Picture books

How the Sea Came to Be (And All the Creatures In It) by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Amanda Hall

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Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Rhyming quatrains describe the history of the sea in three parts: the birth of the sea, the birth of life, and the sea from then until now.  All are accompanied by colorful illustrations that sometimes show the sun-dappled waters of the sea and other times take readers down into the black ocean depths.  Includes notes from the author and illustrator; two pages of ocean creatures that include illustrations and a paragraph of information about each; a four-panel gatefold timeline showing seven eras of the Earth’s history; key terms and concepts with definitions; and two pages of additional resources. 56 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A spectacular nonfiction book that should be considered for a Sibert award.  The rhyming text is both catchy and impressive, making this a great choice to read aloud, and the illustrations are truly spectacular, conveying both the powerful forces that created the seas and the incredible diversity of life within them.  The timeline is a masterpiece, and the rest of the back matter makes this an excellent resource for research.

Cons:  I would have liked the timeline to have also been incorporated into the text to show the eras of each of the three parts.

Grandad’s Pride by Harry Woodgate

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Published by little bee books

Summary:  Grandad and Milly from Grandad’s Camper are back for another summer visit.  When Milly discovers Grandad’s old Pride flag in the attic, she gets to hear some reminiscences about how Grandad and the late Gramps traveled around the country in their camper, marching with groups that were calling for equality and respect and making new friends in the process.  When Grandad claims that his partying days are over, Milly convinces him to organize a Pride celebration in his village.  Before long, everyone is getting into the spirit, hanging flags and other decorations, creating book displays, and baking rainbow cakes.  On the big day, Grandad surprises Milly by leading the parade in the camper.  A sudden rainstorm fails to put a damper on the festivities, and the resultant rainbow makes Grandad think Gramps is with them in some way.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This upbeat story with its rainbow-hued illustrations makes a perfect addition to any Pride book list.

Cons:  Having a character say that each color of the Pride flag has a special meaning with no back matter to explain.

Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Arigon Starr

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Published by Kokila

Summary:  The story opens with a key moment of the 1911 World Series: Charles Bender of the Philadelphia Athletics pitching to John Meyers of the New York Giants, who hits a double, then goes on to score the winning run of Game One.  Both Charles and John were from Native Nations, and the book goes back to trace the stories of how each one got to play in the World Series.  Charles grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota before being sent to an Indian boarding school in Philadelphia.  John’s childhood was spent on the Cahuila reservation in California.  Each endured poverty and racism as they pursued their love of baseball and eventually wound up in the major leagues.  Together, they played in nine World Series; Charles was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953, and both were inducted into the American Indian Hall of Fame when it opened in 1972.  The book ends with a list of Native MLB players today, and the racism that’s still present with racist team mascots.  Includes an author’s note, timeline, and list of sources.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A fascinating look at two men who faced hardship and racism throughout their lives but rose above it to become excellent athletes who exemplified sportsmanship and teamwork.

Cons:  Kids I work with seem to have no interest in professional baseball these days.

Make Way: The Story of Robert McCloskey, Nancy Schön, and Some Very Famous Ducklings by Angela Burke Kunkel, illustrated by Claire Keane

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Published by Random House Studio

Summary:  Robert “Bob” McCloskey spent his childhood in Hamilton, Ohio, his active mind and hands always creating.  Nancy Schön spent hers–many years later–in Newton, Massachusetts, where she found solace in working with clay in art class.  Bob moved to Massachusetts to study art, and eventually wrote the classic Make Way for Ducklings.  Nancy struggled with her art for years, receiving one rejection after another, before being inspired to create a sculpture of Bob’s ducklings.  It wasn’t an easy process, but she was finally ready to unveil her project to Bob, who gave it a hesitant seal of approval.  When he saw kids interacting with the ducks, he became more enthusiastic.  The statues were installed in October 1987, and you can visit them in the Boston Public Garden today.  Includes an author’s note, timeline, and bibliography.  48 pages; ages K-4.

Pros:  A heartwarming story of two artists and the famous book and statues they created, with cozy illustrations that are reminiscent of Robert McCloskey’s books.  

Cons:  There’s a photo of several of the ducks (wearing rainbow sweaters for Pride) with the author’s note, but it would have been nice to include a photo of the entire family.

Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers? by Junauda Petrus, illustrated by Kristen Uroda

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers

Summary:  If we give the police department to the grandmothers, they’ll patrol the streets in solar-powered cars like Corvettes, Jaguars, and Cadillacs, blasting “old school jams” from Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, and Anita Baker.  If you get into trouble, the grandmas will give you a hard look but then take you home and feed you, help you with your homework, practice yoga, and rub your back while you fall asleep.  Grandmothers (some of whom look like grandfathers) “see the pain in our bravado, the confusion in our anger, the depth behind our coldness,” and know how to change people through unconditional love. Includes a playlist on both sets of endpapers. 32 pages; ages 4-8. 

Pros:  This book by writer and activist Junauda Petrus will bring a smile to your face but also make you think about what is lacking in our current society, particularly for young people of color.  Younger kids will enjoy it, but it could also be used as a text for older kids and adults to start a discussion about less harmful ways of policing.

