Review: Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard

December 17, 2019December 5, 2019 | Tasha

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal (9781626727465)

Told in a repeating format explaining all of the things that fry bread is, this picture book celebrates an iconic food in Native American families. Fry bread may be first and foremost a food, but it is also about family. In this picture book, a diverse Native family comes together to make fry bread together. Children of all ages participate in forming the bread and then listen together as it fries in the pan. Fry bread looks different depending on how long you fry it, tastes different depending on the recipe and the cook. It brings families together to celebrate their heritage, but also to realize where fry bread came from and how it relates to the massacres of Native peoples in the United States.

This picture book is about far more than a delicious family treat. Maillard looks at its connection to our nation’s history, the damage caused by the European invasion, and what fry bread means today. Much of the real detail of this is in the Author’s Note at the end of the book, but even the briefer read-aloud part of the book offers this connection to children. The nuance of a food being both celebratory and yet also indicative of what happened to an entire people, is an important one. This is a celebration that Native Americans have survived and live on, continuing to gather, eat and celebrate.

The illustrations of this book are so warm and merry. They show a diverse group of family members gathering to cook together. There are all sorts of skin tones, hair and ages represented here, the air tinged with love and connection around them.

A beautiful and inclusive picture book that takes a deep look at food, family and history. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: A Big Bed for Little Snow by Grace Lin

December 16, 2019November 11, 2019 | Tasha

A Big Bed for Little Snow by Grace Lin (9780316478366)

This follow-up to the award-winning A Big Mooncake for Little Star focuses on wintry weather. Little Snow is given a great big bed by his mother, perfect for jumping on! His mother tells him not to bounce on it though and just sleep on it. But Little Snow just can’t resist bouncing and jumping a little bit. When he jumps, feathers fall out of the big bed and drift down. Little Snow does sometimes get a bit more excited and then jumps so hard that the bed bursts open and a lot of feathers come out. By the end of the winter, the bed is entirely empty, just a shell of what it once was.

In the same playful way as the first book, Lin captures a natural phenomenon with a gentle joy. Both books have the attentive mother, who sets rules which are broken by the children. But in both instances, the mothers are fully aware of what is actually happening and the tone is one of merry acceptance rather than frustration.

The illustrations here show exactly what is happening long before the larger reveal of snow falling on earth. The bed is shaped like a large blue cloud and the snowflakes on everyone’s clothes make it very clear as well. The use of the white background with the clothing that disappears into it is beautifully done, offering a magical border-free feel.

Another winner from the multi-talented Lin. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

December 16, 2019November 20, 2019 | Tasha

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy (9780525518587)

Eva is a princess whose magick is tied to blood and marrow. She’s the first royal with that magick combination since Queen Raina, who massacred thousands of the native populations hundreds of years ago. Because her magick is so rare, Eva hasn’t learned how to use it yet, something that is particularly problematic when you are destined to fight your sister to the death in order to be the next Queen. Eva loves to travel incognito into the city at night to dance and forget her destiny for awhile. But when she is attacked by an assassin, she gets her first taste of her magick really working thanks to the blood she is drenched in. Eva now must find the key to her powers and discovers a legendary Fey warrior who just may have the answers for her. For the first time, she thinks she may just have a chance, but it won’t be easy as those around her become targets for her enemies too.

Joy’s fantasy novel has strong roots in North Africa. She has created a magical fantasy realm filled with several different races with their own powers. Humans are the interlopers, who killed many on their way to both the throne and coming into their own magick powers. There is a strong sense of justice in the novel, where it is clear that the current Queen and Eva’s sister have never questioned what brought them the lives they have. Eva on the other hand has many questions, mostly about the races of the land but also about her own powers and what they say about her as a potential Queen and the bloodshed that may follow.

This novel is at its best during the action sequences where Eva is battling enemies and trying out her new powers on allies. In these scenes, the writing is tight and weaves a clear image of what is happening with breathtaking speed. The romance scenes are well written and an important element in the overall storyline. Joy focuses on characters and action, not lingering overly long on descriptions of the setting, which makes this a fast and intense read.

Full of bloody battles with a female protagonist who kicks ass, this book is a great read. Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from library copy.

