Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

The Nonfiction Detectives and I are hosting a Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge.  In looking back on my October Nonfiction Picture Book releases, I have missed a few titles.  Here is an update in the style of my "It's Monday! What are you reading post!"

Here are two that I overlooked but read and loved:

Harlem's Little Blackbird by Renée Watson; Illustrated by Christian Robinson - Really enjoyed this biographical story of Florence Mills.  Will add this to my Harlem Renaissance picture books.

Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey by Gary Golio; Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez - Amazing illustrations and Golio does a great job telling John Coltrane's story.  Enjoyed this one like I enjoyed his Jimi Hendrix picture book.

And here are two that were on my list that I enjoyed:

Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris; Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch - great way of telling Webster's story and includes definitions throughout the story. 

Becoming a Ballerina: A Nutcracker Story by Lise Friedman; Photography Mary Dowdle- Definitely a book for 4th grade and up - perfect for those girls who dream of becoming a ballerina. 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - Island: A Story of the Galápagos

Author/Illustrator: Jason Chin
Publisher: Roaring Book Press/Macmillan (September 18, 2012)
Source: Personal Copy
Audience: Grades 2nd to 5th
Habitats * Evolution * Ecology * Nonfiction

Description from Publisher's Website:
Charles Darwin first visited the Galápagos Islands almost 200 years ago, only to discover a land filled with plants and animals that could not be found anywhere else on earth. How did they come to inhabit the island? How long will they remain?

Thoroughly researched and filled with intricate and beautiful paintings, this extraordinary book by Award-winning author and artist Jason Chin is an epic saga of the life of an island—born of fire, rising to greatness, its decline, and finally the emergence of life on new islands.

My thoughts on this book:  

In my "It's Monday!" post, I mentioned to stop by and check out this post to see what book was a "WOW" for me.  Here it is: Island: A Story of the Galápagos by Jason Chin.   This  is Chin's third book that he has written and illustrated.  His first book Redwoods shared the story of the California Redwood Forest.  Next came Coral Reefs, and now Island.  With each book, Chin puts his own twist into the story.  With Island, Chin starts with the Birth - Six Million Years Ago.     

With the "eruption of a volcano, an island is born".  - I love the colors and texture in this illustration.

Through a number of eruptions, and then the arrival of a seed, and the arrival of living creatures the evolution of this island moves forward. 

I love how Chin moves from full page illustrations to smaller size ones and to even mid-size or half-page pictures.  Each picture works to tell the story of this island over millions of years.

The combination of text and illustrations made this book just come alive for me.  I just wanted to share it with others as I read it.  Actually, I did share it with my bookseller friends while I was reading it in the store.  I told them that this was one book that was coming home with me.

Part of what amazed me with this story was how the shrinking or growth of the island influenced the presence of wildlife or the changes in types of living creatures. Until eventually, there is no island. 

Currently, there are 15 islands which will again grow and evolve over time. 

If you pick up Island (and I hope you do), I encourage you to find his other titles as well.  Look for all of Chin's books at your local library or pick up a copy for your favorite classroom or school library.  Don't forget to shop Indie if you are able.  

For more information about Jason Chin:  website | facebook | twitter

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Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - A Strange Place to Call Home

Author:  Marilyn Singer
Illustrator:  Ed Young
Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 22, 2012)
Source: Copy for Review
Audience:  Grades 1st to 5th
Poetry * Animal Habitats * Nonfiction

Description from GoodReads:
Under the desert's cracked and barren skin, spadefoot toads are waiting for rain. In the endless black of the deepest caves, blind fish find their way. Even in the frozen hearts of glaciers, ice worms by the billion flourish. In this fascinating look at fourteen animals who defy the odds by thriving in Earth's most dangerous places, renowned poet Marilyn Singer and celebrated artist Ed Young show that of all the miracles of life, it is life's persistence that astounds the most.

