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.

***

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

The Latest Reads: Children's Books

 I have been on a children's books kick lately. Here are the last four I've read.

Title: How to be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn Before You're Grown Up
Author: Catherine Newman
Pages: 160
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Publishing Date: May 26th 2020
Genre: Children's Nonfiction
Format: Kindle

How to be a person offers young people tips for different life situations such as interactions with family members or other people, using words in different situations in writing, making themselves useful around the house by doing *gasps* chores, how to cook basic meals, how to wisely earn, save, invest and spend money, and random, but useful to have skills.

Although the book is targeted to children and it's a good starting point for the child that wants to be more grown-up, it's also like a refresher for older tweens and teens as well. I personally, as an adult, learned some tricks from this book, but I'm not telling which, hehe! The writing is friendly and not at all parent-y or sounding patronizing. The illustrations are lovely and they make the reading even more enjoyable. For an adult, this book would look cool and cheery as a coffee table book.

  

Title: The International Day of the Girl. Celebrating Girls Around the World
Author: Jessica Dee Humphreys; Rona Ambrose
Illustrator: Simone Shin
Pages: 32
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publishing Date: September 1st 2020
Genre: Children's Nonfiction
Format: ebook

This is the story of how October 11th became the International Day of the Girl. It focuses on nine girls from different backgrounds and different countries like Brazil, Kenya, India, Nigeria, Syria or Afghanistan, each hoping for something many girls don't have access to. Everyone knows there's an International Women's Day, but I personally didn't know there is a day to celebrate girls. Such a day is important to teach all children the importance of gender equality and girls' rights.

It reminded me of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, but this book focuses not on famous girls, but on ordinary girls longing for things usually reserved for boys only. Through nine different girls we learn of social issues girls worldwide struggle with such as illiteracy, access to education, child marriage, sanitation, or right to play, which something I didn't know was written in the Rights of the Child. Each girl in the book is given the name and a positive trait that characterises her, like bravery, creativity, talent, humour, ambition. Then a short and concise presentation of what the issue she faces is. I love that structure and the positive light shone on each girl.

At the end of the book there is a timeline of how the International Day of the Girl came to be, and further information on all the struggles and social issues mentioned in the book.

This is not a book for girls, but for children, boys and girls! As a quote from the book says, equality benefits everyone in the end.

Title: The Most Beautiful Thing
Author: Kao Kalia Yang
Illustrator: Khoa Le
Pages: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Publishing Date: October 6th 2020
Genre: Children's Picture Book, Asian Children's Book
Format: ebook

It tells the story of a Hmong-American family, focusing on the relationship between the aging grandma and her granddaughter. 

This intergenerational story is simple, yet deep and the illustrations add to that depth. In a natural way is presented the hard life of an economically struggling family, and the ways parents and children make do with little while so many take things for granted.
 

It has a poetic tone to it, and for some reason I read it in a sing-song rhythm. It's a good starting point to have conversations with children about refugees and immigrants.

I think it'd be suitable for a child aged 6-9 because of the serious and mature content.

Title: Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem

Series: Tales from Deckawoo Drive
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Chris Van Dusen 
Pages: 96
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: June 9th 2020
Genre: Children's Fiction
Format: ebook

It's a darling story about patterns, surprises, curiosity, courage, and how anything really is possible.

Stella Suzanne Endicott learns how to come up with metaphors for the poetry unit her class teacher, Miss Tamar Calliope Liliana is teaching them. On an ordinary day in second grade, due to an argument with know-it-all Horace Burton Broom, the two children are sent to the principal's office. Believe it or not, anything can happen, even unlike friendships, surprises in unexpected places, and opportunities to show courage and curiosity. 

The writing is smart and funny, a delight for children and adults alike. The story references to characters in the previous books in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone. New words and new life lessons are for all in this book.

This was my first children's book by Kate DiCamillo, whom I've first heard about on Anne Bogel's podcast, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's a delight and I highly recommend it!

***

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

Children's Books - Candlewick Press: Book Review

Title: Nana Says I Will Be Famous One Day
Author: Ann Stott
Illustrator: Andrew Joyner
Pages: 32
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: August 4th 2020
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Format: Kindle

Cute, short story about a dog who has his biggest fan in his grandma. It's a darling read and I'm sure it'll be an encouragement for children to see their grandparents as their number one fans.

I love that the characters are dogs! It's a refreshing perspective. What's also new is that the focus is on the relationship between grandma and grandson, making it a multigenerational book.

The illustrations are beautiful and clear, not just simple drawings. Andrew Joyner did a good job here!

I recommend this for children aged 3-5, but not older because it's short and rather simplistic. 

***

Title: The Camping trip
Author: Jennifer K. Mann
Pages: 56
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: April 14th 2020
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Format: Kindle

The Camping Trip is uniquely done, but talking about a very common topic: a night away camping. There are a few diverse elements: the characters are African American, the main character, Ernestine, lives with her dad, and her first camping experience is with her Aunt Jackie and her cousin Samantha.

