Beneath the Waves - a review

As we read disturbing news accounts of dying manatees, environmental disasters caused by toxic waste, and ocean pollution on the scale of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it is more imperative than ever that we learn how to protect our miraculous blue planet. In honor of Earth Day, I highlight a beautiful book that's sure to engender respect and admiration for our ocean habitats, the creatures and plants who live in them, and the people who care for them.

 

Beneath the Waves: Celebrating the Ocean through Pictures, Poems, and Stories

By Stephanie Warren Drimmer

National Geographic, 20201

From bright sandy beaches to inky dark depths ... from sea stars to sea snakes to sea lions ... a wondrous world awaits Beneath the Waves

 

  Beneath the Waves is a browser's dream. Its generous size and 192 pages are awash in enticing facts about all facets of life and our interaction with oceans.  There are eleven chapters ranging from "On the Beach" to "People and Oceans," and including everything in-between—sea creatures, seashore creatures, habitats, geology, legends, scientific discoveries and more.  As with all National Geographic Kids publications, the illustrations are beautiful and offer a real insider's view of habitats and creatures from penguins to tropical fish. And of course, there are the extreme facts that fascinate kids and adults alike,

"Polar bears have been known to swim more than 60 miles (100 km) without rest in search of food."

"One of the world's oldest shell collections was unearthed from the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii."

"Jellyfish have lived in Earth's ocean for more than 500 million years."

 Included are Contents, Index, Photo Credits, Scientific Names of Ocean Life, and an Afterword by renowned oceanographer, Sylvia Earle.

This will be a great addition for libraries, or, as mine will be, a gift for a budding young environmentalist.

My copy of Beneath the Waves was provided by Media Masters Publicity.

Mars Is - a review

Mars Is: Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises
By Suzanne Slade 

Peachtree Publishing, 2021

With stunning NASA images, Mars Is ...is beautiful enough to be a coffee table book! 

It's much more than that, however. Each image is accompanied by a simple explanation in huge font (no more than a few words per page), as well as a detailed description, making it perfect for sharing with the suggested age range of 6-10, as well as with a younger audience. Many times we are awed by the beauty of photos from space, but have no frame of reference for what we see. Slade's text helps the reader put the photos into context through explanation and comparison.

One double-spread photo might otherwise be mistaken for an Earthly shoreline or volcanic ridge.  Large font text announces, "Mars is steep cliffs," while the smaller text explains that this is an image of the Krupac Crater—highlighting the huge gullies running down its inner slope, and noting that it is a young crater, as evidenced by the exposed Martian bedrock. 

The final pages include information (and photos) about Mars missions, the HiRISE camera used to photograph Mars, and a timeline of Mars exploration.

With the recent landing of NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars, there is no better time for a book like this. Leave it lying around and it will attract readers of all ages.

 Read an excerpt of Mars Is here.

 

My copy of Mars Is was provided by the publisher.

The Lost Pianos of Siberia - a review

The Lost Pianos of Siberia

By Sophy Roberts

Grove Press, 2020

 

The Lost Pianos of Siberia is nonfiction with epic proportions. Spurred by a request from a Mongolian pianist and a dated photo of a piano outdoors in Siberia, British author Sophy Roberts embarked on a quest to find pianos in Siberia and document their provenance. Each of her artfully crafted sentences begs further thought or investigation—but on she goes, searching for pianos, while unearthing cultural, historical, artistic, political, and architectural details that captivate the mind. Just to consider the difficulty in transporting pianos across the frozen permafrost of Siberia in previous centuries is to bear witness to its people's love and appreciation of music. Consider that Tsar Nicholas and the entire Romanov family were transported from Moscow to Siberia, over one thousand miles, for execution, and yet, their piano was brought with them. During WWII, a later generation of Russians risked life and limb to save the Romanov's piano. Siberia's is an immensity of space, time, and misery—but also of music and endurance. To read this book and not pine to see Siberia will be a harder feat than finding the lost pianos of Siberia. 

 

Some facts about Siberia:

• It comprises more than 55% of Russia's total size
• It is roughly equal to the size of Canada
• Its Lake Baikal is the deepest freshwater lake in the world and is about equal to the Netherlands in surface area

 

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley.

 

Every Second - a review

Below is my review as it appeared in the May, 2020 issue of School Library Journal.

 Every Second

By Bruno Gilbert

What on Earth Publishing

Gr 1–5—What happens in one second? More than one would think. Though a substantial 56 pages, the book consists primarily of two sentences. The narrative begins, "Every second, around the world 1 wedding is celebrated…" and continues until the summation sentence. Intriguing statistics about our world are interspersed throughout. The facts initially seem random, but they follow a loose pattern. For example, following a series of facts related to human dietary habits, readers learn the volume of human excrement and household waste produced each second (20,300 and 23,300 pounds, respectively) and the relatively paltry amount of recycling and replanting that humans do. The cartoon-style illustrations are in color but use muted tones. Gibert depicts people in a variety of shades including blue; and as illustrative statistics, they are representative rather than emotive. On one page, sand swirls in the sky above an expansive desert dwarfing the blue silhouette of a person on camelback. The text reads, "11,500 pounds of sand, carried by the wind, leave the Sahara Desert." No artwork details are included, but the colors appear porous, evoking newsprint, sponge, or screen printing. VERDICT This book will amuse and enlighten young or casual readers; more thoughtful readers will appreciate its global perspective and many ideas to ponder. 

 

Reprinted with permission. COPYRIGHT 2020 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/ 

My copy of Every Second was provided by the publisher.

Dark was the Night - a review

Dark was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars

By Gary Golio

Illustrations by E.B. Lewis

Nancy Paulsen, 2020

 

Little is known about musician, Blind Willie Johnson, but his unique style of blues and slide guitar made him a popular musician—at first in church, and then on street corners throughout Texas, and finally, with the advent of the phonograph, on records. His song, "Dark was the Night," was selected for inclusion on The Golden Record, sent into space on September 5, 1977.* 

He was not born blind in 1897, but lost his sight and his mother as a young boy. 

Gary Golio answers the questions he poses in the book, 

So how does a blind boy get along? 

How does he make his way in the world?

Willie Johnson's is a story of perseverance and the blues, and it offers a tiny glimpse of the African American experience at the turn of the turn of the 20th century. The inclusion of his music on The Golden Record is a metaphor for our humble beginnings, how far we've come, and how far we've yet to go.

Fitting with the vague details of Willie Johnson's life, E.B. Lewis' watercolor art is indistinct, allowing the reader to gather the feel and mood of the era, the place, the people, and the music—rather than a concrete rendering. The palette is dark, but sun and starlight signify the light of music that reaches all of humanity, even the blind.  

Dark was the Night is an ode with a musicality to it that evokes a bluesy mood. I defy any reader to read this book without seeking out Willie Johnson's music. It will call to you and you won't be able to resist.

 

* You can track the current location of  The Golden Record's copy of "Dark was the Night" on the Voyager spacecraft's website. [https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/]

My copy of Dark was the Night was a digital copy provided by the author.

24 Hours in Ancient Rome - an audiobook review

24 HOURS IN ANCIENT ROME: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There 

By Philip Matyszak

Read by Michael Page

Tantor Media, 2020

I absolutely loved this audiobook! Each chapter follows one person for one hour of one day in Emperor Hadrian's Rome (117-138 CE). It's wryly funny and surprisingly relevant. If history were taught like this, everyone would love it. Click to read my review for AudioFile Magazine. Thanks to Libro.fm for my copy. 👍👍 

 

If you're not an audiobook fan, find a print copy and tell me what you think!

[https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/180979/24-hours-in-ancient-rome-by-philip-matyszak-read-by-michael-page/]

 

Note:

If you're a librarian or educator, check out the Libro.fm Audiobook Listening Copy program.

