Richard Michelson has written a thoughtful, intelligent picture book about the a young African-American boy and his brother who are bussed to Central the "white school." (Little Rock Central was a High School, this Central is an elementary school.) Richard Michelson's Busing Brewster
is about a heavy topic, but while it does not shy away from the negative experience of the boys, neither does it pass judgment on the busing policy.For the most part, illustrator R. G. Roth illustrates the city at the beginning and end of the book, evoking the urban landscape with spare playgrounds surrounded by chain link fences, brick walls, brownstone stoops and city lights out a bedroom window. Brewster and his friends play stick ball, a classic city streets game (with which my husband is obsessed). I also really liked the two page illustration of the school bus passing through the city, accompanied by Brewster's observation that the bus was passing a Jewish cemetery and a Catholic church. This not only suggests how central to the community the bussing event was, but that a diverse community does not just mean black and white.
An author's note at the end of the book will help children place the story in a wider context. The story also includes a wonderful hip-hip-hooray for librarians, which I thought was a nice touch. It's a well-done book that deserves to be included in any study about diversity in our schools.
Want More?
Conversation with the author (and lots of artwork from the book) at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.
Read an interview with the author at Cynsations.
Read Rasco from RIF's take on the book.
Visit the author's website.
Big Kid: I could be president, too. [Brewster wants to grow up to be the president.]
It's hard not to be in love with a pair of hawks that are willing to become our neighbors in the city... and in her version of the Pale Male saga, 
, Meghan McCarthy chooses to ignore the fact that some neighbors might not like a) birds pooping on their windows, or b) hundreds of binoculars focused daily in the direction of their living rooms.
All of the picture books about Pale Male take a different approach. Of the three I am reviewing, Jeanette Winter's 
is the only one to begin with life for the Red-tailed hawk outside the city, pointing out that the hawks live in tall places such as trees, cliffs, or even cacti. She explains how the bird likes the high perch in order to spy tiny mice, but she then jumps a little too quickly to New York City's skyscrapers. After this somewhat awkward beginning, Winter successfully maneuvers her way through dual storyline -- on the one hand, the hawks' life in the city, and on the other hand, the reaction to the nest by New York's human residents.
Pale Male, Citizen Hawk of New York City
is the most detailed of the three books about Pale Male. From the horror-flick fate of Pale Male's first mate (she became so disoriented by a flock of screaming, harassing crows that she slammed into a high-rise!), to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918's impact on the fate of the nest, to the careful descriptions of the fledglings' first steps, no detail is too small to be included in this book. To say Janet Schulman's book is very thorough is an understatement.
This week I am tackling picture books featuring Pale Male, NYC's resident red-tailed hawk. I have mentioned before on this blog that "birds in the city" is a popular theme for picture books. 
, a non-fiction introduction to how and where birds choose to make their nests in urban environments. Fittingly, Bash starts us off with the pigeon. She then goes on to examine a dozen other birds and the clever places they find to build their nests: boots, railroad tracks, lampposts, etc. The illustration of the house swallows reminded me of how my mother used to turn the water hose on the nests the resourceful birds made in the eaves of my childhood home. The birds were not daunted for long, but my mother still kept trying until one year the birds failed to return. I feel a little sad about that now.
The weather here in NYC this week does little to remind one of the impending hot and humid season that is just around the corner. But the annual Mermaid Parade at Coney Island is only one month away and it's time to start thinking about your costume. Get into the spirit with Melanie Hope Greenberg's 
A number of city based books try to work something "educational" or historical into their story lines. These books are often easily identifiable by the "Author's Note" at the end. Some are more successful than others. Connie Ann Kirk and Christy Hale's 
falls somewhere in the middle.
I'm actually surprised at how few books set in San Francisco I have found. That may be because the Brooklyn library doesn't stock them, but I haven't found many through other sources either. There are some about cable cars, of course, but Osmond Molarsky and Helen Hipshman's 
features nary a cable car.
.
hits upon another classic theme, missing one's mama. Starting out in a manner of fact manner, Hest gives instructions as to what to do if you ever come across a bear. First and foremost -- be polite (something I will certainly do if I ever meet a wild animal). After ascertaining what Little Bear's Mama is like it is important to look all over the city, especially in the park, where you can climb a high tree. Helping to reunite a wee bear with his mama will certainly remind you of the value of your own mother, so it's good to run on home afterward.
Yesterday it was 
Those of you living in the city may be familiar with the odd news story of individuals found living with wild animals such as tigers or alligators. It might be fun to speculate whether the tiger found in 2003 in Harlem was adopted after its owner read Diane Goode's 
.