Book Bundles: Picture-Book Nonfiction

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Martina Peluso. Rena "Rusty" Glickman Kanokogi (1935–2009) grew up in a cramped and noisy Coney Island apartment where "not even Shabbat brought quiet." Brash and strong, she was considered "unladylike" and a judo class was the first place she felt she fit in. As her skills developed, however, she faced barriers as a woman: e.g., she won a YMCA championship while disguised as a man but had her medal rescinded when an official saw through the ruse. The straightforward text focuses on her obsession with the sport (she practiced on subway platforms and took down "unsuspecting trash cans") and on her persistence and advocacy, including being the first woman to study at Japan's Kodokan and helping to establish women's judo as an Olympic event. Illustration layouts vary, with many of the more dynamic ones being vignettes of Glickman practicing judo moves. An author's note gives a bit more background, especially about Glickman's later life. A welcome addition to the growing canon of picture-book biographies amplifying lesser-known women, with added sports appeal.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) K-3 Gibbons applies her signature combination of impeccably accurate definitions and friendly, colorful illustrations to the topic of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions. She begins with an overview of the earth's interior and plate tectonics, explains the correlation between volcanic activity and plate boundaries (the "Ring of Fire"), and then illustrates several types of volcanoes. The eruption mechanisms of composite and underwater volcanoes are detailed, along with safety information on what to do if you find yourself near an active eruption. The final pages include descriptions of famous eruptions (Vesuvius, Hawaii, Krakatau, and Mount St. Helens). Each illustration is filled with details: cross-sections of volcano cones show their layering, and insets, captions and notations add even more terminology for curious readers.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(2) 4-6 McCarthy takes readers back to the movies in her latest, visually rich informational picture book. More "a jumping-off point" than a thorough history of the cinema, the book covers the evolution of moving images, the innovators (all white men) who helped push the medium forward, and the amazement and shock the first motion pictures caused ("At the end of the show there was complete chaos"). The book excels when McCarthy uses side-by-side shots to mirror early moviemaking techniques, such as with nature photographer Eadweard Muybridge's series of shots of a galloping horse, and to illustrate how early films inspired later movies. In one particularly effective page turn, McCarthy draws a line from groundbreaking early German film Metropolis to Star Wars and Blade Runner, showing striking similarities between set and (droid) character design. McCarthy employs her trademark big-eyed, smiley characters (Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are suitably silly, and even beloved Star Wars droid R2D2 hilariously sports a giant goggly eye). Extensive back matter includes an author's note, short entries on related topics from "MGM's Leo the Lion" to "The Beginnings of Hollywood," and a selected bibliography.

Reviewer: Sam Bloom