 

 

Stolen Justice - an audiobook review

Stolen Justice: The Struggle for African American Voting Rights
by Lawrence Goldstone | Read by James Shippy
Scholastic Audiobooks 2020

Following the Civil War, ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments was intended to guarantee civil rights to formerly enslaved people. It quickly became apparent, however, that many states were scheming to systematically erode these rights. Ironically, the justice system was the most effective instrument to dismantle African American rights.

I reviewed Stolen Justice for AudioFile Magazine several months ago, but because of current events, I'll post a link here now. You can read the entire review on the AudioFile Magazine website, but I will summarize and say,

If this audio book doesn't offend your sense of justice, you're not listening hard enough.

Now You Know What You Eat - a review

Now You Know What You Eat

by Valorie Fisher
Scholastic, 2019

Below is my review as it appeared in the November, 2019 issue of School Library Journal.

FISHER, Valorie. Now You Know What You Eat. illus. by Valerie Fisher. 40p. glossary, photos. Scholastic/Orchard. Oct. 2019. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781338215465. K-Gr 3--This vibrant book explains the provenance of many beloved foods (though meats are conspicuously absent). In addition to noting where ingredients such as maple syrup or chocolate can be found, the book delves into the science behind their extraction and creation into edible items. Fisher breaks down familiar foods like peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, and oatmeal raisin cookies into their most basic elements using photos, simple diagrams, and recipe-like instructions ("yogurt = milk + bacteria"). She also details the sources of milk and methods for procuring and processing it. VERDICT Browsers and those who enjoy almanacs and other nonfiction compendiums of miscellany will appreciate this work.

Reprinted with permission. COPYRIGHT 2019 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Nature's Ninja - a review

Nature's Ninja: Animals with Spectacular Skills
By Rebecca L. Johnson
Millbrook, 2019

Below is my review as it appeared in the October, 2019, edition of School Library Journal.

Gr 4-9–Animals are compared to Japan's medieval ninja warriors in this picture book for older readers. Nine chapters follow an introduction offering background information on the practiced arts of the ninja. Each chapter features an animal with natural abilities closely aligned to a particular ninja skill and begins with the skill highlighted in a stylized text box—"CHOHO: Spying—infiltrating an enemy's camp or society without being discovered." Rove beetles have the natural ability of a choho master. Amazingly, they look, smell, and even behave like army ants, living among the wellknown predators. They've even been seen eating army ant larvae! Geckos and sailfish are among the other featured creatures. In addition to a description of the animal's ninja- like skill, there is a section on each creature titled "The Science Behind the Story." Photographs and scientific graphics illustrate each comparison. Back matter is comprehensive and includes a glossary, index, and "Meet the Scientists." VERDICT Both the premise and execution of this title are intriguing. Steer older students toward this book; they will not be disappointed.

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. 

 

Reprinted with permission.

A Fire Story - a review

 A Fire Story
by Brian Fies
Abrams Books, 2019

In graphic novel format,Brian Fies tells his own personal story as well as those of others who lost everything in the devastating Northern California fires of 2017. Their stories highlight the more mundane aspects of a living through a natural disaster—the bureaucratic red tape, the small things that trigger immense emotion, the weird sense of living as a displaced person in your own environs. Having experienced two devastating hurricanes myself, I can attest that Fies has accurately captured the moods and experiences of survivors of catastrophe. Some photos are also incorporated into the dramatic illustrations. This affecting book will stay with you much longer that the short time it will take to read it.


Originally published online, A Fire Story was recreated (the original web comic is included in the print version) and enhanced for print publication.
Read the original web-based version here.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Dog

Today is the book birthday of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Dog.

I'm particularly excited about this book, because it includes my story, "All the News That's Fit to Chew," featuring my dog, Annie! My story recounts Annie's desire to maintain her sense of purpose and duty after our family was displaced during Superstorm Sandy.

