Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - Poetry

 

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more nonfiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year.

Slickety Quick: Poems About Sharks by Skila Brown

Illustrated by Bob Kolar

Publisher's summary: Fourteen shark species, from the utterly terrifying to the surprisingly docile, glide through the pages of this vibrantly illustrated, poetic picture book.

From the enormous whale shark to the legendary great white to the enigmatic goblin shark to the small cookie-cutter shark, Slickety Quick is a delightful frenzy of shark mayhem. Mysterious species such as the camouflaged wobbegong and the elusive frilled shark share the waters with better-known blue and nurse sharks, each commemorated in a poem by Skila Brown and illustrated by Bob Kolar. Sneaky shark facts ripple through each spread to further inform the brave and curious young reader intrigued by the power — and danger — of these amazing creatures.

My Thoughts: Poetry paired with interesting facts is a wonderful combination - particularly when the illustrations are pretty fabulous. The poems are in fun shapes, often the shape of the shark being described. Unfortunately, I left the book at school this afternoon, so I can't refer to it, but it's definitely a book students are going to love. There are plenty of sharp teeth and they showcase several extremely bizarre looking creatures. It's sure to be a hit.

Extras: Skila Brown has a teacher's guide posted on her blog and has a section of her website  devoted to posts about shark facts that include photos and video for readers seeking more information.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Last Week on the Blogs:

 My Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books of 2016 (so far)

Celebrating Poetry with our Poet Laureate

A review of Stacey Lee's Outrun the Moon at Rich in Color

Last Week in Books: 

 

Booked and Colonize This: Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism are the two that will stay with me the longest. Now I need to read some of the other novels in verse that were mentioned in Booked. I also want to read more along the lines of Colonize This. There were many authors and texts mentioned there for further reading that I am interested in following up with next. Ida Always made me cry and Puffy and Baby Dance made me smile hugely. Raymie Nightingale was a sweet story of friendship. The Land of Forgotten Girls was quite sad and emotional, but it had some hope in the end too. This is one to hand to readers who like stories where the characters are facing really tough situations. I am running out of time to write, so if you are curious about the other titles, check my Goodreads shelf. :)

The Coming Week: I just started an ARC of Lily and Dunkin (thanks to Mr. Schu!) and I have The Porcupine of Truth waiting on my shelf. Other than that, I'm not sure what I'll be grabbing. Have a great week!

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge - 226/550
Diversity on the Shelf 2016 - 118/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)
LGBTQIA Challenge - 8/31
ReadPOC Challenge - 85/125
#MustReadin2016 - 15/54
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 49/10
Around the World with Books 2016

Celebrating Poetry with our Poet Laureate

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on weekends where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every week.

This week we celebrated Poem in Your Pocket Day at our school. In preparation, students chose or wrote poems in library classes. The night before though, I was still trying to choose mine. I remembered that we have a U.S. poet laureate and realized that I've never talked to my students about him. I read one of his books earlier this month and wrote a blog post about a few of his books. I wondered if I could find a poem of his that would work with my students. When I searched for poems by Juan Felipe Herrera, I found "Jackrabbits, Green Onions, and Witches Stew." I read it and thought since it was an unusual collection of words, it would be a fun one to share, but I wondered if I was reading it correctly so I looked for a video.

I found something even better. I found a lesson plan by Nicolle Stellon O'Donnell that included a video of Herrera reading my chosen poem, but also another helpful video. In the second one, he shares another poem, but also, near end of it, Herrera talks about how he defines poetry (at about 2:45).

I don't totally know what "Jackrabbits, Green Onions, and Witches Stew" might mean, but the text reminds me of Dr. Who. Whether I figured it out or not, Herrera seems to believe the most important thing is spending time with the poem. The poem may simply be meant to cause readers to be baffled or bring a smile to their face. Herrera may not even know what one of his poems is really saying. I'm good with that.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge

 

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more nonfiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year.

This week, I'm highlighting all of the nonfiction picture books I've read so far this year that have earned five stars in my eyes.

 

Out of the Woods: A True Story of an Unforgettable Event by Rebecca Bond

Goodreads summary: Inspired by the author's grandfather's experiences living in a lodge in the woods, a story of how people and animals survive a forest fire in a small Canadian town.

Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Goodreads summary: This poetic, nonfiction story about a little-known piece of African American history captures a human’s capacity to find hope and joy in difficult circumstances and demonstrates how New Orleans' Congo Square was truly freedom’s heart.

Mondays, there were hogs to slop, 

mules to train, and logs to chop. 

Slavery was no ways fair. 

Six more days to Congo Square. 

As slaves relentlessly toiled in an unjust system in 19th century Louisiana, they all counted down the days until Sunday, when at least for half a day they were briefly able to congregate in Congo Square in New Orleans. Here they were free to set up an open market, sing, dance, and play music. They were free to forget their cares, their struggles, and their oppression. This story chronicles slaves' duties each day, from chopping logs on Mondays to baking bread on Wednesdays to plucking hens on Saturday, and builds to the freedom of Sundays and the special experience of an afternoon spent in Congo Square. This book will have a forward from Freddi Williams Evans (freddievans.com), a historian and Congo Square expert, as well as a glossary of terms with pronunciations and definitions

Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries Who Shaped Our History...and Our Future! by Kate Schatz and illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl

Goodreads summary: Like all A-Z books, this one illustrates the alphabet—but instead of "A is for Apple", A is for Angela—as in Angela Davis, the iconic political activist. B is for Billie Jean King, who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; C is for Carol Burnett, who defied assumptions about women in comedy; D is for Dolores Huerta, who organized farmworkers; and E is for Ella Baker, who mentored Dr. Martin Luther King and helped shape the Civil Rights Movement.

And the list of great women continues, spanning several centuries, multiple professions, and 26 diverse individuals. There are artists and abolitionists, scientists and suffragettes, rock stars and rabble-rousers, and agents of change of all kinds.

The book includes an introduction that discusses what it means to be "rad" and "radical," an afterword with 26 suggestions for how you can be "rad," and a Resource Guide with ideas for further learning and reading.

American history was made by countless rad—and often radical—women. By offering a fresh and diverse array of female role models, we can remind readers that there are many places to find inspiration, and that being smart and strong and brave is rad.

Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals by Jess Keating

Goodreads summary: Some people think pink is a pretty color. A fluffy, sparkly, princess-y color. But it's so much more. Sure, pink is the color of princesses and bubblegum, but it's also the color of monster slugs and poisonous insects. Not to mention ultra-intelligent dolphins, naked mole rats and bizarre, bloated blobfish.

Isn't it about time to rethink pink?

Slip on your rose-colored glasses and take a walk on the wild side with zoologist Jess Keating, author of How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied, and cartoonist David DeGrand

Ada Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark and illustrated by April Chu

Goodreads summary:  Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous romantic poet, Lord Byron, develops her creativity through science and math. When she meets Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, Ada understands the machine better than anyone else and writes the world's first computer program in order to demonstrate its capabilities.

Olinguito, de La A a la Z!/Olinguito, from A to Z! by Lulu Delacre

Goodreads summary:  With text in both Spanish and English, travel to the magical world of a cloud forest in the Andes of Ecuador. Discover the bounty of plants, animals, and other organisms that live there as we help a zoologist look for the elusive olinguito, the first new mammal species identified in the Americas since 1978.

The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Chris Barton and illustrated by Don Tate

Goodreads summary: John Roy Lynch spent most of his childhood as a slave in Mississippi, but all of that changed with the Emancipation Proclamation. Suddenly people like John Roy could have paying jobs and attend school. While many people in the South were unhappy with the social change, John Roy thrived in the new era. He was appointed to serve as justice of the peace and was eventually elected into the United States Congress.This biography, with its informative backmatter and splendid illustrations, gives readers an in-depth look at the Reconstruction period through the life of one of the first African-American congressmen.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Last Week on the Blog:

 

#MustReadin2016 Update

 Juan Felipe Herrera

Poetry Link Round Up at Rich in Color

Celebrating Professional Development

 Diverse Children's Books - All About the Philippines

Review of Little Bitty Friends

Last Week in Books:

 

I have to make this brief today, so will just highlight one young adult and one elementary level book. Salt to the Sea was phenomenal. Ruta Sepetys does historical fiction so well. I felt like I was there and it wasn't a place anyone would want to be quite honestly. It's a reminder of how awful war can be. Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope and in a New Land is a photo essay about immigration. It was created by two people from the midwest so it felt very familiar. I want to read the text again. It was very simple typically with only a sentence at a time on the pages. The photos, by Wing Young Huie, were fantastic.

