The Great Lakes Our Freshwater Treasure

Written by Barb Rosenstock

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

The Great Lakes—Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior—are five blue jewels set a bit off center in a belt across North America’s middle. Bordered by eight states and part of Canada, the Lakes hold 21% of the world’s fresh water. How did these incredible lakes get there? And what can we do to preserve such a treasure?

Follow along as a drop of water in this enormous system and uncover its dramatic journey from lake to rive to lake, over Niagara Falls to lake and river again, and finally into the Atlantic Ocean.

–Penguin Random House

★ School Library Journal–

Gr 3-6–From the author of The Noisy Paint Box and Mornings with Monet comes a richly detailed picture book about the Great Lakes of North America. Readers will discover a wide range of facts about this region including how the lakes were formed, the enormous amount of freshwater contained within them, and the need to conserve this vital natural resource. Rosenstock has done extensive research to include interesting facts: “If the Great Lakes ever spilled over the land, everyone in North America would be swimming in water five feet deep.” Readers young and old will learn something new and be inspired to protect these precious resources. Christoph’s full-page watercolor paintings provide a soft, artistic depiction of this part of the world. VERDICT While its setting is in North America, this is a valuable resource, especially for libraries supporting water conservation and sustainability curriculum units. A stunning addition to all collections.–Heidi Dechief

★ Booklist–

Vast spans of time and complex processes are condensed here into an accessible and absorbing story of how “five blue jewels set a bit off center in a belt across North America’s middle” were formed, became populated by wildlife, have struggled from environmental abuses, and have gotten help with rebounding, assistance that readers are encouraged to offer themselves. There are fascinating surprises, warmly related in second person: that the Great Lakes are the youngest major geological feature on Earth, for example, and that they are connected “like a single stair-stepped river.” This fact starts a journey on which “you,” as a drop of water, travel all the lakes and even tumble over Niagara Falls. The illustrations, maps and other water- and earth-toned drawings and watercolor paintings combined digitally, depict landscapes, close-ups of Great Lakes wildlife, child visitors, and environmental dangers that create an attractive, clear picture of the life of the lakes. Toward the book’s opening, small, sequential panels work well to show the development of these wonders over time. There aren't many books for children about the Great Lakes, and in addition to that fact, the closing details on the role of the lakes in Anishinaabe culture and a generous source list make this a must-buy for schools and public libraries. — Henrietta Verma

Giving Thanks - How Thanksgiving Became A National Holiday

Written by Denise Kiernan

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

The beautifully illustrated true story of how Thanksgiving became a national holiday in America, of Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who made the holiday happen, and of the role of gratitude the world over. Marvelously brought to life by the New York Times bestselling author Denise Kiernan.

All across the world, among hundreds of cultures and across centuries, people have come together to give thanks. But Americans didn’t have an official Thanksgiving holiday until the 1800s. The holiday Americans know today exists because of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, a spirited letter-writing campaign, a sympathetic president, and a civil war.

This beautifully illustrated picture book shares the true story of how Thanksgiving became a national American holiday and offers a look at the timeless and global power of gratitude. –Philomel Books/ Penguin Random House

Stitch by Stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt

Written by Rob Sanders

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

Cleve Jones' extraordinary life was pieced together, then stitched tightly into different types of quilts. From the blanket that his great-grandmother made for him as a boy, to the friends he gathered in San Francisco as young man, it is almost as if he was destined to bring the art of quilting to a new public awareness.

Mentored by Harvey Milk, Jones debuted idea for the AIDS Memorial Quilt during a candlelight memorial for Milk in 1985 and created the first panel for the quilt in 1987. The AIDS memorial quilt, one of the largest public arts projects ever and an iconic symbol of hope that remembers 94,000 lost souls, is Jones' shining achievement. It has since toured the world and been seen by millions of people.

This evocative biography is a touching tribute to Jones' life of advocacy and an inspiring message for young readers to take away. Includes a timeline of the quilt and other useful backmatter. –Magination Press

‘Storytelling and history, beautifully stitched together.” ★–Kirkus

Trains: A Ladybird Book

Written by Elizabeth Jenner

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

Trains are used across the world to transport goods and passengers. They can ride rails underground, move at high-speeds and travel between countries and can be powered by coal, diesel or electricity.

Trains takes readers on a journey through history and across the world as they discover the wonder of the railway. You can see how train travel has developed through history - from simple mining wagons to high-speed machines and beyond.

–Ladybird, Penguin Randomhouse

Bones in the White House: Thomas Jefferson’s Mammoth

Written by Candice Ransom

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

Though revered for the Declaration of Independence and for his presidency, it was actually science, nature, and the study of fossils that most fascinated Thomas Jefferson. Author Candice Ransom and I explore that lesser known side of the founding father in Bones in the White House: Thomas Jefferson’s Mammoth, published by Doubleday/Random House.

A Junior Library Guild Selection 2020

Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution.

