Non-Fiction Picture Book Pick: The Tower of LIfe

 

The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs 

by Chana Stiefel

Illustrated by Susan Gal

Scholastic Press

2022

40 pages

 ISBN; 9781338225891

From School Library Journal: "A beautiful tribute...highly recommended." 

Yaffa Eliach grew up in what is now Lithuania (at the time it was a town called Eishyshok) before it fell to the Germans during WWII (It was then Poland). When the Germans invaded, they rounded up the town's people, but Yaffa and her family escaped through the woods with only the clothes on their backs, but Yaffa grabbed some family photos and hid them in her shoe. Her family was able to hide out during the war.  After the Russians freed her town, Yaffa's family left Europe and settled in Jerusalem. 

In Jerusalem, Yaffa goes to school and she meets her husband. They immigrate to the United States in 1954. Yaffa continues her education eventually earning her doctorate in history and establishes the Center for Holocaust Studies, Documentation and Research in Brooklyn, New York. President Jimmy Carter reaches out to Yaffa, known as Dr. Yaffa Eliach to help in building a memorial in the National Holocaust Museum. Yaffa remembers the photos she put in her shoe which reminded her of the happy times before the war. She thought of her little village and its people. What had happened to the friendly faces she knew? She decided to find as many survivors as she could and tell their story through photographs. 

Yaffa did radio interviews, took out ads in newspapers, and traveled to Israel to find anyone who remembered Eishyshok. She knocked on doors and found some old friends who shared their photographs. It took seventeen years for her to travel the globe, seeking people who knew Eishyshok, and collecting over 6,000 photos and stories.

The photos became the "Tower of Life" at  the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. This memorial includes1,000 plus photos and soars from the floor up three stories to the ceiling. Dr. Yaffa Eliach remembered the people,  sharing their faces, their hearts and their stories for all Americans and visitors to see and remember this time in history. The last survivors of the Holocaust will soon be gone, but the museum and Yaffa's tower teach us about the Holocaust and its survivors. 

The BEST book about the Holocaust. This easy picture book makes information accessible and the watercolor art captures Yaffa and the people. 

Highly, highly recommended for everyone. This is the ONE Holocaust book that should be in every library and on every bookshelf. 

Picture Book Pick: Holding On

 

Holding On 

by Sophia N. Lee

Illustrated by Isabel Roxas

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2022

32 pages

ISBN: 9781534494459

A smart pick for diverse collections and teaching. 

A young girl visits her Lola (grandmother) every summer, and Lola tells her, "If you want to hold on, you have to sing your songs." She shares her love of Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis, Jr. and especially her Tagalong songs from her favorite singers Nora Aurnor and Basil Valdez, 

Summers and Lola's house is always filled with music and joy.  The little girl loves visiting and dancing with Lola. They make their favorite foods together and Lola tells her stories of how she met her grandfather and how they danced in the street. The girl waits all year for summer to come, so she can be filled with songs again. Heartfelt illustrations by Isabel Roxas make you feel and hear the music escaping the pages of the book. 

When Lola begins not to remember things so well, the girl holds on for her. She holds on to their favorite songs, singing them for Lola who then sings along. She repeats Lola's stories from the past, so Lola can remember them. She tells Lola it's okay to not remember sometimes. She'll remember for her. They sing and dance keeping music alive and "holding on" to each other. 

Holding On is an important book about the love between a child and her grandmother. Dealing with age, the elderly, Alzheimers, love, acceptance and joy, Holding On should win awards this year. 

Highly, highly recommended age 4 and up. 

Easy Reader Pick: Frank and the Bad Surprise

 Frank and the Bad Surprise 

by Martha Brockenbrough

Illustrated by Jon Lau 

Arthur A Levine Book

Levine Querido

Chronicle Books, LLC

2022 

64 pages

ISBN: 987164640886

Illustrations by Jon Lau capture the personality and mannerisms of Frank the cat who has the life. He has a warm ray of sun to nap in, humans who love him, quiet times and plenty of Whiskies to eat, that is, until one day, his dear humans bring home a box. At first Frank is excited. A box! He can play in the box, crawling in and out as he pleases. 

The box is a good thing indeed until a little, yappy puppy--a puppy who invades his naps, eats his Whiskies, and steals his dear humans' hearts. His humans put Frank in a cage after Frank swats at the puppy. Frank is appalled. How dare they lock him up? This is his home. That was his food. Frank decides to make his dear humans pay. He will run away! 

Frank uses the computer keyboard to reason with his dear humans writing them several heartfelt letters begging for them to take away the puppy. He leaves a farewell  note and sets off on his own. He soon discovers the big, wide world is not as safe and wonderful as he had imagined. People are mean to him, shooing him away from their doorsteps. He has no Whiskies to eat and no warm place to nap and then when things are beginning to look dark, it starts raining. 

Maybe the puppy isn't so bad. His dear humans are excited to see a sopping wet Frank at their front door. Alerted by the puppy's barks, they open the door and let Frank back inside. Later, warm and dry, Frank realizes the puppy has warm fur. Maybe they can sleep side by side. Frank names his puppy Sunny and they sleep throughout the night. 

Lovely early chapter book about fitting in, acceptance, being open to change, embracing found family and love. Frank and the Bad Surprise answers the question: Is the grass always greener on the other side? 

Highly recommended ages 3 and up. 

Board Book Pick: Moo, Baa, Falalalala!

 

Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La!

by Sandra Boynton 

 Boynton Bookworks

Simon & Schuster

2022

16 pages (board book) 

ISBN: 9781665914352

Festive farm animals including pigs, cows, sheep, ducks, dogs and chicken celebrate the season. They sing and decorate the tree and the barn. They dance and go wild with jubilation. 

Toddlers will love the animal voices, "Bock, bock, book," "Baa, baa,  baa," and "Bow wow wow."

Pages have holly, Christmas lights and musical notes. A cute read aloud and the perfect size for toddler hands. 

The board book is fun and festive. Highly, highly recommended ages 18 months and older.