Across the Bay (Carlos Aponte)

Title:  Across the Bay

Author:  Carlos Aponte 

Target Ages:  4-10

Genre:  Realistic Fiction Picture Book

Award: Pura Belpre’ Illustrator Honor

Publisher Summary:  Carlitos lives in a happy home with his mother, his abuela, and Coco the cat.  Life in his hometown is cozy as can be, but the call of the capital city pulls Carlitos across the bay in search of his father.

Memorable Moment:
When Carlitos loses his only picture of his father, a park ranger helps him cope with his loss. 

Evaluation:
Carlitos has a loving home with his mother, abuela, and cat.  Nevertheless, he is spurred to search for what is missing—his father.  

After an unsuccessful quest to locate his father, Carlitos finds contentment in his circumstances.  He learns, “No matter the storm, the sun always returns.”  As he journeys back home, he has a renewed appreciation for the loving people in his life and they home they have created for him.  

Through Carlitos’ quest, author Carlos Aponte aptly conveys the heartache and loss a child feels when a parent is no longer in the home—especially when that parent is completely absent.  The story subtly but powerfully shows the longing and loss through the juxtaposition of Carlitos’ circumstances with those of other young boys who are sharing every day experiences with their father—in the neighborhood, the barbershop, and the city.  

The illustrations show the beauty and diversity of Puerto Rico as Carlitos traverses the ancient city of Old San Juan and his more modern hometown of Catano.  From the colorful foliage to the vast array of people and activities, young readers get a glimpse of island life. 

Across the Bay reminds us of the quiet desperation many children around the world feel for a missing parent. This poignant narrative is both heartbreaking and uplifting, a blast to the heart and a spark of delight. 

Interview with Carlos Aponte 

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belphré

Title:  Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belphré

Author:  Anika Aldamuy Denise

Illustrator:   Paola Escobar

Target Ages:  4 and up

Genre:  Picture Book Biography

Publisher Summary: 

Follow la vida y el legado of Pura Belphré, 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 assistance, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land.  Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura’s legacy. 

First Lines:

It is 1921.

Pura Teresa Belphré leaves her home in San Juan

for a visit to Nueva York.

Words travel with her:

stories her abuela taught her.

Cuentos folklóricos Pura retold in the shade of a tamarind tree,

in Puerto Rico.

Memorable Moment:

The seeds she has planted,

the roots that grew shoots into

the open air of possibility,

have become a lush landscape

into which she steps, as though she has never left.

Evaluation:

Pura Belphré story is inspirational.  As an immigrant, she finds her own version of the American dream.  As a storyteller and writer, she encourages others to read, to imagine, and to soar.  As a woman, she is devoted to her husband and her passion. People of all ages will be moved by her story.

As a picture book biography, Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belphré is exemplary.  Author Anika Aldamuy Denise's use of language and her story telling skills capture the imagination.  At no time did I feel I was reading a non-fiction biography.  Instead, I felt I was traveling along on Pura’s captivating journey. 

Paola Escobar’s illustrations are stunning. The colors, the energy, the details are perfect in every way. 

If you read one picture book biography, make it this one! 

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

• Literature:  Read Puerto Rican folktales from an anthology or picture book retellings.
• Figurative Language: Teach or review what a metaphor is. Discuss how the writer uses the extended metaphor of plants/planting.  Why do you think the author used that metaphor?  How does it add to the story?  What other metaphors might have worked?
• Dramatic Play:  Put on a puppet show using one of the Puerto Rican folktales or ones the children are familiar with.  
• Context Clues:  Use context clues to figure out the meaning of Spanish words used in place of English words.

For more great picture book suggestions, head over for the Perfect Picture Book Link Up.

Visit Kid Lit Frenzy for more Non-Fiction selections. 

Five Fabulous Picture Books about Trailblazing Women

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music

Margarita Engle, author

Rafael Lopez, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Girls cannot be drummers.  Long ago on an island filled with music and rhythm, no one questioned that rule—until the drum dream girl.  She longed to play tall congas and small bongos and silvery, moon-bright timbales.  She had to keep her dream quiet.  She had to practice in secret.  But when at last her music was heard, everyone sang and danced and decided that boys and girls should be free to drum and dream.

Inspired by a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke Cuba’s traditional taboo against female drummers, Drum Dream Girls tells an inspiring true story for dreamers everywhere. 

Why It’s Fabulous:

This Pura Belpre winner’s stunning illustrations are full of bright colors and vivid imagination: A blend of the real and the fantastic as well as of nature and of culture. The lyrical free verse is intoxicating.  Drum Dream Girl works both independently and with a teacher until she has mastered the art.  Her determination and skill wins her father over. As a result, she finally plays for an audience,  prompting a change in the cultural tradition.  Now, both men and women are allowed to play the drums.

Mermaid Queen:  The Spectacular True Story of Annette Kellerman, Who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune, and Swimsuit History

Shana Corey, author

Edwin Fotheringham, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Are you brave enough to make a wave?

If you love sports and people who aren’t afraid to swim against the tide, Annette Kellerman and her freestyle approach to life will make you heart swell.

This book is a winning portrait of a little-known athlete, performer, and fashion revolutionary who broke records (and rules) and dazzled the world with her splashy pluck and courage.

Why She’s Fabulous:

Annette begins life with physical limitations.  To build up her strength, she swims. The water is the one place she feels graceful and strong.  At a time when female athletes were not common, she begins winning swimming races and develops a new sport—water ballet.  Not only does she break down barriers in sports, but she does in swimwear as well.  The women who did swim were covered from neck to ankles—some even wore corsets!  Annette’s bathing suit is so scandalous at the time, she is arrested!  She argues before a judge and wins!  Women begin swimming more for exercise and fun.  Even more importantly, they are able to do it more comfortably because now they wear suits like Annette’s.  As a trailblazer for women in sports and in fashion, Annette makes a lasting impact.

Miss Mary Reporting:  The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber

Sue Macy, author

C. F. Payne, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Press Box:  Women and Children Not Admitted

So read the press pass that Mary Garber had to wear as a reporter at sporting events.  It was embarrassing, even insulting, but in the 1940s, sports—and sports reporting—was a man’s world.

Mary didn’t let that stop her.  She never let anything stop her, really. As a kid, she played quarterback for her local football team.  Later, as a reporter, she dug in her heels and built up her own sports beat.  For close to fifty years, Mary shined the spotlight on local heroes whose efforts might otherwise have gone unnoticed.  “That’s Miss Mary Garber,” one boy said at a soapbox derby.  “And she doesn’t care who you are, or where you’re from, or what you are.  If you do something, she’s going to write about you.”

This is the story of a woman who pursued her dream and changed the world.

Why She’s Fabulous:

Mary combines the two things she loves—writing and sports—and makes a career out of it when few women had professional careers outside a nurse or a teacher. She also has a keen eye and optimistic perspective. Using all these passions and talents, Mary covers beats that include athletes in their novice days and in their professional careers:  Big sports competitions, like Major League Baseball games, and small town ones, like soapbox derbies.  She writes about men and women as well as Blacks and Whites. Many athletes are positively impacted by her work, and she blazes a trail that eventually allows women more opportunities in sports reporting. 

Danza!  Amalia Hernandez and elBallet Forklorico de Mexico

Duncan Tonatiuh, author and illustrator

Publisher Summary:

As a child Amalia Hernandez saw a pair of dancers in the town square.  The way they stomped and swayed to the rhythm of the music inspired her. She knew one day she would become a dancer.

Amalia studied ballet and modern dance under the direction of skilled teachers who had performed in world-renowned dance companies. But she never forgot the folk dance she had seen years earlier.  She began traveling through the Mexican countryside, witnessing the dances of many regions, and she used her knowledge of ballet and modern dance to adapt the traditional dances to the stage.  She founded her own dance company, a group that became known as El Ballet Folklorico de Mexico.

