Thanks to Candlewick for a copy of this book by Robert Sabuda, a pop-up artist extraordinaire. If you have some child who adores pop-ups, this is a marvelous one showing 10 different horses and what they are doing on the farm: running, jumping, bucking, drinking, grazing, pulling, playing, sharing, resting. For little ones, there are extra things to look for on each page, plus the surprise pop-up.
Two examples!
It's quite wonderful that we have authors and illustrators telling about people in the world we may never have heard much about, perhaps a little in passing. These following books celebrate adults and children we need to know. I am thankful to be able to read about their lives.
In a tribute to historic and modern-day Indigenous heroes, Wab Kinew writes of native figures such as Tecumseh, Sacagawea and former NASA astronaut John Herrington. He's done it in a rap song, with this message used as a refrain as each person takes his or her place in the book: "We are people who matter, yes, it's true; now let's show the world what people who matter can do." The illustrated paintings by Joe Morse also celebrate these people page by wonderful page. It includes figures such as Crazy Horse, Net-no-kwa, former NASA astronaut John Herrington and Canadian NHL goalie Carey Price, a diverse group of Indigenous people in the US and Canada, both the more well known and the not- so-widely recognized. The brief bios inspire and additional information and portraits are included in the back.
Oh, wow, do I love these illustrations like corrugated cardboard reminds of mud. There's the 'No-Go desert under the stretching-out sky" where a sister and her two brothers create a bike, from whatever they can find, "the best thing of all in our village" she tells. The bike and the kids' excitement steal the show on most pages, except when mentioning the 'fed-up mum' (perhaps they used a couple of things of hers for the bike?). Don't miss the author's and illustrator's notes at the end that illuminates their intent. Ms. Clarke writes: "The girl and boys in the story love their patchwork bike just as much as a kid with a brand-new, expensive BMX bike might love theirs--or maybe even more." This an award-winning book out of Australia.