My thoughts on this book:
Take one talented poet, such as Marilyn Singer, and pair her with an awesome illustrator like Ed Young and the results are bound to be pretty spectacular.  Each two page spread in this book features a poem about 1 of 14 animals that make their home in unusual or challenging environments.  At the conclusion of this book, the end notes contain additional facts about each of the animals and their habitats, and provide a jumping off place for further discussion.

In addition to Marilyn Singer's fabulous poetry, Ed Young's torn and cut paper artwork gives the book a feeling of texture or of coming to life.  I have a feeling that if I had a chance to listen to Young speak about his process for creating the illustrations for this book that I would appreciate it at a whole new level.    

One of the things I have come to appreciate about many nonfiction picture books is the incredible end notes to extend the readers knowledge of the subject at hand.  And though, I sometimes wonder if children read the end notes, I do know that as a teacher, I have always appreciated them. 

I love that there are so many wonderful poetry books that tie in beautifully to classroom curriculum and also have an incredible way of exposing children to nonfiction in a very accessible manner.  After reading A Strange Place to Call Home, I began thinking about how to tie this into various units at different grade levels.  This is one book that will be easy to recommend to teachers and would make an nice addition to a classroom or school library.

Look for this book at your local school or public library, or consider purchasing it at your local independent bookstore.  

Check out this widget from Chronicle that allows you to get a glimpse of the inside of this book:

A Strange Place to Call Home

Don't forget...

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Nonfiction Picture Book Releases - September 2012

The Nonfiction Detectives and I are hosting a Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge.  My goal has been to kick off the month with the new nonfiction picture book release titles.  Here are the September titles that I have found so far, but I know there are more.  Please share with me titles that you have found.


September 4, 2012

Monsieur Marceau by Leada Schubert; Illustrated by Gerard DuBois

September 11, 2012

Annie and Helen by Deborah Hopkinson; Illustrated by Raúl Colón

September 18, 2012

Island: A Story of the Galápagos by Jason Chin

September 26, 2012

Unusual Creatures: A Mostly Accurate Account of Some of Earth's Strangest Animals by Michael Hearst; Illustrated by Jelmer Noordeman

The links for the above books will take you directly to the IndieBound.org book page for purchasing information, unless otherwise noted.  Please note, I do not make anything off these links or profit in anyway from posting the links.   I know that I am still searching for September releases and will likely do an update later in the month. If you know of a book that should be included in this list, please include the title and author in the comments section and I will update the list. 

Feel free to link your nonfiction picture book reviews to the Mr. Linky below.   

Nonfiction Picture Book Wedesday - A Rock is Lively

Author: Dianna Hutts Aston
Illustrator: Sylvia Long
Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 29, 2012)
Source: Copy for Review
Independent Reading Level: Grades 3 to 5
Read Aloud Level: Grades 1 to 3
Nonfiction * Science * Rocks/Minerals

Description from GoodReads:
From the award-winning creators of An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, and A Butterfly Is Patient comes a gorgeous and informative introduction to the fascinating world of rocks. From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this book introduces an array of facts, making it equally perfect for classroom sharing and family reading.

My thoughts on this book:
As soon as I saw the cover for A Rock is Lively, I knew I had to read this book.  Aside for the fact that it is just as beautifully illustrated and formatted as the other books in this series, I knew the text would be engaging and informative.  Sure enough, it lived up to my expectations.

Right from the first page, the illustrations nearly pop off the page, and Aston has drawn readers in with her comparison of rock composition to the batter or ingredients for cookies.

One by one, Aston takes readers through various aspects and features of rocks from the age of rocks to their size.

The above picture captures how sand is composed of tiny grains of rocks.

Aston also explores how rocks can be useful, or creative, or energetic.  The book if filled with special facts and information that are made easily accessible for young readers.

A Rock is Lively is a beautiful addition to the series created by Aston and Long.  Each of their books should have a place in a classroom or school library.

Don't forget to look for A Rock is Lively at your school or public library or pick up a copy at your local independent bookstore.

Thanks to Chronicle Books, I have a copy of A Rock is Lively for giveaway.  The giveaway will from from August 29th to September 4th.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction book reviews here: