Starry Messenger by Peter Sís Barefoot Books
ages: 3-5 and 6-8
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
Galileo, Shakespeare and Michelangelo are names not often included in picture books. Matching non-fiction with drawings for children is a rarity. Yet children love true stories as much as fiction. A story of discovery, fame, fall and apology, Starry Messenger is unique among books for children.
Peter Sis, a man of many talents, has created an exquisite biography of the medieval astronomer Galileo Galilei. Sis has shrunk a complex life into thirty-two pages of lucid detail. His maps, diagrams and astonishing illustrations are punctuated with quotations from Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, timelines, and other facts about the man.
The intricacies of the drawings, and the extra text that is written in script, allow this book to be consumed on many levels. Starry Messenger is a book about stars for 3-5s, and a history book for 6-8s. Perhaps most importantly, it is a joy for thirty-plus year olds who are gently reminded of the fascinating story, and might be inspired to teach their children about other rebels from the past.
Peter Sis also wrote <../young/young.htm#dogs>Three Yellow Dogs.
The Sea of Tranquility by Mark Haddon illust Christian Birmingham Collins
ages: ?
buy from: Amazon UK
We disagreed about this book more than about any other title reviewed in this issue. Our publisher, a British man of 31, found it evocative, gripping, nostalgic. Our editor, an American woman of 30, considered it exclusionary, strange and slightly incomprehensible.
The explanation for this difference lies in the book's subject-matter: a reminiscence by a grown man of his childhood obsession with outer space and with the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing.
To some families in 1969, that space mission was a matter of the utmost indifference. For others, it was a source of great excitement. Children were woken up by their parents, carried downstairs, and forced to watch, bleary-eyed and in shaky black and white, the live footage of Neil Armstrong taking his "giant step for mankind" on the moon.
Astronauts and narrator apart, the only other character in the story is his father - which may explain why a woman reader felt left out, and considered this book more for little boys than girls.
But both readers agreed that its prose was evocative, poetic and rich, and that the beautifully soft crayon drawings conveyed just the right sense of glowing memory.
Katie meets the Mona Lisa by James Mayhew Orchard Books
ages: ?
buy from: Amazon UK
The first time I went to a Wagner opera, I was delighted. I was about sixteen years old. Amidst incomprehensible arias, I suddenly recognized a bit of the music. My father was thrilled to hear me humming that section on our way home. "I didn't know that you were familiar with Tannhäuser," he commented.
In fact, I was not at all familiar with Wagner or Tannhäuser. I recalled some of the music from an episode in Bugs Bunny. Bugs was playing a blonde braided heroine named Brunhilda and Elmer Fudd was a Viking hero pursuing her. They repeated one of the arias many times and it stuck. I must have seen the reruns and it lodged itself into my five year old brain.
Now, as an adult, Tannhäuseris one of my favorite operas. Is this accidental or should I thank Looney Tunes? Had I been exposed to other child friendly versions of art, music and poetry, perhaps I would have come to appreciate "the arts" earlier than I have done. Katie and the Mona Lisa could be one of these stepping stones to a life long appreciation of art.
The question that leads the story of Katie and Mona Lisa is: what makes the Mona Lisa smile? When Katie meets her, she isn't happy at all. Katie guides Mona Lisa through a series of paintings in an effort to cheer her up. There are many mishaps but ultimately, she is successful.
In this picture gallery adventure, Katie becomes acquainted with Italian Renaissance paintings. Besides the obvious, Katie also meets St George, an angel in red, dancers from Botticelli's Primavera and the lion of St Mark.
The paintings appear in their original. Once the characters come to life, Mayhew does a pretty good job of depicting them in motion. The heroes and heroines in the paintings all look a like. But their attire and the story line make them completely distinguishable.
Each painting is identified by title and artist in the text. There is a smattering of Italian thrown in, as well. The story is silly but sweet. But on balance, the educational value is great. As any parent in a picture gallery will know, finding something to interest a small child, is the main goal. Whether it is the Louvre, the Uffizi, the National Gallery in London or Washington, hunting for the paintings that Katie entered, can buy one quite a bit of time. It can give a child a head start in learning to love paintings. That is the sort of present that can last a lifetime.
A Child's Book of Play in Art by Lucy Micklethwait DK
ages: ?
