Author Archives: Annette McQueen

Little Red and the Cat Who Loved Cake

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by Barbara Lehman and illustrated by Barbara Lehman

This wordless book is rich in illustrative storytelling The story chronicles a cat’s love of cake and the distress it is experiencing as the cake he sees being baked is obviously not intended for him. He follows Little Red as he goes to visit his grandmother, in hopes of receiving a piece of this cake. Instead, he settles for it in his dreams that night.

The story becomes endearing, at the end, when the author challenges the reader to find 24 lost sheep scattered thougouht the illustrations in the story. After this hunt, it really begins.There are four pages of pictures from the story, which have references to fairy tales or nursery rhymes and the reader is asked to find them Also included, is the full verse to every nursery rhyme and title to every fairy tale referenced. This book is recommend as a tool to open up rich discussion and discovery with a young child or classroom!

Trees

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by Tony Johnston, Illustrated by Tiffany Bozic

Large picture book with artistic pages celebrating the beauty of trees and the natural world. The artwork by Tiffany Bozic is stunning. The words are in prose, like a long poem separated into stanzas or lines on each page. This book would make a beautiful addition to a unit on trees, natural world, earth day, poetry month, or simply to revel in the beauty of the written words and artistic talent.

A nice addition is the last two pages of this book have an author’s note with additional facts and information about trees and forests, including the idea of of nine year old Felix Finkbeiner known as Plant-for-the-Planet. In order to stop global warming, children of all countries could plant one million trees. Also, Illustrators not about trees and Suggestions for Further Reading, and Resources as well as a sweet List of Trees in This Book, including thumbnail pictures.

All Star, How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball

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by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Cannaday Chapman

Larry Doby may be a little known name, but he was the first Black player in the American League, and the second in major-league baseball overall. And, the first Black athlete in Major League Baseball, to hit a home run in the World Series!

Larry Doby was born in South Carolina in 1923, during a time when racism was overt and pervasive. Although he played baseball with all kids of all colors in his neighborhood, they attended segregated schools. As he became an adult athlete, Jackie Robinson, 11 weeks ahead of him, became the first Black athlete in the major leagues. He faced terrible racism. Threats were made against him. Larry was the second Black athlete signed in. Although Larry faced racism by some of his own teammates of the Clevnland Indians team, the team owner Bill Veeck treated him without prejudice or bigotry. While traveling with the teammates, he often couldn’t stay in the same hotels or eat at the same restaurants. Then came the world series where Larry Doby hit the famous home run which propelled his team to championship. A famous picture of him (black) hugging Seve Gromek, (caucasian) was circulated and discussion ensued as these two men look gleeful and joyful in each other’s embrace. Although change has been slow, we have come a long way and continue to grow and change. To date of this publication, the Cleveland Indians have yet to rename their team.

Just Help, How to Build a Better World

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by Sonia Sotomayor, Illustrated by Angela Dominguez

This lovely picture book story, with simple yet bold illustrations, is Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s childhood family memories. Her family worked to be productive and contributing citizens of the United States. Each morning when Sonia work up, her mother would as her, “How will you help, today?” Her parents both contributed to the community both through their work and their generosity of time, spirit, and material items. Sonia helped gather items to be shipped to soldiers overseas, items to be donated to the hospital, and helped her mother remind all people in their neighborhood to vote.

This books calls us home, to our duty, as citizens of the United States of America, to have compassion, care, work ethic and contributing to our community, as part of our daily lives.

Wildfire!

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by Ashley Wolff, illustrated by Ashley Wolff

Rich, acrylic paint illustrates the beauty and fragility of our forests. Our story begins with a buck noticing a small fire and spreading the news throughout the forest and to the other animals who in kind alert others. Soon the humans in the look out tower spot the fire, as well. Airplanes with fire retardant come to make their drop. The animals all work to flee, while human wild land firefighters come to battle the blaze. By the end of the battle, all are exhuasted and life resumes after the fire is out.

In the back of the book are an Author’s Note regarding the history of forest fires and what we can do to prevent them. And how this problem is being exacerbated by climate change. It also has Firefighting Terms, Firefighting tools, and additional sources. This books is recommended reading, teaching and learning about the realities of forest fires.

Sharuko, Peruvian Archaeologist, Julio C. Tello

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written by: Monica Brown and Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri

This beautifully illustrated, bilingual book has one page written in Spanish and the opposing page written in English. Spanish is the native language of Julio C. Tello, the main character in our story with the setting in the country of Peru. The story begins with the background history of Peru, bluntly and truthfully explaining the brutal invasion of Spain in the 1500s and the extermination attempt of the indigenous people’s and culture of Peru. Our main character grew up understanding the historya nd stories of his people and his respect and intellect will eventually help to tell the story of this ancient civilization.

As a young child Julio lives in the countryside and plays with courage in the tombs of his ancestors. His father sent the skulls to the city to be scientifically studied. At age 12 he moves to Lima with the financial assistance of his aunt, who was a maid for the presidential palace. Here he becomes educated. He went on to study medicine at the University of San Marcos. While working in the library, he came across an article about the skulls that he and his brothers found and his father had sent in to be studied. He decided to devote his medical skills to studying the Indigenous History of Peru. He went to America to attend Harvard University and study Archaeology, and then back to Lima Peru to work in the Museum of Natural History in Lima, Peru. He was able to prove that Peruvian people had originated from their own soil over 3,000 years ago. He went on to discover a group called, the Paracas who were over 25,000 years ago! Because of Julio, Peruviasns have discovered and told the world of their history. It began much earlier than the Spanish Conquest.

In Our Garden

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By Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Melissa Crowton

From a small idea to a rooftop garden, our mail character Miller sees her vision through to the end. She has recently moved to a big city from another country, where they used to grow their own food. She is inspired to work with her teacher and classmates to build a roof top garden, It took patience and hard work, but she didn’t give up. The whole community helps and shares the labors, building the beds, planting seeds and harvesting!

Darling pictures which feature students and staff in the community and school as varying ethnicity coming together as one~

I am Courage: A Book of Resilience by Susan Verde

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I am Courage is a must read, for any age, with its universal themes of learning to believe in ourselves and face what challenges us, including our fears. But this time, the life lesson is to do it together! The star character, a young girl, learns that courage is not the absence of fear, but the strength to try new and difficult things, or to stand up for others, even and especially when we are afraid. Simple, uplifting messages are skillfully illustrated showing children who find courage to keep riding even after they stumble, who share doubts with friends, and who always get up and try again whenever they fall. The book includes an appendix with multiple, easy to use techniques for calming ourselves with breath exercises and gathering strength with yoga poses. Children and adults alike can incorporate the simple messages to decrease stress and increase courage. I am Courage motivates and the illustrations inspire us all to cultivate resilience by kindly encouraging ourselves and leaning on each other. This way we can share our inner worries and triumphs, and others can share with us, leading to the creation of a stronger community together. A wonderful addition to any social and emotional learning collection, this book can be read again and again. 

Where Three Oceans Meet by Rajani Larocca

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Where the Oceans Meet is an endearing tale of an intergenerational road trip seen through the eyes of a young girl who has traveled with her mother to Southern India to visit her Paati (grandmother). The story symbolically braids together three generations, living oceans apart, who take a trip to visit special friends and places as they eat their way through Southern India heading for the tip of the country where three oceans meet. Highlights abound of a beautiful land full of whimsical patterns in fabrics, foods and gardens. The immigrant experience of a generation returning to their homeland is vividly expressed through illustrations where you feel the love, traditions and intimate relationships regardless of time and distance apart. The book includes a brightly illustrated map bringing to life the route, colorful places and local foods, including boiled peanuts carefully wrapped in folded newspaper cones. Any student who has ventured to visit new places, together with family, will relate to the unexpected and in between moments that accentuate a road trip and fill us all with lasting memories.

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water

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By Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee’ Watson, Illustrated by nikkolas Smith

Immediately drawn to this book with the “1619 Project” in the title, I was delighted with the beautiful poems which make up the content of the book. Each poem is thoughtful, of content, vocabulary, rhythm and true to the story of the African American plight in the time of slavery. Vacillating between hope and joy and fear and loss, this book delivers many emotions and helps the ready to understand the feelings of the Africans during this dark chapter of United States history. The reader is taken on the journey from the contented villages of Africa, over the dangerous and deadly ocean, to the new world.

The story begins with a simple school assignment. Students are asked to trace their roots. The young girls asks her grandmother about their family story, but feels ashamed. The grandmother tells her the whole story, with poetry throughout the book, until the girl realizes she has so much to feel proud of.

The term “born on the water” refers to the people who were stolen from their homes, endured the hardship of the crossing of the ocean in the horrific ships, and landed on shore with a new life. Not the one they had been born to, but a new one they had been forced into.

Minus the illustrations, these poems heard by middle schoolers, would be a powerful read by a teacher or parent. The illustrations are bold acrylic, and the artists has a style which is easily recognized from other books. Although this style of art is not what I would have chosen for this poetry book, I honor the authenticity of the illustrator and recognize his talent and many successes.