Tag Archives: Picture Books

The Writer and Rabbit Who Saved the Countryside

22 Thursday Apr 2021

Posted by in Books, Children's Literature, Picture Books

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Most people don’t realize that Beatrix Potter was an environmentalist who deserves recognition for her significant contributions on Earth Day.

The lovely new picture book, SAVING THE COUNTRYSIDE, The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit, with words by Linda Elovitz Marshall and pictures by Ilaria Urbinati, is a tribute to Beatrix Potter’s dedication in creating a legacy that stretched far beyond her beloved stories. This true story, told with honest heartfelt prose paired with delightful watercolor illustrations, shines a light on Beatrix Potter’s deep love of nature and her desire to preserve her beloved farm, as well as the rest of the surrounding farms and countryside (totaling 4,000 acres!) for the greater good.

Ahead-Of-Her-Time Trailblazer

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was a trailblazer for children’s literature and women’s rights, as well as the environment. Her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit (published by Frederick Warne in 1902) established the genre of fiction for young readers. This in itself was a monumental achievement, but even more so in the late 19th century when it wasn’t considered proper for women to work outside the home in a professional capacity. Miss Potter (the 2006 film) provides endearing insights into the whimsical imagination of Beatrix Potter and the societal pressures she faced and overcame. You can watch the trailer for this inspiring film below.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, cover

Born in Kensington, London, Beatrix later moved to Hill Top Farm in Cumbria. She was a biologist and naturalist at heart, and made it her mission to save the beloved countryside that surrounded her farm. In all, she protected and preserved 14 other farms, over 4000 acres of land, all of which were bequeathed to the National Trust upon her death.

Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated 28 books that have been translated into more than 35 languages and sold over 100 million copies. The Tale of Peter Rabbit is still Potter’s most popular and well-loved tale. It’s the story of a mischievous rabbit and the ensuing trouble he finds in Mr McGregor’s vegetable garden!

Miss Potter ~ The inspirational life of Beatrix Potter

3 TREE-rific Informational Picture Books

14 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by in Book Reviews, Nonfiction, Picture Books

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There is a wealth of amazing informational picture books on the market today, in every subject and category. Each one beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told. So much so, I have a hard time limiting my purchases whenever I wander into a local bookstore. With spring almost here and Earth Day and Arbor Day coming next month (April 22nd and 30th respectively), now is the time for trees.

I can’t say enough good things about these TREE-rific informational picture books, so I’ll let their stories and artwork do all the talking.

The Tree Lady

The Tree Lady

Written by H. Joseph Hopkins
illustrated by Jill McElmurry

The Tree Lady is the true story of how one tree-loving woman changed a city forever. Kate Sessions arrived in San Diego in 1883 and looked out over an arid and barren landscape. Her vision transformed San Diego into the botanical jewel it is renowned for today. She received many honors for the work she did, but the one that pleased her the most was being called the Mother of Balboa Park. This book is a must read for anyone who doubts that one person can change their world.

The Wisdom of Trees

Written and illustrated by Lita Judge

The story of a tree is a story of community, communication, and cooperation. Although trees may seem like silent, independent organisms, they form a network buzzing with life: they talk, share food, raise their young, and offer protection. Trees thrive on diversity, learn from their ancestors, and give back to their communities. Trees not only sustain life on our planet––they can also teach us important lessons about patience, survival, and teamwork.––Synopsis

Lita Judge’s lush illustrations are matched with the beauty of poems and easily interpreted scientific explanations about the Secrets of the Wood Wide Web. This book provides a depth of insight and knowledge about forests and the animals and other life forms that make their homes within. The Wonder of Trees is sure to intrigue readers of all ages.

What Did The Tree See?

Written by
Charlotte Guillain
Illustrated by Sam Usher

As the might oak tree tells her life story in lyrical prose, we experience her joys and losses as the landscape changes around her over the centuries. The timeline at the end describes the historical milestones over the tree’s lifetime.

Keeping it real ~ Tackling tough topics for the youngest readers

26 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Books, Middle Grade, Picture Books, Reading

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The sweet innocence of childhood should be cherished and preserved for as long as possible, but shielding children entirely from harsh realities doesn’t do them a service. There are levels of truth. The youngest readers shouldn’t be unnecessarily exposed to gritty topics. However, there are plenty of stories that address tough topics in a way that builds empathy and understanding.

