Month: December 2020

Only Picture Books’ 20 Favorites of 2020

On By Only Picture BooksIn OPB Favorites, Picture Book Lists

2020 was a rough year–no doubt about it. But at least we had some first-​rate new picture books to help us through it all.

This list is our subjective ranking of 20 books OPB really liked from this past year. If we missed a great book, please take a moment to share your 2020 faves in the comment section

Great work should be recognized, valued, and encouraged.

We hope OPB helps make all that happen.

All of a Sudden and Forever by Chris Barton, illustrated by Nicole Xu (4 February 2020)

This nonfiction book tenderly handles the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995–Barton does a wonderful job of showing how healing happens after a collective tragedy. The art by debut illustrator Xu elevates an already beautiful story.

 

Construction People by Lee Bennett Hopkins (editor), illustrated by Ellen Shi (16 March 2020)

The late Lee Bennett Hopkins assembled 14 poems about the wide range of people needed to build a city high rise. The poems are noisy and fun in all the right ways for young readers–this is a real treat.

 

Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built by Angela Burke Kunkel, illustrated by Paolo Escobar (8 September 2020)

This book offers a wonderful look at Colombia while telling the amazing story of a garbage collector in Bogotá who created a library that started with a single discarded book that he found on his route. Digging for Words has solid read-​aloud potential, too, which isn’t always the case with nonfiction.

 

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez (8 September 2020)

The first-​person present-​tense story is a believable tale of how the friendship of two girls can survive anything–including separation/​change. Sánchez’s mixed-​media art is bright, vibrant, and lovely.

 

Hans Christian Anderson: The Journey of His Life by Heinz Janisch, illustrated by Maja Kastelic (1 September 2020)

OPB reviewed this book earlier this year, and months later, we still think it’s still a standout. This story-​in-​a-​story biography is simply enchanting.

 

Hike by Pete Oswald (17 March 2020)

There simply aren’t enough quality father-​son picture books, but this one adds to that list. The adventure is nearly wordless, but the journey is marvelous for father, son, and reader. Delightful, and with just a hint of whimsy.

 

Honeybee: the Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann (4 February 2020)

Fleming crafts language that manages to communicate the facts of the honeybee’s intriguing short life, but it’s Rohmann’s exquisite oil paint illustrations that makes this book soar. The close-​ups can easily be mistaken for photographs! Watch for the gorgeous gatefold at the very end, as well as a backmatter essay on the plight of the honeybees.

 

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James (1 September 2020)

There are catchy, memorable lines throughout (“I am good to the core, like the center of a cinnamon roll”) that readers will delight in. But it’s the empowering message of self-​affirmation and value here that makes this a must-​read. James’ oil-​paintings are richly textured and powerful–watch for a cameo from Barack Obama!

 

If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall (15 September 2020)

While the premise is intriguing (how might you introduce Earth to a visitor from outer space?), it’s no surprise that two-​time Caldecott winner Blackall’s illustrations steal the show. Her stunning attention to detail showcases the diversity of our planet in all of its glory. Simply beautiful.

If you liked Oliver Jeffers’ Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, If You Come to Earth will likely be a hit, as well.

 

Lights on Wonder Rock by David Litchfield (8 September 2020)

In this story, Heather yearns to go to outer space. But is she truly ready to leave Earth–and everything about it–behind? I think I love this cover (and story) because it reminds me of E.T., but the graphic novel style throughout is equally compelling. Note the numerous wordless spreads that burst with delicious light and color. Litchfield is really, really good.

 

Nonsense!: The Curious Story of Edward Gorey by Lori Mortensen, illustrated by Chloe Bristol (24 March 2020)

A lyrical biography about the curious, strange man who served as inspiration for other curious, strange creatives (like Tim Burton and Lemony Snicket)? Yes, please! Of course, both the lyrical and artistic elements are positively Gorey-​esque. A generous two-​page Author’s Note helps round out a reader’s understanding of Gorey’s amazing life and accomplishments.

 

The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho, illustrated by Jess X. Snow (4 August 2020)

“Haenyeo” means free diving, and we learn all about that in this lovely story where a Korean girl dreams of being a haenyeo and diving deep to grab treasures from the ocean floor, just as generations have done before, and just as her grandma does now. There’s plenty of STEM appeal here, but it’s also a sweet story about family and tradition.

 

The Old Truck by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey (7 January 2020)

The retro design is what first catches my eye, but I’m quickly taken by this eloquent ode to perseverance and grit. OPB is definitely looking forward to more picture books from the Pumphrey brothers.

 

Outside In by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby (14 April 2020)

Each year, it seems OPB includes a Deborah Underwood story in one way or another, and here’s yet another fine one. The starred review at Kirkus has it right–this book is a “love letter to nature.” Best of all, Outside In isn’t preachy nor heavy-​handed. It’s (appropriately) quiet, wise, and wondrous.

 

The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Pascal Campion (18 February 2020)

What a cool book! It’s the “simple” story of a parent going to work, but it’s filtered through the wondrous imagination of a child. Yes, there’s social critique tucked away in these pages, but even if a child doesn’t get that, this book will resonate on many levels.

 

A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris (13 October 2020)

Children will love the in-​text questions about where this polar bear is going–it’s a great way to get them involved in the storytelling. The art is simple and charming, as is this captivating Arctic adventure.

 

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta, illustrated Frank Morrison (14 January 2020)

I love picture book biographies–especially when it’s about someone I THINK I know, then I come to realize how much more there is to their story. That’s the case here in this dignified and interesting take on the life of George Washington Carver–a “living folk hero.”

 

The Truth About Dragons by Jaime Zollars (15 September 2020)

This debut picture book will help readers see beyond their fears to find their own strength/​inner dragon. It’s a delightful take about the anxiety of new experiences.

 

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade (17 March 2020)

It’s hard to say which is more captivating–the potent words of Lindstrom or the lush art of Goade. Regardless, it’s a passionate call for much-​needed environmental stewardship that shows how interconnected our world is. Simply lovely.

 

Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-​Bigelow (7 July 2020)

A young girl is understandably unhappy at how people mishandling her name, yet her mother teaches her about the magic and music of names…including her own. It’s a celebration of language and history suitable for all readers.

Editor Interview: Melissa Manlove (Chronicle Books)

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This month’s Industry Insider interview is with Chronicle Books senior editor Melissa Manlove. I first met her in Miami back in 2018 when she gave an inspiring one-​day workshop on picture books with Sylvie Frank—I have pages of scribbled notes to prove it! And I’ve been a fan of Melissa’s ever since.

Melissa didn’t go the regular route to a job in the kidlit world. Her college major was Classics, and she also immersed herself in mythology, folklore, Shakespeare, Milton, Chaucer, Hindu religion, poetry, and more. Talk about a wide-​ranging liberal arts education!

Now it’s no secret that I’m a fan of Chronicle books, and Melissa’s own list has too many faves to list here, so I’ll simply limit myself to three really fine picture books that I urge you to read.

Now that we’re all pals with Melissa, let’s chat!

https://twitter.com/mmanlove

https://www.chroniclebooks.com/

RVC: Let’s start by talking about Chronicle. You’ve been there for 16 years. What’s the best thing about working at an independently owned company? 

MM: There’s a lot of trust invested in the people making the books—aside from covers, the book making process is the privilege of a very small group who work with the author and artist, and I think that makes space for the selfhood of the book itself.

RVC: That’s a great phrase–“selfhood of the book.”

Among your various superpowers is an ability to translate Latin and Ancient Greek. How did your college degree in Classics prepare you for a career in kidlit?

MM: I’ve forgotten most of my Greek and Latin, but my studies of those languages, as well as Russian, French, and Spanish really helped to underline that each language has its own rhythms and music. That and the background in mythology have been a help to how I understand story as a performance art.

RVC: How IS story performance art?

MM: Not all story is necessarily performed, but picture books—especially for the younger ages–are most often read aloud, and that requires the author to consider how their text informs performance. In my talks, I point out that all of the clues authors leave that might inform performance add up to voice. Storytelling started before writing, and passed from voice to ear to mind long before there was written history, and it is still in the profoundly human circle of firelight and voice (whether the firelight comes from a screen these days or not) that we remember what it means to have a shared story.

RVC: And there’s a great explanation on why so many editors are deeply concerned with a manuscript’s “voice.” Thanks for that!

Speaking of editors, I’ve got a few students at Ringling College who are interested in that as a career. When I tell them that a shockingly large percentage of an editor’s day is spent handling email and attending meetings, they don’t quite buy it. Care to drop a truth bomb on me/​them/​everyone?

