Nonfiction

Review: Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson

| Tasha

nelson mandela

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson

In a way that only Kadir Nelson could capture, this book tells the story of Nelson Mandela’s life, imprisonment and how he became the inspiration he is.  This is a very humanizing tale of Mendela, showing his childhood before his father’s death and then his move across South Africa to study under a powerful chief.   Mandela attended school and then got involved in fighting apartheid.  The book follows him as he is jailed the first time and as he rises to be a threat to those in power and goes into hiding.  Mandela returned to South Africa to continue the fight and is then jailed again, doing heavy labor.  After being in prison for over 27 years, Mandela was freed.  His passion for righting the wrongs of apartheid and speaking for equality of all people shines from every page.

Nelson tells the story of Mandela in verse that is factual but also compelling.  He captures the long time spent in prison in a way that children will be able to understand.  Cold meals, thin blankets and beating rocks into dust.  It shows the futility and the harshness with such clarity.  Nelson’s verse also has a great sense of awe for this man and what he has accomplished, that too makes it a very special, honest book.

As always, Nelson’s images are simply wondrous.  Here they seem to shine from within whenever Mandela is part of the image.  As you can see from the cover illustration, there is all of the human inside his art; it radiates from his work.  Shown with detail, interesting perspectives, and ending with a sense of celebration, Nelson’s art is a standout.

This is the story of Nelson Mandela captured fully in a picture book that celebrates all of his accomplishments and what he stands for as a human being.  Beautiful.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Katherine Tegen Books.

Review: Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel

| Tasha

brave girl

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Clara Lemlich and her family came to America planning to find jobs, but no one will hire her father.  The factories did want girls like Clara though, and so she started working in the garment industry.  She worked from dusk to dawn in rows with other young girls, sewing as fast as she could.  If they were late at all, they lost half a day’s wages.  If they pricked their fingers and bled on the cloth they were fined, if it happened again they were fired.  The doors were locked, there was no fresh air, and the girls were inspected when they left to make sure they weren’t stealing anything.  But Clara would not be held down, she went to the library and learned English, teaching the other factory girls on their lunch break.  Then Clara learned about unions and strikes, though some thought the girls were not tough enough to strike.  So began her transformation into a union leader, through beatings and hunger, these girls and Clara are the people we have to thank for fair hours and pay. 

Markel tells the story with a strong heart and a certain thrill.  Readers get to see a quiet girl get off of the boat and steadily transform through self-education and pure tenacity into an amazing person who had strength and energy enough for several people.  Markel manages to tell the story of the times without dedicating much of her brief story to background.  Instead she uses the situation at the mill to speak on their own.  She ends the book with more information about the garment industry, giving facts and figures about how many girls were working there and the abuses they suffered.

Sweet’s illustrations are a treat.  Her paintings are turned into collage with the addition of various textiles and trims.  On one page the buildings of New York are painted and then enriched by trimmings, stitches and swatches of material.  On another the painting is smaller and then framed by material.  Clara herself is often wearing a look of determination on her face, usually with a fist clenched as if ready to do battle at any time. 

This is a wonderful picture book biography about a heroine that children can related directly to, since she is so young.  It is also a very timely read with labor under such pressure right now.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Peace by Wendy Anderson Halperin

| Tasha

peace

Peace by Wendy Anderson Halperin

A simple poem is at the heart of this picture book about peace.  Each line of the poem forms the basis of a page of the book and is also accompanied by other quotes about peace that bring a wonderful depth to the entire read.  As one reads, it almost becomes a chant about peace, a reverberation of the power of peace, and when one finishes that peace lingers for a long time.  When I finished the book, I immediately wanted to do two things:  start all over again and also research some of the quotes and people I had never heard of before.  There are quotes from all of the big names like the Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King, Jr.  but wonderfully, there are also quotes from others whose messages are just as powerful.

Halperin’s illustrations are detailed and wonderful.  The images are bright and speak directly to the sorts of peace being discussed.  In those images and in the surrounding quotes, children will see ways that they can personally work for peace on small and large levels.  There is a delicacy to the illustrations that works so well with the subject matter.  They are inclusive, warm and joyful.

As I was reading, I noticed a quote from Peace Pilgrim, a woman I was lucky enough to meet when she was alive.  My family hosted her for a night and she spoke at a small park in rural Wisconsin on the shore of a lake.  It was that sort of person being included in this book that meant so very much to me.  I also think about others searching for the new people they have found in this book and discovering her. 

A lovely and powerful book about peace, this belongs in every library.  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Review: Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson

| Tasha

frog song

Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin

This is one breathtaking nonfiction book about frogs.  The book takes a look at various fascinating species from around the world, explaining what makes that species so special.  Delving deeper than skin deep, the strawberry poison dart frog from the cover is celebrated for the unique way she lays her eggs:  five at a time and then when the tadpoles emerge she carries each of them to their own pool of water up in the trees.  Each turn of the page brings another strange and amazing frog with its own unique approach to life.  This is a celebration of frogs that is sure to enthrall any young biologist.

Guiberson has carefully selected frogs that are incredible and unique.  Her writing is filled with frog noises, motion, and even the sounds that whipping a gooey mass of eggs into a ball of bubbles would make.  This adds a certain zing to the writing, making it great fun to read aloud.  You must have your ribbit on to pull this one off.

Spirin’s illustrations are simply amazing.  Filled with more all the great details you would get from a photograph, they are superbly realistic.  Turning the pages shows the breadth of frog life on our planet.  The vitality and also the fragility of these animals is highlighted in her art.

Beautiful, intriguing and great fun to read, this book is an impressive testament to the importance of frogs in our ecosystems.  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt and Company.

Review: Henry and the Cannons by Don Brown

| Tasha

henry and the cannons

Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution by Don Brown

The trend for great children’s historical biographies in picture book format continue this year.  This picture book tells the story of Henry Knox.   It is the winter of 1775 and the Americans need cannons to take back Boston from the British.  Knox takes the challenge of moving 59 cannons over 225 miles across Massachusetts in the dead of winter.  It took boats, oxen and plenty of determination and innovation to get those cannons across the state.  The journey and amazing achievement is told here in a way that will entice children to learn more stories about the American Revolution.

Brown’s writing is solid throughout the book.  He carefully sets the scene, clearly explaining how unbalanced the war was with Revolutionaries vs. the world’s best soldiers.  Add to that the power of cannons, and there was clearly no hope for victory.  After that the book turns more towards adventure and peril, making for a read that must be finished.  From the impossible mission to each and every mishap, readers will be rooting for Knox.

The illustrations serve to underline the stark winter and the heaviness of the cannons.  Men and oxen strain to move the 120,000 pounds of cannon.  Snow flies, the boats seem more like twigs next to the metal, and the crossing of an iced-over river brings drama and danger. 

Strong and noteworthy, this picture book nonfiction title has history and also plenty of action and adventure.  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from copy received from Roaring Brook Press.

Review: From the Good Mountain by James Rumford

| Tasha

from the good mountain

From the Good Mountain: How Gutenberg Changed the World by James Rumford

A mysterious object appeared in Germany in the 15th Century.  “It was made of rags and bones, soot and seeds. It wore a dark brown coat and was filled with gold.  It took lead and tin, strong oak, and a mountain to make it.”  To find out the answer to this clever riddle that appears on the first page of this book, readers will visit the 15th century and meet Johannes Gutenberg, who has invented a way to print books with movable type.  The riddle is not left at the first page, but is the center of the entire book.  Each piece of the printing press is explored from the very elements it is made from to the final culmination in a printed document.  Each page is also illustrated like an illuminated manuscript. 

Come visit the world of Gutenberg in this picture book biography that takes a very unique and intriguing approach to its subject matter.  This is much more a biography of the press itself than Gutenberg the man.  It is about the ingenuity and foresight it took to see such a construct in raw materials.  Readers are sure to learn much about the process of printing and what materials were used to create books.

Rumford’s art is just as wonderful as his writing.  The illuminated manuscript feel of the book is captured in its use of golds that seem to shine on the page like gold leaf.  He also uses the deep blues and other rich hues to create a feel of timeless beauty.

This is an intriguing read that will appeal to students who enjoy puzzles and riddles.  It is a book that unwraps and explains in a clever, engaging way.  Appropriate for ages 7-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Top 2012 Children’s Nonfiction to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

Here are my top ten picks for children’s nonfiction this year.  Most are picture books and I’ve snuck one in for teens as well.  The links below will take you to my full reviews.

boy who harnessed the wind fantastic jungles

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba – Autobiographical picture book about a teen boy from Malawi who built a windmill out of scraps.  Luminous and compelling reading.

Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau by Michelle Markel – A striking and superb biography of the artist who came to his craft late in life.

georgia in hawaii island

Georgia in Hawaii by Amy Novesky – This gorgeous picture book biography takes a look at Georgia O’Keeffe’s trip to Hawaii and how it impacted her art.

Island: A Story of the Galapagos by Jason Chin – Learn about the history of the Galapagos Islands and the wonders of nature and evolution in this incredible read.

12843717-the-letter-q life in the ocean

The Letter Q by Sarah Moon – (My sneaky way of putting in my favorite teen nonfiction book) This entire book is letters from gay and lesbian authors to their younger selves.  It’s an inspirational collection worth lingering over.

Life in the Ocean by Claire A. Nivola – Journey deep under the sea with this inspiring biography of biologist and oceanographer Sylvia Earle.

looking at lincoln mrs harkness and the panda

Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman – A fresh and radiant biography of Abraham Lincoln that manages to be both colorful and playful.

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda by Alicia Potter – A marvelous picture book biography of an unlikely adventurer willing to take amazing risks.

ocean sunlight seed by seed

Ocean Sunlight by Molly Bang – Learn about how the sun makes life on earth possible with this winning combination of poetry and science.

Seed by Seed by Esme Raji Codell – This beautiful picture book biography makes the story of Johnny Appleseed resonate with modern readers with his focus on the environment and shared community.

Review: Seed by Seed by Esme Raji Codell

| Tasha

seed by seed

Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John “Appleseed” Chapman by Esme Raji Codell, illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins

Two modern children are transported back in time from the busy highways filled with cars to the quiet woods of the late 1700s.  From there, the story of Johnny Appleseed, really named John Chapman, is told.  The differences between the world back then and our modern world are explored.  Then the way of life that Johnny Appleseed embraced that of using what you have, respecting nature, sharing, making peace, and reaching your destination in small steps is tied back to how important those things are still for us today.  His planting of seeds changed the landscape of our country.  The book ends asking what seed you will plant.

Codell writes with a wonderful lyricism paired with a directness.  It makes for a book that is straight-forward but also written with care to create a specific mood.  Chapman’s story is filled with legend, especially in his relationship with nature and animals.  While some of it may be tall tales, it contributes to the wonder that surrounds this man.  Codell made a choice to have some of that in her book and it works very well, distinctly noted as legend rather than fact.

Perkins’ illustrations vary from page to page.  Most of the art is done in watercolor and gouache, creating bright colored images that embrace the natural and feel clear and crisp.  Other pages incorporate burlap bags and needlework.  It’s a clever use of materials of the period that really add another dimension to the illustrations.

A beautiful look at a man who stand for much of what we are seeking in modern society.  This book reaches beyond the legend and finds the real Johnny Appleseed.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Harlem’s Little Blackbird by Renee Watson

| Tasha

harlems little blackbird

Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills by Renee Watson, illustrated by Christian Robinson

This is a picture book biography of Florence Mills, a singer well-known during the Harlem Renaissance.  It follows her from her childhood as the daughter of former slaves in a tiny house in Washington, DC. where she was always singing and dancing.  She became known as a small girl with a big voice, but often faced racism and segregation when she was performing.  She quickly learned to use her voice for activism as well as song.  Florence became known not only across the nation but around the world for her voice.  She traveled internationally, and continued to be an activist and to give back to the poor.  Applauded for her singing, this book celebrates her good deeds just as much as her voice.

Watson writes a compelling story of a woman who was more than a beautiful songbird.  She fought back against the bigotry of her time and also gave back to the community she came from.  Watson distills Mills’ story into one that children can easily relate to.  It exposes the overt racism of a previous time and will give children much to discuss about how far our society has come and how much farther we have to go.

Robinson’s illustrations are done in cut-paper and collage.  They have a great texture to them, often showing a physical depth that is very appealing.  The colors are bright and vibrant, fitting colors for this equally vibrant woman.

A very successful picture book biography of a woman whose voice broke down barriers along with her good work.  Appropriate for ages 7-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.