Four Picture Books showing History through Illustrated Maps and Atlases

Journeys in Time 
A New Atlas of American History
by Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley
illustrated by Rodica Prato
published in 2001
publisher Houghton Mifflin


Starting with the Anishinabe, the book takes us through the highlights of American history through a set of maps which captures the story of the people who were constantly on the move to establish this new world, the people whose enterprise and enthusiasm has brought us to modern day. Each double-page spread has an illustrated map showing the journey discussed on that page, plus a Facts box that establishes the takeaway message from that journey. The book ends with events in 1976 with the ending of Vietnam war.

The younger one being overly fond of maps, this was a fun way for him to learn history without feeling overwhelmed with dates and names.

[image source: multcolib.org]



Kids Make History 
A New Look at America's Story
by Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley
illustrated by Rodica Prato
published in 2006
publisher Houghton Mifflin

A companion volume to the Journeys in Time mentioned above, the authors share twenty true stories  by showcasing the part played by kids in making history.

Starting with Powhatan's favorite daughter, Pocahontas (known only to her family as Matoaka), in 1607, we walk through several momentous events upto and including 9/11: The Day the Towers Fell, in 2001.

1692: Evil in the Air chapter was the older child's favorite as it left more questions unanswered and teasing her imagination. It was about Ann Putnam and her accusations -- about witchcraft practitioners and the terrible witch hunt that ensued.

We learn about Nick Wilson, the White Indian Boy, Susie Baker whose childhood in slavery came to an end thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation.

As with the Journeys in Time, each double-page spread has an illustrated map showing the region in play, charting the course of history.

[image source: multcolib.org]



Mapping the World 
by Sylvia A. Johnson
published in 1999
published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers


This is one of the books I wished I had when I was young. Starting with one of the oldest world maps found so far -- made in Babylonia around 500 B.C. on a clay tablet, we learn about the various attempts at charting the world based on information available at that time, ending with Mapping Other Worlds like Venus based on our scientific data.

From mapping the ocean floor to GIS map showing US population, this is quite a treat for the facts-oriented, map-loving kid. Hope this book is updated and a new edition comes out with all the fantastic capabilities we have now of mapping celestial objects in outer space. It definitely is a bit ancient for the modern child but full of relevant facts anyway.


[image source: multcolib.org]


City Atlas 
Travel the world with 30 city maps
illustrated by Martin Haake
written by Georgia Cherry
published in 2015
published in US by Wide Eyed Editions, an imprint of Quarto Inc.


As the title says, 30 cities are introduced, cities that are world-famous and easily recognized, via illustrated pictures of the main attractions. The population of the city, language(s) spoken, as well as the country's flag is listed, along with a brief paragraph about what that city is famous for.

For instance, Lisbon apparently is famous for its custard tarts (I didn't know that!). Budapest, the magical capital of Hungary became a single city in 1873 when Buda and Obuda on the west bank of Danube were unified with Pest! This is a nugget I will carry with me for as long as my short-term memory permits.

Cities were mostly American/European, with a few like Mumbai, Tokyo, Hong Kong representing Asia, and nothing from Australia/Oceania, although Cape Town was the sole mention in Africa. Which leads me to think that the criteria for selecting the cities must have been quite specific and clear to the authors/editors - perhaps population, tourism, economy, stability may all have played a role in making it to the top 30 for this book.

My favorite part was to point out to the younger child all the places I had visited when I went to 9 out of the 30 cities listed. And to talk about the places he would like to visit from this list.

[image source: multcolib.org]

6 Picture Book Biographies of Extraordinary Women

Daredevil
The Daring Life of Betty Skelton
by Megan McCarthy

Beautifully rendered story of Betty Skelton's life, this picture book captures her spirit and her personality with humor and authenticity.

Betty was a daredevil all right. The part that affected the kids most was when she was invited to train with the male astronauts for Mercury 7, went through the training with flying colors, only to be rejected at the crucial time simply because she was a woman and NASA wasn't ready to send a woman into space at that time.

Illustrations are slightly on the funny side and yet very adorable and relevant.



Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea
by Robert Burleigh
illustrated by Raúl Colón

One of 20th century's most important scientists, Marie Tharp was the key person involved in mapping the seafloors around the world. Her hard work validated the theory of Continental Drift which was a tenuous proposition at that time, but the only reasonable explanation for the observations.

Being the daughter of a mapmaker, it was no surprise that Marie knew what to do from her younger days. Even though she initially faced many obstacles as she was just a woman and women couldn't possibly be smart scientists in those days, her perseverance and confidence gained her respect among her peers at Lamont Geological Labs where she started her project of mapping the sea floor.

Illustrations by Raul Colon (of DRAW) complement the text well.


Queen of the Track: Alice Coachman
Olympic High-Jump Champion
by heather Lang
illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Alice Coachman was born to run and jump. Thus begins this story of a remarkable athlete who took her talents to new heights via sheer hard work and determination. Talent like hers cannot be suppressed, it is bound to be discovered sooner or later. But being black in those testing times was not helping her at all.

Going to London from her segregated Southern state, for the Olympic Games, Alice was awed that she could sit anywhere on the bus despite being black. That little nugget in the book influenced both the kids at home deeply. That, and the fact that the King George VI shook her hands when awarding her gold medal at the Olympics was something huge for Alice, something she could not expect the white people in her own community to do willingly.


Dorothea's Eyes
by Barb Rosenstock
illustrated by Gérard DuBois

Afflicted with polio at age six, Dorothea Lange never recovered from the limp; she felt different and lonely. But, she saw things like no one else did - with her eyes and her heart.

Being enterprising and tenacious, she asks to work with any photographer who would taken her on as apprentice. She learns all that she can pick up. Eventually, recognizing her talent, one photographer gives her an old camera.

In an age when photography was not taken very seriously, and women were not taken seriously, Dorothea was a natural at both, very seriously. Many of Dorothea's photographs are held in National Archives and can be accessed at archives.gov.


Stone Girl Bone Girl
A Story of Mary Anning of Lyme Regis
by Laurence Anholt
illustrated by Sheila Moxley

By now, most budding paleontologists have heard about Mary Anning, the girl who couldn't help finding fossils everywhere she looked, the girl who found the first Ichthyosaurus fossil that reconciled a huge gap that scientists had in understanding prehistoric creatures until then.

Being poor, and not knowing the value of her finds, Mary probably gave away most of her valuable treasures just to put food on the table. The book talks about the little speckled dog that showed up at Mary's one day and stayed with her for all her discovereis up until Ichthyosaur, and then magically disappeared. She later found Plesiosaurs and Pterosaurs in her small, unassuming town of Lyme Regis in Dorset.

The illustrations are bright, colorful, and gorgeous!


Bon Appétit!
The Delicious Life of Julia Child
by Jessie Hartland

A children's picture book about Julia Child? This I must read, I told myself when I saw it in our library.

All about Julia's life and her life's work -- Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the book shows Julia's indomitable spirit and her methodical approach to perfecting each recipe so others can follow it blindly and end up with something out of this world.

Never one to sit idly, Julia was always passionate about cooking, and even got her own TV Show with live demonstrations in a day and age when such things were not easily open to women hosts.

My only nagging issue with the book is its layout and font - it is cluttered and crowded and hard to read in proper sequence. Plus the fonts are cursive which the younger child is not adept at reading - yet.


-------------------

When I was Eight,
Not My Girl
by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton
art by Gabrielle Grimard


While not a biography but more a memoir of sorts, these two books gave a peek into a life of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, that is very different from anything the kids had expected to read in a picture book.

Olemaun, an Inuit girl, knows a lot of things including how to keep the sled dogs quiet when hunting for caribou; how to bring get her team of dogs to obey; how to relish muktuk (whale blubber) and pipsi (dried fish).

But, she did not know how to read English, like the outsiders. And wanted to learn. So, she was sent to study with the nuns at the outsiders school.

The school changes her in ways she never imagined. She has forgotten her own language, lost the taste for her own native foods, and can't seem to know all the things that are important for her survival in the harsh lands.

When I was Eight is about Margaret going away to the outsider school; Not My Girl talks about her return from school and trying to get rehabilitated and learn the ways of her people so she can continue the traditional way of life and preserve her cultural heritage.

The illustrations are brilliant!


[image source: multcolib.org]

Bartholomew Quill

Bartholomew Quill

A Crow's Quest to Know Who's Who
by Thor Hanson
illustrated by Dana Arnim

published by Sasquatch Books

Bartholomew Quill was a crow long ago,

when all of the world was new.

When the bears and the bees

and the hares and the trees

were all learning to tell which was who.

Thus starts this book by acclaimed biologist Thor Hanson,which takes us on a lyrical journey back in time when our dear protagonist, Bartholomew Quill, the crow, wants to know who he is.

He flies around encountering various animals and compares features to see if he is one of them. At the edge of the ocean, he sees black birds like himself and asks if he is one of them. The bird answers:

I dive and I float in a waterproof coat

My diet is fish and crustacean.

We are both black and sleek, but you lack a bright beak,

so you cannot be my close relation.

And from the lovely illustrations by Dana Arnim, we know this is a puffin, not a crow.

As our Bartholomew encounters other creatures, he quickly realizes he cannot be one of them, until he sees someone very much like himself, only much bigger - the Raven.

Finally, he looks in nature's mirror - the still lake - as he flies over it and realizes he is a crow.

The ability of many species to recognize their own must have evolved somehow, but this story is set when the world was new, so, possibly Bartholomew has not yet developed self-recognition/other-recognition.

One question that cropped up with the resident 7 year old is, at each stage, without introduction or explanation, how does Bartholomew know what that creature is that is different from himself. For example, after encountering the creature that soars and catches fish all day and has sharp eyes and pale head and tail feathers, we simply read that "Bartholomew thanked the bald eagle," which the young readers deduce from the illustrations but may be puzzled as to how Bartholomew arrived at that conclusion.

Back of the book has a "Get More Out of This Book" section that has some interesting suggestions.

Biologist Thor Hanson is renowned for his adult books about nature -- The Impenetrable Forest, The Triumph of Seeds, and Feathers. He won a PNBA Award and The John Burroughs Medal for Feathers, which was also a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Hanson is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Switzer Environmental Fellow, and sought-after public speaker.

Illustrator Dana Arnim has a Certificate in Art from the Children’s Market from UW Extension and serves as Co-regional Advisor for the Western Washington SCBWI.

[Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book. The opinions shared here are entirely mine.]

Sona and the Wedding Game

Sona and the Wedding Game,
My Dadima Wears a Sari,
Monsoon Afternoon
by Kashmira Sheth
illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi
Tiger in my Soup
by Kashmira Sheth
illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler



Being a big fan of stories with strong multicultural backdrop, when I came upon a handful of picture books by Kashmira Sheth, I ended up reading them back to back to my kids. Illustrations by Yoshiko Jaeggi effortlessly capture the magic of Indian culture.

Sona and the Wedding Game was a favorite as it gave a glimpse into an Indian wedding tradition practised in certain communities, (not all over India) -- the bride's sister must steal the groom's shoe at the wedding. There are several traditions, some more solemn, some more fun, practised by different communities across India, adapted to their own local customs. Sona is unfamiliar with this tradition and doesn't know how to go about it, but what are annoying cousins for, right?

Monsoon Afternoon captures the joys of monsoon season and the intergenerational bonding in a subdued way, while not being cliched.

My Dadima Wears a Sari is quintessentially Indian in that it talks about the beautiful attire that is just 6 yards of fabric, the sari. It can become an umbrella, it can become a pouch for collecting seashells, it can bandage up an injured knee... Having grown up with sari all around me, I have a deep love for the traditional sari, which I must admit, I don't wear often. Again, an intergenerational bond is established in the book via traditional clothing - viz., Dadima's wedding sari, the one she brought with her when she came to America, and she shows her granddaughters how to wear it.

Full of imagination and lovely illustrations, Tiger in my Soup is about a boy wanting his older sister to read to him. She refuses of course, busy with her own book and earphones. But when she serves him a can of soup for lunch, the steam rises and assumes the shape of a... Tiger. Jumping out of the soup, the tiger prowls about, wild and unpredictable, so naturally the boy defends himself with kitchen utensils, while the soup sits there getting cold. The sister finally caves in and warms up the soup in the microwave, and reads the book to him. Satisfied, the boy (and the tiger) settle down for imaginary wanderings.

[image source: Yoshiko Jaeggi, Kashmira Sheth websites]

Loos, Poos, and Number Twos

Loos, Poos, and Number Twos    

A Disgusting Journey Through the Bowels of History
by Peter Hepplewhite



"Awfully Ancient" books by Gareth Stevens Publishing can be quite a fun read for kids interested in fascinating events from history. Full of fun trivia, accompanied by cartoon illustrations, fact boxes, and sidebars, Loos, Poos, and Number Twos takes us on a Disgusting Journey Through the Bowels of History, as the subtitle claims.\

Starting with prehistoric times, we go through ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, ancient China, Medieval times, Tudor times, down to the Victorian loos.

Did you know that ancient Greeks had public loos in bath houses and gymnasiums but no private stalls for doing the business? Did you know the ancient Chinese even had a toilet goddess? We all let out a collective sigh of relief when we read about John Harrington's invention of the washing closet - the flushing toilet - during the reign of Elizabeth I. But without the sewerage system, what good is flushing?

Of course, when kids read the fascinating fact that on the International Space Station, the pee is recycled to drinking water and the poo is packed into capsule and fired into Earth's atmosphere where it burns up, thankfully, the gross-factor and the cool-factor compete closely to achieve a fine balance.

