What are we thankful for? Books!

Just a few books to read. Not all can be used for lessons about thankfulness, but we can be thankful for all books. Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

I Need All of It by Petra Postert, illustrated by Jens Rassmus

Jim and Dad are sorting laundry when Dad finds a stone, a button and a key in Jim’s pocket. When Dad wants to throw these items away, Jim’s imagination goes into overtime to explain why he absolutely needs these three items. A good jumping off story to get children to use their imaginations and tell tall tales. 

 

Olympians: Hermes: Tales of the Trickster by George O’Connor

Continuing in his tradition of illustrating graphic novels for the epic lives of the Greek gods, O’Connor has tackled Hermes, the messenger of the gods and a divine trickster. For any chld who is interested in the stories of the gods, this is a perfect summer read.

The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein

An unnamed boy and his father find a whale tangled in their fishing nets. At first they assume the whale is dead, but soon find out it is alive, but barely. The boy wishes to continue to try to save the whale from the net, but his father thinks it is too dangerous and besides, if they cannot save their net, then he has to borrow another net in order to continue fishing and making a living. The boy disobeys his father and untangles the whale. Many moral issues presented here. When is it okay to disobey and adult? What is more important, our lives or an animal’s life? How can we support nature? Gerstein has presented a great moral story with beautiful images of the sea, the sky and the whale. 

If Wendell Had a Walrus by Lori Mortensen, illustrated by Matt Phelan

Wendell imagines what it would be like to have a pet walrus, meets Morrell who would like to have a pet whale and they have a whale of a time all summer, telling jokes, riding bikes and imagining their lives away. A great summer read to get those creative juices flowing. What kind of pet would you like to have?

Lost in the Library by Josh Funk, illustrated by Stevie Lewis

Patience and Fortitude are the names of two large stone lions that sit outside the entrance to the New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue. At night Patience goes in the library, always managing to return at daybreak, so no one will miss him. But, one day, Patience does not return and Fortitude must go in search of him within the library, finding him in the children’s section learning new stories to tell Fortitude when they are bored. While I love all libraries and those for children in particular, I found this book to be of limited interest to those who are not immersed in the world of libraries or this fantastic example of libraries as it is portrayed here. 

 

If I had a Horse by Gianna Marino

This book is an outstanding sensual experience from the minute your eyes light on the cover. A young girl dreams of a horse and the things she could do if she only had a horse. The drawings are ethereal in soft shades of teal and orange, yellow and pink, purple and mauve. The book ends with this sentiment: “If I had a horse, I would be fearless. Like Him./ And together…/we could do anything.” Can I look at this book every day?

Neymar: A Soccer Dream Come True by Nima Javaherbin, Pictures by Paul Hoppe

A child dreams of being a remarkable soccer player. Thanks to his father’s coaching and advice and his own ability to work hard to follow his dream, the dream of playing great soccer comes true. Basing her story on the life of Neymar da Sliva Santos, Javaherbin is careful to emphasize the hard work, hours of practice and perseverance that pays off for Neymar in the end. She also shares the love of family and camaraderie that Neymar’s family experiences. The pictures are realistic but of rather mixed quality.

How to find an Elephant by Kate Banks, Pictures by Boris Kulikov

Banks and Kulikov are a great team, working together on the Max books previously reviewed here. In this somewhat realistic fantasy, a young boy is bored and decides to go on an elephant hunt. On his way, he swings in a tree with a chimpanzee, takes a dip in a pond with a hippopotamus and shares his lunch with a colorful macaw. The elephant is cleverly disguised on every page and will make a fun search and find item with young readers.

Don’t Tell by Tom Booth

Did you hear about the super-secret book? Find out about the super-secret book AND who told the secret! If you have a hard time keeping secrets, check this out!

Brave Enough for Two by Jonathan D. Voss

Jonathan Voss was the illustrator for the award winning The True Story of the Bear who Inspired Winnie the Pooh. In this, the first book he has written and illustrated, he introduces Hoot, a stuffed Owl, and Olive, his girl. Hoot, in both looks and sentiment, reminds one of Winnie the Pooh. Olive is a girl who likes her adventures inside of a book, but Hoot convinces her to be brave and in the end, it is Olive who must be brave for both of them. Great story, great illustrations!

Biographies

There are so many good picture book biographies these days. Here are three stand alone picture books along with a raft of pocket picture book biographies just out in English.

So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk toward Freedom by Gary Schmidt, Illustrated by Daniel Minter. 

There are rare times when the words and pictures in a picture book combine to make a true work of art. This book is an exemplar of this happening. Schmidt writes with both strength and poetry to tell the story of Sojourner Truth as she endured separation from family as a slave and then finally stood up for herself and her children, using the laws of New York State before slavery had ended and then the laws of the nation once slavery was abolished. Minter uses a limited color palette to illustrate this book with both stark, realistic paintings and dreamy, impressionistic art to convey the horrors and joys of Sojourner Truth’s life. The book ends with a short biography as well as notes from both the author and illustrator. This will be a welcome addition to my library.

Howard and the Mummy: Howard Carter and the Search for King Tut’s Tomb by Tracey Fern, Pictures by Boris Kulikov

Do you know a child who is fascinated with mummies? Here’s a book for you to share. Howard Carter found mummies fascinating from a young age and was able to start searching for mummies when he was only 17! From there, he was hooked and spent his life mostly in Egypt pursuing archeology. Here he is depicted as a slightly eccentric man with a passion. A great book to share with girls and boys who are just beginning to know the world and develop passions of their own.

Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World by Gary Golio, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez

Carlos Santana, born in 1947, was a musician who combined the traditional music of Mexico with the blues of an electric guitar. Trained as a musician by his father, Carlos lived his life for music. The illustrations by Gutierrez are both realistic and magical, using colors and icons found in Mexican paintings from the early 20^th century, drawing the reader in to Carlos’ life. The text is less magical and often seems dry, especially compared to the subject matter and the illustrations. The end notes include a selected discography, which would be a great way to share this book with children. 

     

Pocket Bios:

Small hardcover books, 5” by 8”  with  a short biography of a famous man or woman. Each pocket biography includes a brief introduction, short vignettes about important events in the life of the person being portrayed, a timeline, and a map with a key and important people from the story. These were originally published in France by Quelle Histoire (quellehistoire.com) and are now published in English by Roaring Brook Press, a subsidiary of MacMillan. Each book has a unique author and translator, but lists several illustrators. These illustrators, who overlap throughout the books,  are: Bruno Wennagel, Nuno Alves Rodriques, Mathieu Ferret, Claire Martin, Paul Cotoni, Aurélie Verdon, Guillaume Biasse, Iris Mangin, Clara Morineau, Iris Mangin,  Aurélien Fernandez,

Muhammad Ali by Claire L’Hoër, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Blackbeard by Clémentine V. Baron, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Coco Chanel by Patricia Crété, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Charlie Chaplin by Patricia Crété, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Cleopatra by Patricia Crété, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Albert Einstein by Patricia Crété, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Abraham Lincoln by Albin Quéru and Romain Jubert, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Nelson Mandela by Albin Quéru and Romain Jubert, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Isaac Newton by Patricia Crété, Translated by Catherine Nolan

Rosa Parks by Clémentine V. Baron, Translated by Catherine Nolan

    

Many of the people portrayed in these biographies led exciting lives. The language used to tell the story of these lives is somewhat lifeless, with mostly short declarative sentences, many of which start with either a person’s name or he or she, making it less than interesting for children to read. Whether these short sentences are in place because of the translation of the work from the original French or because the authors and editors believe it will make these books easier to read is unknown. I would recommend them as supplementary sources for children doing reports. They are filled with facts and as stated above have extra material at the end of each book. But, they are not books that will encourage children to read more books.

Note: While Abraham’s birth mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, is not named  but his stepmother, Sarah Johnston Lincoln, is. Both of these women are important influences in his life and both deserve to be mentioned.

   

Some things I learned in these books:

·      Nelson Mandela earned a law degree while in prison in South Africa, having been arrested for opposing the government.

·      Rosa Parks finished her high school education after she married. Throughout her school years, she only attended all-black schools.

·      Cleopatra could speak more than five languages.

·      Albert Einstein was a vocal proponent of Civil Rights in the US after World War II.

·      Isaac Newton wrote more about the Bible than he did about science.

·      Marie Curie earned degrees in both math and physics and was named Maria, not Marie.

·      Neil Armstrong got his pilot’s license before he got his driver’s license.

·      Coco Chanel’s first fashion design was a riding habit for women that was included pants instead of a skirt.

·      Charlie Chaplin and his fourth wife, Oona O’Neill, had eight children.

·      Abraham Lincoln was a Congressman before becoming President.

·      Muhammad Ali traveled to Egypt shortly after having changed his name from Cassius Clay.

·      Blackbeard was a privateer before he became a pirate. A privateer was much like a pirate, but privateers were allowed to attack and steal from enemy ships during a war.