Mouse and Hippo by Mike Twohy

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Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Summary:  Mouse and Hippo meet unexpectedly:  Hippo has an itch on his back, which turns out to be Mouse, who thought Hippo was a rock.  Mouse has set up an easel and is painting the water, but everything is upset when Hippo tries to scratch.  Hippo rescues Mouse, and admires the painting; Mouse offers to do a portrait in return for getting saved  Using his biggest brush to paint such a huge animal, Mouse can only fit a large swath of gray on his paper.  But Hippo loves it, using his imagination to see the rest of himself.  In return, he paints a microscopic picture of Mouse, which Mouse cuts down to size to hang over his fireplace.  It looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  This book could be used to talk about friendship, kindness, perspective, or using your imagination.  The whole story is told in dialogue, with different colors and fonts for the two animals.  Lots of humor, cute animals, and a happy ending make a winning combination.

Cons:  Don’t tell Hippo and Mouse, but their portraits really aren’t that good.

The Secret Project by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Jeanette Winter

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Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  A peaceful boys’ school in the New Mexican desert is suddenly ordered closed by the U.S. government.  Scientists arrive from all over the country to work on a top-secret project known simply as “The Gadget”.  Other workers don’t know what the scientists are working on, and the outside world has no idea their project even exists.  The scientists work long at hard, trying to figure out how to split atoms from uranium and plutonium.  At last, The Gadget is ready.  It’s placed on a stand in the middle of the desert, then the scientists drive far away.  The countdown begins…10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.  A huge fireball erupts, turning into a gigantic orange mushroom cloud .  The text ends with  two blank black pages.  Includes an author’s note giving more history of the Manhattan Project, and a list for further reading.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Mother-son team Jeanette and Jonah Winter have created a remarkable book, giving a brief history of the Manhattan Project in a way that is accessible for elementary school kids.  The illustrations convey the air of secrecy about the project, showing the scientists as black shadows throughout the story.  

Cons:  All the scientists portrayed are men. In reality, quite a few women scientists and mathematicians worked on the Manhattan Project.

Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Laura Freeman

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

 

Published by Bonnier Publishing

Summary:  Growing up in Alabama, Ann Cole Lowe loved to watch her mother sew beautiful dresses for women to wear to fancy parties.  When Ann was 16, her mother died, and Ann took over the business.  A few years later, a customer from Florida sent her to design school, where Ann had to study in a separate classroom, due to segregation.  After graduation, she moved to New York and opened her own shop.  Although she never made a lot of money, her gowns became well-known.  Her most famous design was Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress and bridesmaid gowns.  Less than two weeks before the wedding, a pipe in Ann’s shop burst, and ten of the sixteen dresses were ruined.  She rallied, hired extra help, and got the job done, even though she lost any profit.  She continued designing and sewing well into her 70’s, her primary motivation, “to prove that a Negro can become a major dress designer.”  40 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  An inspiring story of a little-known woman.  The repeating refrain of the story is, “Ann thought about what she could do, not what she couldn’t change.”  Beautifully illustrated, with some of Ann’s designs gracing the endpapers.

Cons:  My constant search to find Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum lurking in the illustrations indicates I have been watching too much “Project Runway”.

Loving Vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Shadra Strickland

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Published by Chronicle Books

Summary: This verse novel, related in the alternating voices of Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving, tells the story behind the Supreme Court case of 1967, which ruled that interracial marriage is legal.  Mildred, of African and Native American descent and considered “colored”, and Richard, who was white, grew up as neighbors in a close-knit, integrated Virginia community.  They fell in love, had a child, and got married.  Shortly after the wedding, the local sheriff barged into their home one night, arrested them both, and sent them to jail.  They pleaded guilty and were given a suspended sentence.   Forced out of Virginia, they moved to Washington, D.C., where both were miserable.  Over the course of the next nine years, their case was appealed, finally going all the way to the Supreme Court.  The decision was overturned on June 12, 1967, and at last, they could move back near their families to raise their three children.  The story is interspersed with text and photos describing the history of the Civil Rights Movement during the same time period as the case.  A final note tells what happened to the Lovings (sadly, he was killed and she was blinded in one eye by a drunk driver in 1975); also includes a timeline and an extensive bibliography.  260 pages; grades 7-up (some PG language).

Pros:  A fascinating, timely book.  Kids may have seen the 2016 movie Loving about this case.  The first person narration makes it a personal story.

Cons:  Although the book has many beautiful illustrations, I would have liked to have seen some photos.

Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born by Gene Barretta, illustrated by Frank Morrison

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Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  If 12-year-old Cassius Clay hadn’t had his bicycle stolen in 1954, there might never have been a heavyweight champion named Muhammad Ali.  When Cassius went to the police station to report the theft, Officer Joe Martin suggested he try out his boxing gym.  The boy fell in love with boxing right away, and pushed himself to become the greatest.  He would run alongside the school bus to build his endurance, and have his brother throw stones at him to improve his reflexes.  His dream came true, first at the 1960 Olympics, where he earned a gold medal, and in the years after that, when he won 56 of 61 professional fights, was 3-time heavyweight champ, and defended his title 19 times.  Out of the ring, he fought for the rights of those who were treated unfairly because of race or religion.  Two pages at the end give additional information, including photos of Ali in 1954 and 1966.  There’s also a bibliography and a list of additional resources.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Kids will enjoy the action-packed writing and illustrations, and be inspired by Muhammad Ali’s hard work and compassion.

