Blog Tour and Giveaway: Hero for the Hungry: The Life and Work of Norman Borlaug by Peggy Thomas, illustrated by Sam Kalda

Welcome to the Hero for the Hungry Blog Tour!

Follow along all week for exclusive guest posts from author Peggy Thomas, plus 5 chances to win Hero for the Hungry (on shelves 9/1)!

Hero For the Hungry Resource List
by Peggy Thomas

Like most nonfiction authors, I dive deep into my research. There is just so much to learn besides the basics. For Hero for the Hungry, I not only had to learn about the man, Norman Borlaug, but I also had to understand the times he lived in, the anatomy of wheat, how to breed plants, characteristics of bread, etc. Of course, not everything fit into the storyline, and there was too much to put in the backmatter, so I created a resource list of related books, videos, games, activities and even a rap song sure to rev up even the most reluctant reader. 

1. The Kid Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews and illustrated by Philip Hurst is a picture book, but it reveals how Norman was influenced by others like Henry A. Wallace and George Washington Carver. 

2. Play It Hard - Norman Borlaug 100 Year Tribute is a short clip of Norman discussing his work. It was created by the International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement and Biology Fortified to celebrate what would have been Norm’s 100th birthday. Although the dialogue has been jazzed up, you’ll get to hear Norm’s voice and sense his enthusiasm. 

3. Wheat Ag Mag is a downloadable pdf all about growing wheat in America. Get the stats, the facts, or purchase a stack for the classroom.  

4. Wheat Crossing is an Ag Science video that I watched several times to learn the step-by-step process of crossing two different varieties of wheat. While you watch, just imagine Norm having to do this thousands of times!

5. Enjoying the Harvest lesson plan includes milling your own flour. Kids will be amazed at how much grain is needed to make enough flour for a loaf of bread. 

6. Loaves of Fun by Elizabeth Harbison is a hands-on history of bread. Once you’ve milled your own flour try baking one of the recipes in this book. 

7. My American Farm is a collection of games created by the American Farm Bureau for grades Pre-K to 5. Explore poultry, ag technology, international trade, water conservation, ranching, and much more. I particularly liked Seeds to Shirt. 

8. The Story of Wheat For Kids is a downloadable pdf from the Nebraska Wheat Board. It includes coloring sheets, crossword puzzles, and other activities. 

9. Norman Borlaug’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech can be used as a call to action to follow in Norm’s footsteps and end world hunger. 

10. The Norman Borlaug Rap was created by MC Tractor and DJ Redd. Listen and follow along with the lyrics. It’s catchy! 
 

---

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

Can a quiet Iowa farm boy grow up to change the world? Norman Ernest Borlaug did. Norman Borlaug was the Father of the Green Revolution, saved millions from starvation, and won the Nobel Prize.

How? Science, true American grit, and a passion for helping those in need.

Born in 1914, raised on a small farm, and educated in a one-room schoolhouse, Norman Borlaug learned to work hard and excelled in sports. Against odds and adversity, Norm studied forestry and eventually became a plant scientist, dedicating his life’s work to ending world hunger. Working in obscurity in the wheat fields of Mexico, Norm and his team developed disease-resistant plants, and when widespread famine threatened India and Pakistan, Norm worked alongside poor farmers and battled bureaucracy to save millions from mass starvation. Often called the “Father of the Green Revolution,” Norm helped lay the groundwork for agricultural technological advances that alleviated world hunger. He won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1970. He was a true hero for the hungry.

Can pursuing science help you and your future generation? This book is sure to inspire young learners!

Sidebars include topics such as a deeper dive into the science Norm was using to produce new and better wheat varieties, agronomy, wheat genes, stem rust, nutrients and more. Back matter includes a timeline of events and discoveries and a call to action for readers to use science to solve problems and do small things to help with hunger and food waste.

Hero for the Hungry is excellent for a science class learning about genetics, an agriculture class studying agronomy, or a history or English class looking for a well-written biography on a hero scientist.

About the Author

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Peggy Thomas has always loved true stories, and can’t remember a time when she wasn’t thrilled to find animal bones, musty encyclopaedias, or a history plaque by the side of the road. It's that same curiosity that has fueled the research and writing of more than twenty nonfiction books for children.

With a master’s degree in anthropology, Peggy explores a wide range of subjects, blending history and science to create award-winning titles. Her most recent books include Lincoln Clears a Path (Calkins Creek, 2021) and Full of Beans: Henry Ford Grows a Car (Calkins Creek, 2019), which earned NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2020 Best Book from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, and Book of the Year from the Henry Ford Heritage Association.

Peggy is a member of SCBWI, a blogger for Nonfiction Ninjas, and on the creative team behind Nonfiction Fest, a month-long celebration of writing nonfiction for children.

About the Illustrator

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Sam Kalda is an illustrator and artist based in Saint Paul. His commissioned works include editorial, book, advertising and pattern illustration. In 2017, he received a gold medal in book illustration from the Society of Illustrators in New York. He also won a medal from the Cheese Club in college for being able to identify the most amount of, well, cheeses. His first book, Of Cats and Men: History's Great Cat-loving Artists, Writers, Thinkers and Statesmen, was published by Ten Speed Press in 2017. He recently illustrated his first picture book, When We Walked on the Moon, written by David Long and published by Wide Eyed Press in 2019, as well as the follow-up, When Darwin Sailed the Sea.

He lives in an old house with his husband and two cats, Arthur and Frances. In their role as studio assistants, the cats specialize in houseplant demolition and pencil relocation. He enjoys futzing around in his garden, going to estate sales, and taking long walks. So basically, when he's not working, he's retired. He's taught at CUNY Queens College and Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

About the Publisher

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Feeding Minds Press is a project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, whose mission is to build awareness and understanding of agriculture through education. We focus on helping young readers understand where their food comes from, who grows it, and how it gets to them and believe in cultivating curiosity about food and farming and how agriculture plays a role in our daily lives. All books from Feeding Minds Press have accompanying lessons, activities, and videos to further learning available on their website, www.feedingmindspress.com.

 

---

GIVEAWAY

• One (1) winner will receive a finished copy of Hero for the Hungry
• US/Can only
• Ends 9/11 at 11:59pm ET
• Enter via the Rafflecopter below
• Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

---

Blog Tour Schedule:

August 29th — Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
August 30th — Mom Read It
August 31st — A Dream Within A Dream
September 1st — Randomly Reading
September 2nd —YA Books Central

Breaking Through the Clouds: The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

 

Breaking Through the Clouds:

The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson

written by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Helena Perez Garcia

Abrams BFYR, 2022, 48 pages

Available March 8, 2022

Who among us hasn't spent time as a child laying in the grass, looking up at the sky and gazing at the clouds floating by? I know I have and so did young Joanne Simpson. For Joanne, the cloud watching offered an a respite from her mother's cold, harsh words, criticizing her for being so stubborn. But, it was that stubbornness that carried Joanne through to achieve her dream of studying clouds. Attending college at the University of Chicago finally gave her a real escape from her mother, and just before WWII, famed meteorologist Carl-Gustaf Rossby arrived in the US and taught Joanne enough about weather to allow her to teach officers about it for the war effort. 

After the war, Joanne wanted to study more about clouds but she was laughed at by the men at the university. Clouds weren't really that important. In fact, Rossby even told her to go home, saying "No woman ever got a doctorate in meteorology. And no woman ever will." But Joanne was stubborn. She continued to study clouds, discovering some surprising properties about them. Finally, after presenting her finding to the professors at the university, Joanne had indeed earned a doctorate of meteorology, the first woman to do so. 

Returning home to Wood's Hole, Massachusetts, Joanne continued to study clouds, discovering more and more surprising things about them. Unafraid, she would fly under, over and through all kinds of clouds, including the scary cumulonimbi clouds filling with gusting winds and rain, eventually coming to understand the power of these massive clouds. 

Joanne continued to work and study clouds for the rest of her life. And eventually, even Rossby knowledged her work as valuable, and giving her access to his massive computer.  

