LATE TODAY! An Immersive Experience

 If you've been reading here you'll know that I've recently indulged in sharing some stunning picture books about birds, both fiction and nonfiction, as I did in my last post HERE. 

EE5RDMANS 
BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, 2025

I'm overdue to expand my species focus, so CATS are on the agenda. I am allergic to cats, but not in picture books and today CATS take center stage. LATE TODAY, written by Jungyoon Huh and illustrated by Myungae Lee, with translation by Aerin Park is a cat story and so much more.

Not only is this book masterful at capturing a moment in time: a rainy morning in gridlocked traffic on a bridge, an empathetic awareness of a tiny creature in need. It presents a brief storyline (lasting less than an hour in plot) with tension that evokes the lived experiences of delayed commuters and a stray kitten who is  dodging cars, dripping wet, confused, and seemingly helpless. 

The title, LATE TODAY, offers an effective and engaging double-intended descriptor. The heavy traffic will certainly slow things down. The rain isn't helping. When that dripping kitten is seen dodging tires and skirting curbs, traffic slows even more. 

Concise text launches this story before the title page with what seems to be a news report about slowed traffic, followed by a mention, at 8:15 AM, that "We can't be late TODAY!".

The scenes described above open the first several pages of the story, after many in various vehicles who notice and appear to care about the kitten's well-being. 

And yet...

The heart of the book relates to choices. To the many on that bridge and their reasons for looking away, despite claiming to care. To the penetrating rain, with one double spread simply showing RAIN! Ultimately, a decision is made. Horns honk and traffic stalls. The closing bridge scene features the initial font and pattern of a report indicating that traffic is beginning to ease. The perspective of the bridge at opening and closing are similar and yet those minimal words and slight angle shifts allow readers to view the traffic as STALLED in the opening spread but ROLLING AGAIN in that closing spread. Absolutely brilliant! 

The limited text also reveals the priceless value of a topnotch translator, not merely turning words from one language to those of another, but choosing and arranging those selected words in ways that preserve and convey the full potential of this richly layered work. 

This book is a cat book, as promised, but it is so much more. Those opening and closing spreads frame satisfying storytelling with heart.More than that, those multiple center spreads invite readers to slow down, despite the tension of a kitten in trouble. It puts readers in the position of deciding what CARING means. Is it an emotion that confirms to ourselves what good people we are, or does actual caring REQUIRE action? It's not an easy question to answer. How exactly should folks on a bus manage to help that desperate cat? How could any driver even stop in such bumper-to-bumper traffic? The people ask themselves various questions, through visual expressions and other cues, leaving it to readers to decide for themselves what they might do.Then, a page turn, a decision made by one person, one that  stops traffic but sets a solution in motion. 

There is plenty to enjoy about this evocative, heartfelt, challenging story. LATE TODAY reminds us, too, of the pace at which we race through each day. How LATE is late, and how important is that? What differences can we make in our own and others' lives? That seems like a lot for a tiny wet kitten to carry into our minds, but with the help of authors, illustrators, and a translator, it's  a successful effort! 

I AM WE! (A Crow's Eye View of Unity)

I can't help myself... here's another amazing picture book about BIRDS! 

CHRONICLE BOOKS, 2025

I AM WE: How Crows Come Together to Survive is written by Leslie Barnard Booth and illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey.  In case you missed some of my former posts about the brilliance and appeal of birds, feel free to click on a few to read HERE, HERE, HERE, or HERE. 

Using first person voice, CROW voices a personal account of  exactly what I AM WE means. The text is a lyrical, sometimes rhymed revelation of the life-facts of crows. Language rich in onomatopoeia and rhythmic flow swoops across the pages to explore the intelligence, behaviors, and social dynamics of individuals, family groups, and flocks. 

It is the perfect time of year to share this, since the most intense flocking begins at summer's end  ago and persists through Fall and Winter until early spring nesting resumes.The reasons for that are made clear, with subtlety and surety. Both rural and urban flocking is described, revealing benefits for both habitats. 

