Children's Picture Books: Swirl by Swirl, One, and Brothers at Bat

  I got another great batch of picture books from the Monarch Book Awards.  The Monarch books are a great way to highlight some terrific books for K-3 readers. Today I'll be reviewing Swirl by Swirl, One, and Brothers at Bat.

Description (from Goodreads): A Caldecott medalist and a Newbery Honor-winning poet celebrate the beauty and value of spirals.What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful? Why does that shape occur in nature over and over againbut also celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.

Review: Swirl by Swirl is a wonderful introduction to natural science for young readers. The text is very simple, usually containing descriptive words to explain how nature has different spirals and the many ways it is used. The illustrations are amazing- eye catching, colorful, and full of such detail and color that I lingered on the pages much longer just to capture everything on the page. Fun and educational, Swirl by Swirl has now made me aware of the many spiral shapes around me after reading this book.

Rating: 4 stars

Curriculum Connection: Science

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K-3.

If you like this book try: Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner, A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston

Description: Blue is a quiet color. Red’s a hothead who likes to pick on Blue. Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don’t like what they see, but what can they do? When no one speaks up, things get out of hand — until One comes along and shows all the colors how to stand up, stand together, and count.

Review: One is a deceptively simply book that can be read on many levels. On the surface, young readers can learn about colors and counting. If you take a closer look, however, the book has a powerful message on the subject of bullying- how it feels to be bullied, actions to take to stop bullying, etc.
  The art in One is very minimalist. There is basically a dot and/swirls of watercolor paint to depict the characters in the story. Though the artwork isn't much to look at, the antibullying message will resonant with readers much longer.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K-2.

If you like this book try: Zero by Kathryn Otoshi

Description (from Goodreads): The Acerra family had sixteen children, including twelve ball-playing boys. It was the 1930s, and many families had lots of kids, but only one had enough to field a baseball team . . . with three on the bench! The Acerras were the longest-playing all-brother team in baseball history. They loved the game, but more important, they cared for and supported each other and stayed together as a team. Nothing life threw their way could stop them.

Review: Compared to today's standards, I come from a large family but I can't imagine living in a house of 15 other siblings. That's insane! Brothers at Bat is an engaging story that details the lives of the Acerra brothers who all played their favorite sport, Baseball, until the World War II in which they served the army and later when on with their lives. Based on a real family, I was unaware of the Acerras story and I liked how the book pulled me in since I'm not really a fan of baseball and gave a true sense of how closely knitted the family was. The illustrations definitely has a retro-feel that perfectly fits to the stories historical context. I'd definitely would recommend this book to young readers who enjoy sports.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 1-3.

If you like this book try: We are the Ship by Kadir Nelson, Hey Batta Batta Swing! by Sally Cook

Children's Picture Books: Biblioburro, Balloons Over Broadway, and Same, Same but Different

  I'm continuing to work on completing the list of Monarch books. The Monarch books are a great way to highlight some terrific books for K-3 readers. Today I'll be reviewing Biblioburro, Balloons Over Broadway, and Same, Same but Different.

Description: Luis loves to read, but soon his house in Colombia is so full of books there's barely room for the family. What to do? Then he comes up with the perfect solution--a traveling library! He buys two donkeys--Alfa and Beto--and travels with them throughout the land, bringing books and reading to the children in faraway villages.

Review: Biblioburro is a simple and heart warming story that truly shows how one's generosity can really change one's world. The book is inspired by a true story of a man named Luis Soriana who lives in Colombia. Like many of us, he is passionate about reading and has acquired lots of books that his home can handle. His book obsession has become a problem and eventually sparks an idea to spread his love of reading to those who are not fortunate enough to have books. He buys two burros, donkeys, hitches up some shelves with books on them and calls them the "Biblioburros" (translated as library donkeys). This book would be a great way to introduce students to the concept of helping others who are less fortunate or who may have been through circumstances that requires aide. Tropical colors ignite Winter's art, which has a pleasant folk art feel and an almost felt-like texture (the pages are rich with songbirds and smiley-faced butterflies). The book ends with a brief profile of the actual Luis.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K-2.

If you like this book try: Waiting for the Biblioburro byMonica Brown, Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile byGloria Houston


Description: Everyone’s a New Yorker on Thanksgiving Day, when young and old rise early to see what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who first invented these “upside-down puppets”? Meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire! In brilliant collage illustrations, the award-winning artist Melissa Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America—the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy’s Parade.

