The Burning of the Books by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Gary Kelley
- Publisher: Creative Editions
- Publication Date: March 10, 2026
- Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
- ISBN: 9781568464114
This nonfiction picture book begins with the printing of the first book, the Bible. It then turns to Germany, a place where many of these books were printed and a literate nation. When Hitler came to power in 1933, things changed and certain books were labeled as “un-German.” College students and librarians helped remove books that were labeled that way, tens of thousands of books. In Berlin, the books were taken to a public square, dumped near a pile of wood, and set alight. This happened in cities across Germany. Afterwards, authors were blacklisted and many fled to freer countries, like America. Now we all must be aware that freedom must be protected even in free countries.
Winter manages to take a very complex situation and create a book that children can understand without making it lose its power or darkness. His writing is crisp, direct and filled with empathy for those targeted and the books destroyed. Kelley’s illustrations are like stained glass on the page, angular and fierce. Yet they also have a lovely softness to them, a feeling of hope lingering nearby.
A look at one of the darkest periods in human history that is timely and important. Appropriate for ages 8-12.
How a Bear Became a Book: The Collaboration That Created Winnie-the Pooh by Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Faith Pray
- Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
- Publication Date: March 31, 2026
- Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
- ISBN: 9781250358448
Sweetly partially narrated by Pooh himself, this nonfiction picture book explores what it takes to make an idea into a book. The idea started with A.A. Milne and he wrote down words about a bear. The words needed pictures to bring them fully alive. An editor read the words and thought of the right illustrator for them, Ernest Shepard. But Milne was not a fan of his, so they tried different illustrators first, finally returning to Shepard. The two worked together to create a book where the illustrations danced with the words on the page, bouncing, stacked tall. The books were very popular thanks to the combination of story and illustration.
The tale of how Milne and Shepard created their books is a real treat. Both author and illustrator here capture the spirit of the original on the page, whether it is the play of words across the page or turns of phrase that are fun to find. The use of Pooh to help tell the story adds to the fun. The illustrations take the idea of the bear and then steadily solidify him as the book comes together. They manage to pay homage to the original without copying them directly.
A warm and marvelous visit to an old friend and how he became a book. Appropriate for ages 5-8.
Waking Brain Cells 