Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: What Are You Reading? - 4/24/19

I was wondering if I was going to get a blog post up this week. Two weeks ago part of my ceiling in the living room came down due to water damage. We made a decision to replace the whole ceiling and I spent the weekend packing things up and for the next two weeks, my cats and I are essentially living in my bedroom. While packing up things (including many many books), I read through a stack of picture books. Some I posted in my It’s Monday! What are you reading? post and today I feature some of the nonfiction titles.

Butterflies in Room 6: See How They Grow by Caroline Arnold (Charlesbridge, March 2019)

I was really curious about this book and hoping it would be good. I can see a lot of teachers using this as part of their units on butterflies. I also wish I had read this when we had an explosion of Painted Butterflies in our area about a month ago. It would have been the perfect book to share as students were fascinated by all the butterflies that surrounded us.

Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope by Mara Rockliff, Illustrated by Zosia Dzierzawska (Candlewick Press, March 2019)

I had heard of Esperanto as a language many years ago but I knew little of its creator. Rockliff gives readers an initial introduction to Leyzer Zamenhof and all of his work. Hopefully it will inspire students to learn more and to try learning some of it.

Weird Animals by Mary Kay Carson (Sterling Children’s Books, January 2019)

I really enjoyed how this book was laid out. The color coding of the text to guide young readers in organizing their thoughts about each of the creatures in the book makes this a fun mentor text for nonfiction writing. Plus all of the great facts will be enjoyable for children to partner share as they read this book.

So, what have you been reading?

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Borrowing Bunnies by Cynthia Lord

Borrowing Bunnies: A Surprising True Tale of Fostering Bunnies
by Cynthia Lord, Photographs by John Bald, Illustrations by Hazel Mitchell
Farrar, Strauss and Giroux (February 12, 2019)
Audience: Ages 3 to 7 years
Nonfiction * Animals * Rabbits * Foster & Rescue
Indiebound | Worldcat

Description from GoodReads:
This nonfiction photographic picture book is the story of two adorable foster bunnies who find the perfect home— by a Newbery Honor author.

From beloved novelist Cynthia Lord comes the heartwarming tale of the author's own journey in fostering two very special bunnies that is perfect for—but not limited to—Easter.

Peggotty and Benjamin, two Netherland Dwarf rabbits, were rescued by Cynthia's local animal sanctuary. But before they were ready to be adopted, Cynthia had to help them learn to trust people again and feel safe in a new home.

The bunnies' progress—captured by her husband's photography—engaged hundreds of viewers in real time on Cynthia's Facebook page. Now she has adapted the story into a picture book that explores love, responsibility, empathy, and letting go—with a few surprises along the way.

Illustrated with gorgeous photographs and cute spot art throughout. Includes back matter.

Quick thoughts on the book:
Several years ago, I connected with Cynthia Lord on Facebook. She often posts some inspiring and thoughtful posts about writing, school visits, teaching. Along with all these posts, she has also shared dozens of wonderful photos and stories about her sweet dog, her cute guinea pigs, and adorable rabbits. As she went on a journey of fostering rabbits, I and many others followed along with the highs and lows of caring for young rabbits.

Many of the photos in her Facebook posts were taken by Cynthia’s husband. So, it wasn’t surprising when she announced that she would be doing a picture book about her adventures. Well, the book is finally out and it is just as wonderful as I expected.

Readers who followed along with the original posts get to relive those special moments again as they follow along with the story of Pegotty and Benjamin and the surprise birth of 4 tiny bunnies. And a whole new group of readers will fall in love with these very special bunnies and celebrate when they find forever homes.

This will be a wonderful gift for a young reader in your life. Look for a copy at your local indie bookstore or public library.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews below…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: More New Releases

Last week, I did a recent release post with about 22 new titles. However, that one didn’t get me through April releases. I am adding another 14 titles this week. I am really thrilled to see so much nonfiction coming out for young readers. Enjoy!