Why She’s Fabulous:

Not only does Amalia become a successful dancer through years of practice and rehearsals, but she also creates new ones merging various styles.  Traveling all over Mexico, she studies traditional dances and cultural traditions (like dress and music).  Inspired by all of her training and traveling, Amalia produces original dances that celebrate her culture and country’s history.  She takes on many roles—choreographer, company founder, teacher, and director.  Amelia’s innovative vision resonates long after her passing.  Her dance company continues to perform all over the world, celebrating both the artistry of dance as well as the culture of the Mexican people.

Pocket Full of Colors:  The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire

Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville, authors

Brigette Barrager, illustrator

Publisher Summary:

Mary Blair lived her life in color: vivid, wild color.

For her imaginative childhood to her career as an illustrator, designer, and animator for Walt Disney Studios, Mary wouldn’t play by the rules.  At a time when studios wanted to hire men and think in black and white, Mary painted twinkling emerald skies, peach giraffes with tangerine spots, and magenta horses that could fly.  She painted her world.

Why She’s Fabulous:
Mary collects colors everywhere she goes and saves them in her imagination. When she is hired at Disney Studios, she thinks she will finally have the opportunity to share her artistic flair.  Unfortunately, her colors and creatively are met with resistance in a then male-dominated field.  Walt Disney appreciates her vision though.  He commissions her for a special project that utilizes her talents.  Mary creates a “world of laughter, a world of smiles. And color, color, color, everywhere.”  She is a woman who refuses “to color in the lines.” As a result, she makes her mark on the culture. 

Flutter and Hum Animal Poems (Julie Paschkis)

Title:  Flutter & Hum Animal Poems (Aleteo y Zumbido Poemas de Animales)

Author:  Julie Paschkis

Illustrator:  Julie Paschkis

Target Ages:  

Genre:  Bilingual Poetry

Publisher Summary:  All sorts of animals flutter and hum, dance and stretch, and slither and leap their way through this joyful collection of poems in English and Spanish. Julie Paschkis’s poems and art sing in both languages, bringing out the beauty and the playfulness of the animal world.

Todas los animals aletean y zumban, bailan y se estiran, y tambien se deslizan y saltan por todos los poemas alegres de esta coleccion en ingles y espanol.  Los poemas y el arte de Julie Paschkis cantan en los dos idiomas, resaltando la bellezo y lo gracioso del mundo animals.

Example Poems and Pages:

Favorite Poem:

“Owl”

The moon is a lantern

in the branches.

A shimmer.

A shadow whistles

through the grass.

A whisper.

Out of the darkness

an owl hoots.

An echo.

The night train

is leaving.

“El Buho”

La luna es un farol

en las ramas.

Brilla.

Silba una sombra

por las hierbas.

Un susurro.

De la ascuridad

ulula un buho.

Un eco.

El tren de la noche

esta saliendo.

Evaluation: 

Flutter and Hum is a stunning!  In concept.  In language.  In illustrations. 

The author’s approach was to first write the poems in Spanish, which is notable because she is not a native speaker.  As she composed, she reveals she “felt like a visitor wandering through the forest of Spanish words, marveling at the beauty of sound, meaning, and syntax.”  Then, she translated them into English.   However, they are not all translated word-for-word.  Sometimes, she “used the phrase that worked best in each language to convey the same meaning.”  The result is a beautiful collection of poems that native people in both languages will appreciate.

The collection is a celebration of language—both in the poems themselves as well as the added words on each page.  I love lines like “Slithering through the grass the sinuous snake is writing a slippery poem with his body” and “Your bed is like a small boat.  Your dreams are the sea where the boat floats.”  Paschkis adds to these lines, and all the other poems, words in both Spanish and English in the illustrations.  For instance, the “Snake” poem has lyrical words like “sway,” “serpentine,” and “swerve” in the grass while in the “Fish” one includes words like “longing,” “linger,” and “listen” in the sea.  The additional words add to the poems and their meaning. 

