November 4 – Get Ready for Christmas Tree Trimming Day

About the Holiday

Before Santa can put presents under the tree, the pine (or palm) needs to be chosen, and then the real fun begins! Stringing the lights, hanging the ornaments—each one with its own story—and topping it off with a star to turn a regular tree into a Christmas tree is a highlight of the holiday season. Add some hot cocoa, homemade cookies, family stories from Christmases past, and reading new and favorite holiday books, and you have one of the best days of the year.

Thanks go to Random House Books for Young Readers and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sharing a copy of Everett Green: The Not-So-Christmas Tree with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

Everett Green: The Not-So-Christmas Tree

Written by Freddy Wexler | Illustrated by Fanny Berthiaume

Everett Green was a born entertainer. His “high notes soared. His dance moves dazzled. His punch lines were perfection.” He dreamed of being a star. But Everett was a palm tree living and working at The Sandy Straw restaurant, where no one seemed to take notice when he took the stage. Everett despaired, thinking there must be more out there somewhere.

Then one day, while sweeping up after closing time at The Sandy Straw, he saw something amazing on the big screen TV: the Christmas tree lighting spectacular in New York City. Everett was jazzed and decided he was going to be “‘the most famous Christmas tree in the world.'” His friends were skeptical, but Everett threw on a string of colored lights, packed his microphone, a few Santa hats and reindeer headbands, sparkling ornaments, candy canes and other festive baubles, and headed for the airport.

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Image copyright Fanny Berthiaume, 2024, text copyright Freddy Wexler, 2024. Courtesy of Random House Books for Young Readers.

At the airport, though, Everett ran into trouble at the security line. He didn’t have a ticket, money, or an ID. “Everett was stumped.” What Everett didn’t know was that his friend Bird had stowed away in his fronds and now popped out with a plan. While Bird created a distraction, Everett made a break for the departure gate. When he got there, though, he and Bird learned that all flights to New York were delayed by a snow storm.

All around the airport terminal, people were calling their families with the sad news. Everett was disheartened. If he couldn’t get to New York tonight, on Christmas Eve, he’d “never be a real Christmas tree.” Just then, a little girl and her mother walked by. “‘Mommy, look! A Christmas tree,” the girl said. Her mother disagreed, but the girl told Everett that he looked like a Christmas tree to her.

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Image copyright Fanny Berthiaume, 2024, text copyright Freddy Wexler, 2024. Courtesy of Random House Books for Young Readers.

Everett looked around and saw no other Christmas trees. What he did see were disappointed travelers and shop employees working on Christmas Eve. He grabbed his microphone and took to the walkways. “‘Merry Christmas, Pretzel Palace! Merry Christmas, Gifts to Go!'” He wished everyone a Merry Christmas and made an announcement. “‘Our flight may be delayed, but Christmas is still on! Who’s with me?'” At first, everyone was too busy with their phones to respond. Then the little girl who’d noticed Everett earlier raised her hand. Another raised their hand, and then more.

Everett opened his suitcase and began planning a show—”Christmas takes a flight at Gate 29!” Everyone joined in. Some wore the hats and headbands Everett had brought, others hung the ornaments. “While the planes outside stood silent and still, Gate 29 soared with holiday spirit.” Dancing, jokes, a sing-along brought everyone together with the true spirit of the holiday. The little girl even hung a shining star on Everett’s fronds.

Seeing all the joy he’d brought to the stranded travelers, Everett discovered that he didn’t need all the fancy trappings, the celebrity, or the bright lights of the city to feel fulfilled. In fact, he knew where he belonged—spreading happiness at home—at the Sandy Straw—where he realized his destiny to be a real Christmas tree.

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Image copyright Fanny Berthiaume, 2024, text copyright Freddy Wexler, 2024. Courtesy of Random House Books for Young Readers.

