Picture books

That’s Betty! The Story of Betty White by Gregory Bonsignore, illustrated by Jennifer M. Potter

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Summary:  When the narrator gets assigned to do a project on a trailblazing woman, he chooses Betty White.  Not everyone is thrilled with his decision: his teacher and one of his dads keep asking, “Wouldn’t you rather choose someone more…traditional?”  But his mind is made up, and off he goes to the library to do his research.  A woman in sunglasses and a big hat gives him some help, adding some details about Betty’s early career as an actress and producer and continuing to her fame in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls.  His presentation turns out to be a smashing success, and the mysterious lady is there to cheer him on.  As the crowd in school watches her drive off in a red convertible, it suddenly dawns on them: “That’s Betty!”  Includes a timeline (which sadly ends with the 2022 entry “Betty turns 100 years old!”), photos, and a list of sources.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Appropriately, this picture book biography of Betty White is somewhat unconventional with a quirky cast of characters that includes Betty herself.  Clearly the book was written to coincide with the actress’s 100th birthday, and although she didn’t make it to that milestone, the book feels appropriately celebratory.

Cons:  This is a book that may be enjoyed more by adults than kids, who may not be familiar with Betty White and her acting career.

Mina by Matthew Forsythe

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Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Summary:  Mina usually keeps her nose buried in a book when her father brings home one of his “surprises”.  But when one surprise turns out to be a cat (“It’s a squirrel! Squirrels are bigger than mice and have long, bushy tails!”), Mina starts to worry.  Despite her concerns, the cat becomes part of the family, even sporting a sweater that Mina knits for it.  When the cat stops eating, though, Dad’s solution is to bring home two more cats, who also refuse to eat.  The doctor is called, who diagnoses the problem correctly: “These squirrels are definitely cats,” at which point the cats chase the three mice.  All seems hopeless until a surprise twist–the direct result of Mina’s ingenuity–saves them all.  68 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Any child who has secretly wondered if they are smarter than the adults around them will love this quirky story.  Pay careful attention to the clever illustrations which often reveal more than the words.

Cons:  We all know someone like Mina’s father, who seems like he would have a “dad joke” for every occasion.

Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Lina AlHathloul and Uma Mishra-Newbery, illustrated by Rebecca Green

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Published by mineditionUS

Summary:  Loujain dreams of flying to a beautiful field of sunflowers with her baba.  But in her community, only boys and men are allowed to fly.  All Loujain can do is put on a set of wings and run around the garden, pretending.  Baba tells her that she will fly “someday”.  Finally, Loujain confronts him and tells him that it’s not fair that boys can fly and she can’t.  She wants to learn to fly now.  Her wise mama tells him, “If you don’t support her, who will?  You have to believe things will change.  Otherwise they never will.”  Soon Loujain and Baba are getting up before sunrise for flying lessons.  One day he wakes her up extra early, telling her that they have a long flight to make.  It’s the field of sunflowers!  The next day, Loujain is in the news for defying the flying law.  Her parents are proud of her, and a young girl in the market sees her and immediately asks her baba to teach her to fly.  Includes a note about the real Loujain: Loujain AlHathloul, the author’s sister, who has been jailed for protesting the law prohibiting Saudi women from learning to drive.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  This inspiring book would make an excellent discussion starter with older elementary students.  The information about Loujain AlHathloul gives a real-world example about protesting unjust laws.

Cons: The message of the book sometimes seemed to take priority over the story.

Bok’s Giant Leap: One Moon Rock’s Journey Through Time and Space by Neil Armstrong, illustrated by Grahame Baker Smith

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  While Neil Armstrong was dreaming of flight from his boyhood home in Ohio, a rock was hanging out on the moon, where it had lived for the last four billion years.  Young Neil learned how the moon had been formed when a small planet crashed into Earth, and how rocks were created at the end of the turbulent early time of the moon’s history.  As the years went by, different creatures came and went from the Earth, and eventually humans appeared.  The ancient rock slept through most of human history, but when Neil Armstrong finally traveled to the moon, he picked up the rock and brought it back to Earth.  Neil named the rock Bok, and it now rests in the Cincinnati Museum Center.  Includes additional information about the moon, the Earth, and Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Kids interested in space exploration, geology, and/or paleontology will get a taste of all of these in this whirlwind tour of the moon and Earth.  Armstrong’s personal connection with the moon and Bok makes the scientific facts even more interesting.

Cons:  Covering five billion years in a picture book means a pretty sketchy history and there are no resources given for additional research.

Good Eating: The (Short) Life of Krill by Matt Lilley, illustrated by Dan Tavis

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Tilbury House Publishers

Summary:  A tiny egg sinks deep into the ocean.  As the days pass it changes shape, growing spines, eyes, and a mouth.  In four weeks, the organism travels almost two miles from the depths of the sea to the surface.  Finally, it is a full-grown krill, with 26 legs and spots that can light up.  There are millions and millions of other krill, and it’s a good thing because they provide food for all kinds of animals like seabirds, penguins, and the gigantic blue whale.  Includes additional facts about krill and a list of resources: books, websites, and a National Geographic game called Krill Smackdown.  36 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  It seems like it would take considerable creative energy to write an engaging story about an animal whose main purpose in life is to be eaten, and to illustrate it with a cute and endearing krill, but this team has pulled it off.  The additional material at the end makes it a good research resource and emphasizes the important role krill plays in food chains around the world.

Cons:  Kids may need to be persuaded that they really want to read a book about krill.

A Is for Oboe: The Orchestra’s Alphabet by Lera Auerbach and Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Paul Hoppe

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Dial Books

Summary:  This musical alphabet book has a poem for every letter: from the A the oboe plays to warm up the orchestra to the Zzz’s the musicians and audience members catch after the performance.  In between there are poems celebrating different instruments, the people involved in making music, and the music itself, both what’s written on paper and what is performed.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  An A to Z poetry book of music didn’t really grab me, but once I started reading, I found every poem engaging and I zipped through the book in no time.  Many different aspects of music were covered (and of course I appreciated the fact that the letter L celebrates music librarians), and the energetic illustrations help readers understand the topics of the poems.

Cons:  Readers unfamiliar with music will need some additional context; it would have been nice to have some of that provided with either information on each page or with some back matter.

Powwow Day by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Waking up on powwow day is usually exciting, but this year River has been sick and has to watch from the sidelines.  She dresses up and goes with her family, watching as her friend gets ready to dance.  She tries to dance the Grand Entry but can’t feel the drumbeat and ends up getting led back to her seat by her older sister.  Finally, it’s time for the jingle dance.  As River watches the girls dance, she starts to feel stronger and is finally able to stand, filled with a sense of certainty that she will be dancing at next year’s powwow.  Includes two pages of information about the powwow, a brief author’s note, and a list of sources.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Another beautiful book by Traci Sorrell who masterfully weaves details about the powwow into River’s story and includes lots more information at the end (the history of the jingle dress dance and its connection to healing was particularly interesting).  The illustrations perfectly capture the colors and movement of the dancers.

Cons:  I can always enjoy a photo or two in the back matter.

Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Patricia Metola

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Published by Flyaway Books

Summary:  Britta loves Apple and Magnolia, two trees who grow side-by-side, and is sure that they are friends.  Dad tells her kindly that he doesn’t think that’s possible, and big sister Bronwyn not-so-kindly agrees.  But Nana says that unusual friendships can be the most powerful.  When Magnolia starts to droop, Dad says she probably won’t make it through the winter, but Britta is sure that Apple can help Magnolia survive.  She encourages their friendship by knitting a long scarf to connect them and stringing lights in their branches so they can always see each other.  As winter turns to spring, Britta thinks that their branches are growing closer together, and Gran helps her create a chart to track this theory.  Magnolia is late to flower, but when the beautiful blooms finally appear, Britta is ready to celebrate.  Predictably, Dad and Bronwyn remain certain that Apple had nothing to do with Magnolia’s recovery, but Gran restates her position that unusual friendships are the most powerful of all.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This beautiful story includes friendship, a wise grandmother, and a nice dose of science, starting with an author’s note stating that scientists are just beginning to understand how trees communicate with each other.  Those wanting to learn more can read Lita Judge’s The Wisdom of Trees.  

Cons:  I was hoping for a little more of a change of heart from Dad.

Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Tonya Engel

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Dial Books

Because Claudette: Baptiste, Tracey, Engel, Tonya: 9780593326404: Amazon.com: Books

Because Claudette – Books of Wonder

Summary:  “Because fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin didn’t give up her seat on the bus for a white person on March 2, 1955, she was arrested.”  Thus begins a chain of events that leads Claudette to become friends with Rosa Parks, get involved with the Montgomery bus boycott, and to testify in court when her lawyer challenged the segregation laws.  Claudette was inspired by Black activists from the past as well as her contemporaries like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and other women who refused to give up their bus seats.  When the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional, Claudette read about it in the newspaper.  “On December 21, 1956, anyone could sit wherever they liked on the bus.  And all of it happened because of Claudette.”  Includes a brief author’s note, and a list of two books and three websites for further research.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  The simple text and beautiful illustrations (I love that cover) show how one young person can make a big difference.  This would be an inspiring book to read to younger kids for Black History Month.

Cons:  The lack of back matter was a real missed opportunity: there could have been photos, a lot more biographical information on Claudette, as well as more about the the others pictured in the text.

Tía Fortuna’s New Home: A Jewish Cuban Journey by Ruth Behar, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Tía Fortuna's New Home: A Jewish Cuban Journey: Behar, Ruth, Holzwarth, Devon: 9780593172414: Amazon.com: Books

El nuevo hogar de Tía Fortuna: Una historia judía-cubana (Spanish Edition): Behar, Ruth, Holzwarth, Devon: 9780593381069: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  The narrator loves visiting her tía Fortuna’s casita at the Seaway.  But now the Seaway is being torn down, and tía Fortuna is moving.  The girl helps her aunt pack a small suitcase, bake some warm borekas, and say goodbye to the beach.  As they work, tía talks a little about their ancestors who came from Spain and traveled to Turkey, Cuba, and finally, Miami.  Then Mommy arrives to take them to La Casa de los Viejitos, where they help tía get settled in her room.  She immediately starts handing out borekas and making new friends. Tia gives the girl a key from the Seaway that she can wear around her neck to remember the home they both loved.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about Sephardic Jews and her connection to them, and a glossary of words from the story in other languages.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A warm story of a loving intergenerational relationship with information woven in about a culture I knew nothing about.  The illustrations do a great job of showing some of the items mentioned that kids may not be familiar with, and the colors evoke Miami and Cuba.  The author’s note is helpful in understanding the story better.

Cons: La Case de los Viejitos isn’t translated, so kids will have to use some inference skills to figure out that tia Fortuna is moving to a retirement home.