and tango makes three: by Justin Richardson and Peter Parneff

 

 

and tango makes three: by Justin Richardson and Peter Parneff

What's it About?

And Tango Makes Three tells the story of Roy and Silo, two male penguins that live at the Central Park Zoo, who like the other penguins around them find a connection together. When the zookeeper notices them trying to hatch rock he gives them an egg that needs to be cared for. Roy and Silo complete their family when Tango hatches. 

Interested in more information on this title?

Goodreads: And Tango Makes Three

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And Tango Make Three brings the true story of a penguin family at the Central Park Zoo.  Richardson and Parneff tell the story of these two male penguins that find each other and nest just like all the other penguins. The story of love and family helps to show that no matter what our families look like they are very much similar to all those around them. 

This story comes together with beautiful pictures that help show the penguins living just the same as everyone else around them.  And Tango Makes Three brings a delightful story that shows how even families that look different love each other and do so many things the same as all the other families around them.

Richardson and Parneff ultimately brings a wonderful story of family, love, and the bonds between parents and children. They simply provide a sweet story about finding each other, loving each other, and taking care of each other in a family. A story of love and acceptance that the world needs right now.

For information on this title check out this site

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When Stars Scattered: Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

 

When Stars Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

What's it About?

Omar and Hassan are growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya. Growing up in the camp they are faced with lack of food and mundane days. Faced with leaving his special needs brother Hassan alone while he attends school, Omar struggles to make the right decision. The decision could provide for better opportunities for them both but requires Omar to leave his only family alone so he can do it he's scared and unsure. Following their day-to-day experience of survival as they grow, Omar does everything in his power to survive and keep his family together no matter the cost. 

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When Stars are Scattered

Reaction:

When Stars are Scattered brings the life of Omar and Hassan, refugees in Kenya to life. The story of two brothers surviving the day-to-day life of living in a tent village with minimal food, healthcare, and security provides a mix of hope and heartbreak. Moving through this graphic novel one cannot help for begin to understand and feel for these boys as days roll into years and they grow from young boys to teenagers. 

Omar's resilience and perseverance are clearly understood and the graphics that go along with this story provide a great introduction to the world of refugee camps for young readers. While some of the images could be seen as light considering the topic it seems to lend to the innocence of their experience as children in the camp. There is an abundance of information that can be used as talking points throughout the novel that could lead to great conversation about the feelings, family life, and overall idea and experience that refugees are faced with. 

Jameison with Mohamad provides and important and eye-opening telling of the experience Omar Mohamad had surviving in a refugee camp as a boy with his brother, alone without any other family.  It provides a great window to a world that most readers, young and old, would have a hard time understanding. When Stars Are Scattered delicately balances this very serious topic with a story that captures the reader and takes them on a journey with Omar and his brother. 

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For more about this graphic novel and about Victoria Jameison click here

You may also want to check out these resources provided on Jameison's site.

A Long Way Down: by Jason Reynolds

 

A Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

New York Times Bestseller

Newbery Honor Book 

Coretta Scott King Award (Honor)

What's it About?

Will's brother has been killed. He now must do the only thing he knows should be done. Revenge. On his mission for this revenge, he takes a long trip down on an elevator where he's faced with his past and "the story" he thought he knew. Will he follow the rules? Will he continue the cycle? 

Interested in more information on this title?

Long Way Down

Reaction:

Getting started with this title took a minute. Long Way Down wasn't something I thought I initially could relate to enough to fully understand but Jason Reynolds does an excellent job of pulling readers into the emotion and tragedy of Will's story, a story of too many. From beginning to end Reynolds use of verse grabs the reader and sucks them into Will's elevator ride and tormented emotional journey.

Long Way Down takes readers (or listeners) on an incredible journey and dives into a world where the circle of violence is a way of life. I imagine it can be understood on many different levels depending on the reader (or listener). The palpable agony of what Will is facing and how he feels he must deal with the death of his brother is driven by the language and prose that Reynolds brings to the telling of this story. Surely this could be written narratively but it would not have the same effect on connecting readers to the confusion, haste, reaction, and feelings of the characters.

My hesitation in starting Long Way Down was quickly deterred when I couldn't stop flipping to the next page and seemed to move through this story faster than I could pick up everything it was trying to give me. In fact, I went back through it two more times, the last time with an audio version read by Reynolds, which is highly recommended. There is so much to unravel in this one and it did not disappoint. In fact, left me thinking for days after. 

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For more about Jason Reynolds click here.

Full of Beans: by Jennifer L. Holm

Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

(author of Newbury Award Winner Turtle in Paradise)

What's it About?

Beans Curry is forced to become the man of the house when his father leaves Key West to look for work in New Jersey. As Beans and his gang of friends navigate the struggles of the Great Depression they learn to do what has to be done to survive and keep their homes, even when those things make them question everything. When survival becomes keeping Key West their home can they come together and make it work?

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Full of Beans

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Jennifer  L. Holm dives into the lives of children living in Key West during The Great Depression and brings characters alive in her story of survival, and change, without diminishing the historical content included. This story of a young boy navigating the world around him as his father leaves to find work captures the reader's attention with vivid descriptions and details that most young readers can relate to. 

Full of Beans provides a great introduction to the struggle of people during The Great Depression and the sense of community that banded people together as they did what they could to get by day by day. Great for fans of historical fiction or to pique their interest in the genre, it provides an easy-to-read story and authentic historical accounts but avoids the feel of reading about history that could be dry for some young readers.

As a classroom read or just a casual book read for enjoyment Jennifer Holm captures the audience and provides an interesting story. Her account of Beans Curry, his family, and his community gives a great interpretation of life in Key West during The Great Depression. The Author's Note included in the book connects the reader to the New Deal and the factual connections of the time to events in the book allowing even young readers to begin to understand. 

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For more books by Jennifer L. Holm click here.

You may also want to check out Turtle in Paradise about Beans Curry's cousin Turtle and her story in Key West.

The Wild Robot: by Peter Brown

 

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

What's it About?

When a cargo ship carrying robots crashes into an island and leaves all of its robot cargo except for one destroyed, the lone survivor must figure out how to survive? Roz comes alive on an island full of wild animals and with a great amount of knowledge and understanding creates a connection to the world around her. The unlikely relationship between nature and technology develops into a story of friendship and love but is that enough to survive on a deserted island?

Interested in more information on this title?

The Wild Robot

Reaction:

Peter Brown does an incredible job with The Wild Robot. I had an admitted reluctance to start this book as I generally do not settle into fantasy fiction all that easily. This one surpassed my expectation on so many levels and is highly recommended as an introduction to fantasy fiction for young readers. 

Brown brings the characters in The Wild Robot alive magically and easily captures the audience with their human qualities. The story becomes tangible as Roz's story of survival transitions to a story of community and connection and love and back to the story of survival. The ideas of acceptance and understanding the importance of compassion for our neighbor does not go unnoticed in this book by Peter Brown.

The Wild Robot captured my imagination and kept me coming back for more. I couldn't wait to get back to it and see what was going to happen next. Each chapter brought me deeper and deeper into the life that Roz created and sustained on the deserted island that became her home.  

This fantasy fiction has the potential to reach readers of various age ranges, keeping everyone entertained and invested. As part of a series, this first book is sure to keep readers looking for the next book and wanting to continue their journey with Roz and her "family". 

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For more information on Peter Brown click here

For more books by Peter Brown including others from the series click here

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

 

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

What's it About?

A family immigrates to America from India and navigates the culture and lifestyle while clinging to preserving their own culture as they all handle acceptance, change, and growing up in a new place in their own way. Ranee, Sonia, Tara, Shanti, and Anna narrate the generational changes and similarities within the family and Indian culture as they become American and accept the changes that come with clinging to one country and culture and gaining another new and different one at the same time. 

