Away with Words: The Daring Story Of Isabella Bird by Lori Mortensen & illustrated by Kristy Caldwell (Peachtree Publishing) [Review & Giveaway USA/CANADA]

My thoughts:  An interesting picture book biography of a woman "before her time" who dared to be a non-conformist in Victorian England. The story begins with young Isabella as a sickly child who lay abed and indoors much of the time. Finally, a doctor encouraged some outdoor activity might benefit so Isabella's father took her horseback riding. On these rides he helped her discover and develop a love of all things in the out of doors.

Her health improved during these times of outdoor activities and declined when the activities were halted.

Finally, she began to adventure forth on travels to various parts of the world. During these trips her health improved and she lovingly recorded what she saw and experienced.

I found this story of a liberated Victorian woman interesting to read. There was just enough text and accompanying illustrations to engage a young reader. I find picture book biographies interesting and wonderful tools to help drive the young reader toward the non-fiction book shelves for book selections.

About the book: An inspirational picture book biography for readers seeking adventure-filled girl power stories. Perfect for Women’s History Month!

“Isabella Bird was like a wild vine stuck in a too-small pot. She needed more room. She had to get out. She had to explore.”

Exploring was easier said than done in Victorian England. But Isabella persisted, and with each journey, she breathed in new ways to see and describe everything around her. Question by question, word by word, Isabella bloomed. First, out in the English countryside. Then, off to America and Canada. And eventually, around the world, to Africa, Asia, Australia, and more.

This dashing picture book biography about the first female member of the Royal Geographic Society takes readers around the world with a daring nineteenth-century female explorer and author. Kristy Caldwell’s detailed illustrations illuminate Bird’s travels around the world, and Lori Mortensen’s back matter, author’s note, and bibliography will satisfy the curiosity of readers who want to learn more.

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Begins August 16

Ends September 10 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA & CANADA addresses

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's copy is provided and mailed directly to the winner by publisher, publicist, or author. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

Picture book biographies of two women who made a difference: Frances Perkins & Jane Adams

Dangerous Jane: The Life and Times of Jane Adams Crusader for Peace by Suzanne Slade & illustrated by Alice Ratterree 

My thoughts:  Dangerous Jane is a beautifully illustrated story of a women born into a life of affluence. As a child, she had personal tragedies that molded her personality but didn't break her. Her mother died when Jane was two years old and a few years later Jane had what they thought might be tuberculosis which left her body deformed. She felt she was ugly and unwanted.

But then she saw the need - exceptional need - of the poor and poverty stricken people in her city. She became a person of real compassion and in adulthood turned that compassion into good works.

Later in her adult life, she traveled in Europe on behalf of the suffering people there. These people were also those with whom the United States battled during WWI. This drew opposition toward Jane.

She lived into old age continuing her good works on behalf of the poor. 

This is an exceptional children's book about an exceptional woman. A must for school and public libraries.

About the book: Jane's heart ached for the world, but what could she do to stop a war?

This energetic and inspiring picture book biography of activist Jane Addams focuses on the peace work that won her the Nobel Peace Prize. From the time she was a child, Jane's heart ached for others. At first the focus of her efforts was on poverty, and lead to the creation of Hull House, the settlement house she built in Chicago. For twenty-five years, she'd helped people from different countries live in peace at Hull House. But when war broke out, Jane decided to take on the world and become a dangerous woman for the sake of peace.

Suzanne Slade's powerful text written in free verse illuminates the life of this inspiring figure while Alice Ratterree's stunning illustrations bring Jane Addams and her world to life.

Thanks to Frances Perkins: Fighter for Workers' Rights by Deborah Hopkinson & illustrated by Kristy Caldwell

My thoughts:  As this book opens with a challenge to the young reader to consider the math of calculating when they, the reader, will qualify to receive Social Security Retirement Benefits. Unless you already know the major achievement of Frances Perkins, you may wonder just why that is an important thought to process in a biographic picture book.

Frances Perkins was born in 1880 in Boston into a home that valued education. Although women were not considered needful of education beyond the basics, her father thoroughly educated Frances. She ultimately received a Masters Degree. An amazing achievement for that time. 

But she was also taught by her parents to be a caring individual with a responsibility to help those in need at every opportunity. As a young woman, she saw the plight of young and older women working in factories - extremely long hours and under dreadful conditions. She sought ways to improve circumstances for them. This led to being appointed by the Governor of New York as a social director to improve conditions. So began her plan that worked in New York and led to her position in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Cabinet. An as part of the President's team, she developed the Social Security System.

This is an amazing story about an amazing woman. A book that needs to be in every school and public library.

About the book: How many years will it be until you turn sixty-two? What year will that be? Once you've read Thanks to Frances Perkins, you'll know why these are important questions--and why you may want to thank Frances Perkins.

After Frances Perkins witnessed the Triangle Waist Factory fire in 1911, she was forever changed. While some activists pressed factory owners for change, Frances decided to work to bring about new laws that would force employers to treat people better and make workplaces safer. When she became Secretary of Labor in Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration--the first woman cabinet member--Frances had the opportunity to make real her bold vision of a country where no one was left out. As a result of the Social Security program that she created, we have built a society where we help one another.

Deborah Hopkinson's energetic text and Kristy Caldwell's appealing illustrations introduce readers to a fascinating woman who has changed many American lives. Back matter features more information about Frances Perkins, Social Security, and resources for economic education.

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon & Garfunkel by G. Neri and illustrated by David Litchfield. [Review & Giveaway - USA/CANADA]

ISBN: 9780763681746
Hardcover $17.99 ~ Approx. 10"x12"
Candlewick Press

My thoughts: This children's picture book biography of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (i.e. Simon & Garfunkel) was an interesting read. Things I learned .....

