Format: Picture Book Nonfiction

Ruby Bridges: A Talk with My Teacher

Ruby Bridges: A Talk with My Teacher by Ruby Bridges, Trudy Tran
ISBN: 1338753940
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“Ruby Bridges: A Talk with My Teacher” is a picture book memoir by Ruby Bridges and illustrated by Trudy Tran. Ruby is back in school in 1961 after last year’s historic and momentous integration of schools (in which Ruby was the first Black student to attend a local elementary school). She looks forward to seeing her favorite teacher again, but when she gets there, Mrs. Henry is gone! The book jumps forward decades later to Bridges reconnecting with her former teacher and asking her questions. The book is short but interesting and would appeal to children interested in becoming teachers. There is a teacher glossary in the back where Bridges has added several well-known teachers throughout history. An additional purchase where picture book non-fiction is popular.

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

three-stars

Sun Bird: The Amazing Journey of the Arctic Tern by Lindsay Moore

Sun Bird: The Amazing Journey of the Arctic Tern by Lindsay MooreSun Bird: The Amazing Journey of the Arctic Tern by Lindsay Moore
on February 18, 2025
ISBN: 0063061007
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Sun Bird: The Amazing Journey of the Arctic Tern by Lindsay Moore

Sun Bird is an incredible non-fiction story of the Arctic Tern and their travels from the Arctic to the Antarctic. The illustrations are absolutely stunning and really show us the story as much as the words tell us the story. The words are artfully woven between the illustrations in a way that adds to the story while letting the illustrations be the star of the show. The author balances telling the story with giving us important information to keep us both engaged and learning. The end of the book includes more information about the Arctic Terns and shows their migration—from pole to pole! At the end of the book it also gives links to videos and resources for teachers and librarians to play. This would be a fantastic addition to any elementary library, classroom unit on animals, migration, or birds, or a differentiated or alternative text for secondary students. This is definitely a five-star read and I’m recommending it for cream of the crop!

Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

five-stars

The Girl Who Tested The Waters: Ellen Swallow, Environmental Scientist

The Girl Who Tested The Waters: Ellen Swallow, Environmental ScientistThe Girl Who Tested the Waters: Ellen Swallow, Environmental Scientist (Curious Minds) by Junyi Wu, Patricia Daniele
Published by MIT Kids Press on February 4, 2025
ISBN: 1536230057
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Ellen Swallow was born in 1842 with a love for all things in the natural world. Her family valued education and made sure she received not only a high school diploma but went on to college. Ellen then became the first woman ever admitted to MIT where she studied chemistry. She withstood the trials this brought to her and became a revered member of the student body and was offered the opportunity to study Boston’s water looking for environmental contaminants that were making people sick. From her results a water treatment plant was developed, the first of its kind which led to the water treatment facilities we all encounter in our daily lives.

The book’s content is highlighted with gorgeous illustrations and wrapped up with extensive back matter.

Ages 4-9

Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

four-stars

Ice is Nice: All About the North and South Poles

Ice is Nice: All About the North and South PolesIce is Nice! All About the North and South Poles (The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library) by Aristides Ruiz, Bonnie Worth, Joe Mathieu
Published by Random House on August 10, 2010
ISBN: 0375828850
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Facts about the earth’s poles are presented to the reader in classic Seussian rhyming styling that creates the flow through the information. Readers are provided facts about the makeup of the poles, life on the poles, arctic animals, and the earth’s axis and its impact on the poles. The main characters are the familiar Cat in the Hat and Thing One and Thing Two.

This book is chock full of information that is a great general introduction to polar basics in a relatable format. This is an updated version of a 2010 publication.

Ages 4-9

Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

four-stars

Growing Green: A First Book of Gardening

Growing Green: A First Book of GardeningGenres: Gardening
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
four-stars
From growing strawberries in galoshes to herbs in recycled tin cans, this easy-to-follow gardening book contains 15 simple projects for young gardeners. Directions are clear and written so they are easy to understand. I found when there was a string of  directions, it was unnatural to read from right-to-left, even though the steps were numbered. Bright, engaging illustrations showing a depiction of children with a variety of skin tones and accurate depictions of the steps described. Plants are common ones and accessory materials would be easy to find. A good choice for children interested in gardening.
Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library
four-stars

Birdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam Bailey

Birdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam BaileyBirdlore: The Iridescent Life of Florence Merriam Bailey by Devon Holzwarth, Jess Keating
ISBN: 059348858X
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

A tribute to Florence Merriam Bailey (1863-1948), a passionate ornithologist who revolutionized the way scientists and general nature lovers study birds. Keating introduces Florence as a child who was delighted to sit patiently in the woods to watch birds and take careful notes on their features and behavior. As an adult, she is outraged by the fashion of piling feathers and dead birds atop women’s hats and killing birds in order to study them. She popularized bird watching and promoted protective legislation. She turned her years of note taking  into field guides for professionals and the general public alike.

Although at times Keating’s language is a bit obscure, she does a huge service in making this woman’s life known to the world. Children will be aghast to learn that birds were killed in order to be studied and were also worn as fashion. Holzwarth’s illustration are colorful and lush which adds much to the enjoyment of the book. The “Author’s Note” and a set of basic bird-watching guidelines at the end of the book are informative and supplements the biography. The illustrator’s beautiful labeled gallery of common birds for readers to spot on the earlier pages (or outdoors) adds some fun. Highly recommended for animal lovers and anyone who enjoys looking at lovely illustrations. A truly wonderful example of how one person can make a difference.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

Growing Green: A First Book of Gardening

Growing Green: A First Book of GardeningGrowing Green: A First Book of Gardening by Candlewick Press, Daniela Sosa
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536235512
Genres: Non-Fiction, STEM
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

This interactive picture book walks the reader through fifteen gardening projects broken down into simple, step-by-step instructions, in language accessible to young readers ages 5-8. With a table of contents and a Getting Started page that encourages gardeners of all abilities and any amount of planting space to dive into inviting projects such as Strawberries in Rain Boots and Tin Can Herb Garden. This section also details the basic tools and supplies needed.