Links to past round-ups: January | February | April Part 1

Hello, I’m Here! by Helen Frost, Photographs by Rick Lieder (Candlewick Press, March 20, 2019 )

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Versify, April 2, 2019 )

Hello Summer! by Shelley Rotner (Holiday House, April 9, 2019)

Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born by Miranda Paul, Illustrated by Jason Chin (Neal Porter Books, April 23, 2019))

Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse by Susannah Buhrman-Deever, Bert Kitchen (Candlewick Studio, April 9, 2019)

Ninita's Big World: The True Story of a Deaf Pygmy Marmoset by Sarah Glenn Marsh, Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Clarion, April 29, 2019)

Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising, A Revolution by Rob Sanders, Illustrated by Jamey Christoph

Comics: Easy as ABC!: The Essential Guide to Comics for Kids by Ivan Brunetti, Françoise Mouly (Toon Books, April 2, 2019)

Guitar Genius: How Les Paul Engineered the Solid-Body Electric Guitar and Rocked the World by Kim Tomsic, Brett Helquist (Chronicle Books, April 9, 2019)

A Brief History of Life on Earth by Clemence Dupont (Pristinal

Birth of the Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman, Illustrated by Keith Henry Brown (Page Street Kids, April 16, 2019)

Raccoon Rescue by Kama Einhorn (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 9, 2019)

Anteater Adventures by Kama Einhorn (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 9, 2019)

Greta the Great Horned Owl: A True Story of Rescue and Rehabilitation by Christie Gove-Berg (April 9, 2019)

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Recent & Upcoming Releases

I love posting about new books and getting them on the radar of other readers. Though I don’t catch all of the titles, I try to share as many as possible. This month I have twenty-two titles that look fabulous. The ones I have read are amazing. I have starred those and the rest I am tracking down.

Link to January’s new release post, click here. I didn’t do an official new release post in February, but I did share a round-up post, click here.

Here is a list of just some of the new nonfiction releases that came out in March or just this week. I have only been able to read a few of the titles below but hoping to get my hands on more of them over the next few weeks.

** The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs by Fiona Robinson (Abrams Books for Young Readers, February 12, 2019)

A Green Place to Be: The Creation of Central Park by Ashley Benham Yazdani (Candlewick Press, March 12, 2019)

Two Men and a Car: Franklin Roosevelt, Al Capone, and a Cadillac V-8 by Michael Garland (Tillbury House Publishers, March 12, 2019)

Doctor Esperanto and the Language of Hope by Mara Rockliff, Illustrations by Zosia Dzierżawska (Candlewick Press, March 12, 2019)

** The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow, Illustrated by Steve Salerno (HMH Books for Young Readers, March 19, 2019)

Butterflies in Room 6: See How They Grow by Caroline Arnold (Charlesbridge Publishing, March 12, 2019)

Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer by Emily Arnold McCully (Candlewick Press, March 12, 2019)

Soar High, Dragonfly by Sheri M. Bestor (Sleeping Bear Press, April 15, 2019)

The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Sophia Gholz, Illustrations by Kayla Harren (Sleeping Bear Press, April 15, 2019)

Home Sweet Neighborhood: Transforming Cities One Block at a Time by Michelle Mulder (Orca Books, March 19, 2019)

Seeds Move! by Robin Page (Beach Lane Books, March 19, 2019)

Dancing Through Fields of Color: The Story of Helen Frankenthaler by Elizabeth Brown, Aimaee Sicuro (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 19, 2019)

Can You Crack the Code?: A Fascinating History of Ciphers and Cryptography by Ella Schwartz (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, March 26, 2019)

Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry) by Gary Golio, Illustrations by Ed Young (Candlewick Press, March 26, 2019)

Just Like Rube Goldberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Behind the Machines by Sarah Aronson, Illustrations by Robert Neubecker (Beach Lane Books, March 12, 2019)