This picture book biography for older readers is a fascinating and inspiring look at the life of Joanne Simpson. Faced with all kinds of negativity that might have prevented someone a little less stubborn from achieving their dreams, Joanne is a shining example of determination and persistence. In other words, stubbornness. 

One of the things I really liked about the way Joanne's life was presented were the many weather related metaphors that the author used. It's a wonderful way to get kids to understand not just metaphors, but also a topic about which they may have no other knowledge. For example: "By the time Joanne was ten, she had learned her mother's words could be icier that the coldest winds." 

Nickel's text is accompanied by detailed layered and textured gouache illustrations, some full page, other spot images, but all done in a complimenting brightly colored palette. 

Back matter consists of an Author's Noted, accompanied by photographs of Joanne Simpson at work, a Selected Bibliography and a Timeline of Joanne Simpson's Life.  

Meet the Author: 

Sandra Nickel says that story ideas are everywhere; you just have to reach out and grab them.  She holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her first book, Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack, was awarded a Christopher Award and was a Golden Kite Award finalist. Sandra lives in Chexbres, Switzerland, where she blogs about children’s book writers and illustrators at whatwason.com. To learn more, visit https://sandranickel.com/. 

 

Twitter:  @senickel

Facebook: @sandranickelbooks

Instagram: @sandranickelbooks

 

Check out the trailer and other cool resources here!

Thank you, Barbara Fisch @BlueSlipMedia for providing a copy of this book.

Inspiring words from Joanne Simpson, perfect for Women's History Month:

#MCBD: Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers & Revolutionaries Who Changed the World Through Writing by Rochelle Melander, illustrated by Melina Ontiveros

 

Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers & Revolutionaries

Who Changed the World Through Writing

by Rochelle Melander, illustrated by Melina Ontiveros

Beaming Books, 2021, 200 pages

I was in junior high school when my social studies teacher wrote the adage "the pen is mightier than the sword" on the blackboard and asked us to write down our thoughts about what this saying means. It is a quote that has stuck with me ever since and one which I believe to be true. So when I received this book to review for Multicultural Children's Book Day, I was delighted. 

In this collection of 40 short biographies, Rochelle Melander explores the writings of diverse people from different periods of time throughout history and for different reasons. Each person was chosen for their unique contribution to the world through their writing in a wide variety of areas, from, for example, science, politics, women's rights, activism, and environmentalism.  And much to her credit, Melander includes not just white male writers, but a wide variety of women, writers of color, transgender writers, and writers who are just not usually included in anthologies. 

Some of the 40 writers included will be very familiar to readers, some names may be known but not what they did, and others will be completely new to the readers. Each entry, then,  begins with a short biography including what the writer is most known for and their reason/motivation for writing. At the end of each biography are writing prompts for the reader, making this a nicely interactive book. Beginning with Write to Know - where kids can explore their own creativity; Write Now - kids can relate the writing of each historical person to their world today; Write to Create - encourages kids to create their own work similar to the person's whose bio they have just read.

Each biography includes insets of other writers who impacted the world in much the same way, so ultimately, readers learn even more about courageous authors. Although, Mightier Than the Sword begins with Japanese novelist Murasaki Shikibyu, born in 978 and who, despite being a girl, learned to read and write, and is the author of The Tale of Genji, this book has an amazingly contemporary feel to it. Readers will also find biographies of some of todays favorite writers like cartoonish/graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang (1973-), rapper/activist Sonita Alizadeh (1996-), and Sophie Cruz (2010-)

This is a book that should be in every school library, classroom and home library. It is informative, concise, and very accessible. And at a time when it seems like many people want to resolve issues through physical confrontation, Mightier Than the Sword reminds us of the incredible power of the pen.

If you are truly looking to #ReadTourWorld, Mightier Than the Sword is the book for you. 

You can also download a very useful Activity Kit for Mightier Than the Sword HERE

Thank you to Rochelle Melander for providing me with a copy of this book.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 (1/28/22) is in its 9^th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.

MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves. Read about our Mission & History HERE.

MCBD 2022 is honored to be Supported by these Medallion Sponsors!

SUPER PLATINUM: Make A Way Media

PLATINUM: Language Lizard

GOLD: Barefoot Books, KidLitTV, Candlewick, Capstone, Abrams Books

SILVER: Pack-n-Go Girls, Charlotte Riggle, Kimberly Gordon Biddle  

BRONZE: Carole P. Roman, Patrice McLaurin, Dyesha and Triesha McCants/McCants Squared, Redfin.com, Redfin Canada, Redfin Mortgage, Redfin/Title Forward, Create & Educate, Star Bright Books, Vivian Kirkfield, Dr. Eleanor Wint, Kind World Publishing, Snowflake Stories, Lisa Wee, SONGJU MA, Melissa Stoller, J.C. Kato and J.C.², Crystel Patterson, Audrey Press, Pragmaticmom, TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales 

MCBD 2022 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Charlene Mosley (official MCBD2022 Poster Creator)
Illustrator Isabelle Roxas (Class Kit Poster Creator)

Alva Sachs, Brianna Carter, Ebony Zay Zay, Rita Bhandari, Gwen Jackson, Lois Petren/The 5 Enchanted Mermaids, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Josh Funk, Afsaneh Moradian, Eugenia Chu, Maritza Martínez Mejía, Diana Huang, Kathleen Burkinshaw, CultureGroove, Sandra Elaine Scott, Dorena Williamson, Veronica Appleton, Alejandra Domenzain, Lauren Muskovitz and Sandfish Publishing, Tonya Duncan Ellis, Kimberly Lee, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher, Nancy Tupper Ling, Winsome Hudson-Bingham, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Sivan Hong, Michael Genhart, Debbie Dadey, Elizabeth Cureton, Stephanie Wildman, Maryann Jacob, Sherri Maret, Rochelle Melander, Dia Mixon, Kiyanda and Benjamin Young, Shereen Rahming, Linda Thornburg and Katherine Archer,  Rebecca Flansburg and BA Norrgard , Maxine Schur  Natalie McDonald-Perkins

MCBD 2022 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2022 is Honored to be Supported by these Media Partners!

Check out MCBD's Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

Diversity Book Lists & Activities for Teachers and Parents

Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Activism and Activists Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Empathy Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Kindness Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Physical and Developmental Challenges Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Poverty Kit

FREE Homeschool Diverse Kidlit Booklist & Activity Kit

FREE Teacher Classroom Raising Awareness on Systemic Racism in America Classroom Kit

Gallery of Our Free Posters

FREE Diversity Book for Classrooms Program

Join us on Friday, Jan 29, 2021, at 9 pm EST for the 8th annual Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party! Be sure and follow MCBD and Make A Way Media on Twitter!

This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.

We will be giving away an 8-Book Bundle every 5 minutes plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. **

Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. See you all very soon on Twitter!

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

 

The Faith of Elijah Cummings: The North Star of Equal Justice by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Laura Freeman

 

The Faith of Elijah Cummings: The North Star of Equal Justice

written by Carole Boston Weatherford,

illustrated by Laura Freeman

Random House Studio, 2022, 40 pages

Carole Boston Weatherford's picture book biography about Elijah Cummings begins with the front endpapers - a bold American flag that just as boldly represents everything he believed in and fought for.  Elijah's parents were originally sharecroppers on land that their enslaved ancestors had worked on in South Carolina. In the 1940s, they decided that they and their children would have a better chance at life if they moved north to Maryland. It was seven children and two adults living in very cramped quarters, but Robert and Ruth Cummings has faith in their decision. 

Elijah, who had difficulties in school, found solace and help in the public library, where librarians would stay after work to tutor him. But in the summer of 1962, when he was 11, Elijah participated in a protest with other African American kids to integrate a Baltimore city pool. The demonstration was organized by Juanita Jackson Mitchel, a civil rights lawyer. Learning that he had rights he would have to fight for led Elijah to consider becoming a lawyer, too.

Life wasn't easy, and there were those who tried to discourage Elijah from following his dream of becoming a lawyer, including his high school counselor, but his mother's faith gave him hope" "Have faith," she said. "God has a plan for you." And she wasn't the only one who had faith in Elijah. In 1973, after graduating from Howard University with honors, Elijah went to law school.

Ten years later, in 1983, Elijah was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates where he fought for the safely of inner-city children. In 1996, Elijah was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he became a voice for all people of color, a civil rights champion who knew that Americans of color would have to fight the good fight if they were to be treated fairly and equally, but always believing that "In God's time, we shall overcome."

While you won't find many of the particulars that are often included in biographies, readers will find the important influences in Elijah Cummings life that led him to become an important voice in congress and a strong advocate of civil rights. Boston Weatherford uses the same direct, straightforward language her children's books are so well known for and on each two page spread she has included a direct quote by Elijah relating to the text. Coordinating and complimenting the text are Laura Freeman's digital illustrations using a bold color palette and at times a photo realistic style.      

While this biography by Carole Boston Weatherford focuses on the life of Elijah Cummings, sadly, and not really emphasized in this book, he passed away on October 17, 2019. Front matter includes a except from the eulogy given by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives at the funeral of Elijah Cummings on October 25, 2019, and which you can read in its entirety HERE.

Back matter includes an excerpt of the October 17, 2019 Statement from the Congressional Black Caucus, a Timeline, a Bibliography and the Quote Sources used. This book ends with the same bold American flag, an image made all the more powerful by the profile of Elijah Cummings superimposed on it. 

This book was gratefully received from Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media.

Guitars (Made By Hand Series #4) by Patricia Lakin

 

Guitars by Patricia Lakin

(Made by Hand Series #4)

Aladdin, 2021, 32 pages

Available November 9, 2021

Guitars are such a popular instrument, but have you ever wondered about their history or how they are made? Well, just as she did in her previous Made by Hand books, author Patricia Lakin takes readers behind the scenes to learn all about both acoustic and electric guitars.

The first section begins with a definition a guitar as a long-necked, flat-backed string instrument with pear-shaped incurved sides, readers are introduced to the different parts of the two kinds of guitars. Not surprisingly, the acoustic guitar is a much simpler instrument than the electric guitar, which has so many more parts to it. And who would have guessed that the sounds a guitar makes is really just a matter of physics? But I leave that to the author to explain, who does a far better job than I could.

Next, the history of guitars in introduced. Interestingly, earliest guitar-like instrument dates back as far as 1490 BC, where it was found in Thebes, Egypt. In fact, cousins of today's guitars can be found throughout history and in various countries. 

Nowadays, electric guitars might be more popular than the acoustic guitar, but readers will learn exactly who an electric guitar works and it is way more complicated than I would have thought. But just how are these instruments made? To get a good idea about that, Lakin turned to Meredith Coloma, a luthier from Vancouver, Canada. A talented violinist since the age of 9, Meredith toured with a Celtic rock band. Once she graduated high school, she traveled to New York City and, instead of performing, apprenticed with an elderly violin maker there. Returning to Vancouver, Meredith took a course in guitar making, but something in her guitars was missing. She began an apprenticeship with luthier Roger Sadowsky in NYC, and began making guitars with just the right tone that she wanted. But Meredith wasn't quite satisfied, and apprenticed with luthier Michael Dunn in Vancouver. Now a luthier in her own right, Meredith makes unique guitars back in Vancouver. 

In the next section of the book, Meredith takes readers on a detailed tour of her workshop where she gives a step by step demonstration of how both an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar are made and it is fascinating to see. I had no idea just what went into producing a guitar that looks good and has great sound quality.

Finally (and this is one of my favorite sections of the books in the Made By Hand series), young readers can learn how to make their own telephone and harmonica using the science behind instruments like guitars or violins that vibrate when played by plucking strings. 

Guitars is a wonderfully informative book for budding musicians or really, for anyone interested in music, particularly guitars. The writing is accessible and there are lots of photographs and illustrations to help readers understand some of the finer, perhaps more complicated aspects of guitars (like the physics part that even I understood). Back matter consists of a list of great guitarists, a time line, and a glossary and list of resources.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+

This book was an eARC gratefully received from Casey Blackwell at Media Masters Publicity

Dr Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor by Kate Messner, illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became

America's Doctor

written by Kate Messner, illustrated by Alexandra Bye

Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2021, 48 pages

For a lot of people, it felt like the world turned upside down in March 2020 as cases of COVID-19 began to rapidly spread and sometimes it felt like no one in high places cared. But, there was one person who did care - Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But who exactly is this quiet unassuming man with the big smile and characteristic Brooklyn accent? Author Kate Messner apparently asked herself the same question and set out to find the answer and what she discovered was this...

Anthony Fauci was a curious boy, always asking questions about the things he observed in the world and how they actually worked. Lucky for him, Anthony's father was very supportive, helping him with homework when it was needed, and telling him to not get discouraged, to think carefully and try to work problems out. Important advice that Anthony carries with him to this day. His father owned a pharmacy and Anthony worked for him delivering prescriptions to neighborhood people. He also figured out speed was his friend, allowing him to join the older, tougher kids playing stickball in his Bensonhurst neighborhood and later to be on with his high school's basketball team, despite being shorter than most players. 

In high school, Anthony also decided to become a doctor. After graduating college and medical school (first in his class), Anthony went to work at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where he studied new diseases as they emerged, searching for answers to help people who became sick. Aids, Sars, Ebola, West Nile were all new diseases that needed answers and either cures or vaccines. Then, in 2020, COVID-19 arrived in the United States. 

By now, an expert in his field, Dr. Fauci knew people wanted answers and they wanted them quickly. But, as COVID-19 spread and more and more people became sick, it seemed to were no answers. But, Dr. Fauci knew there had to be a solution. 

Pretty soon, there were guidelines for people to help contain the virus. Dr. Fauci consulted with researchers and doctors around the world. Finally, in less than a year, a vaccine was ready. Maybe life could get back to normal again...until the next challenge. But he was ready for it.

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor is, to say the least, a very timely biography as well as one that is very accessible to young readers who might be worried about what they hear or experience with regard to COVID-19, given all the controversy surrounding mask wearing and vaccines. As always with a nonfiction book written by Kate Messner, it is well researched and thought out resulting in a very inspiring picture of a man we see so often on television, but don't really know.

The cartoon-style digitally rendered illustrations are colorful, diverse and have lots of kid appeal. Most are two page full-bleed spreads that contribute so much additional detail to the text. 

Messner has also included some important back matter including information on how vaccines work and their safety. My favorite part is "Dr. Fauci's Five Tips for Future Scientists" written by Dr. Fauci. There is also a Time Line of his life, recommended reading and Messner's list of Sources, as well as some of Dr. Fauci's personal photographs. She also had a Zoom interview with Dr. Fauci in November 2020.  

You can find a detailed, 9-page Educator's Guide for this book HERE

I'm a Brooklyn girl and a big fan of Dr. Fauci, so you know I really scrutinized this book and I found it to be an excellent biography. And even though I don't like needles one bit, I got pfizered on Dr. Fauci's recommendation. 

This book is recommended for readers age 4+

This book was provided to me by Audrey Gibbons at Simon & Schuster

Beneath the Waves: Celebrating the Ocean Through Pictures, Poems, and Stories by Stephanie Warren Drimmer

 

Beneath the Waves: Celebrating the Ocean 

Through Pictures, Poems, and Stories

by Stephanie Warren Drimmer

National Geographic Kids, 2021, 192 pages

This year's Earth Day theme is "Restore the Earth" and what better place to begin than with the earth's oceans. After all, there is more ocean on earth than there is land, and unfortunately, it has become a dumping ground for a lot of man-made garbage, making it a good place to begin restoring. But before that, it would be good to get to know the oceans...and Beneath the Waves is the perfect place to begin. If you look at the Table of Contents you can see that it is a book chockablock with information accompanied by some wonderful poetry and many exquisite photographs.

