The Latest Reads: Children's Books (II)

One thing I like about children's books is that they compress a lot of information in fewer pages than a book for adults. I read four nonfiction books for children lately. 

These sort of books never cease to surprise me how well they can speak to an adult, as to a child. Here are my latest reads in this genre:

Title: Alicia Alonso Takes the Stage
Author: Rebel Girls
Pages: 160

Publishing Date: August 18th 2020
Genre: Children's Nonfiction
Format: Kindle

Alicia Alonso Takes the Stage is one of the books in a series published by Rebel Girls. It's a more in-depth look at the life of an influential woman in history, someone who persevered in spite of obstacles and proved herself in a certain field. Alicia Alonso was a famous Cuban prima ballerina who became well-known all over the world. Her grit and work ethic were obvious when she became visually impaired. 

The story follows Alicia from her childhood in a prominent Cuban family in Havana, through her dance classes as a teen and young adult, to her marriage to Fernando Alonso, and her first opportunities to dance ballet on big stages in the US. It is simply told, but it captures the essence of her character and focuses on the positive aspects. It's just as encouraging and inspiring for an adult as it is for a child. What's great about these stories is that they're not just for girls. In this story, for example, Alicia Alonso's husband was a ballet dancer as well. That's so cool for boys and girls to see, I think.

At the end of the book there is some information about ballet, a few techniques and prompts to immerse the (young) reader into the world of this art. 

The book beautifully accompanies the episode on theGoodnight Stories for Rebel Girls podcast, episode read by Yuan Yuan Tan, a prima ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet.

Title: 111 Trees. How One Village Celebrates the Birth of Every Girl
Author: Rina Singh

Illustrator: Marianne Ferrer
Pages: 36
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publishing Date: October 6th 2020
Genre: Children's Nonfiction
Format: Kindle

The story is short and to the point. It's about Piplantri, a small village in India where the former village head, Sundar Paliwal, decided to plant 111 trees every time a girl child was born. This led to a turn-around in economy, social mentality, gender equality for children, and access to education for all children in the village. 

The first part of the book is designed in a traditional children's book way: illustrations and a story appropriate for children. The last few pages are basically the same story, but without illustrations. Not sure why the choice for this approach. However, the book is worth the read. The example Sandur gave to his community and to all those who learnt of his idea is worthy of praise. 

A book for both boys and girls, 111 Trees teaches children about the importance of gender equality, eco-feminism, and cultural awareness.

Title: In the Dark. The Science of What Happens at Night
Author: Lisa Deresti Betik

Illustrator: Josh Holinaty
Pages: 48
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publishing Date: September 1st 2020
Genre: Children's Nonfiction
Format: Kindle

Our bodies, the nocturnal plants and animals, the sky - all have an intense activity once we humans go to sleep. This is the premise of In the Dark.

The first chapter focuses on the brain and the activities that take place when we sleep at night. The stages the brain goes through are explained in a simple, easy to understand way. It's truly fascinating. The same informative, but reader friendly tone is adopted for the following chapters focusing on the night creatures, night plants, and the sky. 

I'm sure I won't remember more then 1% of all the information in the book, but it's the kind of book kids interested in science and that sort of stuff will find fascinating. It makes for a great gift for a nature and science lover. And, may I suggest, a great coffee table book!

Title: This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes. How Science Is Tackling Unconscious Bias
Author: Tanya Lloys Kyi
Illustrator: Drew Shannon
Pages: 88
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publishing Date: September 1st 2020
Genre: Children's Nonfiction
Format: ebook

The book starts by explaining the meaning of bias, stereotype, prejudice and discrimination, then moving on to tackling serious topics. I was surprised at how in-depth it went and how well it approached the topic. 

It is structured in chapters, so you could say it's a chapter book, but each one is full of information. The illustrations are beautiful and makes it different from a classic textbook. It's something a middle gradder would enjoy, either on their own or with a parent. I think it could also be used in class. The diverse cultural focus is also something I appreciate reminding the reader there's a world outside US. It talks about neurological and psychological aspects of the problem, and how different categories reacted to various situations over the years.

The tone it uses is matter of fact, no watered-down information, which I think young readers would appreciate. Even me as an adult reader found the book interesting and full of relevant and actual information. This could be only the starting point for further research. There's a section with suggestions for further reading and also sources for each chapter. It's very well researched, something necessary these days.

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Disclaimer: I received a free e-book copy from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed in these reviews are mine.