Category: Candlewick Press

A Moving Picture Book That's Sure to Please

12/17/2020

When I received my copy of EVELYN DEL REY IS MOVING AWAY, a beautiful picture book book written by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, and published by Candlewick, I couldn't wait to pour over its pages. It did not disappoint! Immediately, I was transported into Evelyn and Daniela's world, which mirrored my own when I was their age and moving away from the city to the suburbs.
Evelyn's building with its iron staircase railing, the empty rooms of an apartment where friends once spent hours at play, the boxes being moved, Evelyn's afro puffs--all of it reconnected my neurons, causing me to relive a moment I had long forgotten.

The tears that ran on the day I moved and left my best friend behind rolled anew as I read EVELYN DEL REY IS MOVING AWAY.

But I know that tomorrow everything will be different. Evelyn will be in a new home that doesn't match mine.

This story with its lovely text and soft illustrations will move any reader. Why? Because losing something dear always hurts. And haven't we all lost something, especially this year?

I will be surprised if EVELYN DEL REY IS MOVING AWAY doesn't win some of the highest kidlit honors to be handed out in 2021--not just because Meg Medina writes like an award-winning author, and not just because Sonia Sánchez captures the girls' emotions with a vibrant and deft digital paintbrush, but because this book, this story, is worthy. In a word, EVELYN DEL REY IS MOVING AWAY is moving.

It's already garnered starred reviews from the likes of Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Horn Book, BookPage, and landed on numerous lists naming the best books of 2020. But more important than the praise, the reason every elementary school guidance counselor and parent should have a copy of this book on hand when a child is experiencing grief is because EVELYN DEL REY infuses hope, and shows that change does not have to mean the end of something, not if we cherish it in our hearts.

Purchase your copy today.

Publisher's blurb: Evelyn Del Rey is Daniela’s best friend. They do everything together and even live in twin apartments across the street from each other: Daniela with her mami and hamster, and Evelyn with her mami, papi, and cat. But not after today—not after Evelyn moves away. Until then, the girls play amid the moving boxes until it’s time to say goodbye, making promises to keep in touch, because they know that their friendship will always be special.

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Four Beautiful Biographies for Young Readers

9/2/2016

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My library is--in a word--awesome. In my opinion, one thing that makes it so, is that we have shelves reserved just for newly-published and newly-purchased titles! Each one has a beautiful red NEW label across the spine. How I love NEW!
Every time I visit, there are NEW kidlit titles, too. I so look forward to checking out the NEW nonfiction titles, especially the biographies! It's because I love how kidlit writers use narrative nonfiction to tell their subjects' stories. Kid-friendly facts told in kid-friendly ways equals, to me, a most-delightful read. The text is sometimes lyrical, oftentimes musical, and always informational. And the art! How I love the way publishers marry text and illustrations to bring to life individuals who may have lived over a hundred years ago!
Instead of keeping all this love to myself, I thought I'd share four NEW titles that I checked out during my last library visit. If your library doesn't own copies, I would highly recommend they buy them--NEW.

Jump Back, Paul: The Life & Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar

WHAT I LOVE:
I love the narrator's voice of this title. You'll feel like you're sitting at the feet of a kind great-grandmother who is telling you her family's story. I love how Dunbar's poems are carefully placed within the text in order to complete the historical narrative. (Reading Dunbar's poems aloud is a delight!) It is encouraging and inspiring to learn of Dunbar's determination to accomplish his goal of becoming a published poet, and attaining it with distinction. It is an added bonus to discover that Dunbar and the Wright brothers went to school together, helped each other out, and were friends. The illustrations, too, perfectly capture Dunbar's emotions. JUMP BACK, PAUL is a magnificent biography for middle-grade readers.

TASTE-SAMPLE:
"Well, graduation time came round, and Paul's class asked him to write words for the song they would sing at the ceremony. Those boys and girls had been going to school most of their lives, but now they had to go out and start finding their own way. Don't you think they were a mite scared? And maybe a little sad? Paul had the same feelings as the rest of them. How was he going to put all that in a song? He decided to compare himself and his friends to little boats just beginning their first voyage."

JU MP BACK, PAUL is written by Sally Derby, illustrated by Sean Qualls, and published by Candlewick Press.

Growing Up Pedro

WHAT I LOVE:
To be honest, I'm not a baseball fan. Nonetheless, I love this picture-book biography because of how Tavares weaves throughout the story the brotherly bond that existed between Pedro Martinez and his older brother, Ramón. It is a narrative thread that makes for an emotional telling and some touching illustrations, too. Pedro is younger than Ramón. He is smaller. And at first, he can't play baseball as well as Ramón. But Pedro looks up to his big brother, and his big brother wants him to succeed. He even teaches Pedro all he knows about being a great pitcher. He lets him tag along whenever he is practicing or trying out or playing. Soon, both brothers are pitching in the major leagues. Both are exceptional at what they do. Even when Pedro and Ramón have to pitch against each other on opposing teams, they cheer each other on. After all, that's what brothers who love each other do! GROWING UP PEDRO is a great picture-book biography that kids are sure to love!

