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Children's & YAMiddle Grade

Finding freedom

Feature by Julie Hale

Everyday pleasures like spending time with family or watching a favorite TV show are things we often take for granted. Reminding readers to count their blessings, two new adventured-filled titles feature brave heroines who struggle to survive despite government oppression.

J. Kasper Kramer’s impressive debut novel, The Story That Cannot Be Told, begins, appropriately enough, with the words “Once upon a time . . . ” The tale opens in 1989 in Communist Romania. Ten-year-old Ileana lives in Bucharest with her parents. Their life is somewhat bleak—they have access to one TV channel for two hours each week (it broadcasts Communist Party sessions), and their apartment has been bugged by the authorities—yet they’re a loving and tight-knit trio.

Ileana has inherited a passion for writing from her father, a literature professor, and they share a unique bond. “He could hear what was inside a story’s heart—what made it beat or let it die—and he’d shared that gift with me,” she says. Ileana makes up her own narratives in her special book, which she calls “Great Tome”—an assemblage of construction paper and spiral-notebook sheets with a glitter-encrusted cover.

That book, her prized possession, becomes an outlet for escaping the grim reality that her uncle Andrei, a subversive poet recently arrested by the secret police, may be dead. When her parents realize that they, too, could be in danger, they send Ileana to live in a remote village with grandparents she doesn’t know. As her love for newfound family members and their little town develops, Ileana finds her courage tested in ways she never imagined.

Kramer mixes elements of fairy tale, folklore and factual history into an irresistible adventure. It’s a novel readers will love getting lost in, a moving tribute to the power of shared stories and the value of cultivating an independent spirit.

Similar themes can be found in R.J. Palacio’s White Bird, one of fall 2019’s most anticipated titles for young readers and an important act of storytelling. In this beautifully executed graphic novel, Palacio revisits Julian, whom many readers will recognize from the beloved bestseller Wonder, along with his French grandmother, Sara.

Julian, who is writing an essay about Sara for school, contacts her (via FaceTime), and she relates her extraordinary experiences as a young Jewish girl in World War II France. In a narrative enlivened by plot twists, betrayal and a cast of remarkable characters, Sara recalls how German troops came to her school to arrest her and the other Jewish students. After she hid from the soldiers, she was rescued by a boy named Julien, whose family allowed Sara to live in secret in their barn. Because of their compassion and generosity, Sara survived. Hers is an unforgettable account of wartime years lived in fear, but it also highlights the importance of kindness, which she describes as “a light in the darkness” and “the very essence of our humanity.”

Filled with striking thematic juxtapositions—between history and modernity, nature and civilization, freedom and oppression—White Bird succeeds, in part, because of the author’s marvelous artwork. Palacio renders human figures with straightforward clarity, placing them against backdrops that range from sharply detailed to subtly impressionistic, and her panels lend the narrative a what-happens-next urgency that keeps the reader invested.

Resurfacing in the present day, the story comes full circle in the end, as Julian makes a poignant promise to Sara. This ultimately affirming entry in Palacio’s Wonder chronicles is destined to become a classic of its kind.

Everyday pleasures like spending time with family or watching a favorite TV show are things we often take for granted. Reminding readers to count their blessings, two new adventured-filled titles feature brave heroines who struggle to survive despite government oppression.

J. Kasper Kramer’s impressive debut…

Children's & YAPicture Book

Picture books to feed the stomach and nourish the soul

Feature by Jill Lorenzini

The fall holiday season is a time for gathering with loved ones and for sharing foods we wait for all year long. But how often do we consider the inherited significance behind our festive tables? How often do we truly give thanks for the food before us? Two new picture books, Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story and Apple Cake: A Gratitude, reveal how food—and the act of creating and sharing it—can mean much more than a contented stomach.

In Kevin Noble Maillard’s Fry Bread, a family gathers to prepare a traditional Native American fry bread meal. For each step—mixing, frying and waiting—the bread represents an important aspect of their heritage. They may be making fry bread, but what they are truly creating is family, tradition and abiding pride in both.

Deftly illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, every page of Fry Bread is imbued with Native American history and culture. Echoes of ancient cave art, symbolic tattoos, handmade baskets and ceremonial designs tell a story of tradition. Family names (written by the illustrator’s children) and an image of the author’s aunt (who taught him to make fry bread) give Fry Bread an incredibly personal, cherished feel. Soft and subdued, Fry Bread is warm, inviting and uplifting.

Although Fry Bread’s narrative stands on its own, its message continues in a comprehensive author’s note. Over several pages, Maillard details the origins of fry bread as well as the complicated and often overlooked history of Native Americans in the United States. Maillard, who is an enrolled citizen of the Seminole Nation, also raises current issues, including health and medical care, racial diversity within today’s Native communities and the continuing struggle for recognition. With a list of additional references and resources, Fry Bread’s backmatter serves as an accessible resource tucked inside a children’s picture book. Rich with smells and sounds, Fry Bread radiates with Native American pride, the sharing of traditions and the love of family.

Unpretentious and charming, Dawn Casey’s Apple Cake follows a little girl in bright yellow boots as she and her energetic pup greet farm animals and tromp through fields to gather the ingredients to make apple cake. At each step, the girl acknowledges all the living things and elements that will come together to make her meal, including trees, bees, cows and rain. Once she finally makes her way home, she (and a few new friends) helps turn the apples, honey and milk into a treat.

Told with an easy rhyme scheme and friendly language, Apple Cake speaks to even the youngest readers. Reminiscent of a lullaby or prayer, Apple Cake offers assurance in its comforting rhythms and the heartening words of thanks. Genevieve Godbout’s illustrations have old-fashioned sensibility. Muted, pastel colors and gentle lines give movement to the land, while colored-pencil strokes create a world that is delicate in texture, almost enchanted. The animals are calm and familiar, and the simple, bold faces of characters are amiable and timeless.

The finishing touch for a book that will genuinely bring people together is a recipe for apple cake, which sagely includes advice for cooking with children. Just as Apple Cake’s story concludes with a picnic, reading this book may result in a trip to an apple orchard and homey smells from your own oven.

The fall holiday season is a time for gathering with loved ones and for sharing foods we wait for all year long. But how often do we consider the inherited significance behind our festive tables? How often do we truly give thanks for the food before us?
FictionYA FictionYAMiddle Grade

The Hold List: You’re invited to dinner

Feature by the editors of BookPage

We love many fictional characters, but when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, it takes a special person to earn a place at our families’ tables. These characters would get our plus-ones. Now, who remembers if we pass to the left or right?

Barbie Chang from Barbie Chang
By Victoria Chang
For the eponymous main character in Chang’s poetry collection, being a child is about grieving and caring for an ailing mother; for me, childhood was particularly the latter. My mother gratefully calls me a hero for doing something as simple as writing her resume or taking care of her when she’s sick. My conversation with Barbie Chang would be about not only the mother-child relationship, but also distance and sacrifice, “how quickly the air // around [us fills] in the space afterwards” when our mothers leave—Barbie Chang’s mother in death, mine as I matriculate into adulthood—and the sacrifices mothers make. I want to have dinner with Barbie Chang, and I also cannot wait to have dinner with my mother.

—Prince, Editorial Intern

Helen Loomis from Dandelion Wine
By Ray Bradbury
I consider this summery, small-town novel to be Bradbury’s masterpiece, its series of short stories offering some of the most beloved, idyllic scenes in my reading memory, from a paean to mowing the grass to the hopeful creation of a “Happiness Machine.” Some tales crackle with the discovery of being alive, while others curl into the bittersweetness of memory and old age. In one story, we meet 95-year-old Helen Loomis, who is like a Miss Rumphius who speaks graciously, openly and ever kindly about her long and eventful life, the loneliness and freedom of her travels, her wildness and never marrying. Her story is one of love—and everyone at my family dinner would fall totally and helplessly in love with her.

