FANTASTIC (Flying) BOOKS: Consider the Following...

 I read book this earlier, closer to its release date over a decade ago.Then a friend gifted me a copy with an awareness that books are central to my life and they thought I should be sure to read it. That was a touching reminder to me that my friends and family all know how central to my life BOOKS are. Admittedly, I'm a tad (HA!) hyper-verbal, and I apologize for that regularly. Even so, I'll never apologize for celebrating books, especially books for youth. Too many of the changes in contemporary life and society push for our attention, and BOOKS deserve all the cheerleaders they can get. 

MOONBOT BOOKS
 Imprint of ATHENEUM BOOKS FYR, 2012

(SPOILER ALERT- I will share the full circle of this story. It is older and most know it.)

In the case of THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MORRIS LESSMORE, written by William Joyce, the character in the story lives an exciting series of events with books. The story is magical and action packed (yes, a story about a man reading is action- packed) and was an outgrowth of Academy Award-Winning animated short film. Joyce and Joe Bluhm share illustration credits for this lively, extra long picture book filled with truth and wonder. A single reading will suggest the heart of the story and a central theme of the film. This is a visual feast with dramatic tension and imaginative joy throughout, quietly flooded with heart. 

A twist on a  famous movie line captures my original response to the first spread text: It had me at ...

"Morris Lessmore loved words.

He loved stories.

He loved books."

And that's all it took for me to feel that Morris and I are kindred spirits. Morris is also a writer, though many of his attempts end in upsets. When Morris broke his habit of looking down, the sepia-tones spreads shift to colorful, literally uplifting images. The world of books, personified and speaking to him directly, intervenes in his frustrating, worried, internal world. Books introduce possibilities, curiosity, and excitement that lead to sharing books with others. "Everyone's story matters," he says. 

His life of reading, sharing, tending books, exploring words, and and writing his own story led, in a page turn, to his eventual aging. Those beloved books read themselves to him, care for him, comfort him. When he writes the last page of his own book, when he steps out of life and into the eternal world of stories, his own book remains behind. The books understand, waiting... 

...for the young girl who enters the world of books left behind by Morris. His book flies to her hands, filled with his story, his joys and upsets and fears and excitement. That's where her story begins... with the opening of a book. A legacy passes hand-to-hand, page-to-page, generation to generation. 

This lovely circle story is both surreal and anchored in truth. It is both heartwarming and poignant. The illustrations are beyond my tools of description, and evocative of an animated film, of course, with letters and words assembling and disassembling, swirling on and off pages, enticing and exciting. 

Viewing the short film may feel like a significantly different experience from reading the book. It is a visual, wordless exploration of broader themes. Among those are the revelation that an old book, any book, only offers a life when it is read, when readers partner with the symbols and images on the page to give life to the stories within the covers. The central stories (book and film) are the same, but the lives of the books, their NEED for connection with readers is much more palpable in the film. Both deserve attention, and carry compelling messages without being didactic.

Both the book and film suggest that a simple, single person, someone with a life of their own, will discover a universe of stories in words and books, in libraries, in sharing books with others. Tomorrow, April 1, begins National Library Month. This feels like a fabulous way to celebrate books and libraries with young readers. They'll recognize the richness, color, and connection that books bring into an otherwise dull life. I hope you'll check out both the book and film, and share some love with local libraries and librarians.

The books and I thank you!

Don't HIDEAWAY the Magic of Childhood Imagination!

 Far too many children in the world, at home and afar, are so occupied with survival that imagination must lie dormant. Others, also far too many, have outsourced their minds to screens. This picture book provides glorious casual insight into the magical space of early imagination could be just the right choice for those who DO indulge in self-generated world-building as well as for those who have abdicated the realm.

RED COMET PRESS. 2023

HIDEAWAY is written by Melania Longo and illustrated by Alesandro Sanna, with translation  by Brenda Porter. While I follow the latest releases, widely acclaimed or otherwise, I get especially excited when I encounter a picture book from prior years that missed my radar. That matters even more when it is from a smaller press and remains deeply relevant in the current moment.

Picture book production timelines are even greater when  foreign acquisition and translation play a role. Across the board, this book merited the time and effort involved. 

Knowing how lengthy the process is to take a picture book idea from origin to contract to full illustration and production, the 2023 release date indicates to me that some or most of this story emerged during the covid-lock-down years. At the very least, all creatives involved offer us a view through the gauze of a young imagination, or two. There's little we will miss about those years, other than beloved folks who were lost to the virus. One of the small things we can celebrate is the likelihood that more children rediscovered their imaginations during those imposed periods of isolation from intensely-scheduled lives.

This picture book feels like a capsule version of such a life, worth preserving and recovering.

The assertive narrator is fully self-possessed and also possessed of a vivid and expensive imagination. Her account of  the Hideaway of slender branches is revealed to readers in an authentic child voice that introduces her best adventurer friend (her brother with long legs that sometime disturb the structure but is worth the company). Nothing dramatic or explosive or heartbreaking occurs in this hideaway, unlike THE PERFECT SHELTER (reviewed HERE). I should clarify that nothing EXTERNAL of consequence happens. But this pair of adventurers find within the slender stems of their HIDEAWAY a world without walls. They travel with massive animals, play roles, recognize aspects of nature we too often ignore, and more. Across seasons, and in the course of a day, they exhaust the realms of their imaginations and instantly reboot with more to come. A bedtime return to the household is unavoidable, but the energy of imaginative spirits transforms their bedroom, too. Ultimately, even settling under covers suggests dreams filled with travel and discovery. 

The authentic voice of the narrator (kudos to both author and translator) is richly  enhanced by full spreads of fluid, visually-enticing elements, with colors and details that recapture attention at each rereading. Black line accents focus on the story line while shadows, white space figures, delicate swirls, and barely discernible lines suggest an ethereal quality in that borderland between nature and the surreal. 

Not enough can ever be said about the essential role of imagination in a child's life, but also in our collective futures. My current check says this title is on back order, so request it at your local library. If you enjoy it as much as I do, order one or more copies at your local indie-bookstore to gift to a child, school, or little free library. The invitation to imagination is worth sharing, and worth waiting for.

 

THE SWEATER: A Story of Community

Some of the books i feature here are astonishing in their depth or scope, in the magnificence (I'm not exaggerating) of their text or illustrations. Many titles in many ways reveal less that is "new" but much that is conveyed in moving and original ways. 

VIKING PRESS, 2026

Then there are some picture books that simply strike chords of familiar, important, heart-touching elements in ways that deserve attention. Books that will become huggable favorites. Books that will be saved to read again and again, and then on into adulthood to a next generation. The SWEATER: A Story of Community strikes me as that kind of book. Written by Larissa Theule and illustrated by Teagan White, there is actually very little that seems extraordinary in this reader-friendly book. 

The author's narrative is direct and simple, but carries the weight of understanding:

"... a little bird stumbled into the thicket. It was plain to see he'd been though some things."

The storytelling allows readers to sense concern, potentially even risk, without feeling undo threat to worry. The little bird's discovery of a vacant hole in a tree could easily be the wrap to his part of the story. But empathy and awareness of the coming winter and the challenges to even healthy lives in the face of Mother Nature  leads the central character, Holly the raccoon, to express concern for the little bird to the others in the woods. Yes, you can guess that decisions are made, domino effects unfold, scraps of offerings are knit into whole resources. That, my friends, is a metaphor for community. The glory of this simple account is in both its familiarity and in the freshness of word and images. 

Click on illustrator White (above) to see that more sophisticated version of any of these illustrations were well within her talents. But from the simple line drawings on end papers to the colorful, warm-toned interiors, each character appears both anthropomorphized and also natural. The challenges faced are concerning without being terrifying, helping readers invest in the safety of all, not just the small bird. Even when it is "hunkering down"  time in the midst of a storm, the text and images offer reassurance of safety while suggesting connection, even while isolated for a time. Some aspect of those spreads reminded me of our lives during covid lock-down. No  matter how separate we were, there was a nearly universal striving to find ways to express our connections to others.

This book will appeal to most (I'd like to say ALL, but not everyone might find it as utterly memorable and treasured as I do). But I hope you'll give it a look to see for yourselves. There is sincerity and charm without being cloying or cutesy. The two-dimensional, stylized critters reside in a detailed space that is also somewhat flat, yet remains natural and somewhat magical. It's that "story time" tone that made me lift the relationships and characters from their specifics to think of them as any and all communities 

I am a fan of any picture book that is able to take what we all know to be an important (and therefore familiar) concept and make it fresh and memorable. I praised the efforts of Marsha Diane Arnold's ONE SMALL THING, HERE. If you missed it originally, I invite you to click and read about it as well. These two "animal character" stories display combined support, representing the power for even small efforts to unite and strengthen every member of the community. They would make remarkable side-by side readings. Those are reflections and discussions I'd welcome as often as possible, especially among young audiences.

Come Visit With Me: THE LIBRARY IN THE WOODS

Coming up, April 6, is National Library Day. April is also National School Library Month. As with any and all other focus days or months, these call attention to what we agree is important, but risk the suggestion that the topic isn't noteworthy during the rest of the year. I'm happy to say that I (and so many others I know) find libraries to be a necessary and integral part of our lives, year after year. In fact, since retiring, I've used public libraries even more so than while working full time in schools (and I used libraries often then!).  

CAROLRHODA BOOKS, 2025

In the case of a new picture book offering, the availability of a public library was life changing. My limited access to libraries as a child were mentioned in a recent post, HERE, but my restrictions were matters of location, transportation, and the generally low quality of children's/youth offerings at that time. In THE LIBRARY IN THE WOODS, written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, the characters are residents of Roxboro, North Carolina in the era of Jim Crow. 

The author's lived experiences inspired this narrative that traces a family, one that must finally abandon their efforts to live independently on a farm due to natural forces beyond my control. That early, heartbreaking opening moves them to town, where the young boy narrator learns about a library, one that does not deny him entry and treats him with the respect he (and all people) deserve. Despite his awareness that he'd be refused entry to the town library, this one was operated and under complete control of the Black community. Access to so manny books was a dream come true.

That rarity, in his time and place, make a compelling and powerful story in itself. But the greater layers and further details of this story involve the family from which the narrative emerged. His choice of his three book allowance for each checkout included one for his father, one for his mother, and one for himself. Providing his father with a book (on George Washington Carver) leads to revelations for the boy, to learning ways that literacy can be shared, and to readers' empathy for the deep love and care shown from cover to cover. 

Both author and illustrator are multiple award-winning creators of works for young readers, and this merits similar attention and praise. The art is both familiar and informational about the historic period and location. The text moves smoothly, as if the boy is retelling the events to a neighbor or parent. The author note (and archival newspaper clipping form the actual Roxboro Library) indicate ays in which the story is literally taken from his life and ways in which it was changed for the sake of focus and pacing. 

Both the author's actual life history and this account of it are moving and powerful. This is a picture book that would work well in a social studies class related to the era in American history, or to literacy in America, or to economics in that place and time. I hope you'll consider your own relationships to libraries while in your young lives and across a lifetime. As Ramsey says in those closing notes, to have grown up with actual library access,  even if not "equal"  to the libraries from which he was excluded, was a privilege and joy beyond the reach of so many others of color in the South.The countless ways in which library access has improved my life are blessings beyond measure. 

Celebrate your own libraries in some meaningful way on April 6 or the next time you visit. A sincere "thank you", with a line or two about the differences libraries have made to you, will be welcome, I guarantee. 

I also  recommend , for adults who wish to be informed about the current assault on linaraies and access to books, a memoir/account of the status of that battle: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones.

Ready for SOMETHING SPECTACULAR?

 When it comes to picture books about ROCKS, there are many to choose from. Several of those are high on my list of recommendations. I've reviewed several, from classics to newer releases, like THIS, THIS, and THIS. It's not difficult to encounter a kid (or grown kid) who is a fan of rocks. Some scout out specialty rocks (geodes, river rocks, mica rocks, and more). SOMETHING SPECTACULAR: A Rocks's Journey, written by Carmela LaVigna Coyle and illustrated by Carly Allen-Fletcher, provides an origin story for one example of a specialty kind of "found" rock: nature-formed heart-shaped rocks. This vibrant and dramatic account of the transformation of matter spans millions of years and reveals a seemingly dry nonfiction topic through colorful, action-packed, time-travel, a revelation for readers of any age. 

MUDDY BOOTS BOOKS, 2022

The research behind this rock-journey is evident, but is served up in a user-friendly, minimalist style through illustrations, text, and book design. Beginning with the cover, our eye  centers on a non-specific young person, someone fully enthralled with the magic in their open hands. The encircling images appear nearly surreal, of an uncertain period and location. It's the perfect launchpad for an astonishing, ethereal journey.

And yet, open the cover to the endpapers which reveal childlike, crayon-drawn figures. Whose story is this, the rock's or the child's? Then one more turn to the title page features a space-view image of planet Earth more than 300 million years ago, when the planet was a watery home to a single land mass, Pangea, which was evidently geologically active (volcanoes and landmass shifts) as well as spawning plant life.

We're not yet  entering the the narrative as one more page turns, providing publication information and a dedication. Those are wallpapered, corner to corner, with textured swatches and swirls of fiery color and movement. Illustrator Allen-Fletcher has notable works that range from adult to space science to science fiction and fantasy for youth. In the dramatic contrasts within these pages she demonsttrates her range and intentionality. The approach not only sets the stage for a 300,000 million year old geologic transition, but allows each successive stage to also shift across millennia, certain that those floating those end paper, childlike images will anchor to such a nearly timeless tale. The transitions are highly effective, and young readers (even those who can't yet comprehend such large numbers or spans of time) will hold both the story of an imagined child and a chunk of planet Earth that survives throughout time to become a discovery in a field.  It is absolutely brilliant, in my opinion.

That, though, was inspired by what I consider a brilliant narrative to set those parallel journeys in place. A sample of the opening establishes a repetitive pattern for pages:

 (Small heart icon) "272 years before she found it... (small font, color, at top left of page)

(Main text) It began beneath the bottom of a forgotten sea, as part of something spectacular."

Each turn launches a wide spread with an introductory phrase shifting time in millions then thousands of years, referencing time markers and events in the child's day, such as "before she at breakfast"  in relation to those incomparably enormous shifts in geologic time. The illustrations reveal how the planet's forces were impacting the matter that gradually becomes a rock, then is ruptured, rolled, washed, and buried by the forces of nature over time. The time references are both informative and helpful in comparing other long-passage periods that are sometimes confused or merged, such as dinosaurs and buffaloes roaming the earth. The concluding discovery of a heart-shaped rock in a field flips the cover perspective from the viewer's eyes to that of the child, capturing the wonder of it all, now illuminated by awareness of its theoretical journey. 

A special treat is the realization on the closing endpapers. The childlike drawings are discoverable as a map of her own day's travel, providing images to connect to each time-marker throughout her search day (breakfast through to discovery). Whether launching readers onto lifelong heart-rock searches or introducing geologic eras for an adolescent science lesson,  or even as mentor text for generating comparative timelines, this book truly is SPECTACULAR!

MEET Edward Lear, Childhood's Hero: THE BOY WHO BECAME A PARROT

I recently browsed the shelves in an artist-coop, recognizing with a smile some rescued, REALLY OLD books on one shelf. Books with musty, frayed, cloth coverings that barely contained their cracked bindings. They were both fragile and enduring. Most were books for young people, many from various series you'd recognize. Their condition reminded me of one that I  checked out of the library more than a dozen times. 

As a young reader, my libraries were nothing like ones seen today. The children's section was barely more than a wall or two of spine-out, unjacketed titles, books that circulated on and off shelves for lack of alternatives. Options in my childhood were limited and the same was true in my classroom. (Until high school, I knew no such thing as a school library.) 

ENCHANTED LION BOOKS
2025

I read voraciously among the limited library offerings, expanding my targets beyond books and magazines and newspapers at home. Among the few titles on a single shelf of children's poetry (mostly nursery rhymes, anthologies of classics, or Robert Louis Stevenson) I read the title: Edward Lear's A  BOOK OF NONSENSE. This was in the 1950s, more than  a hundred years after Lear first published this collection of limericks and slightly bizarre line drawings. 

(The original version was published under a pen name in 1846, since LEAR was already a highly respected nature artist at that time.)

One of many further reissues of Lear's public domain works incorporate original drawings and his best known poems, while others are labeled as fully comprehensive collections of his original works and further poems published after his wide success with the first release. 