The two books I want to focus on here broach the topics of discrimination and homelessness in a gentle way.

The Bat Boy and His Violin, cover

The Bat Boy and His Violin

By Gavin Curtis, Illustrated by E. B. Lewis

The Bat Boy and His Violin, illustration by E.B. LewisReginald loves to create beautiful music on his violin. But Papa, manager of the Dukes, the worst team in the Negro National League, needs a bat boy, not a “fiddler,” and traveling with the Dukes doesn’t leave Reginald much time for practicing. Soon the Dukes’ dugout is filled with Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach — and the bleachers are filled with the sound of the Dukes’ bats. Has Reginald’s violin changed the Dukes’ luck—and can his music pull off a miracle victory against the powerful Monarchs? 

Gavin Curtis’s beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit and E. B. Lewis’s lush watercolor paintings capture a very special period in history. [Synopsis]

The Negro Leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprised predominantly of African-Americans, beginning in 1920, with a final season in 1951. On the surface, this story is a view into racial discrimination and segregation in the United States prior to the Civil Rights movement.

On a deeper level, this story addresses the all too frequent discrimination of the arts over sports. Reginald serves as a heroic role model, in that he honors his father’s wishes without giving up his true passion. In the end, father and son strengthen their bond through their acceptance and new-found appreciation of one another.

E. B. Lewis won the Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustrations for his rich and nuanced watercolors that enliven this moving, heartfelt story.

Crenshaw

By Katherine Applegate

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There’s no more money for rent. And Crenshaw, covernot much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.

Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, he’s outspoken, and he’s imaginary. He has come back into Jackson’s life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? [Synopsis]

Katherine Applegate tackles a tough topic in Crenshaw, shedding light on the realities of hunger and homelessness. As difficult as this topic is, Applegate artfully infuses the story with empathy and lighthearted humor. I was sold with the opening paragraph:

I noticed several weird things about the surfboarding cat. Thing number one: He as a surfboarding cat. Thing number two: He was wearing a T-shirt. It said CATS RULE, DOGS DROOL. Thing number three: He was holding a closed umbrella, like he was worried about getting wet. Which, when you think about it, is kind of not the point of surfing.

Told from the viewpoint of nine-year-old Jackson, we watch as he shields his younger sister from the terrifying reality of their family’s financial uncertainty, and feel the shame that threatens to cut him off from his best friend. Applegate masterfully shows how the family’s problems play out through Jackson’s eyes, and finally resolve in a safe and satisfying ending that is true to the story’s premise.

The tone is warm and, occasionally, quirkily funny, but it doesn’t sugarcoat the effects of hunger and vulnerability. This novel adds a middle-grade perspective to the literature of imaginary friends and paints a convincing and compassionate portrait of a social class―the working poor―underrepresented in children’s books. ―The Horn Book, starred review

What books that touch on tough topics
would you recommend for young readers?

Girls with Game…how they changed baseball…& the world

18 Friday May 2018

Posted by in Baseball, Books, Nonfiction, Reading

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Girls today are encouraged to participate in almost any sport. It wasn’t that long ago when that was far from true. At the turn of the 20th century, girls were discouraged from having careers outside the home. So you know their playing professional sports was frowned upon. Remarkably, in the early 1900’s two girls in Philadelphia made their mark in professional sports, changing baseball…and the world: Edith Houghton and Effa Manley.

The Kid from Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton

By Audrey Vernick, Illustrated by Steven Salerno

The Kid From Diamond Street coverEdith Houghton was born in Philadelphia in 1912, and she always said she must’ve been “born with a baseball in my hand.” Which may have been true.

Edith was playing baseball at the age of 3, and by the time she was 6 she was magic on the field. At age 10, Edith heard about the Philadelphia Bobbies, an all-female baseball team, she tried out, and was so good she made the team.

The Bobbies were named for the bobbed haircuts the team sported. Edith was by far the youngest and smallest member of the team, and soon got the nickname The Kid. Because the Bobbies were one of the only female teams, they played against men’s teams all over the country.

The Bobbies were such a sensation, they were invited to tour Japan and play against the men’s teams there. It was quite an adventure. Vernick highlights the girls’ personalities during their travels, weaving playful scenes through the narrative of their spirited fun, enriched by Salerno’s lush illustrations.

In so many ways, the Bobbies were goodwill ambassadors for the United States and the equality of women. Later in life, Edith continued to break new ground for women in sports by becoming the first woman scout for a professional baseball team.

In May, 2006, Edith’s love for baseball was immortalized in the Diamond Dreams Exhibit in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

An engaging story that reminds readers that baseball isn’t just numbers and statistics, men and boys. Baseball is also ten-year-old girls, marching across a city to try out for a team intended for players twice their age. –Horn Book

 

She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story

By Audrey Vernick, Illustrated by Don Tate

She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story coverEffa Manely loved baseball. She played sandlot ball with her bothers as a young girl in Philadelphia in the early 1900’s. Sadly, this sparked racial prejudice because her bothers had darker skin like their father, and she had the light skin of her mother.

Effa loved watching baseball as much as playing it. So it was perfect that she met her husband at Yankee Stadium. Together they organized labor protests in Harlem and founded the Negro League team, the Newark Eagles.

Even after becoming a team owner, Manley sat in the stands “where the seats vibrated from foot-stomping excitement.” When the score was close, she’d get so excited that she’d have to peak between her white-gloved fingers, as delightfully portrayed in Don Tate’s rich illustration.She loved baseball

From her groundbreaking role as business manager and co-owner of the Newark Eagles, Effa Manley always fought for what was right.

She fought for fair salaries when some of her Eagles players moved to newly integrated major-league teams. In later years, she lobbied for her players’ recognition in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Then in 2006, Manley became the first woman to ever be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Manley was a trail blazer, fighting racial injustice throughout her life, and clearing a path for women’s equality a male-dominated field.

Hooking Reluctant Readers with Poetry & Picture Books

14 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Picture Books, poetry, Reading

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Words have power. Words open doors and change the world. Your world. Which is why reading is so important. Frederick Douglass said it best:

Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.

Boy's imagination while reading

Those who acquire the love of reading revel in the freedom it brings every time we open a book.

Girl reading a bookWhat about those who have yet to discover the wonder of reading, how can we get them hooked?

I’m sure dissertations have been written on this topic,Boy reading a book backed with data from scientific studies.

I’m no expert. But the following suggestions have worked well for hooking reluctant readers.

Hook ‘Em with Poetry … Yes, Poetry

I didn’t realize poetry was a significant gateway for reluctant readers until I heard Kwame Alexander speak at Kepler’s Books. He was there to promote The Playbook: 52 Crossover coverRules To Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life.

During the course of the evening, Kwame related his winning experiences at getting “at risk” youth excited about reading … using poetry. He explained that poetry hooks reluctant readers, because it’s short and easy to read. Once youngsters feel the satisfaction of finishing a book, they are quicker to pick up the next one.

Kwame Alexander’s Newberry Award winning book, The Crossover, is written entirely in verse and has hooked hundreds (if not thousands) of kids on reading. Kwame followed that success with Booked, a novel in verse about a star soccer player who is also a reluctant reader. Another winner for converting real-life reluctant readers.

Ellen Hopkins‘ immensely popular Crank Series is written entirely in verse, as well. Crank, the first book of the series, is required reading in many high schools. However, this series is for a more mature audience due to its focus on drug addiction.

The Power of Picture Books … Read Aloud

Reading to children when they are young is the best way to hook them on reading. Picture books provide a wonderful interactive forum for storytelling. For children that are too young to read, they can be engaged in the story, which inspires the desire to be able to read on their own one day.

As Emilie Buchwald said:

Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.

However, reading in blanket forts works its own special magic.

The magic factor for reading is “fun”. Make story time a fun activity and children will fall in love with reading…for life. If you don’t know “what” to read for a particular age group, ask your local librarian. Librarians have a wealth of knowledge they are happy to share.

Kwame Alexander supersized the fun with audience participation and musical accompaniment (by Randy Preston) as he read from his picture book Surf’s Up at Kepler’s Books. Appropriately enough, Surf’s Up is a delightful story about two frogs, an adventure, and falling in love with reading.