I hope you'll have an opportunity to read it. If purchasing the book is not in your budget, ask your library if they can acquire a copy.

If you're fond of dog videos and photos, I've included one below, but there will plenty to see on Twitter at the launch party for Life Lessons from the Dog, today at 2pm. Search for the hash tag #CSSLifeLessonsfromtheDog to follow along.

I'm so thankful to Chicken Soup for the Soul for including my story.

Yogi: The Life, Loves, and Language of Baseball Legend Yogi Berra - a review

It's baseball season—my favorite season of the year! What better way to kick off the season than with a review of a new baseball book? I'm no Yankee fan—anyone who knows me in person or online will attest to my affinity for the Phils, but it's hard not to admire Yogi Berra.

Yogi: The Life, Loves, and Language of Baseball Legend Yogi Berra
By Barb Rosenstock
Illustrated by Terry Widener
Calkins Creek, 2019

In this picture book for older readers, Barb Rosenstock offers a well-rounded look at baseball legend, Yogi Berra. Yogi is well-known for his many unintentionally humorous quotes, or "Yogi-isms," but no one would know of these if it were not for his phenomenally successful baseball career.  From childhood to retirement, Rosenstock shows that there was more to Yogi than skill and humor. Yogi was short, unattractive, and the son of Italian immigrants during a time when that was often a cause for ridicule or discrimination—but that did not hamper his good nature, determination, or enthusiasm for baseball.  When fans or players taunted him for being ugly,

"So?" Yogi said. "I don't hit with my face."  He ignored the name-calling and let his bat do the talking.

Yogi loved his family, his friends, his country, and baseball. Terri Widener's acrylic illustrations eschew details in favor of creating illustrations that convey the mood or action of the the text on each page. The text is unobtrusive in a small black font, however, "Yogi-isms" appear in larger blue font with quotation marks. In most illustrations, Yogi is closely outlined in white, presumably so that kids will easily be able to pick him out of each illustration. Widener captures Yogi's endearing personality and his baseball prowess and acumen.

Author's Note, photographs, statistics, quotes, Bibliography, and Source Notes round out this picture book biography for older readers.  Sure to be a hit for baseball season—especially for Yankee fans.

Some Yogi: The Life, Loves, and Language of Baseball Legend Yogi Berra extras are below.






Peek inside Yogi here.





According to USA Today Sports, Yogi once said, "I’m lucky. Usually you’re dead to get your own museum, but I’m still alive to see mine."  If you're ever in the neighborhood of Little Falls, NJ, you can check out the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, too.
 My copy of Yogi: The Life, Loves, and Language of Baseball Legend Yogi Berra was provided by the publisher.

Dog Days of History - a review

Dog Days of History: The Incredible Story of Our Best Friends

By Sarah Albee
National Geographic, 2018

In nine chapters ranging from the beginning of recorded history, through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the modern era and the present day, Dog Days of History investigates the varied facets of the relationship between humans and canines.  Whether as companions, antagonists, status symbols, or employees, dogs have been with us from the beginning.  Dog Days uses a combination of dog photos and facsimiles of period artwork to illustrate our interactions with man's best friend.

Readers will learn a variety of wide-ranging facts such as the etymology of the words "cur" and "curtailed," and which dog was once exclusive to Chinese royalty and symbolized the lion. This middle grade nonfiction title will appeal to lovers of dogs and history and also to kids who enjoy compendiums and books of random facts.  There are plenty of illustrations to break up the text in this well-researched, 112-page book.


Research Notes, Author's Note, Select Biblidography (yes, you read that right), Rufferences (someone has a punny sense of humor), To Dig Up More Sources (other books to read), To Sniff Out Places to Visit (a collection of websites), Index, and Illustration Sources round out this glimpse of dogs throughout history.


How wonderful to learn interesting historical facts through the medium of man's best friend! I highly recommend this one.



Peek inside Dog Days of History here. 


 This may not be the best advertisement for this great book, but it's cute, nonetheless.

