Ketanji: Justice Jackson’s Journey to the U. S. Supreme Court

January 16, 2024January 16, 2024

Ketanji: Justice Jackson's Journey to the U.S. Supreme Court by Kekla Magoon, Laura Freeman
on June 20, 2023
ISBN: 0063296160
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

An aspirational picture book biography about Ketanji Jackson, the first Black female Supreme Court justice. Her parents named her Ketanji, which means “lovely one,” dressed her in dashikis, and kept her hair natural. More importantly they helped her to develop pride and belief in herself and her future. As a young person, she was elected class president, competed on the debate team, and performed with an improv group. She excelled at Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She married, had two daughters, and held 10 different law-related positions before being nominated to the Supreme Court. Magoon’s straightforward prose allows Ketanji’s life story to speak for itself. The theme of Ketanji’s “shining star” connects the phases of her life and shows how she found her purpose. Freeman’s digital illustrations depict spreads showing loving relationships in her family – both with her parents and her husband and two children – as well as being a positive role model in all aspects of her life. Including her daughter Leila’s letter to then President Obama asking that he consider her mother for fill a seat on the Supreme Court was heartwarming, although the nomination did not come until many years later. I am normally not a fan of picture book biographies, but this one was inspirational and causes me to want to read more about her. Recommended for all libraries.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Stone Age Beasts

January 8, 2024January 17, 2024

Stone Age Beasts by Ben Lerwill, Grahame Baker-Smith
Published by Candlewick Press on November 7, 2023
ISBN: 1536231347
Genres: Animals, Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a much needed informational book about the Stone Age – after the dinosaurs and before modern day. After introducing the Stone Age, this colorful book presents some of the large, now-extinct animals that roamed the world back then. Likely the only one you will be familiar with is the wooly mammoth, which also graces the enticing cover. On each double-paged spread is an entry on a creature along with a range map and fact box featuring a stylized human silhouette for scale. Each beast radiates a ferocious, feral presence that will rivet young viewers. A Conclusion and Glossary are included at the end but I would have liked to see a Bibliography that list where the author and illustrator gleaned their information.

Wacky Weather: All About Odd Weather Events

January 3, 2024

Wacky Weather: All About Odd Weather Events (The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library) by Alan Batson, Aristides Ruiz, Todd Tarpley
Series: The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
ISBN: 0593433831
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Part of The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library. With a little help from Thing One and Thing Two, the Cat in the Hat introduces beginning readers to 17 strange but true weather events. A lot of information about Northern lights, waterspouts, dust devils, ball lightning, snow donuts, fire whirls, red sprites, sundogs, ice tsunamis, clouds shaped like UFOs and cinnamon rolls, diamond rain, and metallic snow is packed into this rhyming text. A fun introduction that likely will cause young learners to further research these topics.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Bears Are Best!: The scoop about how we sniff, sneak, snack, and snooze!

November 7, 2023

Bears Are Best!: The scoop about how we sniff, sneak, snack, and snooze! by Joan Holub, Laurie Keller
ISBN: 0525645330
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

It was difficult to decide if this should be classified as fiction or nonfiction, but there is a lot of factual information about bears so decided on nonfiction. This tongue-in-cheek introduction to the bear family follows a similar design as I Am the Shark (2021) by the same author and illustrator. Each bear believes it is unique but discovers there are other species. Readers will meet a brown bear, a polar bear, an American black bear, a sloth bear, a spectacled bear, a sun bear, a giant panda, and an Asiatic black bear and learn about their distinguishing physical features, habits and habitats, and favorite foods. Finally, a bear-masked octopus tries to join the group, which leads to them discussing bears’ many similarities. The author concludes with a summary of the eight species and reminders that bears can be dangerous but are also threatened around the world. Lighthearted illustrations feature cartoon animals with large eyes and makes use of a fair amount of speech bubbles. This book will appeal to ages 5-9 who like information with a dose of comedy.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

Cantora Mercedes Sosa, La Voz de Latinoamerica

October 24, 2023October 24, 2023

Cantora (Spanish Edition): Mercedes Sosa, la voz de Latinoamérica by Melisa Fernández Nitsche
ISBN: 0593704991
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

“Cantora Mercedes Sosa, La Voz de Latinoamerica” by Melisa Fernandez Nitsche is a picture book biography about Argentiniean singer and activist Mercedes Sosa. We start with Mercedes’ childhood in Argentina, growing up among the sounds of the cicadas and the smell of oranges. She enters a radio competition under a false name and wins handily. From there her singing career took off. She sang songs about poverty and injustice and was called the voice for those who have no voice. The government dictatorship arrested her and she then fled to Europe and spent three years in exile before returning to the country she loved to continue singing.

