Review of Gifts from Georgia's Garden

How Georgia O'Keefe Nourished Her Art

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Neal Porter Books

(Holiday House Publishing)

(pub. 3.19.2024)

40 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Lisa Robinson

   Illustrator: Hadley Hooper

Character: Georgia O'Keefe

Overview:

" Most of us have heard the name Georgia O’Keeffe— she’s one of the most famous women in art history. But did you know that for most of her life, she lived on her own land in New Mexico, grew her own food, bought locally, and even made her own clothing?

Georgia’s garden and her art fed and enriched one another, just as her bean plants enriched the soil and her home-grown feasts fed her friends. In spite of the era’s prejudice against female artists, Georgia lived and thrived in her verdant sanctuary well into old age."

Tantalizing taste:

"And so,

beneath the wide skies of New Mexico,

inside adobe walls,

within this artist's imagination,

the seed of an idea took root:

to grow a garden.

A garden of her own...

Georgia grew old in her garden sanctuary,

and even when she became blind,

she continued to tend her garden and paint."

And something more: The author, Lisa Robinson, shared that "a story in the New York Times about the sale of Georgia's handwritten recipe cards inspired me to write this story. Georgia enjoyed cooking with the fruits, vegetables, and herbs she grew in her garden."

The Back Matter includes one of Georgia's cookie recipe, pecan butterballs, shown in her handwriting in the book.

Review of The Fastest Drummer

Clap Your Hands for Viola Smith

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Candlewick Press

(pub. 3.5.2024)

40 pages

Ages 7 - 9

Author: Dean Robbins

   Illustrator: Susanna Chapman

Character: Viola Smith

Overview:

" Five girls played together in the Smith Sisters Orchestra: Irene on trombone, Erma on vibraphone, Edwina on trumpet, Mildred on violin, and Lila on saxophone. But what of the littlest sister? When Viola’s time came, almost every instrument was taken . . . except one.

When she first sat behind a drum kit, she lost the beat, made a terrible racket, and had more fun than she’d ever had before. Viola took to the road with her family, learned from the greats, formed her own band in the face of discrimination and ridicule, mastered twelve- and seventeen-piece drum kits, and played so fast she left no room for doubt: women could not only keep the beat—they could beat the odds.

At one hundred years of age, Viola was still slamming her snare and socking her cymbals."

Tantalizing taste:

"Viola practiced, practiced, practiced.

She worked on paradiddles, single stroke rolls,

double stroke rolls.

Her playing became bolder, flashier, and faster...

Women musicians got little respect in the 1930s...

They believed women could never sound as good

as men did on their instruments.

Viola had an idea for changing people's minds. She

would start her own women's band: The Coquettes!"

And something more: The author, Dean Robbins, shared in the Author's Note: "Following Viola's lead, countless women instrumentalists made their mark on popular music. They hailed her as a hero and an inspiration, marveling at her determination to keep playing to the age of 107."

Review of Evidence!

How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Knopf Books for Young Readers

(pub. 8.13.2024)

40 pages

Ages 4-8

Author: Deborah Hopkinson

   Illustrator: Nik Henderson

Character: Dr. John Snow

Overview:

" Dr. John Snow is one of the most influential doctors and researchers in Western medicine, but before he rose to fame, he was just a simple community doctor who wanted to solve a mystery.

In 19th century London, the spread of cholera was as unstoppable as it was deadly. Dr. Snow was determined to stop it, but he had a problem: His best theory of how the disease was spread flew in the face of popular opinion. He needed evidence, and he needed to find it fast, before more lives were lost.

Taking on the role of detective as well as doctor, Dr. Snow knocked on doors, asked questions and mapped out the data he'd collected. What he discovered would come to define the way we think about public health to this day."

Tantalizing taste:

"Here's Dr. John Snow now, on Sunday evening. He looks like a gentleman, but he grew up poor, the oldest of nine children. John hasn't forgotten that. He's been a doctor to the queen, but he cares about science and regular people, not riches. He often gives his services for free to those in need.

Tonight, John's not here to see a patient. He's on the hunt for clues. Because John is a detective: a medical detective."

And something more: The backmatter of the book explains that: "Evidence! is a true story that marks a key date in public health history: September 8, 1854, when the handle came off the Broad Street pump in London, England. A few months later, Dr. John Snow published a book about his investigation that included a map showing the pattern of the epidemic. This map has inspired scientists ever since.… Each year, the John Snow Society invites a leading scientist to give a lecture on public health. The event is called the Pumphandle Lecture."