Written by Rob Sanders

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

“This celebration of Stonewall is a welcome addition to the slender shelf of LGBTQ books for younger readers.”—Booklist, Starred Review★

"A watershed picture book . . . its unusual narrative perspective gives a strong sense of place and community. A beautiful . . .tribute." —Kirkus

–Bankstreet 2020 “Best Children’s Books of the Year”

“This story of the Stonewall Inn is spoken by the building itself, beginning in 1840s Greenwich Village, when the building was “two stable houses, side by side.” When the Stonewall Inn became “a home for people who were told that they didn’t fit in” during the 1960s, “others were not as accepting.” Scenes of moonlit Christopher Street and interior shots of the Stonewall Inn have a dusky, understated grace. Christoph captures a mood of solemnity as three patrons are placed in a police patrol wagon, while scenes of the 1969 faceoff between police and protestors capture emotions of anger, fear, and burgeoning energy. Following the riots, crowds appear in the airy daylight of Manhattan, celebrating the first anniversary of the uprising. It’s a moving ode to a cherished place, the brave people who stood for justice, and the victories that continue to lead to change. Back matter includes a history and pictures of the Stonewall Inn. Ages 5–8.” –Publishers Weekly

Clackety Track: Poems about Trains

Written by Skila Brown

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

“A poetry book for the early-elementary train lover looking for some clever verbiage to complement the cabooses.”

“It’s no mean feat to conjure up an original train book for kids, but, by gum, Brown and Christoph manage it. With both old favorites (freight, steam, bullet) and some new eclectic additions (zoo train, whistle-stop tour, shoulder ballast cleaner), young train enthusiasts will have plenty here to whistle at. Thirteen poems touch on a wide range of train travel and experiences. From the quiet of the early morning train yards through the power of a train snowplow to the comfort of a sleeper car, each poem is worked in a different form of verse, paired to the type of train that fits it best. There’s certainly some sophisticated wordplay at work here, as in “Electric Train”: “Power from the wire. / Pantograph required. / Cabled Line of Fire. / Tethered Train Flyer.” Don’t know the word “pantograph”? The “Train Facts” tucked in at the back of the book offer further information that is bound to be adored by expository-nonfiction readers. Digital art reveals a multiracial array of train enthusiasts, in both historical and present-day views. The overall package is a beautiful gift for locomotive lovers.”

A book unafraid to go on beyond choo-choo. (Picture book/poetry. 4-7)”★–Kirkus

New York Public Library Best Books of 2019

–Choose to Read Ohio “2021-2022 Top 20 Book List”

–Bankstreet 2020 “Best Children’s Books of the Year”

–Floyd’s Pick and The State Library of Ohio and the Choose to Read Ohio (CTRO) Advisory Council, Honor Books for 2020

Outside My Window

Written by Linda Ashman

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

“Just outside my window stands an old magnolia tree, and hidden in its branches is the treehouse built for me. What’s outside your window?”

A bright and happy trip around the world, sparked by one illuminating question.

Eerdmans, 2018

Up in the Leaves– The True Story of the Central Park Treehouses

Written by Shira Boss

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

“He could see buildings and the people down below, so small. But nobody could see him. This was his own secret spot. He decided to stay.”

An inspiring true story of Bob Redman, an adventurous tree climber and builder of tree houses in Central Park.

Sterling Publishing, 2018

Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America: 

Written by Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrations by Jamey Christoph

“He aimed his camera lens at fashion models and at struggling African-American workers.

Parks, a talented and multifaceted man, was born in the Midwest in 1915 and attended a school where the white teacher told the black students that they would “all end up porters and waiters.” But Parks, at 25, was inspired by a magazine article and spent $7.50 on a used camera. He went on to work in Washington, D.C., for the Farm Security Administration, capturing pictures of African-Americans in their everyday lives—not the white men of the monuments. Famously, he portrayed a cleaning lady name Ella Watson in a portrait that became known as his American Gothic. Echoing the farmers in Grant Woods’ painting, Watson posed in front of an American flag with a broom in one hand and a mop in the other. Weatherford writes in the present tense with intensity, carefully choosing words that concisely evoke the man. Christoph’s digitally rendered illustrations brilliantly present Parks’ world through strong linear images and montages of his photographs. One double-page spread hauntingly portrays run-down buildings with the Capitol Dome hovering in the distance. 

Parks’ photography gave a powerful and memorable face to racism in America; this book gives him to young readers. (afterword, author’s note, photographs) (Picture book/biography. 6-8)”★ –Kirkus

by Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Kitanai helps his friend Cavity Croc brush his way to a healthy and happier smile.

Capstone Publishing 2015

by Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Jump in the tub with Kitanai and Filthy Flamingo and get squeaky-clean!

Capstone Publishing 2015

by Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Kitanai and Hungry Hare work up a healthy appetite playing and eating their way through the garden.

Capstone Publishing 2015

by Thomas Kingsley Troupe

Get up off that sofa, get moving, and score the winning goal with Kitanai and his friend Lazy Lizard!

Capstone Publishing 2015

The happiest traffic jam of assorted vehicles you’ll ever find!

Mudpuppy, 2015

Dicut wooden magnets of famous world landmarks and travel icons, a smart gift for jet setters of all ages. You can find the 26-piece box in stores or at galison.com