Woelfle, Gretchen. Mumbets Declaration of Independence. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 2014. 978-0-7613-6589-1. 32 pages. $17.95. Grades 2-5.
This picture book biography details the life of Mumbet, a slave in pre-Revolution Massachusetts. When the men begin to talk about all men being created free and equal, Mumbet hears the phrase and wonders if that truly applies to her. When a new constitution is created, Mumbet decides to take a risk and find out if this new freedom can be hers. A wonderful story of perseverance and determination during the birth of our nation that is based on a true story. This would be a perfect addition to any Revolutionary War unit, or for Black History Month.
Picture Book Biography Donna Fernandez, Calvary Christian Academy
Bland, Nick, The Very Cranky Bear. New York: Scholastic, 2014. 978-0-545-61269-2. 21 pages. $16.99. Grades PK -1.
The animals in the Jingle Jangle Jungle try to cheer up a cranky bear who they have woken up from hibernation . Each animal thinks he knows what bear needs to cheer him up. But who will find the key to making a cranky bear happy again. This book would be a cute addition to a unit on feelings or even a humorous introduction to hibernation. A fun look at problem solving and thoughtfulness for the very young audience.
Picture Book Donna Fernandez, Calvary Christian Academy
Sonneborn, Scott. The Frankenstein Journals: Feet First. Mankato, Minnesota: Stone Arch Books, 2014. 978-1-4342-8999-5. $15.99. Gr. 2-5.
Feet First, the first book in The Frankenstein Journals series, introduces us to quirky, fourteen-year-old orphan, J.D. Spending most of his life living at Mr. Shelley’s Orphanage for Lost and Neglected Children (and not venturing out very often) has left J.D. feeling not only a little sheltered, but also curious about his past. He had always been told that he was found when he was just a baby, lying in a box with no clues about his family. J.D. couldn’t help but suspect that he was different from others, with one blue eye and one green, one large hand and one small, a leg that is longer than the other, and unproportionately huge feet, all of which kept him wondering where he came from. It doesn’t take long for readers to learn that J.D. does have a family, albeit not the typical kind. He is the son of Frankenstein’s Monster!!
This is a fast-paced and exciting story that will especially appeal to fans of monster movies and adventure! Readers will love the fictional world created by Sonneborn, in which it is not totally out of the ordinary for folks to see Frankenstein’s Monster or the Mummy walking about town. FIlled with action, humor, and mystery, this series is likely to gain an enthusiastic following.
Juvenile Fiction Lisa Naylor, Concord Elementary
Villeneuve, Anne. Loula and the Sister Recipe. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press, 2014. 978-1-77138-113-0. 32 p. $16.95. Gr. K-3.
Poor Loula is pestered by annoying triplet brothers and decides that a sister is the remedy to her situation. When he asks her parents to make her a sister, they explain that “Making a sister…well, it’s like making a cake. You need the right ingredients.” Loula sets off to make herself a sister with the help of trusty family chauffeur Gilbert. She may get the list of ingredients a bit wrong but she finds a wonderful “sister,” a stray male dog, in the process.
Loula is an appealing new character from the same vein as Eloise and Madeleine. She first starred in Villeneuve’s 2013 Loula is Leaving for Africa and is back with this year’s offering. Gilbert is a fun companion who supports Loula’s creative imagination. Villeneuve’s illustrations compliment the slightly old-fashioned feeling of the story—the word “charming” comes to mind in describing this story.
Picture book Lindsey Long, Nye & Conewago Elementary Schools
Boyd, Lizi. Flashlight. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2014. 978-1-4521-1894-9. unpaged. $16.99. Grades K-2.
This splendid, quiet book takes a look at the nighttime happenings of a child and a collection of woodland animals. Boyd’s wordless black and white exploration is more playful with the pattern of small cut-outs and the flash of color on each page. The game of flashlight tag seems quaint and random, but it is mesmerizing to follow the connections and characters from page to page. When the animals turn the light back on the child at the end, we are happy to play along until bedtime finally sets in. This book would serve well for a variety of observation activities at bedtime or in a classroom.
Picture Book; Wordless Dustin Brackbill State College Area School District
Antony, Steve. Betty Goes Bananas. New York: Schwartz and Wade , 2014. 978-0-553-50761-4. 24 p. $16.99. Grades PK-1.
Betty, the baby gorilla has found a yummy banana. But after trying to open it in every way she can think of, she is still unsuccessful. So Betty has a tantrum. She cries and kicks and screams until someone shows up to see what all of the fuss is about. The friendly toucan shows Betty how to open and peel the banana. But Betty wanted to do it herself… SOOOO… another tantrum. The patient toucan helps her understand that crying will not solve her problem.
This book is a cute story with great illustrations. Betty’s tantrums do nothing to solve the problem, so a conversation about other alternatives would be appropriate, since some children resort to tears to get what they want or when they are frustrated. It would be a good introduction to problem solving for the younger set.
Picture Book/Fiction Donna Fernandez, Calvary Christian Academy
Keats, Ezra Jack. John Henry; an American Legend (50th Anniversary Edition). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2014. 978-0-394-99052-1. 32p. $17.99. Grades 1-4.
This book is the 50th Anniversary Edition of the Ezra Jack Keats retelling of the legend of John Henry. This classic recounts the ballad of John Henry, a strong railroad worker who challenges the new steam engine to a race to see who was faster, man or machine. The colorful illustrations vividly portray John Henry’s many famous feats leading up to this last challenge.
This edition is a great addition to a folk tale/legend section of the library. This could also be used in a unit comprised of an author study of Ezra Jack Keats’s works.
Legend/Fiction Donna Fernandez, Calvary Christian Academy
Weatherford, Carole Boston. Leontyne Price; Voice of a Century. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 978-0-375-95606-5. 32 p. $17.99. Grades 2-5.
This picture book biography tells the story of a famous African American singer whose voice was celebrated during the 1920’s and 30’s . Through many set backs and difficulties, she followed in the footsteps of one of her idols, Marion Anderson. As Marion broke down the color barrier in the singing world, Leontyne Price entered into the world of music and continued to work to bring equality and opportunity to people of color in the music industry. Her life on the Broadway stage and then the Metropolitan Opera opened the hearts of Americans to accept more people into venues that had once been closed to them.
This book could be added to a collection of biographies of famous African Americans who fought for equal rights in our country’s history.
Picture Book/Biography Donna Fernandez, Calvary Christian Academy
Yates, David. Hope For Winter: A True Story of a Remarkable Dolphin Friendship. New York: Scholastic, 2015. 978-0-545-75037-0. 32p. $17.99. Grades 2-5.
The inspiring story of Winter the dolphin who got a prosthetic tail was made into a movie entitled Dolphin Tale. As the movie was wrapping up with a big party at the aquarium, a call came that there was a rescued baby dolphin in critical condition. Doctors rushed from the party to get ready for this little survivor that they eventually name Hope. Hope was only two months old, exactly the same age as Winter had been when she was rescued five years before. As Hope grew stronger, the marine biologists wonder how she would react to other dolphins and decide to introduce her to Winter. And so begins the friendship of these two amazing creatures now living in the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
This companion to the book “Winter’s Tale” is a wonderful non-fiction picture book for the early reader. There is now a movie about Hope as well, so many students may be familiar with this tough little survivor and her best friend, Winter. These easy to read non-fiction books make the true stories they tell very accessible for the younger reader and a pleasure to read.
Non-Fiction Picture Book Donna Fernandez, Calvary Christian Academy
Slade, Suzanne. Friends for Freedom; The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Watertown: Charlesbridge, 2014. 978-1-58089-568-2. $16.95. 37 p. Grades 2-4.
This is the story of the friendship between two famous historical figures, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass was a famous abolitionist speaker who fought for an end to slavery and equal rights for African Americans. Susan B. Anthony was also an outspoken advocate for both equal rights for women and an end to slavery. These two people who formed an unusual and lasting friendship that was unheard of during that time period. The two remained friends until the death of Frederick Douglass in 1895.
This picture book biography tells of the little known friendship and connection between two very famous civil rights advocates. It would be an excellent addition to a non-fiction or biography collection and could be used in a study of the Civil War, civil rights or other historical units.
Picture book Biography Donna Fernandez, Calvary Christian Academy
Santat, Dan. The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. New York; Little Brown and Company, 2014. 978-0-316-40629-1. 40 pages. $15.99. Grades K-2.
Having an imaginary friend as a young child should be a right of passage – someone with which to share your secrets, fears, laughs, and imagination. As it turns out, the creatures to be selected for this job are anxiously awaiting their turn and ready to make those precious moments happen. Except when they don’t. Poor, adorable (still unnamed) Beekle watches his friends go to the world of children while he is left behind to wonder and wait. Until he decides to take matters into his own hands and journey bravely to the real world. Beekle needs a buddy, and just when hope is lost, his person finds him in an unlikely way. This tale will entice your curiosity and delight your sense of wonder! Santat has created a visual world from photoshop graphics that would make Pixar proud, and a story that could also make a great animated short. The emotions and little details from the character’s expressions are enough to draw in children of all ages – many of whom may wish for an unimaginary friend of their own.
My view:
This book won the Caldecott at the perfect moment to share with many of my classes in our lessons about the art of picture books. I shared using an e-book version (which looks great on the big screen by the way!) and we discussed how Dan Santat used the art and the words to make the story expressive and perfect for young readers. This is my kind of picture book with equal parts wonder, humor, and colorful characters!
Picture Book Dustin Brackbill State College Area School District
Novak, B.J.. The Book with No Pictures. New York; Dial Books, 2014. 978-0-8037-4171-3. 48 pages. $16.99. Grades K-2.
If you want to play with some young listeners’ perceptions, try reading The Book with No Pictures! From the creative mind of B.J. Novak comes a read aloud full of comic mischief. With the reader clearly a puppet to the words on the page, audiences enjoy seeing what comes next. Whether it’s silly made up words, something borderline inappropriate to read, or simple randomness – this is plain, un-illustrated fun! This book will help reinforce the connection between readers, listeners, and text. It could also be a great balance for young readers to pair with a wordless book.
My View:
I tried this book with 1st grade as a read aloud and was instantly rewarded! It worked as a partner text with Journey by Aaron Becker to get them thinking about how both words and pictures are important to a story and also work alone without the other. They fell easily into my trap, as I told them it might be a boring book and that I hadn’t read it before. With some key pauses and looks of confusion, I read it as the fool, and they loved every minute!
Picture Book (not!) Dustin Brackbill State College Area School District
Morales, Yuyi. Viva Frida. New York: Roaring Book Press, 2014. 9781-59643-603-9. 32p. $17.99. Grades k+.
Winner of 2015 Pura Belpre Award and Caldecott Honor, this spectacularly gorgeous book uses stunning photos of lifelike puppets to celebrate the art and life of the great Frida Kahlo. The doe-eyed puppet of Frida stares directly at the reader from the page and seems to serenely gaze right into our eyes. Other whimsical three-dimensional objects – Frida’s richly embroidered dress, jewelry, floral headpiece, the puppet of her pet monkey, the birds, deer and other beings in nature – provide a mesmerizing feast for the eyes. Each spread is composed of full-bleed photos of three-dimensional scenes of Frida, her work, and her loves, captioned by brief Spanish/English bilingual phrases: “Juego/I play…Se/I know…Sueno/I dream…” Readers will love the joy on the faces of all pictured here. Author’s notes at the end of the book share Morales’ fascination with Frida Kahlo and what went into creating the book. This is a MUST HAVE book for all ages.
For younger readers, I will use this read-aloud to discuss Frida, her work, and the ideas behind her costumes and imagery. For middle and upper grades this book would be a wonderful springboard for discussion of art and inspiration. I plan to use with with my 3rd and 4th grade biography lessons to show the biography in its simplest form.
Picture Book/Biography Kathie Jackson, Plymouth Meeting Friends School
Powell, Patricia Hruby. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. New York: Chronicle Books, 2014. 978-1452103143. 104p. $17.99. Gr. 3+.
This book received both the Coretta Scott King Book Honor and Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award, Honor. Written in verse, Powell tells the life of legendary dancer Josephine Baker, from her impoverished beginnings in turn of the century St. Louis, an early childhood injury that a doctor thought would cost her a leg, to her Vaudeville days in the roaring 20s. She was married at 15 and set off for Paris, where for the first time, she was welcomed and treated the same as white people, what a revelation! In France she became a worldwide dance sensation, made a name for herself as a civil rights crusader, helped the war effort, and much more. Josephine’s life story reads like fiction, and the beautiful writing and energetic illustrations pay beautiful homage to her amazing story. This book is a must-have for your biography collection and a must-read during both Black History and Women’s History months.
Picture Book/Biography Kathie Jackson, Plymouth Meeting Friends School
Rabinowitz, Alan. A Boy and a Jaguar. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014. 978-0547875071. 32p. $17.99. Gr. PK-3.
The 2015 Schneider Family Book Award Winner, this book combines two inspiring stories: living a life of social activism while conquering difficulties to find your confidence and voice. Alan is a young boy with a debilitating stutter; he can’t say anything clearly and “my mouth freezes…I try to push words out but my head and body shake.” Early on, however, he and his dad realize that he can talk to his stuffed animals and real life animals without any problem: when he talks to them he is fluent. All the way through school until he is in college he lives with this problem that makes Alan feel “broken.” But when he becomes a scientist doing research with animals in the field, he finally feels in his element. Young readers don’t find out until the end of the book that the boy Alan is the man writing the book. He’s become a renowned conservationist who champions the protection of wildcats worldwide, and he is also the spokesperson for the Stuttering Foundation of America. Beautifully told and illustrated, I will be using this book to introduce biography as well as to have discussions about “otherness,” kindness, self-esteem and other important topics. Highly recommended!
Picture Book/Autoiography/Memoir Kathie Jackson, Plymouth Meeting Friends School
Russel-Brown, Katheryn. Little Melba and Her Big Trombone. New York: Lee & Low Books, 2014. 978-1600608988. 40p. $15.00. Grades 1-5.
This charming picture book biography of jazz musician Melba Liston begins with her childhood fascination with musical beats and rhythms and listening for hours to music on the family’s big Magestic radio. Melba fell in love with and begged her mama for a big shiny trombone which with the help of her grandfather, she taught herself to play. Her incredible drive and gift for music led her to overcome obstacles of both race and gender until she eventually made her name playing and arranging music for the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Billy Holiday.
Picture Book/781.65; Jazz Robin Bartley, Davis Elementary