MM: You are so right!

An editor’s job is in the vast majority a communications job—passing and filtering information between designer, production manager, copyeditors, proofreaders, fact-​checkers, sales reps, marketing, author, artist, agents … Editors are meant to be the hub of a wheel of people, and the guardian of what the book is meant to be to all its stakeholders. It means that I actually edit and read submissions on the weekends, mostly.

RVC: Let’s dig a bit deeper into the life of an editor. How many submissions do you see in a week?

MM: 10–15 from agents, another 5–10 from writers’ conferences that I’ve taught at. But Chronicle’s Children’s Division accepts unagented submissions, and of those we get about 200 per week.

RVC: What’s your favorite part of a workday?

MM: Editing is always my favorite—talking to writers about the craft of writing; talking about the infinitely varied path toward finding what a book wants to be.

RVC: Now I’m going to get all complimenty. It’s clear to me that you’re open to nonfiction picture books that avoid the expected approach, which often is cold precision and a sense of linearity and/​or formality. 

Take Josephine, for example. That book delivers facts, but it’s got real heart, too.

MM: True stories fascinate me, but even more fascinating is what makes a story feel true. That’s something you could give many names, and yes—heart is one of those. After all, what’s the point of telling kids about the world if we don’t also communicate why we should care?

RVC: Is it fair to say that Josephine—as well as many of your nonfiction books—fundamentally presents a transformation arc? Is that something you’re looking for in submissions?

MM: Often, yes! Readers love a transformation arc because when we see how a character can change themselves, we know we have that power, too. And changing ourselves is changing the world.

RVC: From looking at what you teach at conferences and at Storyteller Academy, rhyme is something you appreciate (when it’s done well). So, let me ask—how do you know when it’s done well? What do you look for?

MM: Poetry of all kinds is aware of the space it occupies—in its rhythms, in its breaths, in its white space on the page. Some people are more naturally attuned to the way language moves through its music. But every poet becomes familiar with the idea of scansion, whether they decide to use its structure to build something, or break it purposefully.

RVC: What’s the easiest way to help aspiring rhymers understand syllabic vs accentual poetry?

MM: The question is which you are counting to make a poem. Haiku counts syllables. Sonnets count syllables and accented syllables. Mother Goose just counts accented syllables. Take Humpty Dumpty—the first and second lines have a different number of syllables than the third and fourth lines. But all four lines have the same number of accented syllables—beats.

RVC: What are a few of your favorite rhyming books?

MM: I love Bubble Trouble, Go to Sleep Little Farm, Goodnight Moon, All the World, Bad Bye Good Bye, I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More…

And of course I’m very proud of my many rhyming picture books, which include Interstellar Cinderella and its sequels, Mighty Mighty Construction Site and its sequels, You Are New, Water Sings Blue, Green Is a Chile Pepper, and of course parts of Josephine.

Look for Bathe the Cat and It’s So Quiet coming soon!

RVC: Attendees of your SCBWI workshops on picture book voice rave and rave about them. Now, let’s be honest—if we wanted to really go deep into voice, that’d need to be its own interview. But can you share a misconception about voice that gets writers into trouble?

MM: I think the worst misconception is that a great writer has a single voice. That might be true of reporters. But adapting voice to story, character, mood—that’s what storytellers do.

RVC: In all your experience as a kidlit editor, what has surprised you the most?

MM: There are too many to count or rank!

One of the great gifts of this job is how wide a variety of skills it asks of you, and how wide a variety of experiences it offers. I suppose one is that I’m now teaching public speaking—something I feared and loathed for years. There’s a transformation arc for you!

RVC: What was your secret for moving from a state of fear about public speaking to being comfortable teaching it to others?

MM: The psychiatrist Fritz Perls said “fear is excitement without the breath” and that’s the truth—if you can take a breath and get excited about what you fear, the nervous energy before you go on stage becomes the energy you use to reach out to your audience, and to give them something that matters.

RVC: Love it. Thanks for that!

One last question for this part of the interview. You’ve been a bookseller for a long, long time. Do you still do that? And do you still put on puppet shows?

MM: Sadly, my mother (with whom I did the puppet shows) decided to retire from show business, but I still work at a bookstore on the weekend! I love recommending books.