Weird Animals by Mary Kay Carson (Sterling Children’s Books, January 1, 2019)

** Like a Lizard by April Pulley Sayre, Illustrations by Stephanie Laberis (Boyds Mills Press, March 12, 2019)

The Tornado Scientist: Seeing Inside Severe Storms by Mary Kay Carson, Photographs by Tom Uhlman (HMH Books for Young Readers, March 19, 2019)

** Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons by Laura Purdie Salas, Illustrated by Mercè López (Millbrook Press, April 2, 2019)

** Seashells: More Than a House by Melissa Stewart, Illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen (Charlesbridge Publishing, April 2, 2019)

Don't Let Them Disappear by Chelsea Clinton, Gianna Marino (Philomel Books, April 2, 2019)

Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis (Neal Porter Books, March 26, 2019)

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Susan B. Anthony (The Making of America #4) by Teri Kanefield

Susan B. Anthony (The Making of America #4)
by Teri Kanefield
Abrams Books for Young Readers (March 26, 2019)
Nonfiction * Biography * Women’s Rights
Audience: Ages 10 to 14
Indiebound | Worldcat

Description from GoodReads:
In the fourth installment in the Making of America series, Susan B. Anthony, Teri Kanefield examines the life of America’s famous suffragette. Anthony was born into a world in which men ruled women: A man could beat his wife, take her earnings, have her committed into an asylum based on his word, and take her children away from her. While the young nation was ablaze with the radical notion that people could govern themselves, “people” were understood to be white and male. Women were expected to stay out of public life and debates. As Anthony saw the situation, “Women’s subsistence is in the hands of men, and most arbitrarily and unjustly does he exercise his consequent power.” She began her public career as a radical abolitionist, and after the Civil War, she became an international figurehead of the women’s suffrage movement. The book includes selections of Anthony’s writing, endnotes, a bibliography, and an index.

Quick thoughts on the book:
I remember the first biography I read about Susan B. Anthony. I was in high school and I was wandering around the adult biography section. I started first with a biography on Elizabeth Cady Staton and then proceed to one on Susan B. Anthony. Don’t ask me the names of either of these books I don’t remember. What I do remember is where the books were located and that they both seemed incredibly old. My small hometown library didn’t have a large collection at the time and nothing seemed particularly current. I am pretty sure both books were missing book jackets too. Despite the age of the books, I remember being incredibly struck by the lives of these two women.

Let’s fast forward to 2016…I was so thrilled to finally be able to vote for a woman for president. I imagined how excited Susan B. Anthony and other suffragists would have felt to not only be able to vote but to vote for a woman. And then everything fell apart. In the past two years, I feel like on the one hand we have made incredible strides with the number of women elected to Congress in 2018 and on the other hand, I am saddened by how we are still fighting for the equal rights of women.

“Men their rights, nothing more; women their rights, nothing less.” - Susan B. Anthony

I hadn’t gotten through the prologue of Kanefield’s latest book and I was already fighting emotions and frustration. Haven’t we learned anything in the past 150 years? We are still fighting for women’s rights. We are still on some level fighting for equal access to voting for all citizens.

Susan B. Anthony is the fourth book in the Making of America series by Teri Kanefield. Within the pages of this middle grade biography, readers will discover how Anthony’s upbringing and personality and experiences came together to lead her on a journey for justice and the end of oppression of women. Hopefully, readers will also recognize the work and effort of those who came before us, particularly Anthony, so that we even have the rights we have while we continue to move forward.

The end of the book contains an author note, notes, timelines, selected writings of Susan B. Anthony, and bibliography.

Look for this book at your local indie bookstore or community library.

About the author: Teri Kanefield is a lawyer and the author of The Girl from the Tar Paper School, The Extraordinary Suzy Wright, The Making of America series, and more. She lives in San Luis Obispo, California. Her blog, Musing About Law, Books, and Politics, is a worthwhile read if you are looking for reflections on current day politics.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews below…