Picture books

They Hold the Line: Wildfires, Wildlands, and the Firefighters Who Brave Them by Dan Paley, illustrated by Molly Mendoza

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Published by Chronicle Books

Summary: When a fire lookout spots smoke coming from the forest following a lightning strike, firefighters spring into action, digging a fireline to try to keep the fire from spreading. When the fire jumps the line, more strategies are needed, including fighting the fire from airplanes and helicopters. As people are evacuated and animals flee, other workers have jobs setting up camps for the evacuees and the firefighters. Even after the fire has been contained there is still work to be done, extinguishing burning material. Finally, the exhausted firefighters get a well-earned rest, but soon they are back on call awaiting the next fire. Includes additional information on fire ecology, describing old and new approaches, and facts about firefighters with labeled diagrams of their protective gear and supplies. 44 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros: This is a fascinating and timely look at many aspects of wildfires and the people who fight them. Each page has several sidebars with definitions of all kinds of terms used by firefighters. The art resembles old WPA posters, an appropriate style for the topic.

Cons: Some additional resources would have been nice.

One Chicken Nugget by Tadgh Bentley

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Published by Balzer + Bray

Summary: Frank is a monster with a passion for chicken nuggets, especially the ones Celeste sells on her food truck. Since Frank isn’t exactly an ideal customer (scares away other customers, doesn’t pay, terrible table manners), Celeste is desperate for a way to get rid of him. Some library research gives her an idea: the 30-Day Double Nugget Challenge. Each day the number of nuggets offered will doubled, and anyone who can eat them all wins free chicken nuggets for life. Seems easy enough on the first few days but by day 14 (8,192 nuggets), Frank is the only customer left. On day 30, he starts in on the pile of 536,870,912 nuggets and makes it all the way to the final one, and then…. Includes an author’s note and additional information on exponential growth. 40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros: Similar stories have been told for ages (as the author acknowledges in his note), but this is a particularly fun one with humorous monster illustrations that really bring home the concept of exponential growth.

Cons: The interesting endnotes were printed on the back cover, where the taped-down dust jacket obscured approximately one-sixth of them.

Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story by Jody Jensen Shaffer, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

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Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  For the first part of this book, the rhyming text builds like The House That Jack Built, with the sun shining down on a cricket munching grass that’s eaten by a mouse, who’s swallowed by a snake, which is scooped up by a hawk, who gets trapped by a fox that gets chased by a bear.  But on some days things are different, and the story takes a twist as each animal escapes its predator, leaving the bear to munch on “flowers and seeds…all that she needs.”  Includes an illustrated glossary that gives more information about each of the animals.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fun and clever introduction to food chains, with the second version of the story perhaps makes the case for vegetarianism.  

Cons:  Some of the main characters meet a gory end in the first version.

Two picture books set in India

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

My Bollywood Dream by Avani Dwivedi

Published by Candlewick

The Light Within You by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Kamala Nair

Published by Two Lions

Summary: Two kids share their experiences in India. In My Bollywood Dream, a girl who dreams of being a filmmaker enjoys an evening at a Mumbai cinema with her family. As they drive to the theater, she imagines turning what she sees in the city streets into Bollywood-style film scenes. Everyone enjoys the movie, and during the final number, the entire audience gets out of their seats to sing and dance. The last page shows the narrator as an adult behind the camera. Includes an author’s note about her own Bollywood experiences.

In The Light Within You, Diya is back in India for a visit from her new home in the United States. She’s excited to see her grandmother, Nani, and to celebrate Diwali, a holiday that the kids in her new school know nothing about. Diya enjoys the festive preparations with Nani, with whom she is able to share some of her struggles with her new life. Nani reminds her that Diwali is about light and encourages Diya to discover her inner light to shine at her new school. The last page shows Diya sharing Indian souvenirs with her new classmates. Includes an author’s note with additional information about Diwali, a glossary, and Diya’s Diwali affirmation, a poem that celebrates the inner light. Both books 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: Both books will make readers want to visit India, with their descriptive text and especially the colorful illustrations that celebrate Bollywood and Diwali. Each one is empowering in its own way, focusing on the protagonist’s gifts and encouraging her to share them with others.

Cons: It felt like Diya might still have some struggles ahead of her.

On the Line: My Story of Becoming the First African American Rockette by Jennifer Jones and Lissette Norman, illustrated by Robert Paul Jr.

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Published by HarperCollins

Summary: Jennifer Jones fell in love with dance in her first class at age nine. Dance was a way to express herself when she felt shy, which was often. With a white mother and a Black father, Jennifer felt conspicuous and out of place in her New Jersey hometown. When a supermarket clerk made racist remarks and told her that “girls like you don’t become dancers,” Jennifer’s mom set up a dance studio in their basement. Seeing The Wiz on Broadway showed her that people like her could be dancers, and Jennifer auditioned for the Rockettes at age 19. As there had never been a Black Rockette since the group’s start in 1925, she was up against tough odds, but in 1987, Jennifer became the first African American Rockette. She ends the book by acknowledging her family’s support of her dreams and encouraging readers to figure out what they love to do and pursue it. Includes additional information about Jennifer Jones and the Rockettes. 40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros: An inspiring story of a woman whose passion led her to break down barriers and open doors for others. The conversational tone of the story makes Jennifer feel like an old friend, encouraging kids to follow their dreams as she did hers.

Cons: A few photos would have made a nice addition.