RVC: Alright, Melissa—it’s time for the SPEED ROUND! Lickety-​split questions followed by zappity-​fast answers. Are you ready?

MM: Oh! Really? I—

RVC: What’s a secret talent of yours?

MM: Um. I can recite Ladle Rat Rotten Hut from memory?

RVC: If you had to live inside a picture book world for a day, which book would you choose?

MM: Oh, well, here at the end of 2020 I’m wishing for something cozy. Maybe something by Phoebe Wahl?

RVC: How would you use a 30-​second ad slot at the next Super Bowl?

MM: Probably for an encouragement to reading aloud to kids. Parents give it up too early and too easy, and it makes a huge difference!

RVC: What’s the One That Got Away?

MM: Small in the City. *shakes fist at Neal Porter* (Neal knows I love him)

RVC: Five things you can’t do your job without.

MM: People! That’s who it’s for.

Kids, educators, my friends and colleagues at Chronicle, my brilliant authors and artists, and my own child self.

RVC: Something your authors and illustrators probably say about you.

MM: Oh no. My anxiety and guilt wants to answer “delinquent”—it’s so hard to keep up with this job, especially in a pandemic year. But I guess what I hope I am to my authors and artists is someone who wants their hearts—what’s best and worst about them, what’s true.

RVC: Thanks so much, Melissa. It was great having you come by OPB!

Educational Activities: Lights Out by Marsha Diane Arnold

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Lights Out
Author: Marsha Diane Arnold
Illustrator: Susan Reagan
18 August 2020
Creative Editions
32 pages

I’ve been out in the middle of Iowa at night, so I’ve seen a lightless sky. It’s amazing!

Book description from Goodreads: “In a world marred by light pollution, this quest for true darkness is a clarion call to turn out the lights—so that all may see.”

Need some reviews of Lights Out?

Here’s a short bonus interview with author Marsha Diane Arnold at Night Sky Tourist.

Here’s another author interview at Picture Book Builders.

And here’s one more author interview, too–this time from from Jena Benton.

Educational Activities inspired by Marsha Diane Arnold’s Lights Out:

  • Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover: 
    • Where and when do you think this story takes place?
    • What does the phrase “lights out” make you think of?
    • What kind of creatures are on the front cover? 
      • Is it relevant that they are creatures of air, land, and water?
    • What’s special about the letter i in the title on the front cover?
    • Is there anything else that you note about the title? (Perhaps in terms of color?)
  • After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story: 
    • What other story/​book/​film/​tv show does Lights Out remind you of?
    • What is the author’s main message with this book?
    • Why do you think there are sea turtles on the end papers?
    • Where do Fox, Frog, Bear, Firefly, and Songbird want to go? 
      • Why?
    • Early in the book, there’s a sizable list of things that create light. What other light sources can you add?
    • When the story ends with “Lights on,” is that a good thing, a bad thing, or something else entirely?
  • Science–Many of the animals in this book are nocturnal, meaning that they’re only active during the dark. In fact, nearly half of the animals in the world are nocturnal! Learn more about nocturnal creatures in the following two videos.

  • Writing–Try your hand at writing the story of a creature who is affected by a specific type of pollution (water? air? noise? light? something else?). Consider using crayons or colored pencils to create illustrations. Share your results with an adult!
  • Art–Imagine what the sky might look like if no human-​made light sources are present. What colors would you notice? Would you see the same constellations and shapes you do now? How clear would the sky be? Create that image with painting, crayons, or colored pencils. Consider sharing it with a friend or adult, and explain your creative choices.
  • Further Reading–Which of these other picture books about pollution have you read? (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)

Author Interview: Doreen Cronin

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Talk about ending the year strong! This month’s author interview is with bestselling, award-​winning author Doreen Cronin, who’s known for (among other things) her Click, Clack series. If you don’t know these books, please remedy that immediately because they are truly first-​rate. Here are just a few of my faves from that series:

Doreen’s also the author of Rescue Bunnies, Bloom, Smick!, and many other books. She currently resides in New York City with her husband, two daughters, and a dog named Buster.

Let’s get on with the interview!

RVC: You were lucky enough to receive some very early encouragement from a teacher. What was it, and what did it mean to you?