The illustrations are superbly suited to the tone and details, darkly extending a sense of urgency and intensity across the pages. Flocking happens at night, and these wing-sprawling, bright-eyed birds seem both elegant and intimidating but are vulnerable within nature's food chain. Their interactivity and the beneficial effects of flocking may seem self-evident in a few cases, the the combination of visual and narrative storytelling draws readers into the lives of crows, in this case, AMERICA CROWS, among the most common variety. 

If you are looking for a seasonal, slightly suspenseful, moody picture book to share in a read aloud during this fall season, give this one a try. It will offer just-right intensity and a suspenseful tone while sharing important facts about a species and its evolutionary patterns. A huge bonus, while reading, is a growing awareness of something I have said often and will say again. Birds, especially Crows and others black birds, are remarkably intelligent and worthy of respect and attention. Calling someone a "birdbrain" simply reveals ignorance of those facts. I AM WE helps make that point clear. 

BIRDS Are Back: Two Great Titles

ROARING BROOK PRESS, 2020

Can there ever be TWO MANY BIRDS? Of course not! Written and illustrated by Cindy Derby, this seemingly simple picture book presents fun for the littlest audiences and insights for teen social dynamics studies. 

A bossy and controlling VIB  (Very Important Bird) restricts access to the ONLY available tree, topping that with arbitrary and rather obnoxious rules. It's entirely (and playfully) predictable that VIB would loudly object to two eggs that hatch, putting the residency count over the arbitrary 100 mark. Despite VIB  grumbles, mother bird and 99 other birds who had made it into the stark branches of that singular tree are celebratory.

What happens next is far less predictable, but packed with visual fun and developments that draw on real world nature as well as "human" nature.

There's much here to enjoy, first, and then to spark conversations. For starters, to provide for everyone it doesn't mean making smaller slices of the pie, but making the pie bigger! (or growing more trees!)

Plenty, too, to spark comparisons of these comical little feathered ones to real birds and their features, reduced habitats, the power of collective responses, and dealing with demanding personalities with arbitrary rules.

These funny "birdbrains" can teach us all a thing or two.

EERDMANS Books for Young Readers
2025

FLY LIKE A BIRD is written and illustrated by OLGA PTASHNIK. This new release takes a direct approach to blending fiction with facts. Although a young chickadee voices parts of the narrative, and is attributed with very human concerns involving growth, change, and readiness to launch, the clarity of which is effectively conveyed.

Nonfiction content about actual bird specifies, flight, and other patterns is printed in blue, while a presumed fledgling is going through a coming-of-flight story with concerns about flying, a transition on which its life depends. This gorgeously illustrated picture book is both impressionistic and realistic in aspects of various birds and their relationships to flight. The narrative for the cautious character will resonate with young readers facing any and all bridges to new frontiers and expectations. |

Double-spread back pages showcase spot images of the eleven birds from the main text with short passages that add interesting  information.

I'm featuring this pair together because they offer a rich opportunity to share and compare picture books in ways that might surprise and delight both the young reader and the adults in their lives. I hope you'll give these a try and then launch them into the lives of kids.

INTERVIEW with SHRUTHI RAO, Author of WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL

 Last week I posted a review and commentary on an important new non-fiction biographic picture book written by SHRUTHI ROA and illustrated by Srinidhi Srinivasan, HERE. I'm delighted to say that Shruthi took time from her busy life (book birthday celebrations, travels related to family schooling, and LIFE!) to respond to some questions I had about her experiences in writing and releasing this new book.

SHRUTHI RAO, Author

As I wrote in my review post, I had the pleasure of working (virtually) with the author of this book while we shared responsibilities on a nonfiction CYBILS AWARDS panel. I enjoyed her thorough readings and comments, her balanced discussions and considerations of nominees, and her strong science background. That makes this interview especially fun for me, allowing me to learn even more about her and her writing.

I wanted to build my understanding of her author journey before asking my questions. After exploring her website, (and I hope you wiIl do that, too, HERE) I turned to the "ultimate authorities", YOUTUBE and Google. There are some fascinating interviews available, and I urge readers to check them out. Among them, I particularly enjoyed the personal interview of SHRUTHI with Ninad, a very impressive boy who was quite well prepared. I urge anyone to click and enjoy it! While you’re at it, readers, check out the many books she has written by going to her website. 

Without further delay...

Margaret K. MacElderry Books
October 14, 2025

SB:  Shruthi, thank you so much for taking time out of this busy release period to reply to my questions. As my review indicated, I found WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL: How S. Chandrasekhar Predicted the Existence of Black Holes to be a compelling biographic account of the lifelong brilliance and persistence of Chandra. The text is both accessible and comprehensive, pairing perfectly with illustrations that evoke the mysteries of the night sky, the intellectual spark of a boy-become-man, the high drama and daily drudge of being a scientist, and the ultimate expansiveness of validation, acceptance, and even accolades. Can you take us through the journey of how Chandra‘s story came into your life and moved to the front of the list of the many titles you write about?

SR: Thanks for taking the time to do such a thorough, in-depth analysis and review of our book, Sandy. I appreciate it highly.

In 2014, my father quietly handed me the book Chandra: A Biography of S Chandrasekhar, written by Kameshwar C. Wali. It is a personal, intimate portrait of an unassuming, gentle, yet larger-than-life scientist. I also learned a whole lot about the science of stars, the intricacies of the working of the scientific community. It was quite the pageturner. I came away from it with a deep respect for a man who navigated life’s challenges with grace and elegance. What fascinated me most was how Chandra was able to brush aside the deep disappointment and betrayal he faced right at the beginning of his career, and moved on with his life and went on to other great things. Ever since, I’ve been itching to tell this story to young people, but kept putting it on the backburner.

Around 2020-21, I began studying the art of writing picture books, and attended an online nonfiction SCBWI course. Then, this idea came back to me in full force, and I began to try writing it.

 SB: Wow, that response makes me grin! I'll unpack that grin. When one person hands another a good book, the ripple effect offers potential magic, especially when it comes from someone we love! Next, the life story of an impressive individual, well-told, lives on within us in so many ways and begs to be shared with others, doesn't it, just like your father wanted to share it with you? I love the way the work behind the actual writing was going on in your head for enough time to let it emerge with strength, and that SCBWI helped you find your path into writing nonfiction picture books! (Side note to readers, to anyone who is even considering writing for ages from  birth to twenty should explore this link to SCBWI, the SOCIETY FOR CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS.  Both beginners and accomplished writers like Shruthi can learn and develop writing craft through programs available to international members.)

Details were woven into the narrative very effectively, and many other elements of Chandra’s life and his science were presented well in back matter. How did you go about deciding which facts to incorporate into this story and which to include in extra material at the back? 

SR: I wrote several drafts of the story, right from a skeleton draft to a very wordy, detailed one. The challenge was that astrophysics and the science of stars is such that it has to be described with perfect accuracy. Not mentioning science at all in the story would be a disservice, but too much science was weighing it down and I wasn’t able to find the rhythm and the cadence that a picture book demands.

It took me more than 60 drafts to get this right. What finally worked was writing a very basic “song” with a swinging rhythm, and then going back in and adding just the right amount of science into the story for it – enough for it to shoulder a bit of weight but not so much as to cause it to collapse. The rest of the science I moved to the back matter. 

SB:  This certainly reflects other repots I've heard and my own experiences in writing. That's a truly lovely bit of advice about writing a "song". Writers are so often adviced to start by just "getting it down", then going back to work it more after all the ingredients are on the page. The number of drafts certainly shows in the quality of the text you eventually achieved. I reread the text after your "song" response, and it's advice I'll be using myself. Not because I am a song writer, but because the structure of songs provides an ideal frame for writing effective text-- showcasing particular and figurative language, repetition and rhythms, internal sounds that catch our ears even without being aware of them. Wow! You should be leading a class on narrative nonfiction writing!

