Picture books

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson, illustrated by David Shannon

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Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers 

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker: Robertson, Robbie, Shannon, David: 9781419712203: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Robbie Robertson teams up with Caldecott honor winner David Shannon to tell the story of how the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy was formed.  On page one, Hiawatha’s entire family has been killed, and his village burned to the ground.  In the midst of his despair, the Peacemaker approaches him, paddling a mysterious stone canoe, and invites Hiawatha to join him on a mission of peace.  The Peacemaker brings a message of forgiveness and peace to the Iroquois nations, but his voice is soft and he speaks with a stutter.  He needs Hiawatha’s powerful speaking abilities to convince the nations to stop their fighting.  Finally, everyone has joined together except the Mohawk, led by the evil Chief Tadodaho.  Tadodaho is the one responsible for the destruction of Hiawatha’s village.  Hiawatha must look deep within himself to find the forgiveness that is the only way to bring peace to the entire Iroquois nation.  Includes an historical note that tells the history behind this story and an author’s note that adds the personal tale of how Robertson came to write this book.  Grades 3-8.

Pros:  David Shannon’s beautiful paintings illustrate this fascinating blend of history, folklore, and mythology.  Take some time to appreciate the details of the story which has timely messages about peace and forgiveness.

Cons:  I found the story confusing until I read the historical note.  Some sources recommend this book for ages 4-8, but I don’t think audiences much younger than ten would fully appreciate it.

My Leaf Book by Monica Wellington

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Published by Dial Books for Young Readers 

Summary: It’s autumn, and the narrator fills up her leaf book with specimens she finds around her. She sees leaves that look like fans, stars, and hearts. Some are red, some orange, yellow, or violet. Pages alternate between bright trees with simple shapes on them and close-ups of more accurate renditions of the different types of leaves; these pages have a fact or two about trees and leaves. The last page gives directions for leaf prints and leaf rubbings. Ages 3-7.

Pros: A good introduction to different types of leaves. Young kids will be inspired to get outside and see if they can find leaves that match the ones in the illustrations.

Cons: Yet another tiny font, this time for the facts about leaves. And, editors, yellow print on an orange background?  No.

Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin, illustrated by Sara Woolley

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Published by Plum Blossom Books

Charlotte and the Quiet Place - Kindle edition by Sosin, Deborah, Woolley, Sara. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Summary: Charlotte lives in a noisy world. Her house is noisy, her street is noisy, even the library is noisy. Charlotte wishes she could find a quiet place. One day, she takes her dog for a walk in the park. He sees a squirrel and breaks free to chase it. Charlotte runs after him, and they end up in a quiet grove. When Charlotte sits down to catch her breath, she notices her breathing going in and out. Her thoughts slow down, and she finds herself, finally, in a quiet place. After that, whenever the world around her starts getting too noisy, Charlotte knows how to breathe deeply, slow her thoughts, and get back to the quiet place she found in the grove. Ages 3-8.

Pros: An excellent introduction to mindfulness and meditation for young kids.

Cons: An author’s note about the importance of mindfulness for children and some helpful tips for achieving it would have been useful.

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Out of the Woods: a true story of an unforgettable event by Rebecca Bond

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Published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers 

Summary: Antonio lives in the hotel his mother runs in 1914 Canada. He loves helping the different workers there and exploring the rooms on the second and third floors. One day, when Antonio is almost five, a man on the third floor spots smoke in the woods. Before long, the hotel is surrounded by fire, and all the inhabitants have to wade into the lake. As the fire closes in, wolves, moose, porcupine, bears, and other forest inhabitants join the humans in the lake. People and animals stand together until the fire passes by. The animals return to the forest, and the people go back to the hotel, which miraculously survived the blaze. An author’s note shows a picture of the real Antonio, the author’s grandfather, and tells how the story of the forest fire was passed down in her family. Grades 1-4.

Pros: A good mentor text for memoir writing. Kids will be fascinated by the forest fire and the gathering of all the animals. The beautiful illustrations look like old-time photographs.

Cons: The old-fashioned cover is not particularly eye-catching. Kids might have to be led to this book.

Fur, Fins, and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo by Cassandre Maxwell

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Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers 

Summary: When Abraham Dee Bartlett was growing up in the early 1800’s, there were no zoos. The closest thing was menageries where animals were kept in small cages for people to come and see. Abraham loved animals and read all that he could about them as a boy and a young man. His vast knowledge of wild animals eventually caught the attention of the London Zoological Society, and he was appointed superintendent of the new London Zoo. During his 38-year tenure there, he revolutionized the care of wild animals. He built larger enclosures for animals, learned how to feed them a healthy diet, and made labels so visitors could learn more about what they were seeing. By empathizing with the wild animals in his charge, he learned to keep them healthy and happy, and developed animal care methods that are used by zoos and veterinarians today. A timeline, author’s note, and brief bibliography are included. Grades 1-4.