DC: I was a very quiet, very studious six year old–with a deep fear of speaking up in class. My first-​grade teacher, Mrs. Cooper, couldn’t really get me to open up in class, so she started to give me writing assignments. Funny thing is, I didn’t consider them work since they were chances to “speak” in poem, in song, and in stories. She was just brilliant.

After quite a few of these “assignments,” which were really just opportunities to be heard, she said, “Ah, I see now. You’re a writer.”

I didn’t know “writer” could be a job. I’m not even sure I connected it with books, per se, but I knew she was right.  “I am a writer.”  On the hard days now, I still have to remind myself.

RVC: You took a sidetrack from Mrs. Cooper’s plan for you becoming a writer. You went to St. John’s Law School in the late 1990s and practiced law in downtown Manhattan for a few years. What appealed about that type of career?

DC: The research–and the writing! A career where I get to bury myself in these giant, gorgeously bound law books and analyze cases and then write pages and pages of a position or an argument? That was, at its core, a writing job, and I absolutely loved it.

RVC: How long were you juggling the two careers? Were you writing the entire time you were practicing law?

DC: I wrote so much when I was practicing law. When time is scarce, you make the most of it. And when your brain is going all day, it just doesn’t shut off at night (as we all know.).

Luckily for me, my brain could review documents and read cases and write briefs all day–and many nights and weekends–and then when I got home, she wanted to talk about cows. I let her talk.

RVC: Your dual-​career story reminds me a good bit of John Grisham, who also moved from a successful legal career to a successful writing one. How did you know when it was time to stop juggling and take the literary plunge?

DC:  I don’t know how many readers are familiar with the “interoffice envelope,” but it is (was?) a large, manila-​type envelope with printed lines of “To” and “From” on front and back, to be re-​used over and over again.  At the top of the envelope was a deep maroon “paper button” and a string that looped around it (to secure the contents, ha!).  The mailroom would drop off piles of these and inside were memos, of course, and briefs you worked on that have now been red-​inked to within an inch of their original arguments (and not nearly as kindly as your editor’s remarks. Think “CRONIN, THIS IS NONSENSICAL GARBAGE” as opposed to “I’m not sure what you’re saying here.”).

Something happened a few months after Click Clack Moo was published and I would unloop the paper button on the  interoffice envelope and letters addressed Doreen Cronin, Author, would spill out. Readers were asking me what Duck was going to do next. And did I visit schools? And what was my favorite color?

That’s when I started to think about writing full time. I had lunch with two of my publishing colleagues and asked them if I should quit my day job. They both said “absolutely not.” So, of course, I did, because I don’t like being told what to do.

RVC: Let’s talk about Betsy Lewin. When did you first see the illustrations for Click, Clack, Moo?

DC: Oh, boy, very late in the game. I had never spoken to the art director or to Betsy. I was sent a copy of the sketches (by REAL MAIL, with STAMPS) and I was speechless. I had no idea what any of the characters looked like when I wrote the story. I didn’t even think about what they might look like.

Then I opened my envelope (another big manila one), and there they were.

It felt like they had been born. I actually cried. It was an extraordinary feeling to see them and meet them for the first time. Even if it meant crying alone through a fog of cigarette smoke. (Yes, I quit a long time ago.)

RVC: Why do you think her art works so well with the Click Clack books?

DC: Because she’s brilliant and funny and generous and so is her art. Betsy speaks in pictures and I speak in words and they just work together. Our written story and our illustrated story just understand each other and complement each other. I don’t know how else to explain it.

RVC: How collaborative is the storymaking process between the two of you?

DC: It isn’t! I like to write and then get out of the way.

There have been a few occasions over the years where Betsy will call me and say, “Can we talk about this page? I’m having some difficulty.” On every single one of those occasions, the problem was the text.

RVC: My kids really got a kick out of the Bug Diary series. The first one, Diary of a Worm, came out in 2003. What’s the story of how that book came about?

DC: I was trying to write a book about a girl with a really annoying kid brother (hello, autobiography). So when he bothered her, she would call him a pest and then…name the pest.  So, “You’re so annoying, you’re like…a worm!”  Then kid brother, being full of grit and resilience, would look up the pest and find out what makes the pest “good.”

Yes, pretty boring.

After about six months of writing that, I wrote a page where the kid brother writes in his journal as a worm, having been hurled that insult by his rude sister (hello, autobiography). After revising and revising that manuscript, that single page was the only page I liked, thus, Diary of a Worm was born.

