- Sep 2
Updated: Sep 4
The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés
and World Central Kitchen
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Random House Studio
pub. 2.13.2024
48 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Erin Frankel
Illustrator: Paola Escobar
Character: José Andrés
Overview:
"José Andrés’s love of cooking began as a young boy in Spain as he gathered the wood to make the fire that would cook the paella just right. José loved everything about it: the sizzling olive oil, the mounds of chopped vegetables, and the smell of saffron. When he left home, he realized he wanted to tell stories with food. And tell them he did, creating magic with the seeds of ripe tomatoes and pomegranates and cheese. His dreams grew until they were as big as the stars in the sky. He thought, No one should ever go hungry. I want to help feed the world-- and World Central Kitchen was born.
From the earthquake in Haiti to the war in Ukraine and the Covid pandemic, José and his team at World Central Kitchen have been at the frontlines, serving more than 200 million meals and counting, and bringing comfort and hope in the darkest times."
Tantalizing taste:
"No es solo el arroz.
A paella is so much more than just rice.
Especially if it is Sunday in Spain
And you are a boy and your name is
José Andrés
And you are gathering the wood
that will make the fire
That will cook the paella just right
That will feed a few ... or many.
ALL are welcome."
And something more: Erin Frankel in the Author's Note : "José Andrés was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his disaster relief efforts... As an immigrant, José thought the stars in the American flag represented possibility - the same possibility that stirred him in the historic words WE THE PEOPLE. José reminds us that together our stars shine brightly. Together, todo es posible.'
- Sep 2
Updated: Sep 4
How Einstein's Theory of General Relativity
Changed our World
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Christy Ottaviano Books
(LBYR)
pub. 6.29.2025
40 pages
Ages 5 - 9
Author and illustrator:
Emily Arnold McCully
Character: Albert Einstein
Overview:
From his earliest days as a child, Albert Einstein was fascinated with the relationship between light and gravity. He couldn’t stop thinking about the laws of the universe, and was determined to describe how motion and time, and energy and mass, all worked together.
Einstein imagined gravity as what happens when objects bend the space and time around them. But this theory couldn’t be perceived in the everyday world. To test his hypothesis, Einstein needed to see if the sun’s gravity bent the light from a nearby star. And the only way to do that was to photograph a total solar eclipse.
This is the story of how scientist Arthur Eddington validated Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, permanently altering the world’s understanding of the universe and beyond. It’s a testament to the relationship between nature, science, and the pursuit of knowledge.."
Tantalizing taste:
"Whenever he had a moment. Albert wrestled with ideas like racing the beam of light. He and his friends argued over them while hiking in the mountains. He liked to conduct thought experiments in a sailboat on the lake.
Gradually, Albert figured out a radical new way to describe the universe, beginning with how motion and time, energy and mass, all work together. He believed they behaved in relation to one another. The key to the universe was relativity."
And something more: Emily Arnold McCully in the Author's Note explains: "The theory of relativity predicted gravitational waves and black holes,. Einstein's ideas led to such life-changing fixtures as televisions and GPS. They also contributed, to his great regret, to the development of the atomic bomb."
How the Scientist, Writer, and Nature Lover
Changed the Environmental Movement
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Calkins Creek
(Astra Books for Young Readers)
pub. 3.11.2025
40 pages
Ages 7 - 10
Author: Kate Hannigan
Illustrator: Katie Hickey
Character: Rachel Carson
Overview:
"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 about her adventures and the creatures she saw. Encouraged by teachers, Rachel wanted nothing more than to study the ocean and its inhabitants. Though unable to finish her PhD due to financial constraints, Rachel found work in science and success as a nature writer.
In the course of her work, Rachel learned about the harm caused by recently developed pesticides and chemicals that made their way into the environment. Desperate to protect nature for future generations even as her health declined, she penned the famous book Silent Spring—a call to action against the threat of the deadly chemicals. The book is anything but quiet, selling more than 2 million copies and leading directly to changes like the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Clean Water Act of 1972."
Tantalizing taste:
"But walking with Roger amid tiny seedlings
and tall spruce, Rachelle knows nature is as
fragile as a robin's egg. All around her, she…
sees trees cut down and buildings going up,
hears the honking of more drivers on the road,
smells the spray of weed killers and pesticides,
feels the sun's heat where shade used to be,
tastes the worry over what is to come."
And something more: Kate Hannigan in the Author's Note explains: "Carson died just eighteen months after Silent Spring was published. She didn't live to see the impact of her work, which still resonates today, or to hear the good names people called her – like 'mother of the environmental movement.' Her book laid the groundwork for many efforts to protect the earth..."