It's like those books that prepare kids for their first something: dentist appointment, plane flight, train ride. This is about a girl's first camping trip. 

The illustrations are simplistic, not too crowded on the page, they are beautiful and they catch the idea of the story beautifully. Even the first and the last pages of the book are cute because they have drawings of camping accessories. The story is darling and encouraging because it never once played into the fears of a new experience, but showed ways to work around possible scares.

I think this would be suitable for children aged 5-7 years.

***

 

Title: Bunnies on the Bus
Author: Philip Ardagh
Illustrations: Ben Mantle
Pages: 32
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: July 14th 2020
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Format: Kindle

It's perfect for children how are still into rhymes and very short stories. It's silly and the plot is a mess, something little kids enjoy. What happenes when a (rather large?) group of bunnies get on the bus? 

There's little to it story-wise, but it's nice to see a story from the animals' perspective and see them create mayhem. It ends with the promise of a sequel.

The illustrations are beautiful and full, reminding me of the children's books of my childhood. 

I recommend this to children aged 3-5 years.

I received a free e-book copy of all of the the above books from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Juana and Lucas: Big Problemas - by Juana Medina: Book Review

Title: Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas
Series: Juana and Lucas
Author: Juana Medina
Pages: 96
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: May 14th
Genre: Children's Literature, Spanish
Format: Kindle

I haven't read the first book in the series, but this one I absolutely loved. It's darling, you can see the child's perspective clearly without any adult interference. 

There are a lot of basic Spanish words thrown in and I couldn't love this more! Yes, you or the child read to might not understand every Spanish word, but if you read the whole sentence or the whole paragraph it makes sense because the context helps. It's a great book to read to kids who are interested in learning Spanish. 

It's also a great book to read to kids dealing with a mother or parent's second marriage, especially if the other parent died. I liked that it didn't focus too much on the absentee father, but slowly showed Juana's changing feelings towards her new step-father and towards the imminent move to another house.

I read the book on a black and white Kindle, so I don't know what the coloured illustrations look like, but I am sure they are lovely. Even the black and white ones were beautiful. It's a great chapter book for kids, but it can be equally enjoyed by adults.

5*

I received a free e-book copy of the book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

The Super Gifts of Spring - Review

Of the three already released books in this Seasons series written by Dandi Saley Mackall and illustrated by Katherine Blackmore, The Super Gifts of Spring is probably my favourite. As always, the product quality didn't disappoint. The illustrations are absolutely lovely, in pastel colours. I may be wrong (since I don't have much experience working with little boys), but this book seems to have a girlie feel to it. The illustrations go very well with the gift described on each page. I like how the transition from winter (also depicted in the previous book in the series) is made to spring and at the end of the book is anticipated the coming of summer. I absolutely loved how she wrote about Easter being a gift of Spring and giving this celebration greater importance than to other Spring milestones, so to say. She also included references to family, namely mom and dad, which I think are important. As always, the verses picked for each gift she describes are just perfect. One thing I am also not so sure is the age to which this book applies. On the cover it says 4-8. Maybe 8 is a bit too old, however I can see this book read and used as a starting point in a discussion about Seasons, in this case Spring, or to anything else mentioned in the book. Each gift the writer writes about has 4 lines and they have a nice rhythm and rhyme, making them easy to remember for little children. And speaking of discussion, the Parent connection section helps the parents take the reading a bit further, opening the possibility to discover more things the childre might be interested after reading this book. This Parent connection series is one of my favourite things about the B&H children's books.
There is one more book in the series and I look forward to reading that too.This is a highly recommended product.

I received this book from B&H Publishing Group in exchange for my honest opinion and review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

First Day of Autumn + Book Review

It all happens in its time. No better time to receive a beautiful autumn book than on the year's first autumn day! Due to the delay I mentioned yesterday, I didn't receive this book earlier, but now is the best time for it.

The Fantastic Gifts of Fall is the first in the Seasons series. The author, Dandi Daley Mackall, did a great job, and so did the illustrator, Katherine Blackmore. The whole series is intended for children age 4 to 8, and for this reason the text is rhymed and written in rhythm that makes the whole book sound like a poem. This is exactly what crossed my mind as I was reading it. As a child I knew some children's poems for autumn, but this one is written from a Christian perspective. I honestly never thought there are so many Bible verses that actually "fit" the fall season. For each activity illustrated and mentioned in the book there is a verse that goes with it. Such a great reminded that indeed, fall is a blessing too. 

As does the Winter book, the Fall book focuses on some specific activities and elements for this season. The crispy air, playing in the leaves, the "V" of the geese, picking pumpkins, apples, pears, and other autumn specific fruit, enjoying the crisp air, going on a hayride and horseback riding, and the season's culmination - Thanksgiving. Actually, the whole book (and this goes for every book in the series) is like a list of everyday simple things that are blessings and reasons for children to say "Thank You, God, for autumn." This book also ends with the promise of another season, winter. 

What I mentioned regarding the Wonderful Gifts of Winter illustrations goes for this one, too. They are so beautiful! For this book specifically, they are so rich in color, they so easily capture the beauty of this season. The illustrator did a fantastic job It actually felt comfortable turning the page as they once again created a homey feeling as I remembered my childhood. 

Again, this one ends with a Parent Connection section which provides a Bible reference, some questions for discussion and an autumn craft focusing on thanks giving. 

B&H Publishing Group, the children's section, provided this book for review. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

Winter Book Review

In a twist of events that is beyond my control, I received a winter book to review. It was an unexpected surprise, but one I enjoyed. I'm hoping to get the first book in the series soon too, the fall book.

But until then, I want to say something about this book, The Wonderful Gifts of Winter by Dandi Daley Mackall.

It's such a sweet one. It has beautiful illustrations, the text is rhymed so it's perfect for kids 4-8. This is actually the target audience of the book. This is the second book in the series, Seasons Series, and its release date is October 1st. 

The book deals with what is specific to winter: snow and playing in it, snowballs fights, sleighing, skating, snow angel making, decorating for Christmas and celebrating Christmas, the opportunities kids too have to help those around them, snuggling inside in the warmth of the fire, celebrating New Year's Day. It basically focuses on important elements of winter - blessings, as they are referred to-  and presents them to kids as something to be grateful for. It's something I really like - showing normal winter activities as blessings from above. Love it! The Bible verses carefully picked and illustrative for the activities focused on are such a nice touch. I loved that too!

What I was kind of expecting, though, (and happened) was that after New Year's Day winter is pretty much done with and we are left waiting for Spring. This is how the book ends, with the promise of spring time. I was hoping there was more that this. Waiting for Spring from early January, right after New Year's Day, seems like a really long time, even for an adult. 

As far as the illustrations go, they are so cute. Katherine Blackmore did such a great job! I was immeditely drawn to them. They resemble children's books illustrations I grew up with. The children's faces repeat on each page, plus or minus some new ones. Maybe it's something obvious and what should have done, but I found this cute and so smart, to not make new faces for every activity. The illustrations look as if they are painted, and there is so close attention to details. It's easily "read" even if the kids can't read the text themselves.

Also, there is a Parent Connection at the end of the book, which is a great opportunity given to parents to talk more with their children about what they've just read. A fragment from Genesis, some discussion questions, and a craft activity can be found in this Parent Connection part of the book. I found it so clever that young readers and not left with just that, a story, but they are led further. And from what I know about working with kids, the discussion will spread well over the questions suggested here. 

A sweet read, indeed. This would make a lovely stocking gift, I am sure.

If the words "cute" "pretty" "lovely" "sweet" appear in this review is because there are no better words to describe it.

B&H Publishing, the Kids section, graciously made available this copy for review. The thoughts expressed here are entirely my own.

Audrey Bunny by Angie Smith - Book Review

I am a big fan of Angie Smith. I read all her "grown-ups" books and I loved them. I could actually see her writing develop and mature over the years. One of my favourite persons I got to "know" online.

But Audrey Bunny is not a book (designed) for adults. It's Angie's first children's book and it was my honour to read it. It all starts from the story of Angie's girl, Audrey Caroline (names used in the book) who was diagnosed early on and was said she will not live outside the womb. She did live, however, for about two hours. Her birthday is April 7th (date used in the book). This is the background.

For those familiar with the story and the early days of Angie's blog (Bring the Rain), then the bunny is familiar too. It was Angie's way of explaining her three daughters what was happening to Audrey - it was a boo-boo. The bunny really existed and so was the mark on its heart. Using this, the author turned this personal experience into a reminder for all: we are loved by God, no matter how not-so-perfect we think we are.It stresses (indirectly) on how each of us is unique and wonderfully made by God.

It was designed for children, yes, but after I read it today, with the mind of an adult, I can say that it's a sweet reminder of God's love, God's acceptance, God's creativity, all revolving our lives. I dare say that adults need this kind of books every once in a while.

A mention must be made here about the illustrations; they are lovely, they are gorgeous, they capture the spirit of the book so well. Breezy Brookshire is the illustrator of the book and she did a fantastic job.

One thing that I really about this book is the Discussion Guide at the end. Children are also encouraged to be active and write a letter to themselves from God, writing how they think God thinks about them and sees them, based on Psalm 119:73 and Genesis 1. There are also a few questions parents can go through with they children. It's a great discussion starting point of topics like these.

          Book narrated by the author

*I'm sorry if it's too offensive of me calling the author by her first name, but I really do feel like I know her. I consider myself blessed to have known her blog from the early days and to get to know her and her family through her blog posts and her books.
**I was given this book by B&H Publishing Group for review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.