A varied set of books today, and all of these were notable, and beautiful.
All of these are technically biographies, but all of them are listed as nonfiction in their respective subject matters, which I prefer.
From the least to most profound:
Mr Ferris and His Wheel
Kathryn Gibbs Davis, illustrated by Gilbert Ford
ISBN: 9780547959221
Lovely light-infused spreads showcase the challenges and the glory of the first Ferris Wheel.
The illustrations here really are spectacular, but the story is well-paced and clearly presented. After the Eiffel Tower stole the show at the Paris World Fair, Chicago was in a panic to find something extraordinary to present the very next year that would not leave American reputations in the dust. After a failed contest to spark new ideas, the committee finally gave Mr Ferris permission (but no money) to attempt his monstrous wheel, which everyone expected to be a folly at best, and a hazard at worst. Everyone expected it to fail, but they underestimated the strength and utility of the newly produced steelworks. After months of labor (grittily illustrated in sepia) the wheel rose majestically into the sky, worked perfectly, entranced the nation, and inspired copies to be built across the county. A sources section gives the origins of specific quotations, but could have used a larger bibliography.
Dare the Wind: the Record-Breaking Voyage of Eleanor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud
Tracy Fern, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
ISBN: 9780374316990
Beautiful watercolors in striking compositions enlivens a straighforward tale of sailing.
Ellen (Eleanor) Prentiss was trained by her sea-faring father in the arts of sailing and navigation, at a time when most women remained in the home. After marrying another sailor, the two joined forces as captain and navigator, which became useful when they purchased an experimental clipper ship (designed for speed at sea) and discovered an experimental "scientific method" of following better winds and ocean currents to achieve better travel times between far-flung ports. At this time, the only way to get from New York to San Fran by sea was to go alllllll the way around South America first. Ellen Prentiss and her husband shattered the record of roughly four months by making the same voyage in just under 90 days, then years later, cutting nearly another day off her own record. A beautiful book, with a fun, fast-paced story of an adventurer and scientist, pushing boundaries and making history in the process.
Edward Hopper Paints His World
Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor (How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow?)
ISBN: 9780805087529
Loving re-creations (and re-imaginings) of Hopper's work do a lot to add resonance to a narrative that strives a bit too hard for deeper meaning.
An excellent early biography of a famous American painter (Hopper's most generally-known work is Nighthawks, showing a pair of well-dressed patrons at a 24/hour diner with a white-clad cook, surrounded by the darkness of city streets at night) is straightforward and direct, but has a very odd, somewhat off-putting way of forcing the reader to consider things in a deeper way. Not content to present the life and paintings of the artist in context, the narration tries to force a connection between the artist and the subjects he painted, and the style of his paintings. Perhaps the background is there to support it, but it felt forced and slightly pretentious. Still, the paintings in the book are beautiful, and do a great deal to support and magnify the biographical information.
Gifts from the Enemy
Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Craig Orback
ISBN: 9781935952978
Haunting oil-paintings and expressive faces carry this slim hopeful narrative of the Holocaust.
It is really hard to make a picture book about some subjects, but it is equally important that somehow we make difficult subjects and hard conversations in a way that children impacted by them can feel seen and justified. (Eve Bunting has been involved in many books of this nature, but even with her masterful touch, most of them are just way too haunting and shattering for me to feel comfortable presenting them to children) The Holocaust has always seemed like one of those topics that a picture book just can't handle effectively for smaller children. This book has changed my mind. Our narrator begins as an elderly man, recounting in clear but understated language how the persecution began, turned to oppression, and then to extermination. Still, in the midst of terror and hunger and persecution, he found an ally in a German woman who left him food daily, in defiance of posted orders. This act of compassion, and that gift of food, made him realize that the very stereotypes that allowed Germans to persecute Jews for their "differences" was making him hate all Germans for evil actions they may not have know about, or may be acting against to the best of their ability. The story ends on this note of hope and peace and compassion. A short Afterword uses much stronger language to present the deprivation and fear he faced, but reiterates the message of understanding and peace. A short paragraph explains the Holocaust itself, and a Vocabulary explains the concepts presented in the story. A final spread includes Questions for Discussion, and Recommended Activities for Young Readers.
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