Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a a Horse
by Marcy Campbell  ill Corinna Luyken

I have one simple request: Dial Books should include a box of tissues with every copy of this book. Seriously. Not one copy of Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse should leave the warehouse without providing plenty of tissues for the reader. Meet Chloe, the no-nonsense girl who knows what she knows, sees what she sees.  When the strange boy in her class tells her he has a horse, she is doubtful.  All facts seem to disprove his declaration. She uses logic and evidence to figure out that this cannot be true.

Companion Books

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson ill Rafael López

Uncertainty. Anxiety. Fear. We've all experienced a stomachache, teary eyes or wobbly legs symptom when venturing into the unknown. Jacqueline Woodson's latest picture book assures readers that these are natural and normal feelings. At some point we all are keenly aware that we don't "fit in." Appearing different, speaking an unfamiliar language, having a unique culture and capabilities can cause one to feel alienated from other members of the group. Woodson doesn't stop with reciting a list of differences. She provides strategies for moving past negative thoughts and emotions. For example, she suggests that when someone feels excluded, the response may be to first relate a personal story. Then listen to the individual stories of others. Understanding commonalities and appreciating differences can help to build friendships.

Bonus

Front end papers

Back end papers

More Picture Books to Share

Why am I Me?

Last Stop on Market Street

Each Kindness

Carrot and Pea: An Unlikely Friendship

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: 
The Sanitation Strike of 1968
by Alice Faye Duncan ill R. Gregory Christie

So much was won. So much was lost. Freedom is never free. Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop transports young readers back to the momentous events of 1968 in Tennessee. Informational narration, poetic text, and free verse recount events surrounding the Memphis Sanitation Strike as seen through the eyes of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson. Her father, a sanitation worker, joined with 1,300 men who organized a labor strike. The workers demanded increased job safety, improved working conditions, and better wages.

Christie’s signature style is used to excellent effect. Lorraine’s head is proportionally large, suggesting her pivotal role as storyteller. Images of picket lines are monochromatic with raised placards displaying no text. This puts the focus on the marchers and allows readers to envision their own protest slogans. Back matter is an exceptionally rich resource. Included are a three-page annotated timeline, a description of the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, a list of sources, and source notes.

Bonus Resources

Introduce students to the power of Dr. King’s words with this excerpt from his speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” delivered at the Masonic Temple in Memphis on April 3, 1968.

Experience the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. or visit it virtually to learn more about the legacy of this leader.

Note: one of my treasures is this ​R. Gregory Christie signed print. It is on display in my personal library.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: August 28, 2018 Publisher: Calkins Creek Books  ISBN:978-1629797182

What Do You Do With a Voice Like That?
The Story of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan
by Chris Barton ill Ekua Holmes

Full disclosure: The first time that I heard Barbara Jordan speak, I was mesmerized. I had tuned into the impeachment hearings, and listened as a powerful voice spoke with measured authoritative language. I wanted to learn more about the woman behind that voice. Well-known and respected Texas author Chris Barton whose Whoosh, Dazzle Ships, and The Day-Glow Brothers are some of his outstanding nonfiction titles has penned a picture book biography that is worthy of this Texas legend and her legacy.

View

I had the opportunity to hear Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator Ekua Holmes (Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement). She displayed some of the original art that she created for this picture book. ​Ms. Holmes shared that her granddaughter served as the model for young Barbara Jordan. Note: she's the young girl in pink standing in front of a tree. It took a few tries before she captured the essence of a confident young Barbara Jordan. The image of Barbara, returning to her home years later is particularly poignant. The artist used a family home as the model in these images. It is fitting that these sources serve as inspiration for her work.

Listen!

How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace
by Carole Boston Weatherford ill Frank Morrison

Carole Boston Weatherford uses pairs of end-stopped couplets to create a lyrical retelling of the life of John Newton and the origins of this famous hymn. The pictures book chronicles the history and popularity of this hymn, sung by African Americans, Cherokees, Civil War soldiers, activists, gospel singers, recording artists, and even a president of the United States. Back matter includes a current version of the lyrics, an Author's Note, and suggestions for further reading and viewing. All enhance the value of this compelling story.

Marvelous Art

Multi-talented artist Frank Morrison painted classic images that are well-suited to the text. I had the opportunity to view some of Morrison’s original work for this book. The framed paintings are awe-inspiring. He has eloquently captured the heartfelt emotion reflected in the song's lyrics. Below are my photos of two Morrison paintings, paired with the illustrations and accompanying text as they appear in the published book. ​​This picture book, signed by the artist, is now one of my treasures.

