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READING STYLE GUIDE

Family and Faith

4/17/2019

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Mommy Sayang by Rosana Sullivan

Spring is a good time to explore picture books that celebrate devout Muslim communities and their love of family and faith. May 6, 2019 marks the beginning of Ramadan.
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Aleeya and her mother live in a small Malaysian village, a kumpung.  Their days were filled with simple joys: chickens, kittens, hanging out laundry, watering the vibrant red hibiscus.  Indoors, there is quiet time for mommy's daily prayers, Aleeya's crayoned drawings, and stories under the mosquito net.
They prepare a variety of tempting dishes and enjoy sharing meals with family and friends.
Little Aleeya and Mommy sayang, always together.
Insh'Allah, I will always be by your side.
When Mommy becomes ill, Aleeya cannot be consoled. She refuses invitations to go out with her aunties, wraps herself tightly in her mother's sarong, and remains fixed in on the stair step. Then she comes to a conclusion: perhaps she can help Mommy by bringing her a beautiful red hibiscus. Over time, Mommy recovers. In good times and in times of uncertainty, the love between the two remains constant.
Sullivan’s art is an integral part of Mommy Sayang. Aleeya, Mommy, and other individuals are brightly colored and set against pale backgrounds rendered with a pastel color wash. The exception is the dream sequences. Here the pages explode, filling the entire space with vibrant color and patterns. Aleeya dreams in technicolor. Both faces and body language tell the story: warm embraces, a defiant stomp, a tiny tear. 
The theme of parental love echoes throughout the pages: a hen with her chicks, a cat nursing her young kittens, several close-up portraits of Mommy and her daughter.  Heartwarming story. Beautiful art.  

Meet the Author/Illustrator

Rosana Sullivan is a storyboard artist with Pixar Animation Studios. She worked on several Pixar movies including The Good Dinosaur, Coco, and Incredibles 2. Her picture book is part of Pixar's Artist Showcase series.
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​Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: April 2, 2019  Publisher: Disney Press  ISBN: 978-1368015905

The Gift of Ramadan by Rabiah York Lumbard ill by Laura K. Horton

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It's time for Ramadan, a month-long religious holiday honoring the revelation of the first verses in the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a time for prayer and refection, study of the Quran, and helping the poor. It may be best known as a period of fasting, going without food and drink from sunup to sundown. 
Sophia is excited as her family prepares to begin observing Ramadan and decides that she will observe the traditional fast. "Count me in!"  she joyfully exclaims. 
She quickly discovers that what sounds wonderful in theory is difficult in practice. She must awake and eat a meal before sunrise, ignore her rumbling tummy, and resist her brother's chocolate chip cookies.
To her dismay, the lure of cookies is impossible to resist. An understanding grandmother helps her see that there are other ways that she can participate in this holy celebration.  She can observe Ramadan in a manner that is appropriate for a young child.
Use The Gift of Ramadan to introduce this religious celebration to young readers. 
The month is about emptying oneself of all that is selfish, then filling oneself with all that is good, true, and beautiful.

Meet the Author: Rabiah York Lumbard

Meet the Illustrator: Laura K. Horton
Alexis York Lumbard aka Rabiah York Lumbard is an American Muslim living in Qatar with her husband and three daughters. The author of several picture books, she is currently pursuing an advanced degree in creative writing. 
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Laura K. Horton is a freelance illustrator with a degree in illustration & animation from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
She is currently residing in Finland, working on an advanced degree in game design and production.
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Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 1, 2019  Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company  ISBN: 978-0807529065
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All in the Family

4/5/2019

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My Cat Looks Like My Dad by Thao Lam

