King Sejong Invents an Alphabet by Carol Kim, illustrated by Cindy Kang

 

King Sejong Invents an Alphabet by Carol Kim,

illustrated by Cindy Kang

Albert Whitman & Company, 2021, 32 pages

This is the story of a king who loved books and reading so much he wanted to share that love with all the people in his kingdom. But how could he do that when Korean had no alphabet?  Born in Gyeongbakgung Palace in 1397, as a boy, Yi Do loved to read. And he was lucky, because only those who were a members of the royal court could learn how to read, because that required knowing how to read and write Hanja, the complex Chinese characters that were used in Korea because there was no Korean alphabet. Unfortunately, that meant that most people in Korea could not read since learning Hanja required time and money.

Even after his father hide his books, young Yi Do was overjoyed to find one book that had been missed. He loved books and learning so much that he read the missed book over and over. Years later, his father realized how valuable his son's love of learning was, believing it  would make him a good leader and chose him to be the next king at age 21, changing his name to Sejong. After an unfortunate incident between a father and son,  Sejong had a book printed and given out all over the country in an effort to teach the people to honor their parents. But no one could read the book because no one knew how to read Hanja. 

Dismayed, Sejong realized that what Korean needed was its own alphabet instead of the complex Hanja characters. But how does one invent an alphabet that would match the spoken Korean language and be easy to learn? And how to do it secretly since the yangban or ruling class didn't want to give any power to the people or sangmin class.

Sejong spent many years working in secret on a Korean alphabet and finally in 1443, he released an alphabet of twenty-eight letters, which was later called Hangeul or "the great script." And yes, the yangban did protest the use of the alphabet, but now that they could read, imagine how much the lives of the Korean people were improved. All thanks to one young boy's love of books, reading, and learning and wanting to share that.

King Sejong Invents an Alphabet is a deceptively simple yet very informative biography of both King Sejong and the Hangeul alphabet. Coupled with Carol Kim's engaging text works in harmony with Cindy Kang's colorfully detailed illustrations that reflect Korean life in the 15th century. 

Back matter includes more information about the Hangeul alphabet and why it is an ingenious design, its fate after King Sejong died and the long journey to its acceptance, as well as Selected Sources and Source Notes.

This is an excellent book to include in diverse libraries, whether public, school or home libraries. 

Thank you, Edelweiss+ for providing me with a digital ARC of this book.

Once Upon a Forest written and illustrated by Pam Fong

 

Once Upon a Forest

written and illustrated by Pam Fong

Random House Studio, 2022, 40 pages

Forest fires are really scary and they seem to be happening with more and more frequency. Here is a wordless picture book that shows readers something they can do after a forest fire happens. It all begins when a little marmot, out watering his garden with his bird bestie, smells smoke in the distance. Leaving his home, the marmot goes exploring to find out where the smoke is coming from and discovers it is a forest fire.

After the fire is put out, the marmot loads up his wagon with gardening tools, and some of his own young saplings and heads into the forest with his bird friend. Saddened by the charred remains of trees and devastation he finds, the marmot quickly gets to work pulling the dead trees up, 

then clearing and raking the land to prepare it for new plants. As you can see, it doesn't take long for the soot from the fire to get all over the marmot. Pulling, raking and digging are hard work, but the two manage to finally plant some saplings, then pitch a tent to keep an eye out on things..  

They are there for the long haul and it's a good thing they are. As the saplings begin to take root and grow, they need water, protection from autumn wind, and later from winter's snow, and in spring, from hungry animals looking for some nice leafy greens.

But the trees grow and grown. Once they are strong and sturdy, the marmot and his bird friend return to their home, but just they are unpacking, it happens again - the smell of smoke is once more in the air. It looks like the help of our little environmental friends will once again be needed.

This is a charming story that shows young readers that they can do something to help an environment that has been laid waste through forest fires or any natural disasters. They can easily begin by planting a new tree at home in a small container for later replanting in a forest. But more than that, kids learn that they can participate in taking care of the nature world which is so important for it to thrive, especially if we want to enjoy it for years to come.  

Pam Fong has managed to convey all of that to us without writing a word, and instead by using detailed, grayscale illustrations that reflect the marmots thoughts and feelings, and by using a few color exceptions where they make all the difference, highlighting the green of the saplings, the blue of the stream where water for the plants is gotten and the marmot can wash away the soot that gets on his fur, and a golden cast as the day's work is done and the sun is setting. 

This is a perfect book to add to your Earth Day collection, and it is ideal for sharing as we enter another fire season with the coming summer months. There is much here for discussion and for generating ideas for caring for the earth.

Thanks you Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for providing me with a copy of this book.

Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Patricia Metola

Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl,

illustrated by Patricia Metola

Flyaway Books, 2022, 40 pages

This week we celebrate Earth Day and if you read the Author's Note for this book, you will understand why I chose it as part of that celebration. Trees, Gehl writes, can communicate and even help one another by sending nutrients to each other, a process scientists are only beginning to understand. 

Young Britta has two favorite trees, an apple and a magnolia tree, and she is sure that they are best friends. Britta's skeptical dad and her very skeptical older sister Bronwyn did not think that trees could be friends, but Nana says that sometimes "unusual friendships can be the most powerful of all."

Then one day, Magnolia begins to droop, her bark becomes patchy and gray, and her leaves turn brown. Skeptical dad and very skeptical Bronwyn don't think Magnolia will be able to survive the winter, but all Nana wants to know whether or not Britta has a plan for helping her beloved tree.

Britta, with Nana's support and the help of her dog and cat devises ways to bring the two trees together in the hope that Apple would send good things Magnolia's way. First, she attaches telephone cups on string so they could communicate better, then she wraps them in a long scarf for warmth and finally, she strings lights through their branches so they could always see each other. And as time passes, Britta is sure that the trees were growing together. Naturally, skeptical dad and very skeptical Bronwyn didn't think the trees were growing toward each other, but Britta and Nana make a chart to measure the distance anyway.

Sure enough, the distance between the trees begins to gets smaller. Britta and Nana may have faith in the power of friendship even between trees, but can Apple really help Magnolia heal or is it just wishful thinking on Britta's part? What do you think?

This is a lovely, lyrical story about the importance of relationships and nature- and, according to my young readers, there are four important ones in this picture book. There is the subtle camaraderie between Britta and her dog, the close relationship between Britta and Nana, the love between Britta, Apple and Maple, and of course, the friendship between the two trees themselves. My young readers actually found five relationships, but we voted not to count the naysayers Dad and Bronwyn here because this is also a book about believing, positivity, and determination and not about giving up.

The stylish, whimsical illustrations are a pleasure to look at and explore. They have the feeling of a child's drawings done in crayon and are just perfect for this story. One other thing my kids commented on is the fact that Britta is clearly a biracial girl with a white father and a brown Nana. Apple and Magnolia makes an ideal read aloud, and is sure to generate some interesting thoughts and observations. 

You can download a free Educator's Guide about how trees and their importance, how we can help trees stay healthy, and how trees may communicate with each other HERE

 Here's what the reviewers are saying about Apple and Magnolia:

★“What’s not to love about this endearing and effervescent picture book?” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ “Beautifully told and illustrated, this book is a gem on many levels.”  —School Library Journal (starred review)

Laura Gehl is the award-winning author of more than thirty popular picture books, board books, and early readers including One Big Pair of Underwear, Except When They Don't, My Pillow Keeps Moving, and the Baby Scientist series. A former science writer and teacher, Laura holds a PhD in neuroscience. She lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband, four children, and large stash of dark chocolate. Visit Laura online at lauragehl.com.

Twitter: @AuthorLauraGehl

Instagram: @authorlauragehl

Facebook: @AuthorLauraGehl

Patricia Metola has illustrated more than twenty books for children. Her work has been showcased by the Bologna Children's Book Fair on several occasions. She lives in Madrid, Spain. Instagram: @patriciametola

Some New and Old Favorite Picture Books

After I got sick (not COVID), I thought I would never get back to my kiddos again, but I did spend a lot of time reading new pictures books, and revisiting old favorites so I would be ready when the day came that I would see them again. And yes, that day has come and here are the first five books we've explored that week. And I just realized I began and ended this post with books by Andrea Wang, who is a favorite of ours. 

Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang,

pictures by Hyewon Yum

Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2022, 40 pages

Available 5/17/2022

When five-year-old Luli enters the playroom where her English language class is held, she notices how quiet it is because everyone is playing by themselves. No one knows any English yet and all the kids speak different languages. So Luli gets an idea. The next day, she takes a thermos, a canister, a stack of cups, and a fat-bellied teapot out of her backpack and sets them on a table. Luli drops some tea leaves into the pot, pours in some hot water from the thermos, and when she loudly calls "Chá," "all around the room, heads popped up." Soon, her table is full of other kids drinking tea, that is everyone except Luli. So Luli's teacup is passed around the table and each child pours a little of their tea into it. But Luli isn't finished - next she pulls out a box and, using the only English word she knows, says "Cookie." Now, kids are no longer playing alone and the playroom is no longer quiet. This is a charming story in which a hot cup of tea really does become an ice breaker. There are ten children in Luli's English class, many from different Asian countries, but for whom the Chinese word "Chá" is similar to the word they use in their language, all of which is explained in the Note from the Author. I loved how Wang worked in the names of the different kids and the different pronunciations of tea. Yum's whimsical color pencil illustrations really capture the diversity of these English language learners, and the variety of expressions and reactions of all the kids. I grew up in a tea drinking family so I was right there for this story. 

An Educator's Guide is available to download HERE

All You Need by Howard Schwartz,

illustrated by Jasu Hu

Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2022, 32 pages

Using spare, lyrical text, Schwartz explores the essential things that are needed to thrive and to have a happy and fulfilling life. He begins with a planet to live on, a sun for light and warmth, clouds for rain, seeds to grow, trees to clean the air, good food, a country that welcomes you, and someone to share your life with, words to share your thoughts, a hand to write down those thoughts and finally, a beating heart. In other words, we need connectivity to our world, to nature, and to other people, as well as knowing our place in it and having an appreciation for what the world gives us. What really brings text to life are the wonderful watercolor illustrations in which debut artist Jasu Hu has used her own life experience growing up in China and then moving to the United States. This kind of personalization is one of the reasons the the illustrations carry so much emotion in them. When I read this to my young readers, it generated a long discussion about what is important in their lives that make them feel happy and somewhat content. Sometimes I surprised by how sensitive my kids are, but many have experienced tough times in their short lives and a book like this really helps them see what can also bring happiness. We haven't gotten to the words to write down stage yet, but we are certainly at the words to verbally express our feelings stage. One of my young readers did notice that there ia a bird on each page and in the note by the illustrator, she writes that the swallow in Chinese culture "is a messenger that brings happiness and a symbol of homecoming." Interestingly, I've noticed a lot of birds in the drawings my young readers have done lately (they are encouraged to draw pictures based on what we read).

The Longest Storm 

written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

mindedition/Astra Publishing, 2021, 40 pages

When a storm of huge proportions suddenly arrives in their town, a family - father, adolescent daughter, two younger children and a dog - find themselves forced to stay in their house for an extended amount of time. And while the storm rages outside, things begin to deteriorate inside. Soon boredom leads to fighting, then they all get sick of each other and finally dad loses it, sending the kids to their rooms. Which didn't matter anyway, since everyone wanted to be alone. But when a great rumbling is heard, one that shakes the house, and a lightning strike causes the power to go out, the family finds that the darkness may just be what they need to become a solid family again. The realistic portrayal of how things can decline under stress is so spot on in the picture book, right down to the dad getting angry at all the bickering and complaining, which is written on the body language of the kids more than in the spare text. The illustrations really carry this story, done in a palette of flat blue, yellow and black. Parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown have been made about this book, but I think it can be seen as a metaphor for any longterm stressful event in a family's life. And while we are still dealing with COVID-19, this book offers a needed glimmer of hope. Interestingly, when we talked about this book, one of my young readers said it was like have to learn English as a second language in her house, which I thought was a very insightful observation (or maybe the frustrations are what made her think of it).  

The Ramble Shamble Children by Christina Soontornvat,

illustrated by Lauren Castillo

Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin BFYR, 2021, 32 pages

A diverse group of five children live quite happily together in their ramble shamble house (with no adult in sight). And they all work together to care for the house and yard - Meera in the garden, Locky and Roozle chase away the blackbirds, Finn feeds the chickens and baby Jory looks after the mud. All is well until one afternoon when the children take a break from their various chores to read a book all about how to have a proper house, which looks nothing like their ramble shamble house. The next day, the children set about turning their house in to a proper house. And when they are finished, it looks very proper, but then Jory goes missing. A proper house doesn't have mud to maintain. Finding him in the nearest mud puddle, the children realize that a proper house is the house they are happiest in and for these kids, that's their ramble shamble house  and not someone else's idea of what it should be. This a great book about being true to yourself because that is what makes you happiest and not measuring yourself against what others think you should be. When I read this to my kids, they had some trouble understanding why there was no adult around, but once we got past reality and into imaginary, they loved this book, especially the colorful illustrations that just make you smile when you see those kids so happy. 

Watercress by Andrea Wang,

illustrated by Jason Chin

Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2021, 32 pages

My young readers and I are all the children of immigrants, and like the young narrator of this book, we have all been embarrassed by our immigrant parent(s) at one point or another growing up. So naturally, we really loved and understood this book on our first reading of it. In this story, a Chinese American family -mom, dad, a brother and sister (our narrator) - is riding in their old beaten-up Pontiac, when mom suddenly shouts "Look!" and dad quickly stops the car. Growing in a ditch by the side of the road is a crop of wild watercress. In no time at all, bags and scissors are produced and everyone is filling the bags with watercress. That night, the family sits down to a meal, including a dish of watercress, but the narrator refuses to eat it, angry and embarrassed about eating dinner from a ditch. This is, until her mother tells her about her family in China during the great famine when all there was to eat was what they could find. This story, based on the author's own memories, is really about sharing memories. Had the narrator known why the watercress was important, perhaps she would have felt empathy instead of anger. The almost dreamlike washed watercolor illustrations, in a palette of subtle yellows and green, add so much to this beautifully told story, imparting a real sense of memory and the importance of remembering and sharing. 

An Educator's Guide is available to download HERE

It's good to be back with my young readers and we have lots more picture books to read and share with you. 

Before the World Wakes by Estelle Laure, illustrated by Paola Zakimi

 

Before the World Wakes by Estelle Laure,

illustrated by Paola Zakimi

Two Lions, 2022, 40 pages

My favorite time of day has always been early morning when no one else is awake and the world quietly brightens as I watch the sun's rays lengthening along the street outside. And that quiet, peaceful feeling has been expertly captured in this charming picture book about a sister and brother whose favorite time of day is not when it is light and bright outside as you might expect from kids wanting to be with their friends and doing all kinds of activities in school or just going out and about with their mom or even those tranquil evening moments quietly playing before bedtime.  

No indeed, Their favorite time of day is just before dusk when "everything is still gentle and quietish and full of other people's dreams and sleeping." Wrapping blankets around themselves, they silently slip out of the house and into a world just beginning to wake up, when the "stars say good morning at the same time they say good night..." as the moon pulls them home, and "...as night and day hold hands." It's a time when night and day are in perfect balance.   

And it is as if the world of nature is putting on a show just for these siblings, when trees whisper, snails dance, and birds begin to sing their birdsong. 

Before the World Wakes is such a beautiful book, written in soft language which perfectly expresses just how lyrical the dawn of a new day can be. And it is so nice to see sibling enjoying each others company, and sharing their secret morning explorations. But, it is really so secret? Lest young readers like mine be concerned that these children are out alone with no one keeping an eye out on them, astute readers will notice the figure in the window (see above) who is none other than mom. 

The watercolor, pencil, and gouache illustrations really bring home the idea of a quiet, peaceful world just waking up. The images are soft, done in a nature palette of soft pastel colors against which the sister and brother stand out in their striped pajamas and bright reddish hair.  

When I read this book to my young readers it generated all kinds of ideas and memories about early mornings, and I was surprised to find that many have been taken to the nearby park early-ish and felt the same kind of wonder that the siblings in this book experience, which makes me love mornings even more that I already did (which is exactly time time of day that I am writing this). 

What's your favorite time of day?

Thank you to Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for providing me with a copy of Before the World Wakes.

"The poetic text and charming pictures celebrate a special time and universal feelings" - Booklist

Meet the Author:

Estelle Laure is the author of six young adult novels, including This Raging Light, Mayhem, Remember Me, and the City of Villains series, and the picture book The Perfect Pet for You, illustrated by Amy Hevron. She lives with her family in New Mexico, where you can often find her walking the dogs and watching the sun rise before the world wakes. For more about Estelle, visit www.estellelaure.com or on Instagram: @estellelaurewrites

Meet the Illustrator: 

Paola Zakimi is the illustrator of Secrets I Know by Kallie George, Teddy & Co. by Cynthia Voigt, The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains by Annie Silvestro, and Ruby’s Sword by Jacqueline Viessid. She is also a doll maker and fine artist and lives in Argentina. Her favorite part of the early morning is listening to the buzz of the bees while the sun comes out all bright and beautiful. You can learn more about her at www.paolazakimi.com or Instagram: @paolazakimi

Worser by Jennifer Ziegler

 

Life has not been easy for 12-year-old William Orser. A loner whose elderly father passed away when he was very young, nicknamed Worser (W. Orser) on the first day of second grade, and bullied by the other kids, Worser is now living with a mother who has had a severe stroke, and his Aunt Iris, who is taking care of them. Ironically, Worser's mother was a professor of rhetoric who can no longer speak, but who had imparted a love of words in her son when he was a child, a love that has continued. 

Worser has been working on a project he calls his Masterwork, a loose-leaf binder filled with lists of important observations about words, a project that enables him to work in the library at the end of the school day to avoid going home and dealing with his mother and aunt. But now, because of budget cuts, Worser finds that the library is closed after school but not before he meets Turk, who has his own unique (and cringe worthy to Worser) twist on words.  

No library forces Worser to find another place to work on his Masterwork and eventually he finds and strikes a deal with Mr. Murray, the owner of a secondhand bookstore called Re-Visions. When Worser finds out that his crush, Donya Khoury, has lost the school sponsor for her Literary Club and can not longer meet in school, Worser comes up with a plan to help her out using his space at the bookstore and ultimately becoming a member of the club. But when Mr. Murray's rent is increased, it looks like he will have to close Re-Visions. And again, Worser has a plan to save the store. But will it actually work?

I have to admit that for much of this novel, I really didn't like Worser very much. It was clear he had nothing good to say about most people, including his aunt, who was trying her best to care for him and his mom. Interestingly, she is the opposite of Worser, being very emotional where he seems to completely lack emotion. She is also rather eccentric, albeit in a very different way than Worser and apparently his mother was before her stroke. It's very clear that Worser has not come to terms with the drastic changes he sees in his mother now that she is unable to speak or do anything for herself, and, rather that dealing with this, he loses himself in working on his Masterwork and later getting involved with the Literary Club to get Donya's attention.

As I went along on Worser's coming-of-age story, he began to grow on me more and more, and I began to feel very empathic as I realized how traumatized he was by the things that have happened to him over time and his attempts to avoid facing the truths about his feelings. Channeling his emotions into words is exactly how he lost his ability to communicate with the world and it would take a catastrophic event for him to find his way back. And it is quite a journey. 

Thank you Edelweiss+ for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Blog Tour and Giveaway: No Boundaries: 25 Women Explorers and Scientists Shae Adventures, Inspiration, and Advice by Gabby Salazar and Clare Fieseler

Welcome to the No Boundaries Blog Tour!