The illustrations are striking!  Intricate details and bold colors fill each two page spread.  They vary in purpose.  Sometimes they mirror each other like in “Dog,” but other times they add to the storytelling of the poem such as in “Owl,” where the night train leaving appears to be a metaphor for the owl (whose sound is like a night train) leaving the tree. 

Flutter and Hum is ideal for teachers seeking diverse books for their classroom and for parents teaching their children to be bilingual. However, anyone who enjoys poetry, language, and beauty will enjoy it.  I highly recommend this collection of poems and gorgeous illustrations. 

Visit Bookseed Studio for more Poetry Friday Posts.

Must Read Inspirational Conservation Stories

The following non-fictions are inspiring stories that teaching children about aspects of conservation related to tree planting, endangered animals, and recycling projects. In addition, each story has one or more inspirational people whose desire to make a small impact often went far beyond what they imagined or expected.  Share these stories with children to encourage them to make a positive difference in their communities and to be more conscientious of ways to keep the planet healthy.

The Mangrove Tree:  Planting Tree to Feed Families (non-fiction)

Authors: Susan L. Roth & Cindy Trumbore

Illustrator: Susan L. Roth

Publisher Summery: For a long time, the people of Hargigo, a village in the tiny African country of Eritrea, were living without food for themselves and their animals.  The families were hungry, and their goats and sheep were hungry too.  Then along came a scientist, Dr. Gordon Sato, who helped change their lives for the better.  And it all started with some special trees.  Learn how Dr. Sato’s mangrove tree-planting project transformed an impoverished village into a self-sufficient community. 

Why I Chose It: This story has two layers. There is a cumulative poem that is repeated as new lines are added on each 2-page spread, similar to “This is the House that Jack Built” format. The first time through, especially with younger children, this poem could be the narrative that is read.  On the facing page is the non-fiction story about Dr. Sato’s tree-planting project. This story is noteworthy for several reason. First, Dr. Sato had to overcome difficult circumstances that could have paralyzed or jaded him, but he did not let them (See Afterward for photos and facts on the doctor and his project). Instead, he helps whole communities overcome their impoverished situation by providing them with education and tools to take care of themselves. In addition, I love how the women, a largely disenfranchised group in most third world countries, were the ones being taught how to care for the seedlings and trees. They, in turn, used the money they earned to help their families. Finally, by enacting his tree-planting project, he helped everyone—animals and humans, rich and poor—because trees make for healthier air and environment. The textured, collage illustrations have an organic feel perfect for this inspiring story.

Related Story: The Tree Lady (H. Joseph Hopkins)

Mama Miti: Wagari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya (non-fiction)

Author: Donna Jo Napoli

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Publisher Summary:  Wangari grew up in the shadow of Mount Kenya listening to the stories about the people and land around her.  Though the trees towered over her, she had loved them for as long as she could remember. So strong, so beautiful, how the trees made her smile. Wangari planted trees one by one to refresh her spirit. When the women came to her for help with their families, she told them to do the same. Soon the countryside was filled with trees.  Kenya was strong once more. Wangari had changed her country tree by tree. 

Why I Chose It:  Mama Miti is one part conservation challenge and one part female empowerment. By planting trees, the women who took Wangari’s advice were able to do everything from feeding their families, to purifying water for drinking, to curing illnesses, to providing wood for shelter and fire, to strengthening their villages, to bringing back the beautiful landscape. Napoli convenes a strong sense of pride and community in the text while Nelson’s illustrations effectively depict the vivid colors and strong people of Kenya. Wangari’s life illustrates the power and influence an ordinary person can have. She was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and helped inspire the Green Belt Movement.  Her work “is the embodiment of the Kenyan notion of harambee—the spirit of pulling together for the common good.”

