Election-Focused Books for Young Readers: Ballots for Belva, Sofia Valdez, Future Prez AND The Walk

 

Happy back to school and back to picture book reviews!

With the upcoming elections, I’m recommending three Abrams Books for Young Readers titles to whet young readers’ interest. They each address a different angle related to our electoral process and work terrifically together!

1. The first is an affordable paperback reprint of a picture book biography that debuted in 2015.

Title: Ballots for Belva – The True Story of a Woman’s Race for the Presidency

Author: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Illustrator: Courtney A. Martin

Themes: Voting, Politics, Persistence, Equality

Intended Ages: Publisher says K-2d grade. The text is dense (as many biographies are!) so I’d say 1^st-4th grade.

First line: “When Belva Lockwood was ten years old, she read that, with a little bit of faith, anyone could move a mountain.”

What I like about it: As a lawyer myself, I had heard about Belva, but I’m betting a lot of kids haven’t. In 1884, women didn’t have the right to vote—but Belva realized they could RUN for President. Talk about thinking outside the box! The way others around her interpreted her gumption and goal is a fascinating read. I’m also a fan of the unspoken message that you don’t necessarily have to succeed as you intended to be a success. The chicanery of the "political machine" is eerily reminiscent of present day. The illustrations capture the historical flavor and Belva's earnestness despite what others said.

Activities: The author has a nine page activity pack on her website!

• Host an "election" and make slogans, posters- suggestions - best meal, favorite book, best singer etc.

 

2. The second recommendation with another problem-solving angle will appeal to the younger readers. This is also an "older" title, published in 2019, still in hardcover.

Title: Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

Author: Andrea Beaty

Illustrator: David Roberts

Themes: Activism, Community, Problem-Solving

Intended Ages: K-2

First line: "Sofia was a baby who got things done, 

                   helping her family before she turned one."

What I like about it: Kids are little, but they do have power, and I like how this book reinforces that idea. Standing up for what we believe in can be hard. Scary! But that's the only way new voices get heard. I had to suspend disbelief a little bit in the scenes where everyone jumps on Sofia's bandwagon. If only life were so simple! But the overall message of empowerment is an important one. Bright illustrations accompany the couplets drawing the eye left to right with action. I especially like skewed orientation of the spread where Abuelo slips.

Activities:

The title from a NYT best-selling author attracts a lot of resource generation. You have to pay for some of these.

Picture Book Brain has a list of resources for Sofia. 

Teachers pay Teachers resources for Sofia.

Jodi Durgin's resources for Sofia

The author as FREE downloadables on her web page.

My suggestions? 

Ask young readers if they can think of a "community problem" (school or home) that they'd like to solve. Brainstorm possible steps! Then try one (or more)!

Ask young readers to ask the adults at home what they think a problem is in their community. Is it different than the problem the kids came up with? What do kids think about the problems adults see?

Ask young readers if Abuelo's injury was a good thing, or a bad thing.

Ask young readers to pick a favorite spread, and describe why they picked it.

Although the book is serious, there is humor. Can young readers tell you why Sofia visited the assortment of "offices" at City Hall?

3. The third book is another title for younger readers published 2023. 

            Author: Winsome Bingham

Illustrator: E. B. Lewis

Themes: Democracy, Voting, Community

Intended ages: preK-2

First Line: "My granny is taking me on THE WALK. 

'Because leaders are not born,' she says. 'They're made through molding and modeling.'"

What I like about it: The first lines are the most "telling" in the text. The rest of the story shows how a community feels the importance of adding their voice at the polls. Our country is based on the idea that each person has a voice (don't get me started on the electoral college!) and the text reinforces the weight of the simple act of showing up to vote. The text is spare and lyrical. E. B Lewis' masterful hand is evident in the illustrations and the art is breathtaking. The story focuses on girl joining her granny to walk in a Black community, but the messages of neighborliness and civic participation apply to everyone everywhere. Voting is important!

Activities: 

• The Teaching Books website includes a host of resources for The Walk including author interviews and lesson plans.
• The author's first book, Soul Food Sunday, was a Coretta Scott King Honor Book for illustrations, and a New York Times Best Book of the Year. Read both stories aloud and ask young readers to compare and contrast.
• E. B. Lewis has illustrated many picture books. Read another and compare and contrast his art style and the subject matter of the test. (The Other Side and Each Kindness are favorites of mine!)
• Share the "undie" (the cover under the dust jacket) and ask which cover the readers prefer and why.

I hope you enjoy reading up before the coming election. Every voice is important!

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday suggestions - visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog!

Trouper - Perfect Picture Book Friday

      I would have bought this book based on the cover alone.
      Mr. E. B. Lewis lives in New Jersey and I was fortunate to hear him speak when he came to the elementary school my kids attended. I don't know if "room parents" go to a lot of the school assemblies, but I made sure I went to his! He is an extraordinary artist, adept at capturing emotions in watercolor brushstrokes. 
     This is the author's debut picture book, but she's no slouch either! 
     I have to stop myself-- I don't want to give all the juicy tidbits away in my opening. On a scale of 1 to 5, this book is a 6.

Title: Trouper
Author: Meg Kearney
Illustrator: E.B. Lewis
Publisher: Scholastic, 2013
FICTION based on real events
Audience: age 4 and up
(an author's note inside the front page mentions
a "kill shelter" but that is not part of the story)
Themes: Dogs, Pet adoption, Kindness
Opening:
               "Back in the before time,
                before I licked your nose
                or sniffed your shoes,
                before you bought my bed and bowl,
               before the place you picked me out,
               I ran with a mob of mutts.
Synopsis: Told from the dog's point of view, Trouper tells the story of a feral dog waiting to be adopted. The reader isn't told why Trouper is homeless. The book follows his journey to the animal shelter and his wait to find a home.

What I like about this book: Everything. Nowhere in the text does it say that the dog is handicapped. And although the handicap is shown in the illustrations, this is a handi-capable dog that plays with the other strays and acts like any other dog. As someone who has owned "special needs" pets, I adore the way the issue is a non-issue here. And oh-h-h those doggie eyes. Without being pedantic, it also addresses the tough issue of animal cruelty ("dodging stones thrown by boys who thought the world was mean, and so they had to be.") and the reward of adopting an older pet. Once again, the dog's age isn't mentioned in the text, but the graying muzzle in the illustrations lets the reader know Trouper is no puppy.
Resources/Activities: I covered this topic when I reviewed Nancy Furstinger's picture book, Maggie's Second Chance. You can read that post here. Susanna Hill also covered the topic and listed activities in her review last week of JJ The American Street Dog. I am a firm believer that kindness to animals develops kindness in other parts of life. The author, Meg Kearney, adopted the dog who is the "real" Trooper. Her website has a short video (keep the box of tissues close by!) about how Trooper joined her family. And she explains why her dog's name is spelled differently in the book.

Interesting side note:
I have an unpublished manuscript about a dog waiting to be adopted, also told from the large black dog's point of view. It was the very first picture book manuscript I wrote, several years ago.This subject is personal to me and I am always thrilled to see the big black dog get a home and story, even if it wasn't mine!

 This review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. Along with tons of writing wisdom, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF

Thanks for taking the time to leave me thoughts and comments!