Book Review: The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates and Juniper Bates

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The Big Umbrella cover imageA rainy-day conversation between a mom and her preteen daughter led the two of them to collaborate on a picture book called The Big Umbrella, which uses the metaphor of a red umbrella to show how people of all types can be welcome when taking shelter together.

Amy June Bates is an illustrator who worked with her daughter, Juniper, to develop the story. It starts off with an umbrella by a door and a child taking it to go out in the rain. We don’t see a face, only rain boots and a raincoat. Soon the child welcomes others under the umbrella: an athlete, a ballerina, creatures that are tall and hairy, someone in plaid, a dog, and some birds.

As many more take shelter, the umbrella grows and stretches to keep them all dry. Not until the end, when the sun comes out, do we see people of multiple ethnicities, physical abilities, ages, and more emerge from the shelter of the umbrella and mingle together as they go about their daily lives.

The Big Umbrella carries a message of inclusivity, one that children often understand intuitively before they start to notice the existence of prejudice. Parents can use it to start their own conversations with children about acceptance of all types of people.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Boggart Fights Back by Susan Cooper

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The Boggart Fights Back cover imageWhen twins Allie and Jay Cameron accompany their father on a trip to his hometown in Scotland, they are wowed by the seals in the loch, Castle Keep on a little island, and the beauty of the village where their grandfather lives. But trouble is also in the air, caused by a man called Trout, a mega-rich real estate developer who has his eyes on the town for a new hotel resort and golf course.

The Camerons try to stop Trout by appealing to the local planning commission, but they have little hope until they discover that two of the ancient things, a magical being called the Boggart and his cousin Nessie, have decided to help them out.

The old legends of Scottish magical beings meld with a modern-day fight to keep a way of life and a place pristine and peaceful in Susan Cooper’s The Boggart Fights Back. The Boggart and his cousin like nothing more than to play tricks, but Trout is used to dealing with resistance from the locals. He simply puts more money and people into his project so the work will go faster. To change Trout’s mind, the Boggart will need the help of other magical beings.

A parable for our times, The Boggart Fights Back champions the old ways and the underdog. I recommend it for readers aged 9 to 12.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Isabella for Real by Margie Palatini

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Isabella for Real cover imageIsabella is in a pickle. When she started at a fancy new private school her new friends thought she was secretly someone rich and famous, and she went along with their misperception. Then videos her cousin took of her family’s real life went viral, and her friends discovered the truth. Over the course of one day she will try to make things right while dodging the media, relying on her old best friend, and getting help from her crush.

Isabella for Real by Margie Palatini is a cute look at how a little fib can spiral into something larger, especially these days when home videos can go viral and the whole world can see what’s real. Isabella is part of a large Italian-American family of several generations that lives on the same block in New Jersey. The eccentric characters are endearing, if sometimes hard to follow. The cast of characters illustrations at the end help readers keep everyone straight.

Graphic novel-like scenes with illustrations by LeUyen Pham provide fun breaks to the narrative while keeping the story moving along. Isabella for Real is a quick, fun read for ages 9 to 12. And don’t be surprised if it leaves you wanting to try all kinds of eggplant dishes, perfect for planning a book club meal.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Libba by Laura Veirs

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Libba cover imageElizabeth Cotten was a self-taught musician who learned to play the guitar upside down and backwards, as she was left handed. While she composed her first song at the age of 13, she didn’t start performing or receive recognition for her work until she was a grandmother. Laura Veirs tells the story of this woman who loved making music in a picture book called Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten.

Today, Libba Cotten is most known for the folk song, “Freight Train,” which became an international hit in the 1950s and is still revered today. Cotten’s path to performing took a winding route, from her poor upbringing in North Carolina, to family life and domestic jobs, to a chance encounter with a musician who hired her as a housekeeper. Although Libba didn’t play guitar for decades, she never lost her love of making music.

As illustrator, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh captures the somber tone of Libba’s life while infusing a sense of musicality and quiet joy into the drawings. An author’s note at the back gives more information about Libba’s life as well as suggestions for places to find more information.

