Book Finder

Fruits and vegetables have distinct personalities — at least in the hands of the team that created How Are You Peeling. Here, expressive foods suggest shapes, colors, numbers, and more (as well as a range of emotions) in crisp, full-color photographs of fascinating food sculptures.

Though few have ever considered dust – what it is or where it came from – this informative, evocative book may change that. Consider, for example, that the film on a computer screen may have been the dust on a dinosaur. Poetic language and suggestive illustrations pique interest through their simplicity.

This introduction to the medieval period and to “expert fighting men” never takes itself too seriously while introducing the time in which knights lived, fought, and played. Text and information are organized around questions, making this an engaging book to dip in and out of.

Attractive, bold and crisp visuals, and a limited text in ten short chapters introduce art and how it works. Learn about the effect of lines, color, and contrast on one’s perception of an image in this book that’s likely to not only inform, but also to inspire art activities.

Quilts, a truly American art form, are used to illustrate each state in the order in which it was admitted into the United States. Short essays written by state librarians provide the story, background, and information about each quilt and state, and are reflected in the handsome, unique, and colorful illustrations.

Rosa Parks was an ordinary woman who became a hero because she “was not going to give in to that which was wrong.” A catalyst for the famous Montgomery Bus boycott in Alabama, she turned the nation’s attention to a glaring injustice in our society. Powerful illustrations evoke a time before the Civil Rights era and give the reader a glimpse at a person, her impact, and a period in American history.

In spite of looming war, librarian Alia Muhammed Baker was able to save the books from the library of Basra by moving them to safety. Simple forms and deep colors in a naïve style evoke the war without being explicit. The bravery and action of one person celebrates both everyday heroism and books as a unifying force.

History comes to life in this book’s cartoon-like illustrations and informative but informal text. This is not just any history, though. It is the history of plumbing, and “…the history of the bathroom in Europe and North America is a strange story of how people washed themselves often, sometimes, or not at all.”

An imagined journey on the Nile River in the time of Ramses II (around 1279-1213 BC) begins when 11-year-old Dedia and his father travel to a wedding in Piramesse. What they see along the way is minutely detailed and clearly labeled illustrations in an oversized format.

Celia Cruz began singing on the streets of Havana as a child. She grew up to become a legendary singer and lasting influence on salsa. Bright, bold illustrations echo the vibrancy of the music in this handsome picture book biography.

A biologist introduces spiders and their webs through stunning full color close-up photographs and a lively text. Spider facts include the arachnids’ common and scientific names, size, where they live, and what they eat. A technique to find webs and additional sources of information conclude this handsome volume.

Two children play hide and seek outdoors on a warm night. Little do they know that a culex, a newly matured mosquito, is also looking for them. Bordered, color photographs taken with an electron microscope are inserted on black and white photographs of the playing children. Additional information about mosquitoes, micrographs, and more is appended in this fascinating and informative book.

The garden that Eddie and his Mum plant while his younger sister “helps” grows in the warm earth with the help of sun, rain, and beneficial creatures like worms. Eddie learns that other creatures (like slugs) eat plants. This gentle, engaging family story informs and illuminates many aspects of gardening.

In 2003, two giant pandas gave birth to Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo. Hua Mei’s growth is chronicled using basic addition and subtraction while life with her parents at the zoo is presented on opposing pages. Clear photographs and straightforward text provide a fascinating portrait of these engaging animals while introducing math functions..

Everyday objects drawn from a baby’s world are presented in crisp, brightly colored boxes clearly labeled in black typeface. Photographs and words show feelings, home, mealtime and more for a total of 100 things to point to and talk about with the very young.

Trudy Ederle loved to swim and was determined to be the best. Through hard work and determination she became the first woman to swim the English Channel.

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.

3…2…1…lift off! Take a journey into space exploration. With fun facts like what astronauts eat and how they sleep, kids will learn about today’s space adventures and how people from all over the world work to continue space exploration.

By sharing her own struggles as a child and later as a successful author, Helen Lester demonstrates that hurdles are part of the process. She uses her unique ability to laugh at her mistakes to create both a guide for young writers and an amusing personal story of the disappointments and triumphs of a writer’s life.

A remarkably rounded picture of Shakespeare’s life and the period in which he lived includes a thoughtful attempt to relate circumstances in his personal life to the content of his plays.

An easy to read biography of the woman who made the first American flag.

A brightly colored and intricately detailed space shuttle prepares for liftoff, then shoots into space, leaving Earth’s atmosphere and going into orbit.

A pictorial biography about love, war, culture and ambition shown through the story of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt.

Charles Lindbergh was only 25 years old when he made his historic non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Through Burleigh’s vivid retelling and Wimmer’s bold paintings, the reader soars with Lindbergh as he follows his dream.