Olivia’s Comments (group member since Aug 19, 2024)

Olivia’s comments from the 5183 Fall 2024 Information Resources and Services for Children group.

Remember

Harjo, J. (2023). Remember. Random House Studio.

Joy Harjo invites us to Remember that we are part of the world and the world is part of us.

Based on the author’s and illustrator’s Native American roots, Remember provides the reader with vivid visuals for how the world and the people and animals in it are all connected. It’s a good reminder that we all have a place in the world and that we should care for the world around us. This would be a good poem to facilitate conversations about how children view and take in the world, maybe a good discussion starter for the things children observe in their environments. It also could be a good poem to put out that we are all people - we may look different, but we are all on this Earth together.

Starfish

Fipps, L. (2021). Starfish. Nancy Paulsen Books.

Ellie has always tried to live by her ‘Fat Girl Rules’, but no matter how strict she sticks to them, it doesn’t seem to matter if she’s still ‘fat’. When she’s finally had enough, she must learn how to be confident in herself, her body, and her ability to stick up for herself.

In a society that has a beauty standard of ‘thin’, I do believe this book portrays the realities of life for plus size children. As someone who grew up overweight and struggled with being confident in my body,, I would have loved to find myself represented in Ellie. Getting to read the internal thoughts of Ellie and how she develops into someone who is confident in their body and self and can stick up for herself, is something that I think could help a lot of children going through the same struggles she does. I think children’s books should be real enough to give children a realistic understanding of the world, but I definitely think that it should do so in a way that is age-appropriate. Each child will have different tolerances for things, so taking every child into consideration when recommending realistic fiction is essential.

Please Return to the Lands of Luxury

Tilton, J. (2023). Please return to the lands of luxury. Blueberry Finch LLC.

Living in a land of trash, Jane doesn’t often come across things that are spotless; that is, until she comes across a doll that is practically brand new without a single scratch and a tag with a name and address. She knows this doll is important and she will do whatever she can to return it to its owner in the lands of luxury.

This story takes place in two different cities: Yarborough (the land of trash) and Copiacia (a land of luxury). The year is not specified; however, the reader can assume it takes place in a version of the future based on the advanced/futuristic technology (robots, communication devices, AI, etc.). The setting is an important part of the story as it shows a divide between the people who live in the land of luxuries and the land of trash. Towards the end of the story, it is used to demonstrate the unjust treatment of the governing body. This fictional society is not unlike contemporary society in regards to how people are treated based on their economic/financial standing. The people of Copiacia, with all their wealth and lives of luxury, are oblivious to the mistreatment and living conditions of those who live on Yarborough.

The Last Mapmaker

Soontornvat, C. (2022) The last mapmaker. Candlewick Press.

In the pursuit of a better life, free from illegal activities and lies, Sai sets out on an expedition that will bring unexpected adventures.

There are definitely ‘true’ elements in this book. Sai’s main goal is to be free of a life she doesn’t want. Throughout this she struggles with things such as identity, worth, poverty, etc., all of which are things that people in ‘real’ life experience and struggle with. Fantasy elements, in my opinion, can be a way to explain more difficult topics, make them more ‘digestible’ (especially for younger audiences), and can make it a fun reading experience. In other words, characters and their experiences are often based on ‘real’ experiences, often that others can relate to. Adding in fantasy elements doesn’t make these any less relatable for the reader.

Jovita Wore Pants

Salazar, A. (2023) Jovita wore pants. Scholastic Press.

Jovita always wanted to wear pants and do the things that her male relatives got to do. When Jovita is grown, during a revolution for religious freedom, she puts on her pants and becomes an inspiring revolutionary leader.

Before picking up this book, I had never heard of Jovita Valdovinos or the Cristero Revolution, so my knowledge about the topic was nonexistent. Going into the book I wanted to know about Jovita, who she was, what she did, and why pants were an important part of the story. After finishing the book, I learned that Jovita Valdovinos was a revolutionary leader at a time where women were not leaders. Also during this time, women were expected to wear dresses or skirts, so Jovita was stepping out of the norm by wearing pants which now makes sense since I know she was a revolutionary, freedom fighter.