Amazing Sounds

The Book Tree by Paul Czajak ill Rashin Kheiriyeh

Imagine a world without books. Paul Czajak invites youngsters to visit the fantastical world of Arlo, a boy who loves to read. One day, while nested in the branches of a tree with his book, misfortune strikes. The volume slips from his hands and lands upon the head of the mayor. Furious, the mayor immediately calls for the destruction of all books, as he deems them dangerous. Arlo is bereft  when all books are torn apart and the pages float away. He is not the only one missing books. There are no more stories for children at nap time. Meals become dull, as there are no cookbooks to consult. The theater ceases to perform as there are no scripts to enact. Arlo determines that perhaps he can create stories of his own. His writing germinates a torn book page, buried deep within the earth. A book tree begins to grow, nourished by the stories Arlo writes and shares. Eventually the book tree is filled with books and the town springs back to life.

Meet the Author

​"​When it comes to science people have this idea that it is all numbers and equations, but in fact science is filled with creativity.  Go look at a picture of the Hadron Collider and try to tell me that didn’t take some serious imagination."

He is the author the Monster and Me series.  Monster Needs Your Vote might be an appropriate selection to read during this national election cycle. ​Paul has created coloring pages, which may be downloaded from his website.

Meet the Illustrator

Look Up! by Jung Jin-Ho

When perusing my book shelves, I noted a slim little spine, crammed in a mass of book galleys, way up high on the shelf.  I was curious. What was that little yellow sliver wedged between so many mammoth-sized volumes? I pulled it out for closer inspection. Look Up! is Korean author and illustrator Jung Jin-Ho’s tiny treatise on perspective and the power of point of view. Using simple black line drawings, readers are invited into the street from an unusual vantage point, a birds-eye view of a terrace overlooking a city street. An initial spread reveals feet placed on the footrests of a wheelchair. The occupant of the wheelchair appears to be gazing on the scene below. As time passes and activity takes place in the street, the lone observer leans over the edge of the roof imploring, "Look up!" "Look up!" "I'm here! Look at me!"

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Penelope Rex is about to enter a new phase in her reptilian life. This young dinosaur is going to Kindergarten. She’s got a new backpack decorated with ponies and she carries her lunch: three hundred tuna sandwiches and a juice box. Naturally she is anxious. What will her classmates be like? Will she make new friends? Upon arrival she is surprised to learn that all her classmates are ... Children!  Penelope reacts immediately, swallowing all the delicious children in an enormous gulp. With furniture in disarray and a shoestring dangling from her mouth, Penelope appears to be somewhat chagrined by what she has just done.

More Picture Books! More Fun!

Drawn Together by Minh Lê  ill Dan Santat

Minh Lê has created a tribute to the miraculous power of art, imagination, and love. Readers meet a young Asian American boy sent to spend time with his grandfather. This is difficult for both because they appear to have little in common. Grandfather speaks only Thai. Grandson speaks only English. Using a graphic novel format, Dan Santat opens with a series of wordless panels, as the young man is unwillingly deposited on his grandfather's doorstep. Images highlight the contrasting cultures, with wordless panels progressing into panels with separate speech balloons in Thai and English. Things are not going well for either one. Until... The boy gives up talking and begins to draw. Observing what is happening, Grandfather hurries to find his own drawing implements. With his first brush stroke, a new world opens.

In the process of drawing together, the two form a connection that is able to break down barriers and overcome obstacles. The narrative is beautiful and satisfying on many levels.  It's the story of bridging the divide between cultures and generations.  It is also a story of the power of shared creation and exploration.  The story of a willingness to try.  A desire to find common ground.  A story of love. A story of hope.

Page Fright by Wade Bradford ill Mary Ann Fraser

​Bradford offers a refreshingly different riff on the time-honored classic tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and in the process breaks the fourth wall in a unique fashion. Characters move off script and step outside the book’s pages. At the outset, a charming but slightly self-absorbed young Goldilocks welcomes readers into the volume containing her story. Unfortunately Papa Bear, who inadvertently becomes the story's main character, becomes flustered and can't deliver his scripted lines.

Bears Times Three

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

Somebody and the Three Blairs by Marilyn Tolhurst ill Simone Abel

Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall