When I would hear the word “children’s book” or “picture book” I used to think of the cute story with the primary-colored illustrations about the penguin who befriended a snail near a rocky hill. I’d be prepared to suffer through the 6-minute reading of super simple dialogue coupled with basic illustrations. When my children were very little, I enjoyed Salina’s Yoon’s Penguin and Pinecone and good doses of Jane Yolen’s How Do Dinosaurs… series. In my mind children’s books were short and quaint, and ended happy every single time. The first challenge to my thinking was stumbling upon Brian Floca’s Locomotive.
The sheer size of the book is sure to capture anyone’s attention but more than that, opening the book and instantly being transported back to the era of the building of the transcontinental railroad is sure to keep your attention. The text was excellent, and told the story of the railroad with decorum and elegance. And oh the illustrations! Simple yet packed with so much Information. When you close the book, you will have educated yourself about this important aspect of our nations history. After reading this story my view of the typical “children’s book” was completely altered. They are much more than quaint stories. There are writers out there who can make history come to life for children. Brian Floca is one of those guys.
“There are writers out there who can make history come to life. Mr. Floca is one of those guys.”
Floca is an author/illustrator who has many titles under his belt. Anyone who has read the suspenseful story of Poppy by Avi has be acquainted with Mr. Floca’s artistic work. What I love about Brian Floca is his ability to take interesting facets of history and put them into bite-sized, enjoyable pieces. He does not stop at history though. His writing educates children in a way that is entertaining, acting as a gateway to a topic that can be explored further and in more detail. His illustrations are as delightful as they are simple. His writing will not disappoint!
“Brilliant, gifted, impressive…Brian Floca is worthy of your shelf space.
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Exemplaray, Exquisite, Facinating”
Locomotive
Publisher : Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books 2013 ISBN-10 : 1416994157 ISBN-13 : 978-1416994152
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to ocean. Come hear the hiss of the steam, feel the heat of the engine, watch the landscape race by. Come ride the rails, come cross the young country
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Captivating,
eye-opening, informative”
Lightship
Publisher : Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books 2007 ISBN-13 : 978-1416924364
Once, lightships anchored on waters across America, on the oceans and in the Great Lakes, floating where lighthouses could not be built. Smaller than most ships, but more steadfast, too, they held their spots, through calm and storm, to guide sailors toward safe waters. In these pages one lightship and her crew (and cat) again hold their place. The crew goes again from bow to stern, from keel to mast, to run their engines, shine their lights, and sound their horns. They run the small ship that guides the large ships. They are the crew (and cat) that work to make the ocean safe, that hold their place, so other ships can sail…
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Loved it, amazing, informative”
Moonshot
Publisher : Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books 2019 ISBN-10 : 1534440305 ISBN-13 : 978-1534440302
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s Simply told, grandly shown, and now with eight additional pages of brand-new art and more in-depth information about the historic moon landing, here is the flight of Apollo 11. Here for a new generation of readers and explorers are the steady astronauts clicking themselves into gloves and helmets, strapping themselves into sideways seats. Here are their great machines in all their detail and monumentality, the ROAR of rockets, and the silence of the Moon. Here is a story of adventure and discovery—a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away…
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Cute
Unique
well-told”
Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas
Author: Lynne Cox Publisher : Schwartz & Wade 2014 ISBN-13 9780375858888
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
Here is the incredible story of Elizabeth, a real-life elephant seal who made her home in the Avon River in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. When Elizabeth decides to stretch out across a two-lane road, the citizens worry she might get hurt or cause traffic accidents, so a group of volunteers tows her out to sea. But Elizabeth swims all the way back to Christchurch. The volunteers catch her again and again—each time towing her farther, even hundreds of miles away—but, still, Elizabeth finds her way back home…
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Exemplaray, Exquisite, Fascinating”
Racecar Alphabet
Publisher : Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books 2003 ISBN-10 : 0689850913 ISBN-13 : 978-0689850912
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s A is for Automobiles, machines on wheels.
B is for Belts turning, fuel burning, the buzz and bark of engines.
C is for Curves and crowds and cars, of course —
A century of racecars, from bare beginnings to present-day marvels, from stock cars to Formula 1, from Ford to Ferrari, caught in crackling action, in fan-friendly pictures, and in words that bounce and jounce for the fun of it…
Children Whoo Read Says:
“Magnificent Illustrations, lovely poetic prose”
Hawk Rising
Author: Maria Gianferrari Publisher : Roaring Book Press 2018 ISBN-13 : 978-1626720961
Synopsis (From the Publisher):
Early morning and a ruffle of feathers, A shadow gliding through the backyard. High above your house Father Hawk circles, sharp eyes searching for prey. From the front porch, you watch. Swoosh! He dives after chipmunks, crows, sparrows, squirrels. Screech! The sun sets low in the sky. What’s for dinner? A father red-tailed hawk hunts prey for his family in a suburban neighborhood in this thrilling, fierce, and gorgeous nonfiction picture book…
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