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
Woe to the countless children who have been scarred by boring trips to fine art museums. Their only instruction is not to touch the pictures and keep their voices down. They are either pushed through like rush-hour commuters within a school party, or are made to drag along beside a scrutinizing parent.
Many children recover at university. Some never do, though they force themselves twice a year through the National Gallery wondering what they are doing there and how far is it to the cafe.
A Child's Book of Play in Art is an excellent tool to prepare a child to appreciate art in museums, galleries, in parks, on buildings, manhole covers and anywhere a child's imagination takes her.
Lucy Micklethwait has realized that even the most keen art enthusiast may find it difficult to share this interest with a child. Play in Art may have a cumbersome name and not quite fit on the shelf next to Spot, but its pages are filled with inspired paintings from museums and private collections around the world.
Play in Art is not designed for reading through like a story. There are questions to be asked, and stories to be made up based on the a couple of pictures. One finds oneself pretending to be angry, mooing like a cow and describing the smell of old boots. Whether one reads her directions on how to use the book or takes hints from the text itself, the book has many resourceful ideas for how to "turn-on" children to art.
The book is cleverly divided into eighteen themes. The paintings are a diverse lot and except in the case of spot the difference between Van Gogh's bedroom in Arles and Liechtenstein, it is all user-friendly.
Slight confusion does arise when trying to read the headings and finding that some work as questions or beginning of sentences and some are merely headings. Articles are not often used which, again makes reading through a bit tricky.
Nonetheless, vocabulary lessons, creative writing and imaginative play can all be taught through Play in Art. Appreciation of this book will undoubtably lead to an interest in other art books found on neighboring shelves. It also provides incentives to teachers and parents to find other areas of adult interest that could be successfully interpreted.
DK Annual 1999 Dorling Kindersley
ages: ?
buy from: Amazon UK
dk cover If there was an environmental prize for book publishers, Dorling Kindersley would surely win. They have a great ability in recycling material from previously published books. One is constantly recognising a photo from an old word book or sticker book. Often times the text from a board book about sheep will appear as a chapter in a book about farm animals.
The recyclers at DK have struck again. They have combined a selection of outtakes from their books published in 1998. Scores of subjects are included ranging from UFO's and dinosaurs to fairy tales and horse grooming.
It is a great marketing idea but it benefits the consumer as well. Few parents can afford to buy every DK book to hit the shelves. DK Annual avoids the heartbreak of buying an exciting looking book on cross sections, for example, and having it discarded after a week.
If a child takes a great interest in the flapjack and the pasta recipe, then perhaps an investment in the children's cook book will be forthcoming. If they decide that they want to begin their career in generating computer images, the chapter entitled Computer Magic will undoubtedly lead the child to DK's book on computer generation. One may think a child is not interested in gardening, only to discover their eyes glued to a dragonfly being devoured by a Venus' flytrap.
The range of topics is vast and not gender specific. It is colourful, clear and packed with information. This book may be criticised as a gimmick, but one would be flawed.
Fun with Science: Colour Neil Ardley DK
ages: ?
buy from: Amazon UK
Remember when science was fun. Before memorising and mathematics, science lessons at school were a series of mystifying experiments. They were possibly dangerous - full of fizz and hiss.
The fourth in the Science Fun series, an encapsulation of these years, is about colour.
The projects range from making rainbows and multi-coloured shadows to printing patterns or writing with invisible ink. They are exciting and provide almost instant gratification.
They do not require rare materials. Most things can be found around the house. But be warned, have what you need before you open the book with the children. It is a great disappointment to discover that your flashlight has run out of batteries and you can't find a mirror. Each page has a "you will need" section. Red cabbage, lemon and filter papers are not hard to find, but you will be lost in the dye making section without them.
At the end of the project description, Neil Ardley explains the reason why each experiment worked. On the whole, they are clear and informative. They are a great improvement on Dorling Kindersley's Why? series, where their answers must be re-explained by the reader.
The book is suitable from ages four and up and up and up. The grown-up helping out is sure to have as much fun as the children.
Think of an Eel Karen Wallace illustrated by Mike Bostock Walker Books
ages: ?
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
eel cover
In 1993, as part of Walker Book's non-fiction Read and Wonder series, Think of an Eel was published. Since then, it has won the TES Junior Information Book Award and the Kurt Maschler Award. It was recently drawn to the PBQ's attention because it has been released in Big Book size (note the price). Regrettably, it could have been overlooked in its original form. In its current embodiment, it can't be. It is stunning and thought provoking.
