Captain Cat loved cats. There were more cats on board his ship, the Carlotta, than there were sailors in his crew–which is why his sailors called him captain Cat.
Synopsis:
Captain Cat loves cats. In fact, he has more cats on his ship than he has sailors. On one voyage, he discovers a remote and lonely island where the little-girl Queen has never even seen a cat. When Captain Cat’s furry companions trounce the rats infesting the island, the Queen begs Captain Cat to trade her the cats for untold treasure. Does he? Could he? What happens next? Never fear, fellow travelers! The purr-fect solution is on the horizon — and is sure to satisfy both pet-lovers and adventurers. (Publisher)
Why I like this book:
A story where cats are worth more than treasure, what’s not to like? Captain Cat is longer than most picture books nowadays, and reads like a classic but has a freshness too. It is a heartwarming tale with a very satisfying twist at the end. Moore’s illustrations are luminous, and her cats ADORABLE. Also the portrayal of the queen is just perfect.
A great class read-aloud even if it does not have a lot of curriculum, connections.
My favorite line: “Oh, well done, you clever cats!” cried the Queen with delight as she inspected the neat rows of corpses lined up on the Royal Palace floor.
Activities/resources:
Have your students draw their favorite cat from the illustrations. (hundreds to choose from)
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel
would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents,
we have included resources and/or activities with each of our reviews. A
complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted
alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
A great horned owl pair Finds squirrel’s nest of oak leaves Perched high in a pine.
Papa adds birch bark Nest blanketed with feathers Snow sleeps on the ground.
Synopsis:
Watch as a pair of great horned owlets peep and squeak in their feathered nest. Mama and Papa hunt for food and fend off predators while the chicks grow strong enough to hop and flap between the branches of their tree, then leap and fly away, ready to explore the wild world around them.
In this thrilling nonfiction picture book, a combination of haiku and dazzling illustration shows readers the fierce majesty of one of North America’s most ubiquitous wild animals. (publisher)
Why I like this book:
As a long time owl fan, I was smitten by the use of haiku to tell the story of a Great Horned Owl pair, from the making of a nest, laying the eggs, to the growth and development of the two owlets. There’s a full story arc included with great nonfiction details, and this poetic form fits both the raw reality of the predatory nature of these birds as well as their parental care. The haiku make the book very accessible even to young children.
The watercolor illustrations are detailed and beautifully natural, truly like paintings with some amazing close-ups of these predators. The majesty and mystery of these lovely birds are captured through text and art alike. This is a nature-lover’s dream.
The back matter includes more fascinating facts about the Great Horned Owl and suggestions for further resources making it perfect to include in both poetry and nature units in class.
Activities/Resources:
Quick Q & A with Maria.
Maria Gianferrari
[JM] What came first the poetic form, the story line or the animal choice? And what made you feel that haiku fit this story best?
[MG] Unusually for me, the title came first, created by my then elementary school aged daughter. We used to “write” haikus to pass the time while on long car rides. She wrote her own version of Whoo-Ku and gifted it to me when she was in third grade. Years later I decided to write my own and settled on Great horned owls, since their range is very widespread, giving kids who live all over North America, whether in rural or urban regions, a chance to possibly see them.
[JM] How much did you know about the Great Horned
Owl before beginning this story?
[MG] I knew some very general things about them, things like their size and approximate range. But the really fun part about research is learning new and cool things. Whoo knew that they’re one of the few creatures who prey on skunks?!
[JM] What is your favorite spread fromWhoo-Ku Haiku?
[MG] That’s such a hard question! I love Jonathan’s art—it’s stunning, full of intricate detail and dramatic tension. I think it’s a tie between the hatching chicks and the scene where the owlet is trying to escape from the red fox. I love how Jonathan portrayed the danger there, both for the owlet and for the red fox, from Mama owl’s sharp talons.
[JM] How many times might you take a manuscript to your critique group before you present it to your agent?
[MG] It really depends on the manuscript. Some seem to pour out in almost ready form, though not very often, while others require multiple drafts to find the real heart of the story. This one didn’t take that many drafts before I sent it to my agent, Joan Paquette, and before it was acquired by Ari Lewin at Putnam. In general, my nonfiction picture books tend to take fewer drafts than my fiction picture books do.
[JM] Any tips for a child/family who wants to
go owling for the first time?
[MG] Start by reading one of my favorite owl books, Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen, and then contact a local Audubon or wildlife conservation group in your area which might offer night birding hikes or “owl prowls.”
[JM] Can you share what you are working on at
the moment?
[MG] I’m working on—what a surprise—another dog book, though this one is more of a concept book rather than a narrative. Other than that, I am mostly between projects at the moment and have been doing some edits for some recently acquired projects scheduled for release in 2021.
