School Library Journal» Chronicle

Pick of the Day: Inside Outside

SLJ — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:00:44 +0000

BOYD, Lizi. Inside Outside. illus. by author. 40p. Chronicle. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-0644-1. LC 2012015430.
PreS-Gr 2–This wordless book follows a boy through the seasons as he plays with his pets and finds fun things to do both inside and outside. Each page features several die cuts; the inside pages offer glimpses from the windows of the outdoor world, the outside pages offer peeks in. Frequently the glimpses inside turn out to be pictures the boy has drawn of the day’s adventures. The gouache illustrations are chock-full of homey details that children will enjoy poring over. The cat is snoozing in a mixing bowl, the dog is sipping from a watering can, small birds are cavorting in rain puddles. Each of the inside pages offers the opportunity to search for two little white mice sharing in the activities. Perused independently or shared one-on-one, this lovely concept book succeeds on multiple levels.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

Pick of the Day: Steam Train, Dream Train

SLJ — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:00:13 +0000

RINKER, Sherri Duskey. Steam Train, Dream Train. illus. by Tom Lichtenheld. 40p. Chronicle. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-0920-6. LC 2012030942.
PreS-K–From out of the midnight darkness comes a mighty train heading to Night Falls station. With clouds of steam hissing from the smokestack and brakes squealing, it comes to a stop and the animal crew jumps out, ready to load up the cars with freight. A rambunctious bunch of monkeys fills the boxcar with toys while kangaroos toss balls into the open-topped hopper car. Purple elephants use their trunks to fill the tanker cars with different colored paints as a polar bear and penguin put giant ice-cream sundaes in the reefer car. After such a hard night’s work, the crew beds down on the flatbed car, ready for the steam engine to fire up and take them to dreamland. The strength of this book is in the striking spreads in wax oil pastel. A vast night sky is filled with sparkly stars and large billowing clouds that frame the oncoming train traveling through a realistically silhouetted landscape, while the animal crew looks strangely toylike, as though made of plush and plastic. It is not until the final spread that this incongruous bunch, and this whole dream, is explained by a nighttime look at a young train lover’s bedroom. The beginning and end of the book are filled with expressive and enjoyable railroad sounds, yet the rhyming text loses a bit of steam in the middle, describing but not always enhancing the activity depicted in the illustrations. Still, this is a book that will, like its predecessor, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (Chronicle, 2011), be embraced as a nighttime standard, particularly among train lovers everywhere.–Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

Picture Book About Islam Ignites Twitter Battle

Shelley Diaz — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:19:58 +0000

Children’s book author and former teacher Kate Messner has always had a passion for sharing books with kids, so when she recommended Hena Khan’s beautiful Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns(Chronicle, 2013) to her Twitter followers for its portrayal of Islam, she did not expect the backlash she received. A few days after her original recommendation, a user who does not follow her on Twitter initiated an intense multiday exchange with her about what he or she believes to be “the real Islam.” The person went on to cite aspects of the Islam religion as “very dangerous,” and stated that Messner seemed to be promoting books that “like telling children only good things about Islam and ignoring all bad parts.” The user has since changed the account’s Twitter handle.

Despite her usual policy of abstaining from heated political interactions on social media, Messner continued the conversation, refusing to be intimidated.

“I’m a writer. Recommending books is probably what I do most in my social media life. Those who follow me are accustomed to that,” Messner tells School Library Journal . “This book connects with what’s going on in the news today. I didn’t think anything of it.”

She explains, “I was at first perplexed about how someone from outside of my Twitter feed, who does not even follow me, could have found my tweet. And when I looked at the person’s feed and profile, I realized that he or she had to be someone that has set up a search for Islam, and made it their mission to seek out anyone that had something positive to say about the religion.”

The Twitter battle of words was witnessed by many of the author’s supporters and friends, including educators and librarians. A few of them added the title to their future purchase lists, or brought awareness of the book to their own audiences.

Educator and writer Michelle Cusolito, who teaches at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, was spurred on to suggest Golden Domes to her local bookstore, Eight Cousins in Falmouth, MA, and to create a Pinterest page for World Religion resources, with Khan’s title its first entry. “What most upset me about the situation was that all Kate wanted to do was promote openness and diversity, and this person was trying to stop that and intimidate her,” Cusolito tells SLJ. “My immediate response is, ‘I have to buy it.’ The second it hit my table, both my kids read it.”

Lauren Strohecker, a school media specialist at McKinley Elementary outside of Philadelphia, PA, tells SLJ that she sympathizes with Messner’s situation, and was disappointed that what Messner meant to be an act of sharing incurred such blowback. “It’s really hard to find books on religion appropriate for younger age groups in a K-6 school library,” Strohecker says. “But it’s important to have these titles available. Kids should have the opportunity to expand their worldview at any age.”

Strohecker has already added Golden Domes to her purchase list for the next school year because of its broad appeal, and plans on using it in a unit about colors. “It’s a book that I can integrate on subjects other than religion,” she explains.

The discussion took place over the course of a few days, with both sides coming to a standstill. Messner says she was shocked at the other party’s continuous harassment and religion bashing, but ultimately chose not to block the person, “Because that conversation—the fact that it happened—opened a lot of people’s eyes to the need for more conversations. Sharing books is powerful, and I think responding to hate with poetry and education is just about the best we can do in this world.”

Strohecker agrees. “We have the choices every day. How do we respond to hate? More hate? Or hope and stories and education? That’s a better route. And if we have that conversation with kids now, we’ll be less likely to see reactions like this one in the future.”