Let me just say that I've never outgrown my love for LEAR and his kid-friendly capturing of the sounds and images kids adore.I featured that feeling in a post some years back, HERE, and I often compare new creations to this early standard when elements of word-play, humor, silliness, and imagery, accessing vivid and  deeply-rooted memories.

It won't surprise you that I was intrigued and excited to read a 2025 release, a comprehensive picture book biography of Edward Lear that promised insights far beyond that memorable book. THE BOY WHO BECAME A PARROT: A FOOLISH BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD LEAR WHO INVENTED NONSENSE is written by Wolverton Hill and illustrated by Laura Carlin. In this oversized and expanded length presentation, the illustrator has channeled Lear's style as well as incorporating selected original art by Lear throughout (all credited/cited in back matter). The text is approachable and reveal Lear's childhood within his time and conditions, which led to surprising opportunities to read, observe nature, and learn to draw and paint. The account of his early life includes his epilepsy (with no treatment at the time), a condition he called his Demon, reappearing throughout his life. 

His word play, scribbly-giggly line drawings, storytelling, and poetry writing that marked his entire life emerged early to entertain other children. That liveliness and lightness of spirit never faded. Many have credited him with advancing Lewis Carroll's fanciful nonsense into broader literature. While still a child he honed his artistic skills in reproducing wildlife, with talents that earned comparison to Audubon.

This thorough account reveals a complex boy who drew at the then-private London Zoo, reporting conversations he had with the blue and yellow macaw he portrayed. He developed sympathy for the caged creatures, not unlike his own experience with losing his home and fleeing his Demon. In his imagination, the macaw flew free. Lear drew himself doing the same. He soon learned that his early success among wealthy and formal society left him uncomfortable, but time spent with children was freeing and filled with silliness. These approaches later led to effective social satire within his work.

In a world that now embraces silliness (bordering on the absurd, in some cases), a world in which limericks are recognized (even in other languages), Edward Lear could rightly claim to be the rock upon which lively children's literature was founded. 

Both the author and illustrator have rendered Lear's long-gone life with loving care and lively respect for his brilliance. Back matter provides a detailed timeline of his long life and the surprising landmarks that are referenced in lyrical text throughout the telling of his tail. Lear's influence on many notable authors and artists who followed is shared, and the names are impressive. Even so, the greatest credit to this remarkable man is his impact on nameless young readers, across centuries. His legacy is wider than I realized, expanding across many horizons. Even so, his lasting impact is on young people who found him, in his own time and in all the decades that followed.

And still do. 

I hope you'll read this and learn more about his journey to that legacy.

DRAGONFLIES OF GLASS: The Story of Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls

Born into the mid-nineteenth century, Clara Driscoll's grew into a family of secure means during an era in which women painting nature was a respected pastime. Clara honed her talent and examined the fragile beauty of nature in her back garden, but eventually followed her calling by attending art school in New York City with her sister. That respectable pursuit led her to the attention of Mr. Louis Comfort Tiffany, already a highly 

ABRAMS
BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

successful business owner and innovator in the  world of ART glass. The sisters were hired to work in the design department (only single women were allowed to work in public businesses at that time).

DRAGONFLIES of GLASS: The Story of Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls is the nonfiction biographic profile of a lesser-credited artist whose iconic designs are among the most famous (and priceless) of all Tiffany glass objects. Clara led a team of women whose designs involved inspiration, sketches, refinement, and many stages of cutting, assembly, and monitoring throughout their creation. Written by Susan Goldman Rubin and illustrated  by Susanna Chapman, this account rises to a very high bar of capturing a complex life and exquisite illustration on the page.

The tools they used  were many, but the ultimate media were uniquely colored and textured sheets of glass. These works of glass art sheets both nspired and limited the ultimate results. From window panes to lamp shades, ranging from massive to diminutive, masterpieces were designed by "Tiffany Girls" under Clara's supervision and guided by her talent and leadership skills.

Abstractions and colorful patterns produced by the glass workers (all men) were impressive, but Clara developed original designs to use them, drawing her images from nature similar to the works she first created in her garden. Her most inspired lamp design featured dragonflies on a mosaic pedestal base. It was immediately requested by customers, but Mr. Tiffany also recognized it as worthy of wider recognition. Until that time, the only name assigned to any Tiffany works was "TIFFANY". But, in the case, this rare and original lamp was entered in an international design competition, and CLARA DRISCOLL was the name added to the Tiffany brand for the design.

