La Frontera/The Border: El Viaje Con Papa/My Journey With Papa by Deborah Mills and Alfredo Alva, illustrated by Claudia Navarro

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Barefoot Books

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Summary:  Alfredo tells the story of his life in Mexico, how his father was no longer able to support the family, and his parents’ decided to send him and papa north to the United States.  A coyote led the two of them to the Rio Grande, gave them an inner tube to float across, then disappeared with their money.  After a grueling week of traveling on foot, they found a shack to sleep in, and a friend of Alfredo’s grandfather picked them up and drove them to Texas.  They settled in to the Embassy, a collection of broken-down vehicles parked behind a factory.  When Alfredo started school, his father gave him a $100 bill to buy a bus ticket back home if he was picked up by immigration officials and sent back to Mexico.  After a difficult transition, Alfredo enjoyed school.  President Reagan granted amnesty to immigrants, and Alfredo and his father were able to start the path to citizenship.  Best of all, four years later, the rest of the family was able to come to the United States.  Includes photos of Alfredo and his family, and extensive information on Alfredo’s story, borders and culture, and immigration.  In English and Spanish.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A grittily realistic story of a family seeking a way out of desperate poverty in the United States.  Although it takes place more than 30 years ago, the story is more relevant than ever to readers today.  Putting a face on “illegal immigrants” will help students have greater empathy for others in a similar situation, and those who have experienced a journey like Alfredo’s will feel a connection to him and his father.

Cons:   Too bad certain government officials in Washington, D.C. aren’t reading this.

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Pip and Pup by Eugene Yelchin

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Published by Henry Holt and Co.

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Summary:  At the beginning of this wordless book, Pip, a fuzzy yellow chick, hatches out of her egg and goes exploring.  The first animal she sees is sleeping puppy Pup. She pecks on his nose, then gets scared when he wakes up and chases her.  She goes back to her eggshell; when it starts raining, she uses the bottom half as a boat and the top half as a hat. She paddles back to Pup, who is feeling unhappy in the rain.  When Pip puts half her eggshell on Pup’s head, a riotous game begins that ends when Pup accidentally crushes the eggshell. His way to make amends? Bringing out a tennis ball which seems like it will start a whole new game.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A cute story of friendship by Newbery honoree Eugene Yelchin (Breaking Stalin’s Nose).  The personalities of both animals come through loud and clear even though there are no words.

Cons:  It’s a pretty simple and straightforward story, without as many interesting details as some wordless books have.

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Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

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Summary:  Katherine Johnson became more widely known with the book and movie Hidden Figures.  This picture book biography covers her life from her childhood in West Virginia through her role in helping to rescue the Apollo 13 crew.  In between, she graduated college at age 18, became a teacher, then moved on to NASA, beginning her career as a “computer”. Her brilliance in math earned her promotions, allowing her to work on Project Mercury, where astronaut John Glenn requested her calculations before flying.  She then moved on to calculating the flight paths for the Apollo missions, which is how she came to be called on when Apollo 13 was in trouble. Her assignment was to calculate a flight path that would bring the astronauts home with the little fuel they had left. She succeeded; the final page shows her gazing into space, a path of calculations connecting her to the moon, with the sentence, “She was now a star herself.”  Includes additional biographical information and sources. 40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A good overview of Katherine’s life through 1970, with additional information in the back matter.  Both the text and the illustrations emphasize the importance of math in Katherine’s life and work.

Cons:  A timeline would have been useful.

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Mr. Wolf’s Class by Aron Nels Steinke

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Graphix

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Summary:  New teacher Mr. Wolf has his hands full with 17 lively elementary students…or at least there are 17 until Penny, sleep-deprived from her baby brother’s crying, falls asleep in a box in the library.  A missing student is only one challenge Mr. Wolf has on his first day of school; he also deals with lunch-eating rats, kids cutting the line, and a boy who spends math time surveying his classmates on whether they prefer ice cream or farts and charting the results on a Venn diagram.  Mr. Wolf rises to all occasions, though, and the kids are pretty happy as they head home at the end of the day. Stewart and new girl Margot bond on the bus ride home; Margot comes to the rescue when Stewart leaves his shell collection on the bus, and a new friendship is made.  Book #2 (Mystery Club) is due out in February.  160 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Aron Nels Steinke has clearly spent some time in an elementary school, and I laughed out loud at some of the scenes that will be recognized by most teachers and students. I loved this graphic novel from start to finish, and recommend it as first-day-of-school reading for anyone who will be going back to school in September.

Cons:  The evil Mr. Mane, a lion teacher who steals Mr. Wolf’s stapler, but then pretends not to have done so with false friendliness.

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The 5 O’Clock Band by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  In this companion book to Trombone Shorty, Troy Andrews tells the story of a day he forgot to meet his band for their daily performance through the streets of New Orleans.  He wanders through the streets, fearing he may not have what it takes to become a great bandleader.  Along the way he meets musician Tuba Treme, chef Queen Lola, and Big Chief from the Mardi Gras Indians.  Each one gives Shorty advice about what it takes to be a leader: respect for tradition, love, and dedication.  When he finally catches up with his band, Shorty tells that them that he’s learned that they have what they need to be a success.  They invite him to take the lead, and off they go, playing “When the Saints Go Marching In” and parading through their neighborhood to the delight of their fans. Includes author’s and illustrator’s notes with additional information about the people and places in the story. 40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Another winning effort by Troy Andrews and Bryan Collier that conveys Andrew’s love for music and his hometown of New Orleans.

Cons:  The story was a little long and rambling.

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Every Month Is a New Year by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Susan L. Roth

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Published by Lee & Low Books

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Summary:  Designed like a calendar, opening at the bottom instead of the right side, this book explores how a new year is celebrated in cultures around the world.  Eighteen poems celebrate the new year, beginning with “Midnight Ball Drop” on December 31 in New York City, and wrapping up with “Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte” in Spain the following December 31.  In between, there are visits to Scotland, Russia, China, Iran, Thailand, Jordan, Chile, New Zealand, India, and Ecuador, and celebrations that take place in every month of the year. Includes several pages with additional information about each holiday; a glossary and pronunciation guide; and author’s sources.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A wealth of information about a wide variety of cultures, all in a clever package–a book designed like a calendar.  The collage illustrations add texture and plenty of color to the poems.

Cons:  I would have preferred the information about each holiday to be on the page with the poem rather than all in the back.  The poems made me curious to learn more, and it was a little unwieldy to have to keep flipping back and forth.

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Lions & Liars by Kate Beasley, illustrations by Dan Santat

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Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

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Summary:  Frederick Fredrickson sees kids in his class as lions, meerkats, or fleas who live on the meerkat’s butt.  He, unfortunately, is a flea, with no prospects of moving up in the hierarchy.  When a prank results in him being cast adrift in a boat, he winds up landing downriver at a weekend camp designed to “transform” boys.  He poses as Dash, an infamous troublemaker, and finds himself accepted by the odd cast of characters he’s grouped with.  When a Category 5 hurricane bears down on the camp, leaving Frederick and another boy stranded there, he discovers the true meaning of courage and what it takes to be a real friend.  290 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  A great choice for reluctant readers, especially boys, with plenty of humor and sympathetic portrayals of kids who feel left out at school.  Illustrations by Dan Santat, who seems to be producing about half a dozen new books every year, add to the fun.

Cons:  I never really warmed up to Frederick.

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Aquarium by Cynthia Alonso

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Published by Chronicle Books

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Summary:  A little girl heads down to the end of her dock in this wordless story to watch the fish in the ocean and dream about swimming with them.  When an orange fish leaps out of the water, she scoops him into her water bottle and runs home with him. She creates a complex network of bowls, pitchers, and hoses for the fish to enjoy, but ultimately senses that he would rather be in the ocean.  Back into the water bottle he goes, and she races him down to the edge of the dock. She gives him a final kiss goodbye, then lets him go back home again. 40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A beautiful wordless picture book by a new artist from Argentina.  The story is complex enough to be interesting, yet straightforward enough for even the youngest listeners to piece together from the illustrations.

Cons:  It wasn’t entirely clear to me how the fish got into the water bottle.

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Brave Enough for Two: A Hoot & Olive Story by Jonathan D. Voss

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Published by Henry Holt and Co.

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Summary:  Olive (a girl) and Hoot (a stuffed owl) are best friends who both like adventures.  Olive likes those found in books, while Hoot prefers “something a little different.”  One day he takes Olive out for a day of adventures that includes a balloon ride (with many helium balloons) and a boat trip down a rapidly-moving river.  When Olive gets scared, Hoot assures her he is brave enough for both of them.  The tables are turned, though, when Hoot gets a hole and begins to lose his stuffing.  Then Olive must find the courage to help him and get them both home safely.  The title suggests there may be more Hoot and Olive stories to come.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Jonathan Voss illustrated the book Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, and this book brings to mind the loving friendship between Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh.  The watercolor illustrations showing the variety of landscapes the two friends travel through are beautiful.

Cons:  I thought Hoot could have been cuter, but then, I’m not a big owl fan.

 

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Story by Joseph Bruchac, pictures by Liz Amini-Holmes

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Albert Whitman and Co.

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Summary:  When 8-year-old Betoli left his home and family in 1929 to go to Fort Defiance School, his hair was cut, his name was changed to Chester, and he was made to speak English.  If he spoke Navajo, his mouth was washed out with soap. He lived a double life through his school years, speaking Navajo and practicing his religion at home, and speaking English and practicing Catholicism at school.  In April 1942, Marine recruiters came to the school looking for Navajo speakers to help them create a code the Japanese couldn’t break. Chester was one of 29 men who created the code, then went to the Pacific to serve as a Navajo Code Talker.  He fought in the war until January 1945, when he came home, sick and traumatized by his military experience. Returning to his Navajo ways helped him to heal, and he went on to become an artist, living to the age of 93. Includes an author’s note, timeline, and the alphabet in the Navajo code.  32 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A fascinating biography of Chester Nez, that includes a history of the Navajo Code Talkers and touches on Indian schools and the trauma they inflicted on the students.

Cons:  I would have liked to have seen a photo of Chester and/or other Code Talkers, so I give you this:

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