performance got her so excited about music that she grew up to be a conductor, and eventually, a composer. She named her first symphony “The Cold”, and the last page shows the music wrapping around another child…”And that night, someone else was changed.  That is how it happens.” 40 pages; ages 4-10.

Pros:  A cute story with an interesting message about cause and effect and how we all make a difference in the lives of others.  I loved debut illustrator Amber Ren’s pictures, and hope she will be illustrating more picture books in the near future.

Cons:  Willems’ legion of fans may be disappointed in this story, which is quite different from his usual wildly goofy fare.

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