Glossary and More Information at the back makes this a perfectly fun book for readers of all ages who enjoy such trivia.

[image source: garethstevens.com]

10 Picture Books for Black History Month

Freedom is something kids don't think about much usually. What does it mean? Why is it important? How can we ensure that everybody is "free"?  These are some big questions I discuss with kids often, not just during the month of February each year. Much like, What does Peace mean to you? How can you make sure there is peace in this world as you grow up? Why should we strive for peace? comes up in our dinner conversations sometimes and it is instructive (and eye-opening sometimes) to hear kids' simple and naive suggestions.

Anyway, to chart a better future for humanity, it is always good to learn from the past - if only to try not to repeat the same mistakes. In that spirit, we picked a handful of picture books to peek into some true life incidents and some fictional stories based on true life incidents set in America.

As to chapter books, there are so many on the subject. This month, the ten year old is reading Ruby Lee & Me by Shannon Hitchcock. The seven year old is reading Ranger in Time series by Kate Messner, and currently he is reading Long Road to Freedom to stay on theme.



Freedom in Congo Square  
by Carole Boston Weatherford
illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Lyrical and evocative, the books is a treasure. Slaves and free blacks count down to Sunday of each week when they can be "free" to gather in Congo Square in New Orleans to connect with their roots and culture and sing and dance and feel alive again in celebration of their African heritage.

The poetry is powerful and concise. The rhyming couplets don't soften the reality.

The dreaded lash, too much to bear
Four more days to Congo Square.

The double page spread with various African instruments has swirling text that proclaims,

Grouped by nation, language, tribe,
They drummed ancestral roots alive.

The illustrations are a fitting and brilliant accompaniment to the text.



Freedom on the Menu
The Greensboro Sit-ins    
by Carole Boston Weatherford
illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue Lagarrigue

Told from the perspective of a little girl, who sees other little girls like herself able to do things that she is not allowed to, the story speaks to the kids in a more intimate way than it might have from a third person narration.

She longs for a Banana Split at this ice cream store as she watches another girl just like herself, having a purse just like hers, enjoying her own sundae.

All over town signs told me and Mama where we could and couldn't go. Signs on water fountains, swimming pools, movie theater, even bathrooms.

Everybody in Greensboro followed the rules. But not Auntie Gertie who often visits from New York. She says, "I am too old for such silly rules," and drinks from the "White" fountain.

The book unfolds the story of four black kids who sat at the diner and ordered food just like others and waited to be served. Inspired by Dr. King's peaceful protests, all they hoped to do was to remove the segregation.



Ellen's Broom
by Kelly Starling Lyons    
illustrated by Daniel Minter

Little girl Ellen knows that the broom is special. It is what made them a family back when her mom and dad jumped the broom to signify their marriage and commitment to one another, back before it was legal for African Americans to register their marriage and raise a family like everybody else.

So, when finally their mom and dad and others were cleared to go to the courthouse and register their marriage, Ellen brings along the broom decorated with flowers, and watches her parents jump the broom again just for sentiment.

A slice of history told through endearing and charming Ellen's actions.



The Escape of Oney Judge
Martha Washington's Slave Finds Freedom    
written and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

Although quite a heavy subject matter, the book tries not to sugar-coat or sensationalize the event. Oney Judge's desperate longing for freedom is carried through the story, and how the norms of the time make it hard for Oney to truly be free. It is not that she was not well-treated as Mrs. Washington's slave, but, she was not entirely her own person.

While a bit long and wordy for a picture book, the fictional retelling of Oney's story is engaging and thought-provoking for kids.



Follow the Drinking Gourd
written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter

Sailor Peg Leg Joe helps slaves escape via the Underground Railroad, going from plantation to plantation in pre-Civil war south. He teaches them a song that he wrote which gives directions to safehouse and stops along the way that can lead them to freedom up north, by following the drinking gourd, which is the Big Dipper in the sky.

From Old Hattie to Little Isiah, a group of slaves, a family, escape one night, fearing for their lives, relying entirely on the elements and outside help to get themselves to safety. The story is gripping and the illustrations are bright and bold.



In the Garden With Doctor Carver
by Susan Grigsby
illustrated by Nicole Tadgell          

In this charming historical fiction, plant biologist Dr. George Washington Carver teaches how to replenish and restore soil that has been depleted by cotton plantations in rural Alabama.

The story, told through little girl Sally's voice, is engaging and uplifting. Dr. Carver even shows them a fun recipe or two about how to make wild weed salad, sweet-potato flour bread, and chicken from peanuts.



Sweet Music in Harlem
by Debbie A. Taylor    
illustrated by Frank Morrison

A famous photograph by Art Kane that captured all the musical greats of Harlem in 1958 was the inspiration for this story. That photograph where several jazz musicians posed on the steps of an old brownstone was in a t-shirt the author's husband was wearing.

Uncle Click, a skilled jazz trumpeter, is getting ready for being photographed but is missing his hat, his special hat that gives him his trademark look. So his nephew C.J. offers to find it for him before the photographer arrives so that his uncle can be his snazziest best for the picture.

Uncle says he went to the barbershop, the diner, and the music club previously so he must've left his hat in one of these places. C.J tries to track it down but fails. The photo gets taken anyway and it seems like the hat is all but forgotten when it turns up the next day nuzzled next to the brand new clarinet that his uncle gives as a present for his birthday. C.J. is thrilled when Uncle Click says, "You know, a jazzman like you is going to need a good hat. Besides, I am getting used to not wearing one."



These Hands
by Margaret H. Mason
illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Alluding to the old policy in 1940s and 1950s at the unionized factories in the north like Wonder Bread, Awree, and Tastee bakeries of not letting African Americans handle bread dough, claiming that white folks will not want to eat the bread touched by black hands, the fictional story talks about Joseph's grandpa whose hands could do almost anything so skillfully. Anything, except, bake the bread at the Wonder Bread factory.

Illustrations are gorgeous, and the ending is charming and uplifting.



White Water
Inspired by A True Story
by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein
illustrated by Shadra Stickland

A transformative look at the segregation in the south, the book follows little boy Michael who is determined to ask the kind of questions that need to be asked, and answered.

Based on author Bandy's childhood experience of being prohibited from drinking from a "Whites Only" fountain, the story explores Michael's obsession with finding out what the "White" water tastes like because the fountain that he is allowed to drink from has warm, dirty, rusty-tasting water, so surely, the "white" water must taste like sweet honey and hence it is forbidden for non-whites.

So, he gives in to curiosity and attempts to drink from the White fountain, but is startled by a vigilant white lady, and falls down. "Lying on the ground, all I could see was the pipe. I'd never seen it from that angle before. The same pipe fed both fountains! Two fountains. Two signs. But the same water in both!"