—Cat, Deputy Editor

Ralph S. Mouse from The Mouse and the Motorcycle
By Beverly Cleary
My family likes animals. When my dad was in college, he had a rooster named Jack who lived in his apartment. Later, he and my mom had a kinkajou named Pooh Bear who slept in the cabinets. I’ve picked up the exotic animal baton by adopting two chinchillas (Rupert and Terrence Howard). So if I had to bring a guest of honor to dinner, my family would certainly appreciate if it were a mouse. There are, of course, many fine mice in literature, but Ralph S. Mouse is the obvious standout choice. He’s cute, he has great stories about escaping danger (essential for an ideal dinner guest), and best of all—at least in my Suzuki-driving family—he can do motorcycle tricks.

—Christy, Associate Editor

Gansey from The Raven Boys
By Maggie Stiefvater
Under the right circumstances, I’d love to meet any of Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle protagonists, but Richard Campbell Gansey III is the only one who’d be at ease in any social situation, including dinner with my family. For example: “Because of his money and his good family name, because of his handsome smile and his easy laugh, because he liked people and . . . they liked him back, Gansey could have had any and all of the friends that he wanted.” He’d bring flowers for my mother. He’d call my father “sir.” He’d compliment the meal and offer to help with the dishes. And after dinner, driving me home in his beat-up Camaro, he’d ask, a gleam in his eye, “How much do you know about dead Welsh kings?”

—Stephanie, Associate Editor

Circe from Circe
By Madeline Miller
There is probably no one with a more extensive or fascinating array of stories to tell at the Thanksgiving table than Circe. In Miller’s gorgeous reimagining of the legendary sorceress, Circe encounters Medea, Odysseus, Hermes, Athena and many more iconic figures. She is witness to some of the most well-known stories in Greek mythology, and through Miller’s clear-eyed, rigorously researched perspective, figures of fable become complicated, contradictory beings of flesh and blood (or ichor) rather than cold marble. Also, it’s important to note that many characters are either deeply dismissive of or outright hostile to poor, exiled Circe. As such, she quite frankly deserves a nice family meal where she can sit back and be the highly deserved center of love and attention.

—Savanna, Assistant Editor

We love many fictional characters, but when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, it takes a special person to earn a place at our families’ tables. These characters would get our plus-ones.
NonfictionChildren's & YAYA NonfictionYAMiddle Grade

Illuminating the past

Feature by Deborah Hopkinson

Three new books for young readers—a work of nonfiction, a novel and a unique memoir—offer fascinating insights into World War II, an era that helped shape the world we live in today.

The seeds of World War II were planted during the aftermath of World War I. Harsh financial penalties imposed on Germany, combined with the devastating effects of the Great Depression, contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party. Andrew Maraniss explores the prewar period for young readers in his masterful Games of Deception, which reveals the little-known story of the first United States Olympic basketball team. They competed in 1936, the year basketball debuted as an Olympic sport—and the year the games were held, amid controversy, in Hitler’s Berlin.

Young readers will likely be unfamiliar with much of this history, including the boycott efforts that surrounded the games, but Maraniss is an effective storyteller who skillfully paints a picture of the past by focusing on individual people and evocative details. Along with the players’ stories, Maraniss also introduces ordinary people who became eyewitnesses to history; these include a German Jewish boy named Al Miller who never forgot what it was like to watch Jesse Owens run.

The 1936 Olympics were, of course, a prelude to the horrors to come, and Maraniss follows his story through to the war’s end. Full-page photographs, a bibliography and a timeline enhance the book. A fantastic afterword traces Maraniss’ research process, including his meeting with 95-year-old Dr. Al Miller, who managed to escape Hitler’s Germany.

Alan Gratz’s latest novel, Allies, zeros in on one of the most dramatic military operations of all time: D-Day, the invasion of Normandy. Gratz has previously combined meticulous research with compelling characters and action-packed scenes in bestselling books such as Refugee, Projekt 1065 and Grenade. Allies is no different, as Gratz once again draws readers into history.

The novel opens with Dee Carpenter riding in a Higgins boat through the rocking waves on his way to Omaha Beach. Dee is a 16-year-old from Philadelphia who has signed up for the U.S. Army with a fudged birth certificate. But readers find out something else at the end of the first chapter: “His real name was Dietrich Zimmermann, and he was German.”  

The book also follows Samira, an Algerian girl in the French resistance who is trying to sabotage the German occupation and find her mother, with (she hopes) the help of a fearless little dog. Supporting characters include a Jewish soldier, a Canadian paratrooper and a character based on the famed African American medic Waverly “Woody” Woodson, who was part of the all-black 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion on Omaha Beach.

Allies is timely, not merely because of this year’s 75th anniversary of D-Day but also for its contributions to discussions of how individuals, communities and nations can be allies in today’s world.

Like Waverly Woodson, Ashley Bryan was also on Omaha Beach. Now 96 years old, Bryan has published numerous books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book Freedom Over Me. Infinite Hope is the extraordinary memoir of this hugely beloved figure in children’s literature. Like many veterans, Bryan has never talked about his military service, so his story may take people by surprise.

When his draft notice arrived in 1943, Bryan was a 19-year-old art student who was already familiar with prejudice. One art school interviewer told him his portfolio was the best the school had seen, but “it would be a waste to give a scholarship to a colored person.” With his teachers’ encouragement, Bryan was accepted to Cooper Union, which judged applicants blind. Even this did not prepare Bryan for what he would experience when he joined the Army. “As a Black soldier, I found myself facing unequal treatment in a war that Blacks hoped would lead our nation closer to its professed goal of equal treatment for all.”

Infinite Hope tells the story of Bryan’s journey as a stevedore in the 502nd Port Battalion through mixed media, with large photographs interspersed with sketches, paintings and excerpts from his diary and letters. The result is both an intimate portrait of Bryan himself and a rare insight into the African American experience of World War II and the invasion of Normandy, where Bryan worked nonstop on Omaha Beach unloading cargo in the months after D-Day. Later, while guarding German prisoners of war in France after the war’s end, Bryan realized the Germans were given more respect than black American soldiers. After arriving home in early 1946, Bryan locked his WWII drawings away and rarely spoke of his experiences.

Infinite Hope makes Bryan’s incredible artwork, created in the midst of war, available for the first time. It is a must-read for young people, parents, educators and anyone interested in World War II. Most of all, it is the work of an inspiring American who truly embodies infinite grace.

Three new books for young readers—a work of nonfiction, a novel and a unique memoir—offer fascinating insights into World War II, an era that helped shape the world we live in today.

The seeds of World War II were planted during the aftermath…

Children's & YAPicture Book

Tips for Teachers: ‘Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.’

Feature by Emmie Stuart

Tips for Teachers is a monthly column in which experienced teacher and children’s librarian Emmie Stuart shares book recommendations and a corresponding teaching guide for fellow elementary school teachers.

In an unfortunate series of events, I learned that our school district reduced recess time by 50% (down to 15 minutes per day) about 36 hours after I finished Linda Åkeson McGurk’s There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather. Born and raised in Sweden where “there is no such thing as bad weather,” McGurk spent much of her childhood playing outside. Upon marrying and moving to Indiana, she quickly realized that nature-centered childhoods are not the norm. Her American-born daughters did not share her enthusiasm for the outdoors. Upon returning to Sweden for a six-month stay, the disparities between the countries’ views on childhood became even more apparent to her. Multiple outdoor recess periods, hours immersed in forest play, and unstructured time to build forts or make mud-pies replaced high-stakes standardized testing, hours spent in front of screens, and rigidly scheduled days. Her daughters thrived in the Swedish school setting; they developed independence, a knowledge of flora and fauna, an appreciation for dirt and the enduring understanding that “with increased freedom comes increased responsibility.”

