Paul Bunyan: The Invention of an American Legend by Noah Van Sciver and Marlena Myles

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Published by TOON Books

Summary:  A logging executive is traveling west when his train breaks down, stranding him and the other passengers in the middle of a snowy forest.  Someone manages to build a fire, and everyone gathers around to hear stories of famous lumberjacks.  The logging man tops them all with his tales of Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe.  Most of the audience loves the stories, but another man who’s spent his career working in the lumber industry tells of the devastation of clear-cutting forests, then moving west.  He describes how the land was taken from the Native Nations, whose people honored the spirits of each tree.  Includes a foreword and two afterwords by indigenous scholars about their experiences with Paul Bunyan stories and Native stories about trees.  48 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Some interesting context is given to the Paul Bunyan tall tales so many of us grew up with, offering insights into the logging industry he was created to promote and its impact on indigenous lands.  

Cons:  I’m guessing that many in the intended audience will skip the foreword and afterwords, which is too bad, because they contain a lot of interesting information. I wish that the graphic novel part had been expanded on to include more of that information.  The tall tales were well done, but the ending felt rushed.

Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

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Published by Heartdrum

Summary:  Mia lives with her mother and stepfather, observing her Jewish faith both at home and at her Jewish day school.  When a boy at school tells her she’s not a “real Indian,” Mia goes on a quest to discover her Muscogee culture, passed down to her from her father’s side.  She and her best friend hatch a plan in which Mia uses some of her bat mitzvah money to take a bus from L.A. to Oklahoma.  She manages to pull it off and spends a few days with her dad and his family, learning more about her heritage, before her mother discovers where she is and flies down to get her.  Back home, Mia must face the consequences of her actions, but her new discoveries have given her courage to talk to her mother and stepfather about making some changes to allow her dad and her Muscogee family to be part of her life.  Includes a note from the author about her own Jewish-Muscogee heritage, a glossary of Muskvoke terms used, and a note from Heartdrum author-curator Cynthia Leitich Smith.  256 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This debut graphic novel offers an interesting look at a unique heritage and the difficulties of embracing that when divorce separates a family.  Readers will empathize with Mia and enjoy learning about her Jewish and Muscogee cultures alongside her.

Cons:  I was a bit stressed about Mia’s secret 24-hour bus trip on her own.

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.

We Still Belong by Christine Day

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Published by Heartdrum

Summary:  Wesley is excited about two things as she heads to seventh grade one day: having her poem about Indigenous People’s Day appear in the school newspaper and asking her crush Ryan to the school dance.  As the day unfolds, however, both dreams are destroyed in true middle school fashion. A teacher criticizes her poem, telling her it’s not good enough to read aloud in his class, and Ryan shows up on social media with another date to the dance.  Defeated, Wesley heads to the annual powwow with her family, where her day starts to turn around.  Not only does she get encouragement about both the poem and Ryan, but she discovers a new friend and comes to embrace and appreciate her family and her Upper Skagit community even more. Includes an author’s note. 256 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Readers will enjoy getting to know Wesley as they follow her through a day in her life, navigating friendships, family issues, and school.  Information about indigenous culture is expertly woven into the story and expanded upon in the author’s note.

Cons:  While I appreciated the excellent writing and storytelling, I found this book a little slow going at the beginning.

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

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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.

The Story of Gumluck the Wizard by Adam Rex

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Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Helvetica the raven narrates the story of his neighbor Gumluck, a little wizard who likes to help people.  Believing the best about his neighbors, Gumluck fails to notice that they are spreading unkind rumors about him behind his back.  Helvetica notices, though, and in spite of himself, he begins to befriend the wizard and try to help him out.  When the king’s greed precipitates a crisis for the town, it’s up to Gumluck and Helvetica to save everyone.  The crisis causes Gumluck to realize who his real friends are and to become a bit more discerning about how he uses his wizardly powers.  140 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Adam Rex uses plenty of his trademark humor in both the story and the illustrations of what appears to be book one of a new early chapter book series.

Cons:  I think colored illustrations would have given this more kid appeal.

Bunny and Tree by Balint Zsako

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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.

Ghost Book by Remy Lai

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Published by Henry Holt

Summary: July has “yin-yang eyes”, meaning that she can see ghosts, but she feels as invisible as a ghost most days.  Her mom died when she was born, her dad is too preoccupied with work to pay much attention to her, and teachers and kids at school often overlook her.  Desperate for a friend, she tries to summon a ghost.  William shows up instead–a boy who is in a coma, and whose spirit is wandering around trying to figure out if he is dead or alive.  As the two kids do some investigating, they discover that they have a life-long connection, and that only one of them is meant to be alive.  Their explorations take them into the underworld, where they hope to change fate so that they can both live.  There, they are pursued by a variety of spirits bent on their destruction, but their friendship saves the day and helps them to figure out a way forward for both of them.  320 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  I’m a big fan of Remy Lai’s graphic (and semi-graphic) novels, and her latest one does not disappoint.  Part ghost story, part friendship story, part adventure, this will keep kids turning the pages until the surprising but totally satisfying conclusion.

Cons:  This is a bit darker than Lai’s previous books.