Picture books

Beloved authors

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Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer by Quartez Harris, illustrated by Gordon C. James (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Books were a lifeline to young James Baldwin, growing up in Depression-era Harlem with a mother, stepfather, and eight siblings. Reading and writing helped him escape from his strict preacher stepfather and the racism he encountered all around him, particularly from the police. Words led Jimmy to preach his own sermons about love and acceptance, and they gained him admission to a prestigious high school, where he got to explore literature, film, and theater. The story follows Jimmy to Paris and ends with the publication of Go Tell It on the Mountain. Includes additional information about Baldwin, notes from the author and illustrator, and a list of sources.

And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life In Stories by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Daniel Mintner (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 2-5). The author’s note begins, “This narrative is a love letter to an outspoken sparrow who transformed lives through her storytelling.” Her ode to Toni Morrison weaves biographical information into a celebration of the writer’s life and work. The phrase “And she was loved” appears in many illustrations, as the text describes the love given to her by her parents, her children, and her readers, in a narrative that moves from her childhood in Ohio to her college days at Howard University to her life as an editor, writer, and mother to a celebrated winner of the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes and the Presidential Medal. In addition to the author’s note, the back matter includes an illustrator’s note, a photo of Morrison, a timeline, a list of selected works (including children’s books), and a list of sources.

Both of these biographies celebrate the lives and contributions of Black authors and offer inspiration to young writers. The illustrations in the books are striking, both by Caldecott honorees, with the potential for more awards consideration. These are books that may need a fair amount of introduction, as kids are unlikely to be familiar with either author.

Celebrating teacher-activists

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Ruby Bridges: A Talk With My Teacher by Ruby Bridges, illustrated by Trudy Tran (Orchard Books, 48 pages, grades K-3). Ruby tells the story of her second-grade year, returning to the school where she and her teacher Mrs. Henry spent first grade alone in their classroom. Ruby is happy to be getting a ride with a neighbor instead of U.S. Marshals, not facing angry crowds at the front door, and seeing other kids in the school, some of whom look like her. But she’s heartbroken to learn that Mrs. Henry is no longer teaching there. The story then moves forward to 1995, when a book about Ruby has just been published. She’s excited to learn that Mrs. Henry has seen the book, which leads to a reunion. She finds out that Mrs. Henry left to have a baby, and the two of them reminisce about incidents only they remember, like when Ruby stashed her uneaten sandwiches in a supply cabinet until a mouse infestation led Mrs. Henry to discover them. The book ends with the question, “Teachers–who would we be without them?” and the author’s note celebrates teachers and encourages kids to think of special memories with their own teachers. A glossary lists 25 well-known teachers with a sentence or two about each one.

Early elementary students will relate to Ruby’s experiences and enjoy recalling their own teacher memories. Ruby’s tone is warm and relatable for kids without talking down to them. An introduction to her life would make the story more interesting, and I was surprised that the title of her 1995 book (I assume it’s The Story of Ruby Bridges) doesn’t appear anywhere in this book, including in the author information.

Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins–The First Lady of Children’s Music by Traci N. Todd, illustrated by Eleanor Davis (Chronicle Books, 60 pages, grades 1-4). Ella Jenkins grew up in a segregated Chicago neighborhood, surrounded by a loving family and all kinds of music and rhythms. As an adult she moved to San Francisco, where she became a teacher, community organizer, and civil rights activist. Ella particularly loved sharing music with children, using it to introduce them to cultures around the world. The story of her full 100-year life (she died on November 9, 2024) features cameos by a number of celebrities such as Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mister Rogers. Includes three pages of additional information, a timeline, and a bibliography.

I feel for Traci N. Todd trying to contain Ella Jenkins’s long, eventful, and fascinating life in a single picture book. She does an excellent job, using text with plenty of rhythm, reflecting the music that was always an important part of Ella’s life. The back matter paints an even more complete picture of that life, and it could be fun to supplement the book with recordings or YouTube videos of some of Ella’s performances. I wish that Bernadelle Richter, Ella’s partner and manager for more than 60 years, had made it into the story, instead of only getting a mention on the timeline.

Two books with heart(s)

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Bigfoot’s Big Heart by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illustrated by Ishaa Lobo (Viking Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Bigfoot is a shy fellow who doesn’t like loud sounds, especially the noises people make when they see him. He keeps to himself, living in a cozy cave and writing to his mythical pen pals, like Nessie, Mothman, and Chupacabra. Valentine’s Day is coming, and Bigfoot decides to make valentines for all of his friends, telling him exactly why he likes them so much. On his way to the mailbox, though, he’s spotted by a group of Scouts, and the valentines get blown away in a blustery wind. A few of the quieter Scouts talk to Bigfoot instead of shouting or running away, and they come up with a plan. They connect online with Scouts around the globe who go on a worldwide monster search to deliver Bigfoot’s valentines. Nessie decides it’s time for an in-person (in-monster?) gathering, and monsters and humans gather at Bigfoot’s cave on Valentine’s Day. “Suddenly the world feels a little less lonely…thanks to friends who understand.”

Heartfelt by Elaine Vickers, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 56 pages, ages 4-8). The narrator likes to make hearts, especially the small ones which they like to give away. Love is felt with all the senses, and the child tells how love can look, feel, taste, smell, and sound. Each loving deed is accompanied by one of the small hearts until all of them are gone. Or are they? As the narrator looks around, it’s clear that love is being shared and spread throughout the community. Includes an author’s note about a favorite Sunday School lesson, in which each student was given a bag of hearts to distribute when they did kind deeds during the week, which they reported on the next week.

I’m thinking of reading both of these books to classes in the next few weeks as Valentine’s Day draws near. Bigfoot is a great way to introduce both the different mythical creatures in the story and where they live around the world. And the activity described at the end of Heartfelt is a fun and easy way for kids to practice kindness and community.

Five favorite picture books to share

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Dalmartian: A Mars Rover’s Story by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Lucy Ruth Cummins is underrated, in my opinion. This quirky story about a dog-like alien who gets left behind on Earth celebrates the power of friendship, with illustrations that revealed new details with each re-reading.

One Giant Leap by Thao Lam. Speaking of interesting details, this wordless book is full of them, leading up to a surprise ending. When I read this to kids, we would always have to go back to the beginning and look at the way the illustrations gave hints about what was really happening in a story that only appeared to take place on the moon.

Mr. Fox’s Game of “No!” by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. The award-winning team who created See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog and its sequels gave us another fun and interactive read-aloud. Even teachers cracked up at Mr. Fox’s simple game that makes readers answer no to an increasingly silly set of questions.

Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo. This one could just as easily have been on my Caldecott contenders list. Jun’s story is told with very few words as she navigates her first days at an American school after a move from Hong Kong. Her lunchbox reminds her of happy days with friends and family and eventually leads to some new friends. Kids enjoyed seeing a young Cherry Mo on the back flap and learning that the story is based on her own childhood.

Lucky Duck by Greg Pizzoli. Susan the duck gets a lesson about what’s lucky and what’s unlucky in this hilarious story about how she unwittingly outsmarts a wolf whose plans to make her his dinner are obvious to everyone except her.

Five favorite Caldecott contenders

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Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Jason Chin. Jason Chin has deservedly won both a Caldecott medal and a Sibert honor. I wouldn’t be surprised with either for this beautiful and informative book about how a dead whale supports different forms of life decades into the future.

Being Home by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Michaela Goade. Michaela Goade could easily add a third Caldecott to her collection with this poetic story about a family moving back to the Cherokee reservation, illuminated with Goade’s intricate illustrations that celebrate both nature and the Cherokee culture.

The Yellow Bus by Loren Long. This book got a lot of attention, including a feature in the New York Times. I read it to a few classes and didn’t find it to be a huge favorite, I think in part because of the surprise twist in which the bus winds up at the bottom of the river. But the illustrations are very cool, especially when you learn about the models Loren Long built to create them.

Touch the Sky by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic, illustrated by Chris Park. Chris Park’s brilliant colored illustrations capture both the emotion of frustration and the feeling of flying as a young boy learns to swing with the assistance of a new friend. I enjoyed sharing this during the first few weeks of school with its relatable message about persistence.

The Last Stand by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey. Coming off a Caldecott Honor last year, the Pumphrey brothers have created illustrations for a story that reminded me a little of my favorite of theirs, The Old Truck, showing younger generations in a Black family carrying out the work started by their elders.

Nonfiction that will make you question humanity

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Glenn Burke, Game Changer: The Man Who Invented the High Five by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Daniel J. O’Brien (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 32 pages, grades 2-5). As a kid, Glenn Burke was a five-tool talent: fast runner, powerful and accurate hitter, good catcher, and strong pitcher. So it was no surprise that he got called up to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made a name for himself there, and was an enthusiastic teammate, greeting runners at home plate by putting up his right hand, which the player would then smack. The high-fiving team made it to the World Series in 1977, but the next year Glenn was traded to the Oakland Athletics, a team at the bottom of the baseball standing. Why? Glenn Burke was gay, and homophobic manager Tommy Lasorda didn’t want him on the team. The trade led Glenn to quit baseball altogether. He enjoyed success playing in the San Francisco Gay Softball League and winning gold in the Gay Olympics, but struggled with drug use and unemployment, shattering his leg in a car accident and dying of AIDS at the age of 42. He lived long enough to see his high five become a universal greeting, but not to see the open acceptance of gay players in the MLB. Includes an author’s note, bibliography, and timeline.

Phil Bildner writes in the author’s note how he originally envisioned Glenn Burke’s story as a picture book, but his editor wanted a middle grade novel, which became A High Five for Glenn Burke, published in 2020. While the origin story of the high five may seem like a perfect choice for younger readers, the MLB’s homophobia and Burke’s death from AIDS may make this a better choice for older kids. It’s a moving and well-told story, ending on a note that is both sad and hopeful.

It Happened in Salem by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Brad Holland (Creative Editions, 32 pages, grades 6 and up). “You know what I’m talking about. You start whispering things about a person–hurtful things you know will get that person in trouble, untrue things you may have convinced yourself are actually true.” This second-person introduction to the Salem Witch Trials situates readers right in the middle of the action. The text is spare, relating the basic events and facts, and illustrated with haunting paintings of people in stocks and hanging from nooses. An author’s note gives more information, including the fact that it took 325 years–until 2017–for Salem to put up a plaque commemorating the individuals who were executed.

I found this book disturbing from the cover to the author’s note, which seems appropriate for the subject. You can generally count on Jonah Winter to put a unique and relevant spin on history that will have readers thinking about their own lives. I saw recommendations for this book starting in fourth grade, but I personally would not get this for an elementary library. It would be an excellent supplement for middle school or high school students learning about this period of American history, no doubt initiating some interesting conversations on gossip and bullying. I wish there had been some additional resources given at the end.

Welcome to the world of reading!

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As the year winds down, I’ll be reviewing two final 2024 books in several categories (middle grade fiction, nonfiction, early chapter books, and picture books). During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I’ll post my lists of favorites, then take a break for the first few weeks of January.

Words Are Magic! by Zaila Avang-garde, illustrated by Felicia Whaley. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-6). “Words are magic! Have you heard? Pick a letter. Make a word!” The enthusiastic narrator shows readers all the things that can be done with words: sing them, shout them, draw them, paint them, and more. She goes through her day finding different ways to use words, and concludes “I love words!” As well she might, being the 2021 winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee (the author that is). This is a fun, high-energy introduction to the power of words and reading, written in a format that beginning readers will soon be able to read themselves.

No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Clarisse is a stray cat who loves books. Peering over a child’s shoulder from her perch in a tree, she can’t understand the dark squiggly lines, but she loves the pictures. When she discovers a library, she tries to get inside, but the librarian keeps taking her out again. Finally, Clarisse discovers the book drop, and uses a catlike leap to get inside. A child struggling to learn to read finds Clarisse the perfect read-aloud partner, and Clarisse is happy to oblige. Witnessing the power of a read-aloud cat, the librarian is convinced to change her mind, and Clarisse finds a new home. This lovely story made me want to get a cat for my library, even though I am allergic. Maybe a stuffed one? Kids and librarians alike will love Clarisse, and if a library has a read-aloud program with a dog (I’ve never seen one with a cat, but who knows?), this book will make a perfect introduction.

Two books about Palestine

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A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh, illustrated by Aliaa Betawi (Henry Holt and Co., 40 pages, ages 4-8). When Falasteen’s teacher invites students to look at a map and share where their families are from, Falasteen can’t find her family’s homeland, Palestine. At home that afternoon, she tells her grandparents what happened and asks why Palestine isn’t on the map. Her grandfather, Jido, draws her a map and tells her that her teacher needs teaching, while Teta tells Falasteen how soldiers forced her and her children from their home and shows her the key to their old house she has kept all these years. When Falasteen asks her mother about it at bedtime, Mama tells her that “sometimes people live in countries and sometimes countries live in people,” and that Palestine lives in each of their hearts. She promises Falasteen that one day they will be able to visit their homeland. Includes an author’s note telling of her own family’s experiences being displaced from their home in Palestine in 1967, as well as a concise history of Palestine from 1948 to the present.

Maysa Odeh tells a compelling story that shows readers the history of Palestine, both through Falasteen’s story and her author’s note. Each of Falasteen’s family members adds a different element to the narrative, and Odeh’s personal story creates another layer. I felt like Mama’s speech could have been edited a bit for length (more power to her for having that much energy at bedtime), but at the same time it is incredibly moving and stirring.

Although it’s not a children’s book, I want to mention another new Palestinian book coming out this week, If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer (OR Books, 288 pages). Refaat Alareer was a Palestinian poet and professor who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in December 2023 at the age of 44. After his death his poem, “If I Must Die” went viral. There is currently a campaign to make his book a best-seller by pre-ordering it before Tuesday.

Heartbreaking/heartwarming stories

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I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely, illustrated by Matt James (Neal Porter Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Belle’s teacher holds up her picture of an owl for the class to see. “How did Belle make his eyes so wise? Belle’s owl almost looks alive.” Belle doesn’t want to tell the class, but she shows the reader how she learned to draw an owl. She and her mom have been living in their car in a deserted park. At night, they hear an owl hooting, and her mom tells Belle that the owl is keeping an eye on them. One night, there’s no sound, but suddenly the owl appears in a nearby tree and locks its wise eyes with Belle’s. She’s sure she’ll never tell the story to any of her classmates, but one day a new boy gets dropped off in a car that looks just like the one that she and her mom live in, and just like the owl, she vows to keep an eye on him.

This moving story shows a girl and her mom surviving a tough time with courage and resilience, resulting in Belle’s kindness when she sees another child who may be going through something similar. The owl adds an interesting element to the story, which will engage kids and build empathy for others who may be experiencing homelessness.

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7). At age 12, Sharkita has far too many responsibilities weighing on her, often being forced to care for her younger siblings while Mama is out drinking and partying. The family has been split up before, the kids sent to foster care, and Sharkita’s mom has been given a last chance to prove herself. At first, things seem pretty good, and Sharkita is cautiously optimistic that she can lead a normal middle school life, hanging out with friends, being a baton twirler, having her first boyfriend, and maybe even getting help for her hyperdontia (extra teeth). But soon, Mama starts disappearing, leaving Sharkita to take care of 5-year-old Lilli and 8-year-old Lamar, who has fetal alcohol syndrome. When Sharkita defies her mom one night to go out with her friends instead of babysitting, disaster strikes, and the kids are placed in foster care once again. Ultimately, they’re split up, but end up in loving homes. Sharkita begins to receive therapy for her panic attacks and sleep paralysis, learning that it’s okay to take care of herself as well as her siblings, and that the three of them will always be a family no matter what.

I could not put this book down, and I hope it will be considered for awards. Sharkita’s family is, as she learns, in crisis, and the brunt of that has fallen on her. The topics are not easy to read about, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. It seems like there have been more middle grade novels this year with terrible mothers, whether they are unrepentant criminals or criminally neglectful. It does make for rewarding reading to watch their resilient kids, like Sharkita, find their own way and manage to connect with loving adults who can actually support and take care of them (which sadly is not always how things turn out in real life). Sharkita’s support all comes from staff at her school, serving as a reminder of how much social work schools are doing these days.

That holiday glow

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Winter Solstice Wish by Kate Allen Fox, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Beaming Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8).  On the shortest day of the year, a group gathers on a beach to watch the sunset and build a bonfire.  In the darkness, people long for light and the connection to each other.  “Around the globe, other hands reach out, holding hope, holding space, holding one another” is accompanied by people in three different countries reaching out to pass a light from one place to the next.  At the same time as the shortest day, in other places on Earth it is the longest day.  And on the winter solstice, we know that soon the days will start getting longer and daylight will return.  Includes information about both the winter and summer solstices and the winter solstice celebrations that are pictured in the book.

Both the poetic text and the illustrations provide a luminous introduction to the winter solstice, with a nod to the summer one and what causes both solstices.  There are lots of celebrations pictured, and readers may want to think about how they want to observe the shortest day and wishes that they may want to make.  This would be a nice December book to pair with Hanukkah Upside Down, which shows kids celebrating Hanukkah in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy (Feiwel and Friends, 304 pages, grades 4-7).  Aviva and Holly take turns narrating the story of how an unexpected meeting at a holiday pageant audition leads to the discovery that they are identical twins separated at birth.  While Aviva is getting ready for Hanukkah with her parents, brothers, and bubbe, Holly and her single mom and grandfather are preparing for Christmas.  When they decide to do a Parent Trap-style switch, each learns about the other one’s family, personality, and holiday.  They’re able to hold off on a grand reveal to their families until they bring down the house with an original song and the pageant.  Although they don’t get all the answers about their birth and separation, it’s clear that the two families will be connected going forward, especially since there seems to be a budding romance between the grandparents.

This feel-good book has some serious Hallmark vibes and is sure to be a best-seller that will undoubtedly be unwrapped by many tweens by the light of the Christmas tree or Hanukkah menorah.  While a little suspension of disbelief may be needed (the girls figure out they’re twins that were separated at birth in about five minutes–and are immediately fine with it), there are enough hilarious hijinks, cozy winter scenes, and touching family interactions to satisfy readers.