Recess rules, testing regulations, and student screen time are issues beyond my control. But I can provide my students with bountiful outdoor learning opportunities that will give them the chance to observe and experience nature and all of its intricacies and beauty. Expand your traditional classroom walls with the following four books. Through gentle invitations, they beckon children to venture outside, to slow down, to notice, to pretend, to play, to collect and to wonder.

Lawrence in the Fall by Matthew Farrell, illustrated by Doug Saleti

Lawrence, a young fox cub, is paralyzed with fear when a chalkboard assignment tells students to “Bring in something you collect to show the class!” He doesn’t have a collection, and hearing his classmates’ excited chatter only increases his despair. Papa soothes Lawrence’s tears and assures him that he knows a place to find “a collection fit for a special fox like you.” The next morning, the pair ventures off into the woods, where Lawrence’s initial hesitation is legitimized when a sudden rainstorm separates him from Papa. But the storm begins to blow down leaves, and suddenly Lawrence is enraptured by the beauty of the fall foliage. Once reunited, Papa helps Lawrence collect more leaves before heading home to prepare the collection. His classmates are so enthralled by the leaves that by the end of the day his collection is dispersed among them and Lawrence, with a newfound confidence, leads his friends on a leaf-finding forest expedition.

  • Classroom Leaf Collection

    Read aloud books that discuss different types of trees, leaves and the science behind color change. I read Mia Posada’s Summer Green to Autumn Gold, Betsy Maestro’s Why Do Leaves Change Colors? and Gail Gibbons’ Tell Me, Tree. Give each student a gallon-sized plastic bag and ask them to bring it back in a week filled with leaves, acorns and seeds. Encourage them to look in their yards, neighborhoods, local nature centers, the soccer field or any place they notice new types of leaves. Let the students share their collections with each other and then use identification books to categorize, group and label their collections.

  • A Collection of Collections

    Ask teachers, parents and children if they have collections of small items they are willing to lend your class for a week. If they also have time to speak to the class about their collection, it’s a wonderful bonus! Set clear guidelines with students regarding the handling and care of personal collections. Throughout the week, give students time to look at and study the collections. My students were absolutely fascinated by my borrowed rock/gem, stamp, charm, shell, nutcracker, patch and button collections. I even had to physically pry them away from the tables a few times!

  • Further Reading and Critical Thinking

    Most children are natural collectors. Read other books that highlight kids’ collections and then invite students to briefly share personal experiences. I read aloud Michelle Schaub’s Finding Treasure, Emily Beeny’s Hector the Collector and Elisa Kleven’s The Puddle Pail. Spark discussion by asking, “Is money a requirement for having a collection? What type of things can we collect without money?”

The Hike by Alison Farrell

For best friends Wren, El and Hattie, hiking is their “favorite thing to do.” Armed with sketchbooks, pencils, poems, flags, feathers and Bean (their faithful canine companion), they start their Buck Mountain trek on a sunny morning. Their summit assent includes leaf baskets, berry foraging, rainstorms, rocky terrain and piggyback rides. When they reach the top of the mountain, they celebrate by releasing feathers, reading a poem and waving the flag. Unobtrusive dialogue bubbles, labels and sketchbook pages extend the simple narrative, offering readers an abundance of information regarding plants, animals and woodland forest life. The Hike is a story that not only celebrates flora, fauna and the great outdoors, but also camaraderie, perseverance and the joy that really is in the journey.

  • Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.

    As author-illustrator Alison Farrell mentioned in this interview, at the heart of her book are some lines from a Mary Oliver poem, “Sometimes.”

    Instructions for living a life.
    Pay attention.
    Be astonished.
    Tell about it.

    Write these lines on a sheet of anchor chart paper and let students share their interpretations. Ask, “Do you do this?” and “What does Oliver mean when she says, “Pay attention?” I showed my students this Norman Rockwell painting and this photograph, and the two images prompted a cacophony of indignant and incredulous responses! Give students time to copy the lines (goodness, children still need handwriting and fine motor skills!) onto an index card. Their assignment is to “Pay attention,” “be astonished” and decide how they will “tell about it.” This exercise gave me new insights into each child’s individual personality, not only because of what astonished them but also through the way they chose to tell about it. Song lyrics, watercolor paintings, digital presentations and Lego creations are just a sampling of the ways my students communicated their astonishments.

Treasure written by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher

Two siblings set out in search of a treasure. “How will we know when we’ve found a treasure?” wonders the younger brother. Big sister confidently explains, “A treasure is shiny and mysterious and precious. And the best treasures are always hidden.” As they wander through the forest, little brother finds an acorn, milkweed pods and a feather, but according to sister, these items are not shiny, mysterious or precious enough to be treasure. Letting his frustration and doubt get the best of him, little brother sits on a rock and declares, “The treasure is hidden too far away! I give up.” But then big sister calls him to come around the bend and together they wonder at an unexpected treasure that is indeed shiny, mysterious and precious—and “too big for pockets.” Told through the siblings’ simple dialogue, Treasure reflects children’s inquisitive nature and the fresh wonder with which they view the natural world.

  • Nature Counting Cards

    Give students brown paper lunch bags and take them on a nature treasure hunt. I prepped by dropping acorns, sticks, bird feathers, fall leaves, miniature acorns and milkweed along our walking path. After the walk, ask each child to lay out their treasures. In the front of the room or on a long table, place pieces of white 8.5" x 11" cardstock labeled 1 through 20. After students have collectively grouped the nature treasures according to item or appearance, let them work together to decide which item they want to represent the number “one.” Place it on the piece of cardstock labeled “1.” Repeat the process for each number, then divide the students into pairs and assign each pair a number. Each pair will arrange the treasures on their respective cards, then loosely glue or tape them to the cardstock. Take overhead pictures of each card, print them in color, and laminate them. Hung together, they create useful and beautiful classroom decorations.

Tiny, Perfect Things written by M.H. Clark, illustrated by Madeline Kloepper

“Today we keep our eyes open for tiny, perfect things,” explains a young girl as she and her grandfather venture out for a neighborhood walk. Slowing down and noticing reveals the small splendors surrounding them. From “a yellow leaf that the wind blew down” to “a man with a beautiful feather in his hat” and the “pale, bright moon,” together they wonder and celebrate the beauty and miracle of nature, neighbors and night. The culminating four-page spread unfolds to showcase the entire walk, inviting children to “come look with me” and notice their own tiny, beautiful things.

  • Categorize

    Reread the text with students. Record each of the tiny, perfect things that the little girl noticed on her walk. I wrote each item on an index card and used magnets to stick them on the white board. Let students determine categories, then divide the items into the appropriate categories. Animals/nature/people was the first (and most obvious) category, but at my encouragement the students expanded their thinking and we recategorized items into living/nonliving, singular/plural, and red/not red.

  • A Tiny, Perfect Things Walk

    As soon as I finished reading it aloud, my first grade students began clamoring for a “tiny, perfect things” walk. Give each student a clipboard and pencil, and let them help you determine the route. Remind your students to notice and record adjectives (read examples from the text) that accompany their tiny, perfect things. Bring your phone and take pictures of the items that students notice. When you return to the classroom, give students time to draw and color their findings and hang them, along with the photographs you took, on a classroom Tiny, Perfect Things board.

Tips for Teachers is a monthly column in which experienced teacher and children’s librarian Emmie Stuart shares book recommendations and a corresponding teaching guide for fellow elementary school teachers.

In an unfortunate series of events, I learned that our school district reduced recess…

NonfictionChildren's & YAPicture BookMiddle Grade

Gift books: For curious young minds

Feature by Julie Hale

Brimming with eye-opening information and hands-on activities, these innovative books will inspire young readers to think, create and collaborate. No screens or devices required!

