Nonfiction

Are You a Friend of Dorothy? by Kyle Lukoff – Book Review

| Tasha

Are You a Friend of Dorothy?: The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (9781665931663)

This nonfiction picture book explains to children that LGBTQIA people used to not be able to share openly about their sexuality. Instead, they used a code and asked one another if they were a friend of Dorothy. The book explores why it was unsafe to share sexuality openly with people losing their jobs, being arrested or placed in mental institutions. Then there are the people who hear the code who are working for the government. But they could never figure out who this mysterious Dorothy was. There are some ideas about why the name Dorothy was chosen. The ending returns to the present day and all the progress that has been made for LGBTQIA rights with the caveat about the continued dangers and threats to those who come out. 

Lukoff tells the history of LGBTQ rights in America using a child-focused approach by focusing on the code phrase. It’s a clever way to share the information of past injustice, modern progress and all the way yet to go. Illustrations by Hastings are colorful at times and other times capture the bleakness of government surveillance. 

All young friends of Dorothy will find a welcoming place in these pages. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from a copy provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

All of Us: A First Conversation about Disability by Dr. Megan Pamela Ruth Madison – Book Review

| Tasha

All of Us: A First Conversation about Disability by Dr. Megan Pamela Ruth Madison and Jessica Ralli, illustrated by Jonathan Eden (9780593891483)

Part of the First Conversations series, this nonfiction picture book tackles speaking to young children about disabilities with a straight-forward approach. The book begins by explaining that everyone looks different from one another and that it is not what we can physically do that makes us matter. The book moves on to respecting how people describe themselves. It talks about access and ableism, defining both clearly and offering deeper explanations about disability justice and its importance. 

It is powerful to find a picture book that offers information that is so informative and impactful. This book goes beyond the superficial nods at disability and truly looks at the damage of ableism and offers resources on what people can do to change access. There is no talking down to children here, just a frank, clear approach to the subject that centers each person with a disability as their own expert and voice. 

Get this one into your library collections. Appropriate for ages 3-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Penguin Workshop.

Firefly Song by Colleen Paeff – Book Review

| Tasha

Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson Faust and the Great Smoky Mountain Discovery by Colleen Paeff, illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim (9781665931847)

Lynn grew up going to Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains every summer. She swam in the water, climbed trees, and walked in the forests. For a few weeks every summer, the fireflies put on a light-filled display in the evening. The entire family would gather to watch the fireflies flash in sync then go dark, then light up in sync once more. When Lynn tried to research fireflies as she grew up, she couldn’t find much information. Then when she read an article, she found that scientists thought that the only fireflies that flashed in sync were in Southeast Asia. Lynn knew that they were wrong. Now she just had to convince one scientist to take her seriously. 

This story of a self-taught naturalist and scientist shows that paying close attention to nature can create new discoveries. The book focuses on Lynn’s childhood and her growing interest in getting others to see what she has found. Throughout the text and the illustrations, there is a sense of joy in nature, of play and discovery along the way. The illustrations are done in watercolor and digital media. The watercolors are allowed to bleed together to create the backgrounds against which nature dazzles. 

A beautiful look at discovery in nature. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Margaret K. McElderry Books.

The Friendship Train by Debbie Levy – Book Review

| Tasha

The Friendship Train: A True Story of Helping and Healing after World War II by Debbie Levy, illustrated by Boris Kulikov (9781547608027)

Children is Europe following World War II were going hungry after war decimated their countries. In the US, one man asked how he could help and soon Drew Pearson was thinking big. He dreamed of a Friendship Train that could cross the nation gathering donations from people across the country to send to Europe. Pearson made the suggestion in a national paper and soon he got lots of letters in return. Children wanted to help. Soon the plan grew bigger and bigger, as everyone worked together to make a difference for people they had never met.

An important story of children’s impact as they worked together to help others and the man who created an idea that grew and grew to meet what children accomplished. Just the empowering nonfiction we need about thinking of others, seeing everyone as human and working to make change. 

Appropriate for ages 5-10.

Reviewed from copy provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

The Glass Pyramid by Jeanne Walker-Harvey – Book Review

| Tasha

The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei by Jeanne Walker-Harvey, illustrated by Khoa Le (9781665953337)

I. M. Pei, a renowned architect had successfully redesigned part of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. But when the President of France asked him to work on the Louvre, Pei decided to keep the project secret. The Louvre had many issues as a museum with people unable to find the entrance and the long walk to reach the art once they did enter. So Pei set out to create a new way to enter the building. It was unclear what would work, but eventually he designed a glass pyramid. The French people though didn’t love the idea and argued that they should have hired a French architect. Pei stayed the course, doing interviews and calmly explaining his design. Could he win over the French people? 

A look at the design process of a gifted architect allows young readers to see the resilience and persistence that design takes. Even when the design was finalized, there were issues with the construction that arose and then the arguments about the design itself. This nonfiction picture book explores process and results, engaging the reader in Pei’s childhood visits to China and what he learned there. The digital illustrations are a filled with crisp edges and renderings that capture Pei’s calm pride in his work. The book provides more information on the building at the end as well as sources and online resources. 

