This book chronicles Sophie Blanchard, the first woman to go solo in a hot air balloon. She was one of the first female aeronauts. Little is known of her life before marrying Jean Pierre Blanchard, a famous aerialist of the time. This is a great beginning look at woman who dared to do what many thought only men could do. Finding out that Sophie died so young, due to a fire and a fall from her balloon, is heartbreaking but also real. The illustrations are lovely and give an old-world field to match the old world setting of the book. 

 

I am not the right person to critique this book. I liked this book. It’s part of the 1619 Project about the history of Black Americans and how they came to be in this country. What is unique about this book is, it’s all poetry that creates one story. This is normally found in much bigger longer works. The illustrations are strange, but beautiful. They put emotion to the paper to match the words. I can fully say that I thought this book was fantastic, but also realize that I am in no place to critique this book. 

 

This was a great biography of Judith human. Judith was the main drive-in getting disability laws passed that made sure that people with any type of disability have the same freedoms as those with no disabilities. It would ensure that anyone or any entity, who receives money from the federal government, must make things ADA or handicapped accessible. This is a fantastic biography because it points out all the time Judith was told no. It had nothing to do with Judith as a person but more with her special accessories. I think this book will help kids understand that you can still be different and be fantastic. Differences are a good thing not a bad thing. 

 

This is a story of the holocaust. The author writes a loving tribute to her mother and her mother’s family. The tale is her mother’s travels from Hungary to the US. How the travels were not easy, and how often she had to do so alone. This book is another great example of a Holocaust survivor doing what they must to be free and live a better life. 

 

This book is simple but perfect. It gives each color and that it is for boys and girls, or for girls and boys. It’s also for something you see in society. Things like brown is for teddy bears and green is for glass. This book makes sure to say that all colors are for everyone, and that pink is not just a girl’s color and blues is not just a boys colors. Colors are for everyone. An important lesson for the modern US society. 

 

This was a real person. Elliot was originally a criminal in Alcatraz for counterfeiting money. But he used his time wisely to learn a skill and grow not just a garden, but a love of gardening. This book is extremely well done. The story is engaging and interesting. I also like that this book shows there is life after prison. Rehabilitation is possible if allowed. Good things can come out of bad events. 

 

Reading this book feels like the Dalai Lama is talking straight to you. He is telling his story of his past, and what he hopes for the future. He states that compassion is the biggest lesson he can ever teach. And it’s this lesson that needs to be foremost in everybody’s mind. The one thing that separates us from others is our compassion. This book is lovingly done. It’s interesting, and it gives a look into a religious leader that speaks not about religion, but about caring for other people. 

 

This story is precious. It reminds people that black may not be in a rainbow, but it is still a color. But it’s not only a color, it’s a culture, it’s a movement. The stanzas in the stories in this book is quite well done. While not rhyming it has a cadence and a flow. It’s slam poetry at its finest. After the story, there are fantastic things such as a playlist of songs. There are explanations on some of the stanzas within the book, such as dreams and reasons. And for me, one of my favorite parts was the timeline of black idioms in America. As a non-black person sometimes, I worry about accidentally saying the wrong thing. Because I know that through history, the meaning of words change. I love that this book talks about the different names Black people have been called through history, and why they’re no longer in use. This book has a ton to offer and it’s much more than your average picture book. 

 

This book may be a little long, but the story is heartfelt. It is about a selfish king who wants presents and gifts from everybody. The one present he can’t have is a quilt from the lady in the mountains. She only makes quilts for people who can’t afford them. She tells the king give of yourself and I will make you a quilt. The king will not do this. Instead, he punishes the old lady and in turn just punishes himself. This book does have a happy ending and is simply lovely. The illustrations are classic, and so is the story. I see this book being handed down from “maker to “maker as they share the love conjunctions. 

 

This book is based on a true story of a humpback whale caught in fishing line.  It is done in a perfect picture book format with an easy read, and a cadence that is pleasant. It tells a story that is so thrilling and harrowing and has a happy ending. The illustrations are lovely and the info in the back is spot on. This is a great resource for anybody who wants to know more about whales.