Format: Picture Book Nonfiction

Joni: The Lyrical Life of Joni Mitchell

Joni: The Lyrical Life of Joni MitchellJoni: The Lyrical Life of Joni Mitchell by Selina Alko
Published by HarperCollins on February 25, 2020
ISBN: 0062671294
Pages: 48
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This picture book biography is beautifully written and illustrated. The illustrations consist of acrylic paint, collage, found objects, and wild flowers. They are full of detail drawing the reader in so as not to miss anything. Joni’s story begins in a small town in Canada. As a child, Joni painted, played piano, danced, and then contracted polio. She recovered and was encouraged by a teacher in junior high to look deep inside herself. Later, her music took her to many places. She connected and worked with a variety of other musicians. She created the artwork of many of her own album covers. She experimented with different types of music. Her life story is an inspiration to budding musicians and artists. The author’s note relates her personal connection to Joni Mitchell. A discography and bibliography are included.

Reviewed by Kris Zuidema, retired school librarian, Standish

four-stars

How to Write a Story

How to Write a StoryHow to Write a Story by Kate Messner, Mark Siegel
Published by Chronicle Books on July 7, 2020
ISBN: 1452156662
Pages: 36
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Need a basic primer for elementary students? This would make a great anchor text for students who just don’t know where to start or what to do next when they feel stalled. Is this a complete writing manual? No. Is this useful for framing creative writing and mini-lessons? Absolutely. 

It reads like a story of someone telling the reader ten basic steps in the writing process, beginning with collecting ideas (lots of them!) and almost ending with sharing your story. It says that sharing your story is not the end of writing, as then it’s time to “…start searching for a new idea that wants to be written…”

Colorful illustrations follow a young writer as she explores and considers many ways to start and continue her story. Some pages show parts of a hand-written story; others show imagination bubbles where the writer is thinking. 

Even though the audience, at first glance, seems to be children, any age could use this as a basic framework that encourages thinking, exploring, and discovery of stories that want to be written. This could also be used as a companion book to Messner’s 2015 “How to Read a Story.”

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

four-stars

On Wings of Words

On Wings of WordsOn Wings of Words: The Extraordinary Life of Emily Dickinson by Becca Stadtlander, Jennifer Berne
Published by Chronicle Books on February 18, 2020
ISBN: 1452142971
Pages: 52
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

If you are familiar with Emily Dickinson, this book is for you. If you are not familiar with her or her work, this book is for you. This 19th century poet and her work still have relevance and meaning  today. The author, Berne, has used a tiny sample of Dickinson’s writings to illustrate her life.

The text is spread out across the pages, sometimes phrases, single sentences, or short paragraphs, making the content accessible. Historical accuracy in the soft illustrations is maintained where possible’ many of the illustrations place Emily outdoors, giving the reader a sense of her love of nature. Pieces of her poems are handwritten in the endpages and on occasional pages, deepening the reader’s understanding and appreciation for her work.

Paired with other picture books about Dickinson, such as “Emily” by Michael Bedard, and “My Uncle Emily” by Jane Yolen, middle elementary readers (and older readers!) will enjoy a multi-faceted picture of this poet of whom much is speculated. This would also be very useful for figurative language studies.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

four-stars

Flight For Freedom: The Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape from East Germany

Flight For Freedom: The Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape from East GermanyFlight for Freedom: The Wetzel Family’s Daring Escape from East Germany by Kristen Fulton, Torben Kuhlmann
ISBN: 1452149607
Genres: Historical Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Quick. Make a list of all the ways someone might escape from East Germany during the Cold War… 

Did you have ‘balloon flight’ on your list? I didn’t either, until I read this incredible account of not only one, but two families who made their escape in a home-made hot-air balloon!

This event is made accessible to middle elementary readers as historical fiction with clear but informative sentences and limited text on each page. The reader is introduced to young Peter Wetzel and how he lives with the differences between life in the East and West. The events leading up to the final escape attempt and the escape are told through Peter’s eyes. Upper elementary readers would find this an easy to understand account of a dramatic true event.

Realistic photos, some double-pages spreads and some single, with dark, shadowed tones appropriate to the confinement and night time escape. A map of their route from East Germany to West appears on the end pages. Back matter includes information on how their balloon was made and functioned, author notes, photos of the actual balloon and landing site sign, and the Cold War and the Berlin Wall. 

Highly recommended for all post-WWII collections and historical fiction shelves. This could be used with middle to upper elementary readers as an introduction to the Cold War, personal narrative writing lessons, or historical fiction examples.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town

five-stars

What do you do if you work at the zoo?

What do you do if you work at the zoo?What Do You Do If You Work at the Zoo? by Robin Page, Steve Jenkins
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on April 28, 2020
ISBN: 0544387597
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

This is a great early nonfiction book that can serve many purposes. It could be a great dual reader as there are simple sentences followed by more detailed paragraphs. It could be a great launching point for more research into life as a zookeeper. It also introduces readers to animals they may otherwise not know, and it gives them a little information about something that makes them unique. The paper collage style illustrations will keep kids’ attention and help to bring the animals to life. The back pages include more information about zoo controversy (captivity vs. education), the role of zookeepers, even more info about the animals in the book, and a resource list. A recommended purchase for public libraries. Recommended for readers 4 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

Becoming a Good Creature

Becoming a Good CreatureBecoming a Good Creature by Rebecca Green, Sy Montgomery
on October 6, 2020
ISBN: 0358252105
Genres: Animals, Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Based on the New York Times best-selling memoir, How to Be a Good Creature, this picture book will delight young naturalists and animal lovers of all ages. The first line of the book really sets the tone, “School is not the only place to find a teacher.” It then goes on through the author’s life and the various teachers she’s had: a dog, emus, apes, lions, sharks, and more.

This book exposes kids to many amazing creatures in the world, but it fails to take reality into account for many kids. The author has obviously been very privileged throughout her life with the ability to travel and explore in this way. She’s also clearly been lucky in her animal encounters, both in her ability to see things and also her ability to stay safe while doing so. That being said, this book will spark curiosity and a drive to explore in many children. The illustrations are very colorful and beautifully depict the animals described. Recommended for readers 3 and up.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars

The Spirit of Springer

The Spirit of SpringerThe Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca by Amanda Abler, Levi Hastings
Published by Little Bigfoot on February 4, 2020
ISBN: 1632172127
Pages: 48
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

The Spirit of Springer might be exactly what I needed today. It’s a gentle and interesting reminder that there are good people everywhere, people that have dedicated their lives to helping others, human or otherwise.

When orphaned, two-year-old orca Springer is found 300 miles from her home it’s up to scientists to reunite her with her pod. It’s not easy; Springer is malnourished and lonely and is more interested in befriending boats than eating. Through perseverance they rebuild her strength and take her back to where she can find her family.

Straightforward and nicely illustrated, The Spirit of Springer would be great for reading aloud to a classroom learning about orcas, animal rehabilitation, or kindness. Or for a classroom (or family) just looking for an enjoyable book to read.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature.

Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature.Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Freya Hartas, Rachel Williams
Published by Harry N. Abrams on September 1, 2020
ISBN: 1419748386
Pages: 128
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars
This volume invites the reader to “slow down” and enjoy 50 nature moments- each told like a story. Some take place over a period of time – a butterfly from a chrysalis, mama bird and her growing new babies, and some shorter – formation of a rainbow or cloud, or a bat catching dinner. Each story consists of a simple act of nature we might miss is our haste.

Each snippet of nature is presented on a double page spread and is rendered in pen and ink and is accurate, detailed with a clear general text and small more detailed text around the illustrations.    The  author presents these simple workings of nature in hopes that  the reader will go out and experience some of the ones found in the book and finding new ones to experience. It invites the reader to take a breath, listen, look, and feel the nature all around you.  There are additional pages suggesting further reading and a selected bibliography in the back of the book.

Use this  with environmental and nature  units, art units and discussions on what we see, hear and see each day.                                                                                                                                                              Gr K-4                        Submitted by Kathy George, Gray Public Library, Gray Maine            (  cream)

five-stars

The Curious Story of Edward Gorey

The Curious Story of Edward GoreyNonsense! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey by Chloe Bristol, Lori Mortensen
Published by Versify on March 24, 2020
ISBN: 0358033683
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars
“The Curious Story of Edward Gorey,” is a lovely picture book biography about the life of a most creative writer and artist!  Edward Gorey was born in Chicago in 1925 and as a child loved to scribble and sketch. He went to Harvard where Edward followed his own rules  “so different from the campus crowds that passed him by in stuffy white shirts and ties.” Moving to NYC in in 1953 he worked in the art department of a big publisher. Tiring of working on other people’s stories , he began to write his own  some of which had “odd and unfortunate endings.” In Edward’s stories, anything might happen!  HIs  his work was continually rejected by publishers so he launched his own publishing company Fantod Press .  Edward believed people should use their imaginations to figure out his stories. He particularly enjoyed making anagrams of his own name: such as,  Odgred Weary, Dreary Wodge, and Wee Graddory.  It would be the “height of folly” to take his work seriously, said Edward.  It was just Edward being Edward, with a hatful of nonsense thrown in.  The story is written from Edward’s point of view.

The illustrations in this book by Chloe Bristol compliment the story well. She uses pen and ink drawings and they nicely reflect  a feeling of the time period in which Edward lived. .

A great resource to use when studying “interesting and creative ” people or when doing a unit on biographies.  Also good for  encouraging  children to pursue their own dreams and  to be  proud of who they are!  Indeed Edward Gorey was an interesting man who enjoyed making “Nonsense.”

 

Reviewed by Connie M. Smith, Breakwater School, Portland, ME

four-stars

If You Take Away the Otter

If You Take Away the OtterIf You Take Away the Otter by Matthew Trueman, Susannah Buhrman-Deever
ISBN: 0763689343
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars
This book is a gorgeous exploration of what really happened in the Pacific Northwest following the over hunting of sea otters. From the loss of the otters, to the expansion of sea urchins, to the eventual decline of the kelp forests, this book walks readers through the devastating effects of removing a keystone species.

The text is easy to follow and is accompanied by some well researched asides with further scientific information. The back pages have even more information about the ecosystem as well as lists of resources (both print and web-based) for readers to explore more. The illustrations are high color, and gorgeous. They really bring the ocean scenes to life. I especially enjoyed the highlight of the sea urchin’s five, self-sharpening teeth. Recommended for readers 4 and up but would be enjoyed by even older kids who are ocean science enthusiasts.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME

four-stars