Interested in more information on this title?

You Bring the Distant Near

Reaction:

You Bring the Distant Near is a touching story that follows a family as they transition to a new life in a new land. Capturing the dynamic personalities and generational differences of each character transitioning to America, Perkins immerses the reader in traveling alongside this family on their journey. It's hard not to connect emotionally to how this family navigates their transition.

Mitali Perkins seamlessly includes cultural details in her writing that help understand the viewpoint and movement of each character throughout the book. Following the story Ranee, and her daughters Sonia and Tara as they grow and accept new norms it is clear that the bonds of family tie them together and are passed on through generations. 

This was a lovely read that kept me wanting to see what they were all going to do next. Mitali Perkins, truly connects the reader to the struggle, achievement, and transitions this family experiences as they navigate life and the world over the years.  They struggle, love, learn, and accept each other and the reader absolutely follows this journey with attachment and longing to see how it all works out.

Following their journey was an enjoyable experience. By the end of this story, I felt connected and a part of their story. It left me wanting to go back for more and to revisit them to see where they were and what they were doing today.

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For more information on Mitali Perkins click here

The audible version of this title is highly recommended.

The Great White Shark Scientist by Sy Montgomery

 

The Great White Shark Scientist by Sy Montgomery

Photos by Keith Ellenbogen

What's it About?

Following Greg Smokel, a Great White Biologist, Sy Montgomery journals his six-month adventure tracking Great Whites in Massachusetts and Mexico. The chronicle of the work Smokel and his team take working, tracking, following, and studying Great Whites, their patterns, and travels. Based mostly on the work of a marine biologist studying Great Whites and what he does over the sixth-month period the narrative explores the community, people, tools, and research that is done to understand the world of sharks.

Interested in more information on this title?

The Great White Shark Scientist

Reaction:

The Great White Shark Scientist from the Scientist in the Field series presents an interesting perspective on the study of the Great White Sharks. Following the work of Greg Smokel, a biologist, Sy Montgomery does a great job at narratively presenting their six-month quest to follow Great Whites in Massachusetts and Mexico. Recognizing that this is a chronicle of the journey of studying the sharks and scientists and his team studying them is an important detail to avoid disappointment in not reading about sharks. This is less about Great Whites and dives into the day-to-day work of how a group of scientists follows sharks to collect information and understand how they live and survive.

 

Montgomery's narrative captures readers and keeps them interested in following the "story" of what Greg Smokel is doing while providing a great deal of information on how, why, where, and when of the sharks they are studying. Readers are given an interesting perspective on the work being done providing information in an engaging way that could appeal to middle-aged readers and possibly even younger children as a read-aloud. I’d venture to even think most adults would find interest.

 

The Great White Shark Scientist doesn't skimp on the factual content but also doesn't read like a text full of facts that can become static and boring. Pausing within the narrative to give important information about sharks, specifics of tagging them, and being "shark smart", Montgomery provides a great balance of presenting an informational narrative and factual text.  The narratives come alive with photographs that provide visuals of Greg, the tools he uses, and the places the scientists are visiting. Even someone with minimal understanding of Great Whites can enjoy the "story" and learn something from this presentation by Montgomery, that almost lets the reader forget they are reading an informational text.

 

Sy Montgomery’s addition to the Scientist in the Field Series is a great way to introduce readers to the work of a marine biologist studying sharks. She provides additional resources about the groups and information discussed in her narrative giving readers a place to look further into things that interested them while reading, and maps of the pins where sharks were tracked. The Great White Shark Scientist is an informational text that can also be used as a source for research or a great interest read for pleasure.

For more information, Sy Montgomery click here

Interested in more from the Scientist in the Field Series click here

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La Princesa and The Pea by Susan Middleton Elya

 

(image taken from Goodreads)

La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya

Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

Pura Belpré Award for Illustrator (2018)

What's it About?