RVC: I’m glad you stuck with the idea long enough to find the story you intended. Sometimes those things hide forever!

You’ve been fortunate to have earned a lot of honors, awards, and successes for your writing. Which meant the most to you?

DC: The first one, the Caldecott Honor for Betsy and the book for Click Clack Moo. Why? Because I didn’t even know what it was–I was blissfully unaware in the most innocent and ignorant way. Wasn’t aware of the ALA awards, wasn’t aware what was happening on that Monday in January. I had the day off from lawyering and I slept in. When the phone rang, I had absolutely no assumptions about who would be calling.

Ignorance really is bliss sometimes. Once you become aware of it–YOU WANT IT.

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. You seem to be drawn to animal characters. Which of them do you feel is most like you?

DC: Ha! Duck and Worm. Duck is the side of my personality that has a problem with authority, and Worm is the side of my personality that needs to write to be heard.

RVC: Okey dokey, it’s time to get serious with a capital S—that’s because it’s the Speed Round. Zoomy questions and lickety-​split answers, please. Are you ready, Doreen?

DC: Always ready…

RVC: The best place in NYC for bagels? Pizza? Smoothies?

DC: My kitchen! It’s the most boring of answers ever given to the NYC’s best question, but due to an autoimmune condition, I live a dairy-​free, gluten-​free life. So I make my own GF bagels, GF pizza, and dairy-​free smoothies. ALL DAY LONG.

I would like to take this opportunity to plug the enormous, counter-​hogging air fryer–because it has transformed my soggy, gluten-​free life into a crispy extravaganza!

RVC: On a scale of 1 to 84, how much did you intend Click, Clack, Moo to be a sneaky lesson in collective bargaining?

DC: Ha! ZERO. I thought it was about the power of the written word–and how language changes everything. My then-​husband called me a socialist after he read it.

RVC: If Duck ran for President in 2020, what would’ve been his campaign promise?

DC: 2020–Back the Quack!

RVC: Five words that describe your writing process.

DC: Chaotic, sporadic, hilarious, inspired, tiring.

RVC: What was your favorite picture book of 2019?

DC: I couldn’t possibly!

RVC: Best compliment a child ever gave your books?

DC: Compliments from children make me cry. The best one is probably “I want to be a writer now, too!” Mrs. Cooper strikes again!

The funniest inquiry I ever got was, “Are you okay?”

RVC: Thanks so much, Doreen! We really enjoyed having you swing by to wrap up 2020 in style!

Picture Book Review: Joey: The Story of Joe Biden, by Jill Biden

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews
Author: Jill Biden (with Kathleen Krull)
Illustrator: Amy June Bates
Paula Wiseman Books
22 September 2020
48 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Chief Political Analyst at Only Picture Books) and OPB superfriend (and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor) John Herzog.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Joey: The Story of Joe Biden is a picture book biography about the 46th President of the United States, written by his wife, bestselling author Jill Biden (with the help of award-​winning writer Kathleen Krull). The book begins with Joe’s early years in the quaint world of the 1950s, with terrific Norman Rockwell-​esque illustrations that effectively create a pleasurable nostalgic mood. I could wax on about the art alone, but I’ll let John handle that below.

Though Joe knew the challenge of poverty early on, he enjoyed a rich, supportive family life. Mrs. Biden–little Joey’s mom–even told him, “Bravery resides in ever heart, and yours is fierce and clear.” Through a series of anecdotes like that, the book reveals an admirable sense of responsibility and honor the entire Biden clan seems to hold dear.

Many reviewers seem untroubled by the potentially problematic role model that Joe presents in those early years, though, such as how Joe was “unable to refuse a dare, even when it was dangerous,” and how he dealt with school bullies by fighting. The accompanying image for that latter situation even shows him with a clenched jaw and clenched fists. These facts might undercut the role-​model purity some readers hope a book like this will bring. Certainly, having young people fight their way out of problems or undertake unnecessary risk behaviors aren’t things many adults condone.

Yet the book gets back on track fairly quickly, with Joe’s competitiveness, sense of justice, and ability to overcome a pervasive stutter preparing readers for the metamorphosis Joe undergoes in high school. He grows a foot taller, develops boundless charisma, and works hard to be a peacemaker. The fact that he spent summers in a work-​study program so he could afford to attend the expensive “Catholic high school overlooking the Delaware River” helps present him as a sympathetic, hard-​working figure. Here’s the role model parents are looking for in this book.

