Picture Book - The Forest Man: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Anne Matheson

Illustrated by Kay Widdowson 

found at Amelia Givin Library

2020 FlowerPot Press

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.80 - 60 ratings

My rating:  4
Endpapers:  Simple.  White with one-inch yellow grid lines.

1^st line/s:  "Jadev Payeng loves trees."

My comments:  Someone called this "a treat for the eyes" and I agree.  How one person took two hours traveling back and forth for forty years to replant and recreate a decimated forest island in India.  The last six pages told of animals, easy-to-follow further facts, and a great glossary.  Perfect for younger classes learning about biomes, or for any age that cares about making the world a better place, and growing trees.

Jadav Payeng

Goodreads:  After years of harsh monsoon seasons, a forest on the river island of Majuli is in danger of being slowly washed away. Jadav, a boy living on the island, is determined to save the forest he loves.

          This is the true story of how one young boy dedicated his life to creating and cultivating an expansive forest that continues to grow to this day. In a world impacted by climate change, Jadav Payeng's inspirational story shows how one person's contributions can make a difference in helping to save our environment.
          Featuring a beautiful arlin paper cover with foil text enhancements and educational back matter including a glossary, fun facts, and resources for further reading, this book introduces a new understanding of our planet and encourages mindfulness and action when it comes to caring for the environment.
          In partnership with Trees for the Future (TREES), each book sold plants a tree.

Picture Book - Two Brothers, Four Hands: The Artists Alberto and Diego Giacometti by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Illustrated by Hadley Hooper

2019, Neal Porter Books, Holiday House

HC $ 21.99

64 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.82 - 168 ratings

My rating:  4
Endpapers:  Deepblue

1^st line/s:  1901 - 1918  "In the Swiss village of Stampa, surrounded by mountains so high that in winter their shadows fill the valley, live two brothers."

My comments:  This is the way I like to read history and biography....in a well researched picture book!  I've seen Alberto Giacometti's sculptures before, but didn't even attribute a name to them.  So this informative, easy-to-read picture book was perfect for me.  And although I was not super thrilled with the illustrations, they did tell the story of the two brothers well.

Goodreads:   The inspiring true story of the Giacometti brothers, one an artist, the other a daredevil, both devoted to their craft . . . but even more devoted to each other.
          Everyone who knew them agreed. Alberto was the genius of the family. His younger brother Diego was his opposite--he didn't care much for books or schoolwork, and he had no idea what he would be when he grew up. But despite their differences, the two brothers shared an intense bond.
          Alberto Giacometti became one of the iconic artists of the twentieth century, whose tall, spindly sculptures grace the collections of museums around the world. Diego was always at his side, helping and encouraging, and in his spare time creating remarkable pieces of furniture, works of sculpture in their own right.
          The poignant story of brothers and sculptors Alberto and Diego Giacometti is skillfully brought to life in the hands of multiple Sibert Honor authors Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, and the spectacular artwork of Hadley Hooper.
          This lavishly illustrated 64-page book includes extensive backmatter, complete with a timeline, source notes, photographs, and an essay on how to look at a Giacometti sculpture.
A Horn Book Best Book of the Year
A Washington Post Best Children's Book of the Year

Picture Book - Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and his Muse by Alexandria Giardino

Illustrated by Felicita Sala

2018 Cameron Kids, Petaluma, CA

HC $17.95

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.27 - 128 ratings

My rating:  5 Love, love, love...
Endpapers: Thick ONION SKIN!

1^st line/s:  "Pablo was hard at work, writing a long, sad poem.  His pen whirled.  the pages piled high."

My comments: Within this very cool picture book is the story of a friendship/relationship, how to begin thinking about a poem, and beautiful words.  It ends with Neruda's actual "ode to the Onon" (in both English and Spanish!) and a paragraph about Pablo and Matilde's relationship.  Outstanding biography!

Goodreads: A poetic, beautifully illustrated picture book inspired by Ode to the Onion by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904–1973).  Pablo has a lunch date with his friend Matilde, who shows the moody poet her garden. Where Pablo sees conflict and sadness, Matilde sees love and hope. The story is less a biography of Neruda and his muse, Matilde Urrutia (1912–1985), and more a simple ode to a vegetable that is humble and luminous, dark and light, gloomy and glad, full of grief and full of joy—just like life.
A Junior Library Guild Selection.