As someone who grew up in South Florida, I was excited to see a story that showcases Christmas palm trees. Kids and adults, whether they live in warm climates or cold, will be charmed by Freddy Wexler’s Everett Green, who has stars in his eyes, but more importantly love, creativity, and empathy in his heart. Wexler’s humorous and sensitive storytelling is fast-paced and heartfelt. As Everett puts aside his own disappointment to rally the stranded travelers, readers receive the gift of understanding that they don’t need adoring crowds, the flash of the cameras, or celebrity status to make a positive, joyful impact—that they can shine anywhere.

Fanny Berthiaume’s vibrant illustrations are action-packed and clearly show the characters’ emotions, from Everett’s disillusionment with the Sandy Straw customers to his big dreams of stardom to his enthusiastic pluck at the airport. Berthiaume also deftly depicts the transition from distracted and inconvenienced passengers to Christmas revelers willing to participate in Everett’s holiday pageant.

Shining with the true holiday spirit that can resonate all year around, Everett Green: The Not-So-Christmas Tree is an adorable and meaningful addition to Christmas collections for home and library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Random House Books for Young Readers, 2024 | ISBN 978-0593567944

About the Author

Freddy Wexler is a Grammy-nominated, multiplatinum award-winning hit songwriter and film producer with an expansive film, TV, and animation slate. He was recently named in Variety’s Family Entertainment Impact Report List for Film and Television and included as one of the “World’s Greatest Songwriters” in Music Business Worldwide. As a songwriter, Wexler has contributed to ten Billboard #1s; his songs have been streamed billions of times and recorded by Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Post Malone, BlackPink, Selena Gomez, Lil Wayne, the Jonas Brothers, John Legend, Demi Lovato, Halsey, Pink, Marshmello, Shakira, Diana Ross, Enrique Iglesias, Celine Dion, Martin Garrix, Pusha T, Wyclef Jean, Tiesto, DNCE, Steve Aoki, and Avicii.

About the Illustrator

Fanny Berthiaume worked in the entertainment industry for 14 years. From miniature set builder for the National Film Board of Canada to 3D environment artist and matte painter on major Hollywood productions, she worked on a variety of exciting projects. Fanny now offers services in visual development and illustration to animation studios, publishers, and other creative businesses.

Get Ready for Christmas Tree Trimming Activity

Colorful Ornaments

These plastic ornaments swirled with colorful nail polish make the perfect decorations for your tree. Make some to give to friends too!

Supplies

Plastic ornaments, available at craft stores
Nail polish in various colors
Plastic bowl or container, deep enough to dip the ornament into the water
Drying stand – I used a clear, plastic egg carton, or string for hanging ornaments to dry

Directions

Fill the plastic container with warm to hot water

Using two or three colors, gently “paint” the water with the nail polish, using the brush or a toothpick in dots and swirls
Slowly dip the plastic ornament into the water and turn it to pick up the nail polish floating on the top of the water
To dry, place the ornament on a stand or hang with a paper plate, wax paper, or other paper to catch drips

You can purchase Everett Green: The Not-So-Christmas Tree at these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

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

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**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.

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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

October 28 – It’s Dyslexia Awareness Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Dyslexia Awareness Month was first held in the UK in 2002 as a small movement of events organized through schools and businesses. In the ensuing years, it has grown to be recognized internationally, with programs, learning events, and public campaigns to bring messages and updates on improved inclusion and accessibility to communities around the world.

Developed in 1877 by German physician Adolph Kussmaul as “word-blindness,” the condition was first identified by German physician Oswald Berkhan in 1881 while studying the case of a young boy with severe issues in learning to read and write despite his high intellectual abilities. The condition was officially named “dyslexia” by ophthalmologist Rudolph Berlin in 1887.

Today, dyslexia affects from 5% to 10% of the world’s population. The theme for Dyslexia Awareness Month 2024 is “Until Everyone Can Read, and puts the focus on the latest research and resources for those with dyslexia and other learning differences as well as special activities for students, families, and communities.