The Coming Week:

I'm still working on these three books, Born Confused, Furiously Happy and Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism. I also got an ARC, Lily and Dunkin, from Mr. Schu at the WEMTA conference last week and I want to start it soon. Booked should be in my hands sometime this week too. I'm guessing with Poem in Your Pocket Day this week, I'll be reading some poetry also. It should be a great week of reading.

Reading Challenge Updates:

Goodreads Challenge - 215/550
Diversity on the Shelf 2016 - 112/225 (goal = 50% of my books by and/or about POC)
LGBTQIA Challenge - 8/31
ReadPOC Challenge - 80/125
#MustReadin2016 - 14/54
Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - 47/10
Around the World with Books 2016

Review: Little Bitty Friends

Title: Little Bitty Friends
Author: Elizabeth McPike
Illustrator: Patrice Barton
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 32
Format: Picture book
Review copy: Final copy from publisher
Availability:  On shelves now



Summary:  A cuter-than-puppies companion to Little Sleepyhead

Little bitty chipmunks,
chattering all the day,

Little bitty ladybug
always comes to play.

Marching with ants, snuggling with baby rabbits, reaching for the sun with happy buttercups–young children form special bonds with nature’s little creations.

Lyrical verse and charming scenes capture an enchanted world of little bitty friends.

Review: Absolutely adorable. Cute and sweet are also good descriptors starting with the endpapers. I love decorated endpapers and this one has pastel paw prints scattered about. The dedication page features a smiling puppy romping around and a cute little blue bird flitting about. It's a perfect look at spring with cuddly critters and young children.

The only complaint I have is the line "little weeping willow." When is a weeping willow ever little? The illustration didn't make it look little either. That was odd in my mind, but it only distracted me a tiny bit and toddlers and pre-school children will be unlikely to have that same question. They will probably just be smiling and giggling with the children in the book the whole way through.

Recommendation: If you have young children around, this is a great quiet book to read together when snuggling especially during spring. It's sure to bring smiles and happy feelings.

Diverse Children's Books - Learning About the Philippines

All About the Philippines by Gidget Roceles Jimenez

Illustrated by Corazon Dandan-Albano

All About the Philippines is an adventure through the Philippines via daily lives of three cousins. All three have mothers descended from the Ilfugao people who are from Luzon, one of the large islands in the Philippines. One has a father descended from China, another from Spain, and the other from Arab missionaries. As readers follow them through their days, they can see a variety of lifestyles and culture present within the Philippines. 

The author began by introducing the children and followed up with a basic history of the Philippines. I would have loved a timeline at the end, but for this age group, the facts at the beginning were probably enough. This was followed by a geographical tour. I especially enjoyed learning about the underground river that can be explored by boat.

The book has information about languages (there are many and most Filipinos speak at least two or three), games, songs, food, celebrations, and crafts. I am itching to try some of the recipes. 

This would be a great follow-up to reading the fun picture book Cora Cooks Pancit. 

Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo/Illustrated by Kristi Valiant

Goodreads summary: Cora loves being in the kitchen, but she always gets stuck doing the kid jobs like licking the spoon. One day, however, when her older sisters and brother head out, Cora finally gets the chance to be Mama's assistant chef. And of all the delicious Filipino dishes that dance through Cora's head, she and Mama decide to make pancit, her favorite noodle dish. With Mama's help, Cora does the grown-up jobs like shredding the chicken and soaking the noodles (perhaps Mama won't notice if she takes a nibble of chicken or sloshes a little water on the floor). Cora even gets to stir the noodles in the pot carefully-- while Mama supervises. When dinner is finally served, her siblings find out that Cora did all their grown-up tasks, and Cora waits anxiously to see what everyone thinks of her cooking.

Diverse Children's Books is a brand new book-sharing meme designed to promote the reading and writing of children's books that feature diverse characters. This community embraces all kinds of diversity including (and certainly not limited to) inclusive, multicultural, and global books for children of all backgrounds.

