April 2 – Celebrating Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday and International Children’s Book Day

About the Holiday

Since 1967, April 2—Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday—has served as the date for International Children’s Book Day. The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), a non-profit organization founded in Zurich, sponsors the day to promote a love of reading and call attention to children’s books. National Sections of IBBY around the world alternate in hosting the event. The host for 2026 is Cyprus, and this year’s theme is “plant stories and the world will bloom.” Each year a prominent author and illustrator from the sponsoring country prepare materials for the event. This year’s poster was designed by Sandra Elephteriou. Elena Perikleous wrote this year’s message, and Giorgos Hatzipieris wrote this year’s official song, “The Little Gardener.” To learn more about the initiative and download digital materials, visit the IBBY website.

Thank you to Levine Querido and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

The True Ugly Duckling: How Hans Christian Andersen Became a Swan

Written by Sandra Nickel | Illustrated by Calvin Nicholls

“There once was a poor shoemaker’s son, who was tall and skinny. His nose was two times as long as everyone else’s and his heart two times as tender.” Thus begins not a fairy tale, but Sandra Nickel’s real life story of Hans Christian Anderson.

While most children spent their days working at the factory or going to school, Hans cut out costumes for his toys and invented stories that he performed for whomever would watch. Some neighbors gave him a few coins, but the factory workers and other children bullied and teased him. Hans “soothed his wounded heart by cutting out shapes from cloth.” At fourteen, knowing there was more for him in the world, Hans sailed alone for Copenhagen. There, he tried to find a place to express his talents, but each attempt ended in disappointment. Soon all his money was gone.

When he sent a play to the Royal Theater, one director rejected it brutally, but another found a “few jewels” in it and arranged for him to go to school. At 17 Hans was taking classes for the first time. The other students laughed at him, and the headmaster dashed his dreams of becoming a storyteller, forbidding him to write. For six years Hans obeyed. “To comfort his heart, the boy cut out shapes from paper.”

Then one day when a girl asked him why her flowers had faded, Hans—now a young man—answered her by telling a story while cutting a scene in paper of hearts, dancers, flowers, and castles with working doors. The girl loved the story so much that Hans wrote it down and had it printed into a book. “The children of Copenhagen adored every word.”

Soon, Hans was telling and publishing more and more stories. Adults began reading them, and even Copenhagen royalty invited him to their castles for dinners and afterward to entertain the other guests by weaving “magic with his words and scissors.”

Back matter includes an Author’s Note recounting that experts now believe Hans Christian Andersen was likely on the autism spectrum and may also have had Marfan syndrome. She also discusses her choice to follow the story arc of The Ugly Duckling to depict Andersen’s life.

Sandra Nickel’s mesmerizing and sensitive portrait of Hans Christian Andersen highlights his seemingly limitless creativity, imagination, and courage as he stays true to himself despite the treatment and rejections he endured. Her lyrical and moving biography is not only an inspiring tribute to this unique storyteller and artist, but a buoy for children struggling themselves and a reminder for all to embrace each person as a whole, recognizing and encouraging their talents, dreams, and contributions. Although his enduring popularity is already known to readers, her account of his ultimate triumph still has the power to astonish and prompt cheers.

Visually arresting, Calvin Nicholls’ extraordinary paper sculpture illustrations pop with action and emotion, immersing readers in the sights and sounds of Andersen’s factory hometown, his experiences in Copenhagen, and the joy of his long-dreamed-for success. The realism of Nicholls’ low-relief sculptures, assembled from various weight and textured papers then photographed, is astounding. Nicholls’ color scheme mirrors the theme of the “Ugly Duckling,” portraying Andersen in muted grays and browns until his full transformation when he dazzles Copenhagen royalty in a white tuxedo.

The True Ugly Duckling: How Hans Christian Andersen Became a Swan belongs in every classroom, school, and library collection to edify and inspire and would be an inspirational addition to home bookshelves, especially to pair with readings of his stories.

Ages 4 – 8

Levine Querido, 2026 | ISBN 978-1646146093

Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday Activity

Easy Origami Swan

Kids can have fun on Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday and International Children’s Book Day by making this easy origami swan to celebrate their unique personalities and talents! All you need is origami paper or you can cut your own 6-inch by 6-inch paper or any size square.

You can purchase The True Ugly Duckling: How Hans Christian Andersen Became a Swan from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

February 3 – Black History Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Marking 100 years of celebrating Black history, this year’s theme for Black History Month is A Century of Black History Commemorations and looks back to 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a historian and educator, instituted the first week-long celebration, to today’s month-long observance. Throughout this time Woodson’s goal to show that Black history, culture, and accomplishments are all woven into the fabric of America has been championed and embraced by individuals and institutions that recognize the immeasurable contributions of Black thinkers, creators, scientists, educators, entertainers, athletes, military personnel, builders, business owners, workers, and friends.

