Picture books

I Am Enough by Grace Byers, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Balzer + Bray

Image result for i am enough grace byers amazon

Summary:  A young African-American girl asserts, “Like the sun, I’m here to shine./Like the voice, I’m here to sing./Like the bird, I’m here to fly/and soar high over everything.”  She goes on to make similar comparisons, showing her growing, studying, working, sometimes failing, but trying again until she succeeds.  She bands together with a diverse group of girls to proclaim, “And in the end, we are right here/to live a life of love, not fear…/to help each other when it’s tough,/to say together: I am enough.”  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  An inspiring message by actress Grace Byers, with beautiful illustrations of a group of girls of many colors and sizes.

Cons:  The rhyming text occasionally seems didactic.

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

A Chip Off the Old Block by Jody Jensen Shaffer, illustrated by Daniel Miyares

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Image result for chip off old block miyares amazon

Image result for chip off old block miyares

Summary:  Rocky is little, but he dreams of doing great things like his Aunt Etna the volcano or his Uncle Gibraltar, who rules over huge ships and oceans.  His parents tell him he’s just a pebble, “a chip off the old block”, as his dad likes to say, but Rocky feels like a boulder inside.  Traveling by truck, eagle flight, and car, he visits the Grand Canyon, Devil’s Tower, and Mt. Rushmore.  At Mt. Rushmore, he learns that the destination has closed because Abraham Lincoln’s nose is cracked.  Rocky travels down Lincoln’s face, and realizes he fits perfectly into the crack.  All is well, and Rocky feels like he is no longer taken for granite.  Includes information about the three types of rocks and identifies the famous rocks in the story, along with each one’s type.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A fun introduction to rocks and some famous geological sites around the world.

Cons:  The ending felt a little forced.

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

What Do You Do With A Chance? by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Compendium Inc.

Image result for what do you do with a chance amazon

Image result for what do you do with a chance besom

Summary:  A chance, looking like a golden origami butterfly, floats by a child who’s not sure what to do with it.  When it returns, he decides to try to grab it, but falls, missing the chance and feeling embarrassed when others laugh at him.  It takes him quite a while to recover from that experience, but after some introspection, he decides to be brave enough to try again.  Finally, another chance comes along, this one even bigger than the last one.  Feeling more excited than scared, he reaches out and grabs it, eventually climbing on board to soar through the air.  “So, what do you do with a chance? You take it…because it just might be the start of something incredible.”  44 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  The team that produced What Do You Do With a Problem? and What Do You Do With An Idea? has created another discussion-provoking book that will encourage kids to try something new even when it seems scary.

Cons:  Those mean kids laughing when the narrator misses his chance.

Click here if you would like to buy this book on Amazon.

Maggie: Alaska’s Last Elephant by Jennifer Keats Curtis, illustrated by Phyllis Saroff

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Arbordale Publishing

Image result for maggie alaska's last elephant amazon

Image result for maggie alaska's last elephant

Summary:  Elephants Maggie and Anabelle lived at the Alaska Zoo, good friends for many years until Anabelle died.  Maggie seemed lonely, befriending an old tire that she carried with her everywhere.  Finally, the zookeepers decided it would be best for her to move to a warmer climate where she could be with other elephants.  Maggie was transported to the Performing Arts Welfare Society (PAWS) in California, where she quickly was accepted by the other elephants living there.  She now spends her days with her closest elephant companion Lulu, and has happily abandoned her tire.  Includes additional information about elephants and zoos, as well as Q&A with Maggie’s keeper Michelle Harvey.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  Kids will enjoy learning the details of Maggie’s life, both in Alaska and California, as well as the logistics for transporting a four-ton elephant from one place to the other.

Cons:  The illustrations were merely serviceable, and more photos (there is one) would have made the back matter more interesting.

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

 

The World Is Awake: A Celebration of Everyday Blessings by Linsey Davis with Joseph Bottum, illustrated by Lucy Fleming

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Zonderkidz

Image result for world is awake linsey amazon

Image result for world is awake linsey amazon

Summary:  Rhyming text celebrates the blessings of the world, starting out, “This is the day that the Lord has made.”  A brother and sister enjoy the natural world they find in their yard, then go with their parents on a trip to the zoo.  The diversity of animals is appreciated there.  When the family returns home, the kids appreciate the wide variety of foods available to them.  Finally, it’s time to go to bed, where the narrator notices “Up in the trees, high in the breeze/I hear God’s love in the sound of the breeze.”  The last page ends, as a good bedtime story should, with the children falling asleep.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  The rhyming text and sweet illustrations invite children to look for God in the world around them, appreciating the many good things they experience.  God is completely non-denominational, making this an excellent choice for children of many different faiths.

Cons:  Not all children experience the idyllic world that these two kids live in.