The Rainbow Parade: A Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Identities and Allies

Jordan, S. and Hendrix, R. (2024). The rainbow parade. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.

Every person has their own unique rainbow that should be shared with the world. It’s important to not only be confident and proud in your rainbow, but to love others and their rainbows just as they are.

While this book does not specify what sexuality/gender identities are being talked about, what it does do is explain being ok with yourself and feeling pride in your identity. Through the illustrations, we get to see a variety of different identities represented which adds to - and doesn’t distract from - the message of being proud of yourself and loving yourself and others as they are. This book definitely takes a positive attitude about diversity and this is supported by the message and the illustrations - that of which display individuals being happy in big groups and showing love to those around them.

Beautiful Blackbird

Bryan, A. (2003). Beautiful blackbird. Simon & Schuster Publishing.

Blackbird is the only bird that’s black and the colorful birds think he’s the most beautiful bird. Blackbird paints black rings on Ringdove, followed by painting all the birds with beautiful black designs.

I do believe Beautiful Blackbird falls into category #3 - the fine print source note. The author provides a note page at the end of the book, within the CIP information, describing that this book was adapted from The Ila-speaking peoples from Northern Rhodesia by Edwin Smith and Andrew Dale. However, it does not include ways in which the story was changed. On the same page is a text block about the incorporation of the scissors in the end paper designs. This note is much bigger than all the other text on the page, including the note about the reference material. For these reasons, this book can not go further up on the source note countdown.

Flappy and Scrappy

Yorinks, A. (2011). Flappy and Scrappy. HarperCollins Publishers.

Flappy and Scrappy are two dogs that live on a farm and are best friends. They cheer each other up, play fetch together, and always make sure to celebrate each other's birthdays.

This book is suitable for younger audiences who are just learning to read. This book may need to be read with a caregiver/adult for children just started to read, but the language and the plot is simple enough that it would be a good beginner reader for a range of kids. The story is presented with fun illustrations that do a good job of showing how the characters are feeling and provides good visuals for the actions of the characters. The plot is not only fun and light-hearted, but will probably be relatable for kids who have their own friendships.

The Three Pigs

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. Clarion Books.

A unique take on the original Three Little Pigs story, David Wiesner takes the pigs out of the story and into new ones in order to escape the Big Bad Wolf. This picturebook is an excellent example of metafiction in action.

One big feature of the art in this book is the use of frames - they are used to show the pigs falling out of their story and stepping into new stories. Other really cool features of the art is the use of blank space, as well as how the stories are shown as separate from the pigs. In mostly white pages, the artist shows the pigs traveling from one story to the next. At one point the pigs are flying on a page from their own story that’s in the shape of a paper airplane. These elements add a really fun and playful style to the art and the story.

Watercress
Wang, A. & Jason, C. (2021). Watercress. Neal Porter Books/Holiday House

Watercress has won the Caldecott Medal Award and it has also been awarded the Newbery Honor Award and the 2022 Chinese American Libraries Association Best Book Award.

A young girl and her family stop on the side of the road to pick some Watercress that will be used for dinner. The girl is embarrassed and doesn’t want to eat the dinner; however, after her mom shares a bit of her past in China, the girl learns to be thankful for the Watercress.

Alongside the beautiful illustrations in this book, Watercress delivers a story that both is relatable for a young reader (i.e. feeling embarrassed about family practices, wanting to do things like ‘other’ people, etc.) and provides a young reader with a different perspective (i.e. the parent’s experiences, being grateful for what one has, etc.). It also brings to light, in a simple but effective way, the experiences of immigrant families and of families who have gone through difficult situations. For these reasons, I do believe this book deserves the awards it has received and I would be one I would recommend.