Think of an Eel is a journey through the life, procreation, death and birth of eels. Eels take the concept of the migratory being, and make it mystical. Their origin is shrouded with mystery. Their rituals are extensive. As the series title suggests, this book will have one lost in thought for days after reading it.
Even if the writing weren't superb and even if the water colours weren't beautiful, the story of the eel is amazing. Apparently, all eels are born in the Sargasso Sea, to the south of Bermuda. They start clear and resemble a leaf. They turn into elvers, which Karen Wallace describes as "a shoelace made out of glass". In fresh water they turn into yellow eels. They then leave rivers well fed, silver and black.
Their journey back to the Sargasso is monastic, and ultimately leaves them unfit to live.
Think of an Eel is required reading in either size. Nature will rise in your estimation. The eel will slip into your life, as it does a drowned oak stump, and make it its home.
Concise Encyclopedia by John Farndon DK
ages: 5-9
buy from: Amazon UK
dk encyclopedia cover When was the last time you bumped into a salesperson lugging a cart of books behind him? The door-to-door encyclopaedia salesman is dead. Through the growth of the CD-rom and the internet, sound and movement have become a quid pro quo for the modern encyclopaedia. Programs such as Encarta, a CD-rom encyclopaedia, include sound clips from eminent poets and scientists. You can hear Balinese drumming and while seeing pictures of the performers. Is there room for the dinosaurs such as the bound Britannica to compete in such a market? If you poll many thirtysomethings with kids you will find no space on their shelves and no priority in their pocketbooks for twenty-five volumes of facts.
But most people have fond recollections of Saturday afternoons with a clutch of books on the sofa. The interest in the world is not dead. Pairing that with the affection for the physical book, DK's Concise Encyclopedia may fit in neatly into the gap between the seemingly prehistoric and the cyber worlds.
If this book were judged solely by its cover, it would sell-out. Small and chunky, matt black with a handful of shiny colourful pictures - it is a beauty. Inside, it is organised into nine categories. The first five are science based. The remaining four are transport, the world, people and society, and history.
The book is user-friendly. There is an extensive reference section in the back which includes two indexes. Running from bottom to top on the left hand page is written the name of one of the nine sections. Running from top to bottom on the right hand page is the exact topic. This is quite useful for flipping about for random information.
The maps, photos and illustrations are well chosen. If you are in the people and society section, in the topic of winter sports, there is a diagram of the steps to complete the camel spin and the Lutz jump in figure skating. In the amphibian's section there is a photograph of a male midwife toad with eggs attached to his back.
The pages are packed with information. But as there are only two pages for each topic and the text must vie for space along with the graphics, the information is limited. The explanations vary in terms of how complicated they are, that also is linked to the difficulty of the topic. For six to nine year olds, it is a useful tool. For younger folks, for example, it could be fun to flip through and see a chick hatching out of an egg or a Chimu ear ornament from c.1100. Long live the encyclopaedia!
The Emperor's Egg Martin Jenkins illust Jane Chapman Walker Books
ages: 3-7
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
emperor cover Because the majority of children's book buyers prefer fiction to non-fiction, children's non-fiction is often overlooked. Walker Books had a fascinating series largely about animals and their instincts. One particularly memorable one was Think of an Eel. The Emperor's Egg would have been part of the series had Walker not gotten smarter. The Emperor's Egg is a non-fiction book, but you wouldn't know it until you'd read it. Since most children's books are judged by their covers, the amazing facts in this book are being disseminated at a much faster rate than they would have done in a separate category.
The Emperor's Egg is a chatty book. It is speaking to You and explaining to You about how an Emperor penguin is born. In a nutshell, the interesting bit about the process is that the females lay the egg and the male sits on it. The female goes off to swim and eat (for the gestation period) while the male keeps the egg warm in the freezing cold without any food. Often the mother does not return immediately after the birth. So nature has provided a milk pouch in the father's throat which can sustain the chick for a few weeks.
If you think that we have given away all the amazing facts in this book, we haven't. With Jane Chapman's beautiful black, white, yellow, orange and blue illustrations of penguins and their surroundings, the text holds centre stage. The writing style is unique and anything but dry, which of course is a fiction lover's greatest fear. With an index and hypertext for a more advanced audience, this book also caters to young listeners who tend to be penguin lovers anyway.
