Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Celebrating Women's History Month

Women’s History Week was established by President Carter in 1980 and then in 1987 Congress established it as Women’s History Month. For the month of March, I will be celebrating the lives of amazing women and their contributions to the world. So often their contributions haven’t been recognized or celebrated as they should. I love that in the past several years, the number of biographies about all of these women have shined a light onto their incredible work.

To kick off Women’s History, I am sharing three books…

Hedy Lamarr's Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Katy Wu (Sterling, February 5, 2019)

I was aware of Hedy Lamarr’s life as an actress but had no clue until a couple of years ago that she was quite the inventor. Sadly, I am not surprised that it took 50 years for her work in discovering frequency hopping to be recognized. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, women were expected to get married and have children. They were not expected to be thinkers and scientists and inventors and engineers. Wallmark provides young readers with a fabulous introduction to this incredible woman.

A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Alice Faye Duncan, Illustrated by Xia Gordon (Sterling, January 1, 2019)

Gwendolyn Brooks would have been a contemporary of Hedy Lamarr and yet I suspect that their lives were very different. Brooks was an exceptional poet and writer and became the first Black Writer to win the prestigious Pulitzer Award. Duncan intertwines her poetry and verse about Brooks with actual poetry written by Brooks. Definitely a love song for a very talented woman.

Gloria Takes a Stand: How Gloria Steinem Listened, Wrote, and Changed the World by Jessica Rinker, Illustrated by Daria Peoples-Riley (Bloomsbury Children’s Book, March 12, 2019)

When I was growing up, I remember hearing about and reading about Gloria Steinem. At the time, I don’t really think I thought about how significant her work was and the contributions she made in moving forward equal rights for women. Rinker providers young readers with a general overview of Steinem’s life and contributions. It has motivated me to read more about her.

Look for each of these books at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 3/4/19

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kid lit focus. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kid lit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Last week, we a super busy week, so I didn’t get through as many books as I hoped. Also, I started several books and rotating through them.

Here’s what I read this past week…

Another by Christian Robinson (Simon & Schuster, March 5, 2019) - This comes out tomorrow and is a wonderful wordless picture book.

Becoming by Michelle Obama (Random House Audio, 2018) - Audiobooks tend to take awhile for me to read since I don’t have a particularly long commute and I tend to save them for when I will be in the car for a bit longer. I enjoyed Obama’s narration of her memoir.

Currently reading…

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1) by Jessica Townsend (Little, Brown Books for Young Children, 2017) - A friend recommended the audiobook and I am only listening to this on longer drives. It definitely has a wonderful narrator and the premise of the book is fascinating.

Iliad by Gareth Hinds (Candlewick Press, March 12, 2019) - I recently received this book from Candlewick and it is a beautiful companion to Hinds’ Odyssey graphic novel.

The Library Book by Susan Orleans (Simon & Schuster, 2018) - This is one of 12 books on my adult book reading challenge for the year.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport (Grand Central Publishing, 2016) - My one little word for this year is FOCUS. I have a few books that I have marked to read on the topic and this is the first one. I will probably follow up with a separate blog post in the future.

So, what are you reading?

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: The Roots of Rap 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
Little Bee Books (January 8, 2019)
Nonfiction * Music * Rap & Hip-Hop
Audience: Ages 7 to 10
Indiebound | Worldcat

Description from GoodReads:
Explore the roots of rap in this stunning, rhyming, triple-timing picture book!
A generation voicing
stories, hopes, and fears
founds a hip-hop nation.
Say holler if you hear.

The roots of rap and the history of hip-hop have origins that precede DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash. Kids will learn about how it evolved from folktales, spirituals, and poetry, to the showmanship of James Brown, to the culture of graffiti art and break dancing that formed around the art form and gave birth to the musical artists we know today. Written in lyrical rhythm by award-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford and complete with flowing, vibrant illustrations by Frank Morrison, this book beautifully illustrates how hip-hop is a language spoken the whole world 'round, it and features a foreward by Swizz Beatz, a Grammy Award winning American hip-hop rapper, DJ, and record producer.

Quick thoughts about this book:

When I first heard about this book, I put it on my “list of books to read”. I have been a big fan of both Weatherford’s work and Morrison’s art. However, the small book cover on the screen of the computer does not properly prepare you for the beauty of this book.

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars On the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop will make you gasp as you open it up. I think my first read through of the book was actually a simple walk through of the illustrations. I am truly in awe of Morrison’s incredible talent.

