From 1850 to 1899, a former slave named Rosa nursed, healed, and comforted countless men, women, and children who fought on both sides of Cuba's struggle for freedom from Spain. She was a real person, not a work of fiction, as were Lieutenant Death, Jose, her husband, and General Weyler. The Surrender Tree is part biography, part history, and fully poetry. An interesting combination that Margarita Engle weaves together masterfully and is so deserving of the Newbery Honor awarded this book. I had heard of the Spanish-American war but was not aware that the first modern concentration camps made their debut during this time in Cuba. Even though it's poetry, flowing and visual, shelved in the 811's at the library, Engle's book teaches volumes about Cuba's bloody, long-lasting war for independence. A great supplement for any history class, as well as language arts. It's not often we see a book that can serve both. Well done, Margarita!
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co
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