Family is what you make it.
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Meet dad. Meet the family cat. Dad and cat are alike in many ways. Both have fluffy yellow hair, enjoy a tasty meal followed by a nap, even have similar fears. They make a great pair.
​But that’s just the beginning.
​The real story on these pages goes beyond a charming tale of a man and his cat. Readers wonder about the family member narrating the story. Who can it be?
The storyteller's identity is discovered by carefully examining the illustrations. Observant readers will recognize that there is more to this family than a man and his cat.
There will come an "ah ha" moment when it is obvious that the narrator i.e.  additional family member is a bird! That's right. The bird refers to its sibling as "my cat." Clever. Clever indeed.
The complete family portrait with dad, mom, cat, and bird graces the final page.
Thao Lam's cut paper collages are a delight. The title page, featuring a strip of photobooth headshots of feline and human playing around with spectacles is a great introduction to the characters. Her illustrations poke fun at quintessential stereotypes such as discarded socks on the floor and milk mustaches. The cat's facial expressions are priceless!
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Greeting the day with graceful tai chi.
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Crooning tunes at the keyboard.
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Snoozing: Nap time is lap time.
My Cat Looks Like My Dad offers the subtle message that families come in all shapes and sizes and can consist on a variety of members. Readers will also need to put aside the assumptions that only certain individuals, or species, can cohabit peacefully.

Bonus

Meet Thao Lam and learn about the inspiration for this book. View her creation process.
Share the book and video with students. An interesting extension activity would be to provide kids with a selection of patterned papers and other art materials. Then invite them to create a portrait collage of their own family.
Electronic copy provided by publisher.
Pub date:  April 15, 2019 Publisher: Owlkids ISBN: 978-1771473514
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Making a Difference

4/2/2019

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Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman

"It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world,
​as have these lowly creatures." Charles Darwin
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Meet Carl, the lowly earthworm. Each day he toils, tunneling through the heavy ground and decaying detritus, leaving in his wake enriched and aerate soil.
Day after day...
Until the field mouse asks him, "Why do you do that?"
"Why?" Carl puzzles.
He goes in search of an answer to the mouse's question. He queries rabbit who is tending her babies, fox who is hunting for dinner, and squirrel who is planting tree. Each animal is too concerned with personal tasks to consider Carl's inquiry.
Meanwhile, the ground has become hard, dry and barren. What has happened? 
Astute young readers will recognize the problem and its solution.  Carl needs to get back to doing what he does best, burrowing underground and enriching the earth. Then... Seeds will grow. Plants and animals will flourish. ​
Freedman's signature watercolors are the perfect match for the story. Landscapes above and below ground are breathtakingly beautiful. She is a master of the watercolor wash. While all the animals are endearing, it is Carl who steals the show.  More than his expressive face, it's his body language. Who knew that a worm could have body language?   
Carl and the Meaning of Life is more than a gentle environment, ecology and food chain tutorial. It is a thoughtful exploration of an individual contribution to the larger community.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 2, 2019  Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers  ISBN:  978-0451474988
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Changes Changes

3/29/2019

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Here and There by Tamara Ellis Smith ill Evelyn Daviddi

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Ivan loves music, all kinds of music. He is especially drawn to the melodic chirps, calls, and trills of birds in his backyard. Up in the branches of the pear tree, he coaxes the winged creatures with bird seed, identifying various neighborhood birds by the sounds that each species makes.
Then something happens which disrupts his childhood and causes Ivan’s life to undergo a radical change. Dad moves out and into a new place. Ivan distinguishes the two dwellings by referring to the familiar home with mom as here. Dad’s new residence is there. Smith emphasizes the distinction Ivan makes between the two homes with the words here and there in bold face type.
Over there at his father’s house, things are not the same. No pear tree. No customary surroundings. No mother. Ivan remains sullen and silent. He can't seem to successfully transition from the home of his early childhood to a different living arrangement with his father.
His relationship with dad remains at an impasse until his father begins to strum his guitar. Ivan is drawn to the welcome sound this music. When he responds to the tune, dad invites Ivan to create lyrics for his composition. Ivan thinks about it. Inspiration strikes. He knows what to do: fit the sounds of his winged friends into his father’s melody. Working together, a new song is born.
Combining his love for music and for birds, Ivan and his parents forge a connection that will help Ivan bridge the two distinct worlds of mom and dad. Climbing the pear tree in mom’s spacious backyard is different from a swing attached to a tree limb in dad’s small fenced-in outdoor space. Ivan can belong in each space. While it isn't always so easy in real life, Here and There offers youngsters and their caregivers an exploration of ways to help children cope with parental separation.
Italian artist Daviddi captures the contrast between the two homes of this biracial child. Mom in her fashionable attire serving milk and cookies contracts with dad sporting facial stubble ordering take-out pizza. Birds flit in both environments, creating a unifying theme of music and nature in two separate homes.
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Additional Resources