During this centennial celebration, especially, when displays of Black biographies and contributions are being dismantled and historical records rewritten and erased, it is all the more important to stand up for and support our neighbors, to look around and see the beauty in the vibrant, diversity of our country. To celebrate, look for special events in your local schools, libraries, museums, and other venues.

Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava

Written by Gary Golio | Illustrated by E. B. Lewis

Come join Gary Golio and E. B. Lewis on a walk through 1940s Harlem with photographer Roy DeCarava as he captures this neighborhood’s people and spirit through his camera lens. No need to hurry to catch up. It’s just now 5:00, and Roy’s leaving work to begin doing what he loves best. “On the subway, he pulls out a new roll of film, opens the back of his camera, and pops it in. He’s ready.” You are too.

At the stop, follow Roy onto the street where the air smells delicious, but you’re not stopping to eat. There’s so much to see: a boy drawing with chalk, an artist selling his paintings, and a woman taking a picture of a young boy. “Roy watches the boy, who’s looking at his mother. There’s a lot of love in those eyes.” “Snap! Snap! Snap!” Roy will tell you, “Beauty is not in the camera. Beauty is in the person.”

Everywhere Roy looks, he sees beauty. In hidden crafts of nature, in shy smiles, in the rainbow spray from a fire hydrant dousing boys playing in the street. “Snap!” Do you see it too? Follow Roy’s gaze as he watches people passing on the street, “some happy, some sad. Their eyes are like mirrors. Looking into them, Roy sees Harlem.”

As the sun fades, there’s time for perhaps one more picture. Roy continues looking. Then, there, in an empty lot appears a young girl in a formal white dress with a flower behind her ear. Roy aims his camera. “Snap!” It’s time to head home, but Roy leaves you with one more thought to contemplate: “We’re looking for truth and truth is living, so we find truth in living.”

Extensive back matter includes an extended biographical look at his life from childhood to early jobs to his dappling in painting before turning to photography, as well as his own words about his work, a portrait, and a timeline from his birth in 1919 to his death in 2009. A bibliography and a list of museums featuring his work are also included.

In his stirring tribute, Gary Golio invites readers to view Harlem through the mind, eyes, and camera of photographer Roy DeCarava—and by association, to see their own neighborhood and beyond with clarity, appreciation, and love. Golio’s spare, graceful storytelling is all the more absorbing for its simple depictions of the everyday, often fleeting moments that bring surprise and beauty to life and which DeCarava captured so poignantly. Meaningful quotes from DeCarava sprinkled throughout the pages further enhance the feeling of being present on one of DeCarava’s walks to listen to and learn from one of this country’s preeminent artists.

Drawing readers in to Roy DeCarava’s worldview are E. B. Lewis’s astonishing and homey watercolor paintings that recreate scenes DeCarava encountered in his walks through Harlem and memorialized in his black-and-white photographs. Working with light and shadow, subdued-yet-detailed backgrounds, and the constant of movement on the streets, Lewis highlights the subjects of DeCarava’s photos in ways that allow readers to see the beauty Roy saw. Each page invites lingering as you feel the suppressed energy of the little boy posing for his picture, appreciate the charm of a crumpled soda can, and hear the laughs of the boys in the spray of the fire hydrant.

A picture book that rewards repeat reading with new perspectives and appreciation for the large and small aspects of the world around us, Everywhere Beauty is Harlem is a must for all libraries and will enhance any home collection.

Ages 7 – 10

Calkins Creek, 2024 | ISBN 978-1662680557

About the Author

A visual artist, musician, and psychotherapist, Gary Golio is the author of the New York Times–bestselling picture book Jimi: Sounds Like A Rainbow, which received the 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. His other books, most of which profile important artists, include When Bob Met Woody, Strange Fruit, and most recently Sonny Rollins Plays the Bridge. Visit him at garygolio.com.

About the Illustrator

The recipient of a Caldecott Honor and an Orbis Pictus Award, along with many others, E. B. Lewis is the illustrator of more than seventy books for children. His Calkins Creek titles include Seeking Freedom by Selene Castrovilla and Lizzie Demands a Seat by Beth Anderson, which won Bank Street College of Education’s Flora Stieglitz Straus Award for excellence in fiction, along with many other honors.

Black History Month Activity

A Slide Show of Roy DeCarava’s Photographs and Family Photo Fun!

First, view photographs by Roy DeCarava in this slide show of some of his best-known work presented by NPR. Talk about the subject of each picture and the effect it has on you. Then using a phone or camera, kids and adults can take turns snapping pictures of family, friends, pets, special objects or the neighborhood. Afterward, share your pictures and talk about why you chose certain subjects and what story or feeling you wanted to convey.

You can purchase Everywhere Beauty is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

September 30 – National Pet Tricks Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

National Pet Tricks Day was established in 2020 by professional dog trainer Joe Nutkins of Ardleigh, Essex, in the UK. Nutkins loves connecting with dogs and other animals by spending time with them teaching them tricks. Nutkins has enjoyed success and and even a bit of celebrity—appearing on Britain’s Got Talent in 2029 and 2023—with her expertly trained pets, including dogs, cats, hamsters, parrots, and even ducks and chickens. To celebrate today, why not begin spending some encouraging and fun one-on-one time each day to teach your pet a special art. And, of course, don’t forget the treats!

Thank you to Flamingo Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Henry Is an Artist

By Justin Worsley

Many dogs know tricks, but Henry has a calling. “Henry is an artist.” Each day when he goes for a walk, Henry admires the street art he passes, “but sculpture is his real passion.” Henry is no stranger to the creative impulse, every day producing a new, unique sculpture of his own. Even though Henry “is proud of his work,” it is not universally embraced. In fact, its public impact is fleeting and usually trashed.

One day, however, in a moment of distraction, Henry’s creation is left behind. Left behind, but not disregarded. “Someone has fallen in love with his artwork.” The tiny bug flies off to “tell all their friends.” The news travels fast, and soon “Henry’s sculpture is a sensation!”

Henry’s sculpture is so valued, in fact, that the bugs carefully transport it to a place of honor. Henry is invited to view its new home: “the grand lobby of the Bug Hotel!” He’s hailed as a celebrity, and returns home a very happy pup, indeed.

Funny, thought-provoking, and an ode to all the unsung creatives among us, Justin Worsley’s story makes readers laugh while encouraging them to find inspiration in the most unlikely places.

Worsley’s delightfully smart and inventive illustrations endear Henry to kids as he walks through the park admiring the public sculptures and trying to install his own. Henry’s facial expressions as he interacts with his owner, the reactions of other dogs, and the appreciative reception of an observant toddler and bug community all add depth to the story.

Henry Is an Artist would be a fun and often-requested addition to home, classroom, and public libraries. Its short sentences make it a perfect choice for new and beginning readers to read or grow with on their own.

Ages 4 – 8

Flamingo Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-0593695043

About the Author/Illustrator

Justin Worsley is an illustrator, author, and toy designer. After nearly thirty years of designing toys, he decided it was time for a change and followed his long-held dream of becoming a children’s book illustrator and graduated from Cambridge School of Art in 2023. When he’s not working, he’s usually riding his bike or walking his dog, Percy.

National Pet Tricks Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-paw-print-magnet-smaller

Paw Print Magnet

Your pet’s paw print makes a cute magnet for your fridge or locker to give you a paw…I mean hand… holding those important messages and pictures. Here’s how to do this easy craft with your dog or cat.

Supplies

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup water
Cookie cutter (optional)
Bowl
Wax paper
Strong multi-surface glue or hot glue gun
Strong magnet, available at craft stores
Paint (optional)

Directions

Mix the flour and salt in the bowl
Slowly add the water and mix the dough, kneading it until it is smooth and soft. Add more water if necessary.
Roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick
Place the dough on the wax paper
Carefully press your pet’s paw into the dough.
Place the cookie cutter over the print and cut out
Bake the paw print at 250 degrees for 1 to 2 hours depending on thickness of dough
If desired, paint the print, the background, or both
Attach the magnet with the glue
Display your magnet

You can purchase Henry Is an Artist from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

August 29 – Happiness Happens Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Happiness Happens Month reminds us that happiness doesn’t have to be something we plan for or spend money on. In fact paying attention to those little moments during each day, going on spontaneous outings with friends or family, or taking time to do a favorite activity may be all you need to feel happier every day! With summer coming to a close and school starting again, it’s a great time to reflect on the fun you’ve had over the past months and all the memories that are about to be made as another year of activities, education, new friendships, and excitement unfolds. Happiness really does come to you if you look for it and let it happen!

