biography

Book Review: The Watcher by Jeanette Winter

| Tasha

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The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter

Follow Jane Goodall’s life in this vivid picture book.  The book follows Jane from her childhood where she spent a lot of time watching the animals around her, including having a robin nest built on her bookcase in her room.  Jane left home soon after graduating from school, heading to Kenya.  There she met Louis Leakey who was looking for someone to observe chimpanzees.  Jane headed into the jungle to watch the chimpanzees, spending time out near them just quietly viewing them.  She learned all sorts of things that no one had ever discovered before.  Jane spent many years with the chimpanzees learning, but then people began to threaten the chimpanzee habitat, so Jane had to leave them and become their voice, speaking out to assure their survival. 

Winter has created a book that speaks to the heart of what Goodall has done, all of her accomplishments and discoveries pale in the book and in life to her dedication to the animals themselves.  Goodall is a perfect subject for a picture book.  She is a brave woman who braved living alone in the wilderness to do what she felt she was meant to do with her life.  Winter captures all of this in few words, allowing Goodall’s life to speak for itself.

Winter’s illustrations are done in acrylic paint and pen.  They have strong forms, deep colors, and a childlike quality that make the book even more approachable for children.  I especially enjoy the cover image with the reflection of the chimpanzees in the lenses of her binoculars.  It sums up the book delightfully.

There is something special about a book that tells children to follow their hearts, but this one is even more special because it also shows children the value of watching and learning too.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House Children’s Books.

Book Review: The Little Plant Doctor by Jean Marzollo

| Tasha

littleplantdoctor

The Little Plant Doctor: A Story about George Washington Carver by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max

An old tree in Diamond, Missouri recounts its favorite story, a tale about George Washington Carver as a little boy.  When the tree met George, they were the same height, and George planted wildflowers around the tree.  He watched the flowers closely, moving them from sun to shade if they drooped.  George was bright, but was not allowed to go to school because he was African-American.  So he stayed home, continuing to study plants on his own.  Eventually, George did get to go to school and then to college.  Now the tree stands in the George Washington Carver National Monument, helping to tell the story of a young George Washington Carver who became one of the most famous scientists in history.

Marzollo has chosen a unique perspective from which to tell the story of George Washington Carver.  It makes it less of a biography, but still firmly roots the story in reality.  At times, the wording in the text can feel clunky and the use of the tree as narrator cumbersome.  This is especially true in the last part of the book.

Wilson-Max’s illustrations bring the book to life with their bright, deep colors that speak to the beauty of the plants, the strength of the tree, and the dedication of George to his pursuit of science.  They have a pleasing rustic quality to them that speaks to the natural setting.

This friendly book about George Washington Carver will entertain young children and is also educational about the famous scientist.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from ARC received from Holiday House.

Book Review: Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell

| Tasha

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Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell

Jane is a girl who loves to be outside watching the animals.  She takes her toy chimpanzee Jubilee with her on all of her adventures.  They watch the squirrels, birds and spiders.  They figure out where eggs come from.  They go together up into her favorite tree to dream about being Tarzan in Africa.  Jane dreamed about a life where she could study animals, learn about them, and watch them up close.  And that’s exactly what she grew up to do as Jane Goodall, chimpanzee expert and animal activist.

McDonnell writes with a restraint that is beautiful.  He has pared down Goodall’s childhood into a few seminal moments that speak to the adult she became.  Delightfully readable, the book has only a few lines of text per page, making it very accessible for young readers.  Yet it works as a biography because those few lines carry a weight with them.

The art in the book, also by McDonnell, combines old-fashioned stamps of chickens, squirrels, clocks and more with paintings that have a whimsical warmth about them.  This gives the book a feeling that it is about the past without being specific.  The color palette works especially well here with its yellows, greens, blues and browns.

The final pages of the book have information on Goodall’s life as well as a message from Jane herself to the readers.  It’s an ideal way to end a biographical picture book written for an age that is too young for bibliographies.

