Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge #NFPB2018- June 13, 2018

Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing by Leonard S. Marcus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve always been curious who Randolph Caldecott was and why an award was named after him. This picture book was a bit too long for my liking but it did answer my questions. I loved that we were able to see some of his sketches and finished products. Even without going through the history of picture books, it was clear how he changed the game. Includes extensive backmatter material.

I would love if there was a picture book about Kate Greenaway who was mentioned here and also has an award named after her!

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June’s Picture Book of the Month Pick- Part 2

As part of my Commitment to Literacy: Picture Book It challenge, I wanted to spotlight one book that I’m completely in love with. Throughout the month, I’ll do multiple posts based on the book. I hope you will end up picking up the book and joining in on the conversation.

Previous posts:
All posts pertaining to January, February, March, April, and May’s Picture Book of the Month picks have been archived over at Picture Book It.
-June’s Picture Book of the Month Pick- Announcement

June’s Picture Book of the Month is Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders
and illustrated by Steven Salerno.

This week I wanted to share a few things.

First up, it’s the book trailer for Pride.

And, I love this interview the author did with The Horn Book’s Roger Sutton.

Finally, catch Rob Sanders’s interview on Matthew Winner’s The Children Book Podcast.

Discussion
What did you think of Pride?

How will you be celebrating Pride Month? What does Pride mean to you?

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— — — — — — — THANK YOU FOR READING! — — — — — — —

 

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge #NFPB2018- June 6, 2018

Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating read about the first deep ocean explorers. The art is absolutely stunning especially the foldout towards the back. Author’s note includes more information about the explorers. Illustrator’s note provides more about her process. Definitely worth the read.

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My Reading Week #IMWAYR- June 4, 2018

I changed the name for my “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” posts to “My Reading Week.”

This week, I posted:
–Reviews: Jacqueline Woodson’s Upcoming Books
–Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge Wednesday
–June’s Picture Book of the Month Pick– Read my review of Pride by Rob Sanders and Steven Salerno.

Imagine! by Raúl Colón
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A wordless picture book that celebrates how art and creativity can impact someone’s life. A young boy ends up a going on a wild adventure while visiting an art museum.

Iver and Ellsworth by Casey W. Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sweet story of friendship with an old man and an inflatable rooftop bear.
Inky the Octopus: Bound for Glory by Erin Guendelsberger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Based on a true story about Inky the Octopus who escaped his aquarium to return to the ocean. Includes other famous octopus who’ve done some incredible things.

Starry Skies: Learn about the constellations above us by Samantha Chagollan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A cute enough book that could have been truly special if additional information about each constellation was given. But I’m sure readers will be inspired to look at the night sky and find shapes on their own.

Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun interactive book about meeting and befriending a shy dinosaur.

Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The author traces a family history one quilt patch at a time from slave days to the civil rights movement to present day. A powerful story of cruelty and resilience, of dark times and hope.

Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! – The Itchy Book! by LeUyen Pham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What do you do with an itch? Scratch it, of course. But there’s a rule engraved in stone: Dinosaurs do not scratch. Find out what happens to a bunch of itchy friends trying to follow this rule.

I Lost My Tooth! by Mo Willems
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A funny new series that will surely be a hit with beginning readers especially if they’ve enjoyed Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie and Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly series.

The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman’s Book Scavenger series has been great fun to get lost in. The Alcatraz Escape wrapped things up nicely with more mysteries to solve and a blend of historical fiction thrown in. I also enjoyed that these books were a tribute to booklovers and bookstores and booksellers. (Loved the Binc shoutout and all the book recommendations like Hello, Universe and Al Capone Does My Shirts.) The ending brought up many things to think about, as well.

Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A mix of Holes by Louis Sacher and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Scar Island finds a group of delinquent boys fending for themselves after a freak accident. Emotional and gripping full of twists and turns and surprising characters.

It’s a Bunny-Eat-Bunny World: A Writer’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in Today’s Competitive Children’s Book Market by Olga Litowinsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed learning about the picture book publishing history and getting behind the scenes glimpses of the process once a book is signed. Definitely a must read for any aspiring kidlit creator.

Review Notes
***= Recommended
****= Highly Recommended
*****= Favorite

You can view all the books I’ve read at my Goodreads page.

Thanks to Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers for their focus on Children’s Literature of this meme!

If you’re on Twitter, don’t forget to use the hashtag #IMWAYR when sharing your link!

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— — — — — — — THANK YOU FOR READING! — — — — — — —

 

June’s Picture Book of the Month Pick

As part of my Commitment to Literacy: Picture Book It challenge, I wanted to spotlight one book that I’m completely in love with. Throughout the month, I’ll do multiple posts based on the book. I hope you will end up picking up the book and joining in on the conversation.

Previous posts:
All posts pertaining to January, February, March, April, and May’s Picture Book of the Month picks have been archived over at Picture Book It.

June’s Picture Book of the Month is…

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag
Text by Rob Sanders
Illustrated by Steven Salerno
[Hardcover, Ebook]
Published by Penguin Random House
April 10, 2018

Summary
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Rainbow Pride Flag with the very first picture book to tell its remarkable and inspiring history!

In this deeply moving and empowering true story, young readers will trace the life of the Gay Pride Flag, from its beginnings in 1978 with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the globe and its role in today’s world. Award-winning author Rob Sanders’s stirring text, and acclaimed illustrator Steven Salerno’s evocative images, combine to tell this remarkable – and undertold – story. A story of love, hope, equality, and pride.

Review
Pride and hope take center stage in this picture book focusing on LGBTQ activist Harvey Milk and how the rainbow flag became a symbol for those things. It traces how the latter has evolved from Gilbert Baker’s original concept to its current incarnation. How I wish it would have mentioned its evolving design as well. Includes biographical notes, timelines, and photos in the back matter.

Discussion
What did you think of Pride?

How will you be celebrating Pride Month? What does Pride mean to you?

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— — — — — — — THANK YOU FOR READING! — — — — — — —

 

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge #NFPB2018- May 30, 2018

Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the World by Christy Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Simple yet fun with flaps to reveal opposite bodies of water and land. A foldout at the back includes a map with examples of each.

Inky’s Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home by Sy Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Learn about the fascinating lives of octopus in this picture book based on a true story. A curious young octopus gets injured and then taken to an aquarium. Readers will be intrigued with how he manages to escape. Eight fun facts about octopus are included in the back matter.

Sylvia’s Bookshop: The Story of Paris’s Beloved Bookstore and Its Founder by Robert Burleigh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A picture book biography of Sylvia Beach, a voracious reader who opened the world-famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris. Includes mini bios of other literary figures that have passed through the store.

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— — — — — — — THANK YOU FOR READING! — — — — — — —

 

Reviews: Jacqueline Woodson’s Upcoming Books

Jacqueline Woodson is the latest National Ambassador for Young People Literature. You can read about it here.

She has two great books coming out that you should definitely read. Both publishes August 28th, 2018.

With lyrical text and vibrant art, The Day You Begin is a celebration of connection with others once you muster up the courage to set things in motion. This picture book captures perfectly the sense of not belonging we’ve all felt at one point or another in our lives (at school or at an unfamiliar environment) and how we then found ourselves being part of something special (with family, friends, or an entire community.) It’s a lesson we need to constantly re-learn.

Her first middle grade novel since Brown Girl Dreaming, Harbor Me is a beautiful book of friendships forged during troubled times, a reminder that life may break your heart but, more importantly, it can show you how to mend it together again.

The Day You Begin and Harbor Me will have readers contemplating Jacqueline Woodson’s platform as ambassador- “Reading = Hope X Change”- and, ultimately, have them figure out what equations they have guiding their own lives and maybe come up with solutions to problems they want to solve.