TASTE-SAMPLE:
"During games, they sit together in the dug out. They coach each other. With his brother by his side, Pedro is better that ever."

GROWING UP PEDRO is written and illustrated by Matt Tavares, and published by Candlewick Press.

The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch

WHAT I LOVE:
I don't recall hearing the name of John Roy Lynch before reading this beautifully-illustrated picture-book biography. I learned that John Roy had an Irish father, and that when his father died he willed to him, his mother and his brother all that he owned. He gave them their legal freedom. It was heartbreaking to learn that his father's "friend" did not do as his father wished. Instead, he cheated John Roy's family out of their rightful freedom and sold them away from their home. It was exciting to learn that during Reconstruction the townspeople of Natchez, Mississippi elected John Roy to be their Justice of the Peace and later their Congressman. John Roy was hoping that, with slavery abolished, a time of liberty and justice would prevail for all. But of course, the time of Reconstruction was short-lived. His hope did not materialize. I do not love reliving this time period, but I do love learning about individuals like John Roy who managed to hold onto hope even when the promise of it flickered like an oil lamp about to burn out. And of course, I love the illustrations of this book! Tate knows how to illuminate hope on every page of THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH.

TASTE-SAMPLE:
"For John Roy, true emancipation came the summer he turned sixteen. It did not come from the president's pen, or even from the arrival of two hundred blue-clad men on horseback. It came instead when he sold a chicken for a dime to a Yankee soldier and bought himself a boat ride across the river back to Natchez."

THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH is written by Chris Barton, illustrated by Don Tate, and published by Eerdman Books For Young Readers.

Trombone Shorty

WHAT I LOVE:
Imagine a little New Orleans fellow finding himself a beat-up old trombone, one so big he falls beneath the size of it while trying to play. But there's nothing small about his determination. He teaches himself to play that horn. After all, he wants to join his big brother's band! Never mind how young, how small, how short he is. Soon, he is playing his big brother's songs. What's not to love about that image? He even forms his own band with other little guys, never mind that most of them don't have real instruments. They just make their own. He sleeps with his trombone, no doubt dreaming of the music he and his friends will make in the morning. And when he attends a Bo Diddley concert with his mom, he gets right up there on that stage and starts to play! It's a delightful thing when a kid like Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews recognizes what he is passionate about. And Collier's illustrations for this book are truly amazing! His collages remind me of the instruments that Troy and his friends made using a hodge-podge of materials to create music. I love that this story is told by none other than Trombone "Shorty" himself, who is still making music with his trombone today. TROMBONE SHORTY is nothing short of a delightful read!

TASTE-SAMPLE:
"The crowd passed me overhead until I was standing on the stage next to Bo Diddley himself! I walked right up to the microphone and held my trombone high up in the air, ready to blow!

"What do you want to play?" Bo DIddley asked.

"FOLLOW ME," I said.

TROMBONE SHORTY is written by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier, and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers.

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The Tale of Rescue: A Middle-Grade Adventure

9/7/2015

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A 10-year-old boy and his parents are lost in a blizzard. The blinding snow has disoriented them, and they have wandered far away from the little, warm vacation cabin. And now they face freezing temperatures and rising drifts with nothing to shelter them from the bitter cold but their scarves, gloves and clothes. They will not survive the night without a rescue. But who will come? No one even knows that they are missing.
The frightened boy's father sends out a cry for help. He whistles. Will anyone hear? The ears of a cattle dog, a heeler, perk up. He follows the sound until the family is found. They are shivering in a mound of snow. First, the dog offers his warmth. The family snuggles against his fur. And then, just as the dog has appeared seemingly out of nowhere, he jumps up and disappears into the white.

"The dog's warmth lingered, but it was like a held breath...soon to expire. As nightfall approached, the family knew temperatures would plummet. They shared the quiet, in lieu of hope."

What the family does not know is that the dog has gone to get the farmer, his handler, for help. The farmer, though, does not understand the meaning of the dog's alarming barks. The cattle seem all right. The farmer does not follow the dog.
So this dog, this brave, smart dog, with yips, nips and barks, rouses the cows from their rest, and sends the herd out over the snow and straight to the family. Now the family has a chance! They can follow the packed snow and find safety at the farmer’s home. Will they have the strength to follow the dog? Will they survive this night? You’ll have to read this short and lovely middle-grade tale to find out.

Illustrations (c) Stan Fellows, Candlewick Press, 2015

I loved the voice of this book. For me, Rosen's writing is reminiscent of the beautiful prose found within Patricia MacLachlan’s Sarah, Plain and Tall. Being a quick-read, children tackling novels for the first time will find the length perfect. Elementary-school teachers will enjoy reading this book aloud, as each page is filled with action and is so fast-paced that wiggly students will surely settle down.
The illustrations are beautifully painted and match the mood and tone of the story. They vividly portray the immediacy of the storm. You can practically feel the cold as night moves on. And I am sure, like me, all readers of this book will come to adore the hero of this tale--a non-assuming cattle dog that ends his night of heroism with his usual slumber in a barn full with cows.
The Tale of Rescue: Text copyright © 2015 by Michael J. Rosen. Illustrations © 2015 by Stan Fellows. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.