A lonely prince in need of affection searches for a wife. There are many prospects but one stands out. Capturing his eye as she passed through his village and invited herself to stay, the Prince falls fast. His mother does her best to find a true princess for her son, even if it means being sneaky. Will his Madre ruin his chances of true love with a tiny el guisante? Determined to marry the maiden he chose, le principe's clever ideas might just work to keep his one true love regardless of how authentic a princess she may be. 

Interested in more information on this title?

La Principesa and the Pea

Reaction:

La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya is an adorable bilingual telling of the classic The Princess and the Pea. Following closely to the traditional storyline this version is well matched with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal that help bring this version to life. 

Throughout the telling key words are highlighted in Spanish adding some flair and interest to the way this classic is retold. Many of the words in Spanish can be interpreted by English-speaking readers through the illustrations or context making their use seamless throughout the story. The rhyming text adds even more charm to this version of The Princess and Pea keeping the authenticity of the story but adding a little bit of something that might be missing from the original. 

La Princesa and the Pea gives an authentic version of the classic that doesn't dilute interest because the reader may already know the story. The characters in this version are alive with personality aided by the illustrations that seem to come alive on the page.

Truly an enjoyable and sweet retelling that is sure to appeal to readers of all ages. Depicted with colorful, and often humorous illustrations it does not disappoint as a classic of its own.

For more information on Susan Middleton Elya and other bilingual books she's written click here 

Juana Martinez-Neal also has some other diverse and cultural children's books here

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If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson: Seeds of Kindness

 

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson: Seeds of Kindness

What's it About?

If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson presents a story about planting seeds and how they grow with love and care. Planting the wrong seeds, however, can grow trouble. Coming together though we can grow the sweetest fruits.

Interested in more information on this title?

Goodreads: If You Plant a Seed

Reaction:

If You Plant a Seed is a thoughtful and sweet story that provides an important message to all readers. Kadir Nelson gives an inspiring lesson on the importance of the seeds we plant and how being mindful of what we plant produces the "sweetest fruit." 

Nelson's book developed into much more than I expected. Illustrated with engaging and appropriate pictures that help to complete the message If You Plant a Seed gives readers so much more than just a story about seeds in a garden. 

For a booklist and information on Kadir Nelson click here

Fly Guy & Fly Girl Night Fright by Tedd Arnold: Early Reader

 

Fly Guy and Fly Girl: Night Fright #20 by Ted Arnold

What's it About?

The Fly Guy series introduces Fly Girl. The series continues with this fun early reader, Fly Guy and Fly Girl Fright Night. Buzz and Liz bring their pets Fly Guy and Fly Guy to the zoo. On their adventure to find something to eat they come across something scary. As they BuZZZZ through this adventure and come across some fright at night they stick together at the zoo.

Interested in more information on this title?

Check out the Book Trailer

Reaction:

Fly Guy and Fly Girl: Fright Night is a great addition to the lighthearted series of early readers by Tedd Arnold. These simplistically written "chapter" books are sure to capture young readers excited. Presented with the perfect amount of humor, Arnold provides a perfect opportunity to read a chapter book on level to provide confidence with independent reading. The entertaining story and coordinating illustration are sure to engage reader and keep them coming back for more adventures.

For more books in the series check out Fly Guy Series

Watercress by Andrea Wang: "a love letter and an apology"

 

(image taken from Goodreads)

Watercress by Andrea Wang: "a love story and an apology"

Caldecott Award winner 2022

Asian /Pacific American Award for Literature for Picture Book 2022

What's it About?

From the backseat of her car, an important lesson about family history and culture arises. As the young Chinese American girl collects watercress from a ditch embarrassment arises and having to eat it for dinner makes it even worse. Learning her family's story from her mom gives way to wanting to be like everyone else and gives watercress a new meaning. 

Interested in more information on this title?