Cons:  Ali’s biggest fights are described at the beginning, with the story then flashing back to his childhood; the ending seems a little abrupt, since the fights aren’t covered at that point.

 

Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Dial Books

Summary:  Julia is a girl who doesn’t think of herself as very talented.  Unusually short for her age, she daydreams a lot in school and hasn’t been particularly successful in extracurriculars like soccer and piano.  Her beloved dog has recently died, and she’s feeling at loose ends as the summer begins.  When her mom drags her to an audition for a local production of The Wizard of Oz, Julia is sure that the only member of the family to be cast in the play will be her talented younger brother.  Much to her surprise, she gets the part of a munchkin, and her summer quickly takes a surprising new turn.  A little person, Olive becomes a friend and mentor, pairing with Julia in the role of lead dancer for the munchkins.  The director, Shawn Barr, sees something special in Julia, and gives her an additional role as a winged monkey.  And Julia reaches out to an elderly neighbor, who turns out to have a surprising talent for the theater and some wisdom to share as well.  By the end of the play’s run, Julia is seeing herself in a whole new way, embracing who she is with a newfound confidence.  304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A heartwarming, funny story by the author of Counting by 7’s.  Readers will root for Julia as she stumbles through her time on the stage, but never gives up and emerges triumphant by the end.

Cons:  For all the director was supposed to be so creative, it sounded like his production of The Wizard of Oz was a carbon copy of the movie.

Abraham by Frank Keating, paintings by Mike Wimmer

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Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books  


 

Summary:  Abraham Lincoln narrates the story of his life, beginning with his birth in a one-room log cabin.  He tells of growing up in poverty, reading every book he could get his hands on, working at many different jobs until he was able to study law in Springfield, Illinois.  From there, it’s a pretty quick hop to becoming involved in the fight against slavery, then President of the United States during the Civil War.  The book ends with the Union’s victory, with no mention made of Lincoln’s assassination.  The Gettysburg Address and a brief bibliography are included at the end.  32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Told in a folksy voice interspersed with some of Lincoln’s own quotes, this would be a good introduction for primary grades.  The paintings add realistic details.

Cons:  When George, Theodore, and Abraham have been published in the “Mount Rushmore Presidential series”, there’s not much element of surprise about what the next book will be.

Whose Poop Is That? By Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Kelsey Oseid

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Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Which animal’s poop can be a foot high?  Whose has splinters in it?  Is that bundle of fur and bones a poop?  A question is posed on one page, with a picture of the waste material in question, then the answer is given next, showing the animal who produced it.  Seven animals are profiled, including the extinct ground sloth, which introduces the concept of fossilized poop.  Two pages at the end give additional facts about poops and the animals who make them.  32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  After kids pick themselves up off the floor after splitting their sides over the fact that the word “poop” is in the title of this book, they will actually find out how waste can be used to learn something about animals.  The question-and-answer format makes this a good interactive read-aloud.

Cons:  My Google images search for “Whose poop is that?” had some interesting results.

Game Over, Super Rabbit Boy! (Press Start! series) by Thomas Flintham

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Published by Scholastic

Summary:  King Viking has not only kidnapped Singing Dog and taken him back to Boom Boom Factory, but he has left his Robot Army behind to stamp out all the fun of Animal Town.  It’s up to Super Rabbit Boy to get through the six levels required to make it to Boom Boom Factory.  Of course, this is all part of a video game.  The boy who is playing it can’t get through all six levels on the first try…or the second, or the third.  Finally, after many, many attempts, and great persistence, Super Rabbit Boy succeeds, and there is a happy ending for Animal Town.  The video game is put aside, with the words “Game Over” coming from it.  And then the boy’s sister picks it up….  74 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Another entry in Scholastic’s Branches imprint that is sure to be a hit with the early chapter book crowd.  Lots of video game-inspired illustrations and cartoon bubble dialogue add to the appeal.

Cons:  This story was a little simple even for my low-brow taste.  Still, I’m confident it will be loved by those in the intended demographic.

A Perfect Day by Lane Smith

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Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  It’s a perfect day for Cat, Dog, Chickadee, and Squirrel.  Cat is enjoying the warm sun in the garden, Dog is cooling off in the wading pool, Chickadee is enjoying the birdseed Bert just put in the feeder, and Squirrel has a whole corncob to himself.  But then…Bear shows up.  Bear crams the corncob in his mouth, scarfs down the birdseed and the water in the pool, and rolls around in the garden before falling asleep in the sun.  It’s a perfect day for Bear, as Bert, Cat, Dog Squirrel, and Chickadee watch from the window.  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A funny story, beautifully illustrated by Caldecott honor winner Lane Smith.

Cons:  The whole premise seemed like a bit of a downer for everyone but Bear.