(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. What kind of spark is needed to ignite a global movement? In the case of the Earth Day Movement, it was quite literally sparks from a railcar landing in the heavily polluted and quite flammable Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. "KABOOM!" While not the first time the river had caught fire, this time, as Wittenstein's enlightening text shows, residents had had enough. Spurred on by the activism of the 1960s, they demanded action to clean up the river, and by extension the planet. While young readers may take for granted the concept of environmentalism, the book does an excellent job depicting the nascent moments of the movement that led to the first Earth Day celebration, the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, and legislation such as the Clean Water Act. Hartland's playful gouache paintings shine, reflecting a child's perspective on the events and conveying their emotional significance and ramifications. Back matter consists of a detailed author's note providing additional historical details; a timeline of the environmental movement; a bibliography; and a list of resources where readers can learn more about the Cuyahoga River Fire of 1969, Earth Day, and more about protecting our planet.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. This superbly executed picture book takes readers behind the scenes of the writing of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. The text--propulsive and suspenseful--follows King as he labored through the night. As he stepped up to the podium, at the urging of Mahalia Jackson, he put aside his prepared remarks and preached. Pinkney's loose-lined pencil and watercolor-washed illustrations, with some collage elements, are beautifully contemplative. Bib.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Chris Hsu. This picture book biography presents Earle Dickson's invention of the Band-Aid, from inspiration to development to marketing. Wittenstein's jokey, repeated use of "The End" ("Success! Band-Aids flew off the shelves. The End. / Not really...") proves how challenging it can be to impose narrative on complicated histories. Details in the mixed-media and digital illustrations evoke the story's 1920s era, and their cartoony aesthetic complements the amusing, child-friendly text. Timeline, websites.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by London Ladd. It's 1959, and the Boston Red Sox--the last all-white Major League Baseball team--finally call up a black player named Pumpsie Green. Fictional narrator Bernard, a young African American fan, earnestly relates what this means to him. Based on real events, Wittenstein's story doesn't gloss over the racism present but is ultimately buoyantly positive. Ladd's painterly acrylic illustrations add a nostalgic quality. Bib.

Reviewer: Jack Forman