If that sounds like I gave Clara's story away, think again. This account takes many twists and turns, and that only references the main text. Throughout the spreads there are also fine-print quotations from Clara and her family members, passages excerpted from more recently discovered troves of letters written throughout her career and life. With family spread across many states, the members used "round robin" letters. One sibling would write and send their news on to the next, who would read and add on, then send to another member until all had read the news and updates. In modern times it was like having a group text spread over many months. generations of descendants saved these letters, and their contents are superb examples of primary sources. These personal notes and Clara's non-artist life story spread throughout her sprawling family. The illustrator created a bottom-of-the-page visual scroll that lends humanity and emotional heft to the remarkably talented woman being portrayed. Back matter clarifies this and more details, including places Clara's work is displayed, photos from her life, and other resources to learn more.

For adult readers, Susan Vreeland has written a very comprehensive and well-researched work that shares even more about Clara, despite its fiction genre:  CLARA AND MR. TIFFANY (Random House, 2012). You can read an excerpt of that novel on Vreeland's website, HERE.

Who's Afraid of BUGS? Not THE SPIDER LADY, Nan Songer!

"Nonfiction" is easy to extol as needed information, but in our times of TIK-TOK, Substack, YouTube, and Reddit, posts voiced by unvetted sources, not to mention traditional media outlets, once reliable sources, are diminishingly trustworthy. They now present "truth" but materials are produced by downsized-overworked-nonspecialized  staff and AI generators, both equally doubtful. I've come to believe that the most reliable truths, ones I can trust, come not even from my own eyes, since AI plays a role in so many distortions and outright misrepresentations. What I turn to are works from well-vetted publishing groups for youth (ages 0-20), ones who willingly claim the label NONFICTION. Even adult works in those categories too often reflect agendas and intentions toward what is or is not included or emphasized. In works for nonfiction for  youth, the guards are still at the gates and  turrets. Material is scrutinized to prevent distortions, half-truths, and even an excess of flourish or creativity that could confuse young audiences. 

This branch of the publishing industry, on the creative, production, and marketing sides, have gone so far as to identify works as "informational fiction" or ":creative nonfiction", offering readers a full understanding that the factual content can and will be identified even if told in imaginative ways. These works (including direct nonfiction) go so far as to incorporate back matter to expand and validate the facts shared, to offer suitable  resources for curious investigators, and to clarify aspects that may have been used for storytelling purposes only. I challenge all purveyors of "information" from any of the outlets noted above to step up with comparable assurances of the TRUTHS they offer to readers.  (Bottom line following this rant? READ MORE NONFICTION for kids!)

 

CALKINS CREEK, 2025

In both text and illustration, some nonfiction picture books take original twists on familiar people or topics, but others capture attention by introducing new individuals, discoveries, burgeoning fields of study, and so much more, all of which can capture attention just as well as digital media while providing validity and references to learn even more. THE SPIDER : Nan Songer and Her Arachnid Army is written by Penny Parker Klostermann and illustrated by Anne Lambelet. This unsung hero story would be remarkable even if it didn't involve a major aspect of winning World War II. 

But it does.

It begins as an intriguing and colorful account of Nan Songer's unique childhood as the eager mentee of an expert female neighbor-entomologist then moves through Nan's emerging sense of nature and its appreciation. Rather than focus on displaying or dissecting amazing bugs, she was fascinated by their behavior. Studying that meant keeping them alive. The hearts of many wannabe scientists will resonate at the spreads showing how Nan transformed her bedroom into a living insect zoo.  (Parents may cringe, but it's worth sticking with this unfolding story.)

As WWII loomed, Nan encountered a need from the armed forces-  for precision spiderweb threads to use as crosshairs in many kinds of munitions.I learned so much about Nan but also about spiders in this bio-profile-career story. (That's despite my academic respect for spiders with no willingness to become roommates with them!) Among the most amazing new information is that aiming crosshairs needed to be from spider web threads because they're not susceptible to heat or cold or moisture, making the marksman's aim reliably accurate. Who knew? I certainly didn't. And I certainly didn't know how spider thread could be collected without taking it from the web! Silk thread, yes: soaking silkworm cocoons allows easy unthreading and re-spooling. But spider web threads? You won't believe it!

