Elem. – 100 Chapatis

Posted on January 16, 2024 by pslamediaselectionreview

Mascarenhas, Derek. 100 Chapatis. Illustrated by Shantala Robinson. Owlkids Books, 2023. 978-1-771-47563-1. Unpaged. $18.95. Grades K-3.

Breaking the tension of waiting for a new baby, Simon and his grandfather, cook up a plan: making 100 chapatis–just like Pappa did when he waiting for Simon to be born. Large font and lots of white space are a perfect background for the simple and clear cut illustrations accompanying the text. Simon’s parents are preparing for the new baby, which sometimes means taking over some of Simon’s things. Pappa takes Simon through the steps of making the chapatis. Simon thinks of how he likes to eat chapatis different ways, and worries that his chapati doesn’t look round enough. Pappa tells Simon they look like the map of India. The pair spend the afternoon together piling up chapatis, a welcome distraction as they wait for the new addition to the family. Students can share favorite foods, figure out sequence of events, or swap birth stories. Or extend the lesson with a multicultural flair by introducing tacos, flatbread, empanadas, and, or course, chapatis.

THOUGHTS: This simple story with its large illustrations will make a good read aloud.

Picture Book

Elem. – Love Makes a Garden Grow

Posted on September 10, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Yoo, Taeeun. Love Makes a Garden Grow. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-534-44286-3. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.

Among a garden full of beautiful blooms and lush greens, a young girl grows. With a watchful, loving eye, her grandfather cares for her and his plentiful plants. The two favor different flowers – she peonies, he orchids – but they care for the garden together, humming to the plants. Surrounded by plants, the little girl feels her grandfather’s love. As she grows and experiences life’s changes – like moving away and eventually having a family of her own – plants make her feel like she is loved and home.

THOUGHTS: This sweet intergenerational story would be perfect to celebrate grandparent’s day. Stunning pencil illustrations are brought to life with digital coloring. Highly recommended.

Picture Book

Elem. – The Treasure Box

Posted on February 24, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Keane, David. The Treasure Box. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2022. 978-1-984-81318-3. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.

A young girl enjoys collecting found objects outside and sharing them with her grandfather. She keeps them in a special wooden box with a latch. When he comes to visit, they look over the items and often go out looking for more. Her grandfather’s health goes into a decline, and eventually he is hospitalized. One day her parents share the sad news that her grandfather has died. At the funeral home, the young girl looks at the pictures of her grandfather when he was young and says her goodbyes. At home, she does not open the treasure box because she knows it will make her sad. After a while, her grandmother, now alone, comes to visit. She gives her granddaughter some things her grandad wanted her to have from their treasure hunts: his blue cap, his magnifying glass, and his watch. Grandmother and granddaughter share their grief as they examine the contents of the box. Eventually the pair goes out hunting for new objects together. Bell uses scanned textures and digital collage to create warm, touching, and engaging illustrations. This technique allows the items to stand out, especially on the page with the snakeskin and the parachutist. The message from this moving story is best summed up on the back cover- “Time with grandparents is the greatest treasure of all.”

THOUGHTS: This picture book handles the experiences of loss and grief in a sensitive way that is accessible to young children. It shows that the connection between grandparents-grandchild remains strong even after death. This is a must-have for all elementary libraries.

Picture Book Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member

Elem. – The Birthday of the World

Posted on January 10, 2023 by pslamediaselectionreview

Remen, Rachel Naomi. The Birthday of the World. Illustrated by Rachell Sumpter. Cameron Kids, 2022. 978-1-951-83634-4. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades 3-5.

Detailed watercolor illustrations are the star of this picture book which shares Neh-shuma-leh’s grandfather’s stories of the birth of the world. Beginning with beautiful endpages that reveal a large building, gives readers a glimpse into windows where people are doing different things on a dark snowy night. When the world was born out of darkness, “sparks fell into everyone and everything.” Grandfather’s message is that “We were all born because we can each find the spark of light that is hidden,” and we can nurture these sparks and “help [them] grow bigger and shine more brightly.” Clever readers will intuit that light represents each individual’s gifts. The grandfather and granddaughter cue as Jewish, but diverse individuals are shown throughout the book. An author’s note elaborates on how the author’s grandfather told her this story, and now she shares it with readers.

THOUGHTS: Recommended for elementary collections looking to add representation to their collection featuring grandparents, storytelling, or Jewish stories.

Picture Book Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD

Elem. – Out On a Limb

Posted on December 8, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Morris, Jordan. Out On a Limb. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2022. Unpaged. 978-1-419-75365-7. $18.99. Grades K-2.

Lulu has a broken leg and is enjoying the gifts and attention she has received. She is learning how to do some things in a new way, like taking a bath, walking with crutches and putting on clothes over her bright yellow cast. At school, friends want to hear all the details and happily sign her cast. After a while, wearing a cast does not seem so exciting, but soon it is time for Lulu and her toy bear to have theirs removed. Instead of feeling happy, the girl worries that she will hurt her leg again and stays inside to keep it safe. Still tentative, she allows her grandfather to take her outside, but only in a wagon. A parallel story about a missing letter that begins on the front endpapers meshes with the main story and leads to a satisfying solution to Lulu’s predicament. The pictures by Charlie Mylie are rendered in graphite on hot press paper, and the black and yellow color scheme focuses attention on the main character. The artist cleverly illustrates Lulu’s need to protect her leg when he draws her wearing a yellow rain boot where the cast once was.

THOUGHTS: Although the parallel story is a bit far fetched, this book’s message about having the courage to face your fears rings true. Suitable for elementary collections.

Picture Book Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member

Elem. – One Thursday Afternoon

Posted on October 13, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

DiLorenzo, Barbara. One Thursday Afternoon. Flyaway Books, 2022. 978-1-974-88837-1. $18.00. 40 p. Grades K-3.

When Granddad picks Ava up after school on Thursday, she just wants to go home. She is having a bad day and would just like to be alone. Granddad suggests the two go for a picnic and to the woods to paint together. He promises not to talk so that the two can be alone together. Granddad drives to a nature trail, where he and Ava have a quick snack and then set up to paint. Granddad encourages Ava to use all of her senses before she uses her paintbrush. Ava takes time to be aware of the smells, sights, and sounds of the woods, and she finds herself suddenly overcome with emotion. She explains to Granddad that she is upset because her school practiced a lockdown drill today. Granddad listens patiently, gently acknowledges Ava’s feelings, and admits that he too was scared of emergency drills when he was in school. As the two continue to paint and talk, Ava begins to feel better. Talking helped, as did being in nature, concentrating on her senses, and creating art. Throughout, Granddad provides an excellent example of how to be a good listener and how to approach discussing difficult and scary topics with young children.

THOUGHTS: Simple and straightforward, this is a beautiful picture book that will be an excellent addition for school library Social-Emotional Learning collections. DiLorenzo is careful never to detail the specifics of the lockdown drill or the reasons schools have to practice them. Granddad only promises to listen and be present for Ava. A well-crafted story that models active listening and provides an excellent example of how to handle tough conversations with children who are anxious.

Picture Book Anne McKernan, Council Rock SD

Elem. – Can Sophie Change the World?

Posted on October 13, 2022 by pslamediaselectionreview

Wallace, Nancy Elizabeth. Can Sophie Change the World? Chronicle Books, 2022. 978-1-452-18156-1. $16.99. 32 p. Grades PK-2.

When Sophie asks her Grandpop what he would like for his birthday, he replies that he doesn’t need anything but would love it if Sophie would change the world. Grandpop explains the basic concept of mitzvah and asks Sophie to do kind deeds in his name. Sophie is worried she won’t be able to change the world. Throughout the week Sophie performs simple acts of kindness: helping a friend, picking up trash, watering a neighbor’s plants, playing with her baby brother. When Sophie sees Grandpop the following Sunday, she confesses she has not changed the world. Grandpop gently explains how each and every act of kindness does indeed change the world. Together they create a flower shaped birthday card, writing each mitzvah on a petal. Illustrations by Aura Lewis.

THOUGHTS: Though the definition of mitzvah has religious implications, the book does not mention any other religious teaching or tradition. Sophie’s house is decorated with a menorah and a Star of David. This is a sweet story that simply shows the direct results of kindness and introduces the term mitzvah to children. Incorporated in the storyline are the days of the week, as well as encouragement for problem solving, being kind, and taking care of others.

Picture Book Anne McKernan, Council Rock SD

YA – Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love

Posted on October 25, 2021 by pslamediaselectionreview

Reck, Jared. Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love. Alfred A. Knopf, 2021. 978-1-524-71611-0. 306 p. $17.99. Grades 7-10.

Oscar Olsson knows exactly what he wants to do with his life after high school: work on his family’s food truck, Hej Hej!, with his Swedish grandfather and longtime guardian, “Farfar.” In fact, the sooner that future arrives, the better. He views senior year as a series of endless hoops to jump through, though he does enjoy his independent study in the culinary lab. Unfortunately, Oscar gets roped into a cafeteria food waste reduction project spearheaded by Ivy League hopeful Mary Louise Messinger, a.k.a. Lou. Hundreds of rescued apples, batches of cider, and trays of crisp later, laser-focused Lou has worked her way onto the food truck and into Oscar and Farfar’s lives … and maybe into Oscar’s heart? But an overheard comment reminds him that Lou thinks he is beneath her, a loser with no serious plans for his future. Hints dropped throughout the narrative cue readers to an upcoming wrench in Oscar’s plans, possibly a tragic one, and when the moment arrives it is, indeed, devastating. Jared Reck’s pitch-perfect sophomore novel perfectly captures the way that life can be hilarious one moment and heartbreaking the next. Main and supporting characters are well-developed and distinctive, especially the unforgettable Farfar and his beloved cat Koopa, as is the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, setting.

THOUGHTS: This winning story about food trucks, family, friendship, and first love is fantastic from start to finish.

Realistic Fiction Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

Elem. – How to Be a Pirate

Posted on December 9, 2020 by pslamediaselectionreview

Fitzgerald, Isaac. How to Be a Pirate. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2020. 978-1-681-19778-4. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-3.

On the first endpages, freckle-faced and pigtailed Cece is told she can’t be a pirate. Muted colors reflect her mood as she visits her grandfather who she suspects might know a thing or two about pirates. As it turns out, Grandpa’s tattoos show Cece characteristics of a good pirate. She must be brave, be quick, have fun, be independent, and have love. With each character trait, Cece and Grandpa go on and adventure, and the story becomes more lively and colorful. With a new awareness of what it takes to be what she wants, Cece returns to the boys and their pirate treehouse – now full of confidence that she has exactly what it takes to be a pirate.

THOUGHTS: This adventurous story shows children that fitting a role is about more than what one may assume. Breaking down gender stereotypes in an age appropriate way, Fitzgerald’s How to Be a Pirate is sure to be a much loved addition to any elementary library.