Board and Picture Books Released This Week

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Over the weekend we traveled to Michigan to see my goddaughter get married and visit two colleges. It was a lot and I will admit I was tired. We woke up Monday to discover our return flight was cancelled, and both Steven and Hazel had to be home for Tuesday, so their free option was not working for us. I decided to take yesterday off from writing book reviews so today I am combining my review for three books released yesterday! One is a board book and the other two are picture books. The board book is Bizzy Bear: It's Bedtime by Benji Davies. It is an interactive board book with tabs to push, pull and slide. It is recommended for ages 0 to 2 and is part of the Bizzy Bear series. 

Publisher's Summary:

This new addition to the interactive series is perfect for helping little ones get ready for bed.

Bizzy Bear’s busy day comes to an end as he settles down for a good night’s sleep in this novelty board book full of tabs to slide, push, and pull. With more than twenty-two million copies sold worldwide, Bizzy Bear has become the perfect companion for any activity and a welcome addition to any daily routine. Even Bizzy Bear brushes his teeth, takes a bath, puts on pajamas, and closes his tired eyes—and little readers won’t be far behind. Zzzzz!

From Me:

This is the perfect bedtime story especially for those kids who have trouble calming their bodies and are fidgety. The tabs help the reader change the window on the cover from day to night, brush Bizzy's teeth, play with his boat in the bathtub, choose his pajamas, and tuck him in by pulling up his blanket and closing his eyes! The words are simple and it rhymes. Each line begins with "Bizzy Bear, Bizzy Bear" so the repetition will help lull a child to sleep and there are the tabs to get the fidgets out. It is the perfect book for a toddler or preschooler who may need help calming down and remembering the bedtime routine.  There is a Bizzy Bear Activity Packet on the publisher's website under Resources. 

Our next book is part of the STEAMWORKS series. We have been loving the STEAMWORKS series. The books are all available in English or Spanish and range from board books to picture books. Each one features a STEAM activity and then has extension things that parents or teachers can do with kids. Today's book is a picture book. It is June's Solar Oven by Jen Malia and illustrated by Rachael and Phillippa Corcutt. It is recommended for ages 4 to 7.

Publisher's Summary:

Science is my superpower!

June is determined to have the best day—building the best solar oven to cook the best pizza crackers. But when science club suddenly changes locations, June freezes. She hates new places. Still, science is her superpower, and she knows she needs to show up. With a few deep breaths and her noise-canceling headphones, she’s ready.

At the club, June and her friends troubleshoot their solar pizza oven, experimenting with the best way to layer the toppings so the sun can melt the cheese just right. Can they harness solar energy to make the perfect pizza cracker?

Extend the learning beyond the story with expertly crafted back matter, including additional information about solar energy and experimentation and fun STEAM activities.

STEAMWORKS features children of all backgrounds and abilities using scientific and mathematical thinking to solve everyday problems and answer questions that matter to them. Playful stories and extension activities ignite excitement for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) and empower children as thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators.

From Me:

In this story June is excited but worried about going to her science club. She is excited for the activity but worried about the change in location. Throughout the book it is not mentioned but June displays coping habits of many autistic children (based on my own teaching experiences) including noise-canceling headphones, her blanket to sit on and taking a break. The challenge for the science club is to make a solar oven and then to make pizza crackers. Her group is diverse and they work well together. Her group members also have no problem giving June the time and space she needs to work. Together they figure out how to make the oven and even experiment a bit with their pizza crackers!

As with many of the STEAMWORKS picture books, the group does not have immediate success. They have to work through their own mistakes and learn from them. At first their oven does not work. The cheese on the pizza crackers does not melt but after some thought and discussion they figure out how to correct it. They also decide to layer their crackers differently to see of one configuration is better than another. I love the diversity in thought as well as the characters. As with all the STEAMWORKS series books there are extensions and activities to try at the end of the book. It includes some of the words the reader may not know, things to think about and experiments and more. I love this feature because it makes it possible for families to do STEAM activities at home or gives a teacher a wonderful introduction to a science experiment or something of the sort! With the solar oven I can see it being fun both as a family as well as in the classroom!

Our final book is one I was asked to review on Amazon, but I have to share it with you as well because it is amazing!! It is Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Human Rights Activist by Mia Wenjen and illustrated by Keith Henry Brown. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Publisher's Summary:

A moving portrait of Yuri Kochiyama―an ordinary woman who became an extraordinary activist―and her bond with Malcolm X

When Japanese American activist Yuri Kochiyama shook Malcolm X’s hand at a courthouse in 1963, it sparked a transformative friendship built on justice, solidarity, and hope. In Postcards from Malcolm X, Mia Wenjen and illustrator Keith Henry Brown trace Kochiyama’s remarkable journey from a small-town girl in California to a fearless advocate for human rights. Her experiences―her father’s death at the hands of the FBI, her family’s internment during World War II, and her work with Japanese American soldiers―shaped a life of activism that connected her to Harlem’s civil rights struggle and, ultimately, to Malcolm X himself. Through accessible, narrative storytelling and evocative art, this book introduces readers to an unsung hero of the civil rights movement and to the extraordinary friendship between two leaders from different communities, bound by a shared vision of equality. Featuring original postcards from Malcolm X, extensive back matter, and a detailed timeline, this is both a powerful history and an inspiring call to action for young readers.

From Me:

I love a book that introduces someone new to me and this book certainly does it. I had not heard of Yuri Kochiyama prior to this book or known about her relationship with Malcolm X. I have shared quite a few books about Malcolm X and his family previously. The book shares a bit about Yuri growing up in an all white town and not feeling any racism. Her main introduction to racism occurred with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Her father was watched by the FBI and CIA and eventually put in jail. She was put in an internment camp like all the Japanese Americans. However, it is in this camp that she meets her husband, a soldier in the 442nd Regiment Combat Team. After the war she moves to New York City to be with him and marries him. The book shares how she becomes active by writing letters and gets others to do the same. They support the Japanese American soldiers in this way. In New York, she stands up for injustice whether to her people or others. She gets the chance to meet Malcolm X and actually challenges one of his stances. She makes an intelligent enough point to be invited to Malcolm X's office to discuss it further and a bond is made. She keeps writing to him and eventually he sends her postcards when he is traveling outside the country. She is also there when he is shot. He was a huge influence on her life and helped her become a human rights activist. She liked to be behind the scenes but all events need people behind the scenes. 

I love that this book shares the life of Yuri Kochiyama. Japanese Americans are often not known for their activism. It is a wonderful story of a brave woman who worked hard for rights of all. It also shows that activism doesn't have to be speeches and marches but can be letters and helping arrange events. I love that this book introduces a Japanese American heroine to a new generation. This book is perfect for history units on World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and so much more. It is also great for a classroom library or any library to have to share about the history of a Japanese American hero. Although the recommended ages are 8 to 12, I would go so far as to say it would be a fun book for a middle school history class or even possibly a high school history class when studying the Civil Rights Movement.