The book begins with an explanation of the three ocean zones. There is the sunlit zone, the twilight zone, and the midnight zone and readers will learn that each one is a world unto itself. As you can see, the book is arranged in eleven chapters beginning at the ocean's edge and ending in the extreme ocean depths. The last chapter looks at People and Oceans.

Each chapter includes two-page spreads on each of the topics covered, and includes lots of relevant interesting factoids. For example, in On the Beach readers discover what a beach is and how those tiny grains of sand are created. There is also information on sea shells and all different kinds of beach living creatures, from crabs to turtles and beach birds (yes, there's many more than just seagulls waiting to snatch the ice cream right off your cone). 

Throughout the book, each chapter ends with a section called Sea Sleuths that looks at a topic relative to the chapter's subject matter. Why is the Sea Salty?, The Myth of Mermaids, The Myth of the Kraken, and The Search for Longitude are just some of what readers will marvel at. 

The next chapter, Between Two Worlds, looks at animals that live on both land and in the water. Here you will meet swimming lizards and creatures most of us are familiar with - seal and sea lions. Interesting factoid: do you know the difference between a seal and a seal lion? And that seals share their ancestry with dogs? There are also a wide variety of sea birds here, too. And in some parts of the world, there are crocodiles and even some fish that will leave the water and fly through the air. 

Chapter Three, Wading In, begins with a look at the different kinds of sea snails living in the ocean, and the variety of colorful boneless echinoderms or spiny creatures such as sand dollars and sea urchins. This is followed by a chapter on Reef Life, all about the different kinds of colorful coral reefs that flourish in the tropical parts of the ocean and the wide variety of marine species that dwell in these coral reefs.

Leaving the shallower waters, the next few chapter explore the deeper parts of the ocean. First up are Ocean Forests, what they are, for example, eel-grass, seaweed, and kelp. and who lives there, creatures like crabs, leafy sea dragons, octopuses, and the enemy of ocean forests, the spiny sea urchin and the enemy of the sea urchin, the otter, among others that readers will learn about. 

The next chapter introduces The Open Ocean, which covers more than half the earth and is more than two miles deep. This is the home to animals like the giant blue whale and the tiny plankton. In between, there are jelly fish, schools of different kinds of fish, sea creatures like the cuttlefish, which is really part of the mollusk family and not a fish at all. Like octopuses and squids, they have the ability to change their skin pattern, color and texture to blend into their surroundings and fool any hungry predators. And of course, the open ocean is home to sharks and dolphins.

Chapter Seven, On the Move, follows those ocean creatures that are either swimming in search of food or breeding grounds or hitching a ride on these distance swimmers. Readers learn about the journey of salmon, humpback whales, and leatherback sea turtles, as well as hitchhikers like seahorses and barnacles. There is also information on the many migrating sea birds.

In Life on the Icy Edge, readers heads to the north and south poles to learn about penguins, seals, walruses, polar bears, orcas and narwhals, and there is an informative 2 page Sea Sleuths spread called Arctic Experts, all about the Inuit, the indigenous people living there and who know the arctic better than anyone. 

In the next chapter, Deep Down, readers enter the twilight zone, where sunlight no longer filters in and there is just blackness. Here there are some really strange sea creatures to discover, such as the hatchetfish, the Sloan's viper, and the lanternfish.

Chapter 10 brings readers into the Extreme Ocean, the least known place on earth. Here there are "mountains, geysers that spew superheated noxious water, and all kinds of living things that make these alien places their home." (pg 159) And this is where shipwrecks provide a home for all kinds of deep water species, like sear stars, crabs and fish.

Finally, Chapter 11 is about People and Oceans. This includes spreads on the history of ocean exploration, the importance of oceans, ways of protecting oceans and their occupants, and finally, how people have polluted our oceans and why I chose this book to highlight Earth Day 2021.

Beneath the Waves make the ocean sound like a pretty amazing place - beautiful, scary, powerful, busy, and necessary for sustaining life on earth. Thankfully, this book ends on a note of hope - "...success stories [that] show. when people step in to help, they can make a difference.' (pg 184)

Wondering what kids can do for Earth Day and every day after, and to help clean up and restore the ocean? You can find all kinds of activities and projects just right for youngsters at National Geographic Kids Celebrates Earth Day.

Or visit the official Earth Day website HERE

Meet the Author:                                                                                            Stephanie Warren Drimmer writes books and magazine stories for kids. She covers all topics weird and wonderful, including adorable animals, freaky brain experiments, and the hunt for new planets. She is a longtime contributor to National Geographic Kids magazine and has written many books for National Geographic kids, including Hey, Baby!, Mastermind, The Book of Heroines, Ultimate Secrets Revealed, and Ultimate Weatherpedia. Drimmer studied science journalism at New York University. You can find Stephanie on stephaniedrimmer.com, and on Twitter @Stephdrimmer 

This book is recommended for readers age 8+

This book was received from Media Masters Publicity in exchange for a review

Bruno the Beekeeper: A Honey Primer written and illustrated by Aneta Františka Holasová

Bruno the Beekeeper: A Honey Primer

written and illustrated by Aneta Františka Holasová,

translated from the original Czech by Andrew Lass

Candlewick Press, 2021, 80 pages

There is something about bees and beekeeping that has always fascinated me. But since we have begun to hear so much about hive collapse and the dire predictions of what would happen if there were no bees to pollinate plants and flowers, my interest has grown. Bruno the Beekeeper is a book just right for kids who may be interested in bees, too.

It is the story of Bruno the bear beekeeper and his grandma, who helps him. The book begins with some basic bee facts, such as detailed drawings of bees and similar flying insects that will help kids sort through a world of lookalikes. This is followed by pages devoted to the worker bee, whose important role is hive maintenance and security, guarding the hive; the drone who keeps the hive stocked with bees by passing on sperm to the queen bee; and the queen, whose main job is to lay eggs that she then fertilizes with the sperm she received from the drone. There is also a detailed illustration for each bee showing their metamorphosis as well as a labeled anatomical closeup of each adult bee.

Also included in this section is a two page spread showing the hive a beekeeper uses and it parts, with a brief explanation of of what each part is and why it is needed, a two page spread showing the beekeeper's clothing, and a two page spread showing bee parasites and predators. 

Once these basics are understood, Bruno's beekeeping activities begin in Late Summer and Fall, which I thought was odd but once I read through this section, I understood why the author began here. This is when a good beekeeper like Bruno removes the supers and the honey frames that contain the honeycombs. These are cleaned of residue wax and put away for the winter, and all Bruno has to do until Spring is check that they bees are buzzing.

Come spring, Bruno reverses the process and supers up, putting the hives together. This is also the time when you might hear about bees swarming and a number of reasons why this happens is given.

Once summer comes, and the flowers are in bloom, honey making is in full swing and Bruno and grandma being harvesting the honey-filled combs using the honey extractor. When that is done, the honey is put into jar to be used and Bruno beings the yearly cycle all over again, beginning with taking apart the supers.

Bruno the Beekeeper is a interesting look at so many different aspects to beekeeping including all kinds of useful information about bees and their life cycle. I did find it a little disconcerting at first that Bruno is an anthropomorphized bear while grandma is an elderly woman, but the two work so well together that I quickly got past that and focused on their activities and the information at each step in the honey making process.

The writing may feel a little stiff at first, but remember, it was translated from the Czech into English, and there is a lot of technical information included which may account for that, but the translator did keep the humor of the original book. And it really isn't Bruno story as much as it is the story of bees and how we get honey. The author did the watercolor illustrations in various shades of honey browns and beiges with touches of humor throughout (check out the bee faces). 

All in all, this is a very nice STEM book, and one that you might want to consider including in your Earth Day library at home and/or in the classroom. There is much to be learned and appreciated in this picture book for older readers.

Be sure to check out the recipe for gingerbread cookies at the end of the book. They sound sooooo good!

This book is recommended for readers 7+

I received this book from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.