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

On Our Street: A First Talk About Poverty by Dr. Jillian Roberts and Jaime Casap, illustrated by Jane Heinrichs

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Orca Book Publishers

Image result for poverty on our street amazon

Summary:  Poverty and homelessness are explained for young children, using a question and answer format for such queries as “What is it like to live on the streets?” and “Are there children who are homeless?”  Each question is answered on a two-page spread, with stock photos of different people, illustrated with drawings of the same three kids who seem to be the ones having the discussions.  International poverty is addressed, with information about refugees and fundamental human rights. Readers are given suggestions of how to help those who need it, and there is a list of Internet websites at the end, along with notes from both the authors.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  Simple, straightforward information is given about topics that are not often addressed in children’s literature.  The authors, a child psychologist and the educational evangelist at Google (who grew up in poverty) make an interesting combination of writers.

Cons:  The stock photos somewhat depersonalize the issues; it would have been more effective to follow the same people or family throughout the book.

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

All That Trash: The Story of the 1987 Garbage Barge and Our Problem With Stuff by Meghan McCarthy

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster

Image result for all that trash meghan mccarthy amazon

Image result for all that trash meghan mccarthy amazon

Summary:  In 1987, Lowell Harrelson had the brilliant idea to make electricity from the methane gas released by decomposing garbage.  He rented a barge, hired two tugboat drivers, and loaded over 3,000 tons of garbage to be hauled from New York to North Carolina.  When the (incorrect) rumor got out that there was medical waste on the barge, officials in North Carolina refused to let the trash into the state. Thus began a saga that continued for five months and over 6,000 miles as one state after another (and a few countries) refused the barge entry.  Unbelievably, the trash ended up back in New York, where sanitation workers burned it. The news media picked up the story and ran with it, raising awareness about the problem of overflowing landfills and giving momentum to the recycling movement. Includes additional facts about the barge, garbage, and recycling, as well as a very complete bibliography.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Meghan McCarthy has a knack for finding obscure stories and bringing them to life, making them relevant to today’s readers.  Her bug-eyed portraits and cartoon bubbles make this entertaining and highly readable, while the text imparts plenty of information.

Cons:  Five months hauling a barge with 3,000 tons of garbage.  Eww.

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

The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Claire A. Nivola

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

Image result for secret kingdom nek amazon

Image result for secret kingdom nivola

Summary:  Nek Chand grew up in a tiny village in the Punjab region of Asia, collecting stories from family members and the traveling minstrels who visited during holidays.  Those stories inspired him to create his own world from rocks, sticks, and clay.  As a young man, he was forced to leave his home in 1947 when the Punjab was divided into India and Pakistan, and those who practiced the Hindu religion had to leave Muslim Pakistan.  Nek settled in the city, but longed for his home.  He found a deserted plot of government land and created a secret kingdom from trash that he found along the roads.  He kept his creation hidden for 15 years until government officials discovered it and threatened to tear it down.  When people from the city came to see it, though, they knew it was a work of art worth saving.  They convinced the officials to preserve it, and have continued to do so following Chand’s death in 2015.  Includes an author’s note about Nek Chand and an extensive bibliography.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A fascinating story of an artist who worked to create his vision without much hope of ever profiting from it or even being able to share it with others.  The beautiful illustrations bring the story to life, including a foldout page with photos of the actual “secret kingdom”.

Cons:  A map of the region and additional historical information about India and Pakistan would have been useful.

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

Thank You, Earth: A Love Letter to Our Planet by April Pulley Sayre

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Greenwillow Books

Image result for thank earth sayre amazon

Summary:  April Pulley Sayre writes a thank you note to planet Earth with poetry and photographs.  She looks at the materials that make up Earth (air, rocks, water), the shapes (curves, lines, and patterns), and living things (plants, animals).  Every part of earth is celebrated, even storms and things that sting, with a conclusion of “Thank you for beginnings, for endings, for lifetimes. Thank you for being our home.”  Back matter includes two pages of suggestions on how kids can turn their thank you’s into action for the earth, including a list of resources and organizations.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  As always, Sayre’s nature photography is up close and gorgeous.  This would be a perfect book to share with young kids on Earth Day, maybe with some follow-up action.

Cons:  The poem seemed a little clunky to me.

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

Teddy’s Favorite Toy by Christian Trimmer, illustrated by Madeline Valentine

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Image result for teddy's favorite toy amazon christian trimmer

Summary:  Teddy has many cool toys: a fire truck, blocks, puzzles, action figures; but his favorite is Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of Pacifica, a Barbie-like doll in a pink dress.  Not only does Bren-Da have the best manners, but her sick fighting skills and variety of put-together looks make her queen of the other toys.  When one of Bren-Da’s legs falls off, Teddy does his best to repair it, but he’s running late for school and Bren-Da gets left in a bunch of tape and plastic.  Alas, his mother mistakes her for garbage, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s trash day.  When Teddy tells his mom where he left Bren-Da and asks if she’s seen the doll, his mom realizes what has happened.  Busting some pretty sick moves herself, Mom manages to track down the garbage truck and rescue the Warrior Queen of Pacifica.  That night, Mom, Teddy, and Bren-Da enact an extra-long, magnificent battle to celebrate.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fabulous read on many levels, celebrating favorite toys, diversity, and an amazing role model of a mom that Teddy is clearly watching and reenacting with his toys.  The pictures are a lot of fun, particularly Bren-Da’s various “looks”.

Cons:  Dolls kind of give me the creeps, especially when their limbs break off.

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