This startling discovery helps Michael reconsider how the rules are affecting his thinking. "The signs over the fountains had put a bad idea in my head. but they were a lie. If they weren't real, what else should I question?"



New Shoes  

by Susan Meyer
illustrated by Eric Velasquez


Ella Mae is excited to go to Mr.Johnson's shoe store with her Mama. Her brother's hand-me-down shoes don't fit and she needs a new pair. But, when they get to the store, Mr. Johnson wouldn't let her try on any as she is black, and proceeds to serve another white customer, a white girl who gets to try on pair after pair to pick out the one she wants.

Not to be dejected, Ella Mae teams up with her friend Charlotte and embarks on a frenzy of doing chores around her neighborhood to earn the odd nickel and "a pair of  outgrown shoes" - good and usable. When they have collected enough pairs of shoes through hard work, they set up a sale where all customers are free to try on shoes to their heart's content before picking the right one to take home.

The illustrations are gorgeous - the girls just pop out of the page - and the story unfolds with a lot of warmth amidst the heartwrenching reality.

What inspired the kids about this story is that while living through the reality of segregation and not being able to change it large-scale, the girls defy the subjugation and come up with their own small-scale plan of resistance through their entrepreneurship, winning a small triumph in their own way.

[image source: Multnomah County Library]

3 Awesome Animal Picture Books

Egg: Nature's Perfect Package 

by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
published by HMH Books for Young Readers, March  2015


Trademark cut-paper collage on stark white background with crisp, precise nuggets of information make Jenkins's books perfect for animal-non-fiction-loving young readers.

The book is all about eggs as the title suggests: little eggs, big eggs,, where to lay eggs, how many to lay at a time, egg consumers, egg protection, egg packaging, egg carrying, incubation, and getting out of the egg... all are laid out with plenty of animals showcasing their techniques and ideology.

Everything needed to create a new living creature: The Egg.

[image source: HMH Catalog]



How to Swallow a Pig
Step by Step Advice from the Animal Kingdom
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
published by  HMH Books for Young Readers, September 2015


A recent top favorite book for the seven year old, he rattles off fascinating facts about animals from this book that surely caught my interest and attention.

Like how a Capuchin monkey smears itself with millipede after rolling the said millipede in its mouth to get it to release its toxins. Why does it do that? Well, that's nature's own insect-repellent right there.

Or, like how smart a crow is that it chooses a stop light and plants its hard-to-crack nut on the road and waits for a car to go by and crush the nut open.

Or, as the title suggests, swallow a whole pig after squeezing it to death as a python does.

The tongue-in-cheek format of the book and the clever presentation is sure to fascinate the curious-minded child, and maybe incite them to imitate these creatures.

[image source: HMH Catalog]


Unusual Creatures
A Mostly Accurate Account of Some of Earth's Strangest Animals

by Michael Hearst
Artwork, Diagrams, and Other Visuals by
Arjen Noordeman, Christie Wright, and Jelmer Noordeman

published by Chronicle Books,  July 2014


"Unusual Creatures is a rich and fantastic book of charming imaginary animals who... what? They're real? I'll be under the bed." -- Lemony Snicket.

That quote on the cover had me chuckling right away.

The book starts out by explaining the biological classification in a kid-friendly way, with the mnemonic:

Kids Place Candles On Foot Gravy Sausage
↠ Kingdom ➢ Phylum ➢ Class ➢ Order ➢ Family ➢ Genus ➢ Species.

I was hooked right on that page, and so was the kiddo.

The book is laid out alphabetically, starting with Axolotl. "Mama, did you know an axolotl can regenerate its body parts, even its heart? We had an axolotl in our classroom last year, remember? They are so cool!" And we learn that the name axolotl comes from the Aztec language, most common translation being "water dog".

Each double-page spread focuses on one animal. The informational text and related diagrams, with K-P-C-O-F-G-S laid out next to the animal's common and scientific name, plus a full page illustration of the animal with a scale to show its size makes it easy to digest the information in small chunks and marvel at nature's creativity.

Turn to any page at random, and you are sure to find a fascinating and rather unusual creature like Barking Spider, or Giraffe-necked Weevil, or Hammerhead Bat, or Long-eared Jerboa, or Magnapinna Squid, or Sea Pig, along with some unique but slightly well-known creatures like Echidna, Honey Badger, Platypus, and Slow Loris.

A must-have for our bookshelf, along with every one of Steve Jenkins's books.

Watch video clippings of featured creatures at unusualcreatures.com

[image source: Chronicle Books]

7 Inspiring Picture Books

True life stories can be quite inspiring for the young. And stories set in parts of the world where life is so very different from theirs can be both educational and moving.

While many of these books are a few years old, the message remains relevant and meaningful for kids growing up in today's increasingly global world.


Four Feet, Two Sandals
by Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed
illustrated by Doug Chayka

Relief workers bring in used clothing and shoes to a refugee camp. Everyone scrambles to get what they need. Ten-year-old Lina is thrilled to find a perfect sandal. However, she is a bit upset when she finds another girl holding the other matching sandal.

Soon Lina befriends the other girl, Feroza, and they decide to take turns to use the pair of sandals.

Warm colors and double page spreads bring the terrain closer to the readers, while the words portray the hope and courage and strength of the refugees around the world who live in constant uncertainty and fear.

Teacher's Guide

[image source: Author Karen Lynn Williams website]



Razia's Ray of Hope
One Gir's Dream of an Education
by Elizabeth Suneby
illustrated by Suana Verelst

Razia Jan, born in Afghanistan, moved to the US when she was a young woman. She worked as a tailor and raised her kid in a small town in MA. When Razia felt the need to connect people from her new home in America with people in Afghanistan, especially after Sept 11, 2001, she looked for ways to make a difference.

She finally left US and went back to Afghanistan where she felt she can make a difference by educating the girls there who are usually sidelined and subjugated. She started the Zabuli Center for Girls in the middle of seven villages that never had a girls' school before.

Gorgeous illustrations transport the reader to the culture and country, while the carefully chosen words explain the complicated nature of relationships and priorities for families in that part of the world. Glossary introduces us to Dari words.

[image source: Author Elizabeth Suneby website]


Malala Yousafzai
Warrior with Words
by Karen Leggett Abouraya
illustrated by L.C.Wheatley

Winner of Nobel Peace prize 2014, Malala is not an unknown figure today. Her belief that every child has a right to education has inspired many children and adults around the world including governments and policy-makers.

To think that a simple act of going to school can be dangerous in some parts of the world was rather unbelievable for my kids when we read this story. And that she would be shot in the head while riding a bus with other kids was even scarier.

The book is a kid-friendly story of her life so far and how she started the Malala Fund to give girls hope for a better life through education. Malala's courage and determination shines through the story.

[image source: amazon.com]



Emmanuel's Dream
The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
by Laurie Ann Thompson
illustrated by Sean Qualls


In Ghana, West Africa, a baby boy was born:
Two bright eyes blinked in the light,
two tiny fists opened and closed,
but only one strong leg kicked.

Born with only one strong leg, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah did not let his disability define him. He cycled an incredible 400 miles across Ghana to spread his message: disability does not mean inability.

After his mom died, Emmanuel came up with a plan. He wrote to the Challenged Athletes Foundation in San Diego, CA, who sent him bike, plus helmet, shorts, socks, and gloves! He went door to door for further support and hired a taxi to follow him with water; he got a camera and had his friends make the video.

Through bustling Accra, over rolling hills, through rain forests and across wide muddy rivers he pedaled on for 10 days, wearing the colors of his country and a shirt printed with the words "The Pozo" or "the disabled person."

He didn't stop there, though. His continued efforts and activism inspired the Ghanian Parliament to pass the Persons with Disability Act which ensures equal rights for all the citizens, disabled or not.

[image source: Author Laurie Thompson website]



One Plastic Bag
Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia
by Miranda Paul
illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

In Njau, Gambia, people simply started trashing the plastic bags, dropping them where they please and going about their way, not paying any heed to the environmental impact of their action. Bags accumulated in ugly heaps, catching water and breeding mosquitoes, strangling gardens and suffocating livestock.

Isatou Cessay could not sit by and watch this. She decided to do something about it. She collected these discarded plastic bags, recycled them into beautiful utilitarian purses. Soon other women joined in and she showed them how to make purses, which they then sold for a fair dalasi. Soon, she had made enough money to buy a goat for their family.

One day the rubbish will be gone and my home will be beautiful, thinks Isatou...

[image source: Author Miranda Paul website]



One Hen
How One Small Loan made a Big Difference
by Katie Smith Milway
illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

When kids ask how can one little thing make any difference, this is the story that can inspire them about how a small help can make a huge difference in someone's life.

Set in Ghana, the story is about how Kojo, a microentrepreneur, takes the small loan of one hen and ends up building a poultry farm. Based on a real person, Kwabena Darko, who changed his community and is helping others do the same, this is a story as much about perseverance and determination as it is about generosity and resourcefulness.

Beatrice's Goat by Page McBrier and Lori Lohstoeter is a similar story where Beatrice receives a goat, Mugisa, as a present, much like Heifer  Project International has been doing. Milk from the goat helps the poor family of six hope for a better life. And eventually, it even allows Beatrice to go to school as she dreamed.

OneHen.org, a non-profit empowers children to become social entrepreneurs to make a difference in the world.

[image source: One Hen Inc.,]



The Red Bicycle
The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle
by Jude Isabella
illustrated by Simone Shin

Bicycle can be the best mode of transportation in many parts of the world where unpaved roads and rough terrain discourage motorized transportation between remote villages. Bringing crops and goods to market is made easier with just pedal power.

When Leo in North America outgrows his bike, he wants it to be something more than just a pile of metal tossed in a junkyard. When he talks to his bike shop owner, he learns of an organization that collects used but good bicycles, fixes them up and sends them across the world to those who cannot afford one or have access to one but certainly need one for local transportation.

Thus begins the journey of "Big Red", Leo's bicylce, which ends up with Alisetta in Burkina Faso where she puts it to good use hauling goods to the market and watching over her family's sorghum field. When Big Red's spokes break and Alisetta knows not what to do with it, along comes Boukary who can fix anything. Can he squeeze yet another use out of Big Red? Of course!

Boukary attaches a trailer to the bicycle and it becomes a makeshift ambulance with a stretcher and belt for keeping patients safe when transporting them to the nearest clinic. Haridata loads the medical bags, water, blanket on La Grand Rouge as she calls the bike, and rides ready in case she runs into someone needing medical aid.

Back of the book has information section titled, What You Can Do To Help.

[image source: Author Jude Isabella website]

The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish

The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish

by Deborah Diesen
illustrated by Dan Hanna

published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), Sept 2015

Ages 3-6


Ever since we first encountered Mr.Fish with his fish face stuck in a permanent pout, spreading  dreary-wearies all over the place, we've been a big fan.

And, boy was I thrilled when Ms. Diesen stopped by and left me a comment on that post!

The very first book, The Pout-Pout Fish, with its perfect beat and rhythm, is an all-time favorite for read-aloud sessions. After The Pout-Pout Fish and the Big, Big Dark, and The Pout-Pout Fish Goes To School, the duo is back with some holiday spirit in, The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish.

While it might be near-impossible to recreate the magic of the first book for authors in any genre, it is even tougher in picture books. But, Ms. Diesen and Mr. Hanna have worked very hard to capture the beauty of Mr. Fish's endearing nature yet again.

Mr. Fish makes his Gift list and is all set to go shopping for his friends. He wants to get the best and latest gifts with "bling-zing" as nothing less would do. When circumstances arrange themselves to frustrate and disappoint him regarding finding the very gifts "guaranteed to bring delight", Ms. Shimmer comes along and shows him that making gifts for friends "with his very own fins" is just the thing to do to spread the joys of the season.

The seven-year old's favorite is Manta Claus, and his sleigh pulled by sea horses, of course. Cute and clever details like that tucked into every page provide hours of fun for the little ones to discover and giggle over. Although Mr. Fish's shopping dilemma may resonate more with adults than kids, the gentle reminder that hand-made holidays are what it is all about brings a sense of peace and calmness to the young readers.

I am very happy to be part of the Blog Tour for The Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish.

View Inside the Book at US MacMillan

Learn More at  www.poutpoutfish.com


Interview with author, Ms. Diesen:

How did you come up with the original Pout-Pout fish book in 2008?

The story grew out of an actual pout!  One day many, many years ago, when my elder son was a preschooler, he was having a very grouchy afternoon.  Hoping to amuse him, I made an exaggerated pouty face at him.  He smiled and then pouted right back, which got us both laughing.  “We look like fish,” I said.  “Like pout-pout fish!”  As soon as I said that out loud, it became a story idea.  I jotted the idea down and I started writing The Pout-Pout Fish that same day.  Years later, I started sending the story to publishers, and in 2005 it was accepted at Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers.  The book was published in 2008 and began a series of stories, all featuring Mr. Fish, his friends, and their adventures. Since the first book, we’ve seen Mr. Fish go to school, learn to smile, face the dark, discover how to dream and play hide-and-seek.

What do kids (and their parents) love most about the series? 

I think one of the things that makes Mr. Fish an appealing character for many kids and parents is that kids and parents alike can identify with his experiences.  Toddlers sometimes pout; so do adults!  Preschoolers have things they’re scared of; so do adults!  Kindergartners get nervous about starting something new; so do adults!  Mr. Fish’s experiences provide a way for kids and grown-ups to explore those issues together.  In addition, the stories have rhyme, repetition, and wordplay, which are fun in a read-aloud book.  And Dan Hanna’s illustrations!  They’re fantastic.  They truly bring the stories to life.

What is Mr. Fish up to now? Does he have a case of the “dreary wearies” in the latest book, too?

Mr. Fish’s newest adventure is called The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish.  In it, Mr. Fish is in a bit of a holiday panic, searching for perfect gifts for all of his friends.  His shopping trip is unsuccessful, and Mr. Fish is sure that he’s let all of his friends down.  But his friend Miss Shimmer reminds him that the best gifts of all come straight from the heart, and she helps him craft simple and meaningful presents to bring to the holiday party.  His friends are delighted with their presents, and together everyone celebrates peace, joy, and love – what a very merry gift!

What do you hope young readers (ages 3-6) will learn from The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish? Is there a message here for grown-ups as well? 

I hope that Mr. Fish’s latest tale will help children to realize that presents don’t need to be expensive or complicated or splashy.  Simple, heartfelt presents that connect us to one another are the best gifts of all.  A drawing; a craft project; time spent together; even just a smile!  These sorts of gifts are the most cherished and the most enduring.  It’s a lesson we grown-ups have to re-learn periodically as well.

Do you have any tips for parents of toddlers about the joy of giving presents, rather than just receiving them, this holiday season?

Kids love to give presents, and they especially love having an active role in the process of creating the presents.  Try a craft idea or project that’s extremely simple and stress-free, and then let your child have at it with a minimum of help.  The more messy, lopsided, and imperfect the results the better!  Have fun with the process, and as you do you’ll create not just gifts but memories as well.

How do you and the illustrator, Dan Hanna, work together on the books? (Are there any special stories about the illustrations on Not-Very-Merry that you can share?) 

I absolutely adore Dan’s art, and I credit it as the reason for the success of the series.  We work independently of one another during the creation of the books.  I work with our editor on the stories; then, when a story is finished and ready, she passes it along to Dan.  Dan moves through the art creation process, from sketches to finished product, working with our editor and with the art director.  I do see some of the steps along the way, but during the illustration process the author’s most important task is to stay out of the way!  And that’s for the best, because it allows the artist to bring the story to life in the way only an artist can.  Dan brings a thousand times more to the illustrations than I could ever begin to imagine – the characters and their expressions; the settings and their details; and all the funny and quirky extras.  For instance, in The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish, one of the spreads shows a store full of what I describe in the text as shiny trinkets and handy gadgets.  Dan took that description and brought it alive by imagining, drawing, and labeling shelf after shelf in the gift shop with hilarious and unique sea gifts.  His creativity is amazing.  I feel very grateful and happy to get to make books with Dan!

Any future plans for Mr. Fish? What adventures can we expect to see him in next? 

Mr. Fish has a new mini-adventure coming out later this year called Kiss-Kiss, Pout-Pout Fish.  This mini-adventure, like the previous mini-adventures Smile, Pout-Pout Fish and Sweet Dreams, Pout-Pout Fish, is a very short board book with just a few words per page, meant for babies and young toddlers. In spring 2016, there will be a touch-and-feel alphabet book and a sticker book.  Another mini-adventure, called Trick or Treat, Pout-Pout Fish, will arrive later in 2016.  And in 2017, Mr. Fish will be in a new full-length hardcover called The Pout-Pout Fish, Far, Far From Home.  He stays pretty busy these days!  But he’s enjoying all of his adventures. As am I!



Interview with illustrator, Mr. Hanna:

How long have you been illustrating the Pout-Pout Fish books? What inspired your depiction of the main character, Mr. Fish?

I started illustrating the first book in early 2007 and so it's been about 8 or 9 years now.  About 15 years ago I was scuba diving in Fiji.  There was a huge rusting hulk of a shipwreck about 80 feet down.  At the end of a pole extending above the deck was a small metal basket.  Resting in that basket was a pudgy fish about the size of my fist.  I swam up and looked right into his eyes and he looked right back with a deep, gloomy frown.  Years later, when I received the manuscript for The Pout-Pout Fish, that memory bubbled up.  I realized, at that moment, that Mr. Fish was an actual fish, living on the other side of the world, 80 feet down on a shipwreck.

When there’s a new Pout-Pout story to illustrate, how do you collaborate with author Deborah Diesen?

It may seem odd but I don't communicate with Debbie regarding the illustrations.  I work with are the Editor (Janine O'Malley) and Art Director (Roberta Pressel).  When I initially receive a manuscript I'm given complete freedom to break it down into pages and to illustrate it however I think best.  After I complete the first dummy (a mock-up of the book) I send it to Janine and Roberta.  That begins a long series of feedback and changes until we get to a version that we're all happy with.  At that point I begin the final art that will eventually be delivered to make the book.

What has been your favorite Pout-Pout book to illustrate? Why?

The first book!  Nothing can compare to getting your first book published.  Its success paved the way for all the others.  The original book was the first for both Debbie and me and that made it extra special.Usually a publisher will team up a first timer with someone who has experience.  Fortunately, FSG took achance on two rookies.

What medium do you use to make the illustrations? What’s your favorite to work with? Tell us about your creative process.

I use the PPPPP approach: Paper, Pencils, Pens, Paint and Photoshop. My favorite is just pencil and paper.  When I start a new book I like to visit a variety of coffee shops in my area.  I let my caffeinated mind roam, scribbling out ideas and laughing to myself.  If a sketch doesn't make me laugh then it usually doesn't make the cut.

What illustration in The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish did you have the most fun creating?

I especially like the one where Mr. Fish imagines giving Ms. Clam the robot body.  She just looks so happy and empowered. The items in the shop and the gifts Mr. Fish imagines in this story are so detailed and quirky.

How did you come up with them? Did you have a specific inspiration?

For the imagined gifts, I drew on my own experience as a kid where I would dream up magnificent presents for my family and friends.  Eventually, as with Mr. Fish, I would have to confront reality and drastically scale back my plans. The shop items are based on all the goofy stuff you can find on the shelves of some of the more interesting gift shops.

Of all the items that the Pout-Pout fish dreams up (robot, spaceship, submarine etc.), which one would you love to get this Christmas?

The Submarine!  When I was a kid there was an ad in the back of a comic book for a submarine.  The ad went something like this:
"Delux Submarine!  Life Size!  Torpedo Tubes!  Absolutely NO Cardboard Parts!  Only $10!! I saved up the money and sent away for it.   As I waited for it to be delivered my dreams were filled with visions of underwater adventure.  Eventually it arrived and sank my dreams into the abyss.  It was just a cardboard box with torpedo tubes made from toilet roll tubes.  It was even more depressing than the SeaMonkeys and X-Ray Glasses.

What do you think was your most valuable childhood experience?

Being bored.  I firmly believe that having enough free time to sit around and be bored is very important for the development of a healthy imagination. What kinds of things inspire you to work?I'm primarily motivated by death.  When I contemplate my eventual demise it scares me into action.  Although what really gets me going — is death and a cup of coffee.

What do you want the students to get out of your school visits?

That being a writer or illustrator is like being a wizard.  Your magic wand is a pencil.  Your potions are words and scribbles.  And the spells you cast will be the stories you write and the pictures you draw.  So pick up a pencil and make some magic happen!

Do you enjoy researching or do you prefer working totally from your imagination?

Initially I let my imagination run wild.  Then I knock it out with a tranquilizer dart while I do some research.  Finally, my groggy imagination re-awakes, snarls angrily and then runs wild again.  I've found that this approach works best for me.

Do you have any advice for aspiring picture book illustrators?

Buy one thousand parrots and place them in a room with a looped recording saying something like: "Dan Hanna can sure draw fish!" Then release the parrots, using a helicopter, over each of the major publishing houses. When the editors leave for lunch they'll hear the parrots in the trees screeching "Aaaaccck, Dan Hanna can sure draw fish!" Now I know this scheme seems rather elaborate, but it worked for me.

How did it feel to have your first book (and author Deborah Diesen's first book) become so successful?

It feels like a hot air balloon ride.  But not like one of those rides where the basket catches on fire or the balloon hits a power line or something.

What do you think will be the ultimate fate of your work?

Five billion years from now, when our sun has blown up and the Earth is a smoldering chunk of charcoal, humanity will hopefully have escaped to another planet.  Perhaps, packed away in one of the zillions of moving boxes will be an old, dusty copy of "The Pout-Pout Fish".  Maybe then, some remnant of my wandering soul will smile as a genetically enhanced child stumbles across it and cracks open its ancient spine.

www.BlueBellyLizard.com
www.DanHanna.com


[Disclosure: I received a review copy of the book, but the opinions expressed here are entirely my own.]

Seven Must-Read Non-fiction Animal Picture Books from the Seven Year Old

There is a ton of animal non-fiction picture books out there! It feels like kids can't possibly read all of them in one childhood. The seven year old at home devours animal books - not just non-fiction picture books but visual encyclopedia and collections like Lang Elliott's Songs of the Wild Birds.

While Prehistoric Life is still on his radar, he has circled back to learning more about some of the curious traits of the present-day animals and why they evolved so.

Of course, out of every dozen books we bring home on the subject, perhaps only about two or three manage to fascinate him for one reason or another and elicit repeat reads. Based on the latest set, these seven (a dozen, to be accurate) books have become firm favorites with the seven year old in the last few weeks, ordered on a scale of out-of-this-world-book to what-a-fun-book-to-read.

Why "seven" and not "twelve" books in the title? Well, I decided to group them by author/illustrators so there's seven groups, with a total of twelve books. Plus, "seven books from the seven year old" has a nicer ring than "a dozen books from the seven year old."

Ideally, I would have dedicated a single post of about 500 words to each of these books purely to sing the virtues and gush over them, but, time is in short supply and so this cluster post will have to do justice for now.

This is not really an authoritative or exhaustive list. This is just the set of books that has currently impressed us. Am sure there'll be more and I'll be sharing them as and when we read them.



Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do,

Eye to Eye: how Animals See The World
by Steve Jenkins

Steve Jenkins is much-loved in our house for all the brilliant books he has presented in such an attractive and digestible form. His unique style of collage art, uncluttered use of space, with dense text in short doses to get to the point is just perfect!

The seven year old has been wanting to write to Steve Jenkins asking him how he researches his animals and how he picks them for his book. Plus, he has earmarked a few favorite animals he'd like Mr.Jenkins to write a book about! He doesn't care for fictional superheroes - doesn't care for Batman, Spiderman, Superman, no Transformers, no television, -- but, he has met Kurt Cyrus a few times and even picked his brain this year at the Oregon State Fair regarding making books, and he is totally enamored by Steve Jenkins' creativity and wants to make books like he does. He emulates Kenn Nesbitt by trying to write poetry as in My Hippo has the Hiccups, and re-reads Shel Silverstein for fun when he wants to relax.

Anyway, this is a clever book, zooming in on the one feature or trait of each animal that is unique to that creature, and posing a crisp question to the animal, which the animal sportingly responds with equal facility.

A double-page spread of blobfish looking like a blob prompts the question:

Dear Blobfish: What on earth happened to you?

Being on dry land -- instead of the ocean -- is my problem. At home, deep in the sea, I look like just another fish. But, I'm out of the water, and gravity is smushing me...

Another favorite:

Dear pufferfish: You've got me worried -- are you going to explode?

No, I won't burst. I've inflated my body with water to make it tougher for a big fish to swallow me.

Making of the book was fascinating, as always.

[Creature Feature Mask Kit]

[image source: HMH]

Eye to Eye is another fantastic book about how animals see. At the beginning we learn about the various types of vision that evolved when life began on earth.

From simplest eyespots that are light-sensitive to pinhole, to compound, to camera eyes, we see how each adaptation suits each creature's lifestyle, primarily to hunt prey, find food -- survival.

Back of the book has bite-sized information about evolution of the eye and animal facts.

[Interview with Steve Jenkins]

[image source: HMH]


The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea

by Brenda Z. Guiberson
illustrated by Gennady Spirin

Thirteen sea creatures state exactly why they think they are the most amazing creature in the sea. Written in first person, the text immediately establishes a connection between the reader and the animal on that page.

While it is not necessarily a competition, each animal speaks as if it is vying for the coveted "Most Amazing" title:

I am a Box Jellyfish. My venom is the deadliest. I have millions of stinging toxic cells in my tentacles...

and so it goes. Each animal makes its claim thus, and each one has a point. Until the end, where we encounter the Helpers, without whom none of the other creatures can carry on. And, we incidentally realize how interdependent the ocean eco-system is.

This format absolutely thrilled the kid that he went on to write about it for his school homework.

[Read a few pages in full glory at Google Books]

[Look Inside the book at Macmillan USA]

[image source: Macmillan]

Seabird in the Forest
The Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet
by Joan Dunning

I fell in love with this book when the seven year old brought it to me one morning and said, "Mama, you have to listen to this!" and proceeded to read from the book:

"For nearly two hundred years, people tried to figure out where the marbled murrelet hatches and raises its young, but not one nest could be found."

He paused and repeated it for effect. And I could tell that this fact impressed him the most.

I did pick out this book from the library to read with him, but he beat me to it one night when I was not feeling well, so the next morning, I heard all about the virtues of this book. I wish there was some way to package this joy and enthusiasm and send it to the author to let her know how much her work has impacted this one child.

Unlike most seabirds that prefer offshore rocks and islands for nesting, the marbled murrelet goes far from the shores into the forest. Only a few decades ago, marbled murrelet chick was found high on a Douglas-fir tree in California, miles from the ocean.

The illustrations are gorgeous with sidebar tidbits on each page about the coastal redwoods, flying squirrel, wandering salamander and other related elements in this habitat, in addition to murrelet's own life cycle. The inside front and back covers show this two-page spread of an ancient coastal redwood 365 feel tall in portrait-orientation, in its full glory, with a puny six foot human at the base to show the scale.

Author shares her deep personal connection to the woods and the marbled murrelets in this post compiled by a fourth grader.


[Author reads from the book]

[Science Netlinks Video of Marbled Murrelet]

[image source: amazon.com]


A Little Book of Slime

Everything that oozes, from killer slime to living mold
by Clint Twist

Not my favorite, I have to admit, but the kid loves it -- especially the slime-ometer ratings from 1 to 10 for each of the slimy examples in this book.

Starting with what is slime, we go on to read all about Slimy Stuff in Water like Slime Tube and Hagfish and Sea cucumber, to Slimy Stuff on Land like Cane toad and Velvet worm and Banana Slug and Froghopper to Other Slimy Stuff like Phlegm and decomposing vegetables and Snot mold.

Why is it "Little" Slime Book even though it is packed with a large amount of slime? Well, the book itself is about 7.5 inches by 6 inches by about 0.5 inches, making it small and handy.

[image source: random house]

Curious Critters,
Curious Critters Volume Two,
Curious Critters Marine
by David FitzSimmons

It's a tie between who liked this book more - the kid or me! Of course, we loved this set of books for our own reasons - me, for the brilliant photographs and clever writing that varies the voice and presents each animal with its own personality; the kid, for the fascinating facts and the wealth of information therein.

Dramatic closeups and vivid colors on full page makes this an instant attraction. Plus, the clever text, some with the Texan drawl, some with prim politeness, and some set to popular tunes makes it a pleasure to read, providing an instant personality for these critters, which apparently was the toughest thing to do.

Predaceous Diving Beetle sings:

Row, row, row my legs,
out across the pond,
look for fish, frogs, or worms,
I eat whatever's found.

Down, down, down I dive,
my prey I try to spy,
If my food is getting scarce,
I can also fly.

Eastern Cottontail was a favorite as the little rabbits discover that they eat their own poop -- eating grasses twice helps them get more nutrients the second time through.

As the author shares in this candid article, Writing Curious Critters, it is a challenge to come up with twenty different voices and match them with the personality of the animals -- assuming one is able to assign such personalities to these widely varying critters.

Curious Critters site has goodies for kids like coloring pages and word search and eCards.

[View Sample Pages as Flipbook - does not work in Chrome, fine in Firefox]

[image source: Wild Iris Publishing]

Vulture View,
Woodpecker Wham
by April Pulley Sayre
illustrations by Steve Jenkins

April Pulley Sayre is another much-loved author in our house. Trout, Trout, Trout: A Fish Chant; Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant; Bird, Bird, Bird: A Chirping Chant; Meet the Howlers; Honk, Honk, Goose... were all much enjoyed, with many repeat-reads.

And, when two fantastic book creators teamed up in Vulture View and Woodpecker Wham, and Eat Like a Bear, I knew we had to read them!

Lilt and rhythm typically characterize Ms. Sayre's books and this one is no exception.

Up, up!
Turkey vultures tilt, soar, scan
to find the food that vultures can...
...eat!

Vultures smell the air.
They sniff, search, seek
for foods that...
...REEK!

Vultures rise with the sun and hunt for carrion, and by the end of daylight, they settle in trees with their families and sleep, only to wake up the next morning and do it all over again. Nature's scavenger.

[View sample pages at Google Books]

The lilt and beat in Woodpecker Wham! reminded us of Bird, Bird, Bird -- a catchy, bouncy read.

Various kinds of woodpeckers are showcased in this book in gorgeous cutpaper collage that is Steve Jenkins' unique style.

We start the book with a Pileated woodpecker swooping and landing on a tree stump, beginning to shred it. As we go along, we find them tapping messages for communicating with each other, flaking the tree trunks to find crawling insects, drilling when spring sap oozes. Then, spreading their feather to dry in the sun and preening and prancing to find a mate, then building a nest:

Start a home.
Bill to bark.
Dig it, dig it --
deep and dark.

We see a Northern flicker diligently making a hole in the tree for nesting. Having observed Northern flickers in our own backyard for a few years, returning to the same hole in the tree for raising a new generation, it was perfect to see them in action in the book.

Hawk's a-hunting.
Stop. Drop. Hide.
Quiet
on the other side.

Of course, in Fall, they fill their tree hole with acorns and other seeds. Some migrate, some stick it out.

Leave that tree hole.
Start one new.
Who will move in
after you?

[View sample pages at Google Books]

[image source: April Pulley Sayre]


Behold the Beautiful Dung Beetle

by Cheryl Bardoe
illustrations by Alan Marks

What's not to like about a book all about poop, especially if you are a seven year old?

Though they all scramble as soon as a fresh pile is available, each of the three types of dung beetle has its own way of enjoying the poop.

Rollers roll them into perfect spheres taking it away from the throng. The Tunnelers hoard it underground, right beneath the pile. Dwellers just sit there and carry on eating while the other two kinds take it away bit by bit.

We learn about their life cycle -- and how the eggs are in the dung pile safe and warm until they hatch; and how the grub eats and eats until it grows bigger, and how it eventually transforms. Which might explain why they have been the ancient symbol of life and renewal.

Illustrations are earthy and gorgeous, focused on dung beetles, with intimate perspectives. One of our favorite pages is where the champions are reaping their rewards up close on the foreground while far in the distant background the giraffes and antelopes graze on, and poop on. Another favorite is when the new adult male with shiny hard exoskeleton finally emerges and we read, "Behold the beautiful dung beetle!" we see him up close in the foreground, large and mighty, while an African elephant grazes in the background, smaller and unsung.

[Book trailer]

[Sample pages at Google Books]

[image source: Publisher Charlesbridge]

Galápagos George
by Jean Craighead George
paintings by Wendell Minor

From the amazing naturalist, Jean Craighead George, we learn about the ancestry of Lonesome George, the lonely long-necked, last of the saddleback tortoises of the Pinta Islands, that has been driven to extinction.

The illustrations captured the time and the mood and the beauty of life on earth. The final illustration conveyed a whole lot more than words can express.

Although more poetic than scientific, the book sparked the kid's interest wondering about how scientists speculate about a common ancestor nicknamed "Giantess George" in the book. How can one *know* is the question that bothers him, and the answer is one cannot know for *certain* but one can draw intelligent conclusions from observations.

The kid refused to believe that the last of this species is gone. He stuck to his belief that Lonesome George mated and made babies a while back and no one knows about it yet. He has half convinced himself that Lonesome George is not quite dead yet, and scientists have found ways to bring back this species, like they did the California Condor.

[image source: Harper Collins]