bookshelf

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT

Name: THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
Author: Matt Lamothe
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5018-5

by Matt Lamothe ; illustrated by Matt Lamothe ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2017

A global introduction that goes beyond the usual symbols and sights.

bookshelf

Children from around the world describe “how we do it.”

As described in an author’s note, seven children and families (from Italy, Japan, Peru, Russia, Uganda, India, and Iran) provided photos and information on daily life used as research for stylized yet realistic digital illustrations that fill this large-format, very attractive picture book and the text. Each section starts with a statement: “This is me”; “This is where I live.” The explanatory text for each child can sometimes feel static, with occasional words defined in the glossary, but it is really the contrasting pictures, side by side, that are the attraction here. Many double-page spreads show examples from all seven countries, such as the page that focuses on chores. All seven children describe their tasks: Daphine, from Uganda, sweeps the yard with a small broom; Oleg, from Russia, vacuums; and Ribaldo, from Peru, helps with farming. Occasional topics demand multiple double-page spreads, as in a sequence that shows the children’s varying paths to school. No real social issues are mentioned, although a flashlight illuminates Ribaldo’s table as he helps his brother with homework, and Daphine has 69 children in her class at a “private school.” All families introduced are headed by heterosexual parents. Actual photos of each family appear at the end, and the endpapers feature a world map with the homes of the seven children indicated.

A global introduction that goes beyond the usual symbols and sights. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Pub Date: May 2, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4521-5018-5

Page Count: 52

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
ALL ABOUT U.S.
by Matt Lamothe with Jenny Volvovski ; illustrated by Matt Lamothe

bookshelf

WILD, WILD WOLVES

by Joyce Milton & illustrated by Larry Schwinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1992

bookshelf

At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)

Pub Date: April 1, 1992

ISBN: 0-679-91052-2

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
DINOSAUR DAYS
by Joyce Milton ; illustrated by Franco Tempesta

bookshelf

GOONEY BIRD GREENE

by Lois Lowry & illustrated by Middy Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002

bookshelf

Gooney Bird Greene (with a silent E) is not your average second grader. She arrives in Mrs. Pidgeon’s class announcing: “I’m your new student and I just moved here from China. I want a desk right smack in the middle of the room, because I like to be right smack in the middle of everything.” Everything about her is unusual and mysterious—her clothes, hairstyles, even her lunches. Since the second graders have never met anyone like Gooney Bird, they want to hear more about her. Mrs. Pidgeon has been talking to the class about what makes a good story, so it stands to reason that Gooney will get her chance. She tells a series of stories that explain her name, how she came from China on a flying carpet, how she got diamond earrings at the prince’s palace, and why she was late for school (because she was directing a symphony orchestra). And her stories are “absolutely true.” Actually, they are explainable and mesh precisely with the teacher’s lesson, more important, they are a clever device that exemplify the elements of good storytelling and writing and also demonstrate how everyone can turn everyday events into stories. Savvy teachers should take note and add this to their shelf of “how a story is made” titles. Gooney Bird’s stories are printed in larger type than the narrative and the black-and-white drawings add the right touch of sauciness (only the cover is in color). A hybrid of Harriet, Blossom, and Anastasia, irrepressible Gooney Bird is that rare bird in children’s fiction: one that instantly becomes an amusing and popular favorite. (Fiction. 6-9)