Monday Reading - New and Old to Enjoy!

 

          

    Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow!

     I had to skip something last week, simply too busy, thus I have a bunch to share. I hope you find some books you'll love among them.

      

         I shared reviews of these next two books on Friday, Oct. 17th, HERE!

Thanks to Penguin Random

House

for my copy!

        Full of many details of, no surprise, "Impossible Creatures", some readers will recognize, others are new, at least to me. The significant characters are young, strong, and persistent in solving, yes, seemingly impossible problems! Others bring differing emotions, both happy and sad, as well as anger and sometimes goodbyes! Some illustrations by Ashley Mackenzie are within the text, adding to the adventure, but one amazing part lies at the back. It's a compendium of the creatures, wonderfully illustrated by Ashley and explained by Katherine. The title is "The Guardian's Bestiary." You'll discover who the guardian is and much more when reading this book. Few other words fit it than "fantastic"! 

       EXTRA! The next one is planned for a 2025 September publishing! 

           A boy, alone, everything is precisely in place, until one day, waking earlier than usual, a few things, like the cactus beside his bed, are  OUT OF PLACE! Thus begins a story that will keep readers going, leaning forward, wondering, "What's on the next page?" It's fun and shocking because, yes, there is a bear! Illustrations carry the humor as the boy has a peek at something now and then. And finally, "Out of the Blue"! It's an older book, if you can find it, and so much fun!

 

               Aimee Lucido tells of family love and sharing food with LOTSA PASTA. She shows this celebration with lots of famiglia (family), and in an anthem of rhyme. Various relatives arrive for dinner and bring a favorite dish, or they make that dish at the house. Everything builds to the big meal, but, wait, does "Lotsa Pasta" mean too much? For a read-aloud while viewing the collaged illustrations of all the families AND the pasta by Mavisu Demirag brought me so many smiles. Can you imagine creating quite realistic pasta? Various cultural relatives arrive with their special names, in Italian, like nonna (grandma) and nonno (grandma), also zio (uncle), and others. " Here is one example of the fun story-telling: "Nonni Titi from Tahiti/only eats our spaghettini." 

Poetry Friday - Something New to Celebrate, Something Old, too

      It's Poetry Friday, and Matt Forrest Esenwine is hosting HERE on his blog Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. He has lots of books you'll want to know about on the post today, and some fun poems, too! Thanks for hosting, Matt!

         I was excited when Hannah Brown at Schiffer Publishing sent an email that Charles Ghigna's new book, Bound to Dream, An Immigrant Story, was on its way to me! Thanks, Hannah! No, it isn't one of Charles' beautiful books of poetry, but a heartfelt story of his own great-grandfather, full of the poetry of a life we can all admire. 

          When I received it, an early question was how can I share it for Poetry Friday? Then, last week, a book titled Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers was donated to the used bookstore where I volunteer. Here was my connection, more about immigrating to America. Her Right Foot is also not a book of poetry, but it has a sonnet in it, The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, written in 1883 to raise money for the pedestal on which The Statue of Liberty stands.

        In Charles' story, his great-grandfather Carlo is shown doing farm chores, then reading and dreaming by candlelight. Now we know he loves books! Hmm, is that where Charles gets his love for words? 

        And those books, as he read, "filled his dreams with people in faraway places." When he was old enough, he traveled (alone) to New York. 

        The story shows a young Carlo, knowing only a little English, walking the streets of the city, desperate for work. One lucky day, he found himself looking at the fabulous books shown in a bookbinder's window, amazed. "'So many beautiful books', he whispered to himself." This lucky young Carlo was seen by the shopkeeper, and the rest of the story shows that through his continuing love of books and a kind teacher and employer, Carlo learned the art of bookbinding. In that work, he studied English in the books at night, then up he rose to start another day, loving his work, making books for others who also loved them. 

          In the story, Charles imagines Carlo's thoughts as he worked: "He loved to make them and hold them in his hands, and he loved how he could smell the forest coming through the pages." That is poetry! 

         Anna Forlati envisions Charles' telling of his family's immigrant story with gorgeous illustrations filling the pages with dreamy muted tones that feel like memories. Along with the beauty in what feels like a collaboration meant to be, Anna lives in Northern Italy, not far from where Charles' great-grandfather lived. 

            Added at the back is a brief piece that explains this book-binding art, which will inspire added research into the artistic process. Also, Charles tells that this story was told to him by his father!

          Dave Eggers gives us another kind of poetry in his book that tells the history of our spectacular Statue of Liberty. He tells all the history, in his "tell it like it is" tongue-in-cheek manner, from the very idea of a Frenchman, Laboulaye, who wanted to do something for the United States to celebrate their centennial and who convinced another Frenchman, Bartholdi, to design a sculpture. As you know, it happened, and the long, long story that came to the fantastic end of 214 boxes sailing across the Atlantic, the statue in parts, holds lots of details, including that Lady Liberty's Right Foot shows she is "on the go," ready to welcome all who come to her country for oh, so many reasons! Shawn Harris illustrates this story in wild colors of diversity, a gift to all here and all arriving.  

             This political season and words said in numerous places are full of hateful words about immigrants, filling the media in various ways, in graphics or speeches. Some seem to have forgotten that we are all immigrants or are descendants of them, every one of us who is not Native American. That is our country called America! 

       by Emma Lazarus 1849 - 1887

                              This poem is in the public domain.

NFPB Wed. - Documented or Undocumented - A welcome?

art by Sarah S. Brannen

         Visit Alyson Beecher on Wednesdays for Non-Fiction Picture Books at Kidlit Frenzy.  From her and others, you will discover and want to celebrate terrific nonfiction picture books!  
         It seems fitting to pair these two books, one a promise, and the other, a story of one immigrant's life that represents others in the U.S. today, and in the past as well. 

          Some books need to be read. One should not depend on the review. I’ve waited a long time to read this because of many holds at the library.  Eggers' voice is so strong, I imagine him reading this aloud to us all. He cries to us: "Pay attention". He says to know the history if we don't already know it, then he points to a little-talked-about feature, "her right foot". It's lifted; she's on the go! Just as immigrants are, coming into a country for safety and opportunity. Harris’ ink-and–construction-paper collages show the history Eggers shares, but what I enjoyed most was his showing arrivals and their descendants, who are all united in their very diversity of age, sex, dress, and skin color. 

        I've visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, wish we had paid more notice to that "right foot"!

         Duncan Tonatiuh pays tribute again, like Pancho Rabbit and The Coyote, in a great story to immigrants, this story of those workers, documented and undocumented who perform the jobs in the U.S. that others may not want--construction, gardening, restaurant work, cleaning. This time, the story centers on a fictional character, Juan, who works at a restaurant. He has stolen across the border as a young teen, led by a coyote, is caught, but tries again and makes it. He must make money, finds work in a restaurant.