The praise keeps coming for Little Melba and her Big Trombone, written by Katheryn Russell-Brown and illustrated by Frank Morrison. A review by the Smithsonian BookDragon blog commented on the artwork, saying that “Morrison also knows how to add soul-soothing rhythm to the page: take that cover with young Melba barely grown enough to hold that instrument, then compare it to the final double-page spread in which an adult Melba takes the same leaned-waaay-back, feel-the-stirring-sounds stance decades later and wows a sold-out audience of thousands.”

Further praise comes from School Library Journal, where Little Melba was featured in an article entitled “A Trio of Trailblazing Performers.” In the review, SLJ says of Frank Morrison’s gorgeous artwork: “Frank Morrison’s vibrant oil paintings gleam with deep jewel tones, bold lines, and kinetic motion. Gracefully elongated figures provide a fine counterpoint to this performer and her often stretched-to-the-max slide, and a kaleidoscope of shifting perspectives keep Melba—and her music—center stage.”

School Library Journal praised My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay with a very positive review that noted the book as “a great way to continue building diverse library collections for all readers.”

The book is written by Cari Best and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. About the illustration, SLJ said: “Bright, colorful illustrations on a clean white backdrop are crisp and clear and mesh seamlessly with the text.”

Kirkus expressed praise for One Plastic Bag, written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon.

This inspiring book tells the story of a Gambian woman who comes up with an ingenious way to repurpose plastic bags to deal with their difficulty of disposal. Kirkus called the book “a welcome addition to the small shelf of examples of ingenuity in developing nations” and commented that Elizabeth Zunon’s collage illustrations “fittingly … make use of colorful papers and plastic bags. These reveal the labor involved and show the women’s joy in the results of their work.”

Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer, written by Elaine and Michaela DePrince and illustrated by Frank Morrison, is available to buy. The book is based on the true story of Michaela DePrince, one of the top ballerinas in the United States.

Michaela’s story starts with a three-year-old orphan living in Sierra Leone who discovers a picture of a ballerina. That single image inspired a dream that saw Michaela take up ballet after being adopted and moving to America. Even now, as a principal dancer in New York City who has been featured in documentaries, television shows, and, of course, countless dance performances, Michaela still remembers that photograph.

Ballerina Dreams: From Orphan to Dancer is an inspirational story written for readers who are new to reading independently and are improving their reading confidence. Containing both photographs and beautiful illustrations by Frank Morrison, this book is an uplifting read that will inspire readers to reach for their own dreams.

Find it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers, written by David J. Smith and illustrated by Steve Adams, has received a Eureka! Gold award.

The Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award was established by the California Reading Association as a way to highlight excellent nonfiction children’s books for teachers, librarians, and parents to assist them with choosing books for their students and children.

In the Honor Awards section, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone Katheryn Russell-Brown and illustrated by Painted Words illustrator Frank Morrison gained recognition.

Check out If: A Mind-Bending New Way of Looking at Big Ideas and Numbers on Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Congratulations Steve (and Frank!)

We Shall Overcome, written by Debbie Levy and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, has been named a Jane Addams Honor Book in the Books for Younger Children category.

The Jane Addams awards are designed to honor excellent children’s books that promote peace, social justice, racial equality, world community, and equality between the sexes.

This year was the 61^st year of the awards, and the award ceremony was held October 17 in New York.

Named for the song of the same title, We Shall Overcome explores the civil rights anthem and emphasizes the power of community.

Buy We Shall Overcome at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Congratulations, Vanessa and Debbie!

The Waking Brain Cells blog wrote a fantastic review of Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, illustrated by Frank Morrison.

On Morrison’s artwork, the review stated: “Morrison’s art beautifully captures the life of Liston on the page.  His paintings are done in rich colors, filled with angles of elbows, horns and music, they leap on the page.  They evoke the time period and the sense of music and jazz.”