Review: Balloons Over Broadway is a tribute to the amazing Tony Sarg, the incredible puppeteer and marionette master who created the first Macy’s larger than life parade balloons in 1928. As a little boy, Tony was fascinated with how things moved and from a very young age created smart innovations to make things like chore happen only in a few minutes instead of a whole day!  As Tony grew up, he learned how to make puppets, enamored with interactive storytelling. After he mastered his skill, people were amazed to see his marionettes. After moving to New York City, he was discovered by Macy’s, and they hired him to create stage puppet parades for their holiday windows. Later, in the 1920’s, Macy’s asked him to help with a Thanksgiving parade for their immigrant workers (and everyone else), as they missed the carnivals of their home countries. Since wild animals often scared the children who enjoyed these parades, something else needed to be done. Therefore, the first parade balloons were born. Balloons Over Broadway demonstrates how one's creativity can solve problems. 
  The artwork of this picture book is truly unique. Rich in detail, the gouache, collage, and mixed-media illustrations are a stand-out, capturing the charm of the period and the awe-inspiring balloons. I really felt as if I was present at the first parade! 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for K-Grades 3.

If you like this book try: Milly and the Macy's Parade by Shana Corey

Description: Elliot lives in America, and Kailash lives in India. They are pen pals. By exchanging letters and pictures, they learn that they both love to climb trees, have pets, and go to school. Their worlds might look different, but they are actually similar. Same, same. But different!

Review: We seem to be so fixated on our differences that we don't seem to appreciate our similarities. Same, Same But Different is a great book to help introduce young readers to the concepts of diversity and friendship. The story centers on two pen pals, Elliot from the U.S. and Kailash from India. By exchanging letters and pictures they learn that their worlds may look different, but they are actually very similar.
The straight forward yet clever text is in a large font, in several colors, making this a good choice as a story-time read-aloud. The boys learn through questions, comments and pictures that they both love to climb trees, have pets, and go to school where they enjoy their favorite class. Though the activities may seem outdated in our technology driven world, I think the point that the author is trying to make comes through. The colorful illustrations were made using acrylics, crayon, pencil, collage and tissue paper are eye appealing and actually come across as if the characters themselves drew the pictures. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 1-2.


If you like this book try: I'm Like You, You're like Me by Cindy Gainer, The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane DeRolf

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

  Like many libraries, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand has been extremely popular. The book has been checked out constantly, close to about 100 times the last time I checked my libraries stats. Though released in 2010, it has stayed on the New York Times Bestsellers list and has taken me three years to finally read the book.

Description: On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared--Lt. Louis Zamperini. Captured by the Japanese and driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor.

Review: Hillenbrand shifts her focus from the usual Nazi Germany focus to the horrors of WWII Japan's most brutal POW camps. With a plot so ready made for the movies, you are left astounded that this actually took place and it happened to a real person. The core of the novel is Louie Zamperini, a loveable hero that exudes charm and wit, but also is a rough around the edges. He is  a disciplined champion racer who ran in the Berlin Olympics and his love for life is cruelly tested when he becomes an Army Air Corps bombardier in 1941.
   The young Italian-American from Torrance, Calif., was expected to be the first to run a four-minute mile. After an astonishing but losing race at the 1936 Olympics, Louie was hoping for gold in the 1940 games but the war ended those dreams forever. In May 1943 his B-24 crashed into the Pacific. After a record-breaking 47 days adrift on a shark-encircled life raft with his pal and pilot, Russell Allen "Phil" Phillips, they were captured by the Japanese. In the "theater of cruelty" that was the Japanese POW camp network, Louie landed in the cruelest theaters of all: Omori and Naoetsu, under the control of Corp. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, a sadist who never killed his victims, but got pleasure out of watching them slowly suffer. With his defiant and unbreakable spirit, Louie was Watanabe's perfect target.  After two incredibly grueling years and near death, Naoetsu was liberated in mid-August 1945 and Louie was freed.
  Hillenbrand doesn't just stop writing her story when Louie was rescued from the POW camp, but she also sheds light on the aftermath of war, particularly Louie's descent toward alcohol abuse and struggling with post-traumatic syndrome. For me, I was more interested in the second half of the book rather than the first. The first half started a bit slowly for me, but soon took off once the preparation for WW II began. I couldn't help but cringe and put the book down the torture in the POW camps became too much. The second half  digs a little deeper into Louie's psyche and troubles, reminding us that is just like any other fallible human being.
  Unbroken is unlike many WW II books that I've read in that it doesn't categorize its self as a history book, but crosses genres of survival literature and biography. It is a story of heroism, cruelty, life, death, joy, suffering, remorselessness, and redemption. It's a book that you don't want to miss.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language and graphic description of torture and abuse in prison war camps. Recommended for mature teens interested and adults interested in survival stories, World War II, and history.

If you like this book try: Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II byLouis Zamperini, Lost in Shangri-la by Mitchell Zuckoff, In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its SurvivorsbyDoug Stanton, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Picture Book Reviews: Night Flight, Pop!, and Pete the Cat

  Last year I picked up pictures books and I've gotten to appreciate them much more than I did as a child. I hope to continue read and review them in the future. If you have any recommendations for me, please list them in the comments and I'll check them out!

Description: An account of Amelia Earhart's dangerous 1932 flight across the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to Ireland, in which she survived bad weather and a malfunctioning airplane. Includes a brief biography of the aviator.

Review: On a May evening in 1932, Amelia Earhart climbed into her single-engine, red Lockheed Vega and flew across the ocean, departing from Newfoundland and landing on a farm in Northern Ireland. Burleigh's suspenseful text and Minor's shifting perspectives work together to pull readers into the drama and action as they experience the anxiety and exhilaration that accompanied this historic flight. Earhart's skill, stamina, and courage are put to the test when a thunderstorm erupts, her altimeter breaks, and icy wings cause the plane to plummet. You could feel yourself become frighten for Amelia and for a brief moment wonder what terror she must have felt being in that plane alone. The third-person narrative is arranged in two-line stanzas of free verse; the language is fresh and evocative, morphing to match Amelia's tenacity. I loved the illustrations in this book which brings the text to life. You can picture yourself flying next to Amelia and have a panoramic view of the sea and sky. I think this book would incite curiosity about flying and all the various requirements that pilots have to go through in order to fly. The book also includes a technical note, bibliography, and inspirational quotes from Earhart's writings. This a great picture book biography that I think both girls and boys would enjoy.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 2-4.

If you like this book try: Talkin' About Bessie by Nikki Grimes, Bravest Woman in America by Marissa Moss


Description: Full of fun historical facts, this book is the true story of how bubble gum was invented.

Review: This was a fun nonfiction read. It's got some amusing illustrations, easy text to read, and fun history facts behind the invention of bubble gum. The story also touches briefly on the origin of gum, and the back matter a short biography of Diemer, a fact list about gum, and a bibliography to make this book a more thorough package. I wouldn't necessarily pick this one up from the shelves, but I think with a pitch about candy (always a kid's favorite) it might get its readership. Overall, a pretty entertaining story.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 2-4

If you like this book try: Apples by Gail Gibbons


Description: Pete the cat wears his school shoes when visiting the library, the lunchroom, the playground, and more while singing his special song.

Review: The first day of school can cause lots of anxiety for the little ones. Blue cat Pete is here to help make his readers a little less nervous with his proved his ability to roll with the punches when his white sneakers were accidentally stained red. Sporting the red treads for the first day of school, Pete is unflappable. He smoothly goes with the flow throughout the day. School setting is nicely drawn with appealing eye-catching colors. There's humor to be found in the deadpan expressions of Pete and his fellow cats as he sits with friends in the lunchroom, plays at recess, and solves math problems on the board. There is also a free song that you can listen to while you're reading the book that might increase the reader's enjoyment of the story.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades PreK-2

If you like this book try: Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel, Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

Tasting the Sky: A Palestian Childhood

 I'm not a big biography or memoir reader, but I am attracted to stories that go beyond the every day occurences of ones life. Tasting the Sky by Ibtisam Barakat is an award winning and critically acclaim biography that takes place in the Middle East and is written for young adults. No matter how much I read about the Middle East, I always seem to learn more. The memoir is an enjoyable, insightful, and quick read that inspires hope. I think it should be read by young adults as well as adult readers.

Description: A memoir in which the author describes her childhood as a Palestinian refugee, discussing her family's experiences during and after the Six-Day War, and the freedom she felt at learning to read and write.

Review: With simple yet incredibly moving sentences, Barakat transports us from the comfort of our own homes to a hostile, foreign environment. It's the first night of the 1967 Six-Day War, which pitted Israel against the Arab nations of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. It ended with the Israeli occupation of the Sinai and Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank (Source: Six-Day War. (2012). In World History: The Modern Era. Retrieved September 12, 2012, from http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/).
  Three-year-old Ibtisam and her family are uprooted from their home in the middle of the night, where the toddler hunts frantically for her lost shoe, loses her family as they join the throng of anxious Palestinians fleeing Ramallah into Jordan. Our hearts race and we become extremely anxious until the family is reunited after several desperate hours. With moments of harshness, stark reality comes this beautifully written memoir of the author's childhood on the Israeli-occupied West Bank. We learn first hand about what it's like to live in the backdrop of war and cultural displacement. The family endures poverty, separations and frequent relocation. Despite these hardships life seems to go on, by turns surprising, funny, heartbreaking and rich with possibility.
  In an overcrowded Jordanian school-room housing refugees, Ibtisam discovers Alef, the first letter of the Arab alphabet, and thus creates an intimate relationship between reading and writing, which allows her to spread her wings and imagination. Barakat and her brothers are Courageous and curious, but they are not perfect by any means. Like all children, they find themselves in troubles, have their mischief ways to assert their strong wills in defiance of the authorities that govern their lives. While reading Tasting the Sky, I never felt as if the book was politically motivated, but rather a coming of age autobiography that focuses on family, culture, and identity in the part of the world is almost always misunderstood.

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There are some disturbing war images and allusion to attempted sexual assault. There is also a chapter that talks about male circumcision that is important to the culture. Recommended for Grades 7 and up.

If you like this book try: The Flag of Childhood: Poems From the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye, A Little Piece of Ground byElizabeth Laird, or Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples

Picture Book Reviews: Circus Ship, Ant and Grasshopper, and Clemente!

  All of the picture books that I have reviewed today are listed on the Monarch Book Award list, a list comprised of picture books that are selected by librarians, teachers, and readers themselves. If you would like to view the Monarch Book Award list, please go here.

Description: When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. So well do the critters blend in that when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them, villagers of all species conspire to outsmart the bloated blowhard.

Review: With vibrant pictures and a rhyming text, Van Dusen brings a story based on true historical events to life. The first half of the book was surprisingly dark as it describes how the ship ran off course when an animal filled steamship en route to Boston is wrecked in a storm. The troupe of circus animals escapes bad treatment and disaster, finding its way to an island off the coast of Maine. The 1800s residents are surprised to find zebras eating their gardens and alligators lounging on woodpiles. Thankfully, the second half is much more optimistic when a tiger saves a toddler from a blazing shed and the animals and the humans work together to avoid the cruel circus owner who is on the hunt to reclaim his animals. It was also fun spotting the hiding animals on a few pages.

Rating: 4 stars


Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K-1st grade.

If you like this book try: Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson, Sometimes I like to Curl up in A Ball by Vicki Churchill

Description: In this variation of the old tale of the ant who gathers food for winter, and the grasshopper who does not prepare, there is an unexpected ending.

Review: At first I was a bit confused with this retelling of the famous Ant and Grasshopper Aesopp tale. Everything was following the traditional fable with the ant working dutifully and saving up for the cold winter while the carefree and irresponsible grasshopper seemed more at easy planing his fiddle. Suddenly there's a new twist as the Ant feels bad for Grasshopper and offer his assistance. The author is able to add another layer displaying empathy and friendship in this version but I thought it comes across a bit clumsy. Personally, it's the Grasshopper's fault for being stupid and irresponsible so Ant's unnecessary guilt shouldn't be taken advantage of but I do see him taking the higher road.  The watercolor-and-colored-pencil scenes show the two creatures first in their opposite worlds and then standing off. The use of colors also play upon the emotions of the characters. Overall, I thought this one was an okay read but not really remarkable.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades K-2.

If you like this book try: Three Pebbles and a Song by Eileen Spinelli, Ant and Grasshopper by Graham Percy.

Description: A little boy named Clemente learns about his namesake, the great baseball player Roberto Clemente.

Review: Who says that biographies have to be boring? Perdomo's biographical account of the famous and well loved Puerto Rican baseball pioneer through witty text and illustrations that exude passion. The child narrator, whose father is president of the Roberto Clemente fan club, was named in honor of the great player, and little Clemente can tell you just about everything there is to know about the man, from his childhood to his staggering statistics. More important, the boy's mother reminds him, were Clemente's off-field heroics as a staunch family man, battler of racism, and humanitarian; he tragically died in a plane crash bringing relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Bits of Spanish are gracefully sprinkled into the narrative to give it a culture feel. Clemente! is more than your everyday biography and it might spark a new baseball fan in the little ones. I definitely learned a lot after reading this one.

Rating: 4 stars


Words of Caution: None. Recommended by Grades K and up.

If you like this book try: The Babe and I by David Adler or Me, Frida by Amy Novesky.