What's Not to Love - New Books for your book shelf

Scanning through my new book notes I have found a few more books too good not to love.  Will any of these garner recognition on the coveted Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert, or other prestigious lists? I don't know - that's not why I was drawn to them.  Each one of these has so much potential for discussion with readers, for enjoyment, and for gaining new knowledge.  Simply put - I like them.  So here goes my list ... if you have others please feel free to post in the comments.  This is certainly not a definitive list but just a few that have made their appearance in my readings in the last few weeks.

Linda Skeers has authored a new look at Mary Anning - the story of a young girl who loved spending time looking for shells and fossils on the beaches of England.  She climbed cliffs and rocky peaks always looking for a new and different specimen.
Skeers, Linda.  Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist.  Illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguéns (Sourcebooks, 2020).
Linda Skeers - http://www.lindaskeers.com/
Marta Alvarez Miguéns - https://www.martalvarez.com/

Jennifer Black Reinhart has created a perfect foil for the shy or anxious child who finds fitting in a troublesome endeavor.  Meet Alfred (who plays dead) and Sophia (who rolls up in a ball) who teach all of us about patience, forgiveness, and friendship.  Along the way, we might discuss the meaning of the cliché "playing possum."
Reinhardt, Jennifer Black.  Playing Possum.  Illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books, 2020).
Jennifer Black Reinhart - https://jbreinhardt.com/

Check out the book's trailer on youtube at

Those who have loved the humor of Mac Barnett are in for more fun and laughter with these four early reader (2020) entries into the Jack Series.
Jack at the Bat made its appearance in February, along with Jack Goes West.  In May, Jack at the Zoo and Too Many Jacks brought Jack's hilarious adventures to readers.  Don't miss them.
Barnett, Mac. Jack at Bat; Jack Goes West; Jack at the Zoo; and Too Many Jacks.  Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli.   (Penguin Random House, 2020).
Mac Barnett -- https://www.macbarnett.com/
Greg Pizzoli -- https://www.gregpizzoli.com/

 

My grandson loves his hair cuts - how he has his hair cut (and sometimes dyed) tells him he is awesome;  “I am born to be awesome!”  That is true also of the boy in Cool Cuts by Mechael Renee Roe.  A celebration of diverse and hip hairstyles.  Happy Hair by Mechael Renee Roe shares similar pride accompanied by this book's chorus, "I love being me."
Roe, Mechal Renee. Cool Cuts. Illustrated by Mechal Renee Roe (Doubleday, 2020).
Roe, Mechal Renee. Happy Hair. Illustrated by Mechal Renee Roe (Doubleday, 2019).http://www.lindaskeers.com/
Mechal Renee Roe -- https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2195666/mechal-renee-roe

I have an entire Beatrix Potter guest room in my home.  I love the Victorian illustrations of Potter.  Most of us know of Potter's life in relation to Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny - but in her later years she became a sheep rancher and very involved in saving the English Countryside.  Those efforts are part of her legacy and are all part of the story that Linda Marshall tells about the iconic author.  Don't miss this 2020 title about Beatrix Potter.
Marshall, Linda.  Saving the Countryside: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit. Illustrations by Ilaria Urbinati. Simon & Schuster, 2020.
Linda Marshall -- http://www.lindamarshall.com/
Ilaria Urbinati -- https://ilariaurbinati.com/
Beatrix Potter room - http://bit.ly/BeatrixPotterRoom

Kathleen Krull is an author of many collective biographies, and fun books about people.  But this book, The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America introduced me to a woman that I never knew existed and I certainly did not realize the role she played in FDR's presidency.  She was definitely a groundbreaker and her story is more than worth a read.  Don't miss this one: Krull, Kathleen.  The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America.  Illustrated by Alexandra Bye.  (Atheneum, 2020).
Kathleen Krull -- http://www.kathleenkrull.com/
Alexandria Bye -- https://www.alexandrabye.com/

I have always loved folklore and fables.  Lendler's title, The Fabled Life of Aesop tells the story of Aesop's life and includes a retelling of several of Aesop's fables.  The stories represent a perspective of Aesop's life and range from the well-known to the lesser known fables.  Zagarenski's illustrations are refreshing in that Zagarenski used a traditional watercolor style to illustrate the life of Aesop; but she used a different style for the fables.  The fables are richly illustrated with bright colors, texture, and very symbolic.  A great combination creating interest and freshness on every page.  This book is 64 pages long - a lengthy picture book but certainly worth a read - story by story. Lendler, Ian.  The Fabled Life of Aesop. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. (HMH, 2020).
Ian Lendler -- https://ianlendler.com/
Pamela Zagarenski -- https://www.sacredbee.com/

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (Pen name of Arnold Munk who co-owned the book's first publishing firm, Platt & Munk) was originally published in 1930. Now, 90 years later the book is being reissued with all the original text but with new reimagined art work by Dan Santat, Caldecott Award winner.  The Little Engine That Could is ready for a new generation of readers.
Piper, Watty.  The Little Engine That Could. Illustrated by Dan Santat.  Penguin Random House, 2020.
Watty Piper -- pseud. of Arnold Munk (1888-1957)
Dan Santat -- https://www.dantat.com/

2020 marks the 100th year of women achieving a goal here in the USA, the right to vote.  Elisa Boxer's The Voice That Won the Vote: How One Woman's Words Made History documents the final vote in Tennessee that put the right to vote in the constitution with the ratification of the 19th amendment.  The vote was made by a man (who were the only ones allowed to vote at the time), but he was spurred on by the words of his mother, Febb, who wrote the letter admonishing her son "Vote for suffrage and don't forget to be a good boy."  He did and the 19th amendment was ratified.   Boxer, Elisa.  The Voice That Won the Vote: how One Woman's Words Made History.  Illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger.  Sleeping Bear, 2020.
Elisa Boxer -- http://elisaboxer.com/
Vivien Mildenberger -- https://vivien.mildenberger.com/

