Board Book Pick: Non-Fiction: This Little Engineer: A Think-And-Do Primer

 

This Little Engineer: A Think-And-Do Primer

by Joan Holub

Illustrations by Daniel Roode

Little Simon

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division 

2023

26 pages

ISBN: 9781665912082

This STEM based non-fiction book introduces toddlers to engineers including Nicola Tesla who helped develop much of today's communications, female engineers like Marian Croak who developed tech to help us communicate over the internet, Gwynne Shotwell who is the president of Space X,  and Kimberly Bryant who created Black Girls Code which encourages and teaches black girls coding which will allow them to develop their own apps and computer games as well as building websites. 

Twelve engineers are highlighted and their importance to science and everyday life is presented in a toddler friendly package. Illustrations by Daniel Roode bring each engineer to life in a cartoon-like, fun way. Oversize eyes and always huge smiles greet young readers on each page. 

This board book will be most young readers first encounter with the idea that they can create and dream and work in space, technology, architecture, medical engineering and many other fields open to all of them. The sky is literally the limit! 

Recommended ages 2 and up. 

Picture Book Pick: A Sweet New Year for Ren

 

A Sweet New Year for Ren

by Michelle Sterling

Illustrations by Dung Ho

A Paula Wiseman Book 

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

2022 

32 pages

ISBN: 978534496606

Based on her father's stories of growing up in the Philippines, Michelle Sterling presents a sweet story of poor, young Ren--too little, too young to help with the preparing the pineapple cakes and dumplings for the Lunar New Year. Ren is a bit distraught. She wants to help. 

Ren hears it over and over from her mother, her baba, her aunt, everyone tells her she's too young, but her brother Charlie comes home to save the day. Charlie shows her how mix and roll the dough. Soon the house is filled with delicious aromas and Ren's extended family. Everyone gathers to eat, share and celebrate. Ren learns the best part of the Lunar New Year is her family and she is thankful. 

The recipe for Sterling's family's pineapple cakes is included. Beautiful artwork by Dung Ho will win over both readers and award committees. The warmth of the family and love is captured in every illustration. Kudos to Dung Ho! 

Highly recommended ages 3 and up. This picture book should be in every collection. 

Non-Fiction Picture Book Pick: If You Were a Princess

 If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders From Around the World

by Hilary Homzie

Illustrated by Udayana Lugo

Aladdin

An Imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2022

40 pages

ISBN: 9781534456174

If You Were a Princess is NOT the typical princess book, thank goodness! Kudos to author Hilary Homzie for approaching the term "princess," and teaching readers, especially young readers, about real princesses and their amazing achievements! This is one book all readers need. Illustrations by Udayana Lugo bring each princess to life and capture the time period and homeland of each of them. 

Real life princesses save animals, participate in the Olympics, and helped orphans in times of war. Famous princesses in history even commanded armies and defended their lands. Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini of Eswantini (previously Swaziland) even performs  her own rap music.

Other princesses earn degrees and help their countries as professors and researchers (Princess Akiko of Mikasa of Japan and Princess Nisreen el-Hashemite of Iraq respectively). Princesses from all over the world and throughout history are included in this unforgettable book. 

Readers are encouraged to stand up for what they believe, hold their heads high and "dazzle the world." 

Pages follow of famous princessess' bios and two pages of numerous works cited. It's obvious this is a well-researched book. 

 Note: This book was researched and published before the recent Harry and Meghan vs the royal palace, so Meghan is referred to Duchess of Sussex and Catherine is referred to as Duchess of Cambridge, who will become Princess of Wales. Meghan currently still holds the title Duchess of Sussex but no longer works on behalf of the royal familly and Catherine, Princess of Wales, is Catherine's title today. This is probably of no importance to young readers, but please note history is constantly happening. 

Picture Book Pick: Little Red and the Big Bad Editor

 

Little Red and the Big Bad Editor

by Rebecca Kraft Rector

Illustrations by Shanda McCloskey

Aladdin

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

2022

40 pages 

ISBN: 9781534469297

In this humorous romp of a fractured fairy tale, Little Red receives a beautiful scarlet colored cape from her granny. Even though Red's class hasn't learned to write a letter yet, Little Red drafts a thank you note, packs a basket of baked goods, dons her cape and sets off to her granny's house to thank her. 

What should appear? A big, bad voracious wolf who intends to eat Red, but when he spots her note, he goes into editor mode. He tells Red that her words all run together--there needs to be spaces between the words, Using a pencil which he carries behind his ear, Wolf edits her letter. Just when he leans in to gobble up Red, she throws a muffin in his mouth! 

Red runs off, outsmarting the wolf, but he soon catches up. Again, Wolf is bothered by Red's letter writing skills--or lack thereof. He continues to edit the note until Red arrives at Granny's. Wolf wants to eat both Red and Granny now, but when Granny comments about the beautiful letter written with such attention to grammar, Wolf beams. All three eat pie together. Wolf sends a thank you note saying how much he'd love to have both Granny and Red over to his house to EAT.  

Word choice makes this book a wonderful read aloud. Onomatopoeias abound as well as well-known similes and metaphors, for example, cool as a cucumber and smart cookie. Onomatopoeias include swish, splish splash, skippity-skop and many others. Adult readers will enjoy the fun sounding words as their audience giggles and learns each sound. 

Highly recommended ages 3 and up. A must READ ALOUD book.