(2) Illustrated by Diana Ejaita. James introduces young readers to the life and work of Myra Viola Wilds (1875-1935), a Black woman who became a renowned dress designer and dressmaker, and then an acclaimed poet. Wilds's life unfolds via James's loose quatrains, often using off-rhymes, that sketch her story in broad strokes -- her beginnings in rural Kentucky, her success as a dressmaker and the subsequent loss of her sight, and her creativity then taking the form of writing poetry. The language of James's poems echoes Wilds's own, with a focus on the thoughts and dreams that empowered her. Bold and color-drenched illustrations propel the story forward, through expansive images echoing the vivid collage work of Matisse, with the added texture of chalk or fabric or paint. A central figure -- a woman in profile cut from black or brown paper -- is the focus, but details of birds, flowers, and geometric swirls add dimension. An endnote provides further biographical information; an archival photograph of Wilds and her poem "Dewdrops" conclude the book.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen. Inviting readers into this spirited book, a bouncing red-rubber ball generates a path leading from the initial endpapers to the first words of text. Here readers discover properties of rubber: that it can bounce, stretch, roll, and be molded. Animated illustrations at times combine with text treatment to graphically reinforce features of rubber (e.g., under vignettes of children riding a rubber-tired tricycle, scooter, and bike: "It can r o o o o o o ll"). By posing three questions, Albee provides an outline of what readers can expect to learn about rubber: "Who discovered it? Where does it come from? How is it made?" As promised in the subtitle, she provides scientific explanations for each of the properties discussed in the introduction. Spot art supports clear, understandable explanations of scientific steps, as well as key historical moments of discovery. Throughout, Ewen's bright watercolor illustrations both pace and inform this lively text, creating a book as bouncy as the original red ball. Extensive back matter includes a note about the nomenclature of Indigenous people of South America who first discovered rubber, a discussion of environmental problems and historical conflicts involving rubber today, a timeline, a bibliography, and documentation.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jam Dong. Readers follow every step of the (fictional) container ship Carolina, which is carrying freight from a port in Asia to delivery in the Netherlands. Carolina acts as narrator, initially providing details about the process of docking and loading, while informative cutaway illustrations display the diverse cargo. Dong's clear, flat, geometrical digital illustrations also illuminate size. The massive ship dwarfs a pair of large baleen whales swimming by; readers turn the page and see the ship alone on the ocean--"a drop of color / on a canvas of blue." As the ship rounds the coast of India, personification becomes more pronounced as once "lonely" vessels assemble in the Suez Canal. But the canal is blocked, and Carolina must divert its path, weathering a fierce storm off the Cape of Good Hope before continuing north through the Atlantic. Arriving in Amsterdam, the unloading begins: "Trade is flowing, the world keeps going. But oceans away, new ports await." An outline map clearly shows Carolina's route, and readers can return to it noting specific points of the journey, such as where the ship meets rough weather. A wealth of back matter, most aimed at an older audience, includes notes about trade and containerization; a glossary; potential related jobs; various additional facts; and internet resources, including an activity guide on buoyancy. An audience-appropriate seek-and-find activity completes the book.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(2) 4-6 In the dead of night, seven children arrive in Slaughterville, a typically sleepy town supported by a single industry--the local slaughterhouse. Only Ravani, a friendless, bullied boy, witnesses their stealthy arrival. Who are these strangers and why are they so secretive? Guiding readers through this mystery, the omniscient narrator frequently employs direct address to emphasize various plot points and to ruminate on characters and their motivations. As literary strangers often do, this group of children will initiate change, but the question is: for whom? Numerous characters--from Ravani to the mysterious children, from Ravani's bully to the factory owner--are disposed (either knowingly or unknowingly) to transform lives. Sly dark humor nods at the slaughterhouse: Ravani lives on Offal Street; the factory owner is Mr. Skinister; and, as the narrator informs us, "Most of the town's visitors were cows and none of them were particularly happy to be there. They were even less happy when they left." Short chapters create a strong trajectory for the plot's arc, while the narrator's calm tone reassures readers that although danger lurks at several points, the conclusion will indeed be gratifying, perhaps even for the cows.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Diana Toledano. In the early-1900s, lonely Edith dressed animals (real ones and toys) in whatever she could, gradually building a collection of fabric scraps ("[her] greatest treasure"). During high school in L.A., she falls in love with the movies; persevering through a long career full of rejections, Head eventually becomes an (eight-time!) Oscar-winning costume designer. Well-versed in female-artist-underdog stories (Ablaze with Color; Maya Lin), Harvey's plainspoken narrative conveys Head's scrappy determination and a humble personality content out of the spotlight. Toledano's hand-rendered illustrations utilize different techniques--including what appears to be, fittingly, fabric collage.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson. Descended from generations of dressmakers in the Deep South, Ann Lowe attended a segregated design school in 1917 NYC--and was "best in her class"; her genius remained underrecognized until she designed gowns for "the wedding of the year" (Jaqueline Bouvier to JFK). The narrative varies its tone to echo both talent and tenacity: flowery descriptions of Lowe's couture (silk roses "soft as dew") trade with tighter passages on process ("Measure, snip, pin up the hems"). The digital illustrations can look slick but do justice to the rich colors and textures.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea Pippins. From childhood in segregated Georgia to millinery school in Chicago during the Great Migration to small-business success in mid-century Philadelphia: hatmaker Mae Reeves's biography also conveys much about Black American history writ large. Rhuday-Perkovich's sonorous language ("Hats were a way for these queens to be SEEN") is further strengthened by repetition of the titular theme: "Mae, like so many, made a way out of no way." Pippins's digital art has an abstract design aesthetic befitting the fabulous hats and accessories. Material from the related Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture exhibit is appended, along with a bibliography.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: You Should Meet series. Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu. The Japanese artist, fashion designer, and writer Yayoi Kusama "never stopped following her dreams." Readers learn about Kusama's childhood and career, from Japan to New York City and back; the focus is on her creativity and determination in the face of obstacles (for example, plagiarism of her work by male peers, including Andy Warhol). The cleanly designed early reader features illustrations bursting with color, many pages featuring Kusama's signature polka dots. Some loosely related facts about Japan, art, and artists, along with a comprehension quiz, are included.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(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:

(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