And don't miss Ruth Spiro's Baby Loves Political Science: Democracy.  This book was a singular focus in a previous post on this blog at http://bit.ly/spiro-democracy.  
Spiro, Ruth.  Baby Loves Political Science: Democracy! Illustrated by Greg Paprocki (Charlesbridge, 2020).
Blog post - http://bit.ly/spiro-democracy
Ruth Spiro -- https://ruthspiro.com/
Greg Paprocki -- https://gregpaprocki.com/

Many of us loved Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Holiday, 2017).  Now Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrator James E. Ransome has brought us another enlightening look at that era.  Overground Railroad takes place during the great migration when many moved from the South to cities in the north, hoping for better opportunities and a better life. Ruth Ellen narrates her journey as it is  reflected in her reading of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  The pivotal point comes as the train crossed the Delaware River and the curtain that separates the colored car from others is pulled back.  A powerful story without being didactic.
Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Overground Railroad.  Illustrated by James E. Ransome (Holiday, 2020).
Lesa Cline-Ransome -- https://www.lesaclineransome.com/
James E. Ransome -- https://jamesransome.com/

In a book for older readers, Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution, Christiane Doriori introduces readers to Alfred Russel Wallace, a friend of Darwin's and his rival as they both searched for evidence of the process of natural selection.  While this book is intended to help readers know of Wallace's scientific discoveries and his contributions to the body of work in the mid-to-late 1800s.  To me, however, the book is the embodiment of how one's life's events shapes that person's entire life.  A child from a privileged family may not be inspired to "make his own way in life" and their life may be much different than if they had to struggle through life's up and downs.  And Doriori acknowledges that aspect with a final quote from Wallace himself, that says, in part, "[had life been different] it seems very unlikely that I should have ever undertaken what at the time seemed rather a wile scheme..."  But he did undertake a life of travel and collecting and became a respected naturalist and scientist.  For younger readers - share just a few pages a day as an ongoing read.  Tennant's charts and illustrations (especially his butterfly page of Wallace's travels Throughout the Malay Islands) will be throughly inspected for the details Tennant is able to include for the reader.
Dorion, Christiane. Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution.  Illustrated by Harry Tennant.  Candlewick Studio, 2020. 
Christiane Dorion -- http://www.christianedorion.com/
Harry Tennant -- https://harrytennant.co.uk/projects

And while Candace Fleming is on a roll in 2020 with several books Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera, with illustrations by Eric Rohmann (Holiday House/Neal Porter, 2020), and her YA nonfiction The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh (Schwarz & Wade, 2020), I'm anxiously awaiting a third book, (August 2020) Cubs in the Tub.  This book tells the story of Fred and Helen Martini who longed for a baby but as luck would have it they ended up with baby lion and tiger cubs -- in their apartment, specially in their tub.  And eventually when the cubs returned to  the zoo's nursery Helen was along side of them.  Helen became the first woman zookeeper at the Bronx Zoo.  A charming, delightful story of a woman who not only persisted but loved and reveled in that love of animals.  Julie Downing created imaginative and accurate illustrations that are a delight to view.  Knowing the immense research she did to make sure the illustrations depicted life as it was make the book even more interesting.
Fleming, Candace. Cubs in the Tub: The True Story of the Bronx Zoo's First Woman Zookeeper.  Illustrated by Julie Downing.  (Penguin Random House, 2020).
Candance Fleming -- https://www.candacefleming.com/
Julie Downing -- https://www.juliedowning.com/about
Blog post on J. Downing's site about backstory of research - https://bit.ly/downing-cubsinatub

Tate, Don.  William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad. Illustrated by Don Tate (Peachtree, 2020).  

Not yet released but coming Nov. 2020, based on Tate's stellar releases in the past years this book will be a must have.
Don Tate -- https://dontate.com/

And then don't miss these books from the last few months of 2019.

Perkins, Mitali. Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border. Illustrations by Sara Palacios. (Farrar, 2019).Meeting at the border fence dividing California and Mexico a family shares gifts with their grandmother at La Posada. 
Mitali Perkins -- https://www.mitaliperkins.com/
Sara Palacios -- https://www.sarapalaciosillustrations.com/

Macy, Sue.  The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come. Illustrations by Stacy Innerst. (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, 2019).  
Aaron Lansky wanted to save Yiddish literature.  After years of searching and rescuing books from dumpsters, and a myriad of sources, Lansky was able to open the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts.  An inspiring story of one person making a difference. Infor­ma­tion­al and inspir­ing.
Sue Macy - https://www.suemacy.com/
Stacy Innerst -  https://www.stacyinnerst.com/

Maillard, Kevin Noble.  Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story. Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. (Roaring Brook Press, 2019).  Family and friends and sharing food - this book affirms Native traditions and represents the role of generations in cultures.




Kevin Noble Maillard -- https://www.kevinmaillard.com/
 Juana Martinez-Neal -- https://juanamartinezneal.com/

Please note that some of the books reviewed here were sent, for free, by the publisher in exchange for a non-partisan review.  I select review books based on my positive assessment; other books are not reviewed in my media space.

Cite this page as:

McElmeel, Sharron. (2020 June 16) What's not to love - New books for your book shelf.  McBookwords Blog.  Retrieved from https://bit.ly/bookstolove2020.

Now what books during this past year have you liked - we are not limited to picture books.  Early readers, chapter books, non-fiction, information books - all are fair game.  What suggestions do you have?