Picture books

A roundup of read-alouds

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Quacken by Justin Colón (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). When Hector and his family arrive at Cucumonga Campground, they’re immediately warned: don’t feed the ducks. Signs are posted, and the other kids tell Hector, don’t look at the ducks, don’t think about the ducks, and above all else, DON’T FEED THE DUCKS! But the ducks are so cute and look so hungry that Hector can’t resist. When he runs out of bread, a shadow blocks out the sun, and the fearsome Quacken emerges from the lake. A chase ensues, filled with classic horror movie references, until the monster captures Hector! But it turns out…children taste terrible, and Hector is saved, as the Quacken regurgitates all the other things it’s eaten. There’s plenty of monster action in this fast-paced tale with cartoon-inspired illustrations reminiscent of Dan Santat. A perfect late summer read-aloud.

I Am La Chiva! The Colorful Bus of the Andes by Karol Hernández, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez (Dial Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). La Chiva is a colorful bus that winds its way through the Andes Mountains, picking up farmers and their wares to take to the market. Soon it’s packed both inside and out with men, women, children, animals, and fruits and vegetables. A flat tire can’t slow La Chiva and its crew down, as they all work together to get the bus back on the road. Readers get a tour of the market and various sellers before everyone packs up and heads back home again. Includes a brief author’s note indicating that the story is based on his childhood memories and a glossary of the Spanish words used in the text. If Titlewave is to be believed, a Spanish language version of the story will be available in a few weeks. The spectacular colors of the illustrations and bouncy rhyming text will appeal to kids who love vehicles and give them a nice taste of Andean culture and food. I saw in a review that this story takes place in Colombia, but I couldn’t find that information in the book.

Sour Apple by Linda Liu (Henry Holt and Co., 40 pages, ages 4-8). A small green apple wonders why it hasn’t been picked when its rounder red neighbors are fulfilling their apple destinies. In rhyming text, the apple asks questions, “Am I not shiny enough to sell at the market? Or not tiny enough to be used as a target?” The apple suffers further indignities when it’s carried off by munching insects and buried underground: “No use in playing pretend. Looks like this is the end.” But as the seasons pass, an amazing transformation takes place, and the apple is stunned to turn into a tree! “Maybe falling behind isn’t finishing last. Maybe your season has just yet to pass.” The short rhyming text, big colorful illustrations, and a message that it can be tough but ultimately okay not be chosen first make this a winning choice to read aloud. Kids may need some explanation of references to William Tell, Isaac Newton, and expressions like “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but even if some go over their heads, they’ll still find a lot to enjoy.

Touch the Sky by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic, illustrated by Chris Park (Carolrhoda Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Vern goes to the playground almost every day and loves to lie on his stomach on a swing, or spin around until the chains are twisted. What he really wants to do is swing as high as the other kids, feeling like his toes can touch the sky, but Vern doesn’t know how to pump. When a girl named Gretchen offers to teach him how, Vern is ready. He watches and listens as Gretchen shows him how to lift off, straighten your legs on the upswing, then tuck them in to go back. “It feels hard until you get it, and then it’s not,” Gretchen wisely tells him. Vern tries and tries, but he winds up falling on his butt or at the very least not moving. Then, just as he may be beginning to get it, Gretchen has to leave. Vern considers giving up, but he knows Gretchen would want him to keep trying. And then…Vern gets it! His toes touch the sky! A new kid sits on Gretchen’s swing, looking on admiringly. “It feels hard until you get it, and then it’s not,” Vern tells him. “Do you want to learn how?” The message of persistence will resonate with kids, both on the micro level of learning how to swing and the macro one of not giving up on your goals. What really makes this book amazing is the illustrations, a rainbow of color and movement that capture both the frustration of not getting it and the thrill of finally succeeding, with a joyous feeling of flying. It’s gotten a well-earned place on Betsy Bird’s Caldecott 2025 prediction list.

Jump for Joy by Karen Gray Ruelle, illustrated by Hadley Hooper (Astra Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 3-7). Joy, a girl, loves dogs and wants one of her own. Jump, a dog, loves kids and wants one of his own. Each believes they will know their dog/kid when they see them. Through the seasons, on facing pages, each one creates what they want: a dog named Tulip out of flowers and a kid named Fern out of ferns in the spring, a dog named Shelby out of shells and a kid named Sandy out of sand in the summer. Nothing lasts, though, through a whole year. The next spring, Joy and Jump discover new tulips and ferns respectively and call out with excitement. And those cries (or woofs) alert them to each other’s presence, and “Joy jumped for joy and Jump jumped for Joy.” I can easily imagine reading this to a pre-k or kindergarten class, going through the seasons, getting a kick out of Joy and Jump’s amazing creations, and a happy ending at last. This is another one on the aforementioned Caldecott prediction list, and the illustrations are mostly black and white line drawings with the final spread in glorious color. A note at the end says the black and white pictures are inspired by art from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, “collaged together to create something new,” and it does have a very unique and interesting look.

There’s a new kid in school

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo (Penguin Workshop, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Jun is a new arrival from Hong Kong, facing her first day of school knowing only a few words (hello, thank you, I don’t know) that she’s written on her hand with the Cantonese translations. She tries her best but struggles with assignments and saying the wrong thing that causes her classmates to either laugh at her or ignore her. At lunchtime, the foods in her lunchbox bring back happy memories with her family and friends in Hong Kong, and it’s ultimately food that connects her with the other kids. A girl from her class has been quietly observing Jun, and one day she says hello and tells Jun that her lunch looks good. Soon, all the kids are trading food, and Jun learns the names of several other kids. The last page shows Jun bringing home those kids, and her mom preparing a snack for them that includes some of the family’s traditional foods and the pizza Jun enjoyed in the cafeteria. Includes a table showing the words from Jun’s hand in English and Cantonese and a labeled diagram (in English and Cantonese) of the food in her lunchbox.

Ruby’s Tools for Making Friends by Apryl Stott (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Ruby’s new at school, but she’s packed a bag full of tools designed to help with her anxieties. Her tape measure reminds her to count her breaths, pliers help her stay flexible, and safety goggles show her a new way of looking at the world. Her new school is a unique blend of people and animals, and Ruby is excited to be on a team with two humans and a goose, designing a holder for an upcoming egg drop. Working with others can be a challenge, though, and Ruby uses her tools to help her stay calm, focused, and confident enough to speak up when she has an idea. Their project wins the class competition and moves on to a schoolwide egg drop. As the principal gets ready to test the various designs on the playground, Ruby realizes she’s left her tools in the classroom, but she’s able to visualize them when she starts to worry. Although their egg ends up breaking, her new friends assure Ruby that she had a good idea, helping her to feel happy and excited to work on a new project.

Sister Friend by Jamila Thompkins-Bigelow (Harry N. Abrams, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Every day is a “play-by-herself” day for Ameena, who’s the only kid in her class with brown skin and twists in her hair. One day, a new girl named Sundus comes to class, and Ameena is excited to see that she has brown skin and that she wears hijab, meaning she’s Muslim like Ameena. After a series of missteps, Ameena sees Sundus at masjid one night when she’s there with her family. Her mother greets Sundus’s mother, “Assalamu Alaikum [peace be upon you], Sister. Welcome!” The next day at recess, when Ameena sees Sundus, she finally knows what to say and gives the new girl the same greeting her mother used the night before. That’s all it takes to reach out to Sundus, and before long, the two girls are the best of friends.

Here are a few more books that may come in handy at the beginning of the school year, especially if there are new kids starting in a class that’s been together for a while. All three would make good prompts to talk about ways to welcome new students and how to bridge differences in culture and/or language (and also good reminders for teachers, who for the most part seemed completely oblivious to the struggles going on in their classrooms.) Ruby offers some suggestions about handling the anxiety that can come from being a new kid (and Abbott Elementary fans may get a chuckle from the egg drop activity). If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Home in a Lunchbox, a debut that has illustrations worthy of Caldecott consideration, and that reminded me of one of my favorite books for sharing, Gibberish, another almost wordless book that shows what it’s like to start in a school where you don’t know the language, and the importance of that one kid who reaches out.

