Let the CYBILS Reviews Begin!

There are few things in life that I enjoy more than reading, so I've been enjoying some very good times in recent weeks. As a Round One Panelist for TWO nonfiction categories I've been keeping local librarians busy as I reserve and gather dozens and dozens of books several times each week. I've provided some preliminary notes about many of those titles on my Goodreads account, and I invite you to check them out HERE. 

Because this blog is focused on picture books, I'll be reviewing some outstanding picture book titles among the nominees here, occasionally linking to some related titles in other formats.

Along with the joy of discovering and reading so many fabulous books comes the stressful responsibility of narrowing those down to two shortlists in the coming months. That is not easy in ANY category, but nonfiction presents a special set of challenges when it comes to comparing one title to another. 

Some utilize narrative text, reading more like a novel or story than as pure "information". This is especially true for biographies. Other titles ARE aimed at conveying pure information, some in an almanac or other data-focused format. The subjects covered by the nominees range from pure science to historic events to math, geology, geography, astronomy, and on and on.

I'm not complaining, though. I set myself up for this stressful challenge. We (the panelists in this category) will need to advocate for favorites among the hundred-plus titles we read and consider. 

That's a lot to digest, so I'll start sharing my reactions with a picture book involving the topic of  digestion!

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Here's an example of the great nominees I'm reading: YOUR AMAZING DIGESTION from MOUTH through INTESTINES.  This title is one of a series written by Joanne Settel, PhD with illustrations by Steve Bjorkman. Their paired expertise was an inspired match, presenting complex anatomy and physiology through kid-friendly text and giggle-worthy illustrations that really do "illustrate" those complex ideas. 
Settel organizes this particular body system in a winning way, and she knows her audience. The process begins with a slice of pizza. 
The page layouts are equally appealing: large trim size with glossy white pages, allowing loads of white space to lighten the burden of text, using color, font size, boldface, and other traditional text clues to emphasize big ideas and important terms effectively throughout very short but accurate passages. 
The integration of the digestive process with the other body systems can overwhelm medical students, but both creators intersperse metaphorical phrasing and images to allow young learners to keep the pages turning. "COOL FACTS" pages occur frequently, including comparisons to other creatures, answers to questions that are often shushed, and lightened by humor that actually reinforces memory of the content rather than distracting from it. 
With excellent backmatter (glossary, additional print and digital resources, references/citations, and a full index), this serves learners well as a front-to-back read, as a dip-and-discover fun read, as a science resource, and as a launch pad for deeper investigations. This is one of those "Books for Young Readers" that can be used and appreciated by older students of biology or anatomy classes. It's bright and lively enough to make a great family gift, too, allowing parents to acquire some helpful insights to what goes on in their families when food goes in-- and through!

Charlesbridge

Another direct and family-friendly book is DID YOU BURP? How to Ask Questions...Or Not! Written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Leeza Hernandez, the premise in this book is that there are skills involved in asking questions, and questions are important. Endpapers display multiple question words and punctuation symbols. Then Sayre's text launches a lively crew of diverse kids (and a pet gerbil and other random critters) through colorful, oversized, pages blending her questions and coaching with speech-bubbled kid-chat. I particularly appreciated that her voice speaks directly to the reader. She avoids a predictable "what you should or shouldn't ask" approach to explore the nature and value of questions, to acknowledge that asking questions requires bravery and thinking, but leads to a better world for all of us. 

Naturally, both titles will find warm welcomes in classrooms. But I hope that both also find their way into family settings and are shared with discussions and personal examples that are as lively and energetic as the characters in these books. 

And now I dive back into my pile of nominees to continue this process!