Looking for additional picture books to help youngsters cope with family separation and divorce? Try these books.
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Bird Song

A small chart listing a few familiar bird calls can be found at the back of the book.
​Listen to the recorded bird calls.  How many can you identify?
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Electronic copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 31, 2019  Publisher: Barefoot Books  ISBN: 978-1782857419
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Book Fandom

3/26/2019

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The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli

"You'll...read a book...with me?"
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What's with all the pink? Lately there has been a resurgence of pink, strikingly pink books. For the record, I like pink books. In fact, pink book cover groupings were one of our most popular library displays. People seem to like their book covers pink.  
But let's get back to Greg Pizzoli's latest title for young readers. This charming little piggie travels around town on his Vespa, searching for books. (Okay the vehicle is green. But is serves as a nice color contrast to the omnipresent pink.) 
But here's the kicker: although he has an extensive collection of books, Hog doesn't know how to read.
One day, he happens upon a long low building filled with books. He's in hog heaven! When he attempts to abscond with an armload of books, the gentle librarian, Miss Olive offers to read with him.
He has found unlimited books and a caring person who will share books with him. He is hooked. He brings books from home, borrows books from the library, and with the patient tutelage of the librarian, Hog learns to read. Readers will find several PIzzoli books make cameo appearances: Owl, Number One Sam, Templeton, The Watermelon Seed. The bedtime stack of book spines reveal an extensive reading assortment. Everything from classics such as Harry Potter and Charlotte's Web to the graphic novel El Deafo and picture book Du Iz Tak?  Readers may choose to create their own visual stack of favorite books.
The Book Hog is a celebration of books, stories, reading, learning to read, libraries, librarians, storytime, and Summer Reading. Let the good times begin.  Note: Contrary to Hog, it is best not to read while operating a moving vehicle.
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Go Hog Wild for Pizzoli Books

Can't stop with just one book by Greg Pizzoli? Try these classic picture books.  Also be sure to check out his illustrations for the My Little Cities board book series by Jennifer Adams. The San Francisco book is featured in the Spring 2019 Reading Style Guide.
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Bonus: Buttons!

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The children that I often work with adore buttons. They can't get enough of them and I'm always running out of buttons to hand put into little hands.
This Book Hog button is the best!  I wish that I had a wholesale account and could order a dozen dozen, i.e. a gross. 
My little readers would snatch them up in a heartbeat.
​Any way to get these from a retail source?
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 26, 2019  Publisher: Disney-Hyperion  ISBN: 978-1368036894
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On Your Toes

3/13/2019

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Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins
by Michelle Meadows ill Ebony Glenn

This is the girl who danced...
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​Echoing the rhythmic quality of dance, Meadows uses rhyming couplets to tell the story of Janet Collins.  The cumulative syntax traces her story from early beginnings to prima ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera House.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1917 and raised in Los Angeles, California, Janet displayed not only talent, but a love for dance. ​
In a time when dance opportunities were limited for a youngster of color, Collins found ways to realize her dream. Whether it was finding teachers or studying and performing other forms of dance including Spanish, Caribbean, and African, she continued to pursue her passion.
Collins' determination to be true to herself and her heritage is remarkable.  She was invited to join Ballet Russe with the stipulation that she lighten her skin. She refused. She would find ways to dance, but on her terms.
Glenn captures the joyous enthusiasm of a young girl and the willowy body of a gifted dancer. She uses a realistic approach, positioning bodies in classic ballet style with arms gracefully rounded, fingertips with thumb and middle finger slightly curved inward. The arms are always extended, reaching out and up. The bearing is regal.  Glenn's color palette allows Janet’s skin to be the focal point. The gorgeous sienna skin makes each pose more elegant and visually arresting.
This picture book is enriched with an author's note which provides additional information on the life of Janet Collins. Two small photographs of Collins as a professional performer provide a real life look at this beautiful, poised woman. A list of print and online resources is also included.
Together Meadows and Glenn have choreographed a sparkling tribute to dedication, persistence and above all, the wonder of dance. Youngsters will be enchanted and inspired by Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins.
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Young Ballerinas

Meet Misty Copeland, Siena Cherson, and Maria Tallchief. Each dreamed of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Each practiced endless hours, pushing her body to execute difficult moves with precision and grace. Along with Janet Collins, they are role models for aspiring dancers.
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Copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: January 8, 2019  Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)  ISBN:  978-1250127730
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Left is Right

3/8/2019

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In Russia, doing the right thing meant being like everyone else. And everyone else was right-handed.