Back to my questions: Can you share any surprises, challenges, or delights that rose to the surface during your research for this work/

SR: I discovered transcripts of detailed oral history interviews with S. Chandrasekhar. I was able to read in his own words all that had transpired in his life and work. I ended up reading them again and again even though I didn’t understand much of it and it didn’t relate to the book I was writing. I felt like I got to know Chandra, the man, personally, and my respect for him only grew!

SB: What insights that access must have provided! Your respect for him underscores the entire telling, and likely accounts for why, as a reader, I connected so personally to him. The individual, from curious child to remarkable scientist, felt like someone I knew, or would want to know. Thank you for achieving that. It's a reminder to young people that even the most brilliant and competent folks are humans.

Now a tricky question- How well do you think you understand BLACK HOLES?  Speaking from first-hand experience, my capacity for this aspect of science is at an elementary school level, but I have met some kindergarten kids who have far surpassed my grasp.

SR: Einstein supposedly said: “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

I took this to heart – and made it my business to understand the life and death of stars as best as I could. At the end of it, I think I understood enough to put it down in words. I ran it by those who’re better at physics than I am, until I was satisfied. Also I don’t claim to understand anything beyond the narrow scope of this book. And I have no doubt whatsoever that some child will school me on black holes at some point! They are so much smarter than we are. 

SB: First, I know and love that Einstein quote. Experiences of some of my science-writing friends  support your assumption that kids you meet are entirely likely to pose questions (or offer explanations!) that will boggle your mind. What's great about that is how it makes for a prime example of needing to explore further, or collaborate, or question sources, or any of the other steps that are essential to MOVE science forward! Sounds like fun!

Here's a closing question: Are you able to share any details about upcoming books or projects? In one interview you said that ideas come so fast that you take a whack-a-mole approach to hold some back while working on others. I’m intrigued to know which ones survived the attack!

SR: I have another picture book releasing this November called THE FIRST GIRL ON STAGE: A YAKSHAGANA STORY, published by Sambasivan-Parekh, about a little girl in a remote South Indian village who wants to learn a dance that’s predominantly performed by men. I have another nonfiction PB in the works with the editor of WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL. I have also just gone out on submission with a middle-grade novel-in-verse that I am very excited about.  I’m also plotting a funny MG light fantasy, too. Some more books are brewing for the Indian market as well. 

 SB- Goodness, I can see why you need to keep those popping moles  (ideas) from overtaking your writing life! And yet, the choices you are making leave me eager to read each and every one of the new titles. I hope you'll keep us in the loop here as they become available so I can read and review them. Congratulations on the release and success of WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL, and thanks so much for expanding our interest and understanding of this important story and your journey to capture it for young readers.

Readers, I hope you'll click the many links above to learn more about Shruthi, the new release, her interviews, and even ask your own questions on her web page.  While you're at it, check out some of her other books:

WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL, S&S, JLG Gold Star Selection, Oct 2025

INDIA IN TRIANGLES, PRH India, Jun 2025

THE FIRST GIRL ON STAGE, Yali, Sep 2025

KADOOBOO, Page Street, NYPL Best Book 2024

A MELODY IN MYSORE, PRH, 2024

 

 

WE ARE DEFINITELY HUMAN Swells with Heart and Humor

 

TUNDRA BOOKS, 2024

Be prepared to suspend your inner cynic to embrace a naive and welcoming attitude in WE ARE DEFINITELY HUMAN by X. Fang. That's what the humans (the ones we recognize as human) do in their chance encounter with three folks whose "car" lands in the middle of the night. These beings find themselves in need of serious help. That serious dilemma doesn't diminish the over-the-top humor or the genuine heart of the story itself.

This quirky and clever story features "strangers" who instantly declare, when asked, that they are human, definitely, though clearly they are not. Definitely human. Yep. Despite their obvious differences, the kind family who locate their crashed transport vehicle open their hearts and doors to the outsiders. They are willing to take their declaration of being humans at face value and overlook unfamiliar appearances, odd behavior choices, and stilted language patterns.

The humor and vivid differences throughout allow readers to laugh at such silliness while digesting the choices being made with kindness and a gentle underlying message. This is a perfect example of my assertion that picture books are meant to be consumed as a whole, beginning to end, as an art form and story in their own right. This book, read aloud to a group or on a lap, will have everyone of many ages chuckling and likely laughing aloud. But the best books, as this one is, invite readers to go right back to page one and begin again, discovering what is lurking in the nuances and corners of the pages. 

The thoroughly simple premise opens plenty of opportunities for potential skepticism, or even a condescending assessment of the locals folks who seem clueless about being obviously misled. Instead, the readings of the story,  from first through multiples, leads to a sense of what it means to be human, definitely. Even the youngest will identify and appreciate the warmth and rightness of kindness, finding balance and truth in the impact such kindness can have on others, directly and as a ripple effect into the future. Definitely.

WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL (Not a Reference to Current Events)

I had the pleasure of working (virtually) with the author of this book while we shared responsibilities on a nonfiction CYBILS AWARDS panel. I enjoyed her thorough readings and comments, her balanced discussions and considerations of nominees, and her strong science background. That makes recommending this new nonfiction picture book a special pleasure. I would have endorsed it and encouraged readers to give it try if I had never met Shruthi, but now I can also feel an association with her success, although the credit for its excellence is all hers. And today is her new book's BIRTHDAY! Read on and join me in celebrating!

Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2025

The opening lines of WHEN SCIENCE STOOD STILL: How S. Chandrasekar Predicted the Existence of Black Holes won me over immediately. They come before the title page and that is a design/editorial decision I fully endorse:

"When scientists get things right, 

Science leaps forward.

When they get things wrong, 

they learn from their mistakes,

and science still marches forward.

But sometimes, 

even when scientists get it right,

nobody pays attention.

Then, 

for a while,

science stands still."

Think about that. It certainly made me pause to think. And that 'think time" prior to reading really mattered to me. This new picture book, written by Shruthi Rao and illustrated by Srinidhi Srinivasan, reveals what is to me a heartbreaking astrophysics story. (Does that description also make you think? Heartbreaking and astrophysics in the same sentence?) There are plenty of heartbreaking stories of brilliance in sciences, math, the arts, etc. in which individuals and their discoveries or talents are overlooked or actively suppressed for a variety of reasons. Most of those reasons have to do with pride, power, prejudice, or pettiness of the general public or a specifically related access-group. 

I am a fan of both the illustrations and the fluid narrative text for this new story. The cover and the first pages reveal that this was a child, then a growing boy, who sought answers in math and science. He pondered the pages of adult texts in his grandfather's library and then pondered the night skies above the beaches at Madras, India. Weaving together hours of reading, puzzling, and imagining with confirmed facts of science, he arrived at a depth of understanding of how gases work inside stars. Eventually, while still very young, he combined equations and physics and insights to realize that dying stars could implode into black holes, something never yet known to exist.

Born in 1910, this conclusion came into his fertile mind at the age of eighteen. Science had no thoughts of such an entity, although today you could pose the question in many kindergartens:  "What is a black hole?" Most if not all of those littles would give a response that echoes Chandra's breakthrough theory.  At the time, though, this seemed a wild idea pulled from the dark, literally. Even so, his rationale and coherent theory about the nature and physics of stars won high praise among India's esteemed scientists.

The story reveals that this young, well-schooled, already accomplished Indian man longed to pursue further study and credibility in England, in part to prove his worth to those whose government had colonized, dominated, and too often dehumanized the people of India. With strong credentials, including multiple published astrophysics papers, he was given a scholarship from his home country and traveled to England.

Is anyone else guessing that his welcome and acceptance may not have been warm and approving? That was my prediction, but I was pleased to see that a prestigious professor praised and encouraged him, even sponsoring him at an academic gathering to present his paper. Here's where my age and experience had me feeling cautious, that things might not go well. The heartbreak comes with the strong negative reactions from that event, which I'll let you read for yourselves. 