Joan of Arc Josephine Poole illust Angela Barrett Red Fox
ages: 5-9
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
joan cover
Joan of Arc is a familiar name to most. We know she died a brutal death by burning. We know she fought battles. Some of us know she was French and that she was born in the 15th Century, but where does our knowledge go from there?
For those who have only a sketchy idea of the story of Jean D'Arc, as her name was in French, this is a perfect re-introduction to the woman. And since 9 May 1920, the saint.
Joan lived at a time when the English were fighting the French. The Duke of Burgundy was trying to steal the throne from the French King.
When Joan was thirteen, she started hearing voices. These voices told her to fight for the kings and then have him properly crowned in Rheims. She said that these voices came from God.
This story is suited for a mature picture book audience. This is a book to read, explain and discuss. What are these voices? Can this happen to me? I hear voices, Mum etc. Should you listen to the voices or ignore them? What are they telling you to do?
In Joan's case, they were telling her to go to battle. Later they were telling her to stop but she ignored them and was captured. She was eventually betrayed by her king and used as a political pawn. This resulted in her death.
This is a story about bravery. It is also a story about being a woman in a time where women did not go to battle nor challenge men. This is a story about girl power that makes the Spice Girls motto look like pure rhetoric.
What makes the story so readable is Barrett's exquisite drawings of Joan and the King of France, of horses, angels and scenery.
The book includes a timeline and a map which are helpful. Credit is given to Vincent Helyar for that.
Everest Rebecca Stephens Dorling Kindersley
ages: 5-10
buy from: Amazon "How do you make a snow hole? Do St Bernard dogs really carry a barrel of brandy? Why do some plants survive above the skyline? Who are the Sherpas?" Everest is not just about the most famous mountain in the world, it is about high mountains. It is about the human draw to them. It is about myths surrounding them, the gear you need to climb them, the wildlife and people who dwell on them.
Everest is in the Eyewitness Guide series. That means that it is filled with photographs. Each topic tends to last a couple of pages. For those whose interests lie generally in fiction, the layout never discusses anything long enough to bore the unconvinced. Everest is varied to the extreme and is bound to stimulate.
This is a book that adults who know little of the subject but think they ought to know more, could volunteer to read to their five to seven year olds who may not want to or be able to read it themselves. What are the seven summits? They are the highest mountain on each of the world's continents. Can you name more than one? Mount McKinley and Kilimanjaro may ring a bell but does Mt Elbrus? And Mt Elbrus just happens to be the tallest mountain in Europe, higher than Mont Blanc.
The section on the people of the Himalayas is only the tip of the iceberg but it could certainly enthuse a child to delve deeper elsewhere. The clothes, instruments, religion and art are extremely different and thus interesting.
From the early mountaineering history straight past Hillary to today, the facts and achievements of these brave people are humbling. For the sports or conservation enthusiasts, there is a chapter for you.
There is one picture one might want to shield a child from and that is the photo of the first known mountaineer preserved in ice. He is said to be 5,200 years old. But if they have ever been to the British Museum, it is not anything they haven't seen before.
This is well worth a look.
Growing Frogs Vivian French illust Alison Bartlett Walker Books
ages: -5
buy from: Amazon UK The dynamic Bristolian duo is back! French and Bartlett have come out with a new book in the Walker Read and Wonder series. From the same series that brought you wonderful wildlife books like Think of an Eel, the Read and Wonder series always teaches the reader something new. This time it is, as you can guess, about frogs.
The story is told by a little girl who is not particularly keen on frogs at the outset. Her mother is enthusiastic, though, and that is how they come to harvest frogspawn from their local pond.
She and her mother take the reader through the growing process. Ultimately, they do the right thing and return the little frogs to the pond of their conception.
Bartlett's brightly coloured, nave drawings might be known to you from winners like Charlie's Checklist and <../prizewinners/prizewinners.htm#honeybiscuits>Honey Biscuits. In her biography at the front of the book, it says that she used to find frogspawn disgusting and now she thinks it's amazing.
Read this book and it may happen to you.
