Tag: Joan holub

This Little Wonder: A No-Limits Primer & This Little Engineer: A Think-and-Do Primer (Joan Holub & Daniel Roode)

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Hello, friends! Our books today are This Little Wonder: A No-Limits Primer and This Little Engineer: A Think-and-Do Primer by Joan Holub and Daniel Roode, the latest in the pair’s board book series on inspiring figures.

In each book, readers are introduced to ten notable names of the past and present with a short rhyme on a two-sentence blurb. In This Little Wonder, the subjects are luminaries of science, art, athletics, etc. who have physical or developmental disabilities, such as Helen Keller, Temple Grandin, and Claudia Gordon. In This Little Engineer, the focus is engineers, most of them women of color, and the diverse impacts that their work can have on the world. Both feature even more mini-bios of diverse figures on the last page to inspire aspiration and imagination.

Wonderful. We’ve been a big fan of this series for a while now, and these titles are welcome additions, especially for a young, female, special-needs reader with an interest in science. I was particularly happy to see such a great blend of familiar names with more obscure ones; I enjoyed learning about people like Marian Croak, Sangeeta Bhatia, and Chris Downey alongside their better-known counterparts. The colorful artwork is simple, yet does a good job of illustrating each figure’s unique background in a visually-engaging way. My only complaint is the use of the title “Wonder” to describe those with disabilities, which carries an unfortunately associative tone of spectatorship and superiority, even if that is not the intention. But other than that, both books are quick and enjoyable reads that spotlight encouraging true stories, and we recommend them. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: Copies of these books were provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Big Stuff: Planes, Rockets, Spacecraft! (Joan Holub)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Big Stuff: Planes, Rockets, Spacecraft!, written by Joan Holub and illustrated by The Little Friends of Printmaking, a neat board book introduction to various aeronautical and astronautical vehicles.

Aspiring high-fliers and young fans of big machines are introduced to twenty different types of aircraft and spacecraft through adorable anthropomorphized illustrations and tons of fascinating information. Diagrams and fun facts explore the science and history behind machines like rockets, hot-air balloons, and jet planes. Young readers can learn about the past behind this “big stuff,” and where the sciences of flight and space exploration are headed in the future.

Extremely informative and accessible. This board book presents a wonderful midway point between simple identification and more in-depth scientific principles by keeping the STEM and historical information easy-to-digest. Most of the facts are presented in first-person from the air- and spacecrafts themselves, giving it a personal and approachable tone without dumbing any of the science down. Some characterizations of military vehicles do feel a little disingenuous of their purpose (“We work hard protecting your family and this nation,” a pack of fighter jets proclaim), but for the most part, the dialogue and information covered centers more around function and design than practical use. The artwork is both cute and cool, and will appeal to young vehicle-lovers immensely. The length is best for when little bookworms have time to sit down and pour over the info; you could read it as a storytime book, but you would need to skip most of the more detailed sections to do so. JJ did enjoy this though, and we would recommend it; Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

This Little Rainbow: A Love-Is-Love Primer (Joan Holub & Daniel Roode)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is This Little Rainbow: A Love-Is-Love Primer by Joan Holub and Daniel Roode, the latest title in the duo’s This Little board book series, this time focusing on notable LGBTQ+ heroes from history.

In this adorable and colorful board book, beginner bookworms can learn about LGBTQ+ luminaries who worked for change and made enormous impacts on humanity. From great artists and thinkers like Alan Turing, Freddie Mercury, and Leonardo da Vinci, to activists and pathfinders like Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, and Shane Ortega, the youngest bookworms can learn what it means to be a “rainbow” – to live trans and/or queer with a big, loving heart.

AWESOME. While the entirety of the This Little series is worth checking out (we are big fans of This Little Trailblazer), this primer boldly offers a LGBTQ+-friendly message that can be enjoyed by all ages. Though the rhyming text is occasionally bumpy – especially when read aloud – everything else about the title wins: the adorable, colorful illustrations, the excellent choices for featured subjects (Pride flag designers Gilbert Baker and Daniel Quasar were wonderful surprises, as was the oft-straightwashed da Vinci), and the final page that features fifteen bonus heroes and a glossary of LGBTQ+-related terms. The length is perfect for a quick storytime, and JJ adored it – it’s already made it’s way into the bedtime book rotation. A fantastic read for any bookworm that celebrates LGBTQ+ notables and the big ways they made art, made history, and helped the world. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

What in Dragon’s Backpack? & What’s in Unicorn’s Backpack? (Joan Holub)

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Hello, friends! Our books today are both by Joan Holub: What in Dragon’s Backpack? (illustrated by Christopher Lee) and What’s in Unicorn’s Backpack? (illustrated by Alyssa Nassner), a back-to-school pair of lift-the-flap books for fans of fantastic creatures.

Each board book features 12 pages of lift-the-flaps for little ones to explore, accompanied by short rhyming couplets the describe the theme of each page (art class, reading, math, lunch, etc). Find out what books a dragon prefers, and what a unicorn eats for lunch.

This is a tricky one: Dragon’s Backpack was certainly a delight, offering clever lift-the-flaps like a readable book, solvable arithmetic problems, geometric art with simple shapes, and plenty of fun hints into the dragon’s personality (including both traditionally-masculine and -feminine items). It was such a treat, in fact, that it made Unicorn’s Backpack pale in comparison. While dragon’s backpack featured a well-rounded mix of the educational and personal, unicorn’s highly feminized backpack is comprised of far fewer academic items, and far more items centered around personal care and aesthetics. Dragon has flash cards, books, toys, videos games, pictures of their family, puzzles, art projects; Unicorn has stickers, glitter, bubbles, doodle pads, and multiple lipglosses. This effect leaves an odd comparison between the two books; Dragon presents a well-rounded student with multiple interests, Unicorn presents as… not that. Even JJ favored Dragon, with more variety in the lift-the-flap surprises and illustrations. So while we would probably skip the mostly shallow Unicorn’s Backpack, we can definitely recommend Dragon’s Backpack as a fun way to get little bookworms excited for school. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: Copies of these books were provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)