WHOO’s Maria Gianferrari? She’s a self-proclaimed bird nerd with a special fondness for raptors. Her love affair with birds began in 7th grade science class when her teacher, Mr. Lefebvre, initiated a bird count. While walking in her neighborhood, Maria’s always on the look-out for all kinds of birds, and she loves searching winter tree tops for nests in her northern Virginia neighborhood where she lives with her German-scientist husband and German speaking daughter. This is her first book with GP Putnam’s Sons. She’s also the author of another bird book, Hawk Rising. To learn more about Maria, please visit her website: mariagianferrari.com.
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents, we have included resources and/or activities with each of our reviews. A complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
ANYONE WHO COMMENTS BELOW WILL BE ENTERED INTO THE GIVEAWAY (US residents only) EDITED TO ADD: the winner of the random draw was Susan Uhlig
Title: Equality’s call, The Story of Voting Rights in America
Author: Deborah Diesen
Illustrator: Magdalena Mora
Publisher: Beach Lane Books, 2020
Ages: 5-8
Themes: equality, voting rights, women, African Americans, Native Americans, poor, voting, elections, voting rights history
Opening:
Our founders declared
When our country began
That consent of the governed
Was part of the plan.
Synopsis:
The founders of the United States declared that consent of the governed was a key part of their plan for the new nation. But for many years, only white men of means were allowed to vote. This unflinching and inspiring history of voting rights looks back at the activists who answered equality’s call, working tirelessly to secure the right for all to vote, and it also looks forward to the future and the work that still needs to be done.
Why I like this book:
I love the simplicity, refrain and clear message in this book about the FIGHT for equal voting rights and what a journey it has been. It shares the story of how although voting was written into the constitution it took a long time for voting for all citizens to be realized. The lyrical text and warm illustrations are filled with energy and a powerful history of perseverance. It is pitched so even very young listeners are going to catch on to the feisty and weighty message. The meter is excellent and the stanzas slip easily off the tongue. A book that calls attention to voting in America seems incredibly relevant right now. The wonderful refrain reminds us this privilege should never be taken for granted and we should fight to uphold this equal right.
This is a great picture book to share aloud in November with children in classrooms and libraries.
Love the call to action at the end.
The journey’s not over. The work hasn’t ended. Democracy’s dream Must be constantly tended.
Activities/Resources:
I am FB friends with the author and she gave me permission to copy a recent post she made about the evolution of this book.
Writing the book was an interesting learning journey for me. The idea for the book began several years ago, when my younger son and I were talking about the upcoming centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. As we talked, I began to think that I might like to try writing about a few of the well-known women who fought for its passage.
As I began to work on the book, though, I realized that I couldn’t write what I had initially set out to.
One issue that changed my approach was that in learning more about the women’s suffrage movement, I learned that in addition to being an inspiring movement led by courageous and visionary women, it was also a movement that was often racist and exclusionary toward non-white women. I also learned that the voting rights gained with the 19th Amendment were primarily gained only by white women.
A second issue that changed my approach was that in learning more about women’s suffrage, I realized that it’s hard to understand any specific aspect of U.S. voting rights expansion or contraction without seeing the change in the context of the overall development of U.S. voting rights, as well as in the context of issues like slavery and racism and other forms of oppression which are woven into every aspect of our nation’s history. Each change in voting rights is connected to all that, and also cannot be understood without understanding the myriad ways that voting rights can be denied – not just by outright denial but also by limiting who can be a citizen and by creating barriers that suppress voting.
And the third issue that changed my initial direction for the book was my growing awareness that the history of people standing up for voting rights is not a thing of the past. That history is still being written. Barriers to voting, and activism to address those barriers, are ongoing.
And so it was that my initial idea to write a children’s book about a few of the well-known women of the women’s suffrage movement evolved into a different kind of book, one that provides an accessible entry point to the whole history of U.S. voting rights, from founding to present. The main text is a brief 400 words, in rhyme, with a recurring refrain. Additional backmatter provides further information about amendments and legislation, as well as micro-bios of about 60 voting rights activists.
The rhyming story can be shared and enjoyed by kids as young as preschool, but the book can also be read by older students or used in a classroom setting to begin to discuss and learn more about voting rights issues, past and present.
I hope you will consider taking a look at the book. The illustrations by Magdalena Mora are outstanding, and the subject matter is important for all of us to engage with (if not through this book, then through others).
You can find Equality’s Call at your local library or your favorite bookstore. On its last page, after the activists’ bios, you’ll find a question, one that the work of activists past, present, and future asks of us all:
How will YOU answer equality’s call?
Each week a group of bloggers reviews picture books we feel would make great educational reads. To help teachers, caregivers and parents, we have included resources and/or activities with each of our reviews. A complete list of the thousands of books we have reviewed can be found sorted alphabetically and by topics, here on Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