As I read through the text on additional read throughs of the book, I couldn’t help but look to see if the book was available in an audiobook format. I wondered about the rhythm of the text and if the rhythm changes as the history of rap unfolds.

I look forward to sharing this book with teachers and students and encouraging students to celebrate the history of rap and hip hop and be inspired to write their own spoken word poetry and musical lyrics.

Don’t miss the back matter at the end of the book. Weatherford and Morrison include their thoughts on the Hip Hop and the role music and spoken word poetry played in their life. There is also a Hip Hop’s Who’s Who and key vocabulary at the end.

Look for The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop at your local indie bookstore or community library.

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

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to Young Adult - 2/25/19

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. Kellee Moye, of Unleashing Readers, and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give It's Monday! What Are You Reading? a kid lit focus. We encourage everyone who participates to visit at least three of the other kid lit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

It has been too long since I joined up with this wonderful community and I am hoping to participate again on a weekly basis.

Here’s what I have been reading in the past month or so…

The Visitor by Antje Damm, Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer (Gecko Press, 2018) - I missed this in 2018 and so glad I found it. Truly a special story.

The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates, Juniper Bates (Simon & Schuster, 2018) - Add this one to your collection of inclusive stories.

Hazelnut Days by Emmanuel Bourdier, Illustrated by Zau (Mineedition, 2018) - I don’t want to spoil the ending of this one but it is definitely worth the read.

They Say Blue by Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books, 2018) - This is Tamaki’s first picture book and it is lovely way to explore colors.

First Laugh — Welcome Baby! by Rose Ann Tahe, Nancy Bo Flood, Illustrated by Jonathan Nelson (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2018) - I am trying to build my collection of books by Native American authors. Add this one to your collection.

The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln by Marissa Moss, Illustrated by Jeremy Holmes (Abrams, 2018) - I was fascinated by this picture book biography about Allan Pinkerton.

Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival by Lindsay Moore (Greenwillow Books, January 22, 2019) - This fictional text would pair nicely with a nonfiction text on polar bears and climate change.

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford, Frank Morrison (Little Bee Books, January 8, 2019) - Wow! The text and illustrations in this book are amazing.

The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach (Scholastic Press, February 26, 2019) - This would pair nicely with a nonfiction text on the life cycle of a butterfly. And this one will make a very funny read aloud.

What If...? Then We...: Short, Very Short, Shorter-than-Ever Possibilities by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Fred Koehler (Boyds Mills Press, February 19, 2019) - Click on the title for my recent review of the book and a giveaway.

Lubna and the Pebble by Wendy Meddor, Illustrated by Daniel Egneus (Dial Books, March 5, 2019) - If you have a refugee shelf, you will want to add this one to it. I read it to a group of teachers and got all choked up.

The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood, Illustrated by Hannah Marks (Dial Books, April 2, 2019) -This will be a fun read aloud.

¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market by Raúl Gonzalez III (Versify, April 2, 2019) - A new picture book coming from Kwame Alexander’s imprint. VERSIFY. The kids I shared this one with really enjoyed it.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Versify, April 2, 2019) - A new picture book by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson. You will want to pick this one up.

Fox & Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride: and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier - I really enjoy Ruzzier’s Fox and Chick characters. This one is as good as the first one.

How I Became a Spy: A Mystery of WWII London by Deborah Hopkinson (Knopf Books for Young Readers, February 12, 2019) Click on the link for my review of this book.

Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis (Bloomsbury, April 30, 2019) - I am still trying to figure out how to sum up this book. I do think that books about children in foster care are needed and also hard because every child has such a different experience. I was definitely drawn into this book and glad I read it. More to come.

For those who like cookbooks, I have gone back into a phase of reading them. I was excited to see that the Los Angeles Public Library has such a fabulous collection of new or newish cookbooks and cooking memoirs.

Cravings: Hungry for More by Christy Teigen and Adeena Sussman (Clarkson Potter, 2018) - This one I think I will pick up. Lots of recipes I want to try.

Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes by Adam Reid, Photographs by Andre Baranowski (W.W. Norton, 2009) - This was recommended on a podcast I listen to and I was curious to check it out. I am still craving milkshakes.

The Grand Central Baking Book: Breakfast Pastries, Cookies, Pies, and Satisfying Savories from the Pacific Northwest's Celebrated Bakery by Piper Davis, Ellen Jackson (Ten Speed Press, 2009) - This one also came from a podcast recommendation and right now I am going sugar-free and gluten free so I was just enjoying this but have no plan to make anything for awhile.

Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine by Edward Lee (Artisan 2018 - I enjoy travel memoirs especially those that talk about culture and food.

So, what are you reading?

Blog Tour & Giveaway: What If...? Then We...

What If…? Then We…: Short, Very Short, Shorter-than-Ever Possibilities
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Illustrated by Fred Koehler
Boyds Mills Press (February 12, 2019)
Fiction * Imagination & Play
Audience: Ages 5 to 9
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
Two polar bear friends have a thrilling adventure as they imagine solutions to a variety of possible situations; their story will show readers how to create their own tales in response to the question "What if...?" in this ingenious picture book.

"What if . . . we got lost far, far, far away, and couldn't find our way home? Then we would become the bravest explorers in the world." So begin the adventures of two intrepid polar bears. Traveling on a ship imagined from an iceberg, the bears encounter magnificent sights and scary situations. When a city made of crayons melts, the bears use pencils to create a beautiful gray world. When all the words in the universe disappear, the bears invent their own language. When something really big and really scary happens, they whistle and hold hands until it's not as big or scary anymore. And when they find their way back home, they're ready to imagine a thousand more possibilities.

This companion title to the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book One Day, The End. is ultimately a book about imagination, friendship, and finding possibilities in the smallest moments.

Thoughts on the book:
In 2015 I was introduced to Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Fred Koehler and their wonderful book, ONE DAY, THE END.

I remember opening the book and simply falling in love with the format and the possibilities for use as a writing mentor text. My first lesson with the book was with a group of kindergarteners. I loved that they could write their first shorter-than-ever stories and have so much fun writing.

Back in January, I had a chance to read the companion book, WHAT IF…? THEN WE… and had that same feeling again. The feeling of falling in love with possibilities, which seemed even more appropriate this time around.

At the end of January, I loaned out my F&G of WHAT IF…? THEN WE to a teacher. It has been a busy few weeks and I am excited to see what she and her students have done with the book.

As I thought about sharing the book with students, I pondered how I would use it. Though I would not usually suggest reading only certain pages of the book, I considered the possibilities of starting with just the “What If” pages and having students come up with their own “Then We” pages. The format and style of the book perfectly lend themselves to creative exploration. I can see partners working together on both their own text and illustrations for the answers to “What If”. I suspect that there would be some equally fabulous suggestions to rival the actual “Then We” pages.

Dotlich and Koehler are the perfect team for this series and they have created a new book that will spark imagination and possibility. I am looking forward to a chance to see the new stories that students create as a result of this fun book

Look for WHAT IF…? THEN WE… at you local indie bookstore and while you are at it, pick up a copy of ONE DAY, THE END.

Check out the other stops in the blog tour:
Monday, 2/11 Simply 7 Interview

Tuesday, 2/12 Storymamas

Wednesday, 2/13 Librarian in Cute Shoes

Thursday, 2/14 Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook

Friday, 2/15 Miss Marple’s Musings

Monday, 2/18 Bridget and the Books

Tuesday, 2/19 Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme

Thursday, 2/21 Kid Lit Frenzy

Friday, 2/22 Unleashing Readers
Book Seed Studio

About the author: Rebecca is a children’s poet and picture book author of titles such as What Can A Crane Pick Up? which received a *starred* review from Publishers Weekly, What is Science? (an AAAS Subaru SB&F prize finalist), Bella and Bean (an SCBWI Golden Kite Honor) and Grumbles From The Forest; Fairy Tale Voices with a Twist (co-authored with Jane Yolen.) She gives poetry workshops, visits classrooms across the country, and speaks at conferences, retreats, libraries and schools to teachers, aspiring writers and students of all ages. Find her at: www.rebeccakaidotlich.com

About the illustrator: Fred Koehler is an artist and storyteller whose real-life misadventures include sunken boats, shark encounters, and hurricanes. Whether free diving in the Gulf of Mexico or backpacking across Africa, Fred’s sense of adventure and awe of nature overflow into his characters’ stories.

​Between book projects, Fred also runs a highly-sought after design studio, helping brands across the US tell their own stories. Find him at: www.ilikefred.com

Giveaway:
Thank you to Boyds Mills Press for offering one lucky reader a chance to win a copy of What If…? Then We… Please complete the Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. Winners must have a US mailing address.

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