Picture books

Once a Bird by Rina Singh, illustrated by Nathalie Dion

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Orca Book Publishers

Summary:  There’s still snow on the ground when a robin starts a journey that offers a bird’s-eye view of the landscape: water, roads, farms.  As the bird makes stops on a playground, at a church, and in a fountain, the reader can see that the world is slowly turning green again.  Finally, the robin lands in a tree outside an apartment building, many of the windows covered by blinds or curtains.  When it starts to sing, people appear in the windows, looking out and connecting with each other over this novelty outside.  Before long there’s a bird feeder hanging in the tree just above the robin’s new nest.  Eggs are laid, babies hatch, and soon people are drawn outside and to be with each other in a new community.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This beautiful wordless book could be interpreted in many different ways: I read three very different reviews that ranged from a bleak environmental message to a post-pandemic liberation.  Readers will enjoy the artwork and the freedom to interpret the story in their own way.

Cons:  Building a nest and reproducing seems like a two-bird job, but there was just the one robin to be seen.

How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  The dynamic Barnett-Klassen duo ponder the question of the title with a whole brainstorm of ideas.  Does Santa cinch up his belt or shrink to the size of the mouse?  Does he ever get stuck partway down and need a kick from the reindeer?  And what about those homes without chimneys?  Does he turn into a letter and drop through the mail slot?  Or slip through the pipes and come out the faucet?  And don’t even get started on how Santa goes back up the chimney!  However it is accomplished, the narrator concludes, we’re all so glad he can do it.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Get ready for some ho-ho-ho’s when you share this book with kids, who will no doubt be inspired to come up with some new ideas about Santa to add to Mac Barnett’s list.  Jon Klassen takes the idea and runs with it, and readers will love the images of Santa dripping through the faucet and flattening himself to go under the door.

Cons:  We can speculate, but we will never know for sure.

An Ofrenda for Perro by Judith Valdés B., illustrated by Carlos Veléz Aguilera

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by little bee books

Summary:  Benito is devastated to lose his dog Perro, who has been his companion since he was born.  As his family gets ready to celebrate Día de Los Muertos, Benito is slowly drawn into the preparations.  His father explains that the holiday isn’t a celebration of the dead, but of the love they have for those who have passed.  His mother shows him that her memories of her great-grandfather mean that he’s not really gone.  When Benito finds Perro’s ball, he is able to smile at his memories of his beloved dog, realizing that his memories will always be with him.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about Día de Los Muertos and a glossary. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A great resource for Día de Los Muertos, or for anyone who has lost a pet, with explanations that kids will understand and relate to, and beautiful illustrations inspired by the holiday.

Cons:  I couldn’t help thinking that Perro (Spanish for dog) deserved a slightly more imaginative name.

Veo, Veo, I See You by Lulu Delacre

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  During the pandemic, a girl and her mother and brother play a game of Veo, Veo, or I Spy, to spot essential workers in their community.  Mami lost her job as a cook, so she cooks at home now, and the family takes food and medicine to some older relatives before stopping at the food pantry on the way home.  In the course of their errands, they see trash collectors, a nurse, a pharmacist, a bus driver, and other workers who are keeping their city going so that others can safely stay at home.  Back at home, the girl makes a collage sign saying, “I see you!” that includes pictures of many of the workers, leading to cheers and applause from the community.  Includes an author’s note about the pandemic, and how it brought essential workers, and the fact that many of them are Black or Brown, to people’s attention.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Although the setting is the Covid pandemic, this book could be used to introduce lots of different community helpers.  The illustrations are bright and appealing, with cartoon bubbles for dialog: Spanish for Mami and English for the kids.

Cons:  The pandemic setting makes this already feel a little dated, as many of the kids reading the book will have little or no memory of that time.

Dasher Can’t Wait for Christmas by Matt Tavares

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Dasher the reindeer is back in this follow-up to Matt Tavares’s 2019 book Dasher.  Excited for Christmas, Dasher finds herself unable to sleep on the night of December 23 and goes off to look for adventure.  She finds carolers singing around a Christmas tree and enjoys herself so much she doesn’t notice the snow moving in.  When she realizes it’s time to go home, the storm is so thick that she can’t find her way.  She winds up at the home of a young boy named Charlie who gives her a compass to guide her back north.  Dasher makes it back just in time to take her place pulling Santa’s sleigh and makes sure that the jolly old elf has a compass to leave under Charlie’s tree.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Another beautiful Christmas story from Matt Tavares that perfectly captures kids’ excitement about the holiday and all of its magic.  

Cons:  In my opinion, the best Matt Tavares Christmas book remains Red and Lulu.

