Rising above

I was in the mood for something different the other day and I found a science and history selection in the picture book format. There is a lot going on, therefore one future publication (though I did have a physical reader copy) and one current book will need to have multiple reads.

August 2023 is a busy month for books. And one of those books will be  Follow the Flyway: The Marvel of Bird Migration. Sarah Nelson creates a story that is non-fiction, reading as fiction. We follow twelve different types of birds as the next generation learns how to migrate to their next destination. May Hanisch’s illustrations are fun, colorful, not overwhelming and detailed well.The publisher’s description says the illustrations are “Depicted in an Impressionistic style, but easily defined.” Following from the start of the bird’s cycle (the egg) all the way to the end, this is a good introduction to the subject, plus adds to a fan’s knowledge as well. And there is a poetic narrative that allows this information to flow and not be “just the facts and only the facts” narrative.

From science to history, we follow a Jewish immigrant from Poland, Rose Schneiderman, in the story Rose Spoke Out: The Story of Rose Schneiderman. Emma Carlson Bene took on a subject that probably few know. But that is not because Rose did not have a “big mouth” or as she liked to say, “a loud voice.” This little over four foot woman would change the way workers were treated, how safety would change and when things were not right, she would not stand for it. There is also information on the idea of tikkun olam, repairing the world, a core element of Jewish tradition (taken from the publisher description). While reading how the expression “bread and roses” came about, you follow this all with the marvelous illusions of Giovanni Abeille. Their work pops off the page in color and busy excitement. Currently out, Bene’s book was probably my favorite of the two, but honestly they are both strong additions to anyone’s library.