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.

Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper by Brie Spangler

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Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Gemma’s dealing with a lot at the beginning of seventh grade:  her mom has recently abandoned the family, leaving Gemma to deal with taking care of her baseball star older brother, twin kid brothers, and her dad who spends most of his time working.  At six feet tall, she can’t hide out at school, and her best friend’s attempts to get in with the popular kids make her feel like a loser.  She loves baseball, but only gets to play when her brother needs batting practice.  Usually, she pitches what he wants, but one day, she’s so fed up that she does her own thing.  Her amazing pitches are captured on camera and go viral, catching the attention of the same scouts who discovered her brother.  Suddenly Gemma is in the spotlight, and she discovers that, while it can be scary, it’s a more exciting place to be than where she’s been hiding.  272 pages; ages 4-7.

Pros:  Readers will be rooting for Gemma as she deals with a family that doesn’t always appreciate her and the usual friend dramas of middle school.  Accepting that her mom is gone helps her to move on, and the last few pages are completely emotionally satisfying.

Cons:  I prefer full-color illustrations.

Asian American and Pacific Island Heritage book list

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May is Asia American and Pacific Island Heritage Month. To celebrate, I’ve put together a list of more than 50 fiction and nonfiction books. You can also access it by going to my blog and moving the cursor to Book Lists near the top of the page. A list will appear, and the AAPI link is the first one on the list.

Kittens Are Monsters! (Pets Rule! book 3) by Susan Tan, illustrated by Wendy Tan Shiau Wei

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Scholastic

Summary:  Ember is a chihuahua who believes he is in training to become a Dark Lord and one day rule the world.  One night a strange orange cat shows up with an assignment:  if he looks after her kittens for a week, teaching them everything he knows, she will give him an army.  Assisted by the other pets in the house and the neighborhood, Ember begins training the kittens, who turn out to have some ideas of their own.  In between those adventures, Ember is trying to figure out the perfect birthday gift for his girl, Lucy.  By the end of the week, the pets have defeated Ogre, the evil cat next door, figured out what to do for Lucy, and assembled an army…of kittens.  The final page introduces a nemesis for Ember, a pet is sure to be the centerpiece of book #4.  96 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  You can generally count on Scholastic Branches to produce good early chapter books, and this series is no exception.  Lots of cute animals, plenty of illustrations, and a fast-moving plot with twists at the end of every chapter make this a series that those just getting into chapter books will want to get their hands on. I missed book 1 last year, which is why I’m reviewing 2023’s book 3.

Cons:  Ember was too kind and friendly to be believable as an aspiring Dark Overlord.

The Red Ear Blows Its Nose by Robert Schechter, illustrated by S. Federico

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Published by Word Galaxy Press

Summary:  This little poetry book contains 99 poems, most of them fitting on one page and one (“Question”) only two lines long (“When livestock salesmen cannot sleep, do they lie in bed discounting sheep?”).  Many are accompanied by black and white line illustrations.  There’s a wide range of topics, including how people see colors, the relative size of things in the universe, a horse who wants to moo, and many, many more.  The author has published poems in quite a few magazines, but this is his first collection.  118 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Fans of Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein will love this deceptively simple collection, with poems that can be read by first graders but discussed in depth by middle schoolers, and that contain equal parts humor and humanity.  Perfect for National Poetry Month.

Cons:  I could have enjoyed a few more illustrations.

Eb and Flow by Kelly J. Baptist

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Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Ebony (Eb) and DeKari (Flow, a nickname given because of his swimming skills) get a ten-day suspension for fighting when Eb pours barbecue sauce on DeKari’s prized new shoes, and DeKari calls her the b-word and hits her.  As the days tick by, readers learn about each of the seventh-grader’s family and home life.  They’re surrounded by loving mothers, grandmothers, siblings, and extended family, but life is hard as family members deal with pregnancy, gangs, and unemployment.  Both of them have fathers in the military, Eb’s in Texas and DeKari’s in an undisclosed overseas location.  Neither is ready to forgive the other until two of their older male relatives get involved in some potential gang fighting due, in part, to the conflict between Eb and Flow.  The night before their return to school, each of them has a disturbing dream about where that violence could lead that makes them want to do better and try a little harder when they go back.  224 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  This novel in verse offers a nuanced portrayal of two tweens that many kids will recognize and relate to.  Both are going through a lot at home, despite loving families, and the ending is hopeful but realistic.  

Cons:  I’m kind of on the fence about whether to get this for my elementary library.  I have Kelly J. Baptist’s other books, but this feels like more of a middle school book.

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.

Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  Henry, featured in the 2019 picture book A Friend for Henry, likes the routine and predictability of his classroom.  Mrs. Tanaka has a weekly schedule posted, and Henry feels comfortable when it stays the same.  When she announces a parade on Friday, pushing sharing to Thursday, Henry struggles to cope with the change.  His feelings of dread grow through the week as the class prepares for the parade.  By Friday morning, he needs to give Mrs. Tanaka his Quiet Card, which entitles him to some time alone in the big closet.  There he discovers the hat that his classmate Samuel is going to wear to lead the parade.  Samuel would rather play the tambourine that Henry has been assigned, and Henry likes the soft pressure of the hat that covers his ears and protects him from some of the noise.  A trade is made, and both boys are able to happily participate in the parade.  48 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  An excellent early chapter book that sympathetically portrays a character who appears to be on the autism spectrum and provides a realistic glimpse into his classroom.  Mrs. Tanaka is a kind teacher who accommodates Henry but also expects him to be part of the classroom community.  This is billed as book 1, so we can look forward to more books about Henry.

Cons:  Henry’s new hat looks like it completely covers his eyes.

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.