My Christmas company arrives in 8 days. I have a lot of library books to read and return by then. Today, I cleaned out the picture books I have left so I can get them back today. These three books from the Multnomah County Library are all great. I usually like to buddy up picture books by theme or topic. Not sure I can find a common thread in these, but you should read them anyway.
Kenta and the Big Wave, by Ruth Ohi, is based on true stories from the 2011 tsunami that hit the east coast of Japan.When the tsunami hits, Kenta and his family leave their home and climb to safer ground. Kenta watches helplessly as his prized soccer ball goes bouncing down a hill and gets swept away by the waves, never to be seen again… that is until it washes up on a beach on the other side of the world, where a kind person mails it back to him. Ohi does a fantastic job of describing the consequences this horrific event and the warm water color illustrations help kids see and understand the event without being overwhelming to young readers.
In this bilingual book, Don’t Say A Word, Mama/No Digas Nada, Mama, written by Joe Hayes and illustrated by Esau Andrade Valencia, two sisters love each other so much, they decide to share their garden bounty – but in secret.Mama promises not to say a word, but when her kitchen is overflowing with tomatoes and corn and chiles, she might not be able to keep her promise. a lovely story, beautifully illustrated. This is a fun read.
Okay sports fans, this one’s for you:
Something to Prove: the Great Satchel Paige vs Rookie Joe DiMaggio, written by Robert Skead and illustrated by Floyd Cooper. From the flyleaf: In 1936, the New York Yankees wanted to test a hot prospect named Joe DiMaggio to see if he was ready for the big leagues. They knew just the ballplayer to call–Satchel Paige, the best pitcher anywhere, black or white. For the game, Paige joined a group of amateur African-American players, and they faced off against a team of white major leaguers plus young DiMaggio.
Not being a baseball fan, I didn’t know that this was a little known event in baseball and civil rights history. The artwork is stunning and really adds to this well-written, fascinating story. Pair this with We Are the Ship.
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