Stories and songs

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Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J. McDaniel, illustrated by April Harrison (Dial Books, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Augusta Baker was raised on her grandmother’s tales of Br’er Rabbit and King Arthur. A college class on folklore encouraged Augusta to become a storyteller herself, and she got a job at a branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem, where she found audiences of children eager for her stories. While most of her young patrons were African American, the books Augusta found in the library rarely had Black characters, and when they did, the portrayals were “RUDE, MEAN, and JUST PLAIN WRONG.” She searched for books (and wrote some of her own) that sought to correct that, compiling lists to share those books with others. Over the years, her work influenced Black writers and educators like James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Carter Woodson, John Steptoe, and Virginia Hamilton. She extended her outreach through teaching at Columbia and the University of South Carolina, a radio show, and an appearance on Sesame Street and is honored by the city of Columbia, SC each year with a festival called A(ugusta) Baker’s Dozen. Includes a timeline, citations, an author’s note, and photos.

Bridges Instead of Walls: The Story of Mavis Staples by Mavis Staples and Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Steffi Walthall (Rocky Pond Books, 48 pages, grades 2-5). Mavis Staples tells the story of her life (in third person), beginning with her family’s trip north during the Great Migration. Mavis was the youngest, born in Chicago, and as she grew older, she began singing with her father and siblings. They became popular as the Staples Singers, performing gospel music in churches around the Midwest, gradually expanding their repertoire to include blues and folk music. Although their lives and music were firmly grounded in their faith, eventually their fame spread to the secular entertainment world, as well as to supporting Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. Mavis also enjoyed a solo career, which continues to this day, as she is the last surviving member of the Staples Singers. Includes a timeline and lists of recommended listening (songs by the Staples Singers and Mavis Staples) and recommended viewing (documentaries).

These two excellent picture book biographies will introduce readers to amazing Black women who overcame discrimination and other barriers to share their gifts of storytelling and singing. Both are pretty long with lots of references to historical figures that will likely need some introductions for kids. The illustrations in both are amazing and do a great job of incorporating each woman’s art into the story.

For the birds

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Sparrow Loves Birds by Murry Burgess, illustrated by Tamisha Anthony (Christy Ottaviano Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Sparrow is an observant girl, who loves noticing the people, animals, and sounds of her neighborhood. Most of all, she loves to watch birds, and she’ll often head out with her sketchbook and binoculars to look for them. She learns to identify different birds by their movements, colors, and songs, carefully drawing them and labelling them when she knows their names. The last page invites readers to explore their own neighborhoods, and there’s lots of back matter to help them, including tips for birdwatchers and a guide to eighteen birds mentioned in the text. There’s also an author’s note describing her journey from a childhood spent learning about nature to a career in wildlife biology, and encouraging kids to get outside and observe nature, whether they live in rural, suburban, or urban neighborhoods. This a great introduction to birdwatching, and just generally enjoying the outdoors, that introduces lots of different birds and birdwatching techniques through an enthusiastic young narrator. The illustrations and back matter add to the educational value.

Owls in Our Yard! The Story of Alfie by Carl Safina (Norton Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 2-5). For some real-life backyard birdwatching, here’s the story of Alfie, a baby eastern screech owl found on the ground and given to ecologist Carl Safina for rehabilitation. After nursing her back to health, he and his family gradually reintroduced her to the wild. He wasn’t sure she would ever completely lose her reliance on humans, but slowly, Alfie started leaving her nesting box for longer periods of time and learned to hunt for food on her own. Eventually, she showed up with a mate, and Carl discovered that Alfie had built a nest and laid three eggs. During the pandemic, the family had plenty of opportunities to follow the adventures of the new baby owls, including battles with blue jays and robins for backyard territory. While Alfie has stayed close to her old home, she’s completely integrated into the wild now, having raised three broods and raised a total of ten owlets. The photos and compelling nonfiction story make every step of Alfie’s journey an adventure that animal lovers are sure to enjoy. It’s a bit text heavy, so younger kids may need some help with the reading, but the narrative is engaging enough to keep them going to learn what happens to Alfie and her babies.

Bare feet and cowboy boots

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Cesaria Feels the Beat by Denise Rosario Adusei, illustrated by Priscila Soares (Roaring Brook Press, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Cesaria is a little girl who loves to dance, and she’s excited to be part of a group that’s dancing for Carnival. She dons her tutu and beautiful peacock feathers, but she doesn’t want to wear the shoes the director tells her to put on. “Peacocks don’t wear shoes,” she signs, but he is insistent. Finally, Cesaria relents and joins the rest of the troupe on stage, her tail feather drooping. But when the music begins, she kicks off her shoes so that she can feel the beat in her feet. “Take off your shoes,” she signs to the other dancers. “Feel!” They join her in a lively dance that brings cheers from the audience and a sign of “Thank you!” from Cesaria, before she rushes off the stage, leaving her shoes behind. Includes notes from the author, who drew inspiration from watching a Deaf cousin appreciate music by putting her hand on the speaker (which was initially discouraged by family members), and the illustrator, who was diagnosed with hearing loss as a teenager but didn’t get help for it until her son was born deaf.

Beautiful illustrations of Carnival use brilliant colors to portray the crowds and Cesaria’s peacock-themed dance troupe. The story of a courageous Deaf girl showing others how she dances is sure to resonate with readers, and possibly educate them as well. Kids will need to use some inferencing skills to figure out from Cesaria’s signing what is going on in the story.

My Daddy Is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales, illustrated by C. G. Esperanza (Harry N. Abrams, 48 pages, ages 4-8). A girl and her father rise before dawn to take his motorcycle out to the ranch where the girl takes riding lessons, and where Daddy rode as a child with a group of friends who call themselves cowboys. Together, they saddle up the horses and set out through the dark silent streets of their city, returning when the sun comes up. Some of the cowboys are there to greet them, and Daddy takes his daughter home before heading back to the ranch to ride with his friends. When he asks her what her favorite part of the morning was, she considers the horses and the beautiful morning before responding, “Just us time!”

This is a sweet book that I wish I had seen in time for Father’s Day. It’s another one with vibrant illustrations, the colors popping off the pages, and I hope it will be considered for a Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and/or Belpré award. The family’s Panamanian heritage is woven into both the text and the illustrations. I would have loved to find out the inspiration for the book and was disappointed that there was no back matter.

Back to school books

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

I know July 1 is a little premature for this post, but I like to have a good book to read aloud for the first week of school. The hunt has begun.

The First Week of School by Drew Beckmeyer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades K-3). Get ready for an extra exciting first week of school, looking at what happens in a classroom each day of that week. At first things seem pretty ordinary: students include a talented artist who lacks self-confidence, an inventor who brings a creation to share on the first day, and the sports kings who like to be either playing or discussing sports. There’s also a teacher and a bearded dragon named Pat, who’s the class pet. Things start to get weird when the inventor’s satellite makes extraterrestrial contact, and a creature named Nobody shows up. Everyone thinks Nobody is the new kid who was expected to start a few days late, so they don’t pay much attention to him, allowing him to bond with (a somewhat reluctant) Pat and to find a way to showcase the shy artist’s talents. Nobody’s last act before heading back home is to get some plutonium for the inventor’s time machine, which seems to work, since the last page is the same as the first, showing the kids arriving for the first day of school.

This book is cute and a lot of fun, with the alien providing an unexpected twist to ordinary events like recess, lunch, and STEM class. The illustrations look like they could have been created by the student artist with her crayons or colored pencils and move between close-ups of different parts of the classroom and aerial views. Would I use it as a read-aloud? I’m not sure. The text is mostly lots of small captions about what’s going on in different parts of the pictures, and it may be hard for younger kids to follow. I would want to project the pages to allow them to see everything that’s going on.

The Yellow Bus by Loren Long (Roaring Brook Press, 48 pages, ages 4-9). A school bus has a busy and happy life transporting kids to and from school. Time passes, and the bus gets a new job: carrying senior citizens around town. When the bus no longer runs, it seems like it’s been abandoned, until unhoused people come and find a place to rest inside the bus. Later, it’s towed to a farm, where goats climb all over it. Finally, the bus is washed away by the river, and comes to rest under the water, where fish, frogs, and turtles find a home. With each group shown, the repeating line, “And they filled her with joy,” makes this a celebration of all the eras in the bus’s life. A two page note at the end tells how Loren Long got the idea from a real-life abandoned school bus and gives a fascinating look at how he created the art using models that he built.

This book is really a masterpiece, and one that I hope will be considered for a Caldecott. The bus and her inhabitants are brightly colored against a black and white background. I’m so glad Loren Long included information on how he created the art, which made me even more appreciative of the work that went into this. Having said all that, I don’t think I will be using this for my back-to-school classes. It’s more of a meditation on life, and I found it a bit too melancholy for the first day of school.

Animal books

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Animal Superpowers by Amy Cherrix, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon (Beach Lane Books, 48 pages, grades K-4). From a seemingly immortal jellyfish to a gravity-defying ibex to a snake-killing, venom-resistant opossum, these animals have superpowers that allow them to survive and thrive in their environments. Even your pet dog has a smelling superpower! Each two-page spread has a vivid illustration with boxed text. One spread gives the introduction to the power, then turn the page to reveal what it is and how the animal uses it. The last couple pages, entitled “Action is your superpower!”, tells how the different animals are threatened by pollution and climate change, encouraging kids to take action to help them. There’s also a list of sources.

Wolf Effect: A Wilderness Revival Story by Rosanne Parry, illustrated by Jennifer Thermes (Greenwillow Books, 40 pages, grades K-4). The story of wolves in Yellowstone, from their disappearance due to hunting to their reintroduction in the 1990’s, is told with rhyming text, prose, and illustrations. The wolves’ demise is told in verses, showing farmers and rangers hunting the wolves, with newspaper headlines declaring that Yellowstone is free of them. Then the text goes into a sort of “house that Jack built” rhyme, showing the ripple effects of reintroducing the wolves on the environment, as beavers, willows, and songbirds all return to the park. Boxes of narrative text provide more details, as do the illustrations, which sometimes depict a bear and a coyote discussing the effects of the wolves’ return. Eighteen animals from the pages are shown at the end; there are also notes from the author and illustrator, as well as a glossary and a list of resources.

Animal fans will be happy to see both of these books on the library shelves, with their eye-catching covers and beautiful illustrations. Animal Superpowers will appeal to readers who like collecting interesting facts while Wolf Effect is more of a story. I found the way the latter book was written a bit confusing, and I’m not sure that rhyming verses were the best way to go, particularly from an author as knowledgeable about wolves as Rosanne Parry (A Wolf Called Wander is one of my all-time favorite animal stories). Jennifer Thermes is amazing, though, and I found the illustrations to be the main attraction of both books.

A basketball ace, a designer of space, and an ultramarathon race

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka by Cheryl Kim, illustrated by Nat Iwata (Lee & Low Books, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Wataru Misaka was an active child, growing up in Utah as a second-generation Japanese American, or Nisei. His father taught him the Japanese word gambatte, meaning to do your best, and Wat took the lesson to heart, pushing himself to work hard in school, on the basketball court, and later, after his father died, to help support his family. During World War II, Wat’s family escaped being sent to concentration camps, since they didn’t live on the coast, but they still faced discrimination. At the University of Utah, Wat slept under the bleachers in the gym when the segregated dorms were full. He made the college basketball team, but at first didn’t get to play and was barred from away games. When he did get on the court, spectators yelled racist slurs at him. Keeping in mind gambatte, Wat never gave up, eventually leading his team to a national championship. He was recruited by the Knicks, becoming the first player of color in the BAA (later the NBA). After being released from his contract, Wat returned to school and got his engineering degree. He excelled throughout his life, at work, in the community, and on the golf course and bowling alley. The last page shows him exchanging jerseys at a meeting with Asian American NBA star Jeremy Lin. Includes a lengthy author’s note, a photo of Wat in 2008, and a list of sources.

Basketball fans will enjoy this biography, although it’s a bit lengthy with quite a bit of historical context, making it perhaps a better choice for older kids. The history is fascinating, though, with lots of action-packed illustrations, and the lesson in perseverance is an inspiring one.

Mr. Pei’s Perfect Shapes: The Story of Architect I. M. Pei by Julie Leung, illustrated by Yifan Wu (Quill Tree Books, 40 pages, grades 1-5). As a boy in China, Ioeh Ming Pei was fascinated by the volcanic rock statues in his grandfather’s hometown of Suzhou that took shape over many years from water falling on them. His love of structure continued as he grew up, sketching buildings he saw being built in Shanghai before coming to America at the age of 18 to study architecture. He rose to fame in 1964 when Jackie Kennedy selected him to design the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. His innovative designs and ways of seeing shapes led to other famous buildings like the Louvre Pyramid and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He returned to Suzhou at the age of 90 for the installation of an art museum he had designed for the city, admiring once again the rock statues he had seen as a child. Includes a timeline and additional resources.

Although I’ve heard of I. M. Pei I didn’t know the many famous buildings he designed. His innovative way of thinking and problem solving is emphasized in the text and especially the illustrations, which show of the beauty of the modernistic architecture Pei helped create.

Daughter of the Light-Footed People: The Story of Indigenous Marathon Champion Lorena Ramírez by Belen Medina, illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades K-4). Lorena Ramírez has become an unlikely ultramarathon champion, competing in races wearing the traditional clothing of her Rarámuri (meaning “light-footed”) people: a skirt and rubber-soled huarache sandals. The story takes place over the course of sixty-mile race, during which she reflects on her past that has brought her to this point. Growing up in a remote corner of Mexico, she became a strong runner by herding goats and cows, playing ball games with her siblings, and walking for hours to buy food. At the end of the race, she is the first to cross the finish line. Includes a two-page note with additional information about Lorena and a list of sources.

Lorena Ramírez’s story is fascinating, the way she has become a champion in an unconventional way, holding onto her people’s traditions and honoring them in the way she dresses. The beautiful illustrations show the people, animals, and landscape of her home. I do wish books like this would give the introductory information at the beginning so the reader (at least this reader) isn’t trying to figure out what is going on throughout the whole story.

Memories of China

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Growing Up Under a Red Flag: A Memoir of Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Xinmei Liu (Rocky Pond Books, 40 pages, grades 2-6). Ying grew up during China’s Cultural Revolution, with parents, both doctors, who were targeted for being part of the educated class. Her father taught her English and told her stories of his days studying in San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge became a symbol of that life. Ying recalls the day her dad was forced to burn all his English books and papers, hiding his ties to the west from the government. Shortly after that, he was arrested, and life grew increasingly difficult for Ying and her mother, with food shortages and worries about the future. After Mao’s death in 1976, the family was reunited. Ying eventually moved to the U.S. to study, and the final picture shows the family eating with her father’s teacher, Dr. Smith, the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

Born Naughty: My Childhood in China by Jin Wang with Tony Johnston, illustrated by Anisi Baigude (Anne Schwartz Books, 112 pages, grades 2-5). Imagine Ramona Quimby living in 1980’s Mongolia, and you’ll have a good idea of the vibe of Jin Wang’s lively childhood memoir. Living in a one-room mud hut with her parents and two younger brothers, Jin embraces all of life experiences, whether it’s traveling with her father to fetch the family’s precious water supply, beating the boys at tree-climbing, harvesting mushrooms and potatoes, or learning calligraphy. Real dangers are never far away, and her story of being attacked by a potentially rabid dog is harrowing. The last chapter shows the family taking a break from their demanding lives to celebrate the new year together. In the authors’ notes, Jin Wang shares more details of her life, including a 2019 trip back home that affirmed her happy childhood memories, and she and Tony Johnston relate how they met in yoga class and created this book together.

These two very different memoirs offer contrasting views of Chinese childhoods just a decade apart, one of a middle-class family dealing with government persecution and hardship, the other of a much poorer rural family facing different hardships but able to lead a freer life. Jin Wang’s memoir would make a great book club choice for second or third graders. There are plenty of similar stories for this age group that would make an interesting contrast to Jin’s childhood. While Ying’s story is a picture book, it may appeal to older students up into middle school, who might have a better understanding of the Cultural Revolution and what it meant to the people living through it.

Animals, dead and alive

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Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Jason Chin (Neal Porter Books, 48 pages, grades 2-5). When a 90-year-old blue whale dies on her annual northern migration, her body slowly sinks a mile before settling on the bottom of the ocean. Scavengers like hagfish and sleeper sharks, attracted by the chemicals released to this rare source of food, start devouring the whale meat. This process can go on for years until only the skeleton is left. A second stage begins with a new set of scavengers (hello, bone-eating zombie worms), who feed on the whale remains for decades. 150 years later, the bones are still releasing chemicals that feed algae, which in turn feed krill. The krill is eaten by a pregnant blue whale, thus completing the cycle of life that includes the old blue whale and the new one. Includes additional information about blue whales, ecosystems, and the four phases of a whale fall ecosystem, as well as additional resources.

This beautiful, well-written science book is sure to be a contender for the Caldecott and the Sibert awards, both of which amazing illustrator Jason Chin has won before. The information is fascinating, with descriptions of a process and animals that exist so far under the sea that scientists are just beginning to learn about them. There’s a lot of text and scientific information, which made me wonder if the book would hold the attention of younger elementary readers. If it’s too much, you can direct them to Melissa Stewart’s Whale Fall.

I Was: The Story of Animal Skulls by Katherine Hocker, illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Candlewick, 40 pages, grades 2-5). A skull says, “I was,” as the teeth, bones, holes, and cracks help tell the story of the animal it belonged to. Each two-page spread shows a skull with the voice of the animal describing part of the skull that hints at its identity. Turn the page and see the animal as it looked when it was alive. There’s a lynx, a deer, a beaver, a hummingbird, a wolf, and an owl. The last few pages celebrate the human skull, which protects the brain that allows us to understand the world around us. Includes a labeled diagram of a human skull with additional information about different parts, more information about the animals in the book and the human skull, and a few additional resources.

The large, vivid illustrations capture both the skulls and the animals beautifully. I always enjoy a book that gives kids the opportunity to guess what’s coming next, as it makes for a more engaging read-aloud. I found the premise kind of sad, though, with dead animals describing themselves when they were alive, and I wish the name of the animal had been included with the picture.

Survival of the Fittest: Who Will Come Out on Top? by Rebecca Donnelly, illustrated by Misa Saburi (Henry Holt and Co., 112 pages, grades 2-5). A reality TV show has six animals competing for the best engineering feat, with a hermit crab serving as host and three sharks judging. A chameleon, humpback whale, gecko, elephant, peacock mantis shrimp, and diabolical ironclad beetle each make a case for why it should be the winner, showing off a unique adaptation that allows it to survive. A winner is declared in the final chapter, and additional information about each animal’s “invention” is given on the last few pages.

Billed as book 1, this looks to be the start of a graphic novel series that may appeal to fans of the Who Would Win series. It’s cute and funny, with some interesting animal information, although not nearly as much as Who Would Win provides. The winner seemed like kind of a random choice, but I guess that’s more or less in keeping with the nature of reality TV.