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32 pp.
| Holiday
| March, 2023
|
TradeISBN 9780823451913$18.99
(2)
PS
From the moment readers open this book, they are treated to an album of beautiful, joyous children, all with one salient feature: "Everybody has a body." But not every body is the same. There's a youngster using a rollator who says, "I like to take a walk." There are two bespectacled kids, one of whom shares the information that "glasses make me see better." Other differences, such as one child who has "to get checkups for my heart," are not apparent from the photos but are nonetheless noted in accompanying text. This photo-essay shows children participating in a range of activities, including rock wall climbing, swimming, and reading. The message--"Even though we're the same in many ways, we're different in our own ways too. Let's be kind to everybody and every kind of body!"--has been expressed before, but rarely through such memorable images. Brief sketches of three of the children with disabilities as well as one adult advocate and a glossary of physical and learning differences complete the book.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2023
32 pp.
| Holiday
| October, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-3976-8$16.99
(3)
K-3
Following Hello Autumn! and Hello Spring!, this third seasonal photo-essay features crisp, colorful photos of a diverse group of children enjoying the season. From sledding to making snowballs to drinking hot chocolate, children bundle up, play outside, and keep cozy. The spare text also describes weather changes and plants' and animals' winter behaviors and adaptations. Glos.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| February, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-3752-8$16.95
(3)
K-3
Well-known photographer Rotner captures the elements of spring in her typical big, bright, and beautiful color photographs. The focus is on nature, from plants and flowers to bugs and animals. A variety of children are shown enjoying the outdoors, as the text clearly explains--and joyfully celebrates--the changes that spring brings. Glos.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| September, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-3869-3$16.95
(3)
K-3
Through clear prose and gorgeous, full-color pictures, Rotner captures and celebrates the vibrant changes of fall in this photo-essay. The text describes plant and animal behavior, weather changes, and human customs (including brief mentions of Halloween and Thanksgiving). As usual, Rotner's splendid photographs, featuring a diverse group of children, are delightful. Brief "Autumn Facts" are appended.
(3)
K-3
I Like to Read series.
This entry-level easy reader consists of color photos of children interacting with adult and baby farm animals, accompanied by a brief, consistent text: "I like the pig"; "I like the piglet"; "I like the hen"; "I like the chick." The cast of children is matter-of-factly diverse, the photos ably capture the appeal of the animals, and the straightforward text will boost new readers' confidence.
(3)
PS
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
The title says it all: friends come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and species. Paired with a direct and friendly text, Rotner's intimate color photographs show a diverse array of children at play and at school; using sign language and wheelchairs; hugging each other and pets; laughing together but also experiencing moments of anger and sadness. The last page invites contemplation: "What kind of friends do you have?"
32 pp.
| Holiday
| March, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-3558-6$16.95
(3)
K-3
"Most animals need eyes to survive," and their shape, size, color, and more reflect the animal's adaptations. Readers guess which animal belongs to a photographed eye, enlarged to exclude the rest of the creature; information about how that animal (and others) sees and some essential vocabulary (pupil, cornea, lens) facilitates an understanding of eye functions. Streamlined text and colorful photos are suited to young readers.
(3)
K-3
An introductory sepia-toned spread briefly explains how we used to get food. Then vibrant-colored spreads full of close-up photos highlight the current--not so dissimilar from the past--trends in food production (farmers' markets, small and family farms, community gardens). Each informative spread contains a quote from a particular type of farmer, a fact about that type of food, and photos of smiling kids eating. Glos.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| May, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-3053-6$17.95
(3)
PS
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
This book emphasizes the importance of a strong family narrative formed through conversations between family members across generational lines. Illustrating the book with Rotner's always-amiable color photographs of families, some with "one parent" and "others [that] have a grandparent, an aunt, or an uncle living with them," strengthens this emphasis and showcases the diversity of experiences in contemporary family structures.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| October, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-3162-5$16.95
(4)
K-3
Using similar components as their previous book, Body Actions, Rotner and White combine very brief text about skeletal structures with full-color photos of kids and, in this book, animals, with skeletal systems superimposed over them (which may be disconcerting to some young readers). Descriptions are scant, but readers are given opportunity to compare a wide array of creatures. Glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| January, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2426-9$16.95
(4)
K-3
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
Simple headers ("Lunch is ready!") and captions ("I picked a carrot") are an appropriate match for the clean design and engaging color photos of kids involved in food shopping, gardening, food prep, and eating. Images of children actively playing are paired with the repeated (annoying) phrase, "Good food makes me strong!" and boxed text offers nutritional tips for parents.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| September, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2366-8$16.95
(4)
K-3
Very brief text provides scant descriptions of basic body parts and their functions. Full-color photos of kids running, riding bikes, eating, etc., are engaging; many have anatomical illustrations of human organ, muscular, and skeletal systems superimposed on them, which may be disconcerting to some young readers. A guide to body systems, with photos, provides a bit more information. Glos.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| August, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2294-4$16.95
(2)
PS
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
Simple, conversational text and loads of colorful, engaging photos broadly cover how families are formed through adoption. The authors approach the subject in very general terms, allowing children to impose their own experiences. While most of the book is upbeat, the loss inherent in adoptions is also acknowledged. Children touched by the subject will find the straightforward discussion reassuring and easy to understand.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2011
48 pp.
| Millbrook
| November, 2010
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7613-4605-0$25.26
(3)
PS
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
Rotner and Goldbas explain the concept of "home" for very young children, defining it as a place where people not only eat and sleep but also find love and safety; the difficult topic of homelessness is also touched upon ("Some people don't have homes..."). Yellow type and attractive photographs featuring a diversity of children show up nicely against black backgrounds.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| May, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2247-0$16.95
(3)
K-3
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
Scientists don't know what's causing the decreasing number of honeybees, or Colony Collapse Disorder, but this book briefly posits ten theories, including pesticide use on crops, air pollution, and viruses and diseases. Rotner's engaging, child-friendly photos accompany accessible information about bees, small- and large-scale beekeeping, and the insects' important role in the pollination of our food crops. Websites.
(4)
PS
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
Simple sentences describe some of the things that kids may love: "We love the feel of our bodies moving. We love the art we make. We love the music we play." The package's sucrose dose is somewhat balanced by the book's clean design and the many black-and-white photographs, mostly of children content by themselves or happily interacting with others.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| August, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2191-6$16.95
(3)
PS
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
Though it's not the most original concept, this title does a good job of illustrating that, "Our skin is just our covering, like wrapping paper." Rotner's well-composed photographs of unremittingly cheerful children display a wide gamut of skin tones. For libraries needing a fresh volume on the subject, this fits the bill.
32 pp.
| Scholastic/Orchard
| August, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-08064-4$14.99
(3)
PS
Computer-manipulated photographs humorously illustrate dogs engaged in typical activities--but also involved in canine capers that fall far outside the realm of normal behavior (e.g., playing tennis, running on a treadmill). Lift-the-flap double-page spreads capture both the usual and the wildly inventive sides of a dog's life. An appended spread shows all the doggy models' names and breeds.
32 pp.
| Millbrook
| April, 2008
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-8225-7502-3$23.93
(3)
PS
Using simple language, this book explores a city as experienced through a child's five senses. The author clearly thought about the things that children notice. In expansive double-page-spread photographs, children stare up at a skyscraper, smell fruit at a stand, and touch an elevator button. The color photos make each scene active and full of life.
32 pp.
| Millbrook
| September, 2008
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-8225-8623-4$23.93
(3)
PS
This book features clear, full-page photos of children taking in the seasonal sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of farming life. Spreads feature one or two sentences of color-coordinated text, with the target sense word written in larger type. The book would make a good launching point for a more in-depth study of rural life or the senses.