24/31 It's Monday - Reading and SOLC

“I can’t write without a reader. It’s precisely like a kiss—you can’t do it alone.” 

― John Cheever

          Happy Reading everyone! Day Twenty-Four of the Slice of Life Challenge at Two Writing Teachers!

           Tweet at #SOL14  

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS, and shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.   

         And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews.  Great books shared!

           Tweet! at #IMWAYR

                    Here are my reviews of two books for Non-fiction Picture Book Wed. at Alyson Beecher’s Kid Lit Frenzy, including another book about a librarian!

         The following book meets the 2014Latin@s in Kid Lit Reading Challenge – the link to find out about it is HERE or the right sidebar. Even if you don't join the challenge, there are terrific posts and connections to books you may not know about.

Tomás and The Library Lady – written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Raul Colón

           It’s not easy to keep connections when you have to move two times a year to 

follow crops, as the family in this story does. They’re in Texas in the winter, Iowa in the summer. The story is based on the true experiences of Tomás Rivera, who became a university professor, a writer and an education leader in his life. The Univ. of CA at Riverside library is now named after him. Tomás loved stories, and loved listening to his grandpa tell them. One day his grandpa told him to go to the library to read more stories so that he could come home and tell different stories to the family. Tomás did, and found a kind librarian who fed him books and books and more books. It’s another wonderful story about a librarian who makes a difference in someone’s life, showing Tomas often getting lost in the stories. These particular pages are made even more wonderful with Colón’s beautiful woodcut illustrations of this reader’s imagination as he reads. It’s a very sweet story.

 more picture books - these loaned by my book buddy

Art From Her Heart: Folk Artist Clementine Hunter – Kathy Whitehead, Illustrations by

Shane W. Evans

          When I read stories like this, I wonder how many other ‘hidden’ artists have been or are out there, working away in less than ideal circumstances, rarely found. Clementine Hunter was fortunate in one way, the planation for which she worked was a haven for artists, and one time a visiting artist left some supplies. Clementine asked if she could have them, and that is when one of the writers discovered her talent & helped her with supplies and later with promoting her work. Her work is famous for capturing so well the plantation life of the times right after the Civil War. The illustrations by Shane E. Evans are beautiful pictures of those times, and of some of Clementine’s work. There is one page of examples of some of her paintings and more information in the back matter. The art itself of both Evans and Clementine Hunter is beautiful to see, but the story of someone so passionate that she worked all day, then did art late into the night is inspiring and another look at how people persevere when they are passionate.

Winston of Churchill – written by Jean Davies Okimoto, & illustrated by Jeremiah Trammell.

         I saw this review last week, commented about it, and my book friend brought it to me! It’s quite wonderful, an excellent beginning to introducing global warming to younger students! Actually, it includes parts of another book, a non-fiction explanation of how global warming works: from the Let’s Read and Find Out Science Series, Why Are The Ice Caps Melting? The Dangers of Global Warming by Anne Rockwell, illustrations by Paul Meisel.  In addition, it includes history, because Winston of Churchill used more than one inspirational quote from the famous Winston Churchill. The book follows a group of bears who prepare for a demonstration to tourists who have traveled far to see them. When they don’t find them from the tour bus, they become disgruntled, but finally they discover a group of sign-toting bears who protest too much Carbon Dioxide, too much garbage, too few trees planted, etc. The resolution is uncertain, but the biggest message is clear: “We must all do our part, no matter how small.”

Myterious Thelonious – written and illustrated by Chris Raschka

        I’m not sure I can describe this book, but if you like jazz, and Thelonious Monk, you will love it! Chris Raschka has combined the 12 musical tones of the chromatic scale with the 12 color values of the color wheel to attempt a harmony between the two. The book’s words are arranged like jazz, and when reading, I found I needed to relax and go with the flow, which is unusual, yet brilliant. I could almost hear the piano in the background! You readers will have to see the book, for older students who both love music and creating outside the box, as Thelonious Monk did!

Going Places – written by Peter H. Reynolds and Paul A. Reynolds and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

              There are lots of things to love about this new book by Peter H. Reynolds and his brother, Paul A. Reynolds. One of them is the dedication, to their 10^th grade social studies teacher, who dared everyone to be original! The story tells about the excitement of the Go-Kart kits each given to a class member to prepare for the coming race. Rafael is so excited, he loves following directions and building things. After finishing, he checks on his neighbor, Maya’s progress and finds that she has a few new ideas, after pausing to watch and sketch a bird. Rafael is open to new ideas, and I won’t give away the ending, but it is a good surprise, and bit ‘out of this world’! The illustrations are the usual bright and colorful ones from Peter Reynolds, filling the page with scene after scene of busy, happy kids.

And a wonderful one found at a sale! 

Rooster’s Off to see the World – written and illustrated by Eric Carle

            I found this book on a sale table, and of course snapped it up. (Eric Carle!) Saturday, my youngest granddaughter spent the day with me, and I got to read it to her. She’ll be three this summer, can already count past ten, so it was perfect. A rooster is lonely and wants to go for a walk. Along the way he meets a few animals and invites them to come along. It’s a counting book with beautiful full-of-life colorful collages (Eric Carle) and a repeat book. First there are two cats, then three frogs, then four turtles, and so on. My granddaughter caught on quickly and loved it. When we finished and said so long to every one, she wanted to start again.  Very fun book!

Next: Still reading The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch. It really is good, but just haven’t had a lot of time!

           Still waiting, Paper Boy, by Vince Vawter, and now, ta-da, Gae Polisner’s The Summer of Letting Go just arrived! It’s certainly time for spring break (next week)!