Paul and Artie are contemporaries of mine. Well, I might be three or four years older, but basically we're contemporaries who grew up with the music and societal mores of the 1950's. By the time these two began to make waves (though they had splashed around quite a bit prior) in the music world, I was engulfed in the busy "mommy" world of raising children and not really into the "music scene" of the time

It was a busy and bewildering time on the world-scene and particularly on the American stage of change and politics. During this period we saw the assignation of President J.F.Kennedy and his brother Attorney General of the US Robert Kennedy. We also saw the raw and ugly and fierce and determined world of racial change and uprising. Then another assignation - Martin Luther King, Jr. It was also a time of drastic challenges to the way things were done, the political scene, the war in Vietnam, and a general challenge of the establishment.

So the 1960's birthed much change in America and part of that change was the music.

Paul and Artie (and I) grew up during the early days of Rock and Roll. This was not heavy metal music of the 1980's and 1990's but  it was different. But Paul and Artie gave to Rock and Roll a folksy tone. Their harmonies were beautiful. Their music and the words expressed deep seated emotions of grief (Kennedy's assignation) and other areas.

This children's book takes us back to Paul and Artie's beginning as young Jewish boys growing up in the New York area. They meet, become friends, and later discover their ability to blend their talents creatively. Their journey was fraught with starts and stops, ups and downs, joys and disappointments.

But their journey made them a legend in the music world. And during my busy time as a young mother scurrying to and fro with my children, I played the radio. I didn't know who I was listening to but I remember "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Sound of Silence," and who knows what else of their recordings....

Folks who enjoyed the music of Simon and Garfunkel during their young adult years will relish this childred's book and will want to share it with children they know to let them learn how two boys meet, became friends, and went on to become succesful musicians.

About the book: From childhood friendship to brief teenage stardom, from early failures to musical greatness — the incredible story of how Simon & Garfunkel became a cherished voice of their generation.

Long before they became one of the most beloved and successful duos of all time, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were just two kids growing up in Queens, New York — best friends who met in a sixth-grade production of Alice in Wonderland and bonded over girls, baseball, and rock ’n’ roll. As teens, they practiced singing into a tape recorder, building harmonies that blended their now-famous voices until they sounded just right. They wrote songs together, pursued big-time music producers, and dreamed of becoming stars, never imagining how far their music would take them. Against a backdrop of street-corner doo-wop gangs, the electrifying beginnings of rock ’n’ roll, and the rise of the counterculture folk music scene, G. Neri and David Litchfield chronicle the path that led two young boys from Queens to teenage stardom and back to obscurity, before finding their own true voices and captivating the world with their talent. Back matter includes an afterword, a discography, a bibliography, and a fascinating list of song influences.

Collage of illustrations captured from the Twitter account of Greg Neri (@g_neri) and used solely to represent the book on this blog review.

GIVEAWAY

2 Winners each receive 1 copy

Begins May 3

Ends May 24 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA and CANADA addresses only.

NO P.O. Boxes, please.

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DISCOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Candlewick Press to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.

President Lincoln: From Log Cabin to White House by Demi [Review & Giveaway]

February is the month when we celebrate American Presidents' Day and an ideal time to remember President Abraham Lincoln. Libraries and schools will feature books about presidents with bulletin boards with their pictures, stores will hold Presidents' Day Sales, and kids will give presidential book reports. So how timely to review President Lincoln: From Log Cabin to White House.

A children's picture book biography

My thoughts:  I love children's picture book biographies and introducing young children to historical and significant people who have shaped our world. Reading President Lincoln: From Log Cabin to White House I find that it goes a bit beyond the picture book status in that the text is more involved, detailed, and spans more ideas and time than is usual in a children's picture book biography. It does, however, fill a need for detailed information for the young biography reader.

Reading this to the 4-to-6-year-old will take patience on the part of the reader and listener. It can work, though. The text and back pages details will be suitable for up to about age 12.

The back page information is concise and informative and will provide good detail for student reference material for dates, events, and the Gettysburg address text. This makes it highly suitable for classroom and school library.

The illustrations are simply not a favorite of mine but they do tell the story quite nicely with lots of color and detail. I do like the significant Lincoln quotes in set apart blocks on the pages.

This is a good biography and the information is tops. I think this would be a good addition to libraries.

About the book: From a small log cabin in Kentucky to the steps of the White House, Abraham Lincoln rose from humble beginnings to the very height of prominence and prestige. Leading America through the momentous events of the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the abolition of slavery, the story of "Honest Abe" is one that all children should know. Now award-winning author and illustrator, Demi, recounts Lincoln s incredible life story of courage, wisdom, and compassion as only she can. Filled with stunning illustrations, this book contains an appendix of fascinating facts and famous quotes from Lincoln s life, as well as a timeline and map. President Lincoln: From Log Cabin to White House is not only a powerful teaching tool, but an entertaining and age-appropriate introduction to a man who has become one of the most influential and admired presidents of the United States."

About the author: Demi is the award-winning creator of numerous books for children, including The Empty Pot; Buddha; The Dalai Lama; The Legend of Saint Nicholas; Gandhi, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book and received an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award; and Muhammad, which was named a Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice selection, a Booklist Editors’ Choice selection, one of the Booklist Top Ten Religion Books for Youth, and a Book Links “Lasting Connections” selection, and was cited in a Publishers Weekly starred review as a “timely, exceptionally handsome biography [that] serves as an excellent introduction to Islam.” Demi lives in Carnation, Washington.

GIVEAWAY

Begins January 6

Ends January 27 @ 12:01 a.m. EST

Open to USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Wisdom Tales publishing to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and freely given. Giveaway is provided by the publisher and sent directly to winner by publisher.