Anya’s Secret Society by Yevgenia Nayberg

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Anya was born with a dominant left hand. She was also born into a Russian culture that considered the right hand as the "legitimate" hand. Even the word "right" meant not only a direction, but also "correct." 
When this resourceful and determined little girl recognized that local norms frowned upon use of the left hand, she taught herself to use her right hand for most activities. Anya was able to master even difficult tasks with this hand.
However, there was one activity in which it was impossible to use her right hand: drawing. Her brain could only process and create images with her dominant hand, her left hand.
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Anya created a special stratagem to live within the confines of Russian expectations and still express herself: a secret society. She learned that great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelango, and Rembrandt were left-handed. When she was alone, she would put on a mask and pretend to be in the company of famous left-handed artists. The secret society was the place where she felt that she could safely create.
Then life took a surprising turn. Her parents chose to leave Russia and immigrate to America. In addition to all the differences she encountered in this new country, Anya was astonished to learn that left-hand dominance was not considered wrong. Schools were equipped with scissors and desks to accommodate children with either dominant hand. Her teacher did not seem to notice or care which hand Anya chose to use.
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Based on her personal experience growing up in the Soviet Union, Yevgenia Nayberg has created a poignant story. With determination, imaginative thinking, and a bit of subterfuge, Anya finds a way to continue to draw. Readers get a glimpse into the private life as well as the real world struggles an artist faces. 
I will always have a place in my heart for the secret society of my childhood.

Art: A Visual Treat

Nayberg's art is stunning. Her work is replete with arresting design and unconventional juxtaposition of objects. The use of light is extraordinary. Textures add nuance and dimension. She uses vibrant colors to emphasize Anya's fertile imagination. Drop by Drop: A Story of Rabbi Akiva and The Wren and the Sparrow received Sydney Taylor Honor Awards. View her online portfolio that includes illustration, theater posters, sketchbooks and more.
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Anya’s Secret Society is more than a gorgeously illustrated story, it’s an affirmation for all children who feel different, who don’t fit into the prevailing cultural definitions of correct.
​While the story is specific to left-handedness, the message that basic traits in individual children are neither “right” nor “wrong” is powerful.
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Electronic copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 12, 2019  Publisher: Charlesbridge  ISBN: 978-1580898300
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How It Happened

3/5/2019

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Because by Mo Willems ill Ameber Ren
“ If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person"
​Mister Rogers
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Because is a word laden with possibility. Mo Willems explores a chain of cause and effect in his latest picture book Because. 
Willems begins with Beethoven and traces the events that lead from his composition to a performance by an orchestra. He includes moments on this continuum that are deliberately planned: musicians who learn to play an instrument and practice until they become proficient. Then there are unexpected occurrences: due to illness there is an extra ticket available.
The result of this string of events is that the life of one girl is changed. She becomes a composer and conducts an orchestral performance of her composition.  
And that night, someone heard her music and was changed.
Ren's illustrations are filled with many charming touches. The portrait of Beethoven hanging on the wall shows him glancing into the future at young Franz Schubert.  A violinist practices in his home and on the side table is a photo of himself as a young boy with his first violin.   A continuous golden musical ribbon weaves throughout the book, tying all the elements together. End papers featuring the score of Schubert's Symphony no. 8 in B-minor and Hilary Purrington's contemporary composition The Cold appropriately bookend the story.                
This is how it happened:
I sitting with a teen and together we read this book. We considered how because happens in her life. Because she wanted to play a music instrument that was different from the instruments other members of her family play, she decided to try strings. Because she liked the sound and the shape, she decided to try the cello.
Because she played the cello with the orchestra in her school, she met another student studying the cello. Because they performed together, the two became best friends.
​Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March 5, 2019  Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children ISBN: 978-1368019019
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Let’s Get Meta

3/4/2019

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Another by Christian Robinson

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The list of award-winning books by illustrator Christian Robinson is extensive and impressive: Caldecott Award Honor, Coretta Scott King Award Honor (twice), Sibert Award Honor, and Boston Globe-Hornbook Nonfiction Award Honor. 
​In an exciting new career move, Christian Robinson is publishing his first solo book. It turns out that the man who has command of design, space, and color also has a mind filled with very intriguing notions.
Let's get meta with Christian Robinson.  
​What if there is another individual just like you, but.... your doppelgänger lives in a parallel world?  And what if you could travel to that world? And what if you could bring a friend with you to meet your double?
​It begins with a cat. At night. On the bed of a sleeping child.
Another cat appears, takes the cat's mouse, and escapes. The cat with the red collar chases after the cat with the mouse. Then the child awakes in time to see the cat leaving and quickly joins in pursuit of the purloined mouse. In and out of holes and portholes. Over and under. Between and through. The cat and its owner search. 
Lo and behold.  In another dimension they discover that the cat has an owner who could be the child's double. They reach out across space to return the missing mouse. Cat and owner return home with the mouse. All is as it should be. The child falls asleep. Except.... something is under the bed!
The concept of an alternate universe is mind-bending. However, Robinson breaks it down into easily understood images that allow for multiple interpretations. 
Robinson’s eye-popping flat colors are the perfect medium for this journey into another dimension. And dots! They are everywhere. It’s like being in one of those kiddie play areas filled with small plastic balls.
Worth noting: Another’s world is filled with a diverse array of children and faces with a gorgeous range of skin tones. It's easy to spot wheelchairs, eyeglasses, a hijab, and even an arm cast.  All children can be found are here.
All worlds are for all children.
 Another is a wordless picture book for thinking readers of all ages. 
Copy provided by publisher.
​Pub date: March 5, 2019  Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers  ISBN:  978-1534421677
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Timber!

3/1/2019

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Lumber Jills: The Unsung Heroines of World War II
by Alexandra Davis  ill Katie Hickey

Two hands willing to work and one stout heart.
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During World War II, 8,500 British girls joined the little-known Women’s Timber Corps. They were armed with nothing but four-and-a-half pound axes, six-pound saws, and the willingness to pick them up. The average Lumber Jill was eighteen years old, and while these girls came from all walks of life, most of them had never lifted an axe before.      Author's Note
Lumber Jills: The Unsung Heroines of World War II is the story of women whose service to their country is less well-known. None-the-less, their story is intriguing.
Davis frames her rhythmic text within a numerical construct. Beginning with "one pair of woolen socks pulled up to the knee," she chronicles the work of young British girls who volunteered to support the war effort by felling and cutting trees, then hauling the logs to the mill by wagon teams.
What begins as four brown boots, multiplies into sixteen train cars and then twenty-seven new girls signing up to serve. The number of girls rapidly increases throughout the pages. Two hundred cheerful girls learning the basics of logging, doubles to four hundred and eventually reaches two thousand Lumber Jills.  ​
By the book's conclusion these girls have cut ten million trees, which are used to create telephone poles, roadblocks, pitprops, crates, fences and gates. An extraordinary accomplishment. While the mathematical details are interesting, it is the combined efforts of these young women, willing to leave home, learn new skills, and work together in support of their country that is most impressive.
Hickey maintains a forest-inspired color palette: primarily using greens and browns. Girls wear thick sweaters and loose-fitting pants tucked inside boots. Every face has rosy cheeks. All appear to be smiling. Nothing seems difficult or particularly disagreeable. 
The rhythmic quality of the text makes it an excellent choice for reading aloud.  Numerical factoids scattered throughout the pages could serve as the basis for an interesting Infographic. 
An Author's Note fleshes out the story, providing additional background material.  It is worth noting that Davis mentions women throughout North American who were involved in the timber industry, before and during World War II.
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: March , 2019 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company  ISBN: 978-0807547953
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    Barbara Moon

    I like talking about books and  interesting ideas. I like thinking about how books affect my life. Not particularly interested in giving out stars or in rating books. 

    Audio Publishers Association
    2013, - present  Audies judge 
    American Library Association Book Awards and Lists 
    ​2017 YALSA Award Nominating Committee
    2016 Excellence in Nonfiction 
    2014 Margaret Edwards Award
    2012 Odyssey Awards.  
    2009, 2010, 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

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