Goodreads: Watercress by Andrea Wang

Reaction:

Watercress is an emotional story of a little girl who learns an important lesson about her family and how who she is, is nothing to be embarrassed about. As children, many of us have time when the things our parents did embarrass us. The world our parents know is marked with experiences and memories we know nothing about and as we grow and learn to understand those things we become more and more connected to who we are. Andrea Wang presents this sentiment in a touching way, highlighting things lost when families come to a new world. 

Andrea Wang describes Watercress as a "love letter and an apology." This autobiographical story presents a touching moment with her family where she learns an emotional lesson about her mom. Her mom's revelation leads to a deeper understanding and compassion for her family and builds new connections to her history. She beautifully weaves the emotion of her experience into the story of picking watercress on the side of the road and eating it for dinner.

Jason Chin illustrates the story by mirroring the tone and mood of Wang's story. Underwhelmed at first by the appeal of the cover illustration that seemed unmatched by many of the “popular” book covers with flashy colors, fonts, and cartoon-like illustrations that tend to attract and draw in young readers, this book was originally left on the back burner. Finally picking this book up, honestly because of its status on award lists, I was touched by the theme of the story and its connection to a part of history that many people may not recognize. Watching the character connect to her family’s history and the sadness connected to that history it became clear how the illustrations in this book could lead to a Caldecott award. 

While it may, in my opinion, have trouble gaining recognition from a child audience (that doesn’t have a connection to the story) the illustrations surely mimic the tone and provide an appropriate illustration of the story, theme, and concept. It's definitely something to expose young readers to and sends a positive message about understanding and recognizing that our history is an important part of who we are and being proud of the struggles that make us who we are.

For more on Andrea Wang click here.

For what Jason Chin says about Watercress, click here.

Nana Akua Goes to School by Trisha Elam Walker & April Harrison | A Grandmother's Hug

(Cover Image taken from Good Reads)

Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker

Winner of Ezra Jack Keats Award, 2021

What's it About?

Watching how her favorite person in the whole world is treated because of traditional West African markings on her face leaves Zura hesitant to share her with her class. Grandparent's Day at Zura's school has her worried about how Nana will be treated.  Using beauty and confidence along with Zura's quilt Nana has an idea that just might work.

Interested in more information on this title?

GoodReads: Nana Akua Goes to School

Reaction:

Nana Akua Goes to School is a heartwarming story about the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren. Relatable to anyone lucky enough to have a grandparent with "hugs that wrap you up in a blanket" the story of Nana and Zura provides a great lesson about confidence and beauty.

Nana Akua's West African facial markings are misunderstood by many and Zura is determined to protect her favorite person in the entire world, even if it means not participating in Grandparent's Day. Traditions and love create the perfect solution. 

Tricia Elam Walker provides a cultural lesson in her story of love between a grandmother and a granddaughter. In Nana Akura Goes to School, Walker delivers a story about a little girl, Zura, and her grandmother, Nana, participating in a school event that most children can relate to wrapped in a lesson about West African culture that solicits acceptance and understanding.

The palpable connection Zura has for Nana evokes love and connection to Nana. There are moments where the reader can feel the love Zura has for her grandmother and the sadness for how her grandmother is treated. A grandmother's hug that is unmatched and the pride in her culture that has marked her grandmother forever emerges simply and with purpose. 

Ultimately it's a simple story that exposes readers to traditions of West African culture that are not understood by many. Introduced to cultural language and not shying away from the idea of sharing cultural traditions with people from different cultures,  this story promotes understanding and acceptance. Nana's clever use of traditions exemplifies confidence and beauty as her facial markings symbolize. 

It would be remiss to not mention the illustrations by April Hamilton. The imagery that solidifies the emotion felt by Zura throughout the story is remarkable. Hamilton somehow visually provides a feeling of warmth and love that mirrors the story written by Walker. 

For more on Tricia Elam Walker click here.