An Abundance of Light: a Story of Matisse in Morocco

By Lauren Stringer

As Paris endured a cold and rainy season, Henri Matisse suffered. How could he paint light and colors when he was surrounded by gray? His friend Albert Marquet suggested he visit Tangier, Morocco, “where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.” There, he said, “the sunlight was abundant!” Henri packed up all of his supplies and made the trip. But it seemed Henri had brought the rainy weather with him. He tried to paint colorful irises and a basket of oranges and lemons, but he still felt gloomy and trapped.

Then one night while Henri slept, the rain stopped. In the morning he woke to ” . . . an abundance of light. A luminous light. A dazzling light.” Henri took his sketchbook and hurried into town, where color shimmered from the pink mosque to the vibrant Grand Socco market to the Casbah gateway to old Medina. Everywhere he looked he saw the vividness of life. Brightly patterned rugs and painted pottery reminded him of the art his grandparents and mother created in their drab town. “Henri felt a glimmer in the cloudy and dark.”

Henri found a large garden to paint in and began painting the lavender branches, green acanthus, blue periwinkles and “pink-tomato sky” he saw. Despite his “bright and bold” colors, he still felt something cloudy and dark. Then one day, following the music of fiddles, flutes, and drums that filled the air. Henri found a cafe, “where men in long robes gazed at goldfish in round bowls.” Henri was mesmerized by the reds and golds of the fish as well.

When Henri left the cafe, “he saw an abundance of shadows.” In fact, the dark shadows accentuated the light. Finally, he understood that light and color and dark could work together. In his new paintings he surrounded his colorful subjects with colorful shadows. He interpreted light itself into brilliant color. And in a painting completed from his hotel window, Henri painted shadows of such a dark blue that he realized “he could paint light and color, even in the dark.” At home when Henri displayed his paintings in a gallery in Paris, they were a sensation. Now, whenever the skies turned gloomy and rainy, Henri remembered the abundance of light in Morocco and painted.

Back matter includes a short biography about Henri Matisse’s childhood, a discussion of Matisse and his time in Tangier, and a note from the Lauren Stringer about her trip to Tangier that inspired her story. She also includes an illustrated glossary of terms found in the book.

Celebrated author, picture book illustrator, and painter Lauren Stringer immerses young children in a particular time in Henri Matisse’s life and reveals how he overcame obstacles to create some of this best-known paintings. His struggles and search for enlightenment are simply and honestly portrayed, lending to his eureka moment deep joy and surprise. The enthusiastic reception for these paintings, Matisse’s newly discovered ability to find light and color even during dark days, and the lessons his artistic parents demonstrated are all reminders that light shines from within.

Stringer’s striking pastel, charcoal, gouache, and digital media illustrations entice readers to join Henri Matisse on his journeys both internal and artistic. Her realistic depictions of Matisse’s circle of famous friends, and the sights of Tangier will entice readers to learn more. As Henri breaks out of his artist’s block, Stringer portrays him with a sprightliness of step, a perceptive eye, and a deft touch with the brush. Readers will be especially fascinated by the side-by-side models and paintings that reveal how Matisse transposed reality to canvas.

An Abundance of Light is a must addition to school and public libraries collections and is highly recommended for art-loving and artistic children. The book would also make an impactful resource for art classrooms and creative projects.

Ages 4 – 8

Beach Lane Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1534493629

About the Author/Illustrator

Lauren Stringer has illustrated many celebrated picture books, including Deer Dancer by Mary Lyn Ray; The Princess and Her Panther by Wendy Orr; Scarecrow and Snow, both written by Cynthia Rylant; as well as her own Winter Is the Warmest Season, When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky, The Dark Was Done, and An Abundance of Light. She lives with her family in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Visit her at LaurenStringer.com.

Happiness Happens Month Activity

CPB - Happiness typography

Happiness Is… Game

Happiness is all around you! Grab one or more friends to play a game that reveals what things make you happy.

Like the “Geography” game: the first player names something that makes them happy, the next player must think of something that starts with the last letter of the word the previous player said. The game continues with each player continuing the pattern. Players drop out as they cannot think of a word. The last player left is the winner.

You can purchase An Abundance of Light from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

July 1 – National Watercolor Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today, I’m celebrating World Watercolor Month with a biography of a woman artist born in 1861 who not only worked in watercolors but brought the delicately blended beauty of the art form to the solid medium of glass as the creator of iconic Tiffany designs. World Watercolor Month was begun in 2016 by Charlie O’Shields, the creator of Doodlewash®, host of the Sketching Stuff podcast, and founder of a social artist movement dedicated to promoting and connecting watercolor artists from all over the world. The holiday also raises awareness of the global importance of art and creativity. Everyone from amateurs to professionals are welcome to participate—and if you’ve never painted with watercolors before, now’s a great time to try! If you’d like prompts to inspire your work and other ways to enjoy the month and take your love of watercolor painting into next month and beyond, visit Doodlewash.

