News & Reviews

How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover Changed the Environmental Movement A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP Calkins Creek (Astra Books for Young Readers) (pub. 3.11.2025) 40 pages Ages 7 -10 A uthor: Kate Hannigan    Illustrator: Katie Hickey C haracter: Rachel Carson O verview : "Rachel Carson wasn’t always the  Rachel Carson, renowned environmental activist. From her earliest years, Rachel had a passion for nature—to her, it was a fairyland, and she loved to write a

The HIdden Discoveries of Eunice Newton Foote, the First Climate Scientist A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP Henry Holt and Compay (MacKids) (pub. 4.16.2026) 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Rebecca Donnelly    Illustrator: Mercè López C haracter: Eunice Newton Foote O verview : " In an era when few women practiced science, Eunice Newton Foote dared to search for answers to a mystery that no one else had solved. A visionary scientist, suffragist, and mother, Eunice conducted a

How the Apollo Moon Missions Made Alma Thomas's Art Soar A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP Millbrook Press (Lerner Publishing) (pub. 11.4.2025) 32 pages Ages 6-10 A uthor and Illustrator: Nina Crews C haracter: Alma Thomas O verview : " In 1969, people around the world watched as the Apollo 10 astronauts sent the first-ever live color television broadcasts from space. Abstract painter Alma Thomas was among those watching, and afterward, she began a series of bright, bold p

A Walk with Charles Darwin A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP Neal Porter Books (Holiday House Publishing) (pub. 1.13.2026) 32 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Nicholas Day    Illustrator: Hadley Hooper C haracter: Wilma Dykeman O verview : " How do you work through a complicated idea, solve a tricky problem, or make a big discovery? Charles Darwin had a lot of ways to do it. He paced in circles and hit rocks with a stick. He studied the bones of his dinner. He even rode around th

Discovering the Stuff of Stars A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP Eerdmans Books for Young Readers (pub. 1.27.2026) 56 pages Ages 7 -12 A uthor: Laura Alary    Illustrator: Yas Imamura C haracter: Cecilia Payne O verview : " Cecilia Payne loved learning to see nature’s wonders, even things other people called impossible. While studying at Cambridge, she dreamed of becoming a great astronomer like the ones she read about in the library. But too many people thought women didn

Oh la la! 🌟 I'm so honored that the wonderful Legion of Honor Museum shop in San Francisco is featuring our children's picture book, THE GLASS PYRAMID: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I.M. Pei illustrated by Khoa Le, as part of their French themed display tied to the exhibit, "Manet & Morisot". I signed books (always thrilling) and savored reading the "STAFF RECOMMENDS" review: "This is the story of Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, who designed the famous glas

Ulugh Beg's Quest to Map the Stars and Seasons A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP Harper Collins pub. 9.30.2025 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: M. O. Yuksel    Illustrator: Zelma Firdauzia C haracter: Ulugh Beg O verview : " Ulugh Beg’s curiosity burned as bright as the stars. He yearned to count every star in the sky, every day in a year, and to know why the seasons change. Fueled by his deep faith, Ulugh Beg’s quest for knowledge led to the creation of new schools, the world

How Ursula Marvin Mapped Moon Rocks and Meteorites A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP A Paula Wiseman Book (Simon & Schuster) pub. 10.14.2025 64 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Sandra Neil Wallace    Illustrator: Nancy Carpenter C haracter: Ursula Marvin O verview : " While attending college in the early 1940s, Ursula Marvin fell in love with geology, but when she asked her male professor about making the field her major, he tried to stop her, saying it would be a better use of

Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP Calkins Creek (Astra Books for Young Readers) pub. 5.10.2025 48 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthor: Penny Parker Klostermann    Illustrator: Anne Lambelet C haracter: Nan Songer O verview : "' Venomous spiders, delicate silk, and science experiments filled Nan Songer’s days and nights—her home in California overflowed with many-legged critters. With inspiration from a friend, Nan began to study how spider silk c

How Dr. Kathleen Friel Created New Possibilities for Brain Research and Disability A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N  T OP Millbrook Press / Lerner Books pub. 9.9.2025 32 pages Ages 6 - 10 A uthor: Danna Zeiger    Illustrator: Josee Bisaillon C haracter: Kathleen Friel O verview : "When Kathleen Friel was young, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and a doctor told her parents all the things she'd never be able to do. They left his office for good and found a new doctor.  As