Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: New and Recent Releases

I realized I had not done an official new release post in awhile. As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, one of the most popular posts are the round-up posts. Honestly, it is also my favorite post to put together.  This may not be a comprehensive list of releases for the month but I did find so many fabulous books that have come out this year that I missed in the past months, or books that will be coming out in May. Hope you find lots of new titles to celebrate. 

Check out the previous posts: January | February | March  

Check out these recent releases:

January 2018 

Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weathersford; Illustrated by James E. Ransome (Bloomsbury)

Charlie Takes His Shot: How Charlie Sifford Broke the Color Barrier in Golf by Nancy Churnin; Illustrated by John Joven (Albert Whitman)

The United States v. Jackie Robinson by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen; Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (Balzer & Bray)

February 2018

Hurricane Harvey: Disaster in Texas and Beyond by Rebecca Felix (Millbrook Press)

Seeing Into Tomorrow: Haiku by Richard Wright - Biography and Illustrations by Nina Crews (Millbrook Press)

Rodent Rascals by Roxie Munro (Holiday House)

Big Tree Down! by Laurie Lawlor (Holiday House)

Earth Verse: Haiku From the Ground Up by Sally M. Walker; Illustrated by William Grill (Candlewick Press)

The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: The True Story About An Accidental Invention (Really!) by Barry Wittenstein; Illustrated by (Charlesbridge)

A Mammal is an Animal by Lizzie Rockwell (Holiday House)

Tugboat by Michael Garland (Holiday House)

All That Trash: The Story of the 1987 Garbage Barge and Our Problem with Stuff by Meghan McCarthy (Simon & Schuster)

March 2018

Leaf Litter Critters by Leslie Bulion; Illustrated by  (Peachtree Publishers)

The Flying Girl: How Aida de Acosta Learned to Soar by Margarita Engle; Illustrated by (Simon & Schuster)

Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide by Isabel Quintero; Illustrated by Zeke Pena (Harry N. Abrams)

Read and See by Bill Kontzias (Holiday House)

Washington, D.C.: Our Nation's Capitol from A to Z by (Holiday House)

April 2018

Abraham Lincoln's Dueling Words by Donna Janell Bowman (Peachtree Publishers)

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker's Story by Joseph Bruchac; Illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes (Albert Whitman)

The Funniest Man in Baseball: The True Story of Max Patkin by Audrey Vernick; Illustrated by (Clarion Books)

Camp Panda! Helping Cubs Return to the Wild by Catherine Thimmesh (HMH Books for Young Readers) 

Library on Wheels: Mary Lemist Titcomb and America's First Bookmobile by Sharlee Glenn (Harry N. Abrams)

Yummy! Good Food Makes Me Strong by Sheila M. Kelly, Shelley Rotner (Holiday House)

Woodpeckers: Drilling Holes & Bagging Bugs by Sneed B. Collard III (Bucking Horse Books)

Alphabet Boats by Samantha R. Vamos; Illustrated by (Charlesbridge)

My First Book of Lacrosse: Mostly Everything Explained About the Game by The Editors of Sports Illustrated Kids (Sports Illustrated Kids) 

One Day a Dot: The Story of You, the Universe, and Everything by Ian Lendler

Fairy Spell: How Two Girls Convinced the World that Fairies Are Real by Marc Tyler Nobleman; Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler (Clarion)

May 8, 2018

The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World's Coral Reef by Kate Messner; Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe (Chronicle Books)

Grandma Gatewood Hike the Appalachian Trial by Jennifer Thermes (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

May 15, 2018

The Hyena Scientist by Sy Montgomery; Nic Bishop (HMH Books for Young Readers)

The Truth About Dolphins: Seriously Funny Facts About Your Favorite Animals by Maxwell Eaton III

May 22, 2018

Stinkiest! 20 Smelly Animals by Steve Jenkins (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Speediest! 19 Very Fast Animals by Steve Jenkins (HMH Books for Young Readers)

Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the World by Christy Hale (Roaring Brook)

May 29, 2018

Neymar: A Soccer Dream Come True by Mina Javaherbin; Illustrated by Paul Hoppe (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Look for all of these titles at your local indie bookstore or community library!

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: A Seed is the Start

A Seed is the Start
by Melissa Stewart
National Geographic Kids (February 13, 2018)
Nonfiction * Science & Nature * Botany
Audience: Ages 6 to 9
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads: 
Beautiful photography and lyrical text pair with comprehensive picture captions in award-winning author Melissa Stewart's story about the surprisingly diverse world of seeds. Learn all about the plant cycle, from how seeds grow, the fascinating ways they travel, and what it takes for a seed to become a plant.

Meet seeds that pop, hop, creep, and explode in this vividly illustrated introduction to the simplest concepts of botany. The story, which is perfect for elementary school Common Core learning, carefully highlights the many ways that seeds get from here to there, engaging children's curiosity with strong action verbs. Stunning photographs with fact-packed captions provide supporting details, explaining the role of seed features and functions in creating new generations of plants. Complete with an illustrated glossary and back matter featuring more resources, this book inspires wonder as it encourages budding botanists of all ages to look with new eyes at plants and their seeds.

Quick thoughts on the book:
One of the reasons that I love Melissa Stewart's books is because of the care and thought she puts into writing her books. Additionally, Melissa understands her audience, both students and teachers and what they need in a book. Her dedication to her craft is very evident as you read each page.

Though I am fond of the beautiful photos used in every National Geographic book, I am particularly drawn to the cover of A Seed is the Start. I recognize that authors often have little control in the selection of their covers. Consequently, I am thankful that National Geographic seemed to get it just right. 

Another aspect of Melissa's books that I always appreciate is the way she levels her texts. Readers can read the lively descriptive text and then return to spend more time with the details and additional facts that accompany the various photographs. 

Very young readers will celebrate the story aspect of this book and the vibrant photographs and well designed pages. Slightly older readers can collaboratively pour over the book and comment on the facts. And even older readers can use the book to support their own research and exploration of the world of seeds. 

If you haven't checked out Melissa's website and blog, then you are missing out on a fabulous resource. I have included links to several posts created by Melissa to support the use of A Seed is the Start in the classroom. 

Resources from Melissa Stewart's blog...
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for Grade 4 & 5 Students
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for Grade 3 Students
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for Grade 2 Students
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for Grade 1 Students
Blog Post: In the Classroom: A Science-Lit Activity for K Students

For additional books about seeds, check out Melissa's #NF10for10 post Celebrating Seeds!

Look for a copy of A Seed is the Start at your local indie bookstore or community library! This one is a must have for your classroom library.

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Terrific Tongues Interview With Maria Gianferrari

Terrific Tongues!
by Maria Gianferrari; Illustrated by Jia Liu
Boyds Mills Press (April 3, 2018)
Nonfiction * Concepts * Body
Audience: Preschool to Grade 3
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from Boyds Mills Press: 
Using whimsical comparisons, this brightly illustrated nonfiction picture book highlights the fascinating ways different animals—from a woodpecker, to a snake, to a bat—use their tongues. It’s a straw, it’s a mop, it’s a sword—it’s all of those things, and more! Animals’ amazing tongues have unique and unusual functions. Readers will marvel at how woodpeckers use their tongues like swords to burrow for insects under tree bark, moths use their tongues like straws to sip flower nectar, and okapis use their tongues like washcloths to wash their eyes and ears. And whose tongues can lick, taste, blow bubbles, whistle, talk, and more? People’s tongues, of course! With vivid, colorful artwork by a debut illustrator, this title includes back matter with additional information about each animal tongue as well as intriguing facts about more fun tongues.  

My interview with author, Maria Gianferrari: 

Maria: Thanks for letting me share Terrific Tongues with your Kid Lit Frenzy readers, Alyson!

Alyson: How did you get the idea for the book?

Maria: Like many of my books, this one was inspired directly by my daughter, Anya, then a toddler. It was 2004, and we were living in Berlin, Germany for my husband’s sabbatical.  Well, Anya was obsessed with all things tongue, or “Zunge,” the German word for tongue. She greeted every tongue she saw with a happy “Zunge!” whether it was a real tongue, one in a book, or one on TV/in a movie. Her enthusiasm was infectious—I began researching tongues online and soon I too was hooked on tongues. I could no longer hold my tongue so to speak! In fact, the book is dedicated to her, “Für Anya und ihre Zungen.” (For Anya and her tongues).

AB: The facts in the book are presented humorously. Did you have any LOL moments?

MG: I didn’t really have any LOL moments per se, I was just struck by the cool factor of these fascinating tongues, like the gecko that doesn’t have eyelids, so it cleans its eyes with a  windshield wiper like tongue.

Once I decided that I would make comparisons between creature tongues and common things kids would be familiar with, there was almost an inherent humor and levity to the book. Jia Liu’s illustrations took that humor one step further. I love her use of the monkey as a visual narrator or guide in the book. That amplifies the humor and silliness too such as in this illustration: 

AB: Do you think that this same style can be applied to other body parts for a sequel? Will there be a sequel?

MG: Indeed I do! My editor, Mary Colgan, has since left the publisher for an around-the-world adventure, but before her departure she requested a follow up title on ears. I think there could be other books on noses, eyes, tails and feet too. I’m sort of partial to the star-nosed mole so, though I haven’t yet begun a sequel, time will tell! 

photo credit: factzoo.com

About the author: 
Maria Gianferrari is a picture book reading/writing, tea-drinking, dog-loving, birdwatching resident of Virginia and author of the Penny & Jelly books, Coyote Moon (an ALA Notable Book and Junior Library Guild Selection), Officer Katz and Houndini and Hello Goodbye Dog. Her newest titles are Terrific Tongues (Boyds Mills Press), Hawk Rising (a JLG selection from Roaring Brook Press) and Operation Rescue Dog(Little Bee). To learn more about Maria, visit her website: mariagianferrari.com, on Facebook and Instagram.

About the illustrator: 
An animal lover, illustrator and art teacher for both children and adults, Jia Liu is the illustrator of Terrific Tongues (Boyds Mills Press) and the What Shapes The Earth series (Cantata Learning). She has two picture books, Arithmechicks Add Up and Arithmechicks Take Away releasing in 2019 and 2020. https://www.jia-liu.com/

Pick up a copy of Terrific Tongues at your local indie bookstore or community library. 

Thanks to the generosity of Boyds Mills Press, one lucky Kit Lit Frenzy reader who’s a US resident can win a copy of Terrific Tongues! And thank you again, Alyson, for featuring Terrific Tongues here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: What am I reading?

Piles! I seem to have quite a few piles of books to read through lately. However this past weekend, I carved out some time to sit down and catch up on some reading. I forget how reading is restorative. Here are some of the books from my nonfiction pile.

Dog Days of History: The Incredible Story of Our Best Friends by Sarah Albee (National Geographic Kids, March 27, 2018) - Though I am admittedly a cat fan, I still enjoyed this book about the history of dogs. Definitely will be a hit with dog and animal lovers. Wonder when Sarah might write a version about cats? Hint, hint! 

The Monarchs are Missing: A Butterfly Mystery by Rebecca E. Hirsch (Millbrook Press, January 1, 2018) - I am always interested in how scientists work to solve mysteries in nature. Hirsch looks at the decrease in the number of Monarch Butterflies. 

Dig In! 12 Easy Gardening Projects Using Kitchen Scraps by Kari A Cornell (Millbrook Press, January 1, 2018) - As soon as I started to read this book, I thought about how fun the activities would be for summer break. I also loved that there are recipes along with the gardening projects. 

Rodent Rascals: From Tiny to Tremendous - 21 Clever Creatures At Their Actual Size by Roxie Munro (Holiday House, February 2018) - A survey book with a focus on all different kinds of rodents. A straightforward read but readers will be certain to find something new or interesting.

A Mammal is an Animal by Lizzy Rockwell (Holiday House 2018) - A look at how not all animals are mammals. 

Ranger Rick: I wish I were a Gorilla by Jennifer Bove (HarperCollins, January 2, 2018) - An early reader that helps beginning readers to understand the life of gorillas. 

Look for these titles at your independent bookstore or community library. 

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Mary's Monster

Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
by Lita Judge
Roaring Brook Press (January 30, 2018)
Nonfiction * Biography * Literary
Audience: Young Adult
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads: 
A young adult biography of Frankenstein's profound young author, Mary Shelley, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of its publication, told through free verse and 300+ full-bleed illustrations.

Mary Shelley first began penning Frankenstein as part of a dare to write a ghost story, but the seeds of that story were planted long before that night. Mary, just nineteen years old at the time, had been living on her own for three years and had already lost a baby days after birth. She was deeply in love with famed poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, a mad man who both enthralled and terrified her, and her relationship with him was rife with scandal and ridicule. But rather than let it crush her, Mary fueled her grief, pain, and passion into a book that the world has still not forgotten 200 years later.

Dark, intense, and beautiful, this free-verse novel with over 300 pages of gorgeous black-and-white watercolor illustrations is a unique and unforgettable depiction of one of the greatest authors of all time. 

Official Book Trailer:

The Making of Mary's Monster:

Thoughts on the book:
As I wind-up Women's History Month and transition to National Poetry Month in April, I am celebrating with Lita Judge's Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and how Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein. I have been a huge fan of Lita's picture books and was excited to find out about her latest book, which is so very different from anything that she has done before. 

When I first learned that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein when she was essentially a teenager, I was amazed. Not only did she write a powerful book as a teenager but a young woman during a time period when women had very little choice. I wonder what Shelley would think if she knew that 200 years later her novel continues to be read and taught in classes all over the country.  

Judge reaches back into history to bring Mary Shelley to present day readers. Through the reading of Shelley's journal, and the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the poetry of Lord Byron, along with a biography on Mary Wollstonecraft, Judge crafted an intimate look at Shelley's life. 

I loved that Judge choose to write this book as a collection of free verse poems accompanied by 300 pages of illustrations. 

Thank you Lita for such a beautiful book to celebrate the life and work of Mary Shelley. 

Additional Resources:
Mary's Monster Timeline - Definitely check out this post by Lita, here
The History Chicks: Mini Podcast - Mary Shelley
Interview with Lita Judge on The Mary Sue, here

And for an illustrated version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I recommend Gris Grimmly's Frankenstein. 

A couple of years ago, I got to see the taped version of the National Theatre's (London) Adaptation of Frankenstein. I am hoping that some day they will release the video for more people to see. It was amazing. 

About the author: 
Lita Judge is the author and illustrator of several award-winning picture books including How Big Were Dinosaurs?, Bird Talk, Born in the Wild, Flight School, and Red Sled. After a summer spent reading Mary Shelley's handwritten journals, Lita embarked on a five-year journey to tell the story of this courageous teenager. She lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Website | Twitter

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...