Monica Jan - Future Librarian

 A Poetry Review! Grimes, Nikki. A Pocketful of Poems .  Illustrated by Java Steptoe. Clarion Books, 2018. 32 pages. $9.99. Summary:  Tiana has a pocketful of words: green words like spring, night words like moon, and words with wings, like angel. Each word is the inspiration for a pair of poems—one, lyrical free verse and the other, haiku. The paired poems reflect Tiana’s lively spirit and urban outlook and are showcased in Javaka Steptoe’s inventive collages, which include a wide range of materials, from faucet handles to pumpkin seeds to a hand-sculpted, gilded alphabet. A fusion of two remarkable creative talents,  A Pocketful of Poems  is an engaging portrait of a down-to-earth girl who has a way with words, as well as a tantalizing introduction to poetry. Author’s note on haiku. -- From Amazon Review: A Pocketful of Poems  aims to bring poetry to children and adolescents with accessible language and short poems. Grimes pairs free verse poetry with a m...

  Let's Look at Some Folktales! Campoy, Isabel. F. & Ada Alma Flor.  Tales Our Abuelitas Told. Illustrated by Felipe Davales.  Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006. 128 pages. $19.99 Summary:  Once upon a time, in a land far away... These stories have journeyed far -- over mountains, deserts, and oceans -- carried by wind, passed on to us by our ancestors. Now they have found their way to you. A sly fox, a bird of a thousand colors, a magical set of bagpipes, and an audacious young girl...A mixture of popular tales and literary lore, this anthology celebrates Hispanic culture and its many roots -- Indigenous, African, Arab, Hebrew, and Spanish. F. Isabel Campoy and Alma Flor Ada have retold twelve beloved stories that embody the lively spirit and the rich heritage of Latino people. The work of four leasing Latino artists and illustrators highlights this unforgettable collection. --From front cover Review: Tales Our Abuelitas Told  shares stories rich with...

  It's Time to Review Five Picture Books! I am Every Good Thing  by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James. Barnes, Derrick. I Am Every Good Thing . Illustrated by Gordon C. James. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020. 32 pages.  ISBN-13  978-0525518778. $18.99 Summary:  "The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He's got big plans, and no doubt he'll see them through--as he's creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. And other times he's afraid, because he's so often misunderstood and called what he is not. So slow down and really look and listen, when somebody tells you--and shows you--who they are. There are superheroes in our midst!" - Amazon Review: The book starts off with dedications to Tamir Rice. Trayvon Martin, EJ Bradford, Michael Brown, Jordan Davis, and Julian Mallory. With this in mind, the illustrations throughout the book depict the active ...