Struttin' with Some Barbecue - a review

Struttin' with Some Barbecue: Lil Hardin Armstrong becomes the First Lady of Jazz 
by Patricia Hruby Powell
Illustrated by Rachel Himes 
Charlesbridge, 2018

Almost everyone has heard of jazz trumpet player Louis Armstrong, but what of his wife, Lil Hardin? In this illustrated,  novel-in-verse, Patricia Hruby Powell introduces us to the the talented piano player and composer, Lil Hardin. She was Louis Armstrong's wife, his early manager, and the composer of several famous jazz hits of the day, including "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." With or without her famous husband, Lil Hardin was destined to be a star.

Short chapters in chronological order start with Liz's upbringing with her strict mother—a staunch foe of "race music," as jazz was called at the time.  However, Liz's talent, drive, and ability to make money, finally won over her disapproving mother.  Lil began dating the shy Louis Armstrong in 1922. Together they played music, married, and rose to the top,

Lil and Louis
were struttin' high on the hog
right there in Chicago,
up from the South,
makin'
raw and raucous
rompin', rollickin'
music.

Dang, they were musical royalty—
inventing
a new kind of sound—
makin'
jazz.

After reading Struttin' with Some Barbecue, you won't be able to look up a recording of Lil's music fast enough.  I've saved you the trouble.  Listen to "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" below.

In addition to a glossary, bibliography, index, etc., back matter includes additional information on Lil, jazz, and racial conditions of the era.

• Read an excerpt of Struttin' with Some Barbecue
• Look inside Struttin' with Some Barbecue 
• Junior Library Guild selection 

My copy of Struttin' with Some Barbecue was provided by the publisher.

See more posts at Nonfiction Monday

CYBILS Awards Elementary/Middle-Grade Nonfiction

I hope your new year is off to a great start!  I can't comment on any of these books while we are judging them, but below is a slide show of the 2018 CYBILS Awards finalists in the Elementary/Middle-Grade Nonfiction category.  I'm reading as fast as I can.

Winners will be announced on February 14, 2019.

If you have trouble viewing the slideshow, you can find it on Riffle

Start Now and Girls Resist - audiobook reviews

Regardless of political ideology, we can all agree that the future and fate of the world is in the hands of children.

Following are two audio books with an activist theme that I've recently reviewed for AudioFile Magazine—one for older girls, one for younger children.

Click the book titles to access my full reviews which I cannot reprint here.

[https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/143111/]

Girls Resist!:A Guide to Activism, Leadership, and Starting a Revolution
By Katelyn Rich
Read by Soneela Nankani
Blackstone, 2018
5.80 hours

Soneela Nankani narrates this activist's how-to guide with the inspirational power of an enthusiastic and empathetic friend.

[https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/148854/]

Start Now!:You Can Make a Difference
Written and read by Chelsea Clinton
Listening Library, 2018
2.25 hours

In a style more actionable than activist, Clinton's audiobook provides early elementary students with tools to make a difference in their own lives, as well as in the lives of others and in the preservation of our planet.

Strong is the New Pretty - a review

Strong is the New Pretty-A Guided Journal for Girls
By Kate T. Parker
Workman, 2018


The children's publishing industry is responding to  recent societal changes with a much-needed shift towards diversity—racial, religious, ethnic, physical, and gender. This book reflects that change.

Strong is the New Pretty is a tween book that celebrates the power of girls from ages 7-14.  The book combines activity, writing, and drawing prompts with photos, quotes, and challenges. The pages are colorfully decorated and invite doodling and note-taking. The blue elastic cord is attached with grommets and keeps the book from flapping open, and a colorful orange ribbon is sewn into the binding to mark the reader's page.  Strong is the New Pretty is for princesses, athletes, bookworms, and dreamers.

If you're looking for a holiday gift for a young girl, Strong is the New Pretty is inspirational and a perfect gift for a strong young girl in your life.  If you can purchase it from an independent bookstore, so much the better.