In No Boundaries, twenty-five inspiring women from around the world -- many of whom are National Geographic Explorers -- share their adventures, failures, successes, sage advice and lessons learned, straight from the field.  This week, get to know five of the amazing women featured in No Boundaries and be inspired by their work and the challenges they overcame to forge new paths in science and exploration!

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Meet Mallory Dimmitt

Mallory Dimmitt is an expedition leader. Her goal is to protect and restore Florida’s wildlife habitats, and to connect them to one another so that animals have an uninterrupted area to roam. Recognizing that the first step to saving these habitats is to open people’s eyes to these amazing wild lands, she and her team from the Florida Wildlife Corridor organization complete both long and short expeditions and share the photos and video footage with the public. Follow her on Instagram for her latest adventures @mallorydimmitt.

Q: How do you sleep in a swamp? 
Mallory: “We mostly sleep in hammocks, with mesh screens for mosquito control. When we started our third trip, the weather was chilly, and we were a little more exposed in a ham- mock than we would have been in a tent, so my back got cold. But then by the end of the trip it was hot, and when you’re hot and sticky, sleeping in a hammock can be uncomfortably snug! I try to lie still and focus on listening to all the night noises I can distinguish until I fall asleep.“ 

Mallory’s Must-Haves:
Fun! Mallory and her team like to play along the way—they toss Frisbees between canoes and sometimes get out in the swamp to splash around and throw a football. Together they biked the final 25 miles (40 km) to the Green Swamp, Florida’s second largest wetland. When they got there, they jumped into the dark waters for a celebratory swim. 
 

 

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Buy | Add on Goodreads

Meet 25 female explorers and scientists in these inspirational and poignant stories of exploration, courage, and girl power.

Along the way, they share lessons learned and words of wisdom sure to inspire the next generation of scientists, adventurers, and world-changers.

Track a volcanologist as she braves the elements atop an active volcano. Travel alongside a mountaineer as she battles stereotypes―and frostbite―to conquer the famed Seven Summits. Join a conservationist on her passionate fight to save lions. Dig with a paleontologist to uncover massive dinosaur fossils, bit by breathtaking bit. These heartfelt stories give readers an insider’s look at the amazing work female explorers at National Geographic―and beyond―are doing in the field to solve some of the world’s toughest problems.

Rather than detailing the lives of well-known women, this anthology celebrates lesser-known changemakers and outstanding women of diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and fields of study who are just beginning to make a name for themselves. Each profile is based on first-person interviews and comes paired with useful tips and relatable advice for budding explorers and scientists. Stunning photography and fascinating general interest information about the animals, places, and practices add drama and context.

No Boundaries sends a positive message to every girl who has ever dreamed or dared to go a little further. And although these explorers’ endeavors are quite adventurous, the lessons they share can inspire all girls, as well as boys, whatever their goals, skills, and interests.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram

CLARE FIESELER is a National Geographic explorer, photojournalist, and conservation biologist. She has conducted field research on coral reefs and island ecology across the Caribbean and wider Atlantic Ocean. She also studies urban wildlife in her home city of Washington, D.C. As a journalist, Fieseler has traveled the globe, reporting on emerging environmental problems for the Washington Post, NPR, and National Geographic, among other outlets. She was awarded the 2019 Mass Media Fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Fieseler is most proud of the time she rappelled down a rock cliff with a broken foot to photograph the world’s most endangered fern. 

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram

GABBY SALAZAR is a National Geographic explorer, a nature and conservation photographer, and a social scientist. As a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Photography and an associate fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, she has worked on environmental photography projects across the globe, spending months at a time living in tropical rainforests and on tropical islands. Salazar has an MSc in Conservation Science from Imperial College London and is currently a doctoral student at the University of Florida’s School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Science, where she studies environmental marketing. She is committed to environmental education and uses photography to get kids outdoors and to connect them with nature. 
 

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

• One (1) winner will receive a hardcover of No Boundaries!
• US/Can only
• Ends 4/10 at 11:59pm ET
• Check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

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Blog Tour Schedule:
March 28th - Teen Librarian Toolbox
March 29th - YA Book Nerd
March 30th - Always in the Middle
March 31st - Bookhounds
April 1st - Randomly Reading