Lily and Salma are childhood friends who do everything together.  All school activities are shared and enjoyed every  day. They always eat lunch together. However, they each different lunches.  Lily always  favored a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while Salma enjoyed a hummus and pita sandwich.   Each of the girls thought the other’s  sandwich looked rather yucky. For the first time the girls did not eat lunch together.  The next day insults flew around the lunchroom.  Soon the insults had nothing to do with the food but became something “not so nice to say to the other.”  The end result was a food fight.

The girls have to help clean up. Next day they join each other at lunch and decide to try each others’ lunch.  Surprisingly each enjoyed the different foods. They arranged a food festival for the entire school where different foodstuffs were offered. Thus Lily and Salma teach the true spirit of tolerance and acceptance.

A happening when the queen was a youngster inspired the story and multi-talented Tricia Tusa brought it gloriously to life. Her lively colorful expressive artwork truly makes the story  breathe.  The  faces of the children are simply special. And the lunchroom scenes are to be treasured. How well I remember those days of Lunch Duty!!  This is a real treat to be savored and enjoyed by young and old.

I was especially taken with the page that started;  ”Charlie has autism.  But autism doesn’t have Charlie. If you ever get to meet my brother,  you’ll feel lucky to be his friend.”

The story is crammed full of the purest form of love–a brother and a sister. Charlie is there for her no matter what.  When she falls of her bike and cries, Charlie comes to her and says simply, “I love you.”  What more needs be said.

The art work is brilliant. Colorful, larger than life.  What a perfect way to depict these twins.

Carole Weatherford has built a free verse poem quoting from the Beatitudes to delineate the highlights of the struggle African American faced from slavery up to modern times ending dramatically with these words: “Even now I am with the downtrodden and with those who seek uplift. I am holy water in the stream of humanity, Drink,  bathe, and be free.”

Indeed the Weatherford words are strong, but they only emphasize the powerful, powerful art from Mr Ladwig.  The images he has painted to accompany each page are nothing short of spectacular.  They cry to be displayed prominently in every public place of assembly or worship. They add fire to the powerful words spoken  and written of so long ago.

This is a book for every home, every library, every classroom in the world. It speaks universally to us all.

A new profound and beautifully illustrated book,  BEN AND THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION by Pat Sherman, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Eerdmans Publishing Co ,  2010, $16.99 ) is based on the true story of Benjamin Holmes.  Ben, a slave in Charleston, taught himself to read. At one point his master was a tailor who sent Ben on errands around the city. By politely asking white men if he was in the correct spot he learned his way about at the same time he was learning to read street and other signs.  As the Civil War neared Charleston, Ben’s master fled but not before he put Ben in a prison to await sale after things settled down.

While incarcerated some of the other prisoners bribed a guard and obtained the latest  copy of the CHARLESTON MERCURY, the local newspaper.  Ben read the Proclamation aloud to his fellow slave prisoners. This happened at a time in our history when slaves were not allowed to read.  Ben was inspired originally by his father who taught him the letters he later was able to combine into the words, names of streets he journeyed for his master.

One can only imagine the dramatic effect Ben’s reading must have had on the other imprisoned slaves. The effect that Floyd Cooper’s illustrations will have on today’s readers are immeasurable. I know I felt I was there with Ben the entire time I was reading his story.

Then nearly 4.6 billion years ago the earth, in a section called Our World, is formed.
This opening is followed by  sections as “When did life begin?” followed by questions  How did life begin? Is the earth moving beneath our feet? Then on to questions about weather, plants, the sea, etc.  The responses to each query are very basic and provide enough information to satisfy the young inquisitive mind.

The format will have great appeal to young readers.  As questions are raised various methods of pop-up structures are there to be opened and/ or investigated. The artwork is attractive and provides ample information to lead the reader to more exacting scientific answers and details.

Usually I have found most pop-up books, with the exception of those done by Robert Sabuda, inadequate and many very fragile making them not appropriate for youngest hands and fingers. This one however, is built more sturdy and useable. Personally, I found this book filled with good information directed at young readers say, grs. 2-4.

