libscote's Reviews (6.4k)

The book is what it says on the cover: an overview of rainbows from science to myths to present day understanding of their meaning.

This is a picture book biography of Roberto Clemente, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He faced racism all during his MLB career as an Afro-Latine man from Puerto Rico. This book concentrates on his life as a baseball player, rather than his death while flying to do humanitarian work. Gutierrz's illustrations are gorgeous and flowing, making Clemente's skills sing on the page.

A look at a ritual done in Jewish families all over the world: the making of challah bread for the Shabbat. 

Bea is just trying to survive during the Great Depression and keep her younger sister, Vivian, safe. When their father abandons them in a hayloft, claiming that the owner of the house will take them in because she is good-hearted, Bea can hardly believe it. Strangers take them in during hard times? Luckily, Mrs. Scott is pretty good-hearted, even if not totally trusting along the way. Other friends of Mrs. Scott, Ralph and Malachi, help ease the way, along with a rambunctious chestnut horse. This book shows the power of community and friendship in hard times. I will say as an adult reading it in 2025, I did not find it as relaxing as I had hoped, but it was still a good story.

Dulce is so excited for her abuela to arrive with maletas (suitcases) full of treasures and surprises. I enjoyed this story of a grandmother and granddaughter bonding, especially ones that live so far away from each other.  Medina is a wonderful illustrator. 

Beautiful illustrations tell the story of Roy Decarava's life, a photographer who worked a lot in the Harlem area. I appreciated learning about his life. This one could practically be used in story time with preschoolers.

This is a really sweet story of a grandfather and a granddaughter spending time together. I really appreciated the way the relationship was a little happy and a little sad, for the grandfather misses his homeland. 

Bat, Cat, and Rat want to go on a vacation but can't agree on where. They bicker but eventually come to an agreement. The pictures by Teague are quite fun, and the text has more of a storyline than many beginner books. 

A look at the life of Billy Mills, an American gold medalist in the 10,000 meter track event. This book shows the hardships he overcame to do that and what he is doing now. Nelson's illustrations fit the story well, and I loved his note in the back about what inspired him to do it. 

Abraham Cahan was born and raised in what is now Lithuania in 1860. He grew up speaking Yiddish, a language many Jewish people spoke that was a combination of Hebrew and words from other languages where Jewish people lived. He fought for immigrant and worker rights and wrote a newspaper that connected Jewish people all over the United States called Forverts. His life may be inspiring for many.