The illustrations are stylized and colorful. The back of the book contains a note from the author, a timeline, playlist, and selected sources, so there is a lot of supplemental information given in case readers want to learn even more about Mercedes Sosa. Recommended for ages 6 to 8, this book is a suggested purchase for all youth biography sections. I read the Spanish edition of this book.

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

Kaboom!

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts (-) by Jessica Kulekjian, Zoe Si
Published by Kids Can Press ISBN: 1525306499
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The story of a volcanic eruption told from the point of view of the volcano. The volcano’s voice is quite poetic – “A little whisper hisses through my magma chamber.” And “My bubbles boil, pop and burst. I shout … “KABOOM!” The cartoon illustrations of a volcano, especially the one that looks like he is trying not to vomit, are amusing. The aside narrations from a red bird are displayed with speech bubbles and offers more scientific explanations. e.g. “Pee-ew! Hot stinky gases beneath the volcano push melted rock, called magma, into a pool known as the magma chamber.” The playful tone of this informational book makes it a good choice to read aloud, although I would read the volcano’s story through, and then go back and read the red bird’s more scientific additions. The four pages in the back also add scientific facts: Phases of Volcanoes, Anatomy of a Volcano, Common Types of Volcanoes, and Author’s Selected Sources. Overall, a splendid introduction to volcanoes for kindergarten – third graders.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

A is for Australian Reefs

October 7, 2023

A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac
Published by Candlewick, Candlewick Press on June 13, 2023
ISBN: 1536228303
Pages: 48
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Nonfiction, Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Many alphabet books are done in service to an interesting subject that doesn’t bear up well under the pressure of having to come up with a compelling entry for each letter of the alphabet. A is for Australian Reefs is a marvelous example of an alphabet book that is delightful in its own right and has fascinating and factual entries for even the most challenging letters (looking at you, xanthid crabs!). The book is well-organized; within the alphabetical order, the author has carefully selected entries that take the reader from the big picture (A is for Australian Reefs, B is for Biodiversity) to individual species and subspecies.

Each full-bleed two-page spread illustrated entry starts with a prominent image of the letter (which contains a depiction of the exemplar for the entry), a broad overview of the entry subject and a number of interesting detailed facts within each entry on the subject, many focused on the important role many species play in balancing the ecosystem. Did you know that “sea cucumber poop contains several substances that fertilize coral, helping it grow”? The illustrations are realistic and whimsical, drawing the reader from fact to fact to fact.

Readers between ages of 7-10 who love browsable nonfiction and are interested in ocean life will find this a terrific read. This beautiful book is specific to Australia but wider issues like conservation and coral reef protection are included. Teachers looking to discuss nonfiction or conservation and ocean life could introduce the text to students by reading the generalized entries at the top of each page, and simply browsing the illustrations. Highly recommended.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS Young School Library Saco, ME

How Do You Spell Unfair? MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee

October 7, 2023October 7, 2023

How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherford, Frank Morrison
Published by Candlewick Press on April 11, 2023
Pages: 40
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

It is 1936 and MacNolia Cox is a finalist in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC where she, and another girl from New Jersey, are the first African American students to compete in the contest. MacNolia Cox is a compelling character students will identify with. Concise, declarative sentences describe Cox’s experience coming from a strong and African American community in Akron, Ohio, where her accomplishments were celebrated. In segregated Maryland and Washington, DC, Weatherford lets the facts speak for themselves, and the history feels present. Morrison’s illustrations show us a young woman that holds her head high in the face of systematic racism designed to weaken her resolve; his use of historic details remind us of the “when”.

The front matter and back matter contain a select bibliography and epilogue that provide context and enrich the reader’s understanding. Weatherford doesn’t editorialize but the author’s voice comes through the words spelled out in the prose, and will lend an interactive element to a class read-aloud for younger students and as an opportunity to offer powerful context to older students, around spelling bee time (January/February). If used as a read-aloud with older students, do include Weatherford’s electrifying foreword.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS Young School Librarian, Saco

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.