While the book acknowledges that Joe became “one of the youngest people ever elected to the United State Senate,” and that Obama found him to be “the best vice president America’s ever had,” Joe’s political career isn’t really a large part of the book. This is more the nostalgic story of how a leader is made through the crucible of life’s challenges told through unadorned, plain English–as opposed to the poetic depiction Nikki Grimes used to present the life of Kamala Harris in her recent biography.

Author Jill Biden understandably tries hard to present Joe in a very positive manner that mostly rings true. But there’s this moment early on: “maybe he was just a regular guy, not rich, not privileged, but he dreamed big and saw himself a leader.” Will some readers be bothered by the “not privileged” note? Perhaps.

The book went to press prior to Biden winning the election, so it simply ends with his 2019 announcement that he’s running for President of the United States, which he considers “a battle for the soul of America.” The book ends with “Give me the ball!” which connects to a throughline regarding his past as a successful athlete.

The backmatter is sizable but the highlights are a quirky list of Bidenisms and a comprehensive timeline that fills in many of the blanks of Joe’s life and career. Whether you’re a Biden fan or not, this book offers insight into our 46th President and will be a welcome addition to the shelves of school and public libraries.

4.25 out of 5 pencils

 

–John’s Review of the Illustrations–

With his successful campaign for President of the United States, interest in all things Joe Biden was bound to be inevitable. So it’s no surprise that we now have Joey: The Joe Biden Story for children (and their parents) to learn a little more about Biden’s upbringing and why he got into politics in the first place.

Written by Jill Biden with Kathleen Krull, and illustrated by Amy June Bates, Joey spends a lot of its time with Biden as a young man playing football, interacting with his siblings, going to school, etc. We have a chance to see the values instilled in him when he was a kid, how he exemplified them as a young boy, and how he continues to exemplify them today. While the book does seem overly idyllic at times, it understands its audience and does a good job of showing the relevant parts of Biden’s life.

I know that, in the past, I have been very effusive about the work of Amy June Bates (see my review for Gittel’s Journey). With her work in Joey, that effusion has not diminished in any way. The reality is this: Amy June Bates is one of the best picture book illustrators working today, and is probably one of the best picture book illustrators of all time. Her sense of design and color, the natural flow of her illustrations coupled with the story, her impeccable sense of detail balanced out with blocks of color–what can I say? It’s all fantastic and perfect and wonderful. Her use of traditional media–in this case watercolor, gouache, and pencil–elevates the storytelling, giving us rich, nuanced images that help us connect to Biden–first as a kid, and now as President-elect.

The nitpicks I have with the illustrations in this book–and they’re very minor–are as follows. Sometimes it’s hard to pick out Biden from the crowd. Overall, Bates does a fine job of separating him from the pack, but there were a few times where I just wasn’t sure which character was supposed to be Biden. In many of the illustrations, Bates gives Biden’s clothes a slight teal color, but I think it would’ve been helpful to make that more consistent throughout the book. I also wish that Biden’s character design had a consistent trademark attribute that followed him from childhood to adulthood. His design felt slightly erratic, and adding a staple of his look would’ve also been helpful.

These are minor criticisms, of course. And while I thoroughly enjoyed Joey: The Story of Joe Biden, it often felt like the picture book equivalent of rose-​colored glasses. But perhaps that’s the point. It brims with nostalgia, of course, but thankfully it’s infused with elements of reality that help keep it grounded. That’s probably the best compliment I could give the book, really. Biden himself feels like a dreamer, a go-​getter who also understands the plight of the average person. That attitude comes across loud and clear in the book and, after dealing with the last four years, it’s a very welcome change.

4.5 out of 5 crayons

John Herzog is an award-​winning illustrator and educator. 

His clients include Hasbro, Dreamworks TV, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Scholastic, and Highlights for Children. He also teaches illustration classes at Ringling College of Art and Design.

John is a member of the National Cartoonists Society and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, where he received the 2018 SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for his Highlights High Five cover illustration. He lives in Florida with his wife, two kids, a pair of geckos, a South American horned frog, a bearded dragon, and a fish.