Thank you to Peachtree and Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Media for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps

Written by Sandra Nickel | Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

As a young girl, Clara Driscoll grew up surrounded by glorious gardens blooming with morning glories, apple blossoms, and wildflowers and shimmering with the dragon flies they attracted. Clara often sketched the gardens, and when she grew older, she enrolled in art school, hoping to turn her talent for drawing into a job that could help her financially struggling family. After graduation, Clara moved to New York City and took a job working for glassmaker Louis C. Tiffany.

Clara’s task was to choose and cut pieces of glass for the craftsmen to join together with metal ridges to make beautiful stained glass windows. She used her creative eye to “‘paint’ robes, halos, and great wings of angels” with “dappled and streaked, shaded and shimmering” glass. It didn’t take long for Louis to recognize Clara’s talent, and soon she was overseeing her own group of women known as Tiffany Girls. Missing her gardens back home, Clara had the idea to make a lamp from the delicate glass that would bring the beauty of a garden inside.

She and the Tiffany Girls cut small pieces of glass to make butterfly wings, and then “together with the craftsmen, she formed the butterfly wings into a lampshade.” Once the kerosene wick was lit, “light bloomed as never before.” Next, Clara wanted to bring the brilliance of dragonflies to her new creation. But cutting and forming the glass into the intricate wings of a dragonfly was time consuming, and one of the managers said that “she could never make another.”

That, however, was before Louis Tiffany saw the lamp and asked Clara “to make another to display at the World’s Fair in Paris.” At the fair, Clara’s lamp won the bronze medal. The lamp’s success “astounded” Louis. He put Clara and the Tiffany Girls in charge of making lamps and windows representing the beauty of natural landscapes.

Feeling shut out, the craftsmen announced a strike unless Louis fired the women. But Louis knew the value of Clara’s imagination and work, so he compromised with the men: Clara’s workshop would not get bigger, but “Clara would be in charge of lamp-making from that day forward.”

Elated, Clara began creating new designs inspired by the gardens she’d sketched at home as well as nature she found within the city, all informed by her meticulous research. In the basement storage room, she searched for pieces of glass that were just the right hues to bring to life each petal, flower, leaf, and stem. In one astonishing design, she recreated wisteria with 2,000 tiny petals.

While Clara’s work was recognized inside the studio, because her lamps were only known as “Tiffany lamps,” no one else knew they were Clara’s creation. It was only after both Louis and Clara passed away and Clara’s letters to her sisters were discovered that people learned the truth about how Clara made light bloom “throughout the world.”

Back matter includes an Author’s Note that goes into more detail about Clara’s letters home, Louis C. Tiffany’s reaction to her initial idea, and Clara’s long, intricate process for designing each lamp; a list of museums where you can see Tiffany Lamps; and the names of two archives where Clara’s letters can be read; a bibliography; and dates and quotes for references found in the book.

Sandra Nickel’s fascinating and eye-opening story about Clara Driscoll, one of the world’s most innovative artists, is both inspirational and uplifting. Nickel’s heartfelt, straightforward storytelling about Clara’s early years allows readers to see how youthful experiences and interests can influence their later endeavors—creative and otherwise. Nickel also emphasizes Clara’s remarkable vision for ways to expand the use of stained glass in the 1890s as well as her advocacy for herself and her ideas, making her an excellent role model for all children. And while Clara was not recognized for her work during her lifetime, art lovers can be grateful that Louis C. Tiffany knew brilliance when he saw it and valued her contributions—another aspect of Clara’s story to celebrate.

Julie Paschkis’s dazzling, folk-style illustrations bring the intricate and delicate beauty of stained glass to the page, telling Clara’s story visually in a way similar to the windows she often worked on. Taking kids into the Tiffany studio, Paschkis demonstrates how Clara, the Tiffany Girls, and the craftsmen chose, cut, and pieced together to create complex scenes that glow with life still today. Paschkis faithfully recreates Clara’s iconic dragonfly lamp, an image that will wow kids.

A vibrant biography of a visionary artist, Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps is an inspiring book to share with creatives of all types at home, in the classroom, and for art and crafts programs. The book is a must addition to any library collection.

