Hooves or Hands by Rosie Haine

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Would you rather be a horse or a human? An imaginative look at comparing horses and humans and what it might be like to be a horse told through rhythmic text. The color choices in the illustrations reflect the use of imagination as the horses are pink on some pages. The color palette is also limited to primarily pinks, oranges, and blues.

I imagine children would laugh about the line “Stop wherever you are and have a poo…” and the illustrations that show dots for nipples on the half humans, half horses, but I think I would pass on this book.

Sylvie by Jean Reidy

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Sylvie the spider loves the people in her building and one day she notices that something seems wrong. Worried that not everyone appreciates a spider that calls attention to herself, she finds the courage to unite the people in the building. Finally she feels the appreciation and friendship that she has been longing for.

The author also wrote the book, Truman, and Truman the tortoise makes an appearance in this book as well. It was fun to see that tie in. The illustrations in the book are colorful and help tell the story, but the storyline is difficult to follow and requires inferencing.

I am I. M. Pei by Brad Meltzer

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I am I. M. Pei is a part of the Ordinary People Change the World Series by Brad Meltzer. It begins with I. M. Pei’s childhood and is told in the first person. The book is written in a conversational tone and the illustrator, Christopher Eliopoulos includes comic inserts on various pages. There is a lot of text on the pages, but it is broken up with illustrations. As a child, I. M. Pei is drawn as a miniature adult and in the pages where he is an adult, he is much shorter and more childlike than the other adults in the illustrations. This book is only a brief look at his life. The themes of persistence and grit come across throughout the biography. When talking about the renovation of the Louvre, there is a page with a pop-up Louvre. A timeline of his life and pictures of I. M. Pei are included at the end of the book.

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round: My story of the making Martin Luther King Day, by Kathlyn Kirkwood

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A historical novel in verse about an ordinary citizen who becomes a foot soldier in a long battle by many people to create the National Federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Her story begins in Memphis, Tennessee with the sanitation workers’ strike for better working conditions. Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Memphis at the time of his assassination because he was helping this cause. This had a profound effect on the young Kathlyn. These marches were some of the author’s earliest steps in speaking up for a cause which she went back to years later during the attempts in the late 70’s and early 80’s to create a law through Congress to create the national holiday. The poems in the book emphasize the long term commitment to change that was required to build momentum and create a law. And while some of the process required legal action in Congress, much of the process happened because of ordinary citizens. There is a nice visual at the end of the book showing all of the steps required to have a bill become a law. I appreciated the accessibility of the verse style, as well as the bibliography at the end to help readers understand the historical accuracy of her story. This is a verse novel that I expect will get checked out a lot in my library!

Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day

Pride: an inspirational history of the LGBTQ+ movement, by Stella Caldwell

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This book is colorful and bright, full of short, accessible blurbs on the history of LGBTQ+ people and its movements throughout history and around the world. While many of the tidbits in the book are just that – a small bit about a person or event, each is well worth reading as a starter course and jumping off point for further study. I learned a lot while reading this book. And it was fun! Infographics help with some of the information.Modern biographies help merge the history with the now. The book doesn’t shirk from the uglier parts of history, but it also shines with hope and moving forward. I appreciated its multi-ethnic and world view approach. Book includes a glossary of terms, an index, and a list of further resources. This would be an excellent addition to a middle school or high school library.

Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement

Simon at the Art Museum, by Christina Soontornvat

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A young child visits his first art museum with his parents. The things that intrigue Simon aren’t necessarily the art. He notices the the marble floors perfect for sock skating, the pigeons, and the cheesecake. The whole day seems both boring and a bit overwhelming through the eyes of a young child. The illustrations portray a variety of art types and a diverse museum visitors. Simon finally finds a piece of art that speaks to him – a painting of a young red-haired boy chasing pigeons.

Recommended as a field trip teaser or a sweet family day adventure.

Fred’s Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers by Laura Renauld

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Fred’s Big Feelings is a biography for young readers that focuses on Fred Rogers life long commitment to early childhood social-emotional learning. As a child, Fred Rogers was quiet, sad, and often bullied. In high school, through a confidence bolstering friendship, Fred became a leader and experienced how one person can deeply affect the life of another. After he graduated from college, he became involved in the beginnings of community-supported television. His self-appointed mission was to create child appropriate programing that addresses how to recognize and appropriately express feelings.

Through almost 900 episodes and 33 years of programing, Mr. Rogers conveyed the message to children in his parting message each day:

“You always make each day such a special day. You know how? Just by being you! There’s only one person in the whole world like you, and people can like you exactly as you are.” (page 27)

Includes an author’s note with more information about the Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood programming.

Highly Recommended.

Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman

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Inspired by a true story, Padma Venkatraman tells the tale of Kabir, born in jail to a mother who is imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. Because of her low caste, she is treated unfairly and kept in jail an unfair length of time, even if she had been guilty of the theft of which she was accused. When a new warden leans of his age, Kabir is released to the outside world, because he is too old to stay. Kabir has never met his father and is anxious to finally meet him. Released to his uncle, who is really a fraud, Kabir runs away but never loses his dream to find his father and see to it that his beloved mother is released from prison.

Alone in the world, he meets Rani, another street kid who helps him understand the world outside the prison. She also helps him to never lose sight of his goal to free his mother. This is a story with elements of hope, disappointment, sorrow, friendship, and determination. Set in India, it is rich with culture and family dynamics.

Map of Flames by Lisa McMann

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Meet five children, Birdie, Brix, Tenner, Seven, and Cabot, all born to supernatural criminals and all with supernatural powers of their own. Raised by Birdie & Brix’s dad, because the other parents have mysteriously disappeared, the death of their father has the five children leaving their isolated hideout and entering the outside world in search of their mother. Armed with a map with clues to her whereabouts, the five children navigate life in this new, unfamiliar world so unlike the isolated one they lived in until now. Sometimes comical, our young heroes taste pizza for the first time, discover “magical” elevators, and scream in surprise as they have their first experience with flush toilets! This fantasy is the first book in the Forgotten Five series, with the second and final book, “The Invisible Spy” coming out November 8, 2022.

King of Ragtime, The Story of Scott Joplin

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by Stephen Costanza, illustrated by Stephan Costanza

Oversized, rich warm illustrations, chronicling the life of Ragtime musical composer and artist, Scott Joplin. Born in 1868 or 69 in north Texas, to a father who was a slave, Scott was able to tag along with his mother who cleaned wealthy white people’s homes and practice the piano while mother traded for cleaning. He had a natural talent and no one could deny it.

As he become older and more skilled, he began to compose music, riffing from tunes already written and “jazzing” them up. He played at church socials, dances, and the annual Juneteenth celebrations. From there, he went to honkey tonks and ultimately the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Because he was black, he was not allowed to play at the fair, but instead played in the surrounding cafes. Later he worked as a piano teacher and put himself through the George R. Smith College for Negroes. He famously wrote the OOM-pah with syncopated rhythms and called it, “Maple Leaf Rag.” He convinced John Stark to publish it, event though he was an unknown African American composer. It become famous! Just as he did.

The back pages of this book contain rich information about the story of his life in the form of an author’s note. Also Recommended Listening and a Bibliography.