Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier.

At a reception celebrating his second inauguration, President Abraham Lincoln scans the crowds for his friend Frederick Douglass.  Though one man was black and the other white, one a slave and the other free, their lives parallel one another in remarkable ways.  Both men found themselves at the heart of the abolitionist movement in America.  The book documents the youth of both men in alternating pages, emphasizing their commonalities.  It also provides information on other figures in the abolitionist movement, including John Brown and Mammy Pleasant. 

Reprising their partnership in Rosa, Giovanni and Collier once again shed light upon American history through a picture book.  Giovanni’s writing is easily digested and using a remarkably small amount of text sheds light on complicated historical events.  Collier’s cut-paper collage illustrations are remarkable.  The double-spread of Lincoln in the grove of trees is moving and gut-wrenching.  The bark of the trees is formed from African-American faces, evoking lynching, containment, and yet growth and freedom too.  All of which are dynamics at work in the history and the book as a whole.

Highly recommended as an accessible entry to these difficult subjects.  Appropriate for ages 8-10.

The Mystery by Maxwell Eaton III.

Max and Pinky return in another adventure, this time filled with mystery and intrigue.  Max and Pinky set out to paint the barn red.  They just manage to finish the entire structure before dark.  But when they awake, the barn is PINK!  They repaint.  They guard it all night, but fall asleep.  And now it’s plaid!  Finally, they decide they must investigate.  They look for clues, conduct interviews, and set a trap.  Who is the mystery painter?  You’ll have to read it to find out!

This book in the series continues the charm and wit of the earlier books.  The illustrations are bright colored and great fun.  The asides of many of the other animals in the picture add to the fun, though they could be skipped when reading the story to a group.  Eaton excels at writing books with few words and lots of laughs.  His characters say so much with a simple facial expression.  This is simplicity at its best.

Highly recommended.  This book will project well to a group, and children will adore the changing colors of the barn.  Guaranteed to get them giggling.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

When I Was King by Linda Ashman, illustrated by David McPhail

A gentle and humorous book on sibling rivalry and how the older sibling once ruled the castle and now no longer does.  A little boy struggles with being replaced as the center of attention, noticing that if he burps or drools he is told it is bad manners but the baby is praised for doing just that.  There are pages of the boy telling his baby brother that all of this was once MINE, which capture the desperation and neediness of a new older sibling perfectly.  Through gentle parenting and insight, the boy slowly grows to understand his new role in the family as big brother.

Ashman’s poetry is a joy to read aloud, offering easy cadences as well as rhyme.  It pairs effortlessly with McPhail’s illustrations which show a modern family but evoke a timeless coziness as well.  The tone set in the book is balanced, even when the boy finally has a temper tantrum about all the things his little brother is ruining.  Both older and younger siblings will see themselves here.

Recommended for story times and units on siblings.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.