Picture Book Biography - Yayoi Kusama From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki

Illustrated by Ellen Weinstein
with reproductions of works by Yayoi Kusama

2017, Museum of Modern Art, NY

HC $19.95
Not in Cumberland County Library system, Interlibrary Loan from Dauphin County

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.82 - 182 ratings

My rating:  4
Endpapers:  The title page is the opening endpaper and the copyright information and list of MOMA trustees is the ending endpaper.

1^st line/s:  "Yayoi Kusama was born in the country of Japan, on the island of Honshu, in a town called Matsumoto City."

My comments: Although the author says "She is widely considered to be the most popular artist in the world,"  I was completely unaware of Yayoi Kusama and her work!  I feel like a have a pretty decent grip on art and artists, but this has shown me that I have to check out more contemporary artists.  This is the story of her artistic life -born in 1929 in Japan, moved to NYC in the 1950's, and still going strong today, She is famous for her dots and squiggles, installations, and even fabric.  The text of the book was pretty basic, and I didn't get any sense of time, and none was mentioned.  When I read, "It was her first airplane trip.  There were only four other passengers, and the weather was stormy, with rain and lightning.  The airplane wobbled and dipped as it flew to America." I was like....what? ..... until reading the added bibliographic information at the end I realized this would have been in the 1950s.  No sense of that from the text, or even illustrations.The illustrations are pretty cool, and the reproductions of actual work are a great addition to the story.

Goodreads:  Growing up in the mountains of Japan, Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) dreamed of becoming an artist. One day, she had a vision in which the world and everything in it—the plants, the people, the sky—were covered in polka dots. She began to cover her paintings, drawings, sculptures, and even her body with dots. As she grew up, she traveled all around the world, from Tokyo to Seattle, New York to Venice, and brought her dots with her. Different people saw these dots in different ways—some thought they were tiny, like cells, and others imagined them enormous, like planets. Every year, Kusama sees more of the world, covering it with dots and offering people a way to experience it the way she does.
           Written by Sarah Suzuki, a curator at The Museum of Modern Art, and featuring reproductions of Kusama’s instantly recognizable artworks, this colorful book tells the story of an artist whose work will not be complete until her dots cover the world, from here to infinity

Picture Book Biography - Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock

Illustrated by John O'Brien

2013, Calkins Creek, An Imprint of Highlights, Honesdale, PA

HC $16.95

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.23 - 738 ratings

My rating:  4.5
Endpapers:  Solid Rust

1^st line/s:  "Thomas learned to read.  And then, he never stopped.  He sat and he read.  He walked and he read.  Any lying in bed, instead of sleeping, her read."

My comments: The only reason I rated down .5 was because the wonderfully interesting facts and quotes, written in little books placed on different parts of the page, were written in such teeny, tiny font that you almost didn't read them.  They were great, and read well along with the text of the story.  The Author's Note at the end DID address Thomas Jefferson as a slaveholder, which was another positive.  A truly fascinating look at history, and the life and obsession of a favorite politician and historical figure.

Goodreads:  As soon as Thomas Jefferson learned to read, he found his passion: books, books, and more books! Before, during, and after the American Revolution, Jefferson collected thousands of books on hundreds of subjects. In fact, his massive collection eventually helped rebuild the Library of Congress—now the largest library in the world. Barb Rosenstock’s rhythmic words and John O’Brien’s whimsical illustrations capture Jefferson’s passion for the written word as well as little-known details about book collecting. Author and artist worked closely with experts to create the first picture book on Jefferson’s love of reading, writing, and books. An author’s note, bibliography, and source notes for quotations are also included.

Picture Book Biography - The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse by Patricia MacLachlan

Illustrated by Hadley Hooper

2014, Roaring Book Pres/ A Neal Porter Book

HC $17.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.06 - 1586 ratings

My rating:  4.5
Endpapers:  bright, solid orange-red

1^st line/s:  The book appears to all be one sentence!!!!   "If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France where the skies were gray/ And the days were cold/ And you wanted color and light/ And sun, / And your mother, to brighten your days,/ Painted plates to hang on the walls/ With picture of meadows and trees,/ Rivers and birds, ...."