A playful, winning biographical picture book that celebrates the childhood of the incredible Jane Goodall.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by:

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic

| Tasha

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Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor

This gorgeous and beautifully written picture book follows Amelia Earhart as she tries to be the first woman to pilot a plane across the Atlantic Ocean alone.  Beginning with Earhart rolling down the runway in Newfoundland on May 20, 1932, the book is not only about the trip but also about the beauty of flight, the moments of wonder, the fears, the dedication it takes, and the incredible feat that Amelia Earhart accomplished. 

Burleigh has written the book in paired lines that are filled with poetry and grace.  He uses words to capture the emotions and the events on the journey.  From the beauty of the star-filled sky to the drama of a storm out over the ocean, readers will thrill to this adventure.  As I look over the writing, I am caught up again and again by the words, the pacing, and the incredible Earhart.

Minor’s paintings add to the drama and beauty of the title.  When the book begins, readers can see the smiling face of Earhart peeking through the plane windows directly at them.  Minor manages to capture both the scale and expanse of the adventure and the personal story of Earhart.  He makes it both monumental and personal as does Burleigh in his text.

While there are many titles about Amelia Earhart out there, this is one of the best and would be a thrilling read for any class exploring women’s history.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

To see some of the beauty of the illustrations, take a look at the book trailer below:

Also reviewed by Bibliophile by the Sea.

Me, Frida: Intensely Beautiful

| Tasha

Me, Frida by Amy Novesky, illustrated by David Diaz

2011 Pura Belpre Honor Book for Illustration

Opening this book is like opening a treasure box filled with images that are deep, fiery, passionate and intensely beautiful.  This is the story of Frida Kahlo and her travel to San Francisco alongside her husband, artist Diego Rivera.  Rivera was hired to paint a mural for the city, but Frida was restless as he started work on it.  As Rivera spent longer and longer hours working, Frida was left alone in a a foreign country and big city.  She didn’t speak much English and knew almost no one.  So Frida began to explore the city on her own, allowing the things she loved to be the focus.  And in the process, she found her own voice and her own artistic vision.  She was no longer silent, but instead a vivacious beauty who would show the world what she was capable of.

Told in simple words by Novesky, this book captures the situation Frida found herself in with clarity.  The author also revels in Frida finding herself and her art, her explorations and her self awareness.  It is a celebration of more than Frida Kahlo.  It is a celebration of women artists of all sorts.  Diaz’s illustrations are done in acrylic, charcoal and varnish on linen.  The combination of media give the illustrations an amazing depth of color that is beautifully saturated at times and light and airy at others.  Just the use of drips in the illustrations is beautifully done.  The drips become age, emotions and trees.  They add a wild beauty to the images that suits the subject well.

A beautiful picture book about an amazing artist, this was surely worthy of the Pura Belpre Honor Award.  Appropriate for ages 7-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Also reviewed by TheHappyNappyBookseller.

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Side by Side/Lado a lado

| Tasha

Side by Side/Lado a lado : the story of Delores Huerta and Cesar Chavez by Monica Brown, illustrated by Joe Cepeda

Released September 1, 2010

Bright and vibrant, this book tells the true story of Delores Huerta and Cesar Chavez and their fight for the rights of migrant farm workers.  The book begins with both of them as children and their early connections to the needs of farm workers.  The real change started when the two of them met and began working together on the cause.  They traveled from town to town talking from the beds of trucks in fields.  They successfully fought to get the poisons used on California grapes stopped.  They marched for 340 miles to demand that workers get living wages.  Cesar went on a hunger strike to get people to listen.  The two worked together for 30 years and were two of the most important voices for labor change in the United States.

A bilingual book, this is a heartfelt homage to two heroes of our time.  The writing is simple and honest, reflecting the subject matter with a great respect.  For young readers, the book is fairly free of dates, leaving the heart of the story uncluttered.  In the author note, readers can learn more about the dates  and associations that were created.  The focus of the book is on advocacy, action and passion.  Things we all hope children will learn.  Cepeda’s illustrations are strong and bright.  Filled with rich colors, the illustrations underscore the normalcy of both Huerta and Chavez while capturing their energy and dedication as well.