But you should. And you will, because it is so well told and visualized. And documented.

Nan Songer's long "hobby" meant she worked with live spiders regularly, overcame any worries about Black Widow spiders producing the most ideal threads, and so much much more. That background made her the ideal innovator for acquiring and providing threads of exacting specifications in quantities, reliably, without injuring the spiders who served our country so well. I wondered (and learned) if those same threads would  have any signifcant purposes after the war ended. The story is woven as effectively and with as much complexity as actual spider webs. Both the story and the webs have strength, purpose, and jaw-dropping intricacies. Don't miss the back matter for added details and insights. 

And could we all try holding reportedly "true" stories and images to the same high standard as we achieve in nonfiction for children. At a minimum, indicating when and how much AI is involved in images and reports? Deepest thanks to all who write, illustrate, proofread, crosscheck, and validate the contents so that young readers can actually trust such work.

MARIAM'S DREAM: More Than a Food Truck!

Mariam Al-Shaar, the subject of this delicious new picture book profile, was born in a Lebanese refugee camp, into a Palestinian family that had fled there years before her birth. It didn't matter that she was born there, Mariam and the other refugees (arrivals and those born in the camp) had no way to claim identity or rights. They were forbidden the rights of citizens of Lebanon, and Palestine has no country to declare rights to its members. Life in a refugee camp offers few opportunities to make money or improve conditions, but women had even fewer rights. 

CHRONICLE BOOKS, 2025

The author's note and other back matter for MARIAM'S DREAM: The Story of Mariam Al-Shaar and Her Food Truck of Hope provide fascinating details about refugees, recipes, and specifics that are not part of the main text and illustrations.

Author Leila Boukarim and illustrator Sana Avedikian created a text and visual narrative that delivers a genuinely tragic story, one that reflects its seriousness but also celebrates the promise of hope and commitment. Refugees live "between worlds", surrounded by walls, witnessing the struggles of those contained within the camps. 

Despite this grim reality, portrayed clearly but without extremes, the joyful journey and success of young Mariam is trumpeted in vibrant endpapers, active scenes, and Mariam's process of rallying the women to learn, share, produce and supply traditional foods within their camp. 

(Full disclosure, I am not an adventurous eater and avoid spicy foods because of a touchy gut, but the images of food prep and products had me nearly drooling!)

Following Mariam's heroic efforts to gather the needed ingredients, personnel, and means to prepare traditional foods, at last... a SOUFRA IS BORN. A feast, a table full of food. Step one in Mariam's dream is achieved. The next steps are increasingly complex, centering around obtaining and operating a food truck to extend the reach of their success. Sometimes writers are encouraged to provide three obstacles to overcome, making a happy ending even more satisfying. In the case of Mariam and her food truck, the obstacles were countless! Some were based on money (of course), some on refugee status (sadly), and even more had to do with the birth-fact that Mariam and the others were WOMEN (tragic), without rights sometimes allowed even to male refugees. 

The text incorporates the language of WALLS, blockades to reaching a dream, but not simply walls of wire or brick. You and I both know that had she not succeeded we wouldn't be reading this book. That, though, is in no way a "spoiler" for a story worth reading. By anyone. At any age. This picture book is a terrific example of suiting many purposes and audiences. Read through and examine closely. It's a wonderful example of how nonfiction, even biographic profiles, can be original and clever in their storytelling and appeal. It is also suited for curricular connections involving geography, rights, and current events. It's a delightful invitation for cross-cultural menu discovery, and also a math-class bonus for considering small scale economics and government regulations and consequences.

 What I'm getting at is that this is a contemporary work that is an ideal way to launch WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. This theme month is among many that are under assault in current politics, and the click/link for women's history has an undeniable focus on the past and on figures form USA history. In fact, even the most notable women of the past faced many similar obstacles and walls to the ones Mariam faced, and many did not have their stories documented. A topic so rarely dealt with in adult media let alone children's literature is presented here as a universal and uplifting one, a story and life that can teach lessons across geography and time. Dreaming. Persisting.  Dreaming. Innovating. And ... always... dreaming.