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We encourage everyone who shares to support this blogging community by visiting and leaving comments for at least three others. Please also consider following the hosts on at least one of their social media outlets. Spread the word using #diversekidlit and/or adding our button to your site and your diverse posts. We hope this community will grow into a great resource for parents, teachers, librarians, publishers, and authors! Our next linkup will be Saturday, May 7th and will continue on the first and third Saturdays of each month.

Most Clicked Post from Last Time

The diverse post that received the most clicks from the last #diversekidlit is ... Diverse Children's Book Celebrating Cultural Traditions by Adrienne at Reading Power Gear. She shares seven great picture books focusing on different cultural traditions including Divali, Chinese New Year, and more!

Hosted By:

Katie @ The Logonauts / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest
Beth @ Pages and Margins / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest
Carrie @ There's a Book for That / Twitter
Crystal @ Reading Through Life and co-blogger @ Rich in Color / Twitter / Google+
Gayle Swift, Author of ABC, Adoption & Me / Twitter / Facebook / Google+
Marjorie @ Mirrors Windows Doors / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest
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Interested in joining as a host or an occasional co-host? Contact Katie at 1logonaut (gmail). Want to be notified when the next #diversekidlit linkup goes live? Click here to subscribe for notification emails. (Never participated in a linkup before? Please click here for a more detailed step-by-step.)

An InLinkz Link-up

Celebrating Professional Development

Ruth Ayres has a link-up on weekends where people link to posts that are celebrations about their week. I love this reminder to celebrate every week.

Earlier this week I was able to attend the Wisconsin Education Media & Technology Association (WEMTA) annual conference.  The conference was three days of connecting, learning, and sharing. The first day, I was able to moderate three author panels. Moderating was new to me, but asking questions and hearing from so many authors (sixteen altogether!) was an amazing experience. WEMTA also had a Maker Space event going on after the author fair and I was able to pop in to ask questions and fiddle with things.

The second day I was able to go to Mr. Schu's best books session. I always love to hear him sharing his extraordinary book love. We got to hear a snippet of Raymie Nightingale and were treated to tons of excellent titles. He also gave away lots of books.

I had the opportunity to present on a panel about building your library with inclusive literature. CCBC librarians Megan and Meri were on the panel too along with Kelly Steiner, a middle school library media specialist. 

The final day was quite busy. I went to a session on coding led by Casey Ineichen. She shared about how she has structured her coding club and gave us many great resources.

Robin Hoseman had a fabulous session about Maker Spaces. I am eager to get going with some of her suggestions. 

Kevin Henkes spoke during our lunch hour and read his two recent books to us. He made us all smile and love him a little more. Since I was on the author committee, I got to help with the signing.

After saying goodby to Kevin Henkes, I ran over to the session with Robin Amato, Omar Poler and Jenny McBurney. Their session was Teaching About Wisconsin American Indian Communities Makes Us Better, Together! They provided many excellent resources.

Resources from the final session

I'm so fortunate that Sarah Wendorf invited me to be part of the author committee and I was able to participate. The conference and the people there taught me so much and it was fantastic to reconnect with people and meet many new friends.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - Juan Felipe Herrera

Alyson Beecher over at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge and has a roundup every Wednesday. I love the encouragement to explore more non-fiction. My plan is to read at least 100 nonfiction picture books this year.

Calling the Doves/El canto de las palomas by Juan Felipe Herrera/Illustrated by Elly Simmons

Goodreads summary: Calling the Doves is poet Juan Felipe Herrera's story of his migrant farmworker childhood. In delightful and lyrical language, he recreates the joy of eating breakfast under the open sky, listening to Mexican songs in the little trailer house his father built, and celebrating with other families at a fiesta in the mountains. He remembers his mother s songs and poetry, and his father's stories and his calling the doves. For Juan Felipe, the farmworker road was also the beginning of his personal road to becoming a writer.