My comments: Patricia MacLachlan, one of my favorite authors, has written a simple book about Henri Matisse and where his artistic inspiration came from.  Hadley Hooper has used simple, beautiful illustrations to accentuate the story that MacLachlan tells.  This book is totally charming, especially if you are an admirer of Matisse's art.  Yup, he's also one of my favorites...

Goodreads:  If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France, what would your life be like? Would it be full of color and art? Full of lines and dancing figures?
          Find out in this beautiful, unusual picture book about one of the world's most famous and influential artists by acclaimed author and Newbery Medal-winning Patricia MacLachlan and innovative illustrator Hadley Hooper.

Picture Book Biography - A Stroll with Mr. Gaudi by Pau Estrada

Illustrated by the author

2013, Editorial Juventud

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.40 - 25 ratings

My rating:  5
Endpapers:  Solid corally-red

1^st line/s:  "Mr. Gaudi leaves home early for work, as he does every morning."

My comments: What's not to like about this beautifully illustrated biography of Antoni Gaudi?  This one tells of one life of "Mr. Gaudi" as an elderly gentleman, touring the city of Barcelona and checking up on his current building projects.  We learn so much about his personality ... his daydreaminess, his eccentric building ideas, his "different" way of planning, his dreams of the future.  We also learn that the people of the time did NOT like his architecture!  The story is interesting and gives us a real feel for the man.  The illustrations are amazing, not only are the grand buidling uniquely drawn, but the whimsical illustrations of the people are a lot of fun to peruse.  A keeper!  The three pages of "afterward" are full of facts and interesting to read as well.

Goodreads:  There is no summary on Goodreads!

Picture Book Biography - Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre by Anika Aldamuy Denise

Illustrated by Paola Escobar

2019, Harper Collins

HC $17.99

32pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.42 - 790 ratings

My rating:  5
Endpapers:  These are the BEST - Candles, Daisies, Mouse groom and Cockroach bride from her stories, books, all on page sage green..
..

1^st line/s:  "It is 1921.  Pura Teresa Belpre leaves her home in San Juan for a visit to Nueva York."

My comments: Pura Belpre, whose name I know because of the awards given yearly in her memory, moved from Puerto Rico to New York City when she was 22 years old. Speaking three languages - Spanish, English, and French - she was hired to work in the library. When she realized there were no book in Spanish, and no stories like the ones she'd always heard her grandmother tell, she began to share the stories during storytime, along with puppets she made. Wonderful story. I particularly like the folky illustrations, I'd love to have some fabric that looks like the endpapers!

Goodreads:  Follow la vida y legado of Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City.
          When she came to America in 1921, Pura carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular stories into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and cuentistas continue to share her stories and celebrate Pura’s legacy.
          This portrait of the influential librarian, author, and puppeteer reminds us of the power of storytelling and the extraordinary woman who opened doors and championed bilingual literature.

Picture Book Biography - The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow

Illustrated by Steven Salerno
Biography of Edwin Binney

2019, Houghton Mifflin

HC $17.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.35 - 365 ratings

My rating:  4
Endpapers:  many colored pencils without wrappers going horizontally on the page

1^st line/s:  "Once there was a man who saw color EVERYWHERE."

My comments: Another good picture book biography!  Great illustrations.

Goodreads:  Celebrating the inventor of the Crayola crayon! This picture book biography tells the story of Edwin Binney, the inventor of one of the world's most beloved stationary supplies. 
           purple mountains’ majesty, mauvelous, jungle green, razzmatazz…
          What child doesn't love to hold a crayon in their hands?  But children didn't always have such magical boxes of crayons. Here’s the true story of an inventor who so loved nature’s vibrant colors that he found a way to bring the outside world to children – in a box for only a nickel!

PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY - Papa is a Poet: A Story About Robert Frost by Natalie S. Bober

Illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

2013 Henry Holt & Company

OP/ only available in Kindle

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.21 - 313 ratings

My rating:  4
Endpapers:  deep solid orange

My comments:  Text rich biography of Frost, perfect for middle elementary grades, especially as a read aloud to include with the study of some of Frost's poetry. The story, told by Frost's daughter as a child, give some wonderful insight into Robert Frost as a boy and father, not just as the older poet we see in photos.  The story is followed by two pages of Author's Notes, which give a little more information, as well as eleven of Frost's poems in their entirety:  The Road Not Taken, The Las Word of a Bluebird, Flower Gathering, The Pasture, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, A Hillside Thaw, Dust of Snow, Nothing Gold Can Stay, Birches, October, The Runaway, and Mending Wall.

Goodreads:  When Robert Frost was a child, his family thought he would grow up to be a baseball player. Instead, he became a poet. His life on a farm in New Hampshire inspired him to write “poetry that talked,” and today he is famous for his vivid descriptions of the rural life he loved so much. There was a time, though, when Frost had to struggle to get his poetry published. Told from the point of view of Lesley, Robert Frost’s oldest daughter, this is the story of how a lover of language found his voice.

PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY - Her Fearless Run by Kim Chaffee

Kathrine Switzer''s Historic Boston Marathon
Illustrated by Ellen Rooney

2019, Page Street Kids, Salem, MA

HC $17/99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.57 - 130 ratings

My rating:  5
Endpapers:  Eggplant

1^st line/s:   ""Pat, pat, pat.  The summer sun beat down on twelve-year-old Kathrine.  She held out her piece of chalk and marked the tree as she ran past again.  Two laps to go."

My comments:  Another picture book biography winner!  As a young woman in 1967, Kathrine Switzer was the first female to run the Boston Marathon. Not only is this an inspiring book for girls of today, but eye-opening for adults that it wasn't so long ago that women were being denied such basic opportunities.

Goodreads:  Kathrine Switzer changed the world of running. This narrative biography follows Kathrine from running laps as a girl in her backyard to becoming the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with official race numbers in 1967.

Picture Book Biography - Michelangelo by Diane Stanley

Illustrated by the author

Copyright, publisher

2000, Harper Collins

48 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.15 - 594 ratings

My rating:  4+

Endpapers:  Deep eggplant)

1^st line/s:  "Lodovico Buonarroti was a proud man from a respectable old family.  He owned a house in Florence and had a little farm in the country.  But for the past few generations, things had been going downhill for the Buonarroti family.  The weren't exactly poor, but they had to be very careful with their money."

My comments: Although too text-heavy for young children, this is a wonderful biography to use with 3rd-4th-5th graders, and the illustrations are simply wonderful.  Each double page spread includes a lovely colored illustrations and a full page of text. I don't appreciate adult-level biographies, but this was a perfect biography for me, so don't discount it for adults as well!  Fascinating man!

Goodreads: When he was born, Michelangelo Buonarroti was put into the care of a stonecutter's family. He often said it was from them that he got his love of sculpture. It certainly didn't come from his own father, a respectable magistrate who beat his son when he asked to become an artists apprentice.
          But Michelangelo persevered. His early sculptures caught the attention of Florence's great ruler, Lorenzo de' Medici, who invited the boy to be educated with his own sons. Soon after, Michelangelo was astonishing people with the lifelike creations he wrested from marble--from the heartbreaking Pieta he sculpted when he was only twenty-five to the majestic David that brought him acclaim as the greatest sculptor in Italy.
          Michelangelo had a turbulent, quarrelsome life. He was obsessed with perfection and felt that everyone--from family members to his demanding patrons--took advantage and let him down. His long and difficult association with Pope Julius II yielded his greatest masterpiece, the radiant paintings in the Sistine Chapel, and his most disastrous undertaking, the monumental tomb that caused the artist frustration and heartache for forty years.
           With her thoroughly researched, lively narrative and superbly detailed illustrations, Diane Stanley has captured the life of an artist who towered above the late Renaissance--and whose brilliance in architecture, painting, and sculpture amazes and moves us to this day.