Ten Times Better Richard Michaelson illust Leonard Baskin Cavendish
ages: 2-8
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
In the 1970's Multiplication Rock and other exciting educational songs were written, and aired between children's television programs. At the time small children were humming songs such as "Zero My Hero" or "Three is a Magic Number". And if you actually learned the words to them, you would find that you knew your three times table without even struggling. Ten Times Better is a counting book that incorporates the ten times table. It teaches it in a low key way. But the message should get through.
For example, one is an elephant that weighed one ton at age one. The squid says he is ten times better because he has ten tentacles not just one trunk. The reader might point out that ten times one is ten. Similarly, the camel has two humps. The sage grouse compares himself to the camel and says he is ten times better because he has twenty tail feathers. The sloth has three toes. The centipede has thirty feet.
Michaelson and Baskin have teamed up on quite a few books. Did You Say Ghosts? is one of the PBQ's favourite spooky books. The poet and the painter seem relaxed and familiar with each others ideas and wishes. Thus the result is a beautiful book. With words and pictures perfectly complimenting one another.
Richard Michaelson is comfortable with the English language. His children's poetry takes liberty with words. He is playful, funny and creates a unique voice for each animal.
Leonard Baskin, who has recently passed away, was a wonderful painter. Whether you have seen his work at a museum or in a children's book, the power and originality of his watercolours are unmistakable. Each animal is painted in a different style or size. The tarantula is the same size as a zebra. Fifty goldfish take up the same space as a starfish.
At the end of the book, Michaelson adds a few interesting facts about each animal depicted in the book. Then he asks challenging ten times table questions. Don't worry it is only the ten times table and answers are included as well.
Whether you are just up for a new counting book or you want a little bit more, this is a book worth looking at.
One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies illustrated by Jane Chapman Walker Books
ages: 4-8
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davies illustrated by Sarah Fox-Davies Walker Books
ages: 4-8
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
Bat Loves the Night and One Tiny Turtle don't scream out at you like Eloise or Pokemon books do, but once they sink their toes into you, they'll keep you going for a lot longer. One begins in the middle, the other at birth. In either case, you'll come out richer from seeing a Loggerhead eat crabs and a batling breastfeed. The majority of children are more interested in wildlife facts and general information than they will let on. Feeding that interest is easy because nature is vast and can supply endless content.
Turtles come up to the surface to breathe every four or five minutes. Bats can actually see but their hearing is better and thus more useful. What do bats eat? Where do turtles lay their eggs? Are they good mothers? These are some of the issues addressed in these picture books.
It is not totally fair to compare these books since Bat Loves the Night reads more like a story or even a poem. One Tiny Turtle packs the facts in, for a picture book. One is observing a turtle, following it about for years, decades.
The pictures too, are different. Bat is drawn precisely but often depicted without a background. She is surrounded by large flowers on a few pages to remind the reader of her scale. There is a wonderful picture of the babies awaiting their mother's return. It is certainly a picture that many readers would rather see in a book than in real life. The turtle paintings look like they were drawn from photographs. The best one is on the inside cover. One is looking from below, up through the water, to the turtle's belly. Both books are very well illustrated especially in terms of being honest to their stars. The books are also a generous size.
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley illustrated by Brian Selznick Scholastic
ages: 6-10
buy from: Amazon | Amazon UK
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins is a history in three parts: London, America, London again. The birth of an artist and lecturer who created the original pictures of what he supposed dinosaurs looked like, introducing a Paleozoic museum to New York and home after professional failure in New York.
Hawkins had many successes. His visions of dinosaurs came to stand in Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's new art and science museum, the Crystal Palace. He created a dining room in the shape of a iguanodon for eminent scientists to discuss dinosaur theories.
His successes continued in New York until William Tweed said his museum was a waste of money. His thugs destroyed Hawkins' models. In despair he returned home.
This skillfully written account of Hawkins' great successes and failures combined with a set of captivating illustrations make this book a treasure for dinosaur enthusiasts to read again and again. It is long for a picture book. And adults will find it tedious to reread too many times. Thus we are recommending this book to readers who can do the work themselves. For younger siblings who want to flip through, the illustrations stand on their own.
When Michael Rosen's teenage son died of Meningitis, no words could describe how absolutely heart breakingly awful he felt about it. Life went on, as it does, and yet his sadness remained. He would go to readings before an audience of children and somehow his son's death would come up. He noticed that children had a very matter of fact way of greeting this news. That lead him to writing this book.
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