Each project has a two-page spread that includes a headnote with suggestions on when and where to plant; a list of materials; infographic about season, harvest, and the proper environment, and detailed steps, taking the project from preparation to harvest.  Most projects also have a “Did you know?” blurb that includes a fun fact about the plant – its history, its nutritional value, etc. All the projects are for edible plants, which adds to the appeal for young gardeners and their parents.  

The illustrations are attractive and playful mixed-media collage. They accompany each step, which are seen as progressing along a vine on numbered leaves. Originally published in the U.K., there are a few words (“cressheads” and “peat-free”, for example) that might be unfamiliar but aren’t distracting. All measurements are given in metric and imperial units. Occasionally, there are instructions with non-specific quantities (a “large” pot), where specifics would be helpful.

Families and classrooms interested in hands-on gardening projects will find this book delightful and engaging. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.

 Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MILS
K-2 School Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

four-stars

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His VoiceOde to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice by Bryan Collier, Kari Lavelle
on July 30, 2024
ISBN: 059337276X
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Cultural / African American, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

James Earl Jones stuttered as a child. He didn’t want the teacher to call on him in class, and there were many times he tried to speak and no words came out at all. He found it easier to simply not speak, nodding or using other non-verbal communication instead. While he didn’t speak, James listened intently to the news, stories, music, and poetry. One day he received a shipment of grapefruit in the winter, and became so inspired by the fruit that he wrote a poem and recited it in front of his entire poetry class. While he still stuttered on occasion, he found his voice through the beauty of rhythm and poetry, and began to share what would become the legendary sound of his voice with the world. This is an inspirational non-fiction tale, especially for anyone with a stutter or other speech delay. The watercolor and collage illustrations are full of emotion, and capture both the times of struggle and success. The book also contains helpful back matter about the life of James Earl Jones and stuttering. Recommended for ages 6 to 7 (Grades 1 to 2).

Reviewed by: Jenn Mead, Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell

four-stars

Love is hard work: The art and heart of Corita Kent

Love is hard work: The art and heart of Corita KentLove Is Hard Work: The Art and Heart of Corita Kent by Dan Paley, Victoria Tentler-Krylov
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536220329
Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

In this picture book biography, the reader is immersed in the Pop Art movement through the life of Corita Kent, known familiarly as Sister Corita. The narrative starts at the beginning, with Frances Elizabeth Kent’s interest in art as a young girl in 1930, and follows her through her studies, her life in the Order of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, her evolution as a nun, artist and teacher seeking to make social change in the world through her audacious serigraphs and watercolors, to her dispensation of her vows in 1968, to leave behind the restrictions placed upon her as a religious woman by the Roman Catholic Church.

Paley’s book emphasizes how Kent used the power of the written word within her visual art to open viewers’ minds to the injustices in the world. Paley is particularly successful at giving Kent’s life context within the historic events happening all around her. Kent is seen as a product of and a revolutionary against this backdrop. The text within the book incorporates striking elements, such as bold, capital letters in red, that mirror her style. The illustrations (created with watercolors and digital tools) are vibrant, and graphic – much like Kent’s art. Her work and life after 1968 are encapsulated in a couple of pages.

Audiences in New England may know Sister Corita through “Rainbow Swash”, the common name of the multi-colored design painted on the side of the Boston Gas tank in 1972, that instantly became a landmark for anyone driving through Boston. (This artwork is not referenced in Paley’s book.)

Love is Hard Work could serve as a middle school text demonstrating the importance of Pop Art on culture and the influence of historic events on Pop Art, through the lens of Corita Kent. The story and illustrations are captivating. As a nonfiction narrative, it would benefit from thumbnails of her art works in the back matter to provide more information about the specific pieces of art referenced in the text and illustrations in the body of the book.

Recommended for public libraries and school libraries where picture book biographies are popular.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MILS
Scarborough K-2 School Librarian

four-stars

Outspoken Paul Robeson Ahead of His Time: A One-Man Show by Carole Boston Weatherford & Eric Velasquez

Outspoken Paul Robeson Ahead of His Time: A One-Man Show by Carole Boston Weatherford & Eric VelasquezOutspoken: Paul Robeson, Ahead of His Time: A One-Man Show by Carole Boston Weatherford, Eric Velásquez
Published by Candlewick Press on 2024
ISBN: 1536212970
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

In this first person narration, biographical, picture book in verse, Newbery Honor Winner Carole Boston Weatherford steps into the shoes of the multitalented Paul Robeson.  Those talents expand to All-American Football, baseball, and basketball player, valedictorian of Rutger class of 1919, Columbian Law Degree recipient, actor, singer, and activist.  His impact reached far and wide as he traveled around the world, using his amazing voice and strong influence to, “…speak out against the injustices against the Negro people of this land… fighting for the rights of my people, who are still second-class sitizens in this United States.”  There are so many things to say about this remarkable man, but you just have to read the book to learn more.  

While this is a “picture book,” it is written for a middle grade and older audience.  The verse is layered with lyrics from spirituals and folk songs.  The illustrations by Eric Valasquez are exquisite and add a lot to understanding the wonderful and tragic events of Robeson’s life.  The back of the book contains a timeline of Robeson’s life as well as a bibliography for further reading.

Reviewed by Heidi Kopishke, Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME.

five-stars