Book Finder

Curious children are sure to learn about various instruments and how they are used, as the contents of a typical toolbox are unpacked. Each is presented in crisp illustrations and very brief text.

Animal characteristics provide clues as different animals ask the reader to guess who they are. Each clue is clearly pictured on a white page; then turn the page to view the entire animal on a double-page spread. Crisp collage illustrates each
creature. The accessible volume ends with additional information (including size comparisons).

From one child to many creatures in different locations, life on earth is very diverse but delicate. This important message is gently delivered in lyrical text and highly detailed line and wash illustrations.

Elizabeth “Libba” Cotton heard music all around her growing up in North Carolina. She became a self-taught guitarist using her brother’s instrument until he moved. Her musical talent remained hidden until it was uncovered after she started working for Pete Seeger. Libba’s story is told effectively with swirling text and soft illustrations in a limited palette. 

Join the young koala’s search for a safe place to live and eat when he outgrows his mother’s pouch. A dramatic text on realistically illustrated pages is accompanied by additional factual information in a different font to both engage and inform.

Jinnee lives by the seaside and is quite magical. Using her magic, for her sons she created little house in a big city, a very special train, a steam shovel that saves the day, and more. The fictionalized biography of author/illustrator Jinnee, better known as Virginia Lee Burton, is presented to bring her work into focus. This is sure to introduce a new generation to books such as The Little House, Choo Choo, and Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel.

Vincent Van Gogh often had trouble sleeping. As a child, his parents fussed but Vincent continued to travel in his imagination, which precluded sleep. Glowing illustrations suggest the artist’s style and a rhythmic text provides an engaging introduction to Van Gogh and his powerful paintings. An author’s note includes additional information as well as images of several of Van Gogh’s paintings.

Large pages are used to present animals from around the world. Lyrical language and lush mixed media illustrations generate wonder and appreciation for a host of animals from habitats in the sea, land, and air.

A small, underfed horse was found by a group of Marines during the Korean War. She was named Sergeant Reckless for her courage and willingness to carry ammunition into battle. The story of this faithful, brave animal is presented in a gripping narration and realistic (though not explicit) illustrations. 

It was good to be a kid in 1954. There were nickel doughnuts and one-cent lollipops. At the same time though, learning to read was just plain boring. That is until Dr. Seuss came up with an idea! Straight narration and Seussian rhyme combine with both realistic and imaginative illustrations to present the story of how entertaining leveled books began.

Earth is surrounded by stars of which the sun is only one. Earth is blue “because it is covered by 370,000,000.000,000,000,000 gallons of water.” It has trillions of trees and millions of cities …. but “only one of YOU…” This imaginative presentation is enjoyable to read and may well encourage closer observation of what is all around. 

Meet the Statue of Liberty. She came from across an ocean like many of the people she continues to welcome; that’s why her right foot is mid-stride, of course. Strong graphics and factual but timely, tongue-in-cheek text presents Lady Liberty as never seen before.

Jane Addams hated war. But what could one person do? Jane found a way, dedicating her life to peace and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to it. Soft watercolors create a period in time, the people and places where Jane worked to complement the straightforward, engaging narration. Additional biographical information is included.

Updated information about tigers, leopards, and other big cats is presented in a readable text and full-color photographs. Where to find additional information is included at the end of this large formatted, handsome book.

“Here she sits/an old woman/tired and worm/her legs still/her back achy … but before wrinkles formed” she was a young woman who could walk for miles, worked for women’s right to vote and much, much more. This unique and touching introduction to Harriet Tubman is lovingly revealed and handsomely illustrated.

James Castle was born deaf and mute in 1899 on a farm in Idaho. The story of this child who grew up to become an artist is told in his nephew’s voice and illustrated in dark-hued illustrations that evoke not only the artist’s work but also his difficult life. Allen Say’s appreciation of this artist and his work is sophisticated and memorable, presenting a unique and truly original artist.

Who was Arturo Alfonso Schomburg? He was an Afro-Puerto Rican man whose thirst for knowledge about his roots led him to collect and manage what would become a great library in New York City. Fluid language informs as handsome, realistic paintings illuminate the highlights of Schomburg’s life and contributions. A timeline and bibliography may inspire other young researchers and booklovers.

“Let’s get one thing straight … this is not a how-to book. It’s a history book.” Using a conversational tone and a variety of graphics, the role of both naturally occurring and manufactured poison in world history is explored. The result is an engaging, fresh look at history albeit a bit of its darker side.

The Earth started long ago with a Big Bang and continues to evolve and change. Its history is presented humorously yet factually in a tour guided by a small, expressive, and charming groundhog. The collaboration between authors (one a university geology professor, the other an award-winning artist) has created an accessible and engaging look at Earth’s history.

Whose bones are pictured in white on black pages? Turn the page to see the fleshed out creature in full color and learn more about it, where it lives, and its size. Comparisons are clever and familiar (e.g., the skeleton of a particular shrew is the size of a paperclip)  for a fun and informative examination of animals and their structures.

There were prehistoric predators and plant eaters, prehistoric sea creatures and creepy-crawlers. And there are modern beings that have similar characteristics. Meet the giant pacarana and its modern cousin, the capybara on land; compare leedsichthys and the whale shark and other beasts. Line drawings show the prehistoric critter while photos show the modern ones in a unique exploration.

Photographs and factual information combine with comical illustrations and lighthearted (though accurate) asides about a range of creatures. Some are familiar, others are not, but all are fascinating and expand the concept of what makes a monster – including humans! 

Remember “the middle of Fall, when the leaves have already turned” and the air is chilly, apples and pumpkins are ready to pick. Soon, the leaves will be gone and the sky will change again, filled with snowflakes. Lyrical language and richly hued paintings evoke the season and the changes that accompany it.

Lyrical language and handsome color photographs combine to present a portrait of the changes that occur in autumn. Different seeds dance in the wind or twirl to the ground while animals find shelter, hibernate or migrate. Autumn is also a season of celebrations which lead to the “shortest day of the year, and winter…”