Next Tuesday kicks off the most exciting time of year: Summer reading at the Joplin Public Library! If you are unfamiliar, the summer reading program is an eight-week, all-ages reading challenge accompanied by fun and educational events. Notable events this summer include a sourdough making program for adults, a Tiny Library Desk concert in the Teen Department, and storytellers, jugglers, and scientists in the Children’s Department.

Participants in the reading challenge must read a specific number of hours and complete 10 activities to earn a prize. Readers can also enter to win grand prize drawings at the end of the summer.

Our theme for this year’s summer reading program is “Color Our World,” and our artwork and events are focused on all things color and art. As such, I would like to share one of my newest favorite picture books with beautiful art.

Oh, Olive! is the latest release from Lian Cho, one of my new favorite picture book creators.

This book has so many beautiful and tiny details to examine. You could spend five minutes reading the story, or you could spend twenty minutes looking closely at individual details and colors, analyzing Cho’s choices. Oh, Olive! is also funny! Cho’s book tells the story of Olive Chen, “the most magnificent and brilliant artist in the whole wide world.” Olive is tragically misunderstood by her parents, both very serious artists. Olive’s square-shaped father only paints squares. Olive’s triangular mother only paints triangles. Olive, on the other hand, loves colorful, abstract art. From page to page, Olive can be seen pouring paint buckets, splattering brushes, and licking her canvas. Even her teacher tries to box her praising the shape-centric artwork of her classmates while suggesting that Olive try a shape next time instead of commenting on the beauty and color of her abstract piece.

The art elevates the story and affirms what readers will instantly recognize: Olive is something special. The art in the first three-quarters of the book is all grayscale, except Olive. Where her parents, classmates, and her neighborhood are all gray, white, and black, Olive is red, blue, and yellow. Where they have small scowls or bored expressions, Olive has a smile that takes up her whole face. Color follows Olive everywhere. She typically stands proudly atop puddles and splatters of paint in a range of colors, including orange, green, purple, pink, and yellow. Also, Olive’s art is undeniably beautiful.I read this aloud to a first-grade class last week and one of the students exclaimed, “the illustrator is an amazing artist!” First grader, you are correct. The student also opined that Olive’s parents had bad taste, which I may or may not have agreed with.

Eventually, after some encouraging words from her classmates, Olive’s color spreads from student to student, from her teacher to her neighbors. By the end of the book, everything is colorful and everyone is smiling. Oh, Olive! is the story of a tenacious young girl following her heart. It is also a gentle encouragement for kids who might think they aren’t “good” artists. I am hopeful that they will take Olive’s words to heart and understand that “anyone can do it.” You can find Lian Cho’s Oh, Olive! at the library. You can also find more information about summer reading through our website at www.joplinpubliclibrary.org/summer-reading. Happy reading!

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February marks the beginning of Black History Month. I have likely mentioned this in previous columns, but I like to challenge myself to be intentional about reading books by Black authors every February. I snagged a few of the books on my list from the Black History Month display in the Children’s Department. If Young Adult or Adult books are more your thing, check out the displays in the lobby or the Teen area.

The first title I want to share is the nonfiction picture book Go, Wilma, Go: Wilma Rudolph, from Athlete to Activist by Amira Rose Davis and Michael G. Long, with illustrations by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow. Because of the nature of their format, one might assume that the target audience for nonfiction picture books is preschool-aged children. On the contrary, history picture books tend to be word and concept-heavy, making them more appealing to elementary-aged students. Some of these titles would work best as book studies, perhaps in a classroom or read with a grownup over an extended period of time. Others, while still detailing big ideas and concepts, also work well as readalouds.

Go, Wilma, Go falls into the latter category. Due to its comparatively simple language and appealing papercut illustration style, a parent or caregiver could easily read it in one sitting. The book begins with Rudolph winning a gold medal in track and field at the 1960 Olympics. The authors compare her experiences in Europe, where Black and White people could ride the same buses and swim in the same pools, with her hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee in the Jim Crow South. The juxtaposed scenes provide a simple visual of what life could be like in the United States if lawmakers abolished unjust laws. The authors detail Rudolph’s brave decision to speak out against these laws, often repeating the phrase, “Go, Wilma, go!” in response to her activism. When Clarksville announces a celebratory parade in her honor, Wilma refuses to attend unless Black people can be an equal part of the parade.

I have read a bit about Wilma Rudolph and have heard about her Olympic feats, but I had not read about the parade and her role in fighting back against racism in her small Southern town. I appreciate the story is told simply but does not shy away from detailing events as they happened.

The book addresses sensitive topics like racism and segregation because they are unfortunately part of Rudolph’s lived experience. Davis and Long include an authors’ note at the end, if grownups want to extend the conversation with their young readers. Pair this with the Wilma Rudolph book in the Little People, Big Dreams series by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara for a full look at Rudolph’s life. I would recommend this book for children ages 6-9 who are interested in sports, history, and biographies.

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Another recent favorite read is The Blackwoods by acclaimed young adult author Brandy Colbert. In this 2024 intergenerational novel, Colbert tells the story of legendary Hollywood matriarch Blossom Blackwood and her prodigious children and grandchildren. Blossom’s story begins in the 1960s as she grows up in Hollywood and becomes an acclaimed actress. She must fight back against societal expectations, racism, relationships, and other barriers in pursuit of her dreams.

Colbert tells the story of the Blackwood family as a whole, though Blossom’s great-granddaughters Ardith and Hollis are the other main characters. Ardith and Hollis are best friends but have taken very different paths. Ardith is a famous actress in her own right, having taken after her grandmother and her mother, who she tragically lost as a young child. Hollis is figuring out how to carve her own path at her prestigious school while living in the shadow of the Blackwood name. Both girls, however, are trying to push back against societal and familial expectations while staying true to themselves. Ardith and Hollis are managing their own issues and relationships, but they also remain committed to their family. The Blackwoods are a strong family, though they are not perfect, and I enjoyed reading about how they remained committed to one another.

I love a good intergenerational story, and Colbert executes this type of story well. I appreciated all three characters’ stories, personal struggles, and their connections to one another. In her author’s note, Colbert details the research she conducted on Black Hollywood, and how the Blackwoods are an amalgamation of many Hollywood families. I appreciate the authentic glimpse into early Hollywood, specifically through the lens of an African American actress, and I am interested in learning more. This book addresses some challenging topics, but I think fans of intergenerational novels, historical fiction, and contemporary fiction will enjoy The Blackwoods.  Although it is geared toward teen readers ages 15 and up, Colbert’s novel has crossover appeal for adult readers.

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Every so often, an adult will sheepishly tell me that they “still read picture books.” To that I say: a good book is a good book! Read with abandon! You can find some of the most beautiful art and the most touching stories in picture books. I am hoping my review this month will aid in the unabashed search for great picture books.

Loose Threads is a book unlike any other that I have read. Isol Misenta (listed as Isol on the book jacket) was inspired by a gifted scarf to create an imaginative picture book about a seemingly forgetful little girl named Leila. Originally written in Spanish and translated by Lawrence Schimel, Loose Threads follows Leila, a girl who is always losing things. When her mother admonishes her to take better care of her belongings, Leila insists that it’s not her fault. On the other side of her beautiful village, there is another village. This other village is home to all her lost items. This reverse village is similar to hers, but everything is all jumbled and knotted up. Of course, no one has ever seen this place so the stories could be fictional, but Leila is convinced it’s real. What else could explain the sudden disappearance of so many of her things? Eventually, Leila decides to find this other world and solve the mystery of her lost things once and for all. But will she find what she is looking for? Will her attempts to solve a problem actually make things better?

The story itself is fun, but the illustration style is where Loose Threads really shines. Author/illustrator Isol photographed the gifted scarf, using the finished side as the backdrop of Leila’s world and the messy, back side as the Other Side that she goes in search of. When she seeks to repair the holes between worlds to stop losing her things, Isol uses stitched embroidery thread. Aside from Leila, her mother, and her grandmother, who are sketched directly onto the photo of the scarf, other characters are scribbled onto beige bits of paper and placed on top of the scarf.

This story reads like a fable, both in its off kilter explanation of everyday occurrences and in its creative explanation of an everyday phenomenon and its plucky and curious young hero. Loose Threads can be found in the fairy tale and fable section of the Children’s department and will find its most captive audience in elementary-aged readers and their families. Isol’s unique multimedia illustrations will likely encourage other similar art projects with the reader’s own beloved objects. I’ll see you in the Children’s Department–happy reading!

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The Summer Reading Program at Joplin Public Library comes to a close this weekend. What a summer! Altogether, we had almost 1,500 participants in the reading challenge. In the Children’s Department alone, we hosted almost 120 programs. Our theme this summer was “Adventure Begins at Your Library.” My last review was about an adventure-based picture book; with the end of summer reading on the horizon, I would like to share a rollicking adventure in graphic novel form.

I have intended to read The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza for several years now. The book began as a weekly virtual book club during the COVID lockdown. Mac Barnett hosted a weekly meeting called “Mac’s Book Club Book Show” where he would read from his books and bring in special guests; a dress code was always encouraged. During these meetings, Barnett and Shawn Harris began a series of live weekly cartoons. Thus, The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza was born. Thankfully, they turned it into a book that we can all enjoy.

The book is reminiscent of the ever popular Dog Man books but never derivative. The main character is a cat who doesn’t speak yet is tasked with saving the moon. His sidekick is a talkative robot (LOZ 4000) whose main job in life thus far has been to clip the toenails of an evil genius. When the cat and the robot arrive on the moon, they embark on a journey with the queen to stop the Rat King from eating the moon. The government official monitoring the situation from Earth regularly makes exclamations like “Oh my Uncle Tony’s Hot Calzoney” and “Oh my wrinkly pinkie toe.” This story is ridiculous in the best way. Some children’s humor is just for children— and that’s okay— but some transcends. The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza falls into the second camp.

Shawn Harris’ illustrations are perfect for this book. The facial expressions are humorous yet simple, and the color spreads throughout the different chapters typically use just a few colors but manage to bring the setting alive. I appreciate Harris’ depiction of light in various scenes. A scene featuring the queen talking to the man on the moon shows a shaft of light reflecting on pillars in an impressively realistic way.

Talking about this book is really fun and reading it is even more so. I would recommend this book to elementary-aged readers who enjoy funny books. I would especially recommend this to young Dog Man fans who have read and reread all 12 titles in the series. I would also recommend this to anyone who appreciates absurdist humor. I suppose I would recommend this to just about anyone. Lucky for us, the sequel The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom was recently published. Happy reading!

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At the start of the COVID lockdown, my then-four year old spent every day either jumping on his trampoline or measuring things. He wanted to know how long the biggest animals were and to measure them in our yard.

We measured the length of a gray whale (90 feet or three school buses). We are lucky to have very nice neighbors because we had to start in their yard and walk back and forth with the tape measure from their lawn to our back fence. He is now eight, but he’s still just as curious about the biggest of the big, the smallest of the small, and everything in between.

One of my most recent favorite nonfiction titles that fits the bill is Marc Majewski’s Bridges. Folks, the title does not disappoint. This book has a lot of bridges in it. What’s more, each bridge shown in the book is contrasted with another bridge with opposing features. The international orange color of the Golden Gate Bridge “stands out” while the Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge in India “blends in.” Most pages have simple sentences describing what each bridge is or does (“bridges stand firm” and “bridges swing,” for example).

Majewski’s acrylic illustrations are beautiful while maintaining factual accuracy. They are fun and brightly colored enough to catch the casual viewer’s eye while reading, but they are intricate enough to encourage prolonged viewing. I love that Majewski’s book serves two purposes and can be adapted to various ages. Bridges can serve as a beautiful standalone picture book, great for one-one-one or large group readings. It can also be used to learn more about architecture and engineering, as the endpages include the names and brief descriptions of every bridge shown in the book. My son and I read the story along with the descriptions, flipping back and forth between the story and the descriptions to learn more about each bridge as we read. I appreciate the choice to include the details at the end of the book so the text does not obscure the stunning illustrations.

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The second title I want to share isn’t quite an exploration of big or small, but it offers accessible insight into how humans work. JoAnn and Terrence Deak’s Goodnight to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain is an excellent primer on the developing brain. JoAnn Deak, PhD, is a preventive psychologist and Terrence Deak is a professor of psychology and behavioral neuroscience. Suffice to say, they know their stuff. Though they are both academics, this elementary nonfiction offering is anything but dry. On the contrary, it’s a fun and engaging read. This is partially due to the cartoon-like illustrations from artist Neely Daggett, but the writing itself is relatable and scaffolded to teach young readers something new based on assumed prior knowledge and lived experiences. The authors promote Goodnight as a “growth mindset” book, and it lives up to that proclamation. I appreciate that it does not rely on platitudes about trying your best (though such sentiments have their place). Instead, it describes the parts of the brain that make you capable of trying again after failing (and the importance of doing so). The book’s primary focus is the role that sleep plays in a developing brain. The authors explain concepts like the prefrontal cortex and how healthy sleep patterns contribute to its ongoing development and help you feel more in control. Daggett’s full-page illustrations perfectly enhance the concepts explained in the book. I would recommend this book as a one-on-one read for an adult and an elementary-aged reader.

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