American Association For The Advancement of Science Names Socially-Conscious 'Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea' Top Children's Science Picture Book

WELLESLEY AUTHOR’S BOOK HAS KIDS COOKING WITH SOLAR POWER

Wellesley author Elizabeth Suneby’s latest in a series of socially-conscious children’s book has just been recognized with an award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science as the top children’s science picture book.

Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea: How a Science Project Helps One Family and the Planet, written by Elizabeth Suneby and illustrated by Rebecca Green, tells the story of a Bangladeshi boy who sets out to build a smoke-free solar cooker in light of the damage that cooking over indoor fire during the monsoon season is having on his family’s health.

WILDLIFE COMES INSIDE FOR THIS YEAR’S EVERETT READS! PROGRAM

“We have a solution,” she (Sy Montgomery) said. “It’s right in front of us. Each one of us can affect the solution — by what you buy, how you eat, what you drive, how you vote.

“We owe those animals, to fight with every last bit of our strength for this glorious, green, vulnerable, sweet earth,” she said.

CHRISTOPHER MYERS’ MAKE ME A WORLD IMPRINT LAUNCHES THIS FALL

“Discover a World Where Everything Is Possible,” the lead-in to the mission statement for Make Me a World, captures the essence of this new imprint from Random House Children’s Books. Author and artist Christopher Myers, creative director of the imprint, explained that Make Me a World is dedicated to “exploring the vast possibilities of contemporary childhood” and “making books where the children of today can see themselves and each other.”

Myers shared his passion for diversity—in all senses of the word—in children’s books with his late father, prolific author Walter Dean Myers, with whom he collaborated on the Caldecott Honor winner Harlem and the Coretta Scott King Honor winners Black Cat and H.O.R.S.E.

‘ROOTS OF RAP’ LAUNCH IN PHOTOS

Earlier this month, author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Frank Morrison celebrated the release of their new picture book in verse, Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop (Little Bee, Jan. 8), a tribute to the history of this art form. We’ve gathered a selection of photo highlights from the launch events, which took place in New York City.

WATSON EXPLORES MIRRORS, WINDOWS IN HER REALISTIC FICTION AT CHILDREN’S LITERATURE LECTURE

Serenity Evans and her brother, Danny, have experienced their share of domestic violence, grief and loss at the opening of Renée Watson’s novel, “What Momma Left Me.”

But they also find moments of joy and healing. And for Watson, striking a balance between the difficult and the uplifting is key to writing stories about issues that children and young adults face today.

NORTH KANSAS CITY SCHOOLS ARE GETTING MORE DIVERSE BOOKS BECAUSE REPRESENTATION MATTERS

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Crestview Elementary third-grader Hana Ismail is reading two books she picked out from her classroom library that feature Pakistani protagonists.

“Four Feet, Two Sandals,” by Karen Lynn Williams and illustrated by Khadra Mohammed, tells the story of two girls who meet in a refugee camp. “Malala’s Magic Pencil,” by Malala Yousafzai, is about the young Nobel laureate, with illustrations by Kerascoët.

…..There’s mounting evidence that it’s actually easier for kids to learn to read when they have access to books that reflect their cultural knowledge.

Jane Addams Peace Association

Jane Addams Peace Association