Pros: Not only is this an interesting and inspiring story of a little-known man, but the cut paper collage illustrations are gorgeous. Readers will want to take their time with this book, enjoying both the text and the richly detailed pictures.

Cons: The final Doctor Dolittle-like illustration of Abraham surrounded by smiling animals is probably not entirely realistic.

The House That Jane Built: A Story about Jane Addams by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Kathryn Brown

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Published by Henry Holt and Company 

Summary: Growing up in a wealthy Illinois family, Jane Addams felt strongly that she wanted to help poor people. As a young woman, she visited Toynbee Hall in London. It was called a settlement house because wealthy people “settled” or lived among the poor. Upon returning home, Jane decided to start a settlement house in Chicago, Hull House. She devoted the rest of her life to Hull House, providing services and teaching skills to help people have better lives. Her model helped shape modern community centers. An author’s note tells more about Addams’ work for peace that included membership on the boards of the NAACP and the ACLU, and which was recognized with a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. Grades 1-5.

Pros: An inspiring story of a woman who was one of the most famous American women of her time, but who is little known today.

Cons: Reading about Jane Addams on Wikipedia, I realized how much this brief picture book had to cut out of her rich and interesting life story.

Nerdy Birdy by Aaron Reynolds, pictures by Matt Davies

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Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary: Nerdy Birdy has big glasses, small wings, and is allergic to birdseed. He’s good at reading, playing video games, and reading about video games. He really wants to hang out with the cool birds, Eagle, Cardinal, and Robin. One day, he happens upon a bunch of other nerdy birds on a wire who convince him to join them. They point out there are more of them than the cool birds, and that the cool birds are actually so busy being cool that they don’t have any friends. Pretty soon, Nerdy Birdy has a whole gang of friends. Then along comes Vulture, who’s sort of, well, goth. The rest of the gang doesn’t like him, but Nerdy Birdy’s motto is, “There’s always room for another.” So he goes against the group, and before long, he’s made yet another friend. Ages 4-8.

Pros: A very funny look at kids’ friendships with a positive message for those who might not feel “cool”. The illustrations add a great deal to the humor.

Cons: The nerdy birds were just a tad stereotypical.

Wrap-Up Wednesday: Celebrating reading and writing

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As September turns into October and the real work of the school year begins, these books can help remind kids that there actually is joy and fun in reading and writing:

Rufus the Writer by Elizabeth Bram, illustrated by Chuck Grosnink.  Published by Schwartz and Wade.

Instead of a lemonade stand, Rufus sets up a story stand, and writes custom-made stories for all of his friends.  The writing process is fun, but the best part is sharing his gifts at the end of the day.

Billy’s Booger: A memoir (sorta)  by William Joyce and his younger self.  Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Okay, I acknowledge the title might be off-putting if you’re over the age of nine, but this is actually a good story about young William Joyce’s first writing attempt.  His story didn’t win the library writing contest, but it was the book all the other kids wanted to read.  And that felt almost as good as winning.

A Poem in Your Pocket by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.  Published by Schwartz and Wade.

While the other kids are having fun experimenting with poetic forms, Elinor is stressing about writing the perfect poem.  When a poet comes to school, only Elinor has nothing to share.  The poet gets her on stage, and together they write a poem that shows Elinor there’s no such thing as perfection in writing.

How to Read a Story by Kate Messner, illustrated by Mark Siegel.  Published by Chronicle Books.These ten steps for how to read a story will make you want to grab a book and a friend and try them right out.

It’s Tough to Lose Your Balloon by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

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Published by Alfred A. Knopf

Summary: It’s tough to lose your balloon…but it’ll make Grandma smile when it floats past her airplane. It’s sad to drop your sandwich in the sand…but it’ll make some seagulls very happy. Jarrett Krosoczka looks at some tough childhood situations, and then turns them around to find the silver lining. His final advice? When life gives you rain…look for the rainbow! Ages 3-7.

Pros:  A good lesson in resiliency, something modern children are said to lack. It could be used as a writing prompt: think of a time something difficult happened and how you turned it into something positive.

Cons: As a child, the idea of my balloon floating up to the sky freaked me out. The cover of this book brought that all back.

Monkey Not Ready for Kindergarten by Marc Brown

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Published by Alfred A. Knopf

Summary: Is Monkey ready for kindergarten? Well, he knows the alphabet and he can count to 12, but he’s still not sure. His parents take him shopping for a lunchbox and new sneakers, and his brother assures him that kindergarten is so much better than preschool. A few days before school starts, Monkey has a playdate with some of the kids from school, and it’s pretty fun. But the questions remain: what if his teacher doesn’t like him? What if there are no red crayons? What if he can’t find the bathroom? Finally, the big day arrives, and Monkey’s parents drop him off. Ready or not, Monkey is off to kindergarten. The last two wordless pages show a happy Monkey at work and at play in kindergarten. Ages 3-6.

Pros: This simple story will be reassuring to kids starting school. The illustrations and text look like they were done by a young child.

Cons: Mom and Dad Monkey are flirting a bit with the “helicopter parent” line.