A strong nonfiction picture book about one of the top architects in the world and one of his most famous projects. Appropriate for ages 6-10.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Lighthouse Ladies by Kris Coronado – Book Review

| Tasha

Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines by Kris Coronado, illustrated by Islenia Mil

This nonfiction picture book shares the stories of four women from history who worked in lighthouses across the United States. The jobs were a challenging mix of boredom, dedication and danger in tight quarters, often wearing long dresses. Ida Lewis worked a lighthouse in Rhode Island and was known for rescuing people whose boats had capsized. Juliet Nicols in California was challenged by the fog and her resilience and strength alone kept the fog bell sounding. Venus Parker worked in Virginia with her husband. She had to carry on despite terrible ice and her husband’s unexpected death. Julia Toomey worked in Hawaiian lighthouses with her parents. When her father died saving the lighthouse, Julia had to manage to carry on. 

These stories of women and girls facing impossible tasks to save strangers from wrecking their ships and boats on the rocks capture the fraught nature of working in a lighthouse. The stories capsize the image of lighthouses as peaceful icons and instead show the risky work close up. They also ruin the tales that are often told of men having these sorts of roles rather than women. The illustrations are friendly and approachable, filled with curving stairs and beautiful lighthouses until the pages turn dark with storms and the dramatic moments happen. 

A glorious look at women facing danger head on with skill and resilience. Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Clarion Books.

Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Paka by Sara Andrea Farjardo

| Tasha

Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka Con La Paka by Sara Andrea Fajardo, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal (9781250838612)

Two Peruvian-Americans come together to create a warm and delightful picture book biography of Alberto Salas, a Peruvian scientist who dedicated his life to potatoes. Searching for wild potatoes through the Peruvian landscape is a treat with that landscape depicted by a Caldecott-honoree illustrator. From the hilly land to Salas’ notes to finding the spark of a potato in the mud to the potatoes themselves, readers will be amazed by the colors on the page.

This book tackles climate change, the need for scientists and the manual labor that it sometimes takes for science to happen and to discover something that can feed a changing world. Enjoy this game of hide-and-seek!

Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from e-galley.

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

| Tasha
Cover image for The 1619 Project: Born on the Water.

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith (9780593307359)

This picture book forms a way for younger children to benefit from the information shared in The 1619 Project. In this story, a Black girl is given an assignment in class to trace her family history. She can only trace three generations back and tells her grandmother that she is ashamed. So her grandmother shares the history of her family before slavery when they lived in West Central Africa. Her family spoke Kimbundu and were good with their hands and used them for growing things, inventing, mixing herbs, building tools, and caring for babies. They danced to offer worship, to share joy, and to mourn. Then they were stolen, taken from their families and lands, stamped with new names. They fought back, some refused to eat and chose to die on the journey, others survived. They had to learn a new language, form a new people, and survive the brutality of slavery. From that history have come generations of Black Americans who have changed our nation for the better. There is nothing to be ashamed of, take pride in this history of resilience and hope.

The focus of this picture book is to share the history of Black Americans in this country, showing how a deep history in the cultures of Africa are their origins. The book doesn’t flinch from the darkness of the Middle Passage or the horrors of slavery. These are also sources of pride for children reading the book, who may have been made to feel ashamed of where they came from. Written with a poetic touch, the entire book is filled with hope even in its darkest points. Throughout there is a sense of resilience and power, a knowledge that ancestors survived.

The illustrations carry readers through history. They show the rich cultures in Africa and the beauty of what was lost. They show slavery but not without hope shining in the sky above. They share connections, new families forming, and children who are a promise for the future. They show resistance, an insistence on change, a focus on the future continuing to carry us forward.

Powerful and important, this book belongs in every library. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Kokila.

Pura’s Cuentos by Annette Bay

| Tasha
Cover image for Pura’s Cuentos.

Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories by Annette Bay, illustrated by Magaly Morales (9781419749414)

This picture book celebrates the life of Pura Belpré, librarian and storyteller. From a young age, Pura loved stories, particularly those that her Abuela told her. As an adult she moved from Puerto Rico to New York, where she first dreams of being a librarian. Soon Pura is hired at the library and works as the storyteller. But she is bound by rules such as only sharing stories written in books. But the stories she grew up hearing were not written down in English. Pura shows the how storytelling can be more than is in books, and gets permission to tell her stories in her own way. Pura also finds ways to bring in children who had not been coming into the library, children who spoke different languages and were new to America. Finally, Pura manages to put her stories into a book, one that reminds her of the taste of home.

Through lyrical prose, this picture book shows the power of stories as they cross borders. It also shows the impact of one woman, determined not to lose her stories and how she changed public libraries and their services to children permanently. It is beautiful to see a biography for young children that captures the elements of Pura’s stories and her own personality of determination but also one of joy and playfulness.

The illustrations are filled with that spirit of play. They capture the spark of storytelling, the dance of movement, and the wonder of children entering the library for the first time. Done in the colors of citrus, papaya, guava and mango, they suit Pura’s stories and herself.

An inspiring biography of the librarian who changed the rules for generations to come. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy provided by Abrams Books for Young Readers.