Ages 7 – 10

Peachtree, 2025 | ISBN 978-1682636091

About the Author

Sandra Nickel is an award-winning author of picture books and has two new books out this Spring: Seven, A Most Remarkable Pigeon, an uplifting tale that celebrates differences, and Making Light Bloom, Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps, in which Sandra continues her mission to celebrate extraordinary individuals who have been nearly forgotten by history. She is honored to be the winner of a Christopher Award, the winner of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Crystal Kite Award, a finalist for the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for Younger Readers, a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection honoree, and a Charlotte Huck Award Recommended author. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults and has presented workshops on writing for children and young adults throughout the United States and Europe. Visit her at sandranickel.com. You’ll also find her on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X.

About the Illustrator

Julie Paschkis is an award-winning illustrator of more than 25 books for children. A graduate of Cornell University and the School for American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology, she taught art to grade school children for a number of years before turning her full attention to painting, textile design, and creating illustrations for her books. Visit her at juliepaschkis.com to see more of her work and download whimsical and nature-inspired coloring pages for kids and adults. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

World Watercolor Month Activity

Tiffany Window Coloring Page

Create your own brilliant vision with this Tiffany Window Coloring Page!

You can purchase Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps from these booksellers.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

November 8 – National STEM/STEAM Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

November 8^th is National STEM/STEAM Day. This holiday was founded in 2015, and the date was partially chosen for its secret play on words: “NOV 8” can be read as (in)novate! On this day, we highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering, art, and math in education and society at large. This holiday is also meant to uplift voices and perspectives that are often given less representation in STEAM careers and fields of study.

On this National STEM/STEAM Day we review a biography of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Father of Neuroscience. Despite many people discouraging him along his journey Ramón y Cajal found ways to merge his love for art and observation with his scientific background to create new and important discoveries.

Reviewed by Dorothy Levine

Santiago Saw Things Differently: Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Artist, Doctor, Father of Neuroscience

Written by Christine Iverson | Illustrated by Luciano Lozano

Santiago always had a passion for creating and exploring. As a child in Spain, he spent time creating music and inventing toys with any scraps he could find, drawing elaborate charcoal scenes across neighbors’ walls and racing around his grandfather’s loom shop. There, as “he twirled and tangled woolen thread…. Dust sparked and soared in a kaleidoscope of motion.” Unfortunately, not everybody understood the magic of his creations. Neighbors, and particularly Santiago’s father, believed Santiago’s public displays of art were more bothersome than intriguing.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-santiago-saw-things-differently-drawing-on-wall

Image copyright Luciano Lozano, 2024, text copyright Christine Iverson, 2024. Courtesy of MIT Kids Press.

As Santiago’s father ushered him through many different schools, aiming to leave room for no “distractions” from study, Santiago held on to his artistic practice and passion for exploring the natural world in secret. When once admonished for drawing on the margins of his paper, Santiago was forced to spend time in his school’s dark basement. But, in a stroke of luck, “The room was lit by a wisp of light leaking through an old shutter—just enough for drawing.” Another time, stuck in a classroom with no paper, Santiago used his pencil to unlock the door.

As he grew up, Santiago developed a specific fascination for the human body. At medical school, Santiago observed the way blood vessels in our bodies mirror the canals of the Ebro River near his university. “He saw the human body as a work of art,” a work that replicates in nature and is connected more broadly to the world at large.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-santiago-saw-things-differently-graveyard

Image copyright Luciano Lozano, 2024, text copyright Christine Iverson, 2024. Courtesy of MIT Kids Press.

Years later, when scientists were focused on working out how the tiny connectors (or nerve fibers) in our brains worked, Santiago was able to use his microscope and drawing skills to sort out that the fibers spread in a similar fashion to the young trees he had spent so much of his time drawing and observing. With the help of ink stains, study, and lots of drawings of his observations, Santiago drew new conclusions about neurons and cells that helped scientists across the globe to understand the human brain better.

All because “Santiago saw things differently” he was able to unlock new ways of understanding the brain, gaining him a Nobel prize and the eventual title of the Father of Neuroscience.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-santiago-saw-things-differently-microscope-view

Image copyright Luciano Lozano, 2024, text copyright Christine Iverson, 2024. Courtesy of MIT Kids Press.

Iverson writes a detailed lyrical account of the life of Santiago Ramón y Cajal that is accessible for a wide range of readers. For interested older audiences, the book includes extensive back matter on the Anatomy of a Neuron, more biographical information on Santiago Ramón y Cajal and an explanation of the science behind one scene in the story.