For a list of resources that can be used by parents, classroom teachers, and librarians, see also: Islam in the Classroom

Pick of the Day: Round Is a Tortilla

SLJ — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:00:06 +0000

THONG, Roseanne Greenfield. Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes. illus. by John Parra. 40p. glossary. Chronicle. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-0616-8.
PreS-Gr 2–This picture book in rhyme focuses on everyday things–a square for a park, a round pot of stew, a rectangle for the scoreboard at the baseball game. All of the shapes and activities reflect Hispanic culture–stars are for parties and the celebration depicted is a fiesta. Round is a sombrero; squares are ventanas, or windows; and triangles are for chips and guacamole. Some of the shapes appear on two spreads, some have one, but all end with the refrain: “how many more… can you find?” The realistic illustrations feature lots of people of various ages. The paintings are colorful and lend a sense of movement and joy to the activities. The Spanish words are integral to the story but will be clear from context to non-Spanish speakers. This is a lovely book for teaching and sharing shapes within a culture or for just the concepts themselves. It is also a terrific title about family, fun, and sharing.–Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

Pick of the Day: On a Beam of Light

SLJ — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:00:07 +0000

BERNE, Jennifer. On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. illus. by Vladimir Radunsky. 56p. bibliog. Chronicle. May 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-8118-7235-5. LC 2011004026.
Gr 2-6–The name Einstein is synonymous with genius, but what does that mean to a child? Einstein himself would only admit to being “very, very curious.” Berne’s picture book offers readers few biographical details, focusing instead on the physicist’s intellect through the concepts that puzzled and excited him. He was late to start speaking and not particularly verbal–until he received a compass. As the author explains, “Suddenly he knew there were mysteries in the world–hidden and silent, unknown and unseen.” And suddenly, too, he was bursting with questions–questions about magnetism, light, sound, gravity, and later, atoms, motion, and time. This was a person who spent his life “imagining, wondering, figuring and thinking.” Radunsky’s delightful pen-and-ink illustrations on cornmeal-yellow pages flecked with fibers and earth-tone highlights depict events from the man’s life, his thoughts, and a few of his quirks. Einstein’s old-world European childhood is reflected in the formal dress of the adults that loom over him. In an image that expresses his love of numbers, computations swirl around him. Selected lines in a large, red font add emphasis, and comments in the few dialogue bubbles are handwritten in a scratchy, black line. An endnote adds information on the physicist’s thought experiments, his sense of humor, E=mc², and the atomic bomb. When considering an author’s approach, Lynne Barasch’s picture book Ask Albert Einstein (Farrar, 2005) and Mareé Ferguson Delano’s photobiography, Genius (National Geographic, 2005) are noteworthy comparisons to this richly imagined, beautifully designed, impressionistic biography.–Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal

Pick of the Day: Open This Little Book

SLJ — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:00:23 +0000

KLAUSMEIER , Jesse. Open This Little Book. illus. by Suzy Lee. 40p. Chronicle. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8118-6783-2. LC 2012002129.
PreS-Gr 2– In this series of opening story lines, the rolling text gently instructs readers. “Open this… Little Red Book and read about Ladybug, who opens a… Little Green Book and reads about Frog, who opens a… Little Orange Book and reads about Rabbit, who opens a….” The plot quickly turns when a giant lacks the agility to open her tiny rainbow book featuring each of the previous characters, so the story’s companions read the giant’s tale instead. With the final turn of the page, the group decides to read another story in a cozy final spread. The format reflects changes in size and scope; pages become smaller and smaller until the giant’s story and then the illustrations grow accordingly. The book requires careful manipulation as the story expands and shrinks to reflect the characters’ experiences. Individual book covers provide a visual clue to the delightful details within as each book becomes physically smaller and smaller on the page; the little red cover features prominent polka dots for the ladybug, and the yellow book highlights honeycombs on its cover. Nimble lines highlight quiet participation as the characters star in their own stories. Pencil and watercolor spreads allow the colors to extend beyond the featured designs. Digitally manipulated scenes reflect the interactive qualities within this gentle narrative. This charming format creates a thoughtful package of interwoven beginnings and connected endings.–Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

Pick of the Day: Nobody’s Secret

SLJ — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:00:05 +0000

MACCOLL, Michaela. Nobody’s Secret. 248p. further reading. Chronicle. Apr. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4521-0860-5. LC 2012030364.
Gr 7-10–When 15-year-old Emily Dickinson meets and flirts with a handsome stranger, she feels the first flicker of romance. Then the young man is found dead in her family’s pond, and the budding poet is sure that he was a victim of foul play. Determined to see that justice is done, she and her younger sister, Vinnie, investigate and discover that he is James Wentworth, heir to a fortune from which his aunt and uncle have defrauded him. Suspecting murder, Emily sets out to solve the case, almost becoming a victim herself. Life in 1845 small-town Massachusetts is painstakingly portrayed throughout this suspenseful tale. Emily is extremely well drawn, revealing her enthusiasm for and intense curiosity about the smallest of life’s details, while minor characters have just enough depth to provoke interest. The fast-moving plot makes this a well-crafted page-turner. The dialogue rings true, both to the historical time and to the chronological ages and social status of the characters. The full text of “I’m Nobody,” as well as quotes from other poems, not only focus readers’ thoughts but also provide an easy introduction to the recluse’s poetry. The author’s note explains which of the novel’s details are based on fact. MacColl once again brings a strong female protagonist to life, revealing pertinent and interesting information about a literary figure.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI