LIS 721 Information Book Review

 Information Books for Kids!

Thimmesh, Catherine. Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild. Clarion Books, 2018.64 pages. $17.99.

Summary: From the Sibert medal–winning author of Team Moon and the bestselling Girls Think of Everything comes a riveting, timely account of panda conservation efforts in China, perfect for budding environmentalists and activists.

Roughly a thousand years ago, an estimated 23,000 pandas roamed wild and free through their native China. But within the past forty years, more than fifty percent of the panda’s already shrinking habitat has been destroyed by humans, leaving the beautiful and beloved giant panda vulnerable to extinction.

Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds—poaching, habitat destruction, pollution, human overpopulation, and global climate change—the panda is making a comeback. How? By humans teaching baby pandas how to be wild and stay wild. -- From Amazon

Review: Catherine Thimmesh is a Sibert medal-winning author with a love for the outdoors. She authored Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild, which details caretakers' efforts to bring pandas back from extinction. She follows the rehabilitation of panda cubs chronologically and the unique challenges that come with the efforts to introduce them into the wild, such as dressing up in panda costumes to minimize direct human contact! Each section of the cub's rehabilitation is thoroughly explained and easily digestible for younger readers. We learn about the initial struggles of the panda, the experiences of the caretakers, and then we can see the success of all their work. Thimmesh includes full-color photographs to help the readers visualize the cubs' growth and development in the program and develop an emotional connection to their journey back from extinction. Thimmesh also includes additional sources, an index, and blurbs about the conservation experts at the end of the books for further research! Overall, I feel that this is a great book for young nature lovers and future conservationists. I thought that this book was factual and a good way to build empathy for wildlife and their habitats.

Maillard, Kevin N. Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story. Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. Roaring Brook Press,  2019. 48 pages. $18.99.

Summary: Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.

Fry bread is food.

It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.

Fry bread is time.

It brings families together for meals and new memories.

Fry bread is nation.

It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.

Fry bread is us.

It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference. --From Amazon

Review:  Kevin Maillard is a Professor of Law at Syracuse University and a Sibert Award winner. With a personal connection to Native culture and heritage, he wrote Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story which highlights frybread as a central element of Indigenous culture. The story is easy to follow with short sentences and offers a more detailed version of each aspect of frybread at the end. The narrative format emphasizes the personal and emotional connection to fry bread as a symbol of Native tradition and the additional explanations in the back of the book of what frybread stands for allow the readers to learn about the historical context and significance and the opportunity for further research with the notes in the back of the book. He includes his frybread recipe, which I think is a fun way to experience the culture yourself. Throughout the story, readers can see themes of identity, survival, and adaptability, which are prevalent in Native history. Maillard teamed up with Juana Martinez-Neal to bring the story to life and showcase the diversity in Native heritage. Martinez-Neal successfully portrays the emotions behind frybread and depicts characters with various physical attributes making the story more relatable and highlighting that there is no standard way for Native Americans to look. Overall, I think that Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story is a great introduction to Native culture and history through food for young readers and adults.

Weatherford, Carole B. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Carolrhoda Books, 2021. 32 pages. $17.99.

Summary: In the early 1900s, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to a thriving African American community. The Greenwood District had its own school system, libraries, churches, restaurants, post office, movie theaters, and more. But all that would change in the course of two terrible, unspeakable days.

On May 31 and June 1, 1921, a mob of armed white Tulsans attacked Greenwood. They looted homes and businesses and burned them to the ground as Black families fled. The police did nothing to protect Greenwood, and as many as three hundred African Americans were killed. More than eight thousand were left homeless.

News of the Tulsa Race Massacre―one of the worst incidents of racial violence in US history―was largely suppressed, and no official investigation occurred for seventy-five years.

Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and acclaimed illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a sensitive and powerful introduction to the Tulsa Race Massacre, helping young readers understand the events of the past so we can move toward a better future for all. -- From Amazon

Review: Carole B. Weatherford is an experienced writer and winner of 2 NAACP Image Awards and 18 American Library Association Youth Media Awards. With her experiences of navigating historical events from the point of view of African American history, she can properly handle the sensitive and complex nature of the events of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre provides an emotional and informative narrative of the tragic events that occurred in Tulsa Oklahoma during the summer of 1921. Weatherford's language is kept simple but is lyrical in the ways she relays how Tulsa was able to flourish in the segregated South before the horrors of the massacre. How she retells history is easy to understand without any censorship of the emotions of the past, humanizing the experiences of the victims. The accompanied illustration, by Floyd Cooper, successfully portrays the feelings of the text. The warm tones and the softness of the illustrations bring the readers back through history, while the expressiveness of the people portrays every emotion felt throughout the historical timeline. At the end of the book, there is an included author's and illustrator's note providing additional context and personal connection to the history. Overall, I feel that Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre navigates racial injustice and historical trauma while preserving the memory and impact of the Tulsa Massacre gracefully. It would be a good resource for anyone interested in learning about Tulsa, Oklahoma's history, and is an accessible and engaging narrative for young readers.

Burcaw, Shane. Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability. Roaring Brook Press, 2017. 40 pages. $17.99.

Summary: Not So Different offers a humorous, relatable, and refreshingly honest glimpse into Shane Burcaw’s life. Shane tackles many of the mundane and quirky questions that he’s often asked about living with a disability, and shows readers that he’s just as approachable, friendly, and funny as anyone else.

Shane Burcaw was born with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which hinders his muscles’ growth. As a result, his body hasn’t grown bigger and stronger as he’s gotten older―it’s gotten smaller and weaker instead. This hasn’t stopped him from doing the things he enjoys (like eating pizza and playing sports and video games) with the people he loves, but it does mean that he routinely relies on his friends and family for help with everything from brushing his teeth to rolling over in bed. -- From Amazon

Review:  Shane Burcaw is an author and an advocate who has been living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a progressive neuromuscular disease since he was born. His writing remains authentic, funny, and personal. Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability provides a thoughtful and engaging exploration of what it is like living with a disability. The book focuses on common questions people may have about living with a disability and addresses any misconceptions as well. He uses his personal experiences to speak about other people's assumptions. Burcaw's choice of language is inclusive and humorous as he encourages the audience to understand the importance of empathy. He highlights the universal experience of humans such as friendships, love, and ambitions. since the book is presented in a question-and-answer format, the tone is conversational and feels organic in a way that feels interactive. It follows a natural progression of a conversation regarding sensitive topics. The text itself is kept short and simple making it accessible for a wider range of readers. Throughout the book, vibrant and funny images depict his life and help keep readers engaged as they read through his answers. Burcaw includes an author's note at the end of the book providing more information on Spinal muscular atrophy, which is a rare disease that falls under the muscular dystrophy diseases category. Overall, I think that Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability is an entertaining and accessible introduction to disabilities that allows readers to reflect on their human experiences and inclusivity while empathizing with the experiences of others.