Brilliant Bea: A Story for Kids with Dyslexia and Learning Differences

Written by Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich | Illustrated by Fiona Lee

Bea had a big imagination. Her mom said she had “a way with words,” her dad said she was a “real word slinger,” and her brother thought she was “the greatest storyteller on Earth.” But reading and writing were “extra hard” for Bea. As she would describe it “words jump around the page and my eyes try to shoot laser beams to catch them.” Her parents told her it was dyslexia. Another thing Bea knew was that because she couldn’t finish her school work on time, she was stuck in the classroom at recess time—”stucker than stuck. Stuck in Stucksville, population: 1.”

Image copyright Fiona Lee, 2021; text copyright Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich, 2021. Courtesy of Magination Press.

Reading out loud made Bea want to melt into the floor, and when trying to write, she couldn’t get down the words she was thinking. One day her teacher, Ms. Bloom asked if she could read what she had written so far. “I woent let dullying bring me doun,” Ms. Bloom read then asked what “dullying” was. “Bullying,” Bea corrected her. Ms. Bloom smiled and kindly said, “I think you’ve figured it out with your brilliant brain, Beatrice. Bullying is dull.” Bea knew “brilliant” meant “super smart,” and, Ms. Bloom added, “it means bright and radiant.” Walking home that afternoon, Bea’s imagination and self-esteem soared.

Image copyright Fiona Lee, 2021; text copyright Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich, 2021. Courtesy of Magination Press.

The next day, Ms. Bloom gave Bea a tape recorder. At recess Bea told one of her stories into the recorder. Her words flowed and attracted Rudy, who asked what she was doing. Normally, Bea “would shrivel up and just wish him away,” but today she played her story for him. Rudy offered to draw pictures for her story, and that afternoon, he helped her become “unstuck.”

Image copyright Fiona Lee, 2021; text copyright Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich, 2021. Courtesy of Magination Press.

In the coming days and weeks, Bea attracted more friends. Sometimes they sat under the trees at recess to listen as she told her stories and sometimes they played on the playground. Now she wasn’t afraid of learning differently, and she and her best friend even created a comic book that Ms. Bloom copied and gave to all her classmates. And when Bea grew older? She became an author and even returned to Ms. Bloom’s classroom to read her book.

A superb and detailed Reader’s Note by Ellen B. Braatan, PhD, executive director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, follows the story. In it Dr. Braatan outlines the insights into dyslexia that Brilliant Bea highlights, ways in which adults can engage children in conversations about dyslexia, what dyslexia is, and the symptoms of dyslexia, as well as methods of evaluation and treatment, including remediation and accommodation.

Image copyright Fiona Lee, 2021; text copyright Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich, 2021. Courtesy of Magination Press.

This engaging story about one girl’s experience with dyslexia is charming and insightful. Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich highlight the difficulties children with dyslexia face with reading and expressing their thoughts in conventional ways as well as the impact their learning difference has on making friends and having the same advantages as their peers during a school day.

Through Bea’s talent for storytelling, Rudolph and Vukadinovich emphasize how dyslexic children (and adults) can excel in a wide range of disciplines, from writing to science to art to music to any field of endeavor because they see things differently. Bea’s teacher, Ms. Bloom, demonstrates how early recognition of dyslexia and other learning differences coupled with understanding, remediation, and accommodation can make school and any environment inclusive and successful for all.

Fiona Lee’s bright and uplifting illustrations use a variety of perspectives to help readers see how those with dyslexia see the world differently. Bea’s imagination and storytelling talent are reflected in the soft sketches that soar from her mind or off her notebook. Her frustration is clear, but so is her resilience and determination to succeed. When her teacher gives her the tape recorder, readers can see how life-changing such a simple and thoughtful act can be.