An empowering and inspiring read, this book is appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from ARC received from HarperCollins.

Seeds of Change

| Tasha

Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson, illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler

We have already seen two incredible picture books about Wangari, so I was hesitant to pick this one up.  I should never have hesitated.  This book adds to Wangari’s story by telling the story of her youth growing up in the bounty of Kenya.  Her mother teaches her about each tree and what it offers.  Though it was unusual for girls in Kenya to be educated, Wangari’s parents saw how bright she was and sent her to school.  After she graduated from elementary school, Wangari went to the city to continue her education, eventually heading to the United States to study biology.  Throughout her travels, she thought often of Kenya and her home.  Kenya had changed with the land being harvested for timber by big foreign companies.  Wangari returned to Kenya and taught women and children to plant trees, giving the people a way to feed themselves and turning the barren land green again.  In 2004, Wangari won the Nobel Peace Prize, the first African woman or environmentalist to receive it. 

Johnson has taken the time to really reveal where Wangari came from and what created the seeds of environmentalism within her.  Other picture books pick up where Wangari is seeing the damage done in Kenya, but this addition of her childhood and education make for a more complete understanding of her.  Sadler’s illustrations use thick white lines which remind me of batik or stained glass.  The images show interesting design choices that are often dreamlike. 

I would recommend pairing this with both Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli and Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivola.  The three together offer a strong environmental message combined with a complete view of the woman behind the movement.

Highly recommended, this book tells the powerful story of Wangari and her legacy in Kenya.  It shows readers that one person can definitely make a difference.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Lee & Low.

Also reviewed by:

Stand Straight, Ella Kate

| Tasha

Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The Story of a Real Giant by Kate and M. Sarah Klise

When Ella Kate was born in 1872, she was normal sized, but that soon changed.  At school she needed a larger desk that her father built for her, and she was wearing her father’s shoes, size 12.  Ella Kate was sometimes ridiculed for her size.  At age 17, she reached 8 feet tall, finally growing to a height of 8 feet 4 inches tall.  When she was 18, she was approached to appear at a museum because of her height.  This started a six year tour of museums, exhibitions and circuses where she made enough money to pay off her family’s farm and build her own house.  It was a house that was built specifically for her height with very high ceilings and tall windows.  After building her home, Ella Kate returned to the exhibition circuit, continuing her travels around the world.

Ella Kate is an example for all of us: she took what made her different and strange and made it into an asset.  The Klise sisters have created a book that has just the right tone.  It is playful and fun, but always treats Ella Kate with awe and respect.  It is not just her size that is impressive for modern readers, but an understanding that Ella Kate was an independent woman in a time when women did not live that sort of life.  The art in the book, done with acrylics, echoes the playful spirit of the text.  The images often show Ella Kate’s height in a unique way without it being mentioned in the text.  Just the family laundry on the line is worthy of attention.

A warm picture book biography of a giant of a woman.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)

| Tasha

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

At age 13, Susy, the daughter of Mark Twain, was annoyed that people writing biographies of her father got things wrong.  So she decided to write her own biography of her famous father because she truly knew him.  At first Susy’s biography was a secret but soon her parents had discovered her book and her father helped by offering quotes at opportune moments.  In her biography, Susy told of her father’s childhood, his public side and his private life.  She documented his finer qualities and also his lesser ones.  She also wrote about his writing practice and how her mother cleaned up the racier passages.  This is a biography that shows us Twain as a family man and father as well as an author.

Kerley’s biography of Twain is immensely readable and inviting.  She has incorporated passages from Susy’s biography in an inventive way.  They are placed in inserts that look like small books on each page.  Readers will be delighted by the passages and the insights they offer.  Fotheringham’s illustrations are a creative mix of vintage and modern.  Done digitally, they have a warmth and strong graphic quality. 

Highly recommended, this is a great biographical picture book for elementary-aged students.  It is also ideal to share with children who want to be writers since it shows not only Twain’s process but gives readers a young writer to model themselves after as well.  Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by Kiss the Book, Sommer Reading, and Young Readers.

You can read about Barbara Kerley’s own writing process for this book at INK.