Picture Books

Bear Goes Sugaring by Maxwell Eaton III

| Tasha

Bear Goes Sugaring by Maxwell Eaton III

Bear Goes Sugaring by Maxwell Eaton III (9780823444489)

Join Bear as she goes through the process of making maple syrup. Joined by her friends, Fox and Squirrel, who are desperate for pancakes, Bear begins by getting her tools ready. Both Squirrel and Fox don’t really help much, offering a lot of side comments and once knocking a hole in one of the buckets. That hole though gives Bear a chance to show readers that all sorts of containers can be used to catch the sap as it drips from the trees. Readers will learn about the type of maple used for syrup making, about the tools used, and then the process of boiling down the sap into maple syrup. Bear does this outside with an open fire and a lot of patience. The end result is sweet, particularly for the impatient pair who have joined Bear throughout the book.

Eaton excels at making nonfiction subjects jovial and great fun. His use of Squirrel and Fox to offer comical asides makes the book great fun to read. Bear herself is knowledgeable and unflappable as she reacts patiently to her friends and buckets with new holes. The information shared here is fascinating and delivered in a way that allows readers to really understand things like why sugar maples are the best for syrup and how many gallons of sap it takes to make a gallon of maple syrup (40!) 

The illustrations are bold and colorful, inviting readers into the woods with Bear and showing in detail what the steps are to making maple syrup. Squirrel and Fox peek out from various places on the page, offering their opinions on what is happening. 

Funny and factual, this picture book is not syrupy at all. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Dandelion’s Dream by Yoko Tanaka

| Tasha

Dandelion's Dream by Yoko Tanaka

Dandelion’s Dream by Yoko Tanaka (9781536204537)

A dandelion in a field of flowers turns into a real lion. Dandelion has feet and paws and heads off on an adventure. A train is rushing past and Dandelion hops on board, riding right at the front of the locomotive. Tumbling off,  Dandelion lands on the back of a large woolly sheep. From there, Dandelion hops aboard a sailing ship, protected from the rain by a friendly seagull. They reach a bustling city, full of rushing people and cars. Dandelion heads into a theater and enjoys a movie with some shared popcorn. Dandelion shifts to being in a plane, inspired by the film, and flies above the city and then over the dandelion field where he started his adventure. By the time he returns to the field, Dandelion has changed once again.

Tanaka tells a wordless story here, filled with dreamy adventures that leap quickly from one setting to another yet show a seamless whole. Done in soft charcoal grays with touches of bright yellow, Dandelion shines on the page. Tanaka cleverly uses lines and shapes to form a story. The ending is particularly beautiful as Dandelion echoes the moon as does the field itself. When the seeds are launched into the sky its rather like fireworks except gentle and quiet.

Beautiful and evocative, this wordless picture book is one to visit again and again. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Candlewick.

Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan

| Tasha

Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan

Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan, illustrated by Saffa Khan (9781452180199)

This lovely bedtime book has text inspired by the Quran. The book has a repeating structure with each double-page illustration accompanied by a line that starts with “Inshallah you…” The book focuses on a day in a child’s life, surrounded by a loving family. The family wakes up, goes for a walk, and visits a neighbor in need. They read books together, play with friends, and garden. There are lots of activities like swimming, riding a bike and even more playing with others before the book ends with bedtime and stories. 

These universal childhood experiences are made deeper and more meaningful with the words that accompany them, each noted with characteristics that they represent like thoughtfulness, kindness, safety, and faith. The illustrations are vibrant and impactful, showing a Muslim family go about their day. Done in reds, yellows and blues, the illustrations are full of color and celebrate parental love. 

A warm, rich and beautiful look at a Muslim family. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Chronicle Books.

Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre 

| Tasha

Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre 

Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre (9781534428812)

This gorgeous photo-filled picture book demonstrates that frogs are alive and that frogs are beings. Frogs have favorite things like we do, favorite logs and favorite rocks to sit on. Frogs hunt for food, jumping and leaping. They hide in the shadows and swim in the water. Frogs may have memories of when they were tadpoles. Perhaps they head on journeys over rocks before stopping to sun themselves for a bit. They might sit and think, letting time roll past, slow or fast. All just being a frog.

In her author note, Sayre speaks to the anthropomorphizing of animals in books for children and the importance of seeing animals as different but also important beings on their own. Inspired by her neighborhood frogs, she captured their days and wonders aloud about what they think, remember and do. It’s a picture book distinctly from a human point of view, wondering about nature and giving space for those moments of though for both the reader and the frog alike.

The photographs are stunning, filled with vibrant colors of yellows and green. The frog is center stage, eyes bulging and occasionally leaping towards its prey. The motions are captured rather like anyone at a pond sees frogs jump with glimpses of extended legs almost out of sight. 

Thoughtful and respectful of nature and our frog neighbors. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Beach Lane.

On Wings of Words by Jennifer Berne

| Tasha

On Wings of Words by Jennifer Berne

On Wings of Words: The Extraordinary Life of Emily Dickinson by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander (9781452142975)

Emily Dickinson grew up in a small New England town. As a little girl, she explored the fields and gardens around her home, discovering new words and ways of thinking about the world around her. Her feelings were deeper than most people’s with higher joys and lower sadness. Her thoughts here also deeper, including her love for so much around her. She found sorrows and looked for solutions in school and church, but refused to put her faith in things she could not see. She had her own brand of hope, one that led her to her own truth too. That truth came to life in her poems, not shared with anyone, just with herself. They allowed her to express her feelings and the way she looked at the world, puzzle through things, and ask questions that could not be readily answered. Those same words now inspire so many readers to do the same, find their own voice, look at the world from their own lens: just as Emily did.

