Picture books

Mickey Mantle: The Commerce Comet by Jonah Winter, illustrated by C. F. Payne

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Schwartz and Wade

Summary:  Right from the author’s note before the title page, it is clear that Mickey Mantle was a flawed character.  The note mentions the poverty and abuse that marred his childhood, as well as the alcoholism that led to his death at the age of 63.  But it is equally clear that Mantle was an amazing baseball player, chosen to replace the legendary Joe DiMaggio on the New York Yankees, and a winner of baseball’s Triple Crown in 1956 (league leader in batting average, home runs, and RBI’s), a feat not achieved by DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, or Hank Aaron.  He could belt powerful home runs from either the left or the right, and could run from home plate to first base in 2.9 seconds…until a debilitating knee injury raised his time to 3.1.  Plagued by injuries, he still led his team to the World Series 12 times, and, although fans knew he wasn’t perfect, they cheered him on for 17 years.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  The large full-color illustrations bring Mantle’s story to life, told in a conversational voice with a slight Oklahoma (Mantle’s home state) twang.

Cons:  I could have enjoyed a seeing a photo or two.

Mouse and Hippo by Mike Twohy

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Summary:  Mouse and Hippo meet unexpectedly:  Hippo has an itch on his back, which turns out to be Mouse, who thought Hippo was a rock.  Mouse has set up an easel and is painting the water, but everything is upset when Hippo tries to scratch.  Hippo rescues Mouse, and admires the painting; Mouse offers to do a portrait in return for getting saved  Using his biggest brush to paint such a huge animal, Mouse can only fit a large swath of gray on his paper.  But Hippo loves it, using his imagination to see the rest of himself.  In return, he paints a microscopic picture of Mouse, which Mouse cuts down to size to hang over his fireplace.  It looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  This book could be used to talk about friendship, kindness, perspective, or using your imagination.  The whole story is told in dialogue, with different colors and fonts for the two animals.  Lots of humor, cute animals, and a happy ending make a winning combination.

Cons:  Don’t tell Hippo and Mouse, but their portraits really aren’t that good.

The Secret Project by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Jeanette Winter

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  A peaceful boys’ school in the New Mexican desert is suddenly ordered closed by the U.S. government.  Scientists arrive from all over the country to work on a top-secret project known simply as “The Gadget”.  Other workers don’t know what the scientists are working on, and the outside world has no idea their project even exists.  The scientists work long at hard, trying to figure out how to split atoms from uranium and plutonium.  At last, The Gadget is ready.  It’s placed on a stand in the middle of the desert, then the scientists drive far away.  The countdown begins…10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.  A huge fireball erupts, turning into a gigantic orange mushroom cloud .  The text ends with  two blank black pages.  Includes an author’s note giving more history of the Manhattan Project, and a list for further reading.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Mother-son team Jeanette and Jonah Winter have created a remarkable book, giving a brief history of the Manhattan Project in a way that is accessible for elementary school kids.  The illustrations convey the air of secrecy about the project, showing the scientists as black shadows throughout the story.  

Cons:  All the scientists portrayed are men. In reality, quite a few women scientists and mathematicians worked on the Manhattan Project.

Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Laura Freeman

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

 

Published by Bonnier Publishing

Summary:  Growing up in Alabama, Ann Cole Lowe loved to watch her mother sew beautiful dresses for women to wear to fancy parties.  When Ann was 16, her mother died, and Ann took over the business.  A few years later, a customer from Florida sent her to design school, where Ann had to study in a separate classroom, due to segregation.  After graduation, she moved to New York and opened her own shop.  Although she never made a lot of money, her gowns became well-known.  Her most famous design was Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress and bridesmaid gowns.  Less than two weeks before the wedding, a pipe in Ann’s shop burst, and ten of the sixteen dresses were ruined.  She rallied, hired extra help, and got the job done, even though she lost any profit.  She continued designing and sewing well into her 70’s, her primary motivation, “to prove that a Negro can become a major dress designer.”  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  An inspiring story of a little-known woman.  The repeating refrain of the story is, “Ann thought about what she could do, not what she couldn’t change.”  Beautifully illustrated, with some of Ann’s designs gracing the endpapers.

Cons:  My constant search to find Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum lurking in the illustrations indicates I have been watching too much “Project Runway”.

Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born by Gene Barretta, illustrated by Frank Morrison

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  If 12-year-old Cassius Clay hadn’t had his bicycle stolen in 1954, there might never have been a heavyweight champion named Muhammad Ali.  When Cassius went to the police station to report the theft, Officer Joe Martin suggested he try out his boxing gym.  The boy fell in love with boxing right away, and pushed himself to become the greatest.  He would run alongside the school bus to build his endurance, and have his brother throw stones at him to improve his reflexes.  His dream came true, first at the 1960 Olympics, where he earned a gold medal, and in the years after that, when he won 56 of 61 professional fights, was 3-time heavyweight champ, and defended his title 19 times.  Out of the ring, he fought for the rights of those who were treated unfairly because of race or religion.  Two pages at the end give additional information, including photos of Ali in 1954 and 1966.  There’s also a bibliography and a list of additional resources.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Kids will enjoy the action-packed writing and illustrations, and be inspired by Muhammad Ali’s hard work and compassion.

Cons:  Ali’s biggest fights are described at the beginning, with the story then flashing back to his childhood; the ending seems a little abrupt, since the fights aren’t covered at that point.

 

Abraham by Frank Keating, paintings by Mike Wimmer

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books  


 

Summary:  Abraham Lincoln narrates the story of his life, beginning with his birth in a one-room log cabin.  He tells of growing up in poverty, reading every book he could get his hands on, working at many different jobs until he was able to study law in Springfield, Illinois.  From there, it’s a pretty quick hop to becoming involved in the fight against slavery, then President of the United States during the Civil War.  The book ends with the Union’s victory, with no mention made of Lincoln’s assassination.  The Gettysburg Address and a brief bibliography are included at the end.  32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Told in a folksy voice interspersed with some of Lincoln’s own quotes, this would be a good introduction for primary grades.  The paintings add realistic details.

Cons:  When George, Theodore, and Abraham have been published in the “Mount Rushmore Presidential series”, there’s not much element of surprise about what the next book will be.

Whose Poop Is That? By Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Kelsey Oseid

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Which animal’s poop can be a foot high?  Whose has splinters in it?  Is that bundle of fur and bones a poop?  A question is posed on one page, with a picture of the waste material in question, then the answer is given next, showing the animal who produced it.  Seven animals are profiled, including the extinct ground sloth, which introduces the concept of fossilized poop.  Two pages at the end give additional facts about poops and the animals who make them.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  After kids pick themselves up off the floor after splitting their sides over the fact that the word “poop” is in the title of this book, they will actually find out how waste can be used to learn something about animals.  The question-and-answer format makes this a good interactive read-aloud.

Cons:  My Google images search for “Whose poop is that?” had some interesting results.

A Perfect Day by Lane Smith

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  It’s a perfect day for Cat, Dog, Chickadee, and Squirrel.  Cat is enjoying the warm sun in the garden, Dog is cooling off in the wading pool, Chickadee is enjoying the birdseed Bert just put in the feeder, and Squirrel has a whole corncob to himself.  But then…Bear shows up.  Bear crams the corncob in his mouth, scarfs down the birdseed and the water in the pool, and rolls around in the garden before falling asleep in the sun.  It’s a perfect day for Bear, as Bert, Cat, Dog Squirrel, and Chickadee watch from the window.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A funny story, beautifully illustrated by Caldecott honor winner Lane Smith.

Cons:  The whole premise seemed like a bit of a downer for everyone but Bear.

XO, OX: A Love Story by Adam Rex, illustrated by Scott Campbell

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  Ox has a thing for the beautiful Gazelle, and sends her letters expressing his admiration.  His first two attempts are answered by identical form letters:  (“Dear _Ox_, I hope you understand that I have many admirers and cannot reply to each one personally.”).  Ox can only see the good in Gazelle (“This is an amazing coincidence!  You have written back using the exact same words!”), and no matter how hard she tries to snub him, he won’t be deterred.  When Ox replies yet again, this time with a photo, Gazelle, now completely frustrated, tears up his letter and picture.  But then she pauses, gazing  thoughtfully at the two pieces of the ripped photo.  The final picture shows her sitting on her bed, taped-up Ox photo hanging on the wall, writing, “Dear Ox,”.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A tale of unconditional love, just in time for Valentine’s Day.  Kids will laugh out loud, and will also enjoy speculating about what happens after the final page.

Cons:  The ambiguous ending may bother some readers.

The Unexpected Love Story of Alfred Fiddleduckling by Timothy Basil Ering

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Captain Alfred is sailing home to his wife with new ducks for their farm and a egg that is ready to hatch stored in his fiddle case.  They’re almost home when they sail straight into a huge storm that washes the egg overboard.  The duckling hatches, and the first thing he sees is the captain’s fiddle bobbing in the water nearby.  Grabbing hold, he realizes that the fiddle makes beautiful sounds, and plays until they are both washed ashore near the captain’s house.  His dog hears the fiddle music, and discovers the duckling, and the two become fast friends.  They try to find their way home through the fog, and once again the music comes to the rescue.  The captain’s wife hears it, and is overjoyed to find her dog, as well as a new friend.  The duckling keeps playing, and the final page shows the captain floating on a raft, paddled by ducks, following the sound of the music.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A whale of a tale, illustrated with beautiful colors that show the color of the music in the gray stormy seascape.

Cons:  That is one ugly dog.