Mythologica by Steve Kershaw, illustrated by Victoria Topping
Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals From Ancient Greece is sure to ignite young imaginations. Classicist Steve Kershaw chronicles the exploits of gods, goddesses and the humans with whom they become entangled in this mesmerizing volume. Brief yet detailed encyclopedic entries explain the background and notable traits of Greek mythology’s players from Athena to Zeus. Kershaw’s snapshots of these fascinating figures communicate the drama and adventure that give the myths their perennial appeal, and artist Victoria Topping’s fantastical collages create a dazzling dreamscape that suits the gods’ larger-than-life deeds. Mythologica is an outstanding introduction to ancient stories and a volume to be treasured. 

Castles Magnified by David Long, illustrated by Harry Bloom
Tales of knights, lords and ladies rival those of the gods for spectacle and intrigue. Castles Magnified tells of storied figures such as Richard the Lionheart and explores the manners and mores of the Middle Ages through teeming illustrations of medieval life. Splendidly rendered by illustrator Harry Bloom, the bustling scenes invite close inspection; with the magnifying glass included in the book, readers can do just that. A cutaway effect in Bloom’s illustrations reveals castle interiors inhabited by servants, guards and nobles. A list of items for youngsters to spy and identify accompanies each scene. With ample historical background contributed by author David Long, Castles Magnified brings a long-ago era into focus.

Paper World by Bomboland
Another eye-opening pick that’s perfect for holiday giving is Paper World: Planet Earth by Bomboland, the Italian illustration studio of cut-paper artists Maurizio Santucci and Elisa Cerri. The book’s ingeniously engineered flaps, cutouts and illustrations teach readers about the diverse topographies and ecosystems that exist across the globe. Movable tabs reveal Earth’s hidden wonders: tectonic plates, deep-sea marine trenches, underground caves and more. 

Easy-to-follow descriptions complement the book’s impressive visuals, and the authors have included related sections on weather forecasting and storms, along with a helpful glossary. Their vibrant cut-paper replicas of soaring mountain ranges, snaking rivers, explosive volcanoes and mighty glaciers are designed to delight. This inventive geological journey will transform the way children view the great outdoors.

Make Your Own Optical Illusions by Clive Gifford
New ways of seeing also abound in Make Your Own Optical Illusions: 50 Hands-On Models and Experiments to Make and Do. In this beguiling book, author Clive Gifford investigates different types of optical illusions and equips his audience with need-to-know information on vision and perception. Through clear, accessible explanations of how our brains process color, motion and other stimuli, he sets the stage for an amazing magic show.

Nifty projects with clear instructions appear throughout the book. Paper punch-outs allow aspiring illusionists to create spinning tops, a 3D dog and other objects. With helpful illustrations and interactive elements contributed by artist Rob Ives, the book gives readers everything they need to explore new modes of perception. Get ready for some visual trickery!

United Tastes of America by Gabrielle Langholtz, illustrated by Jenny Bowers, photographs by DL Acken
The creativity continues—in the kitchen—with United Tastes of America: An Atlas of Food Facts and Recipes From Every State!. Food writer Gabrielle Langholtz serves up 54 dishes in this delectable book—one for each state, plus Washington, D.C., and the three U.S. territories—and her simple instructions cater to the kiddos. Featuring favorites like Wisconsin stovetop macaroni and cheese, along with out-of-the-ordinary menu items like Ohio buckeye candies, United Tastes delivers a mouthwatering overview of America’s culinary culture. Photographer DL Acken presents the completed dishes as works of art that are clean and simple. The atlas also offers a state-by-state survey of food-related trivia, with encyclopedic spreads beautifully illustrated by Jenny Bowers. Break out the aprons! Little cooks will love this terrific book.

The Interactive Constitution by David Miles, illustrated by Albert Pinilla
America’s heritage is also the focus of David Miles’ The Interactive Constitution. The sturdy pages in this bold, colorful book have flaps, tabs, windows and wheels—inviting elements that inform readers about political science, American history and the U.S. Constitution. The book’s welcoming text provides important information about the Founding Fathers, the three branches of government and the system of checks and balances, as well as deep dives into important facets of the Constitution, including its famous Preamble and the Bill of Rights. Albert Pinilla’s vivid artwork is filled with standout infographics and plenty of surprises, such as a lift-the-flap portrait gallery of presidents. This immersive title is certain to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

Welcome to Jazz by Carolyn Sloan, illustrated by Jessica Gibson
There’s more hands-on fun to be found in Carolyn Sloan’s Welcome to Jazz, featuring three felines (yes, these cats are cool!) who drop in to a club to see a band. The musicians kick off their set with “When the Saints Go Marching In,” a song that Sloan uses to riff on the subject of jazz. Breaking down the tune’s components, Sloan covers significant instruments, including the saxophone, trumpet and trombone, and defines musical concepts such as improvisation. Readers can listen to “Saints” and sample musical sounds via the book’s press-and-play audio panel. Jessica Gibson’s energetic illustrations capture the spirit of the proceedings, making this a five-star performance from start to finish.

Brimming with eye-opening information and hands-on activities, these innovative books will inspire young readers to think, create and collaborate. No screens or devices required!

Mythologica by Steve Kershaw, illustrated by Victoria Topping
Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals From Ancient…

Children's & YAPicture Book

Seasonal books to make spirits bright

Feature by Alice Cary

Whether you’re waiting for Santa or the winter solstice, these six picture books capture the excitement, wonder and joy of the holiday season.

Collectors of Christmas tales mustn’t miss Dasher, Matt Tavares’ exhilarating chronicle of how Santa went from a single horse to a team of flying reindeer pulling his sleigh. Determined Dasher is the star of this show, escaping from a difficult life in a traveling circus and doggedly finding her way to the North Pole. Tavares excels at Christmas stories (Red & Lulu, The Gingerbread Pirates), and young readers are apt to inhale every word of this yarn. As an illustrator, Tavares is a master of dramatic light, emotion and mood, as well as deep, vibrant color, whether he’s depicting Dasher’s family penned in at the circus or Santa’s sleigh magically lifting up into the air. Dasher is sure to join the stacks of enduring Christmas favorites read by families year after year.

Kids are always trying to outsmart Santa, but young Freddy Melcher hopes to finally succeed in The Great Santa Stakeout. After all, he’s obsessed with St. Nick, dressing in a Santa suit for every holiday—even Talk Like a Pirate Day! This #1 Santa fan is sure he’s got a failsafe plan for capturing a selfie with his idol, and his plan seems thorough, complete with meticulous preparation and blueprints. Betsy Bird’s snappy text enlivens this rollicking, action-packed tale, while Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat’s illustrations dramatically capture Freddy’s wide-eyed excitement. This modern Santa caper will keep the magic alive for young readers counting the days until the big guy shimmies down their chimneys.

On a more serious note, Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story From the Border is a poignant story set at the wall separating Tijuana and San Diego. Young María and her little brother are traveling with their mother by bus. Their destination is an annual day when Border Patrol officials allow groups of people to gather in an area called the enforcement zone to talk and touch fingertips with those on the other side of the border. María and her family are going to see their Abuela, whom they haven’t seen for five years. “For a moment,” María notes, “the fences are invisible”—until she realizes her brother can’t give Abuela the drawing he made for her. Mitali Perkins’ story is a perfect introduction for children to how borders separate families, delicately embracing the reunion’s joy and enduring sadness. Sara Palacios’ illustrations cheerfully capture the love among separated families as well as the realities of the border wall. This superb picture book is a holiday story that deserves to be a year-round read.

While some things are designed to keep people apart, others draw them together. One snowy morning, Bear wakes to a new star on the horizon and knows it’s time to begin his annual search for a special tree in The Bear and the Star. Bear soon finds a majestic evergreen on top of a windswept hill, and as “his call echoed through canyon and valley, between boulder and butte, across prairie and lake,” he summons living creatures far and wide. Lola M. Schaefer’s spare but mesmerizing text invites inclusiveness, as “People put down hammer and hoe, grass and thatch, knife and rice, shield and sword.” Bethanne Andersen’s snowy scenes, reminiscent of Eric Carle’s Dream Snow, beautifully depict the rich reds of the desert, the warmth of tropical fields, a menagerie of species and a glorious array of people. The Bear and the Star is a stunning and universal tribute to peace, joy, love and winter celebrations.

Years ago, Susan Cooper wrote a beloved poem that has remained a mainstay of John Langstaff’s phenomenal theatrical production Christmas Revels, performed each year across the country (see it if you can!). Now transformed into a picture book, The Shortest Day is a joyful and timeless celebration of the winter solstice that will surely become a classic. Even very young children will enjoy Cooper’s splendid, stately words: “And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world / Came people singing, dancing, / To drive the dark away.” The multitalented, Caldecott Honor-winning Carson Ellis (Du Iz Tak?) is the perfect illustrator for this project, using muted colors to accentuate the changing interplay between the sun and surrounding darkness. Beginning with a scene of prehistoric people and a godlike sun figure walking the earth, Ellis echoes the sweep of ages so prevalent in Cooper's poem, showing a progression of people and homes, ending with a modern house and children. In a helpful author’s note, Cooper explains both solstice celebrations and the evolution of her poem. In her words, “Welcome Yule!”

When Little Redbird injures her wing and can’t fly south for the winter, she seeks shelter in several hardwood trees, who all turn her down. Happily, the evergreen trees welcome her with open boughs in Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves. Annemarie Riley Guertin’s text is a lively retelling of this holiday legend, while Helena Pérez Garcia’s illustrations burst off the page with beautifully vibrant colors and intriguing textures, design and depth. In a not-so-easy feat, Garcia instills all of these trees with plenty of personality without resorting to anthropomorphism. This story, which never grows old, is not only a visual delight but a well-told and timely tale of kindness.

Whether you’re waiting for Santa or the winter solstice, these six picture books capture the excitement, wonder and joy of the holiday season.

Collectors of Christmas tales mustn’t miss Dasher, Matt Tavares’ exhilarating chronicle of how Santa went from a single horse…

Children's & YAPicture Book

Tips for Teachers: Neighborhood days

Feature by Emmie Stuart

Tips for Teachers is a monthly column in which experienced teacher and children’s librarian Emmie Stuart shares book recommendations and a corresponding teaching guide for fellow elementary school teachers.

On a recent afternoon, our school secretary delivered a package to the library. Knowing it contained a copy of Sunny Day, I opened it eagerly and spent about 60 seconds relishing its goodness before a line of squirming 6-year-olds forced me to reluctantly set it aside. After checking out their books, I stepped out of the library for a quick meeting. When I returned, Sunny Day was gone.

The disappearing book mystery was solved a few hours later when a teacher returned it. She had spied the book and swiped it to show to her entire team of teachers. “‘Sesame Street’ was one of the only constants of my early childhood,” she explained. “I watched it every morning and every night. I can’t imagine my early years without the safeness and stability of 123 Sesame Street.”

On November 10, 2019, “Sesame Street,” arguably the most significant and influential children’s television show of the century, celebrated its 50th anniversary, capping off a sunny CV that includes 49 seasons, 4,481 episodes, 189 Emmy Awards, 30 international editions and one big yellow bird. Its setting? A neighborhood full of “friendly neighbors . . . where we meet.” In honor of neighbors and neighborhood days, these three books sparkle, inviting children to “come and play!”

Sunny Day: A Celebration of the “Sesame Street” Theme Song written by Joe Raposo

To mark its 50th anniversary, 18 artists lovingly illustrated the lyrics of “Sunny Day,” the show’s beloved opening melody. From Christian Robinson’s cheery jacket cover to Ziyue Chen’s nostalgic endpapers, each line of “Sunny Day” is thoughtfully reimagined and illustrated through artists’ signature art styles. The spreads include familiar “Sesame Street” characters along with a cast of diverse and happy neighborhood children. The love and respect that the illustrators feel toward the show is evident in each and every stunning illustration filled with intentional detail. Brief biographies of each artist are included in the back matter.

Make it a “Sunny Day” and invite students to join you on a trip “to where the air is sweet” and friendly neighbors meet. Show them how to get, how to get to Sesame Street!

  • Illustrator Identification

    After reading (or in my case, singing) the book aloud, ask students what they noticed about the illustrations. This is an ideal opportunity for identifying the parts of a picture book with students. Point out the book’s jacket, casing, endpapers and title page. Each of these parts has a different illustrator. Discuss how each illustrator has a different style and interpretation of the lyrics.

    If possible, collect 10 to 12 books by the contributing illustrators and assign them a number. I used the whiteboard ledge and wrote the number on the board above each book. Give students a form labeled with the page numbers and lyrics. Throughout the week, let students work in pairs to identify the illustrator of each spread using the previous books as evidence. I paperclipped together the last two pages of Sunny Day to discourage students from peeking at the illustrator’s biographies, although they enjoyed figuring out the puzzle so much that looking at the answer wasn’t even an issue.
     

  • History of “Sesame Street”

    For older grades, dispel the notion that “‘Sesame Street’ is just for babies” by showing them how it changed children’s television programming. Newsela has a collection of articles available for a wide variety of reading levels; creating a Newsela account is quick and free. We read articles on the impact of “Sesame Street” on preschoolers, the story behind Oscar the Grouch and the introduction of a homeless muppet. Scholastic News published an article celebrating the show’s 40th anniversary. My students loved watching clips of celebrity guests throughout the years. And I have a strong feeling that many of them will be turning in for the 50th anniversary prime-time special. I mean, just look at the lineup!

Daniel’s Good Day written and illustrated by Micha Archer

Daniel knows many of his neighbors. They always tell him to have a good day. On his way to grandmother’s house one morning, Daniel decides to ask his neighbors, “What makes a good day for you?” His neighbors’ distinct answers reflect their specific jobs. For the newsstand seller, “Busy sidewalks and friendly faces” make a good day, and for the baker, “birthdays” make a good day. Upon returning home, Daniel is happy to discover each of his neighbors experiencing their version of a good day. Like Archer’s collage illustrations, Daniel’s Good Day is a multilayered story sure to spark discussion about students’ “good days” and the simple joy of knowing our neighbors.

  • Neighborhood Identification & Collage Cards

    After sharing the book with a group of first graders, I realized that most students thought that the word “neighbor” meant the people living directly next door. After a few comments like, “Wait, the bus driver isn’t Daniel’s neighbor!” I decided we needed some conversations and activities to clarify the notions of “neighbor” and “neighborhood.” I defined neighbors as “friends and helpers in our community.”

    Watch the “Sesame Street” song, “People in Your Neighborhood.” As a class, make a list of neighbors (bus drivers, our community librarian, physical neighbors, clergy, local booksellers, the teenager working at the donut shop, etc.) and their roles in our neighborhood. The students’ task is to find out the name of one of these neighbors. At the end of the lesson, tell students, “Next week, we’re going to make collage thank-you cards for these neighbors, so it is important to remember your neighbor’s name.” The following week, watch this video of Micha Archer creating her collage and rubber stamp illustrations. Provide various different materials and rubber stamps, and watch the students’ creativity come to life as they make cards for neighbors.
     

  • What is a good day?

    Daniel asks his neighbors, “What makes a good day for you?” Ask students if the neighbors’ responses are big things (i.e. a new car or big vacation) or just small simple things. Share a few things that make a good day for you, then give them a few minutes to consider their own good days. Record their responses on a piece of chart paper with the heading, “Our Class Good Day.” Encourage students to emulate Daniel and ask their neighbors (see above activity), “What makes a good day for you?”

Saturday written and illustrated by Oge Mora

Ava’s mother works Sunday through Friday, so of course, “Saturday was the day they cherished.” On Saturdays they spend the day visiting their favorite places—the library for storytime, the hair salon for new hairdos and the park for a picnic. This Saturday is special because they have tickets for “a one-night-only puppet show.” When small details go awry, Ava’s mother reminds her not to worry because the day is still sacred and special. We know that Ava absorbs her mother’s wisdom, because when the biggest disappointment occurs, it’s Ava who comforts her mom, reminding her that Saturdays are wonderful “because I spend them with you.” Heartfelt without being saccharine, Saturday shows students the inevitability of bad days and the magic that can be found amid unfortunate circumstances.

  • Dynamic Verbs

    Zipped, zoomed, lounged, picnicked, boo-hooed, chirped . . . Saturday is filled with vivid action verbs. Reread the text aloud, stopping to record the verbs. Create a T-chart with columns labeled dull and dynamic. Put the words from the text in the dynamic column. For each dynamic verb, let students decide which dull word it replaced. For example, “zipped” is more dynamic and specific than “went.” Invite students to take out their writing journals and reread their entries. Can they find dull verbs and replace them with more dynamic verbs? Let older students use computers or thesauruses to practice finding synonyms.
     

  • Recycled Book Art

    Mora incorporated pages from old books into her brightly colored collage illustrations. Examine the illustrations again with students and let them share their thoughts. If a prompt is needed, “I wonder why Oge Mora decided to use pages from old books in some of her illustrations . . . ” will spark a myriad of hypotheses and ideas. Ask your librarian if she has old books that have been weeded from the collection, or stop by a used bookstore and pick out some old books with interesting fonts, designs and illustrations. Tear the pages out of the book, and spread them out on a table along with bright construction paper, scissors and glue sticks. Give children time and space to create!

On November 10th, 2019, “Sesame Street,” arguably the most significant and influential children’s television show of the century, celebrated its 50th anniversary. Inviting children to “come and play!” these three books sparkle with the joy of neighbors and neighborhood days.
NonfictionChildren's & YAWomen's HistoryPicture BookBiography

Gift books: For the young and the young at heart

Feature by Julie Hale

Three delightful new Disney-related titles have arrived in time for the gift-giving weeks that lie ahead, with options for adults and little readers alike. Disney devotees young and old are in for a treat this holiday season!

The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt
Art lovers, film-history buffs and those drawn to all things Disney will adore Nathalia Holt’s The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History. Holt, bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, offers an invaluable account of the studio’s overlooked female artists and writers—women who played key roles in the creation of classic films, enduring on-the-job discrimination and other obstacles along the way.

The book’s many unforgettable figures include Grace Huntington, the second woman to land a spot in Disney’s story department; Sylvia Moberly-Holland, whose ideas and artwork shaped the films Bambi and Fantasia; and Mary Blair, who created concept art for many a beloved movie and provided designs for the Disneyland ride “it’s a small world.” Holt also spotlights the work of current Disney women. Spanning nearly eight decades, her timely, well-crafted book gives an important group of artists their due.

Mary Blair’s Unique Flair by Amy Novesky
Mary Blair was indeed an animation queen, and she receives the royal treatment in Mary Blair’s Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends. Author Amy Novesky delivers an accessible account of Blair’s life in this terrific children’s nonfiction book. An aspiring artist from the get-go, young Blair is captivated by color, but her parents lack the funds to pay for paint and other materials. Undeterred, she follows her dream, getting into art school and going on “to create colorful happily ever afters” at Walt Disney Studios, where she works on Cinderella and Peter Pan.

Mary’s story is brought to vivid life through Brittney Lee’s sensational cut-paper and gouache illustrations, which have the twinkling refinement of a Disney cartoon—small wonder, since Lee is an artist at (you guessed it!) Disney Animation Studios. This inspiring book is the perfect stocking stuffer for little illustrators-to-be.

They Drew as They Pleased Volume 5 by Didier Ghez
Animation fans and Disney aficionados alike will be wowed by They Drew as They Pleased Volume 5: The Hidden Art of Disney’s Early Renaissance: The 1970s and 1980s by Disney historian Didier Ghez. As the newest entry in Ghez’s series on the evolution of Disney, the book focuses on celebrated artists Ken Anderson and Mel Shaw, first-class draftsmen and storytellers at Disney who, after the death of Walt in 1966, breathed new life into the medium of animation at the studio.

In the 1970s and 80s, the two artists brought their creative talents to bear on cherished films such as Robin Hood and The Rescuers. They Drew as They Pleased abounds with their colorful concept drawings, character designs and sketches and includes fascinating facts about their working methods. From start to finish, the book is a Disney lover’s dream—and a stellar tribute to a pair of animation pioneers.

Three delightful new Disney-related titles have arrived in time for the gift-giving weeks that lie ahead, with options for adults and little readers alike.
Children's & YAPicture Book

Let it snow! A blizzard of picture books

Feature by Julie Danielson

The thrill of a big snowfall. Snow angels. Snow days! These three picture books celebrate the snowy season. 

Some Snow Is . . .

Ellen Yeomans’ Some Snow Is . . . revels in winter, exploring how wildly different each snowfall can be. There’s First Snow (the “we’ve waited for so long snow”) and Spring Snow (“time to go away snow”), with lots of variations in between. There’s Yellow Snow (uh oh, watch out) and Sledding Snow, which takes your breath away and freezes your face. Yeomans also explores the emotional extremes of such weather—from the frustration of light, early-winter Fluff Snow that doesn’t stick, to the complicated relationship with Driveway Snow, which makes Papa growl but also allows the building of a snow fort, which succeeds in making Papa smile. 

Illustrator Andrea Offermann takes readers on this journey with three children, best friends eager for outdoor winter play. She juxtaposes vivid colors against the bright white of snowfall. In one striking spread, we see a field of snow angels formed by a group of happy children, the text reading merely, “A flock of angels sing.” On a spread about Snow Day snow, Offermann’s energetic pen-and-ink lines nearly conceal houses in “a world of swirling white.” 

Yeomans writes in pleasing, flowing rhymes that form paired stanzas, with the first three lines of each stanza ending with “snow.” It all makes for an engaging read-aloud. 

Snowy Race

It’s another wondrous, wintry world in April Jones Prince’s Snowy Race. A young girl rides with her father in his snowplow. She has been counting down to this day and now feels abundant pride at the opportunity to help. But the snowplow does more than just clear the roads; it also takes the two of them to meet someone special at the train station, kicking off a thrilling race to reach a family member they love. 

Prince effectively uses short rhyming phrases (“whirl of snow”) and simple sentences (“off we go”), making this briskly paced tale a winning storytime choice. Prince writes with bustling verbs—slip, slide, chase, spin, whistling, howling, climbing, growling—as the plow chugs along, the snowy winds accumulate and father and daughter, always smiling, brave the elements. 

The page turns on these landscape-oriented spreads are especially compelling as the vehicle plows through the snow toward its destination. At one point, illustrator Christine Davenier even puts readers in the vehicle, seated behind father and daughter as we look through the windshield with them. Reds, greens and blues pop off these snowy-white spreads, as do the lemony yellows of the snowplow’s headlights and the sun trying to peek through winter clouds. 

The final spread is a wordless one, showing a family happy to be together—warm, safe and snug inside on a frigid winter’s day. Look closely at the opening and closing endpapers to see the impressive amount of snow that fell during the adventure.  

Almost Time

Written by Newbery Honor recipient Gary D. Schmidt and his late wife, Elizabeth Stickney (a pseudonym), Almost Time is a story about anticipating the turning of the seasons. Ethan is eager for winter’s exit, when the warmer weather causes the sap from the trees to run. But for now, there’s no maple syrup on his pancakes, cornbread or oatmeal. He must wait patiently for the days to heat up and the nights to get shorter. 

One day, he discovers a loose tooth. Eager to pull it, Ethan now has “two things to wait for.” Even children unfamiliar with the process of collecting and boiling sap—which illustrator G. Brian Karas depicts in three of the book’s final spreads—can relate to this story, because all children know how interminably slow time creeps when they’re excited for something to happen. 

Karas depicts the joys of sledding and chopping wood in a cozy, wintry-white world, even if Ethan wears an impatient scowl as he does these things. He’d rather be single-mindedly wriggling his tooth, thanks very much, or trying “not to think about maple syrup.” Once the sap starts to run, his tooth also comes out; it was all worth the wait. Spreads dominated by white snow make way for a closing spread of warm greens, as the snow melts and Ethan finally gets sweet maple syrup on his pancakes. 

The thrill of a big snowfall. Snow angels. Snow days! These three picture books celebrate the snowy season. 

Some Snow Is . . . Ellen Yeomans’ Some Snow Is . . . revels in winter, exploring how wildly different each snowfall can be. There’s First Snow (the “we’ve waited for…

Children's & YAPicture Book

Paths paved with dreams

Feature by Julie Danielson

Four new picture books celebrate the lives of African Americans who have contributed to the arts, sciences and the written word. 

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver opens in 1921 on the historic day that Carver addressed Congress and evangelized the many uses of the peanut. From there, author Gene Barretta travels back to 1874 to meet a frail young Carver, who lived with a white couple on the farm where he was once enslaved. Carver, who loved working in nature, tended to a secret garden. At age 12, he left the farm and eventually became the first black man to graduate from Iowa Agricultural College. Although the rest of the book emphasizes Carver’s contributions to botany and agriculture, Barretta goes beyond Carver’s work with peanuts, highlighting his innovative work in science and education and describing him as a “folk hero.” 

The final spread shows Carver as an elderly man, tending to yet another secluded garden. Illustrator Frank Morrison, working in richly colored oils, depicts Carver’s tall frame, resting on a cane, looking out over a field of vibrant flowers. Throughout the book, Morrison’s use of light is particularly effective, whether it’s the warm light that glows from behind the elderly Carver as he speaks to Congress or the rays of sunlight that illuminate his boyhood garden. The illustrations shine in this ode to a celebrated inventor who was “always ready to serve humanity.” 

By and By

By and By tells the life story of Charles Tindley, composer of dozens of hymns. Acclaimed poet Carole Boston Weatherford narrates via spare rhymes that read as if Tindley himself is singing directly to readers. “My life is a sermon inside a song,” the book opens. “I’ll sing it for you. Won’t take long.” 

Tindley’s life was remarkable. Since his mother was a free woman, he was spared from slavery at birth in Maryland. But when she died, he was hired out. He learned about scripture from spirituals sung in the fields. He taught himself to read and walked barefoot to church every Sunday. As an adult, Tindley promised himself he would learn one thing each day: “Farmhand by day, student by night.” He married, moved to Philadelphia, continued his education and became the pastor of the very church where he once worked as a janitor. As he nurtured his congregation, his “small flock” grew, and he wrote the influential hymnal Soul Echoes. 

Bryan Collier’s watercolor and collage illustrations, which incorporate sheet music, are a rich and layered tribute to Tindley’s life. The book’s backmatter includes a list of hymns that Weatherford quotes throughout the text. This first picture book biography of Tindley is a superb introduction to the man who left a rich legacy in American gospel music. 

The Power of Her Pen

Award-winning author Lesa Cline-Ransome tells the story of another talented writer in The Power of Her Pen, chronicling the life and career of journalist Ethel L. Payne, known as the “First Lady of the Black Press.” Although it begins with Payne’s childhood, describing a girl with an ear for storytelling, the book focuses primarily on Payne’s accomplishments as a journalist. Payne reported from Tokyo during World War II and worked at the black newspaper The Chicago Defender—all before becoming one of only three black journalists issued a press pass to the Eisenhower White House and the first African American commentator on a national television network. 

Cline-Ransome writes reverently about Payne, who fearlessly asked questions about race that politicians would have preferred to avoid, reported on stories that the mainstream white press dismissed and uncovered answers for those “whose paths were paved with dreams.” In his signature folk-art style, John Parra’s acrylic paintings capture snapshots of Payne’s career. He incorporates many images of birds in flight, a fitting motif for a journalist whose determined reporting “created awareness and activism in the fight for civil rights for people across the globe.” 

★ The Oldest Student

Mary Walker, dubbed “the nation’s oldest student” by the U.S. Department of Education, may not be as well known as Carver, Tindley or Payne, but her life is equally extraordinary. Author Rita Lorraine Hubbard brings Walker’s exceptional story to the page in The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read. In 1863, at the age of 15, Walker was freed from slavery. When she was a teenager, an evangelist gave Walker a Bible, telling her that her “civil rights are in these pages.” Understanding the “squiggles” of that Bible became Walker’s lifelong goal. She eventually moved from Alabama to Tennessee, where, well past the age of 100, she at last learned to read. Walker diligently studied the alphabet, famously noting, “You’re never too old to learn,” and read proudly from her Bible at the age of 116. 

Hubbard commemorates Walker’s story with care; she writes in an author’s note that much about Walker is unknown and explains that she “chose to imagine . . . details to fill in the blanks.” The book’s illustrations come from Caldecott Honoree Oge Mora, who also includes bird imagery as symbolic of Walker’s longing for freedom and her determined spirit. Mora collages scraps of text into many spreads as reminders of Walker’s spectacular accomplishment. It all adds up to a riveting portrait of a strong-willed American icon. 

Four new picture books celebrate the lives of African Americans who have contributed to the arts, sciences and the written word. 

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver opens in 1921 on the historic day that Carver…

Children's & YAPicture Book

Tips for Teachers: Illuminating illustrators

Feature by Emmie Stuart

Tips for Teachers is a monthly column in which experienced teacher and children’s librarian Emmie Stuart shares book recommendations and a corresponding teaching guide for fellow elementary school teachers.

Charlotte Mason, an English teacher living at the turn of the century, is one of my heroines. She once wrote, “We cannot measure the influence that one or another artist has upon the child’s sense of beauty, upon his power of seeing, as in a picture, the common sights of life; he is enriched more than we know in having really looked at even a single picture.” Her writings have significantly influenced my views on childhood, teaching and the purpose of education. One of her strongly held beliefs was that children should be served “a delectable feast” of literature, music and art. Well-illustrated picture books are all miniature works of art, influencing a “child’s sense of beauty.”

The following books introduce children to three significant illustrators and their art, but they also go beyond just that. They, too, are works of art in their own right that offer children delectable feasts of illustration, information and inspiration.

It Began With a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way written by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Julie Morstad

Growing up in a Japanese American family, Gyo Fujikawa knew from an early age that she wanted to be an artist. “She loved the feeling of a pencil in her hand.” Though she often felt invisible to her white classmates, her drawings caught the eye of two of her high school teachers. Their encouragement and monetary assistance opened the door for Fujikawa to attend art school and then to travel to Japan for further study.

Upon her return to the United States, she began working as an animator on the East Coast. When her family was sent to an internment camp, however, she struggled to continue drawing. Inspiration returned when she realized that her drawings could help fight the racial prejudice that pervaded the country. Her groundbreaking book, Babies, published in 1963, showed babies of all races playing together, and the book was a great success. Full of action and determination, the story of Fujikawa’s life shows children their natural talents can go far to fight injustice.