Other stories about Wangari: Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace (Jen Cullerton Johnson) & Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai (Claire A. Nivola)

Parrots over Puerto Rico (non-fiction)

Authors: Susan L. Roth & Cindy Trumbore

Illustrator: Susan L. Roth

Publisher Summery: For centuries beautiful, raucous Puerto Rican parrots and the settlers on the island of Puerto Rico hunted for food, survived hurricanes, raised their young, and protected their homes.  But then things began to change, and in time the trees in which the parrots lived were destroyed.  By 1967, only twenty-four Puerto Rican parrots were left in the wild.  Humans had nearly caused their extinction.  Could humans now save the parrots?  Discover the fascinating history of Puerto Rico and the intertwined story of the rare parrots that line in the island’s treetops. 

Why I Chose It: This real-life conservation story begins with some fascinating history of the island and the birds. Children learn about a place that is rarely covered in school curriculums and many different cultures. The authors work to intertwine the lives of the people with those of the birds, showing the interconnectedness and interdependence.  As the shift moves to the reasons for the declining population, readers learn about various factors that can impact specifies populations—natural and unnatural. The extensive efforts by a group of scientists are documented to reveal how quickly a population can become nearly extinct but how slowly it can be to bring it back to a healthy number. The pages are designed to capture the habitat of these amazing birds with textured designs and vivid colors.

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Woman of Gambia (non-fiction)

Author: Miranda Paul

Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon

Publisher Summery: Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use.  But what happens when a bag breaks or is not longer needed? In Nijau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way.  One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred. The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens.  They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change.  Isatou Ceesay was that change.  She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community.

Why I Chose It:  What an inspiring story!  Isatou’s solution cleaned up the environment, decrease the mosquito population (and with it disease), and saved livestock and gardens.  It was not without resistance. While Isatou and some other women worked on a solution, they were called names and laughed at.  Once they began selling their new recycled purses, the naysayers changed their tune.  The women were able to make extra money from this new venture that helped their families buy necessities like livestock.  Eventually, they began contributing their earnings toward an empowerment center where people receive free health care and education.  The center became the home of the region’s first public library.  Their innovation and perseverance has made a positive impact beyond conservation.    

Related Story:  Bag in the Wing (Ted Kooser)

What Can You Do with an Old Red Shoe? (craft book)

Authors: Anna Alter

Illustrator: Anna Alter

Publisher Summery: In this “green” craft book, children can appreciate that recycling is a part of everyday life, and with a little creativity, exciting projects are only a few steps away. Turn a worn flip-flop into an art stamp, a ripped shower curtain into an apron, and an old T-shirt into a pillow. These activities are just a few of the many crafts to be explored. With easy-to-follow instructions, this interactive book will challenge kids to come up with clever recycling ideas of their own in no time!

Why I Chose It: Since the topic of the post is conservation, I thought this book would be a practical way to bring greater awareness.  Each craft has an animal character and short poem. Then, using every day items (most of which end up in a landfill), the characters illustrate with pictures and directions how to make each project. The book ends with a list of additional ways kids, adults, and families can support reuse and recycling.

For the Adventurous (and Imaginative) Reader

The Dumpster Diver (fiction)

Author: Janet S. Wong

Illustrator: David Roberts

Publisher Summery: Anyone can dive for treasure in the ocean, but Steve dives for it in this neighborhood dumpster! As he delves into the trash each weekend, Steve encourages his young neighbors (aka the Diving Team) to see the potential in what other people throw away.  With a little imagination, trash can be transformed into treasure—and as the Diving Team discovers, it might even help a friend in need.

Why I Chose It: Wong does not idealize dumpster diving. As soon as Steve gets in, beetles and spiders splash out. Yuck! Then, the kids spray him (and the items he collects) with a hose when he gets out. Parents do not have to worry about their children begging to dumpster dive.  What I liked about this book is the emphasis on taking discarded items to create new, useful things.  Steve and the Diving Team often use their new creations or what they find to help others.  When the kids need to make a project, they ask for items people are not using (a good alternative while prompting similar results). The Dumpster Diver is an entertaining story that encourages imagination, resourcefulness, and exploration.