Young readers will embrace Bea and this story of a sweet, creative, and giving child who also happens to be dyslexic. The story and the back matter provide parents, educators, and other adults a helpful and meaningful way to allow dyslexic children to see themselves in a book as well as to explain this learning difference to classmates, friends, and others.

Brilliant Bea: A Story for Kids with Dyslexia and Learning Differences is a must addition to public and school libraries, pediatricians’ offices, and teachers’ programs. The book is highly recommended for home bookshelves as well.

Ages 4 – 8+

Magination Press, 2021 | ISBN 978-1433837418

About the Authors

Shaina Rudolph is an author of books for children, including All My Stripes and Brilliant Bea. Shaina is also a member of The Society of Children’s Authors and Illustrators. Additionally, she has been an educator for 15 years. Visit Shaina at shainarudolph.com.

Mary Vukadinovich has been working with students with language based learning differences and diverse learning need for the last 17 years. As a reading specialist in Los Angeles, Mary values her opportunities to teach students with unique learning profiles, including dyslexia. Above all, she enjoys watching a child’s confidence grow while learning to love to read. When Mary isn’t teaching or writing, she is reading and telling stories to her own two children.

About the Illustrator

Fiona Lee is inspired by color, strong-willed kids, and the unintentional humor of animals. Working both traditionally and digitally, she captures detail, texture, and life’s small moments. Trained as a Science Illustrator, her clients include Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, UC Santa Cruz, and more. She lives in Vermont in a tiny house in the middle of a big hayfield.

National Dyslexia Awareness Month Activity

Watch these Informative Videos

Watch See Dyslexia Differently for a child-focused animated short that gives an overview of how dyslexia affects reading, writing, learning, and everyday activities as well as what strengths kids with dyslexia have, and highlights famous artists, inventors, singers, writers, scientists and more used the way they think differently to change the world.
Listen to a group of young people describe their dyslexia in this video from Learning Ally.
Hear Reading Horizons Dyslexia Specialist, Shantell Berrett describe various ways that dyslexics see words on a page and some remediation and accommodation aids.

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You can purchase Brilliant Bea: A Story for Kids with Dyslexia and Learning Differences at these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

October 24 – National Food Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Established in 2011 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, National Food Day aims to raise awareness of nutrition issues and encourage people to “Eat Real.” Eating real means “cutting back on sugary drinks, overly salted packaged foods and fatty, factory-farmed meats in favor of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and sustainably raised protein.” Prominent food activists help people discover where they can find food that is healthy and affordable. Another goal is to promote food production that is mindful of the environment, farm animals, and farmers. The efforts of National Food Day continue year round and culminate on October 24 with special events.

Thanks to Astra Young Readers for sharing a copy of The Most Perfect Persimmon with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

The Most Perfect Persimmon

By Hannah Chung

When Joo Hong gazed at the persimmons growing on the tree in her backyard, she saw the full moon, the glowing sun—perfection. She picked one, wanting to give it to her grandma, but her mother told her, Grandma’s visit was weeks away. Joo Hong wanted to taste that persimmon now, but when she took a bite, she discovered that the fruit wasn’t ripe yet. She decided to help the persimmon tree along by watering it, wrapping its trunk in a warm blanket on cool nights, and shooing away the magpies. At last they were ready.

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This time when Joo Hong tasted one, it was “shiny on the outside. Soft and sweet on the inside. They were so perfect!” Joo Hong couldn’t wait to serve them to Grandma. But she would have to. Grandma’s visit was still a week away. It was so hard for Joo Hong to wait. But the persimmons were not waiting. They “got redder and started to show wrinkles. Some even had brown spots.” Joo Hong was upset even though her mother tried to reassure her that they were just ripening. Joo Hong hid the boxes of fruit from the sun and kept her cat away, but “the persimmons kept changing.”

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By the time Grandma arrived, the persimmons “were no longer perfect.” Joo Hong held out her gift with tears in her eyes. “Grandma Gave Joo Hong a big, warm hug” then took the fruit, peeled the skin, and gave Joo Hong a spoon. Joo Hong tasted it. It was delicious! Grandma smiled. “‘A persimmon becomes a hongshi with lots of love and care over time,'” she said, then exclaimed it was the best persimmon she’d ever eaten. Joo Hong was so excited that she gave a persimmon to her cat and even to the magpie. Then she and her mother and Grandma set out a picnic on this perfect day and enjoyed hongshis all afternoon.

An Author’s Note reveals Hannah Chung’s homegrown inspiration for her story.

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In her delightful and poignant debut picture book, Hannah Chung captures all the emotions of a young child with a big heart planning a special surprise for a beloved family member. From Joo Hong’s impatience for Grandma to arrive to her determination to ensure the persimmons are perfectly ripe to her tangled feelings and disappointed tears when Grandma does arrive and Grandma’s tender reassurances, Chung hits all the right notes, creating a story that kids and adults will love sharing and bond over.

Chung’s easy-to-understand, straightforward storytelling flows naturally and at a quick pace while also allowing readers to empathize with Joo Hong’s anticipation. In her bright, uncluttered illustrations Joo Hong’s facial expressions clearly show her changing feelings and make it simple for even the youngest children to understand how important the persimmon and Grandma are to Joo Hong. The relationships between Joo Hong, her mother, and her grandmother are sweet and tenderly drawn.

A perfect read aloud for story times as well as for bedtime, The Most Perfect Persimmon is a book that will be asked for often and is highly recommended for home, public library, and school library bookshelves.

Ages 4 – 8

Astra Young Readers, 2024 | ISBN 978-1662620843

About the Author/Illustrator

Hannah Chung is an award-winning designer and entrepreneur in health care design for young patients. She is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and has presented at numerous conferences including TEDx and SXSW. Hannah spends her time both in Providence, Rhode Island, and Seoul, South Korea.

National Food Day Activity

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Shop the Farmers Market Maze

It’s a perfect day to visit the farmers market! Find your way through the stalls to enjoy all the delicious food!

Shop the Farmers Market Maze with no colored border | Shop the Farmers Market Maze with colored border

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You can purchase The Perfect Persimmon at these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

October 16 – Get Ready for STEM Day (Nov. 8) and World Science Day (Nov. 10)

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holidays

Today I’m highlighting two upcoming holidays that celebrate science and introduce kids to the wide-ranging applications that science, engineering, technology, and math have on our lives now and as we move into the future.

STEM Day — November 8

Instituted in 2015, National STEM Day aims to encourage kids to explore the fields of science technology, engineering, and math. This year’s theme is “Hands on Learning” to promote creative and impactful experimentation, innovation, and discovery. Children who are introduced early on to the workings of math and science do better as they advance through school and are more likely to choose science-based careers. Solving many of the problems that the world now faces relies on having a workforce who can think inventively to design a better future for us all. To learn more about STEM and to find lots of free ideas and activities to get kids excited about these subjects all year around—from awesome virtual field trips to labs, space centers, museums, and more to detailed lesson plans and printables to hands-on activities from the National Inventors Hall of Fame—visit Create & Learn.

World Science Day for Peace and Development — November 10

This annual, internationally observed day highlights the importance of science in and for society and is sponsored by the United Nations. Its aim is to promote education and awareness of scientific issues that affect the world and its sustainability as well as to underscore the role that scientists play in improving our lives and developing solutions for the future.

Thanks go to Phaidon for sharing a copy of Our Galaxy: A First Book of Space with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

Our Galaxy: A First Adventure in Space

Written by Sue Lowell Gallion | Illustrated by Lisk Feng

If you want to WOW your young children, students, or library patrons and make them eager to learn about space, science, technology, engineering, and math, open the cover of Our Galaxy: A First Adventure in Space. Then open it a little more . . . and a little more . . . and all the way around until this awe-inspiring book becomes a sturdy, freestanding globe full of adventure and exploration.