The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Kokila

Summary:  Nikkolas Smith draws on his experiences as an artist and an activist to create a narrator who calls himself an artivist.  Observing the world around him, the boy says, “I want to hold up a mirror to the world and show everyone what isn’t working right.”  His murals and signs draw attention to issues like homelessness, gun violence, environmental concerns, racism, and trans rights.  He invites others to join him, saying that artivists can also sing, write, build, or film.  “The Artivist is you.  What change will you create?”  40 pages; all ages.  Includes a brief note about Smith’s own Artivist journey.

Pros:  The age recommendation I saw in other reviews was 4-8, but as I read this book, I envisioned it being used by older elementary and middle school kids as a jumping-off point for thinking about the issues they care about and creating art to express that.  In a world that seems more uncertain than ever, this book gives an empowering message to kids about using creativity to make change.

Cons:  Nikkolas Smith refers to an illustration he made that went viral.  I think it’s his portrait of George Floyd, but I wish there had been more information about it.

What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon? And Other Questions About Moths and Butterflies by Rachel Ignotofsky

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  From egg to caterpillar to pupa (called a cocoon for moths and a chrysalis for butterflies), butterflies and moths have similar life cycles.  Readers will learn the intriguing answer to the title question, as well as answers to many other questions about butterflies and moths.  Detailed illustrations portray a wide range of caterpillars, butterflies, and moths with labels to identify each one.  In addition to the life cycle, there is plenty of fascinating information about anatomy, food, defenses, and more.  Includes a page of sources and resources.  48 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  I missed last year’s What’s Inside a Flower? and am delighted that I discovered this beautiful and informative science book.  The illustrations are unique and detailed, containing at least as much information as the text.  Just as I was wishing I knew the differences between butterflies and moths, I turned the page to discover a detailed comparison suitable for framing and hanging in the science corner.

Cons:  This book seemed a little long for the intended audience.  With so much information, you might want to break it up into several sections and read one at a time.

A Place Called America: A Story of the Land and People by Jennifer Thermes

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Beginning with a global view of the Earth when “the land was owned by no one,” Jennifer Thermes dives into American history and the drive to acquire its land, shown by illustrated maps.  She focuses on marginalized people–indigenous, enslaved, immigrants–and how they helped shape history.  The two-page spreads look at a specific year or an era, portraying people and/or maps that show important events and movements of that time.  Includes an afterword about maps and history, a list of sources, and a timeline on the endpapers.  64 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  I am always thrilled to learn of a new Jennifer Thermes book featuring her amazing maps. You could use this one to cover a whole school year of American history, beginning with the author’s note with the assertion that “the stories we tell ourselves about what is happening make us who we are.”  Readers will spend hours poring over her beautiful maps and other complex illustrations of the people who made up the various eras that she writes about so engagingly.

Cons:  Except for a spread about 9/11, the history pretty much ends in the middle of the 20th century.

Bunny and Tree by Balint Zsako

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Enchanted Lion Books

Summary:  The prologue of this wordless book shows a seed flying through the air, landing on the earth, and sprouting to eventually become a full-grown tree.  In Act One, the tree watches as a wolf chases a pack of rabbits.  Turning itself into a monster, the tree scares away the wolf and offers refuge to one of the rabbits.  Bunny asks Tree for help finding the rest of its pack, and the two set off on a wondrous journey.  After Bunny digs up Tree and puts it in a little red wagon, Tree is able to transform into a train, a boat, and a plane to carry them into the mountains where they at last find the rest of the rabbits.  The tree is transplanted and enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the bunnies, offering them food and shelter in exchange for fertilizer and friendship.  184 pages; ages 7 and up.

Pros:  This incredible wordless story unfolds over the course of nine acts and an epilogue, celebrating a wondrous friendship as well as the magic of the changing seasons.  

Cons:  I didn’t completely understand the beginning of the story until I read some of the book reviews.

Remembering by Xelena González, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  The narrator is grieving the loss of her dog.  As she and her family remember him, she gathers his favorite things to create an ofrenda, or offering, for him.  Each photo she looks at reminds her of a time she and her beloved pet shared. She makes his favorite meal and pours him a bowl of water.  When everything is ready, the family celebrates their dog together on Día de Muertos.  Includes notes from the author and illustrator about the loss of their pets and additional information about Día de Muertos and how to make an ofrenda.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  I’m adding this beautiful book to my list about grief and loss.  The simple text and realistic illustrations capture the bittersweet experience of grieving the loss of a pet and provide an excellent introduction to Día de Muertos.

Cons:  Keep the Kleenexes handy.