Picture Book Biography - Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson

Biography of Carter G. Woodson
Illustrated by Don Tate

2019 Peachtree Publishers

HC $17.95

36 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.24 - 156 ratings

My rating:  4

Endpapers:  Line drawings of 27 noteworthy Black Americans
Includes a list of 43 black Americans with their dates, a timeline of Woodson's life, a full author's note and illustrator's note, and a long list of resources and bibliographic information.

1^st line/s:  "Each February we celebrate Black History Month.  It's a time to honor heroes like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King.  But there's one hero we sometimes forget.  Carter G. Woodson didn't help people escape from slavery, start a bus strike, or lead a movement of millions.  Yet without him, we might not have Black History Month.  This is his story."

My comments:  A great read aloud to introduce Carter G. Woodson to elementary students.  Great information and lovely illustrations.

Goodreads:  “Carter G. Woodson didn’t just read history. He changed it.” As the father of Black History Month, he spent his life introducing others to the history of his people.
          Carter G. Woodson was born to two formerly enslaved people ten years after the end of the Civil War. Though his father could not read, he believed in being an informed citizen. So Carter read the newspaper to him every day. When he was still a teenager, Carter went to work in the coal mines. There he met a man named Oliver Jones, and Oliver did something important: he asked Carter not only to read to him and the other miners, but also research and find more information on the subjects that interested them. “My interest in penetrating the past of my people was deepened,” Carter wrote. His journey would take him many more years, traveling around the world and transforming the way people thought about history.
          From an award-winning team of author Deborah Hopkinson and illustrator Don Tate, this first-ever picture book biography of Carter G. Woodson emphasizes the importance of pursuing curiosity and encouraging a hunger for knowledge of stories and histories that have not been told. Illustrations also feature brief biological sketches of important figures from African and African-American history. 

Picture Book - Emmanuel's Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson

The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Illustrated by  Sean Qualls

2015, Schwartz & Wade Books, Random House Children's Books

HC $17.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.38 - 2051 ratings

My rating:  5

Endpapers: A smudgy pinky, dusty solid

1^st line/s: 
"In Ghana, West Africa, a baby boy was born:
Two bright eyes blinked in the light,
two healthy lungs let oout a powerful cry,
two tiny fists opened and closed,
but only one strong leg kicked."

My comments: ONE PERSON CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.  This true story shows this  completely.  Born with a useless leg, Emmanuel was treated as and considered a beggar with no worth, but he wanted to EARN his way in the world.  This story shows how he really did make a difference, by proving to everyone that physical disabilities do not change a person's worth.  He biked - with one leg - for 400 miles across Ghana and had it recorded.  Because of his persistence and drive, Ghana's disability laws were changed!  This book is written really well and I totally enjoy the accompanying illustrations. A surefire winner for any "Making a Difference in the World" study!

Goodreads:  This picture book biography tells the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who bicycled across Ghana--nearly 400 miles--with only one leg. With that achievement he forever changed how his country treats people with disabilities, and he shows us all that one person is enough to change the world.

Picture Book - Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay A. Haring

Illustrated by  Robert Neubecker

2017 Dial Books for Young Readers

HC $16.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.20 - 560 ratings

My rating:  5 (and NOT just because he's one of my favorite artists!)

Endpapers:  White background with Haring's people/animals, movement lines completely covering it.  There must be a name for this piece?

Illustrations:  Both Neubecker's illustrations of Keith and his life, with lots and lots of actual reproductions of Keith Haring's work.

1^st line/s:   "There was a boy named Keith.  When he was little, his father taught him how to draw dogs and fish and funny things.  His dad would draw a line.  Then Keith would draw one.  Soon the whole page would be full.  From that time on, Keith never stopped drawing."  This end-part, "Keith never stopped drawing" was repeated throughout the book.

My comments: What a wonderful book to tell the story of Keith Haring to kids!  Not only do I love the way it's written, but I'm really taken with the illustrations...they compliment the story perfectly.  Including so many of Haring's actual artwork is a wonderful plus.  I've read this book over and over since it first came out, I really enjoy it.  And there's so much to learn about the person that Keith Haring was.  At the end there are four pages of author's notes, information about Haring, and photos of Keith and his siblings, the kind of additional information that will satisfy adult readers!