My thoughts: Juan Felipe Herrera is the United States Poet Laureate so this was a great book to read for poetry month. In Calling the Doves/El canto de las palomas, Herrera shares about his childhood with a lyrical voice. Readers find out about the beauty of the land he lived in and the care and nurture he had from his parents. His parents loved the open sky and the tender earth. They taught him "that inside every word there can be kindness." His parents were migrant farmworkers and life was not easy. Herrera makes it clear though, that he appreciated many aspects of his childhood. His parents were storytellers and they filled the air with poetry, songs and stories. Juan Felipe Herrera shows the many ways in which his childhood was rich and how this shaped him and led him to poetry.

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes by Juan Felipe Herrera/Illustrated by Raúl Colón

Another book of his that I enjoyed was Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes. 

Goodreads summary: An inspiring tribute to Hispanic Americans who have made a positive impact on the world This visually stunning book showcases twenty Hispanic and Latino American men and women who have made outstanding contributions to the arts, politics, science, humanitarianism, and athletics. Gorgeous portraits complement sparkling biographies of Cesar Chavez, Sonia Sotomayor, Ellen Ochoa, Roberto Clemente, and many more. Complete with timelines and famous quotes, this tome is a magnificent homage to those who have shaped our nation.

In this volume: Adelina Otero-Warren, Bernardo de Galvez, Cesar Chavez, David Farragut, Dennis Chavez, Desi Arnaz, Dolores Huerta, Ellen Ochoa, Helen Rodríguez Trías, Hero Street USA, Ignacio Lozano, Jaime Escalante, Joan Baez, Judy Baca, Julia de Burgos, Luis Alvarez, Rita Moreno, Roberte Clemente, Sonia Sotomayor, and Tomas Rivera.

The Upside Down Boy/El niño de cabeza by Juan Felipe Herrera/Illustrated by Elizabeth Gómez

I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but I have it at school and am eager to read it soon.

Goodreads summary:

Juan Felipe Herrera's playful language and the colorful, magical art of Elizabeth Gomez capture the universal experience of entering a new school and feeling like a stranger in a world that seems upside down.

Must Read in 2016

Thanks to Carrie Gelson for hosting this challenge. I am late reporting, but last week was jam packed and this slipped past me. Better late than never though, so I am posting anyway. 

This was my original list of 54 titles to read this year:

So far, I have read 14 of them:

My favorite picture book was Homemade Love by bell hooks. It's a lovely book about family love and I am smitten. I wish it wasn't out of print.

The standout nonfiction book was Tricky Vic. I had to admire his ingenuity and ability to con people. 

My favorite adult fiction is a tie with the two Junot Diaz books. The man has a way with words.

From middle grade and young adult books, Tall Story was the best. I enjoyed the development of the sibling relationship.

I've made a dent in the list, but still have 40 books left to read. I think Booked is the next one I want to read. I'm so excited for that one. 

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. Jen Vincent over at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye from Unleashing Readers decided to put a children's and YA spin on it and they invite anyone with an interest to join in. You can participate by creating your post then visit one of their sites to add your site. Finally, visit at least three participant blogs and comment to spread the love.

If you want to know more about what I am reading, visit me at my Goodreads shelf. Images via Goodreads unless otherwise noted.

Last Week on the Blog:

Celebrating a Visit with Margarita Engle

Last Week in Books:

 

Open Veins of Latin America was quite a difficult read. Many of the things that have happened in Latin America read like a dystopian novel. I appreciated seeing this perspective on Latin American history. It answered a lot of questions I had about economics and colonialism. 

Homemade Love is a beautiful book of family and of course love. I wish it was still in print. I had to get it through ILL.

Mountain Dog was a nice novel in verse that would be great for dog loving middle grade readers. I read it because it was one of the only Margarita Engle books I hadn't read and I was getting ready to see her this weekend.

Counting Thyme was an ARC and I will review it later, but it was a nicely done middle grade novel about family, friends, and getting through difficult times.

Speak to Me is a school story told in brief poems. Each child in the book shares snippets of their school day. I think it would work as a mentor text for poetry writing. 

Healthy Kids was meant to be for my Nonfiction Picture Book post, but my week was too busy. It was made by The Global Fund for Children and shows how children can live healthy lives around the world. The photographs are really well done and show children from many countries. 

The Coming Week: 

I'm still reading a few books and will hope to finish them. I probably won't read many new books this week because I'll be re-reading some ARCs for reviews. I wish you a wonderful week of reading!