Berne writes her prose with a thoughtfulness that allows her to intersperse many of Dickinson’s own words in the text. Dickinson’s poems fly on the page, lifting it up in the way only she can. Berne then serves as her foundational story, offering clarity about Dickinson’s life and then pairing those with poems. It’s a delightful way to introduce young readers to poetry and to Emily Dickinson herself. 

The illustrations have a lot of historically accurate elements like the Dickinson home and surroundings. Still, my favorite illustrations are the ones where Emily’s imagination soars along with the illustrations which become whimsical and wild. 

A grand look at a great poet’s life and work. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy provided by Chronicle Books.

On a Snow-Melting Day by Buffy Silverman

| Tasha

On a Snow-Melting Day by Buffy Silverman

On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring by Buffy Silverman (9781541581180)

This picture book captures the joys of early spring. Using skilled photography as well as rhyming text, explore the various elements of spring’s arrival. Icicles begin to drip, snow becomes slushy, lakes thaw and snowmen droop. Animals react too with birds singing more and sipping from icicles, frogs peeping, and salamanders emerging. Crocuses start to bloom along with other flowers too. The entire landscape is waking up and celebrating spring!

The photos in this book truly capture that tantalizing moment where spring arrives. The majority of them combine ice and snow with signs of spring, offering those fleeting moments of discovery for readers of the book. The text is simple and reads aloud well. It lets readers get glimpses of animals in thrilling ways from piles of sleeping snakes to the chickadee in flight to snatch a drink.

Spring into action and grab this one to make your winter days a little shorter. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Millbrook Press.

Welcoming Elijah by Leslea Newman

| Tasha

Welcoming Elijah by Leslea Newman

Welcoming Elijah by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Susan Gal (9781580898829)

In a warm, brightly lit home, a Seder is about to start. Outside sits a lonely kitten, looking at the festivities through the window. Guests arrive to the Seder and it begins lit by candles that glow out into the dark night where the kitten sits. The boy washes his hands, dips parsley into salt water, breaks matzo, and listens to the tale of the Israelites leaving Egypt. Outside, the kitten washes his paws, eats a wet blade of grass, drinks from a puddle, and waits. Songs are sung inside and the kitten mewls outdoors. Finally, the door is opened for the prophet Elijah to enter, bringing peace. When the boy opens the door, there is the white kitten who found a home and a name, Elijah.

Newman’s text moves back and forth between the Seder and the darkness outside, cleverly tying the two together in small moments that echo one another. The beauty and solemnity of the Seder works in harmony with the beauty of the night outside and yet contrasts against it as well with the lone kitten and the house full of people. The text is simple and graceful, completed by an Author’s Note that offers more details about Passover, Seders and Ellijah.

The illustrations are done in ink, charcoal and digital collage. They use warm yellows for the indoor Seder and blues and blacks for the night outside. Readers will glimpse the indoor scenes from the kitten’s perspective as well as the darkness outside from inside the home. That connection is maintained throughout the book.

A lovely Passover book with whiskers. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Charlesbridge.

Lizzie Demands a Seat: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights by Beth Anderson

| Tasha

Lizzie Demands a Seat Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights by Beth Anderson

Lizzie Demands a Seat: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights by Beth Anderson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (9781629799391)

In 1854, Lizzie Jennings boarded a streetcar in New York City. In that time, there was segregation on public transportation which was a custom not a law. Certain cars were marked for “colored people” and others were for white people who could allow people of color to ride, or not. So Lizzie didn’t know if she would be allowed to ride the car she boarded. No passengers disputed her right to ride, but the conductor did. He forced her off the car and when she argued and boarded again, the police were called. Lizzie was educated as a teacher and her family had fought for their civil rights, so she decided to fight back in court and sued the streetcar company. She even had a white passenger who offered to be a witness to the way she was treated that day. In the end, Jennings won a landmark case for civil rights in public transportation. It didn’t fix every streetcar in New York right away, but led to other people fighting for their rights to ride too. 

Anderson takes one of the first legal victories against segregation and creates a dynamic look at a critical moment in our national history. This little-known event, particularly compared to Rosa Parks, helps set the stage for the civil rights movement that followed. Lizzie also breaks stereotypes of African Americans on her time period with her level of education and wealth. 

The illustrations are done in watercolor with amazing backgrounds that illuminate the scenes with their inspiring colors. Lizzie and her battle are surrounded by swirls of peach, lavenders, pinks and blues with her at the center, calm and composed. 

A stirring picture book that captures early civil rights efforts. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy

| Tasha

Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy

Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (9781626726314)

Inspired by a comment from her daughter, Joy celebrates being Black in this picture book that definitively places the color black in the rainbow of the world. In poetic verse, she looks at a myriad of lovely things in life that are black like her friend’s braids, bicycle tires, Thurman’s robes, ink on a page. The images come from children’s own lives but also are inspiring, speaking to figures in African-American history and culture. The color black and being Black mean so many different positive and powerful things, that black itself is a rainbow to celebrate.

Joy’s writing is powerful, singing on the page like a hymn. She writes simply but with great imagery and drawing in references to powerful African-Americans along the way. She also takes lines of songs and weaves them into her poem. At the end of the book, she writes of the inspiration for her book, the songs included in her poem, and the use of various ethnonyms to refer to the Black community over time. A bibliography of titles is also appended.

The art by Holmes is exceptional. Much of the art in the book pays homage to stained glass windows with thick black lines and strong colors. Other pages use a lighter line, more details and allow colors to swirl and dance. The entire work is one of graphic power and color.

An important book for all library collections. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy provided by Roaring Brook Press.