Interwoven with quotes and images from Ramón y Cajal’s original works are Lozano’s masterful swirling illustrations of Santiago and his environment as they both grow and change. Throughout the story, Lozano inserts details for readers to observe and make their own discoveries, such as the dog who follows Santiago throughout his childhood. Lozano illustrates the story mainly in blushing pinks, sky blues and light-yellow browns with accented vibrant greens and darker colors signifying location changes and key turning points in the story. There is a subtle humor helping to lighten the darker parts of Santiago’s life. The tale closes with the image of Santiago face-to-face with a cartoon-like human skeleton (filled with neurons) smiling back at him.

Santiago Sees Things Differently is a celebratory account of innovation, perseverance and appreciation for the often-interdisciplinary nature of outside-of-the-box thinkers. The title page opens with a poignant quote from Santiago Ramón y Cajal himself, encouraging “young investigators” to keep exploring the vast unknown of the natural world and to remember that what is left undiscovered is always larger than what has been already found. Santiago Sees Things Differently provides readers with the empowering knowledge that new perspectives are necessary for new discovery. And that while difference is often looked down upon, it is, often, in fact a superpower.

(This book is available in both Spanish and English versions)

Ages 5 – 9

MIT Kids Press, 2024 | ISBN 978-1536238334

About the Author

Christine Iverson is a physical therapist with a strong interest in neural pathways. She holds a BS in history from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a doctoral degree in physical therapy from Baylor University, and an M.Ed. with a focus in children’s literature from Pennsylvania State University. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia. Visit her at christineiversonwrites. com.

About the Illustrator

Luciano Lozano is a Spanish author, illustrator, and graphic artist. He is the creator of several picture books, including Mayhem at the Museum: A Book in Pictures, and the illustrator of many others, including I (Don’t) Like Snakes by Nicola Davies. He lives in Spain. Visit him at lucianolozano.com.

STEM/STEAM Day Activities

Neuroscience Coloring Pages

Follow Santiago’s footsteps by coloring pictures of different parts of the brain and scientific tools used in the story with these coloring pages from the University of Washington. You’ll also find brain games, plus loads of printable puzzles, worksheets, bookmarks, and even treasure hunts here too! (Coloring pages available in English and Spanish!)

Build a Hands-on Model of a Neuron

Have fun and learn about neurons by making a model! You can use almost any kind of material you like—clay, perler beads, bread dough, or even candy—to make it. So put on your thinking cap and get creative! You’ll find lots of ideas on this page from The University of Washington’s Neuroscience for Kids Page.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-santiago-saw-things-differently-cover

You can purchase Santiago Saw Things Differently at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

November 1 – National Author’s Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today’s holiday was instituted in 1928 by Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, president of the Bement, Illinois Women’s Club. An avid reader, she established Author’s Day to thank writer Irving Bacheller—author of 31 novels and founder of the first modern newspaper syndicate—who sent her an autographed story in response to her fan letter. The day was officially recognized in 1949 by the United States Department of Commerce. McPherson’s granddaughter, Sue Cole, promoted the holiday after Nellie’s death in 1968. To celebrate, people are encouraged to write a note of appreciation to their favorite author.

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Press for sharing a copy of As Edward Imagined with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

As Edward Imagined: A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts

Written by Matthew Burgess | Illustrated by Marc Majewski

Edward Gorey’s artistic life began early—very early—and built on itself, bit-by-bit, experience-by-experience just like a play, and so it is fitting that Matthew Burgess’s biography is divided into three acts. In Act One readers meet Edward Gorey as a precocious preschooler, creating his first drawing at a year and a half and learning to read at three and a half.

As a voracious reader, he devoured books from his father’s library, including Dracula before he was six. It didn’t take long before he was writing and illustrating his own stories. One was “titled ‘Hand of Doom,’ in which a skeleton’s fingers crept from page to page.” But Edward didn’t consign his “delightfully peculiar” personality to the page, “he [dared] to live the life he imagined.”

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Image copyright Marc Majewski, 2024, text copyright Matthew Burgess, 2024. Courtesy of Knopf Books for Young Readers.

In Act Two, Edward has graduated from college and is living in New York, where he took the subway to attend nearly every performance of the New York City Ballet, dressed in his singular look: a fur coat, tennis shoes, and “plenty of clinking rings.” While working as a book illustrator, he also wrote, illustrated, and published his own stories, and little by little people began to take notice of “his stylish drawings, his outlandish poetry, and his deliciously sinister sense of humor.”

This popularity earned him an invitation to design the costumes and sets for a Broadway production of that classic he had read long ago—Dracula. The play was a smash, and Edward was nominated for Tony awards. Eschewing the limelight, however, Edward watched the ceremony and his own win from the comfort of his home and surrounded by his six beloved cats.