Goodreads: This one-of-a-kind book explores the life and art of Keith Haring from his childhood through his meteoric rise to fame. It sheds light on this important artist's great humanity, his concern for children, and his disregard for the establishment art world. Reproductions of Keith's signature artwork appear in scenes boldly rendered by Robert Neubecker. This is a story to inspire, and a book for Keith Haring fans of all ages to treasure.

Picture Book - She Made a Monster by Lynn Fulton

How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
Illustrated by Felicita Sala

2018, Alfred A. Knopf

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.02 - 396 ratings

My rating:  3.5

Endpapers:  Dark Green

Illustrations:  Mostly black & white with small amounts of faded-out color

1^st line/s:  'Two hundred years ago, on a wild, stormy night, in a beautiful house on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, a young woman named Mary sat at her dressing table.  She and her friends were staying in the house for the season, visiting Lord Byron, the famous English poet.  Mary could hear the others still talking downstairs while she brushed her hair by candlelight, thinking of stories: stories she'd read, stories she'd heard, stories she wanted to tell."

My comments: Not only is this a book that can be used to introduce Frankenstein to a high school class, but also for elementary kids to get an introduction to the actual book - not the movie - of Frankenstein.  In my opinion it's a little choppy, but interesting and fairly easy to follow.  The pictures are dark, but so is the story of Frankenstein, so....

Goodreads: On the bicentennial of Frankenstein, join Mary Shelley on the night she created the most frightening monster the world has ever seen.
          On a stormy night two hundred years ago, a young woman sat in a dark house and dreamed of her life as a writer. She longed to follow the path her own mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, had started down, but young Mary Shelley had yet to be inspired.
          As the night wore on, Mary grew more anxious. The next day was the deadline that her friend, the poet Lord Byron, had set for writing the best ghost story. After much talk of science and the secrets of life, Mary had gone to bed exhausted and frustrated that nothing she could think of was scary enough. But as she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of a man that was not a man. He was a monster.
          This fascinating story gives readers insight into the tale behind one of the world's most celebrated novels and the creation of an indelible figure that is recognizable to readers of all ages.

Picture Book - Under the Bodhi Tree: A Story of the Buddha by Deborah Hopkinson

Illustrated by  Kailey Whitman

2018, Sounds True, Boulder, CO

HC $17.95

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.27 - 41 ratings

My rating:  4

Endpapers:  Three shades of simple bodhi leaves floating down the page of cream

1^st line/s:  "In a long-ago time and a faraway place, a baby boy was born.  His name ws Prince Siddhartha."

My comments:  This lovely, simple, peaceful beginning-of-a-biography is a wonderful introduction to the Buddha.  It sets the stage for further inquiry and information, and it sets that stage with a certain mindfulness that perfectly accentuates the entire subject!  I'm a fan, and I want to learn more.

From the Jacket Cover (there is no GoodReads summary):  Who was the Buddha?  Once upon a time in ancient India, a prince was born.  His name was Siddhartha, and one day he would inherit a powerful kingdom.  His father tried to protect him from the suffering and hardship beyond the palace walls, but just like children everywhere, the prince longed to see the world.
     Under the Bodhi Tree is the story of a boy and his journey for understanding that eventually led him to the path of peace.  Told in lyrical language, this excellent introduction to the story of the Buddha is beautifully illustrated and perfect for children who are curious about the real people who made history.

PICTURE BOOK - So Tall Within by Gary D. Schmidt

Sojourner Truth's Long Walk Toward Freedom
Illustrated by Daniel Minter

2018, Roaring Brook Press

$18.99 HC

48 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.51 - 282 ratings

My rating:  5

Endpapers:  Solid rusty cranberry

Dedication from the author:  For Ashley Bryan, with gratitude for a long friendship

1^st line/s:  Poetry:  "In Slavery Time, when Hope was a deed waiting to be planted,"
Prose:  "Isabella lived in a cellar where the windows never let the sun in and the floorboards never dept the water out."

My comments:  Okay, I loved this book.  Poetry, prose, and good storytelling. Lovely illustrations. Gary Schmidt makes this historical woman real, which is such a difficult thing to do.  Making real people from the past come to life is something not many people can do well, ti's certainly done well here.  What an inspiration!