Booklist’s Top of the List Picks for 2019

December 13, 2019December 12, 2019 | Tasha

Booklist has announced their Top of the List, a list that features one single top pick for seven categories. Four of those categories are for books for youth! Here are those winning titles:

YOUTH NONFICTION

Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters

Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science behind Your Favorite Monsters by Carlyn Beccia

YOUTH FICTION

This Was Our Pact

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews

YOUTH PICTURE BOOK

Home in the Woods

Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler

YOUTH AUDIOBOOK

Shout

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson

You can also check out their video:

Review: All Around Bustletown: Winter by Rotraut Susanne Berner

December 13, 2019December 12, 2019 | Tasha

All Around Bustletown: Winter by Rotraut Susanne Berner (9783791374154)

Large picture-book-sized pages made of board book stock invite even the youngest of children to explore Bustletown. In these busy pages, the life of an entire village plays out. The wordless format lets each reader make up their own stories about the people in town. Some of the story arcs include an escaped parrot, a lost key and wallet, a cat on a jaunt around town, buying a Christmas tree, and heading to ice skate with a friend. It’s a delightful mix of Where’s Waldo chaos with real stories about a diverse little town.

A German import, readers will enjoy the distinct European feel of the setting in the book. Care was taken to be inclusive with the members of the town, including people of different skin colors, faiths and abilities. The busyness of the pages is at just the right level, making it a pleasure to find the character you are searching for, rather than a frustration.

Bright and friendly, this wordless picture book is great fun to explore. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Prestel.

News to Wake Your Brain Cells Dec 13

December 13, 2019December 13, 2019 | Tasha

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

20 2020 middle grade books to have on your radar – Teen Librarian Toolbox

American Indians in Children’s Literature Best Books of 2019 – AICL

Best children’s books of 2019: the year’s best aviation and space-themed books for young readers – Air & Space

Children’s books round-up: a picture book which is the perfect gift – The Irish Times

Eloise children’s book series acquired by MRC – The Hollywood Reporter

The ten best children’s books of 2019 – Smithsonian

LIBRARIES

Amid outcry, Seattle Public Library weighs decision to provide venue for ‘radical feminist’ event criticized as anti-trans – The Seattle Times

Britain has closed almost 800 libraries since 2010, figures show – The Guardian

State Library Victoria’s triumphant redesign: it’s not just about books, but community – The Guardian

YA READS

10 of the best genre-blending young adult novels of the year – Book Riot

55 of the best queer books of 2019 – Autostraddle

Best young adult science fiction, fantasy and horror of 2019 – Tor

YA books about interracial dating drama – Book Riot

Outstanding Science & STEM Book Lists

December 12, 2019December 11, 2019 | Tasha

The National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council have released their annual lists of the best science and STEM books. The Outstanding Science Trade Book list has been around since 1973 and features the best science book published in that year for K-12. The Best STEM Books list is in its fourth year. It features the best book with science, technology, engineering and math content.

The links above go directly to the pdfs of the 2020 lists.

Review: Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Mir

December 12, 2019November 10, 2019 | Tasha

Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Mir, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel (9781534418882)

The introduction to this book tells of the impact that Muslim woman have had throughout history. Inside the book, the focus is on modern Muslim women who are currently making their own impact on the world. Each woman or girl is given a two-page spread with an illustration on one full page and then a quote and biography on the other. There are women you will have heard of like Malala Yousafzai, Ibtihaj Muhammad, and Ilhan Omar. Others may be new to you and include authors, chefs, activists, athletes and more.

Written in a matter-of-fact tone, this book allows readers to turn pages and discover more and more incredible Muslim women and girls. Each one displays their own unique skills and lifestyle, each dresses in their own way, and all have made a difference in our world, whether large or small. The book shows again and again that being Muslim is diverse and inclusive.

The art by Jaleel is done in an approachable and light way. Still, each of them women is recognizable as themselves, as you can see from the cover image. The larger format of the portraits of each woman in the book is very impactful.

A must-purchase for all public libraries. Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from copy provided by Salaam Reads.

GoodReads Choice Winners

December 11, 2019December 10, 2019 | Tasha

The winners of the 2019 GoodReads Choice Awards have been announced. It’s great to see that two YA titles took non-YA categories. Here are all the awards that went to books for youth and teens:

BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS

Pumpkinheads