Audio Book Review: Absolutely Everything!: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention by Christopher Lloyd
Early Book Review: Wild Style: Amazing Animal Adornments by Jenna Grodzicki
Book Review: Be Wary of the Silent Woods (The Weirn Books) by Svetlana Chmakova
Early Book Review: A Quiet Girl by Peter Carnavas
A Quiet Girl by Peter Carnavas is a picturebook currently scheduled for release on August 4 2020. Mary was a quiet girl. She thought quiet thoughts, stepped quiet steps, and whispered quiet words. Mary knows how to savor the small things. Wonder is everywhere: in the rustle of leaves, in the sigh of a sleeping dog, in the wingbeats of the birds who visit her upcycled feeders. But Mary’s family couldn’t be more different. Amidst the sound of blow-dryers, blenders, lawnmowers, and her brother’s trombone, Mary goes almost unnoticed. It isn’t until her family starts searching the neighborhood for her that they begin to see the world through her eyes. From critically acclaimed author-illustrator Peter Carnavas comes a gentle breeze of a picture book with themes of mindfulness, observation, and being present in the natural world. A Quiet Girl invites young readers (and the noisy adults in their lives) to appreciate the thousand little pleasures that surround us—if only we would notice them.
A Quiet Girl is a picturebook that really resonated with me. I loved that the artwork was pastel and simple, not bright and shouting, so that it matched the personality of Mary. She is quiet, and because of that often feels invisible and overlooked. However, her quiet nature also lets her hear and notice things that her family might be missing out on. I like that she is not as absent from the thoughts of her family as she thinks she is, and that taking the time to listen and look for her allows her family to notice the things she wanted to share with them. I think this book is a great family read, especially for those with a quiet family member or friend. I related to Mary a great deal, having preferred a book or sitting under a tree to louder pastimes (both as a child and an adult). I think the book can help readers understand the wonders that they might be missing, and to understand how other people might feel in a world that seems to be loud and in a hurry as a default.
Early Book Review: A Thousand No's by DJ Corchin
Early Book Review: Billy Johnson And His Duck Are Explorers by Mathew New
Early Book Review: Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
Early Book Review: Inventors: Incredible Stories of the World's Most Ingenious Inventions by Robert Winston
Early Book Review: Fussy Flamingo by Shelly Vaughan James, Matthew Rivera
Early Book Review: When Darwin Sailed the Sea: Uncover how Darwin's Revolutionary Ideas Helped Change the World by David Long, Sam Kalda
When Darwin Sailed the Sea is a book that offers readers a look at Darwin as a person and a scientist. The book does a good job of explaining his interests, determination, and how he collaborated with a variety of people. The information was accessible and interesting.I found the accompanying artwork to be lovely to look at while also adding meaning and detail to the text as appropriate. I learned quite a bit about Darwin, and liked the narrative tone that I think works very well in this format. I will admit that I was not expecting it to be as text heavy as it was, but the style and substance balanced that out. I am hoping some young people reading this will see how hard Darwin worked to follow his interests and be inspired. I really liked the timeline, further information on the people Darwin worked with, and additional information included in the endpages. Good use of this section always makes me happy- and this book delivered.
When Darwin Sailed the Sea would be a great addition to school, classroom, and public libraries. Some readers will want it for their personal collections as well.