Author Viers, herself an acclaimed singer songwriter, talks about her own history with “Freight Train,” her surprise at discovering the story of the woman who wrote it, and her desire to tell that story. Libba is a story of serendipity, triumph, and an unwavering commitment to producing art to soothe the soul.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Boo-Boos That Changed The World by Barry Wittenstein

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Boo-Boos cover imageBand-Aids are such a big part of everyday life it’s hard to imagine a time when they didn’t exist. But in 1917, when Earle Dickson married Josephine Knight, the only way to deal with a cut or scrape was to hold a towel to it until it stopped bleeding. And since Josephine was accident prone, she used a lot of towels.

Barry Wittenstein photo

Author Barry Wittenstein

Earle, who worked for a cotton buyer, came up with the brilliant idea of putting gauze on a piece of tape that Josephine could apply with one hand. Recognizing that his new invention could help others too, he took it to his boss and suggested they manufacture a version to sell.

The story of how Band-Aids began is told in Barry Wittenstein’s picture book, The Boo-Boos That Changed The World: A True Story About an Accidental Invention (Really). What seems to be a simple story feels fun and whimsical as Wittenstein tells it. Several times he declares it’s THE END of the tale, only to say there’s more to it. And indeed there was, as Band-Aids didn’t catch on right away. It took perseverance and giving out lots of free samples, especially to Boy Scouts, before people began to see how useful they could be.

Boo-Boos interior illustrationIllustrations by Chris Hsu are evocative of the early 1900s when the events took place, and they match the fun and playful tone of the story. An author’s note at the back along with an Earle Dickson timeline and list of other medical inventions from the era provide interesting information about this true story. There’s also a Learn More Page with suggestions for website and videos to encourage further exploration.

The Boo-Boos That Changed the World tells a story rich in history but also relevant to daily lives today. It’s the kind of picture book that will be pulled off the shelf for rereading over and over again.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: My U.S.A. Road Trip! by I See Me!

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My USA Road Trip cover imageThe U.S.A. Road Trip! picture book and map from I See Me! publications lets adventurous kids learn more about the U.S. and what can be found in the different states. And since pages throughout the book can be personalized with the child’s name, young readers can have fun looking for their name while checking out the cute illustrations. Parents can personalize gender, skin tone and hair type for the child depicted in the book.

The review copy I received was personalized for Oregon, where I live, and the Oregon page featured the state flag, state flower, state bird, and a map outline with the capital city highlighted. The last pages include a listing of all states along with an image of the state flag and facts about each capital, flower and bird. There’s also a box that can be checked off as a record of when the child visits a state.

The scratch off map that comes with the book includes more info, and it’s a fun way to learn either along with the book or as a travel companion. If you like personalized books for your child, the publisher offers lots more titles at its website: iseeme.com.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Eruptions and Explosions by Judy Dodge Cummings

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Eruptions and Explosions cover imageEruptions are a part of nature, while explosions often result from man-made mistakes. Judy Dodge Cummings highlights five outbursts that had major impact on the world in Eruptions and Explosions: Real Tales of Violent Outbursts, a title in the Mystery & Mayhem series.

Each chapter tells an incredible story, giving details that sound more like fiction than real life. Those stories include the eruption of Mt. Tambora in 1815, an event that changed climate for several years and led to famine, a steamboat explosion that took the lives of Civil War prisoners of war headed home, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, and the blowout at the Deep Horizon oil rig.

In each human-caused explosion, Cummings discusses the personal errors and hubris that led to the disaster. It’s a sober reminder of how quickly things can go wrong when elements of mass destruction are involved.

I highly recommend Eruptions and Explosions as well as the whole series for anyone who loves to read true stories about people and events in the distant and recent past.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: This Is Not a Valentine by Carter Higgins

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This Is Not a Valentine cover imageA young boy wants his friend to know that he cares about her, so he gives her gifts he knows she will like, all the while saying, “This is not a valentine,” because of course valentines mean love, and love is serious stuff.

But what he does mean is that he likes her enough to notice what makes her happy. And those things include a ring from the grocery store with a stone to match her shoelaces, and daffodil puffs to wish upon, and half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and the perfect hiding spot for playing hide-and-seek.

The sentiments expressed in This Is Not a Valentine, a picture book by Carter Higgins with illustrations by Lucy Ruth Cummins, are sweet and thoughtful, especially at the end, when the girl recognizes the value of having the boy as a friend and so starts to hang out with him at school and on the bus.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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