  • Comfort and Creativity

    In school, Fujikawa often felt invisible; when her family was sent to an internment camp, her heart was broken. At first, she was so sad that she could not draw, but eventually she began to take comfort in color. Color lifted her spirit, and she wondered, “Could art comfort and lift others too?” Allow time for students to think and journal about a time when they felt invisible, worried, anxious or sad. Come back together and discuss strategies for working through these hard feelings. Ask another question: “What comforts and lifts you when the world feels gray?” For many children (and adults), expressing feelings through a creative project can be a comforting and healthy way of processing emotions. Provide art supplies and let students get lost in a creative project.

  • Women at Disney

    The book’s excellent back matter has a timeline of significant events of Fujikawa’s life. One of the events mentions a Glamour magazine article spotlighting “Girls at Work for Disney.” Show the article to students and ask them what they notice about the caption under Fujikawa name. It reads, “Gyo, a Japanese artist.” What is wrong about this caption? Show students the article and then research some of the other women who worked at Walt Disney. Read aloud Amy Guglielmo’s Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire and parts of Mindy Johnson’s Pencils, Pens & Brushes: A Great Girls’ Guide to Disney Animation.

  • Sketching a la Gyo

    Set up a Gyo table. Provide copies of her books, white paper, black ink pens and colored pencils. Throughout the week, let students read her books, study her illustrations and create their own Gyo-inspired artwork.

Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist written by Julie Leung, illustrated by Chris Sasaki

Tyrus Wong emigrated from China to the United States when he was only 9 years old. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, he was forced to become a “paper son,” to take on a false identity in order to pass through the rigorous strictures of the immigration process. After being detained at Angel Island for weeks, he finally passed the intense interview with immigration authorities and was reunited with his father. He worked hard to graduate from high school and art school.

Landing a job as an “in-betweener” at Walt Disney studios, Wong was excited when production plans were announced for an upcoming film, Bambi. His combination of Western and Eastern artistic styles heavily influenced the film, but he was only credited as a “background artist.” Shedding a light on the difficulties of immigration and showing the practical implications of racism, Wong’s story is sure to spark classroom discussion.

  • Immigration Stories

    Wong was detained for weeks at Angel Island. Read other stories about children who emigrated from China to the United States and compare them to Wong’s experience. My 4th grade students and I read Helen Foster James’ Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America, parts of Russell Freedman’s Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain and Bette Bao Lord’s In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, which is one of my very favorite novels.

  • Song Dynasty Art Study

    Tyrus attended art school in Los Angeles and studied artwork from China’s Song dynasty. Combining Western and Eastern styles and influences in his painting allowed him to offer a unique artistic perspective to Bambi. Enlarge a few landscape paintings from the Song Dynasty. Give students time to study them and write down or orally share their observations. Then compare the paintings with stills from Walt Disney’s Bambi. Invite students to share how they think the Song Dynasty paintings influenced Wong’s work in Bambi.

  • History of Animation

    Wong was featured on an episode of the PBS series “American Masters.” Show students the portion of the episode (which starts at the 31:00 minute mark) that discusses Wsong’s work with Walt Disney studios and specifically his work on Bambi, the film that Walt Disney considered to be “the best picture I have ever made, and the best ever to come out of Hollywood,” as he told TIME magazine at the time.

Hi, I’m Norman: The Story of American Illustrator Norman Rockwell written by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor

Grabbing readers’ attention with engaging first-person narration (“Hi, I’m Norman. Norman Rockwell. Come on in.”), Robert Burleigh’s account of Rockwell’s life and work is a solid introduction to one of America’s most recognized and beloved illustrators.

Starting with his childhood love for “telling stories with pictures,” Rockwell explains how he worked his way through art school and, in an attempt to outrun the fear that he “wasn’t good enough,” accepted menial jobs until five of his illustrations were accepted by the Saturday Evening Post. He recounts how he got his ideas, shares stories about his use of various types of model and informs readers about how major American events, including World War II and racial segregation, influenced his artwork. Inviting and informative, the stories behind the illustrations had my students eagerly begging for me to show them Rockwell’s “real” artwork.

  • The Four Freedoms

    When America entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Rockwell was too old to enlist. He decided that he would fight “with the one weapon I had—my art.” Watch a small portion of Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech. As a class, discuss the four freedoms. Give older children time to copy down the four freedoms; give younger students an index card with the four freedoms listed. Print out oversize copies of each of the paintings in Rockwell’s Four Freedoms series and hang them around the classroom. Label them numerically, one through four, and let students participate in a silent gallery walk. Can they match each of the four freedoms with its respective painting? Emphasize the power of observation and unhurried art study. After students have spent time studying the art (perhaps the next day), gather back together. Going one painting at a time, let students share their observations and explain which freedom the painting represents. Invite children to discuss, “Do we still have these freedoms today?” and “Do you think everyone in the United States or the world shares these freedoms?”

  • The Problem We All Live With

    Give students two minutes to take a visual inventory of Rockwell’s “The Problem We All Live With” and then let them share what they notice. Ask them if it reminds them of anything or anyone they have encountered in previous learning. Read Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story by Ruby Bridges. Allow time for students to reflect on Bridges’ story. Invite them to consider ideas such as, “Do things like this still happen in our neighborhood, city or world today? Where and how?” Write down their responses on the board or piece of chart paper. Show students the video of Ruby Bridges looking at “The Problem We All Live With” alongside President Obama.

  • Cover Stories

    In the book, Rockwell explains, “Doing covers is doubly hard because a cover has to tell the whole story in just one picture.” Give students time to share or journal about a humorous or meaningful small moment from their life. Can they tell this story through a single illustration? After students have had time to experiment, brainstorm and doodle, provide blank white paper or a Saturday Evening Post template and let them illustrate their story.

Three books introduce children to illustrators and their art and serve as works of art in their own right, offering delectable feasts of illustration, information and inspiration.
Children's & YAMiddle Grade

Girls across the ages

Feature by Deborah Hopkinson

Two masters of historical fiction send their heroines on life-changing journeys in these middle grade novels.

Gold Rush Girl
Award-winning author Avi (Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Sophia’s War) opens his latest novel in 1848, when Rhode Islander Tory Blaisdell makes a vow to live like Jane Eyre and control her own destiny. Her resolve is put to the test when her father decides to seek his fortune in the California gold rush, bringing along Tory’s little brother, Jacob. Tory convinces her brother to help her stow away. 

When the trio arrives in San Francisco, they’re confronted by the harsh realities of the mining craze. They trade their middle-class house for a dirt-floor tent on a muddy road. Water costs a dollar a bucket. When Tory’s father departs for the hills, she dresses as a boy to do manual labor. Then Jacob is kidnapped, and Tory and her friends must launch a desperate rescue attempt before he is shipped off as a cabin boy.

Gold Rush Girl tells an adventure-filled but grounded story of what life was like for many families whose dreams of gold came to nothing but who nevertheless made new lives for themselves in California. 

The Blackbird Girls
Anne Blankman’s The Blackbird Girls tackles a subject rarely touched on in middle grade fiction: the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.  

This riveting story opens on the fateful morning of April 26, 1986, when Valentina Kaplan’s father doesn’t return from the late shift at the Chernobyl power station. At school, Valentina’s neighbor and classmate Oksana, whose father also works at Chernobyl, taunts Valentina with anti-Semitic insults. In the aftermath of the disaster, the girls are separated from their mothers and evacuated to Leningrad, where they live with Valentina’s grandmother, Rifka. The experience challenges Oksana’s attitudes about Jewish families, while Valentina begins to connect more deeply with her faith and her family’s history. 

Flashbacks from Rifka’s life during World War II deepen Blankman’s exploration of the transformative power of friendship across time. Rich with historical details, The Blackbird Girls places Valentina and Oksana’s compelling relationship firmly at the story’s center.  

Two masters of historical fiction send their heroines on life-changing journeys in these middle grade novels.

Gold Rush Girl
Award-winning author Avi (Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Sophia’s War) opens his latest novel in 1848, when Rhode Islander Tory Blaisdell makes a vow…

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