Format: Picture Book Nonfiction

Awesome Earth

Awesome EarthAwesome Earth: Concrete Poems Celebrate Caves, Canyons, and Other Fascinating Landforms by Joan Bransfield Graham, Tania García
Published by Clarion Books ISBN: 0358396042
Genres: Nature, Poetry
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Both young poets and scientists will enjoy this book of concrete poems about the wide variety of earth’s landforms. Each page explores a landform that is described by a poem whose text structure corresponds to the geological feature itself. The poems are easy to process and the illustrations are effective and simple enough to let the text catch the reader’s eye. There are a few pages of back matter that provide additional information about the land masses in traditional paragraph form. A good resource for either a poetry or earth science unit for younger grades.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Cicely Tyson

Cicely TysonCicely Tyson by Renée Watson
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks on November 5, 2024
Pages: 48
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Cicely Tyson’s story shines in this celebration of her life and accomplishments. Written in verse this picture book biography showcases her life from childhood in New York City through her career and up to her death in 2021. Her story is synonymous with Black History and culture in the United States.
The corresponding illustrations are as vibrant as the text and tell the story in equal measure. This book is a beautiful look into the life of a strong and loved Black figure in the United States.

Ages 6-9

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

five-stars

Alex’s Field Guides: But Where Do Sea Turtles Live?

Alex’s Field Guides: But Where Do Sea Turtles Live?But Where Do Sea Turtles Live? (Alex's Field Guides, 3) by Elina Ellis
ISBN: 1525306766
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
four-stars

An exciting third book in this series, Alex and her friends generate questions and answers in an exploration of sea turtles. Ellis carefully blends storytelling elements with informational pages presented as a journal. While this approach has the potential to create an abrupt and disjointed book, segues are masterful, and everything makes perfect sense in the order it is presented.

Illustrations reflect racially diverse characters, and science-loving readers will devour the fascinating information about sea turtles. A charming, solid read. Recommended for all libraries serving children in grades 1-2, especially those looking to add to their nonfiction picture book selection.

Reviewed by Kristi Favaloro, Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta.

four-stars

Is This a Tiger?

Is This a Tiger?Is This a Tiger? (Alex's Field Guides, #2) by Elina Ellis
Series: Alex's Field Guides #2
Published by Kids Can Press on September 3, 2024
ISBN: 1525306758
Genres: Animals, Nature
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Alex, who knows everything about tigers, is going to show one to Atticus, who has never seen one at all. However, Alex is stingy with her details, only divulging one at a time to poor Atticus. When Alex says tigers are stripy, Atticus comes back with a zebra and some lemurs. When she tells him tigers have big teeth, he comes up with a walrus and a shark! Then she divulges that tigers are nocturnal, so he visits with bats and, unfortunately, a stinky skunk.

Interspersed with all the potentially life-threatening (occasionally unpleasant) hints, the reader keeps seeing pages from Alex’s Tiger Journal which does provide important facts about tigers. For example, there are various species of tiger and the remaining ones are endangered. In the end, Atticus finally combines all the clues and finds a real, live tiger. The final colorful, humorous illustration is of Alex pulling her friend to safety. The end of the book includes a guide to the non-tiger animals they met along the way, as well as a list of Resources including ways we can help and where to find additional information about tigers.

This book is recommended for 4-8 year-olds. I think it would make for an uneven read-aloud since the journal pages contain much more information and smaller illustrations than the rest of the book. However, the main story with the two kids is humorous, colorful, and lively.

Recommended by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

four-stars

The Pharaoh vs. the Felines

The Pharaoh vs. the FelinesThe Pharaoh vs. the Felines (Head-to-Head History, 3) by Anna Kwan, J.F. Fox
Series: Head-to-Head History #3
Published by Kids Can Press on 2024
ISBN: 1525306529
Genres: History, Humor, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

In a lively depiction of an actual battle between the Egyptians and the Persians that took place in 525 BCE, the author explains how the Persian ruler Cambyses II managed to use cats to defeat the mighty Egyptian army and became the ruler of their country. With a plethora of cat puns and humorous illustrations, Fox explains why cats were so important to the Egyptian people and how felines came to be worshipped as gods within their culture. Cats were regarded as protectors both of their Earthly families and of their afterlives. Had Cambyses not been gravely insulted by the Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II, he probably would never have come up with the clever plan to use the Egyptian reverence for cats to his very successful advantage.

Fox uses humor and lively illustrations to keep the story interesting. This book is recommended for 5-8 year-olds, especially those who are curious about Egyptian history and, naturally, cats. The end of the book includes a Timeline, Glossary, and Sources.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

four-stars

Dive, Dive into the Night Sea

Dive, Dive into the Night SeaDive, Dive into the Night Sea by Thea Lu
Published by Candlewick Studio on 2024
ISBN: 153623415X
Genres: Oceans, Nature, Adventure, Animals
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

This truly unique picture book follows a lone diver who descends into the sea at night to discover a surprising underwater world and its residents. The book itself is horizontally aligned, rather than vertically, with two-page spreads that are mainly shades of black and gray, occasionally brightened by the yellow and white of the diver’s light and the full moon. The book also boasts a series of flaps that reveal further details, via both illustrations and text, about the various flora and fauna encountered during the dive. Unfortunately, this additional text is the reason why I do not consider this book a Cream-of-the-Crop nominee. The informative text is printed in a much smaller blue font on a very dark background, making it nearly illegible. Otherwise, this book is truly unusual, intriguing, and informative.

Recommended for 5-8 year olds who are interested in ocean life and diving.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

five-stars

The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World

The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our WorldThe Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World by Dean Robbins, Matt Tavares
Published by Alfred A. Knopf on August 20, 2024
ISBN: 0593479254
Genres: Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

With simple, straightforward text and realistic drawings this book tells the story of mapmaking from cave drawings and bone carvings to modern satellite imagery. It includes numerous types of maps such as papyrus, stone tablets, papier-mache globes, and computer-generated maps. The author also explains how mapmaking has evolved from trying to record what could be directly observed about the physical world, to using compasses and theodolites, to using satellites and lasers. The end of the book includes a timeline with very helpful illustrations, notes, lists of information about mapmakers, and a bibliography. The illustrator, Matt Tavares, lives in Maine.

Recommended for 4-8 year-olds, this book would make an attractive, informative introduction for young readers interested in cartography.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library

four-stars

Brown Bears

Brown BearsBrown Bears by Colleen Larmour, Nick Crumpton
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536238775
Genres: Animals, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Brown Bears, written by Dr. Nick Crumpton and illustrated by Colleen Larmour, is a perfectly balanced nonfiction story book. Brown Bears follows two cubs over the first two years of their life. Each page describes how their mother protects them and teaches them how to one day live independently. There is a harmony between the narrative portions that guide the reader through the story and the nonfiction portions (in a different font) that expand upon the facts presented on the page. Similarly, the illustrations are cute and captivating without compromising the accuracy of the scenery or the harsher realities of being a bear. Though there is no shortage of picture books about bears, this would be a lovely addition to any library.

Reviewed by Ivy Burns, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth

five-stars

Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved The Mystery of Cholera

Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved The Mystery of CholeraEvidence!: How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera by Deborah Hopkinson, Nik Henderson
ISBN: 0593426819
Genres: Mystery, Non-Fiction, Suspense
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

A thrilling non-fiction picture book on the start of epidemiology! From Deborah Hopkinson and Nik Henderson’s pencil and paper illustrations is, Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera. In the first few pages, Hopkinson accurately describes London in 1854; “Factories spew yellow smoke. Piles of horse dung line the streets. Sewage and human waste fill cesspools in yards and cellars.” More pages continue to describe the squalor living conditions at the time, and then; cholera breaks out.

Doctors everywhere blame the dirty air, but we are introduced to another doctor who thinks otherwise. Dr. John Snow is on the hunt for clues and we follow him throughout the rest of the book as he takes on the role as a medical detective. He uses maps and gathers facts to prove that cholera is spread by drinking water out of the Broad Street water pump. After going door-to-door, Dr. Snow has found evidence to support his theory. “September 8, 1854–the handle is removed from the Broad Street pump. It’s a milestone in science , a shining moment in the long fight against epidemics. And it all came down to evidence.”

Kids will LOVE the stinky descriptions of London and the thrill of  the hunt to find what is causing cholera. There are resources in the end papers explaining more about the Broad Street pump and epidemiology. There is a whole list of other infectious diseases and their on histories. Recommended for all library collections. Ages 4-8.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

Up, Up, Ever, Up! Junko Tabei: a Life in the Mountains

Up, Up, Ever, Up! Junko Tabei: a Life in the MountainsUp, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda, Yuko Shimizu
Published by Clarion ISBN: 0063242419
Genres: Adventure, Biography/Autobiography
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This is an exhilarating look at the life of Junko Tabei, the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.  Starting with her early life in Japan, the book profiles a life dedicated to climbing,  and, eventually,  to the care and maintenance  of mountains necessitated by so many people determined to reach the top.  After Junko climbed Everest she continued climbing and achieved all seven major summits of the world.

The illustrations are as colorful as the story, and work in perfect harmony to create a fitting tribute to a trailblazing climber, feminist, and humanitarian. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars