Synopses & Reviews
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrinaand#39;s monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some places under twenty feet of water. Property damages across the Gulf Coast topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courageandmdash;and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Don Brownandrsquo;s kinetic art and as-it-happens narrative capture both the tragedy and triumph of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. A portion of the proceeds from this book has been donated to Habitat for Humanity New Orleans.
Review
"Focusing on the great inventor's youth, roughly from age eight to mid-20s, this anecdotal picture-book biography is both engaging and accessible. The concise narrative is sprinkled with original quotes and is well suited as a read-aloud...Brown's signature sketches combine digital imagery and watercolors and reflect the period costume and key moments in Edison's early life."--School Library Journal, starred review
"Brown (Teedie: The Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt) offers a folksy, episodic picture book biography of Edison's early years, highlighting his entrepreneurial spirit and love of experimentation, while incorporating a wealth of fascinating, little-known anecdotes about the accomplished inventor."--Publishers Weekly
Review
" . . . This testimony is a compelling insight into the wild." Horn Book
"A vivid real-life story with a memorable message." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Brown continues to apply his understated humor and muted watercolors to larger-than-life personalities in picture book biographies." School Library Journal, Starred
"Beautifully constructedand#133;Brown's eloquent, old fashioned language echoes Twain's own words." Kirkus Reviews, Starred
and#147;The boyhood of writer Samuel Clemens is irresistible, with much of his youth inspiring scenes in his works that have become folklore in their own right. Brown does a spirited job of telling some of those stories.and#8221; Booklist, ALA
Review
"Browns characteristically vigorous scrawls capture both the scrawny boy and the bulldog of a man, infusing his vignettes with a sizable helping of wit. All in all, this is a spot-on introductory book for lower grades."--Kirkus Reviews"Line and wash illustrations add movement and a playful tone to the serious text, which generously incorporates quotes from Roosevelt . . . An authors note concludes this brief overview and may well encourage youngsters to learn more about this fascinating figure."--School Library Journal, starred review
". . . vignettes of scratchy pen-work that capture humor and drama with equal easeand shows Teddys progression from a wispy twig into a big stick . . . a more kid-friendly hook in the young man whose determination trumped his boyhood shortcomings."--Booklist
"Browns signature watercolors follow the text and, on the final page, provide a potent instructional summation as President Theodore Roosevelt stands at the bully pulpit while a hand-lettered text proclaims his accomplishments."--Horn Book
Review
Brown maintains a delicate tension between his accessible presentation and his extraordinary subject.
Horn Book, Starred
Humanely and humorously depicted... Kids won't need to understand relativity to appreciate Einstein's passage from lonely oddball to breathtaking genius.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Readers...will be heartened by the parallels between their own experiences and those of an iconic science guy.
Booklist, ALA
Brown at his best as he zeroes in on those telling traits that trim a larger-than-life figure down to size.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Through eloquent narrative and illustration, Brown offers a thoughtful introduction to an enigmatic man.
School Library Journal
Brown's narrative and appealingly quirky...art effectively illuminate the eccentricities and intelligence of Einstein the boy and the man.
Publishers Weekly
Library Media Connection
Review
"High-stakes science, portrayed in one of the scarier entries in this bar-setting series."
and#8212;Kirkus, starred review
"This book gives tragic and terrifying volcanoes a sense of story that other books lack by talking about real-life crises and how individuals came together to keep millions of people safe. . . . A great addition for all collections."
and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
"Images of the destruction may initially draw the casual browser, but far more impressive is the balance of vivid photographs that bring the international scientists into the limelight."
and#8212;Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"[A] terrific addition to the Scientists in the Field series . . . The portrayal of scientific investigation is exceptional."
and#8212;The Horn Book Magazine, starred review
Review
* andquot;From its enticing, dramatic cover to its brown endpapers to a comical Grant Wood-esque final image, this is a worthy contribution to the nonfiction shelves.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred review
andquot;A magnificent overview of this chapter in U.S. history.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal
andquot;The tale of the decade-long drought that laid waste to American plains and ruined the lives of countless farmers is a somber read, but Brown devotes himself to telling it well.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
* andquot;Anyone looking for an exemplar of how comics can bring a true story compellingly to lifeandmdash;with depth and sophisticationandmdash;need look no further than Don Brownand#39;s account of the epic natural disaster of the 1930s, the Dust Bowl.andquot;
andmdash;The Bulletin of the Center for Childrenand#39;s Books, starred review
* andquot;Concise and clear in imagery, text, and layout, Brownand#39;s nonfiction examination of the Dust Bowl contextualizes its genesis in geological and cultural history, the dynamics of its climatological presentation, and the affects on both the landscape and Depression-era High Plains farmers. . . . a complete visual package.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist, starred review
* andquot;This is a solid nonfiction graphic-novel debut.andquot;
andmdash;The Horn Book Magazine, starred review
andquot;[A] careful and grim account of an environmental catastrophe.andquot;
andmdash;The New York Times Book Review
Review
* andquot;An excellent chronicle of the tragedy for a broad audience; children, teens, and adults will all be moved.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred review
Review
"Dashing line-and-watercolor artworkand#133;A sure handed wedding of text and art that brings history to life." Booklist, Starred 9/1/07 Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Pen and ink and watercolors effectively depict the simplicityand#133;of Colonial lifeand#133;Readers will enjoy this exciting picture-book biography...
School Library Journal
"Brown continues his string of exemplary biographies...In the watercolor illustrations, [Dolley's] smiling good nature and exotic attire come through clearly in brighter days, and in darker, she radiates a sturdy presence even in plainer garb." Kirkus, Starred 9/15/07 Kirkus Reviews, Starred
"Historical figuresand#133; come to life with a few spidery lines and generous dollops of translucent watercolor..."--The Bulletin Nov.2007 The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"A sure-handed wedding of text and art that brings history to life." Book Links STARRED November 2007 Book Links, ALA
Synopsis
A picture book biography profiling Thomas Edison's early life
Synopsis
Kirkus' Best of 2015 list
School Library Journal Best of 2015
Publishers Weekly's Best of 2015 list
Horn Book Fanfare Book
Booklist Editor's Choice
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some places under twenty feet of water. Property damages across the Gulf Coast topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage--and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality.
Don Brown's kinetic art and as-it-happens narrative capture both the tragedy and triumph of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. A portion of the proceeds from this book has been donated to Habitat for Humanity New Orleans.
Synopsis
Sibert Honor Medalist ∙ Kirkus' Best of 2015 list ∙ School Library Journal Best of 2015 ∙ Publishers Weekly's Best of 2015 list ∙ Horn Book Fanfare Book ∙ Booklist Editor's Choice
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some places under twenty feet of water. Property damages across the Gulf Coast topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage--and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality.
Don Brown's kinetic art and as-it-happens narrative capture both the tragedy and triumph of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. A portion of the proceeds from this book has been donated to Habitat for Humanity New Orleans.
Synopsis
Sibert Honor Medalist - Kirkus' Best of 2015 list - School Library Journal Best of 2015 - Publishers Weekly's Best of 2015 list - Horn Book Fanfare Book - Booklist Editor's Choice
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some places under twenty feet of water. Property damages across the Gulf Coast topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The riveting tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage--and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality.
Don Brown's kinetic art and as-it-happens narrative capture both the tragedy and triumph of one of the worst natural disasters in American history. A portion of the proceeds from this book has been donated to Habitat for Humanity New Orleans.
Synopsis
A wizard from the start, Thomas Edison had a thirst for knowledge, taste for mischief, and hunger for discoveryand#151;but his success was made possible by his boundless energy. At age fourteen he coined his personal motto: and#147;The More to do, the more to be done,and#8221; and then went out and
did: picking up skills and knowledge at every turn. When learning about things that existed wasn't enough,and#160;he dreamed up new inventions to improve the world.
and#160;
From humble beginnings as a farmerand#8217;s son, selling newspapers on trains and reading through public libraries shelf by shelf, Tom began his inventing career as a boy and became a legend as a man.and#160;
Synopsis
Marking the10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, this companion to The Great American Dust Bowl combines lively drawings and authoritative memoir in graphic novel formand#160;to recount one of the most destructive and devastatingand#160;natural disastersand#160;in our Americanand#160;history.
Synopsis
My father and I settled in Africa in 1906. . . . And it was there, as a small girl, I was eaten by a lion.
So begins a true story from aviatrix Beryl Markhamand#8217;s autobiography. Here young Beryl and a and#147;tameand#8221; lion called Paddy come together in an encounter that challenges our notions of wild and docile, trust and duplicity, punishment and forgiveness. Coupled with Don Brownand#8217;s expressive watercolors, The Good Lion is a powerful story that will leave readers wondering about the true natures of man and beast.
Synopsis
Our popular image of Mark Twain is of a gruV, gray-haired eccentric, the outspoken literary giant who created enduring novels such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
But once upon a time, Mark Twain was a boy named Samuel Clemens. His birth on November 30, 1835, coincided with the appearance of Halleyand#8217;s comet streaking across the sky. A dreamer, a prankster, a lover of great tales, Sam Clemens spent his boyhood years and#147;in high feather,and#8221; living out adventures along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. His beloved river would eventually carry Mark Twain far beyond Hannibal, Missouri, but he would return to the freedom, innocence, and vitality of his youth again and again in his writing.
In glowing watercolors and spirited text, Don Brown reveals the glad morning of Twainand#8217;s life, now the classic American boyhood, and the forces that inspired his funny, irreverent, insightful, and groundbreaking works of fiction.
Synopsis
Teedie was not exactly the stuff of greatness: he was small for his size. Delicate. Nervous. Timid. By the time he was ten years old, he had a frail body and weak eyes. He was deviled by asthma, tormented by bullies. His favorite place to be was at home. Some might think that because of these things, Teedie was destined for a ho-hum life. But they would be wrong. For teeedie had a strong mind, as well as endless curiosity and determination. Is that all? No. Teedie also had ideas of his own--lots of them. It wasn't long before the world knew him as Theodore Roosevelt, the youngest president of the United States.
Synopsis
When he was born in 1879, Albert was a peculiarly fat baby with an unusually big and misshaped head. When he was older, he hit his sister, frustrated his teachers, and had few friends. But Albertand#8217;s strange childhood also included his brilliant capacity for puzzles and problem solving: the mystery of a compassand#8217;s swirling needle, the intricacies of Mozartand#8217;s music, the secrets of geometryand#151;set his mind spinning with ideas. In fact, Albert Einsteinand#8217;s ideas were destined to change the way we know and understand the world and our place in the universe.
In spare, precise text filled with graceful detail and accompanied by sometimes humorous, sometimes lonely portraits, Don Brown introduces us to the less than magnificent beginnings of an odd boy out. The result is a tender rendering of the adventures of growing up for one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century.
Synopsis
A stunning account of volcanologists Andy Lockhart, John Pallister,and#160;andand#160;their group of scientists who risk their lives, investigating deadly volcanoesand#160;that remain constant threats to people around the world.
Synopsis
and#8220;At 11:35 p.m., as Radio Armero played cheerful music, a towering wave of mud and rocks bulldozed through the village, roaring like a squadron of fighter jets.and#8221; Twenty-three thousand people died in the 1985 eruption of Colombiaand#8217;s Nevado del Ruiz. Today, more than one billion people worldwide live in volcanic danger zones. In this riveting nonfiction bookand#8212;filled with spectacular photographs and sidebarsand#8212;Rusch reveals the perilous, adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work of an international volcano crisis team (VDAP) and the sleeping giants they study, from Colombia to the Philippines, from Chile to Indonesia.
Synopsis
Don Brown brings the Dirty Thirties to life in this gripping graphic novel account of one of America's most catastrophic natural events: The Dust Bowl.
Synopsis
A speck of dust is a tiny thing. In fact, five of them could fit into the period at the end of this sentence.
On a clear, warm Sunday, April 14, 1935, a wild wind whipped up millions upon millions of these specks of dust to form a dusterand#8212;a savage stormand#8212;on America's high southern plains.
The sky turned black, sand-filled winds scoured the paint off houses and cars, trains derailed, and electricity coursed through the air. Sand and dirt fell like snowand#8212;people got lost in the gloom and suffocated . . . and that was just the beginning.
Don Brown brings the Dirty Thirties to life with kinetic, highly saturated, and lively artwork in this graphic novel of one of America's most catastrophic natural events: the Dust Bowl.
Synopsis
Dolley was a farm girl who became a fine first lady when she married James Madison. She wore beautiful dresses, decorated her home, and threw lavish parties. Everyone talked about Dolley, and everyone loved her, too. Then war arrived at her doorstep, and Dolley had to meet challenges greater than sheand#8217;d ever known. So Dolley did one thing she thought might make a difference: she saved George Washington. Not the man himself, but a portrait of him, which would surely have been destroyed by English soldiers. Don Brown once again deftly tells a little known story about a woman who made a significant contribution to American history.
About the Author
Elizabeth Ruschand#8217;s obsession with volcanoes began at age 13, when she watched the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens on television. Now she lives in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by Cascade volcanoes. She learned about the incredible work of the volcanologists in this book while researching Will it Blow?: Become a Volcano Detective at Mount St. Helen, which was a Washington Reads pick and a Natural History magazine best book for young readers. Lizand#8217;s other award-winning nonfiction titles for children include The Mighty Mars Rovers, a Junior Library Guild selection, and The Planet Hunter: The story behind what happened to Pluto. She has also published more than a hundred articles in magazines such as Smithsonian, Backpacker, and American Girl. Liz is the authorand#160;ofand#160;Mighty Mars Rovers,and#160;aand#160;Scientists in the Field book. Tom Uhlman has been a freelance photographer for 25 years. He photographs lots of news and sporting events, but enjoys shooting pictures of wildlife and the natural world most of all. Visiting some of the most famous volcanos in the world and meeting the people who study them was a special treat. Tom's photographs can also be seen inand#160;upcoming Scientists in the Field book Park Scientists, and previously in Emi and the Rhino Scientist and The Bat Scientists.