2008 Non-Fiction Picture Book Finalists

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
written by Jen Bryant
illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Eerdmans Books for Young ReadersThis biography follows "Willie Williams" from his days as a smart, athletic youngster to his later years as a physician. As readers see him aging, they also see the inexplicable pull of poetry in his life and the making of a man as a poet. The multimedia illustrations closely compliment the text, making for a book that exudes the spirit of Williams in every way. The book concludes with timelines of both Williams' life and world history during Williams' lifetime.

Astronaut Handbook
written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

How does one become an astronaut? McCarthy opens the door to astronaut training and lets readers in on all the secrets. The eye-popping illustrations offer ways to understand information that would be too difficult for the target audience had it been presented only in text. The back matter includes a page of fascinating facts and a bibliography of books, web sites, videos and places to visit.

Duel! Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words
written by Dennis Brindell Fradin
illustrated by Larry Day
Walker Books for Young Readers

Fradin's historically accurate telling of the story of the duel between Hamilton and Burr is dramatically told. Both men are cast as well-rounded human beings with flaws and strengths, and both are shown to be at fault for the duel. The book concludes with a lengthy bibliography.

Fabulous Fishes
written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale
Peachtree

This Seuss-like look at the world of fish uses bold illustrations and rhyming text to introduce young readers to the wide variety of ocean fish. Stockdale follows up her textual overview with a few pages of additional information about each fish pictured. A long list of resources is also included.

Nic Bishop Frogs
written and illustrated by Nic Bishop
Scholastic Nonfiction

Jam-packed with amazing and sometimes quirky facts, and gorgeous photos, this book takes readers on a journey through the wonderful world of frogs. Scientifically, Bishop doesn't talk down to young readers, but rather helps to make the mystery that is life and science more understandable. A glossary and index are included.

Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Lived to Draw
written and illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
Viking

Using Gág's own words, Kogan Ray tells the story of a woman born into an art-loving family who followed her own dream to create art, no matter what obstacles stood in her way. This biography follows Gág from her childhood years up through the publication of her Newbery award-winning book, Millions of Cats.

Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa
written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter
Harcourt

Winter's bold illustrations and straightforward prose tell the story of this Nobel Peace Prize winner's efforts to bring the green back to Kenya. Focused on her early life, this biography introduces readers to a girl who loved nature, decried its destruction, and worked tirelessly to reforest her beloved homeland. The back matter includes an author's note and quote from Maathai.

--Fiona Bayrock, organizer

Comments

[Tricia]

Hi Folks,
There's a typo in the annotation for the first book. The summary begins on the line for the publisher.

Thanks for all your work helping us get the list whittled down. Now the hard work begins!

[Jeannine Atkins]

Fiona and others, There are some lovely books here, I know, and I'll look for the others that I haven't read. Wonderful job!

[Becky]

What a great list!

[Fiona]

The judges have their work cut out for them, that's for sure!

And to give credit where credit is due, the book blurbs were written by panelists Debbie and Tricia.

[Nancy Bo Flood]

Nancy Bo Flood

A stirring unfolding of subjects and "voices." What a menu of thoughts, places, and ideas. A pleasure for any adult or "big kid" to read and for any age listener to hear. Thank you for celebrating these books.
Nancy Bo Flood
author of Sand to Stone and Navajo Year