(2) K-3 Born into slavery, Elizabeth Keckly (sometimes spelled Keckley) followed in her mother's footsteps as a seamstress and dressmaker, eventually earning the twelve hundred dollars she needed to buy her and her son's freedom. One the eve of the Civil War she moved from St. Louis to Washington, where her work caught the attention of the wives of leaders on both sides of the growing conflict--Varina Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis; Mary Anna Custis Lee, wife of Robert E. Lee; and Mary Todd Lincoln. When Keckly's party dress for Mrs. Lincoln was a success, she was commissioned to make at least fifteen more over the next couple of years. Schofield-Morrison's (I Got the Christmas Spirit, rev. 11/18) text effectively combines a third-person narrative with italicized, unflinching first-person quotations drawn from Keckly's memoir, Behind the Scenes, or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House. The refrain "stitch by stitch" runs throughout the text, a thread complemented by Zunon's (I Am Farmer, rev. 1/19; Off to See the Sea, rev. 1/21) illustrations using a variety of media, including fabric, lace, ribbon, and appliqué. A handsome introduction to a remarkable woman and her craft. An author's note and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Steven Salerno. Fascinated by the natural world's many colors, Edwin Binney developed eight different colors of nontoxic crayons at his company in June 1903; they were an instant hit and are still made today. Whenever the text mentions a color, the word is set in bold for easy recognition by children. Salerno's dynamic spreads aptly burst with a variety of colors. Occasional helpful sidebars provide further explanations, particularly about the Crayola invention process. Bib.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) YA Tech Titans series. With clean design that reflects the companies they profile, these straightforward, well-organized introductions to technology innovators present the histories, impacts, key players, and controversies. With a focus on narrative and readability, each book compellingly begins with an anecdote about the founders or recent events to demonstrate the company's powerful influence. Sidebars and lots of captioned photographs help break up the texts. There are four other spring 2019 books in this series. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Tech Titans titles: Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) YA Tech Titans series. With clean design that reflects the companies they profile, these straightforward, well-organized introductions to technology innovators present the histories, impacts, key players, and controversies. With a focus on narrative and readability, each book compellingly begins with an anecdote about the founders or recent events to demonstrate the company's powerful influence. Sidebars and lots of captioned photographs help break up the texts. There are four other spring 2019 books in this series. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Tech Titans titles: Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) YA Tech Titans series. With clean design that reflects the companies they profile, these straightforward, well-organized introductions to technology innovators present the histories, impacts, key players, and controversies. With a focus on narrative and readability, each book compellingly begins with an anecdote about the founders or recent events to demonstrate the company's powerful influence. Sidebars and lots of captioned photographs help break up the texts. There are four other spring 2019 books in this series. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Tech Titans titles: Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) YA Tech Titans series. With clean design that reflects the companies they profile, these straightforward, well-organized introductions to technology innovators present the histories, impacts, key players, and controversies. With a focus on narrative and readability, each book compellingly begins with an anecdote about the founders or recent events to demonstrate the company's powerful influence. Sidebars and lots of captioned photographs help break up the texts. There are four other spring 2019 books in this series. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Tech Titans titles: Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Don Tate. Bolden spotlights the life, work, and legacy of African American farmer and businessman Groves, born into slavery, who became known as the "Potato King of the World." As a free man, he worked on a Kansas potato farm and, over time, built an empire. Bolden's use of alliteration and folksy language lightens the fact-packed narrative. Quotes from Groves fill boxed insets in Tate's unpretentious, sunny-hued art. Timeline. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) YA Fallon provides thorough discussion of the invention of early automobiles, the development of modern cars, government and industrial efforts to design autonomous vehicles, and the safety and cultural impacts of these new technologies. The engaging main text is supplemented with historical and modern photographs and relevant sidebars. A final chapter references popular fiction and films to imagine our self-driving future. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Morstad. An imagined first-person voice, dotted with (sourced) quotations, introduces flamboyant Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Beginning with her parents' harsh treatment of her, the narrative reveals a creative woman determined to leave a designing legacy with inventive, playful looks. The watercolor, gouache, and pencil-crayon illustrations depict how a dreary childhood "bloomed" into a color-filled life. An appended note says more about Schiaparelli's accomplishments. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) 4-6 The trajectory of the French fashion designer's life and successful career is outlined in a well-researched, highly readable biography. Rubin addresses the darker parts of Chanel's history--her childhood in an orphanage, her relationship with a Nazi intelligence officer--as well as her iconic industry "firsts," including women's suits and the little black dress. The elegantly designed volume includes plenty of photographs. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Freeman. African American designer Ann Cole Lowe learned dressmaking from her mother and grandmother. She eventually designed for some of America's most powerful families (including making Jacqueline Bouvier's now-famous wedding dress). Freeman fills the pages with vivacious patterns and saturated colors. Audiences will take pleasure both in the vibrancy of the dresses and in the dedication of the couture artist who created them. Reading list.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(4) 4-6 Gateway Biographies series. While staying politically neutral, this adulatory look at the current first daughter's life, upbringing, views, and ambitions under the shadow of her father (before, during, and after his presidential campaign) will leave readers with a positive personal impression of the real-estate and fashion businesswoman. Photographs accompany a wordy text on bland page layouts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA Big Business series. Each volume chronicles a major industry's history, its importance to and impact on the economy, principal players, strategic actions, and status in the twenty-first century. The insightful and informative series uses well-chosen photos, advertisements, illustrations, and related sidebars to extend the texts. A world production map is included. There are four other spring 2017 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Big Business titles: Inside the Gold Industry, Inside the Cotton Industry, Inside the Oil Industry, and Inside the Tobacco Industry.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: 1st in Fashion series. Using a conversational tone, this engaging biography series discusses the life of each designer, his or her creative contribution within social history, and the evolution of the style to modern day. Additional facts appear at the bottom of pages as well as in "Fashion Factoid" sidebars throughout. Captioned photographs, a large font, and bright colors add appeal to the layouts. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: 1st in Fashion titles: Chuck Taylor: Sneaker Sensation, Eddie Bauer: Down Jacket Developer, Louis Réard: Bikini Designer, Mary Quant: Miniskirt Maker, Sam Foster: Sunglasses Success, and Levi Strauss: Blue Jean Genius.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Katty Maurey. Skirting the less-savory aspects of Carnegie's biography (corrupt business dealings, the Homestead Strike, etc.), Larsen writes a plainspoken picture-book narrative of a hard-working and intellectually curious immigrant who grew to be a major philanthropist and builder of public libraries. Maurey's gentle, flattened figurative depictions have a subdued stateliness. The handsome, well-made book (sewn signatures, a lovely rarity!) includes an afterword with photos. Bib.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) YA Big Business series. Each volume chronicles a major industry's history, its importance to and impact on the economy, principal players, strategic actions, and status in the twenty-first century. The insightful and informative series uses well-chosen photos, advertisements, illustrations, and related sidebars to extend the texts. A world production map is included. There are four other spring 2017 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Big Business titles: Inside the Gold Industry, Inside the Cotton Industry, Inside the Oil Industry, and Inside the Tobacco Industry.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Big Business series. Each volume chronicles a major industry's history, its importance to and impact on the economy, principal players, strategic actions, and status in the twenty-first century. The insightful and informative series uses well-chosen photos, advertisements, illustrations, and related sidebars to extend the texts. A world production map is included. There are four other spring 2017 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Big Business titles: Inside the Gold Industry, Inside the Cotton Industry, Inside the Oil Industry, and Inside the Tobacco Industry.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Big Business series. Each volume chronicles a major industry's history, its importance to and impact on the economy, principal players, strategic actions, and status in the twenty-first century. The insightful and informative series uses well-chosen photos, advertisements, illustrations, and related sidebars to extend the texts. A world production map is included. There are four other spring 2017 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Big Business titles: Inside the Gold Industry, Inside the Cotton Industry, Inside the Oil Industry, and Inside the Tobacco Industry.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 From Cleopatra to Coco Chanel and on to Michelle Obama and young YouTube stars, this collective biography features more than a dozen fashion icons. Brief and chatty biographical profiles are well illustrated and bolstered with fashion guides, hair-styling instructions, and clothing trend timelines. An appealing, informative read for tween fashion enthusiasts that spotlights an interesting and up-to-date set of influential women. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) YA Cutting-Edge Science and Technology series. Hand examines the old traditions and modern technologies that are used in sustainable farming of plants and animals. Detailed descriptions of soil, water, seeds, crops, pest control, and energy use illustrate how they are managed to provide continuous, productive growth with minimized environmental impact. Stock photographs and profiles of important scientists, ecologists, and environmentalists are included. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford