Picture books

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Roaring Brook Press

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Summary:  When Tanisha spills grape juice on her new dress, the narrator tries to be kind (“Purple is my favorite color”), but Tanisha is too upset to appreciate the gesture.  The narrator wonders what she could have done differently, and reflects on what it means to be kind.  She thinks of kind acts she’s done in the past, like bringing a neighbor cookies or helping around the house.  Sometimes it’s easy (saying thank you), but it can also be hard (sticking up for someone when others are unkind).  In the end, she decides to paint Tanisha a picture, knowing that small kindnesses can lead to much larger ones.  The final illustration shows that her efforts have not gone unappreciated by Tanisha.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A good addition to the character education bookshelf.  Kindness is explained in terms even the youngest reader can understand and discuss.  It’s not clear if the narrator is a boy or a girl, making his/her experiences universal.

Cons:  Tanisha is clearly having a bad day, but she seems a bit ungrateful.

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This Is It by Daria Peoples-Riley

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Greenwillow Books

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Summary:  When a young girl sees a sign reading “Auditions Today” outside a dance studio, she gets a pep talk from a shadowy muse.  The silhouette of a similar-looking girl tells her, “Stand up tall./Arch your back./Hold your head high.”  The two of them dance off to Central Park and other places around New York City, the shadow reminding the girl of her love of dancing in free verse: “Listen to the hum of your heart’s song./It will never lead you wrong./Dance on top of this city at the center of the universe.”  The last page shows the girl soaring through her audition.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Dance aficionados will love the ballet, and others will be inspired to follow their dreams.

Cons:  Well?  Does she get the part?

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Girl Running: Bobbi Gibb and the Boston Marathon by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Micha Archer

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

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Image result for girl running pimentel

Summary:  Bobbi Gibb had to wear a skirt to school, and she wasn’t allowed to join the track team.  But when she got home, she headed outside to run as much as she liked.  Bobbi grew up near Boston, and after seeing the Boston Marathon one year, she decided to train.  Running in nurses’ shoes (there were no women’s running shoes at the time), she sometimes covered 40 miles in a day; yet her application for the marathon was rejected with a letter saying “women are not physiologically able to run twenty-six miles”.  Undaunted, Bobbi bought herself a baggy sweatshirt and some boys’ running shoes and snuck into the 1966 race.  Other runners cheered her on, as did spectators along the course.  Despite painful blisters from her new shoes, Bobbi crossed the finish line after three hours and twenty minutes, 124th in a field of over 400 racers.  The final page shows Bobbi leading other female runners across a field emblazoned with the names of other women winners of the Boston Marathon.  Includes an afterword and brief bibliography. 32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Readers will be inspired by Bobbi’s hard work and perseverance in challenging the status quo and achieving her goal.  Unique mixed media collage illustrations often include place names to show the routes that Bobbi ran when she trained and in the marathon.

Cons:  A photo or two with the afterword would have been a nice addition.

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Seeing Into Tomorrow: Haiku by Richard Wright biography and illustrations by Nina Crews

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Millbrook Press

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Summary:  Twelve haiku poems by Richard Wright are illustrated with collage photographs of African American boys in nature.  Wright’s biography is divided into two parts: an introductory page at the beginning of the book and a more detailed three-page one at the end that concludes with an invitation to the reader to write their own haikus.  The poems are deceptively simple: easy for kids to understand (“So insistently/A crow caws in a spring field/That I want to look”), yet small masterpieces of word artistry. Includes a list for further reading.  32 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  A perfect introduction to both Richard Wright and the art of haiku, with beautiful photographic collages by Nina Crews (whom I just learned is the daughter of Caldecott illustrators Donald Crews and Ann Jonas), and an age-appropriate introduction to Wright’s life.

Cons:  No photo of Richard Wright.

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The Great Dictionary Caper by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Eric Comstock

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster

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Image result for great dictionary caper sierra amazon

Summary:  When the words in a dictionary get bored, they decide to have a parade.  There’s the onomatopoeia marching band (“Clang”, “Crash”, “Boom”), the showy action verbs who jump and spin, and the palindrome family reunion, featuring Mom, Dad, and Bob.  When non-rhyming words angry and orange feel left out, and unruly interjections keep interrupting, Noah Webster has no choice but to herd all the words back into his dictionary.  Words can spin out of control, Mr. Webster says, and Mr. Roget has no choice but to agree (“Yes. True. Verily”).  Includes a glossary that defines all the different categories of words.  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Teachers will find a wealth of information about words presented in a fun way that will have kids thinking up their own examples.

Cons:  Without some adult assistance, this book may not be too engaging to kids.

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The Idea Jar by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Deb Pilutti

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster

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Image result for idea jar lehrhaupt amazon

Summary:  “This is my teacher’s Idea Jar.  We keep our story ideas in it.”  The narrator explains how ideas can be about anything.  They can be used to create stories that are told, drawn, or written down.  There’s no such thing as a bad story idea.  But if the ideas stay in the jar, they can get bored and rowdy.  So it’s important to keep them under control by using them in stories, where they want to be.  On the last few pages, the class works together, starting with one idea, then weaving in others to create one big story.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The story jar is sure to find a home in many classrooms.  This would be a good read-aloud to encourage young writers.

Cons:  It looks so easy…just pick an idea, and you will be able to create a story.

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The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates and Juniper Bates

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster

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Image result for big umbrella bates amazon

Summary:  A child in a yellow slicker takes a big, friendly red umbrella out on a rainy day.  This umbrella helps everyone stay dry, no matter if they are tall, hairy, plaid, or have four legs.  It likes to gather people (and other creatures) in and give them shelter.  “Some people worry that there won’t be enough room under the big umbrella.  But the amazing thing is, there is always room.”  On the final page, the sun has come out, and the umbrella has expanded to cover an entire park.  40 pages; ages 4 to those old enough to serve in the United States Congress.

Pros:  The illustrations are charming and show a wide diversity of humans and other living things; the message could lead to some interesting discussions for all ages.

Cons:  Maybe back matter would take away the opportunity for discussion, but I couldn’t help thinking there could be some good resources after the story.  Also, it was written by a mother and her 7th-grader daughter; I would like to know how they got the idea and carried it out.

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Elmore by Holly Hobbie

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Random House

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Summary:  Elmore loves his cozy home inside a maple tree, but he’s lonely.  He can’t understand why he has trouble making friends until he overhears some animals saying, “He’s too prickly.  It’s hard to be around him.”  What’s a porcupine to do?  When Elmore’s uncle comes by for a visit, he tells him he should treasure his quills rather than wishing them away.  This gives Elmore an idea, and he gets to work gathering up the quills around his house and tying them into bundles.  Next, he sets up shop giving away his genuine quill pens.  The neighbors love them, and before long, he is receiving friendly notes from all over.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  Elmore is a lovable character, and the portrayals of his tree house are cozy; his story gently reminds readers of the importance of appreciating yourself and reaching out to others to make new friends.

Cons:  While Elmore receives many friendly notes by the end of the story, he still doesn’t seem to have any in-person friends.

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Brave Jane Austen: Reader, Writer, Author, Rebel by Lisa Pliscou, illustrated by Jen Corace

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Summary:  Jane Austen grew up in England at a time when women received little education, and marriage seemed like the only way to get ahead.  Her family was poor, and when they did manage to send her to school, she learned only what she would need to know to become a good wife.  But Jane was observant and she loved to read.  As she grew older, she began to write about the people she saw around her, poking fun at them and the conventions of the day.  Her first book, First Impressions, was rejected by a London publisher, but she continued writing, even turning down a marriage proposal to live life on her own terms.  Finally, she published Sense and Sensibility, soon followed by First Impressions which was renamed Pride and Prejudice.  She died at age 41 in 1817, the same year two more of her books, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, were published.  Includes biographical information, Jane Austen quotes, others’ quotes about her work, and sources of additional information.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Quite a thorough look at Jane and her times, placing her and her work in the context of her era.  The gouache illustrations are charming and bring the time period to life.

Cons:  Most kids won’t have any idea who Jane Austen is or be familiar with her work.

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Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly with Winifred Conkling, illustrated by Laura Freeman

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  In case you haven’t read the original book, the young readers’ edition, and/or seen the movie, this picture book tells the story of four women who worked for NASA between 1943 and 2007.  Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were all good at math.  Very good.  This refrain is repeated throughout the story, as each one is shown overcoming the barriers in place for them at school and later on at NASA.  But they succeeded, and their work helped launch the space program and eventually send men to the moon.  As they looked to their careers after that dream had been fulfilled, “Dorothy, Mary, Katherine, and Christine knew one thing: with hard work, perseverance, and a love of math, anything was possible.”  Includes a timeline, additional biographical information about each woman, a glossary, and an author’s note.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Many kids will recognize these women from the movies.  All are inspiring, and emphasize the importance of hard work and the exciting adventures to be found in STEM careers.  Laura Freeman illustrated Fancy Party Gowns, one of my favorite biographies of last year, and does an excellent job here portraying the four women, NASA, and outer space.

Cons:  The story of Christine Darden (who wasn’t portrayed in the movie) didn’t seem as well integrated to the rest of the book as the other three.

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