Elem. – Happy Holidays! (Series NF)

Happy Holidays! Bellwether Media, 2024. $17.95. $107.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades PreK-2. 

Rathburn, Betsy. Cinco de Mayo. 979-8-886-87398-6.
Rathburn, Betsy. Groundhog Day. 979-8-886-87399-3.
Rathburn, Betsy. Holi. 979-8-886-87400-6.
Sabelko, Rebecca. Memorial Day. 979-8-886-87401-3.
Sabelko, Rebecca. Presidents’ Day. 979-8-886-87402-0.
Sabelko, Rebecca. Valentine’s Day. 979-8-886-87403-7. 

Bellwether Media is back with six new titles in their existing Happy Holidays! non-fiction series for early readers. Each volume introduces readers to a major holiday from around the world via basic facts communicated in large text, accompanied by high quality photographs. This reviewer had the opportunity to examine the volume on Groundhog Day. Simple text introduced facts about the holiday, including how and why the holiday is celebrated, as well as locations where the holiday is observed. Punxsutawney Phil was prominently featured in the volume (of course!). Backmatter includes a re-statement of holiday facts, a visual/text glossary, and links to additional resources. 

THOUGHTS: An excellent choice for libraries serving beginning readers looking to update or expand their cultural and/or religious holiday collections. Recommended.

394 Holidays

Elem. – World of Mythical Beings (Series NF)

Hansen, Grade. World of Mythical Beings. Abdo, 2023. $22.95 ea. $137.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades PreK-2.

Dragons. 978-1-098-26188-7.
Elves. 978-1-098-26189-4.
Trolls. 978-1-098-26190-0.
Unicorns. 978-1-098-26191-7.
Werewolves. 978-1-098-26192-4.
Wizards. 978-1-098-26193-1.

Mythical creatures have fascinated both adults and children for hundreds of years. Abdo’s new six book series World of Mythical Beings introduces young readers to some of the world’s most popular mythical creatures. Readers will learn about how the myth(s) around the creatures developed, how the creatures are viewed in various parts of the word and in various cultures, and how the myth has carried forward to the present day. This reviewer had the opportunity to read the volume on Dragons. The volume presented possible theories as to how dragon myths started. Readers also learned about the differences between dragon legends in western and eastern cultures. For example, dragons in western cultures are depicted as fire-breathing winged creatures that are often deadly, while in eastern cultures, are wingless, snake-like creatures often associated as symbols of goodness. The volume concluded with a brief look at how dragons are depicted in popular culture in present day. Accompanying the text were drawings, paintings, and digital illustrations of various dragons. 

THOUGHTS: Early reader fans of mythical creatures are the target audience for this series. With simple text and engaging illustrations, they will find much to enjoy. A worthwhile additional purchase for libraries serving young readers looking to add to or expand their folklore/mythical creature collections. 

398 Folklore

Elem. – South American Animals (Series NF)

Hansen, Grade. South American Animals. Abdo, 2023. $22.95 ea. $137.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades PreK-2. 

Anaconda. 978-1-098-26181-8.
Llama. 978-1-098-26182-5.
Ocelot. 978-1-098-26183-2.
Poison Dart Frog. 978-1-098-26184-9.
Sloth. 978-1-098-26185-6.
Toucan.  978-1-098-26186-3.

South America contains many unique habitats and is home to a diverse collection of animals, some of which are examined in Abdo’s South American Animals series. Each oversize volume introduces readers to an animal that calls South America home. The volume opens with a brief overview of the South American continent. Then, readers are introduced to an animal. Topics covered include the animal’s habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and reproduction. This reviewer had the opportunity to view the volume on Sloths, which discussed two-toed and three-toed sloths, the slow moving (or at some times, stationary) lifestyle of the sloth, and baby sloths, among other topics. Back matter present in the volume included a page of additional facts, glossary, and link to Abdo’s extension activities and resources online.

THOUGHTS: This series is a nice option for young researchers as well as animal fans. The large, simple text makes the series an excellent non-fiction selection for beginning readers. All readers will appreciate the large, high-quality photos that accompany the text. 

597-599, 636 Animals

Elem. – Thank a Farmer

Gianferrari, Maria. Thank a Farmer. Illustrated by Monica Mikai. Norton Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-324-01579-6. $18.95. Grades K-3. Unpaged.

In this beautiful tribute to farmers everywhere, various products are highlighted along with descriptions of how those products came to be. Bread, for instance, begins as wheat, which is harvested by farmers and then ground into flour. Milk is squeezed by hand or machine from cows, berries are picked off the vine, and maple syrup is extracted from trees and then boiled. Vegetables, rice, peanut butter, and even sweaters and socks all begin with farmers. In turn, farmers have much to be thankful for, too, including animals, machines, sunlight, water, worms, butterflies, bees, and trees. Told in lyrical free verse, this informative text is complemented by colorful illustrations and back matter that offers additional information about the products mentioned in the book.

THOUGHTS: Young children will love learning about how their food grows and what all happens to it before it hits their plate. Perhaps they could even write thank you letters to their local farmers after reading the book.

630 Agriculture  

Elem. – Love Is in the Air: The Story of Aviation Pioneer Nancy Harkness Love

Romito, Dee. Love Is in the Air: The Story of Aviation Pioneer Nancy Harkness Love. Illustrated by Vivian Mineker. Aladdin, 2023. 978-1-534-48419-1. $18.99. Grades K-3. Unpaged.

When Nancy Harkness Love was just sixteen years old, she took an airplane ride that changed her life. She decided then and there that she wanted to learn how to fly. Nancy faced many obstacles in the field of aviation, but she ultimately earned her commercial pilot’s license and changed the course of history when she advocated for women to ferry airplanes for the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. She went on to lead 28 other women as squadron commander of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, which merged with another organization to become the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The program was eventually shut down when men took their ferrying jobs back post-war, but Nancy and her fellow WASP members accomplished a great deal for women’s rights in America and were eventually granted veteran status. Pleasant, cartoon-like illustrations accompany this straightforward biography about an important female pilot in our nation’s history. Back matter includes an author’s note, black and white photographs of Nancy, and a list of sources.

THOUGHTS: The message in this picture book biography is clear: girls can persevere and accomplish anything they set their minds to, even if they face obstacles along the way. Pair this with other titles about female pilots, such as Meghan Browne’s Dorothy the Brave (2022), Emily McCully’s Taking Off: Airborne with Mary Wilkins Ellis, and/or Julie Leung’s The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee (2021).

921 Biography
940.54 Military History of World War II    

Elem. – The Bone Wars:  The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils

Kurtz, Jane. The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils. Illustrated by Alexander Vidal. Beach Lane, 2023. 978-1-534-49364-3. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-3.

The Bone Wars chronicles the saga of paleontological competition between O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope in the days of the Bone Wars. Initially friends, the two became fierce rivals after Marsh pointed out to Cope that he had assembled Elasmosaurus with the head on its tail in a recently published scientific paper. The two began competing for discoveries from that moment forward, even resorting to deception and spying to beat the other team. Jane Kurtz acknowledges in her writing that the race to make the next discovery also resulted in many mistakes, broken relationships with friends and other scientists, and ultimately financial stress. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator, as well as a select bibliography and suggested reading list.  

THOUGHTS: The story of the competition between O.C. Marsh and Edward Cope is one that young dinosaur fans are sure to enjoy, not only because of all the discoveries the scientists made, but also because of the tale of a friendship gone awry.  The illustrations, created by Alexander Vidal, are inspired by paleontologic artwork created in the 1800s.  They work with the text to give the reader a sense of the book’s time period and knowledge at the time.  Recommended for libraries seeking to draw dinosaur fans into biographies or to add variety to their dinosaur collection.  

560.92 Paleontology
Biography

MG – 15-Minute Foodie (Series NF)

Borgert-Spaniol, Megan. 15-Minute Foodie. Capstone Press, 2023. $25.54 ea. or $204.32 Set of 8. 32 p. Grades 4-8. 

Colorful Foods in 15 Minutes or Less. 978-1-669-06153-3.
Eye-opening Breakfasts in 15 Minutes or Less.
978-1-669-06159-5.
Holiday Recipes in 15 Minutes or Less.
978-1-669-06165-6.
Party Foods in 15 Minutes or Less. 978-1-669-03-300-4.
Super Snacks in 15 Minutes or Less. 978-1-669-03-294-6.
Sweet Treats in 15 Minutes or Less.
978-1-669-03-288-5.
Tasty Meals in 15 Minutes or Less. 978-1-669-03-82-3.
Vegetarian Recipes in 15 Minutes or Less. 978-1-669-06171-7.

Each of these books presents thirteen recipes of sweet and savory varieties with colorful photos of the process and the resulting foods, making it easy and enticing for young chefs to tackle the options. A two-page introduction about cooking prepares cooks with basic supplies, kitchen tips, and a chart of standard/metric conversions. Each recipe is then showcased on a two-page spread, with ingredients, supplies needed, and directions to make the recipe. Each book is colorful and inviting, with recipes young people would like to eat or share. The recipes are meant to be made “in fifteen minutes or less,” and they stay true to that possibility. Recipes in Tasty Meals range from breakfast to dinner, including banana oat pancakes, ranch chicken quesadilla, taco scoops, and pad thai. Party Foods includes recipes for ‘nacho mountain,’ cheese fondue, frozen bananas, and raspberry sherbet punch. Super Snacks showcases chili cheese popcorn, parmesan crisps, avocado toast, and sunny smoothies. Sweet Treats includes coconut macaroons, watermelon slushie, peach grahams, and caramel pretzel milkshake. None of the recipes overlap in the books. My tween daughter and I successfully made guacamole, toaster panzanella, crunchy cucumber bites, decked-out pretzels, choco-berry salad, and sunny smoothies. All were tasty, and our family most enjoyed the guacamole, choc-berry salad (minus the chocolate), and the sunny smoothies. Each book ends with one page offering three print and three internet resources (again, all resources are different in each title). The only ‘missing ingredient’ is serving size and numbers. Most recipes seem right for 2-4 people, with the party recipes yielding enough for 10-12, but it would be helpful to know approximate yields.

THOUGHTS: These colorful and upbeat books provide a nutritious variety of foods that young chefs and their families or friends can truly enjoy. Bravo to author Borgert-Spaniol for the realistic and varied choices. 

641.8 Cooking; Meals; Snacks; Party Foods

YA – Pandemic Report Card: Successes and Failures

Stefan, Jennifer. Pandemic Report Card: Successes and Failures. Reference Point Press, 2023. 978-1-6782-0346-7 $35.95 64 p. Grades 7-12.

This title covers the early days–from March 2020 to February 2022–of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., and the disorganized responses by the U.S. government.  Drawing from media reports, data, and surveys, the book has largely negative facts to share about the unpreparedness of response, the unequal distribution of aid, and the politicalization of the efforts of masking, unemployment aid, and more. The swiftness of the creation of an effective vaccine is an indisputable accomplishment, but positive aspects of any side of the societal changes due to medical or employment issues are overwhelmed by the negatives.  This decidedly gloomy tone is both realistic but off-putting, considering the ongoing nature of the pandemic and its related challenges and the increased concern with mental health. Various massive governmental aid packages are described as both necessary and insufficient. The effects of remote schooling and remote employment, as well as supply shortages, stay-at-home mandates, mobilization of supplies and vaccines, and vaccine resisters are topics covered in chapters divided into “public health,” “economic,” and “vaccine” successes and failures. The final chapter “Preparing for the Next Pandemic” is helpfully divided into six lessons learned from COVID-19, regarding public trust, need for ongoing research, and the damage of politics and misinformation.

THOUGHTS: An early, negative look at the U.S. response to COVID-19 holds evidence that could bolster our national pride and trust in future public health efforts, but this reporting maligns nearly every outcome save the creation of the vaccine. A useful overview.

614.5 Public Health

YA – Getting Help: Coping with and Overcoming Mental Illness

Mooney, Carla. Getting Help: Coping with and Overcoming Mental Illness. Reference Point Press, 2023. 978-1-6782-0338-2 $35.95 64 p. Grades 7-12.

This book serves as a supportive explanation of mental illness and possible treatments. The first chapter gives a description of the struggles faced by an estimated 44 million Americans each year.  It gives some details about mental illness dovetailing with career instability, drug and alcohol use, relationship strain, school performance decline, and increase in risky behaviors. The second chapter focuses on the stigma associated with mental illness and how that keeps people from both identifying issues and seeking treatment for themselves or loved ones. Young people often turn to online resources for insight, and celebrities’ openness about their own mental health struggles can improve attitudes toward problems. Treatment options are presented in chapter three and include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), and various medications. Two dozen personal experiences are shared, with positive messages such as “the biggest lesson I have learned is to seek out help early” (43) encouraging readers to ask for and seek help.  Lastly, lifelong strategies are given; these include music, art, and animal therapy, support groups, exercise, balanced diet, yoga, and meditation.  Includes source notes, index, further research, and online sources of help and information.

THOUGHTS: This book is a positive, reasonable overview for those seeking to understand or find help for mental illness.

616 Mental Health

Elem. – Aliya’s Secret: A Story of Ramadan

Zaman, Farida. Aliya’s Secret: A Story of Ramadan. Owl Kids, 2023. 978-1-771-47564-8 Unpaged. $18.95. Grades K-3.

Aliya knows Ramadan is approaching and she wants to fast like her parents do. Her ammi tells her she is too young to fast because she still needs food to grow. But Aliya decides to secretly fast to be a part of the holiday; “I can fast! I know I can!” After eating as much as she can before sunrise at Sahoor with her parents, Aliya prays with her parents and feels that her scarf from Nani “hugs her secret even closer.” Aliya goes to school and skips lunch–and later a birthday cupcake with sprinkles–all by saying “I don’t feel like it” which later leaves her “hungry and miserable.” That night while baking baklava with her ammi, Aliya can’t resist and takes a bite, then cries, “Oh nooo! I ate–and I wasn’t supposed to!” Her ammi doesn’t scold, but gets Aliya some food and explains that acts of kindness are another important part of Ramadan. In the following weeks, Aliya and her family prepare food to package for people in need. Later, Aliya invites two friends to Iftar dinner (the meal at sundown to break the daily fast) and realizes that it’s nearly the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, the celebration of breaking the fast. An Author’s note explains the Muslim traditions as well as Zaman’s wish, as a little girl like Aliya, to fast like her parents. A glossary defines several words used in the book.

THOUGHTS: This is a positively drawn and told tale helping young people to understand the idea of fasting for Ramadan.

Picture Book