Goodreads:  From celebrated author Gary D. Schmidt comes a picture book biography of a giant in the struggle for civil rights, perfectly pitched for readers today.
          Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but possessed a mind and a vision that knew no bounds. So Tall Within traces her life from her painful childhood through her remarkable emancipation to her incredible leadership in the movement for rights for both women and African Americans. Her story is told with lyricism and pathos by Gary D. Schmidt, one of the most celebrated writers for children in the twenty-first century, and brought to life by award winning and fine artist Daniel Minter. This combination of talent is just right for introducing this legendary figure to a new generation of children.

PICTURE BOOK - Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe

Illustrated by the artist
2017 Caldecott Medal Winner

2016 Little Brown & Company

HC $17.99

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.16 - 2472 Ratings

My rating:  5 - This is a gorgeous, informative book!

Endpapers:  White grafitti on blue

Illustrations:  Done in the style of Basquiat, the information from the author/illustrator at the back of the book is extremely interesting.

1^st line/s:  "Somewhere in Brooklyn, between hearts that thump, double Dutch, and hopsxotch and salty mouths that slurp sweet ice, a little boy dreams of being a famous ARTIST."

This is an illustration from the book

My comments:  This book is a RADIANT book!  It's also extremely interesting.  I saw the movie The Upside last night, and Kevin Hart's character mention Basquiat.  Then, this morning, this book came across my desk.  I was MEANT to read it today, n'est pas?  It was wonderful, and prompts me to look further into his work, as his story and timeline seem similar to my wonderful Keith Haring.....

This is an actual piece of Basquiat's work!

Goodreads:  Winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
          Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocketed to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art world had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums, in games and in the words that we speak, and in the pulsing energy of New York City. Now, award-winning illustrator Javaka Steptoe's vivid text and bold artwork echoing Basquiat's own introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn't always have to be neat or clean--and definitely not inside the lines--to be beautiful.

PICTURE BOOK - She Persisted: Around the World by Chelsea Clinton

Illustrated by  Alexandra Boiger

2018, Philomel Books

HC $17.99

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.44 - 806 ratings

My rating:  5 of course, my kind of book!

Endpapers:  solid red

Illustrations:  so perfect for this book of short entries on 13 different women!

1^st line/s:  ""It's not always easy being a girl --- anywhere in the world.  It's especially challenging in some places.  There are countries where it's hard for girls to go to school and where women need their husbands' permission to get a passport or even to leave the house.  And all over the world, girls are more likely to be told to bew quiet, to sit down, to have smaller dreams..  Don't listen to those voices.  These thirteen women from actross the world didn't.  They persisted."

My comments:  Chelsea Clinton has done it again, she's chosen thirteen women from around the world to highlight, some well known and others that you may have never heard over, a perfect comination!
Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz  (Mexico) First published argument for a women's right to education
 in the Americas.
Caroline Herschel (Germany) First woman to discover a comet
Kate Sheppard (New Zealand) Women's activist - New Zealand became the 1st country to grant all women the right to vote!
Marie Curie (Poland) scientist
Viola Desmond (Canada) Canadian Civil Rights movement
Mary Verghese (India) founded the first functional rehabilitation center in India
Aisha Rateb (Egypt) fought for women in government
Wangari Maathai (Kenya) Green Belt Movement/Nobel Peace Prize, one of my heroes!
Joanne (J. K.) Rowling (England) Author......author extraordinaire!
Sisleide "Sissi" Lima do Amor (Brazil) Queen of Brazilian football
Leymah Gbowee (Liberia) Nobel Peace Prize
Yuan Yuan Tan (China) most famous female ballerina of all time
Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan) youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner, author, spokesperson

Goodreads:  The companion to She Persisted.
          Women around the world have long dreamed big, even when they've been told their dreams didn't matter. They've spoken out, risen up and fought for what's right, even when they've been told to be quiet. Whether in science, the arts, sports or activism, women and girls throughout history have been determined to break barriers and change the status quo. They haven't let anyone get in their way and have helped us better understand our world and what's possible. In this book, Chelsea Clinton introduces readers to a group of thirteen incredible women who have shaped history all across the globe.