Though I usually review library books, this is definitely not a library book.  It is intended to be a celebration of one special girl, and used until it's frayed and tattered.



My copy of Strong is the New Pretty was provided by the publisher.

A History of Pictures for Children - a review

A History of Pictures for Children: From Cave Paintings to Computer Drawings
By David Hockney and Martin Gayford
Illustrated by Rose Blake
Abrams, 2018

In A History of Pictures, art critic Martin Gayford teams up with artist David Hockney to deliver an enlightening and entertaining discourse on art.  The Introduction explains the book's format.  It is an illustrated discussion between the artist and the art critic, each offering commentary on what he knows best.  Gayford offers a more scholarly look at the history of an artistic period or work of art—the what and when, while Hockney offers an artists' perspective on the same—the why and the how.

Their conversations are accompanied by photos of actual  art pieces, and cartoon illustrations by Rose Blake. Blake's playful illustrations add a lightness to the book and advance the conversation, showing simple explanations of concepts like depth and perspective, as well as explanations of early artistic tools like 16th century pinhole projectors, 18th century silhouette machines, and 19th century zoetropes. The authors and the illustrator appear in cartoon format throughout the book. The topics of each chapter are listed below.

Engaging and educational, A History of Pictures for Children should be in every school and public library.  The suggested age range is 10-14 however, it will likely appeal to older kids with artistic interests as well.  I would go so far as to suggest that adults will find it interesting also.  I found it thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Well done!

 

Chapters:
Thinking About Pictures: Why do we make pictures?
Making Marks: What makes an interesting mark?
Light and Shadows: What is a shadow exactly?
Watch this Space: How do artists set the scene?
Mirrors and Reflections: How do artists play with light?
Painting and Photography: What tools do artists use?
Moving Pictures: Can pictures really move?
The Story Goes On: What's next for pictures?

Back matter includes an illustrated Timeline of Inventions, Glossary, Bibliography, List of Illustrations, and Index

To the Moon and Back - a review

To the Moon and Back: My Apollo 11 Adventure

By Buzz Aldrin and Marianne Dyson

Illustrated by Bruce Foster

National Geographic, 2018

In this gift-worthy, sturdy, pop-up book, middle-grade space enthusiasts will find a wealth of little-known details, personal remembrances, and photos from the quest to land men on the surface of the moon. In addition, the science and engineering is explained clearly and simply.

Buzz Aldrin begins with the start of his NASA career as an astronaut in the year 1963.  He then chronicles the successes and failures of the many Gemini, Soyuz, and Apollo missions that preceded the famous voyage of Apollo 11.

Tucked within the pages and pop-ups, are pull-out sections titled Space Race and Aldrin Family Reflections.  The pop-ups, created by paper engineer, Bruce Foster, include (among others) the Saturn V rocket which pops out to a height of over one foot, a lunar module, and the deploying parachutes of the lunar capsule's splash landing.

One section titled, "Saved by the Pen," includes this recollection:

     "After 21 hours on the moon, it was time to go. But the ascent engine's arming circuit breaker was broken off!  If we didn't find something to replace the pin, the engine wouldn't start.  We'd be stuck on the moon.

     Armstrong and I looked around.  We found a felt-tipped pen that fit into the slot. Problem solved!"

After reading To the Moon and Back, you will have a greater appreciation of what is often described as one of humanity's greatest feats of engineering.  The beautiful photos, pop-ups and a build-your-own lunar module are just icing on the cake.

Buzz Aldrin finishes his account with a query,

"Will we celebrate Apollo 11's 100th anniversary under the pink skies of Mars?"

He hopes so.  And perhaps it will be a woman who first steps on the red planet. I hope so.

Note:

In 2013, I was lucky enough to meet Buzz Aldrin.  He was very friendly, and let me touch him—the closest that I will ever come to outer space. 

© L Taylor

   My copy of To the Moon and Back was provided by the book's publicist.