Suffice it to say, it did not go well and the reasons behind it were potentially intentional. Possibly sinister, although that is uncertain. That response did, however, lead to Chandrasekhar eventually moving his studies to the United States, where he gained education, success, even fame for various accomplishments in his field. But not on this topic of Black Holes. What that early rejection did was to SHUT DOWN peer acceptance for his theory. His enthusiasm and solid data for his arguments could not get traction, leaving the concept of Black Holes in an academic black hole for decades. As the text so effectively and concisely states:

"Chandra moved on. But the science of stars stood still."

Eventually, other advances in science, including technology and computers, returned Chandra to this topic in collaboration with scientists from other fields. Advanced telescopes eventually revealed the first view of an actual BLACK HOLE, more than fifty years after he first argued for the concept with math and science to back him up. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in astrophysics. As much as this was a huge honor, he reported that his greatest thrill was having science finally acknowledge the truth of the science of stars. Illustration on the concluding pages offers a callback to the little boy still at the heart of a stargazing man, a personification of  the brilliance of stars. 

Back matter provides a thorough profile of Chandra's life, accomplishments, and intervening events. A timeline of the science related to this topic offers valuable sequential insights. Alongside are short passages relating the science of bombs with the science of black holes, some "Trivia" related to the subject, and resources. 

My heartbreak isn't that this took time (science does) or that a career was crushed (it wasn't) or that generations of students and scientists were denied access to studying this material earlier in their careers (they were). All of those realities are true, not only for this topic but for many others.  None of that is right or good, but is part of the reality within academia.  (SUBJECT TO FUTURE CHANGE, I HOPE?) 

My heartbreak is for that little boy who wanted to understand, who  was convinced answers existed, who found and argued for the truths of his theory, but was denied a legitimate audience for his thoughts. It's the SHUTDOWN of free discussion and consideration of ideas that is both emotionally sad and intellectually infuriating. This is also why this book is so important. 

Not only is this a celebration of a brilliant life. Not only is it an account of the long journey from initial theories to final proving and acceptance. It is a cautionary tale about ways in which truth can be suppressed, but assurance that truth can and will find its way to the light. Even in a black hole of denial. My recommendation to read this and share it could not be stronger. 

On a personal note:

I  share my own insights and values within these posts. I try to do so with openness and awareness that not all may agree with me, but I avoid political or direct conflict discussions. Even so, this book left me with some unavoidable contemporary connections that I feel compelled to share.

Today's news is filled with mixed beliefs, reactions, decrees, and distress, especially regarding the validity or reliability of confirmed science. That struggle is real, becoming more widespread, and makes this new book even more compelling. In a sense, the remarkable account of events in this nonfiction picture book left me with even greater concern about those who today deny proven science based on the claims of others. They might find justification in this approach at overturning proven science, thinking that the contrarian claims will one day be proven to be true, The difference, though, is that disputes with current issues (cause/effect of various conditions, effectiveness and necessity for vaccines, and even the reality of accelerated climate change through human actions) are not discoveries or investigations, math or science realities that reveal new facts. Or even science-based theories. They are, as most grounded thinkers affirm, simply claims. Many have been fully debunked through standard science evaluation. Many may be shaped by the same issues Chandra's work faced-- jealousy, power, even potentially sinister self-serving. None of this is mentioned or even implied in the book, but  such things floated through my mind during and after reading. That title, revealing how SCIENCE can stand still, is chilling. To some degree, the disruption of proven science threatens to make past progress and stability stand still, or worse. I hope you'll read this new book, and also reflect on the intent and background of those who are actively undermining science for their own purposes.

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, Shruthi! 
Readers, watch for an interview with Shruthi in a post coming soon!

THIS IS HOW WE TALK Is a Joy to Read and Explore

My teaching career offered relationships with people of many ages and varied needs. That  provided opportunities to attempt (and sometimes learn) ways to "talk" with others beyond the generality of shared-language conversations. I've used augmented speaker boards, regular keyboards, finger spelling and sign language with and without an ASL interpreter, written forms, and computer translators. Picture/icon cards and other concept tools are also useful when two or more folks are unable to default to an assumed shared model of communication. Having written all that, it is easy to see why such a talk-gap might be viewed as a hardship or obstacle, a barrier to be overcome. 