I’m Gonna Paint! Ralph Fasanella, Artist of the People by Anne Broyles, illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Holiday House

Summary:  Ralph Fasanella’s early life didn’t seem particularly auspicious for becoming a renowned artist.  The son of Italian immigrants, Ralph grew up in a tenement with five siblings and was in and out of a Catholic reform school from the age of ten.  He left school as a teenager and took a series of jobs before becoming a trade union organizer.  When he started having pain in his hands, a friend recommended drawing, and Ralph created his first art at the age of 31.  Recalling his mother’s labor activism, as well as his own union experiences, Ralph focused on working people and political messages in his paintings.  Family members supported him so he could quit working and paint full time.  His works hang today in the Smithsonian, Ellis Island, and other museums around the world, as well as in union halls and subway stations.  “I didn’t paint my paintings to hang in some rich guy’s living room,” Ralph said.  “My paintings are about people, and they should be seen by people, not hidden away.”  Includes additional information with photos and reproductions of some of Ralph’s paintings; a timeline of his life with relevant events from American history; a list of some of his paintings; and additional resources.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A fascinating, well-written introduction to the life of an artist who captured many important moments from American history, with illustrations that perfectly reflect Ralph’s style.  This would pair nicely with Cynthia Levinson’s The People’s Painter, about Ralph’s contemporary Ben Shahn.

Cons:  Although several museums were mentioned, I wish there had been a list of places to see Ralph Fasanella’s works.

Hanukkah Upside Down by Elissa Brent Weissman, illustrated by Omer Hoffmann

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

Summary: Noah lives in New York; his cousin Nora lives in Aotearoa New Zealand. When they talk on the phone, they like to argue about which one of them is upside down. When Nora discovers that Noah celebrates Hanukkah in the winter, and Noah learns that it’s summer in New Zealand, each is convinced that their holiday is better. They set up a shared photo album to settle the score and start posting pictures each day. During the days, Noah eats pastrami on rye, learns Spanish, and throws snowballs, while Nora eats hokeypokey in a cone, practices te reo Māori, and does cannonballs into the water. But each night is the same as they light candles, say Hebrew prayers, and eat potato latkes. On the last night, they receive each other’s gifts, a shirt with “World’s Best Cousin” printed upside down. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: A cute Hanukkah story about two feisty cousins who enjoy debating each other while also appreciating their friendship and the interesting aspects of the other’s life. The story cleverly weaves in details of both the holiday and life in New York and New Zealand.

Cons: A map showing the two locations would have been a nice addition.

Two books about birds

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How to Bird by Rasha Hamid

Published by Free Spirit Publishing

How Birds Sleep by David Obuchowski, illustrated by Sarah Pedry

Published by minedition

Summary: These two books about birds encourage kids to be curious about the world around them. In How Birds Sleep, the author and illustrator explore the unusual ways birds slumber, including sleeping while flying, hanging upside down, or standing on one leg. Each page or spread has an illustration of the resting bird, labeled, with a few sentences of text. The back matter includes additional information about birds’ sleep, the effects of climate change, and how the book came to be written. While there hasn’t been a lot written on the topic, there are three additional resources listed.

How to Bird is a bright, colorful celebration of birding, illustrated with photos of kids getting out in the city to observe the birds. Different birders have different superpowers, such as keen observation, good listening, and fast counting. The emphasis is on the fun and easy accessibility of birding, which requires little more than being curious and getting outside. Includes an author’s note, a list of questions to think about, birding words with definitions, and additional resources. Both books are 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros: I love how both authors encourage kids to go outside and look at the world around them. The illustrations in both books are eye-catching and add to the appeal of birds and birdwatching, and the additional information at the end makes them both great resources for older readers.

Cons: I was curious as to how long birds sleep each night, but that wasn’t covered.

These Olive Trees by Aya Ghanameh

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Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Oraib and her family live in a refugee camp with olive trees nearby.  As she watches her mother curing and brining the olives, she wonders how people first came to eat the bitter fruit.  The trees also provide wood and oil for those living in the camp.  One day, Oraib sees her mother packing olives and learns that war has come to the region. The family must once again pack up and move, just like her parents did when they were forced to leave their home before Oraib was born.  Before leaving, Oraib plants an olive pit, promising that one day she’ll return to harvest the olives.  An author’s note tells about her grandmother, the inspiration for Oraib, whose family was displaced from their home in Palestine.  Includes photos of the family.  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  Beautiful illustrations and a moving story bring to life the plight of a refugee Palestinian family during the 1950’s.

Cons:  I was struck by how much this photo in today’s New York Times looks like Oraib’s camp.


Wintergarden by Janet Fox, illustrated by Jasu Hu

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Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  A girl describes the process of creating an indoor winter garden, growing parsley, oregano, and greens.  She contrasts the cold she feels when she goes outside to the coziness of warm, lighted shops and her home, where the plants have begun to sprout.  When they’re big enough, the whole family enjoys their crunch and flavor, eating them until they’re gone, and they need to buy more seeds and start the process once again.  Includes instructions for growing your own winter garden and a list of books for further reading.  40 pages 4-8.

Pros:  It’s always nice to find a non-holiday book about winter, and this is a perfect introduction to growing an indoor garden and getting some fresh herbs and greens during the cold winter months.  The language is spare, but beautifully describes the smells, feel, and taste of growing and eating plants.

Cons:  I have a feeling my plants wouldn’t turn out quite as well as the ones shown here.