Of special note here is the way the author uses such vibrant language. After the car is made ready to roll and the hamster is lined up at the starting line she writes, “Stare face, scowl face, frowning grouchy-growl face, Bored face, dare face, nose up in the air face.” And the illustrator very cleverly has drawn other drivers for each of the descriptive phrases in the text.  Throughout this remarkable book the art is spectacular.  Very colorful, active, expressive especially the wee hamster.  A truly delightful book guaranteed to hold every future race car driver spellbound yet hilarious.

The story revolves around slave children Ella May, Bobby and Sue. Ella May works in the fields from dawn to dusk, but her work does not end after dusk.  Then she collects the other two children and they head for their master’s house.  Once there they settle themselves on the ground outside the window.  Here they have been instructed to listen to the family conversation and report any pertinent information to the other slaves back in the quarters.

On this night their master is particularly angry as he reports to his family “I can’t believe Abraham Lincoln has been elected president. … Lincoln is a madman!  He says slavery is wrong! He says slavery must end!” The children run quickly back with this news. Father is elated and says. “We see the road, but we don’t see all the way to where the ending is.  We got to know how long is that road and how we get down it.”

Listening for the children simply has only  begun.

The artist for this volume is a Society of Illustrators multi-award winner.  The paintings take the reader into the scene making each page a lively picture of life back then.  The children are truly childlike, eager and delighted to be doing such an important task. With each volume in this series the artwork is extraordinary,  making each story a treasure to behold.

Imagine Jack’s  surprise when one day, after he gets lost in the woods,  he is approached by a large grizzly bear. He tells the bear the woods are dangerous and full of ferocious wild beasts who gobble people up.  The bears asks if they gobble up bears, and Jack replies Yes. With some fear the bear agrees to lead Jack out of the forest. Along the way they encounter other wild beasts who are equally alarmed over the wild ferocious animals of the forest. This makes for a wonderful parade of scared ferocious animals. Mother ultimately finds Jack and safely leads him out of the forest and home.

Chris Wormell’s art is absolutely perfect for this amusing clever storyline. The expressions on the faces of the animals, when they hear of the ferocious wild animals in the forest, are wonderful.  The ending, when a real ferocious something (Jack’s mother) comes into the forest,  the faces of the forest animals are extra special. Such fear will send young listeners or readers into giggle fits.

The art is up to Mr Wormell’s usual high standards. There is a minimum of details allowing the reader/listener to focus full attention on the title characters. This is a magnificent book.

Simple, direct , not burdened down with details. a simple statement of fact. The artwork is also equally effective. The final end papers contain simple little actions we all can do to help alleviate this serious problem. Available Spring 2010

The  story opens when the entire family, including Sadie, the youngest Crosswhite, have been assembled in the slave yard to witness the  beating of January, a longtime family friend. Sadie knew January had talked of running. He had carved a sparrow for her saying, “It’s fixin to fly. And so am I.” Later that night her father returns to the cabin carrying a shovel saying he had done some buryin’. Much later Sadie is awakened by her mother encouraging her to hurry as “we is goin cross water tonight.” In the rush Sadie forgets her beloved sparrow.

After a horrifying journey the Crosswhites  arrive in Marshall, Michigan, a town “dead set against keepin’ slaves. While at school Sadie develops a friendship with Polly  whom she tells about the lost sculpture. She thought of January as her big brother, but actually he was only an orphan who lived with her family.

The family adjusts to their new life of freedom. However, they are   always on the lookout for slave hunters. At Christmas the fourth year a package wrapped in calico arrives for Sadie. It holds January’s Sparrow. Her father confesses he  treated January’s wounds and buried rocks. Then the worst comes when the slave hunters come specifically for the Crosswhite family.  However, the town collects to prevent their seizure. Things are not going well until a stranger steps forward and shows the townspeople his scarred back. Yes, January has found the family.

This book is one of Patricia’s magnificent stories treating slavery in America. These make excellent reference books for schools studying slavery and the Civil War. I also feel her work could find an honored place in any study of Black History month. The art is so spectacular. The faces  very  dramatically show the anguish, fear, love, joy the Crosswhite family endured as they sought freedom and dignity in their lives. The scenes of slavery are particularly dramatic , but not too frightening for young readers.