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Image copyright Marc Majewski, 2024, text copyright Matthew Burgess, 2024. Courtesy of Knopf Books for Young Readers.

His success on Broadway brings readers to Act Three, and his purchase of an old captain’s house on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, drew, wrote, and collected. “Teddy bears, sea stones, skeletons of all sizes and shapes, and books by the thousands” became his companions and his inspirations. He also worked with local actors to bring his original plays to theaters. Here, Edward was happy living “his life precisely as he wished.” For readers today, he lives on in his one-of-a-kind characters and inimitable stories.

Back matter includes an Author’s Note, a Bibliography, a photograph of Edward Gorey and one of his cats, and a Chronology of his life that fleshes out experiences from his childhood, during which he once owned a baby alligator, to his higher education and military service to his publishing career and animations for PBS’s Mystery! series to his time living on Cape Cod.

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Image copyright Marc Majewski, 2024, text copyright Matthew Burgess, 2024. Courtesy of Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Matthew Burgess’s charming storytelling highlights the quirky ingenuity of Edward Gorey’s stories, plays, and illustrations. Cleverly divided into three acts, his biography emphasizes how Edward remained true to himself throughout his life, finding jobs that complimented his skills and pastimes that fed his imagination. Inspirational and celebrating the individual, Burgess’s breezy and uplifting text will engage children and encourage them to listen to and stay true to their own unique voice.

Marc Majewski’s enchanting and atmospheric illustrations will captivate readers with their combination of realism and whimsy that give them a tour through Edward Gorey’s childhood home, New York City haunts, Dracula sets, and Cape Cod comfort. Kids and adults alike will enjoy dawdling over each page to discover the themes of and influences on Edward’s life as well as his eccentric decor and characters and, of course, to point out all the cats.

A fabulous introduction to a truly unique talent and individual, As Edward Imagined: A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts will not only fascinate kids but also spark their creativity and an appreciation for the happiness that comes from following their own path. The book would be an often-asked-for favorite on home bookshelves and for public libraries and offers many applications for school libraries and creative arts programs. Pair with readings of Edward Gorey’s books to acquaint young readers with his endearing characters.

Ages 4 – 8

Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024 | ISBN 978-1984893802

About the Author

Matthew Burgess is the author of Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings, and The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon. He has been a poet-in-residence in New York City elementary schools through the Teachers & Writers Collaborative since 2001. His work has appeared in various magazines and journals, and he recently received an award from the Fund for Poetry. He teaches creative writing and composition at Brooklyn College and lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit Matthew at matthewjohnburgess.com.

About the Illustrator

Marc Majewski is a French author-illustrator based in Berlin. After obtaining a degree in literature and arts, he studied illustration and painting for two years. His picture books include, Does Earth Feel?, and Butterfly Child. Visit Marc at marc-majewski.com.

National Author’s Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-the-doubtful-guest-cover

**Watch The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey**

To celebrate today’s holiday listen to this reading of Edward Gorey’s The Doubtful Guest, a short, eccentric and slightly eerie tale of an uninvited guest. Then check out your local library for more books by Edward Gorey.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-as-edward-imagined-cover

You can purchase As Edward Imagined: A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

About the Holiday

The True Ugly Duckling: How Hans Christian Andersen Became a Swan

Written by Sandra Nickel | Illustrated by Calvin Nicholls

Hans Christian Andersen’s Birthday Activity

Easy Origami Swan

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About the Holiday

Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava

Written by Gary Golio | Illustrated by E. B. Lewis

Black History Month Activity

A Slide Show of Roy DeCarava’s Photographs and Family Photo Fun!

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About the Holiday

Henry Is an Artist

By Justin Worsley

National Pet Tricks Day Activity

Paw Print Magnet

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About the Holiday

An Abundance of Light: a Story of Matisse in Morocco

By Lauren Stringer

Happiness Happens Month Activity

Happiness Is… Game

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About the Holiday

Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps

Written by Sandra Nickel | Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

World Watercolor Month Activity

Tiffany Window Coloring Page

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About the Holiday

Reviewed by Dorothy Levine

Santiago Saw Things Differently: Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Artist, Doctor, Father of Neuroscience

Written by Christine Iverson | Illustrated by Luciano Lozano

STEM/STEAM Day Activities

Neuroscience Coloring Pages

Build a Hands-on Model of a Neuron

Share this:

About the Holiday

As Edward Imagined: A Story of Edward Gorey in Three Acts

Written by Matthew Burgess | Illustrated by Marc Majewski

National Author’s Day Activity

Watch The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey

Share this:

**Watch The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey**