Spark, Shine, Glow! What a Light Show!

October 7, 2023January 17, 2024

Spark, Shine, Glow!: What a Light Show by James Yang, Lola M. Schaefer
Published by Greenwillow Books on May 23, 2023
ISBN: 006245711X
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

This informational picture book does an impressive job of explaining what light is, and how different aspects of light and its function are a part of our everyday lives. Schaefer uses broad strokes to explain light, and impressively, does it all in rhyme. The endpages show simple line drawings of different kinds of light, natural and artificial. A glossary in the back explains some of the concepts used in the book more fully. The well-paced text and dynamic illustrations offer the just-right level of explanation to science for younger audiences. Readers a little older may find the book leaves many questions about light unanswered.

This could be an excellent introductory text for a unit on light for K-2 classrooms. Recommended for school libraries and public libraries looking for STEM books for young scientists.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS Young School Librarian, Saco

Ready, Set, Run! The Amazing New York City Marathon

September 15, 2023

Ready, Set, Run!: The Amazing New York City Marathon by Jessie Hartland, Leslie Kimmelman
ISBN: 0593433653
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars

“Ready, Set, Run! The Amazing New York City Marathon” by Leslie Kimmelman and Jessie Hartland is a non-fiction picture book that gives a fun and brightly colored introduction to the NYC Marathon. Running the NYC Marathon is a big deal, as the book points out. The book gives fun facts (did you know that since 1979, a high school band at mile 9 plays the Rocky theme song repeatedly until all the runners have passed by!) and brings readers along the marathon route. Funny and interesting, this book is geared towards kids ages 4 to 8. A good additional purchase for libraries with large picture book non-fiction sections and definitely for collections near NYC.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

Jackie Ormes Draw the Future: The Remarkable Life of a Pioneering Cartoonist

September 7, 2023September 7, 2023

Jackie Ormes Draws the Future: The Remarkable Life of a Pioneering Cartoonist by Liz Montague
Published by Random House Studio on May 16, 2023
ISBN: 0593426541
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Jackie Ormes Draws the Future is a biography about the artist Jackie Ormes. The book’s illustrations are an homage to Ormes’s drawing style and highlight the ebbs and flows of the story well. The biography spotlights her life from childhood through to her final largest illustrative success: Patty-Jo. An oft-overlooked figure in American history, this is a worthwhile supplement to any biography section.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library, Bath

One Tiny Treefrog: A Countdown to Survival

September 7, 2023

One Tiny Treefrog: A Countdown to Survival by Tony Piedra, Mackenzie Joy
Published by Candlewick Press on February 14, 2023
ISBN: 1536219487
Pages: 43
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

One Tiny Treefrog is a counting nonfiction book that takes young readers through the life cycle of a treefrog, starting with 10 tadpoles growing in their eggs and ending with 1 treefrog. Along the way, the tadpoles encounter predators, causing their numbers to decrease. This book is a gentle introduction for young children to predators. The bold, colorful illustrations dominate each page and include the English and Latin names for the predators. The text is minimal with only one sentence or less per page. Most of the content is found in the back matter including information about the predators and a diagram of the red-eyed treefrog life cycle. This book would be great for preschool age kids who love animals and are ready to start learning about natural selection. Kids will no doubt love the vivid illustrations that capture the Costa Rican habitat of the treefrog.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration

September 6, 2023

We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration by Robert Furrow, Donna Jo Napoli, Marc Martin
Published by Random House Studio on May 9, 2023
ISBN: 0593381637
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Told from the perspective of a flock of starlings, this book is a good introduction to the magic of starling murmuration. It starts with just two of the birds on a chilly morning. They take to the sky and meet up with more starlings. Before you know it, the flock has grown to millions of birds. The flapping of so many wings makes a murmur that can be heard below on the ground. They have become a murmuration of starlings. The text explains how the birds are allies and have fun together in the sky. The back matter provides more in-depth information on the birds that the overall story lacks. The illustrations are amazing and do an excellent job showing the scale of the single bird versus the entire flock in the sky. The color palette done in watercolor, pencil, and digital collage is soft and blurry, and somewhat dreamlike. A very basic story that has beautiful pages to view, but could use more details and information on what starlings do besides fly. This informational picture book for ages three to nine, may entice readers to learn more about these interesting birds.

Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library

Hello, World! Kids’ Guides: Exploring Sharks

September 6, 2023

Hello, World! Kids' Guides: Exploring Sharks by Jill McDonald
Published by Doubleday Books for Young Readers on August 2, 2022
ISBN: 0593564812
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

The Hello, World! board book series has expanded into the picture book genre offering a new series of kids’ guides for older readers. This book, Exploring Sharks will not disappoint young readers with its engaging format chock full of fascinating information and detailed illustrations. The story begins with the statement that sharks get a bad rap. Humans are more dangerous to sharks than sharks are to humans and that sharks are important to the health of the Earth’s oceans. Following is a diagram of a shark’s body parts. The book continues with a variety of sharks — each getting a two-page spread that includes: an illustration, general information, a stats callout, and a question for the reader. The final pages ask if the reader would like to work with sharks and discusses various occupations they could choose to help sharks. The back page includes a Sources and Further Reading Page. Overall, a strong addition to a school or public library that could use more shark books.

Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library

Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe

September 6, 2023

Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner, Margaret E. Powell, Erin K Robinson
Published by Chronicle Books on October 18, 2022
ISBN: 1452161607
Pages: 56
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Fashion designer Ann Lowe was the first nationally known African American fashion designer. Ann was an inspiring woman, not only for her contributions to the fashion world but also for her efforts in breaking racial barriers. Award-winning author Kate Messner and costume historian Margaret Powell team up with fashion designer and illustrator Erin Robinson to tell Ann’s colorful and important story.

Raised in Alabama, Ann learned her skills from her grandmother and mother. With a combination of hard work and passion, she rose to the top of the fashion world, creating gowns that were worn by the rich and famous — from celebrities to first ladies. One of her most famous dresses was the wedding dress worn by Jaqueline Kennedy. The digital art is colorful and detailed and fills up the pages showcasing Ann’s amazing designs. The back pages have more in-depth information on Ann’s life, a bibliography, and quotations. Also included are photographs that include advertising pamphlets, a paper pattern of designs, and a custom-made bridal gown worn by a client. An excellent informational picture book for readers aged five to 10 .

Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library

Hooray for DNA! How a Bear and a Bug are A Lot Like Us

September 6, 2023

Hooray for DNA!: How a Bear and a Bug Are a Lot Like Us by Pauline Thompson, Greg Pizzoli
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on April 25, 2023
ISBN: 0593427041
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
three-stars

An exploration of DNA presented in a rhyming, simplistic format for young readers. The picture book’s emphasis — that our shared DNA makes us all family — hits the mark. The colorful and cartoon-like mixed-media illustrations of diverse children in a school setting fill up each page. The story, however, is light on details and could have more substance if some of the facts from the back pages were incorporated into the main storyline. The back pages include more detailed information on what makes DNA so special, what DNA looks like, and why DNA makes you alive. Also included is an enrichment activity — a DNA scavenger hunt, along with a resource list that includes books, videos, and websites. An informational picture book that will work as a starting point to introduce DNA for readers ages 5 to 9.

Reviewed by Terri Bauld, Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library

Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem

September 2, 2023

Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem by Melissa Stewart, Rob Dunlavey
Published by Random House Studio on March 14, 2023
ISBN: 0593380606
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a unique examination of a food chain through the lens of what happens when a whale dies and its body sinks to the ocean floor and becomes an energy-rich food source for organisms living in the deep sea. The text is easy to read and packed with intriguing information about little-known marine life. The illustrations are stunning although sometimes very dark, though the setting is the bottom of the ocean. The frequent circular insets add much to the informative text. “More About Whale Falls” (who even knew that “whale falls” was scientific a term?) and a variety of ocean species are present at the back of the book, along with an extensive Selected Sources. Fascinating book that is recommended for all libraries.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story about an Amazing Swimmer

September 2, 2023

Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story about an Amazing Swimmer by Lynne Cox, Richard Jones
Published by Anne Schwartz Books on January 10, 2023
ISBN: 0593425685
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Yoshi, a loggerhead sea turtle, swims farther than any animal in recorded history, 23,000 miles!, to return to the beach where she first hatched to lay her own eggs. Follow Yoshi from birth to her swim across the Indian Ocean to being trapped in a fishing net, and then rescued by a fisherman, rehabilitated at an aquarium, and tracked by satellite on her journey back across the ocean to lay eggs on the beach in Australia. The watercolor illustrations are lovely, particularly the graphic of the map of Africa that indicates her journey across the Indian Ocean. Author’s Note about loggerhead turtles includes information about their being on the endangered species list. A remarkable true story to add to a library’s nonfiction collection.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library