DIAL BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS, 2025

In fact, I viewed these circumstances as delightful encounters in which communication has already occurred, presenting a joint puzzle to solve together. That is exactly what this new picture book portrays, implying a lively invitation to get on board the communication train and open ourselves to the wider world around us. THIS IS THE WAY WE TALK: A CELEBRATION OF DISABILITY AND CONNECTION is co-written by Jessica Slice  and Caroline Cupp, with illustrations by Kayla Harren. The subtitle itself uses the word CONNECTION, and that is the central thought I had while reading this new picture books, and afterwards. It is CONNECTION that invites communication, and it is what we lose when we step back instead of reaching out. 

This lively and important new picture book is loads of fun with its fast-paced, rollicking rhymed text and colorful, dynamic illustrations. End papers present cartoon-like images of young people using a range of communication tools to talk, characters who are clearly enthusiastic and eager to share themselves and their ideas with others. That includes a wagging dog, a signing duo, and tech-support tools. This approach is really smart, because young readers notice every detail of picture books, beginning with those endpapers. (Not all adults bother, and they are missing important, purposeful content!). Kids also connect with emotional tone spontaneously, so these images  allow them to begin this book feeling like there's fun ahead. They will be correct!

The page turn takes readers to illustrations that are rendered in more realistic style, with more natural colors, and with more obvious individual differences. From body sizes to ages to abilities to attitudes to mobilities to partnerships and even attitudes, the scenes throughout this book are very community-based and recognizable as real life. It's true that not every reader may live in such a diverse and integrated neighborhood, but the circumstances and activities will resonate and allow anyone to identify with the people in this concept-centered offering. 

That concept is presented in opening lines:

"We sign, write, clap! We tap, stim, scream!

So many ways to talk and joke, play and learn and dream.

With hands and tools and faces, we make our feelings clear,

in school, with friends, and family, too-- with people far and near."

That, you can see, sets the stage for a series of scenes with four-line text that each reveal family members "talking" to each other, to doctors, or caregivers, or educators, or shopkeepers and more. In the midst of these scenes not only will readers see differences and creative solutions to connecting, but they'll see the universality of the need and longing to communicate. From expressing needs to sharing play to learning, teaching, or simply "getting it out" when we need to do it most. Back matter provides brief descriptions of various ways to communicate that are pictured, with separate guides for kids and adults. A number of "disability" examples depicted are also described in further back matter pages. 

I hope you will make extra effort to get your hands on this new books and immerse yourself in the information, of course, but mostly in the joy and celebration of the innovative ways in which we can all build links and locks and love among us all, regardless of the bridges we need to build and cross to make it happen. This belongs in every library and classroom.

WHAT's THAT BUILDING? Peeling Back the Design Skin in Architecture

 When we read about or think of ripping off walls or a roof from a massive structure, when we envision buildings with their "guts" revealed, catastrophes come to mind. At least to my mind. Scenes from tornadoes or bombings or earthquakes are the ones that generally allow a birds-eye view from above, or slice off an exterior wall to expose the interiors. A happier image of inside looks comes from those amazing and lively scenes in ant farms, little plastic-sided sandy habitats with small colonies of ants. They provide up-close peeks at the complex tunnels and purposes and comings and goings of a society whose workings we would otherwise never see. Here's a  book that allows a virtual analogy of human ant farms allowing inside looks at the structures supporting our busy lives.

PHAIDON, 2025

WHAT'S THAT BUILDING? AN ARCHITECTURAL GUESSING GAME is a substantial book that offers young readers (and the rest of us) a portal to  the interior designs and functions of many public structures in community. The oversized, high-quality design and materials of this clever book make it ideal for readers ages   5-8, as it claims to be. But I'd bet my last nickel that if it were placed on a  table around kids of any age, or on a coffee table for adults, it would quickly be found and explored by folks much older than that. And when shared with younger kids in groups or on a lap, it is likely to become a favorite as well. 

Think about those ant farms. Gaining a close-up view of the inner workings of places that we thought we knew is utterly irresistible. With such excellent appeal and execution of the concept, the authors and illustrator have elevated a strong offering even further. Author Rebecca Donnelly demonstrated her skill at delving into the innards of things in prior publications (trash and catastrophes, among others) while illustrator Jocelyn Cho has produced a high bar for her debut children's book illustration. The combination of accuracy, perspective, scale, and detail hint at her prior experiences in illustrations for covers, text books, and magazines. The non-human elements within each building are precisely, uniquely rendered, as are the varied and busy humans.  Reader/gamers will find themselves as deeply immersed in this book as they would be in a video game- if not more so! 

So what exactly is this book? Hmmm. It might be easier to say what it does and how it does it. The publisher's promotions emphasize how interactive it is, and that's true. The  subtitle labels it as a game book, and it provides plenty of opportunities to play with the images and concepts. Full spread views of the innards of various public structures (library, school, aquarium, museum, bakery, veterinary clinic, and many more) could have been the beginning and end of this book and it still would have been a winner. There are info-blurbs and prompts for each location, views of areas as preview insets of the full design and structure, along with views of hidden spaces for infrastructure, non-public working spaces, and more. The facilities are teeming with lives of every age, ability, identity, interest, and purpose for being there. The scales signage, pictures, and other components place familiar elements and sightings within a scope and continuity that gives things deeper purpose and understanding. 

The overall sprawling image is laid out on background graph paper as used in architecture or mechanical drawing. Each facility view also offers a bonus search- locating a tiny (but to scale) architect who is working within each location. A line-sketch of that characters is offered to scaffold success, but it will certainly not jump out at readers of any age, nor will these icons of professionals at work draw the eye when rereading the book because each is so effectively embedded. I particularly liked this because A) kids LOVE a search-and-find game, and B) each example seemed, to me, to be organic and purposeful within the scene. I'm convinced that readers/viewer/solvers will want to imagine what exactly the particular architect in each building might be doing there. The integration of careers and families and education and community in these working buildings  make this material excellent examples of real-world  social studies, math, science, engineering, literacy, and more.

WHAT'S THAT BUILDING? 
Phaidon, 2025, Interiors

With that said, the book is actually much more than that, thanks to writing, illustrating, and design that engage with the readers (gamers) on full spreads BEFORE they turn the page to the skin-off models of structures. The prompts, cues, and questions spreads are laid out in simple text on geometric color blocks. Small segments of the eventual full views are framed in response to the queries posed. There's appeal in locating their eventual placement as well as in seeing them in relation to the full function of the structure in operation. A simple glossary page in back explains terminology that are occasionally used (in bold) throughout. The patterns and familiarity/repetition of this format increases confidence and enthusiasm for this interactive book.

It's hard for me to imagine kids who wouldn't t dive into this book, repeatedly, entertaining themselves while learning in the best possible way- having fun! If you know anyone (any age) who instinctively claims cardboard, scrap paper, tape, and odds and ends to build structures or roadways or more, his book is for them. (Unless we are speaking of cats- who are equally obsessed with various random pieces of paper and cardboard. I do not feel qualified to recommend this book for cats.) 

The publisher, PHAIDON, sent me a copy without a promise of a review. Their books for kids are consistently excellent in physical production (paper and color quality, durability, design) so I was very pleased but not surprised to find this delightful, challenging, and engaging book sums one I can support. With holidays coming I'll purchase several more copies for gifts. Something you might want to consider, too.

Making the Most of Time with Creative PROS in Cleveland!

 I'm pausing my schedule for Friday features  (while my to-be-featured stack keeps growing!) to attend the SCBWI OHIO-North Conference. Time spent at conferences like these has offered  priceless opportunities to learn and grow and make new friends. 

Stay tuned for Tuesday's post about a fantastic and important nonfiction picture book.