Cons:  Some additional resources would have been useful.

Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art by Hannah Salyer

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  All over the world, ancient rock paintings, drawings, and etchings have been discovered.  Who made them?  How did they create the artwork?  This book looks at the answers to some of those questions, showing some of the works and looking at the materials ancient people might have used to make them.  A gatefold spread shows an amazing cave painting illuminated only by the lamps of the people who are looking at it.  The art is part of our “ancestory”–the story of humanity that continues with our own lives.  Includes a site map showing where rock art can be found around the world; the story of the discovery of the Lascaux Caves; an author’s note; a glossary; a timeline; and resources for further investigation.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Budding archaeologists will find this book fascinating and will want to dive into the additional resources to learn more.  The illustrations are gorgeous, using light and dark to highlight the artwork.

Cons:  I was curious to know if the art shown in the illustrations was based on real art and, if so, I wish there had been some labels to tell where it could be found.

The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  The first spread of this wordless picture book shows a young tree standing by the river of the title with the skeleton of a house being built nearby.  A boy and a girl are playing near the tree.  On the next page, the boy (presumably) is grown up with his son, and the house has turned into a farm, with a few other houses near it, and several kids playing around the tree.  As time goes on the small community becomes a town, then a city.  A wall is built, and a war is fought.  The river is diverted and filled with boats; trains and then cars are also used for transportation.  As time goes on, the tree grows, then turns brown and dies as the civilization dies out and falls to ruin.  Finally, an acorn falls from the tree’s one remaining live branch, floating down the river until it takes root on a piece of land by the water.  On the last page, two children stand underneath the new young tree.  32 pages; ages 4 and up.

Pros:  This wordless masterpiece explores the rise and fall of human civilizations with an incredible amount of detail.  I can’t wait to share it with kids to see all the details I’ve missed (this has happened to me with Aaron Becker’s wordless trilogy, Journey, Quest, and Return).  Definitely a Caldecott contender.

Cons:  It’s definitely heavier and grimmer than the Journey trilogy, but there is that spark of hope at the end.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Justice for All by Tami Charles, illustrated by Jemma Skidmore

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Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  “Every dream begins with the smallest step.”  A young girl visits the Supreme Court Building with her mother, where they see statues of the 115 justices, only six of them women, and none of those women Black…until now.  The story of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s life is told, along with the story of the ancestors who lived in Africa, then were enslaved and forced to come to America.  There’s also the story of her parents, who attended segregated schools and became the first in their families to graduate from college.  Important civil rights cases and other Black female lawyers and judges that helped Ketanji get to the Supreme Court are woven into the narrative.  “And now,” says the girl, “because of them, because of her, I know one day I will and certainly can!”.  Includes an author’s note with additional information, a list of important dates, and facts about the important people and history shown in the art.  40 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  Like All Rise by Carole Boston Weatherford, this picture book biography of Ketanji Brown Jackson shows not only her own hard work and determination to overcome racist and sexist obstacles, but also the people who came before her that made her rise possible.  The poetic text and illustrations convey big ideas but are presented in ways that make them easily understood by younger readers.

Cons:  While the author’s note mentions how she was inspired by a photo of Brown’s daughter Leila Jackson looking at her mother with loving pride, the photo is not in the book.

Woven of the World by Katey Howes, illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova

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Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  As a child learns how to weave from a master, the two of them take a tour through history to look at how weaving has played a role in many past cultures.  From the “silken threads” of ancient China to the “backstrap loom tied to a tree” of nomadic tribes to the “trail of yarn” of immigrants moving to new countries, there are weaving traditions from all around the world.  The final page uses a weaving metaphor for life, with patterns unfolding as the work is done.  Includes additional information on weaving tools and the various cultures described, as well as notes from the author and illustrator.  44 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  Anyone with even a passing interest in weaving will appreciate the excellent rhyming text and beautiful patterned illustrations, as well as the history lessons from both the main story and the back matter showing how weaving has been a part of so many people and places in history.

Cons:  I had a little trouble figuring out which description in the back matter went with which pages in the main text.

My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Steph Littlebird

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  The narrator can’t wait to grow her hair out, believing, as her ancestors did, that hair is a source of strength and memories.  Her mother has always had short hair, having been forced to have it cut at an Indian school and always being told that it was too wild to wear long.  As the girl grows up, she marks important days by how long her hair is and weaves the memory of each day into her hair.  When her grandfather dies, she cuts her hair and sends it with him into the spirit world.  Her mother decides to join her when she begins the journey of growing her hair long again.  Includes an author’s note about indigenous people’s beliefs about hair and her own family’s experience with Indian boarding schools where children were forced to have their hair cut.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fascinating story that brings to light an aspect of Native American culture that may not be familiar to many readers, and also shows, yet again, the disastrous impact of boarding schools on that culture.  The narrator’s decision to undo the trauma of several generations is inspiring.  I loved the illustrations, which look like they have been painted on wood with brilliant, vibrant colors.

Cons:  I didn’t fully understand the mother’s decision to keep her hair short until I read the author’s note at the end.