Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors

Sidman, J. (2010). Ubiquitous: Celebrating nature's survivors. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0-618-71719-4

Author: Joyce Sidman
Website: http://www.joycesidman.com/

Illustrated By: Beckie Prange
Website: http://www.beckieprange.com/

Media Used (discussed in detail): The text is set in Berling, Caslon Antique, and ITC Legacy Sans.  The illustrations in the book were created using linocuts with hand-colored watercolor.  Lioncuts are created using a sheet of linoleum which is then carved so that the raised and un-raised parts of the sheet create a mirror image of the final illustration.  Color is then applied to the sheet of linocut and pressed onto paper to create the image.  Looking at the detail in some of the illustrations, you would never guess that a carving method was being utilized, as opposed to painting directly with watercolor.  My favorite illustration in the book is the scene with the crow flying in the sky.  The color of the sky is so vibrant and you can almost hear the crow cawing out as he flies.  I also really enjoyed how Prange colored the sky in the coyote scene.  The mix of purples and blue contrast wonderfully with the shadowy forms of the coyote pack.  The timeline is not only a work of art but also an ingenious idea.  Prange used a piece of string using a scale of 1 centimeter equaling 1 million years.  She then wrapped and looped the string on a piece of contact paper, marking the spots where the organisms mentioned appear on the timeline.  She then used this to create the pattern for her linocut carving.

Summary: Arranged in the order of their appearance in evolutionary time, different animals and organisms that have evolved to survive are presented along with poems and factual information.

Personal Reaction: I really enjoyed this book.  There is such a wonderful mixture of artwork, non-fictional information, and individual poems which works so well together.  There is also a glossary included at the end of the book explaining some of the different terms such as "ubiquitous."  I found my copy in the children's poetry section of my library, but it could also easily be shelved in the picture book or in the animal non-fiction section as well.  A great book that you just want to keep re-reading and exploring through again and again.

Use of Allusion: The phrase "[squirrel's brains] are just the size of walnuts" alludes to the commonly used phrase "your brain is the size of a walnut" meaning a person is stupid.  Which the poem then proves wrong as it goes to to state how squirrels are in fact "insatiably curious" and "natural-born problem solvers." 

Use of Metaphor: "Coal black eyes"  Use of Personification: “dandelions grow their hair” [like a mammal would] and ants "beat their legs against their chests” [like a person]. Use of Repetition: In the coyote poem, the word "come" is placed at the beginning of every line which adds extra emphasis encouraging the reader to follow.   Use of Rhyme: In the crow poem, every two lines end in rhyming pairs such as: Sky/why, shrill/chill, feet/greet, given/thicken, and schemes/dreams. Use of Symbol: The swirling timeline represents how much time has passed since the Earth was first formed until humans appeared on Earth. Curricular Connection: 9th to 12th Grade Science California Standard: Evolution 7.d. - Students know variation within a species increases the likelihood that at least some members of a species will survive under changed environmental conditions. [This book discusses organisms that have evolved to survived over time]. Evolution 8.b. - Students know a great diversity of species increases the chance that at least some organisms survive major changes in the environment [book discusses highly diverse species such as bacteria, mollusks, lichens, and ants].

Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the politcal science of the atomic bomb

Ottaviani, J. (2001). Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the political science of the atomic bomb. Ann Arbor, MI: G.T. Labs.  ISBN: 0-9660106-3-9 

Author: Jim Ottaviani
Website: http://www.gt-labs.com/writers.html

Artists:
Janine Johnston Website (under construction): http://www.janinejohnston.com/
Chris Kemple Website: http://www.redvengeance.com/
Steve Lieber Website: http://www.stevelieber.com/
Vince Locke Website: http://vincelocke.com/
Bernie Mireault Website: http://bem.spiltink.org/
Jeff Parker Website: http://www.parkerspace.com/

Media Used: The cover of the hardback edition is in color, while the rest of the graphic novel is illustrated in shades of black, gray, and white.

Summary:  Ever wonder just how the atomic bomb was created?  Learn about the people and politics behind the creation of the atomic bomb in this graphic novel about the lives of Oppenheimer and Szilard, two of the bomb's creators.

Personal Reaction:  The use of multiple artists, and thus multiple styles of drawing, in creating this book seemed to me to be a good idea.  The multiple styles helped to highlight the different viewpoints, time periods, and events that were taking place. One of my favorite artistic portions of the book included the 'interludes' and 'epilogue' portions which were created by Bernie Mirault because the format (classic comic book style) was easier to follow along with.  The portions by Locke ('school') and Parker ('work') were really hard for me to focus on because of the more messy penciling technique used.  Honestly, I really wanted to just skip over these parts of the book because I was so distracted by the style.  My first impression upon opening the book was "OMG! So much text crammed is crammed onto the page!" This worries me because I don't know many young adults who would be willing to move past that first impression when reading for pleasure.  But, I really enjoyed how the information being discussed was explained either in the dialogue, in small notes. or in the back section.  The book does have a lot of good information crammed into it.  I would recommend for an older (10th grade & up) audience with a strong interest in physics, scientists, or nuclear development.
Non-Fiction in Graphic Novel Format

Use of Onomatopoeia: "Pop" (p.86) is spelled out in the liquid spraying from the champagne bottle to mimic the sound of the cork being released.

Use of Repetition: The word "click" is repeated 61 times on pages 83 to 85 to mimic the constant sound of the control circuit instruments which were vital to determining the scientists safety.

Use of Allusion: The flowers pictured on p. 55 (and in the rest of the book) reference a story told by Frank Oppenheimer in The Day After Trinity which tells how Robert Oppenheimer would go to the woods to pee and return with a flower. [This is explained on p. 215 of Fallout].

Use of Metaphor: "The cloud resembled a giant brain, the convolutions of which were constantly changing." (p. 136)

Use of Simile: "It [the bomb's heat] was like opening a hot oven..." (p. 137).

Curricular Connection: Grades 9 to 12 Chemistry & 11th Grade History
California Standard:  Chemistry: Nuclear Processes - this book can be used to connect historical nuclear development when learning about nuclear processes.   
History: 11.7 Students analyze America’s participation in World War II - 11.7.6. Describe major developments in aviation, weaponry, communication, and medicine and the war’s impact on the location of American industry and use of resources.
11.7.7. Discuss the decision to drop atomic bombs and the consequences of the decision (Hiroshima and Nagasaki).

21: The Story of Roberto Clemente

Santiago, W. (2011). "21": The story of Roberto Clemente. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books.
ISBN: 978-1-56097-892-3
Book's Website: http://www.21comix.com/

My Top Ten Selection

Author & Illustrator: Wilfred Santiago
Author's Website: http://www.wilfredsantiago.com/

Media Used: Use of a yellow and dark blue color scheme (when mixed together also created a dark black blue color) inspired by the Pittsburgh Pirates uniform.  English speakers were represented by orange colored word bubbles and Spanish speakers represented with white colored word bubbles.  Used a cartooning and caricature style of drawing in order to help express the story in fun but realistic way while avoiding a "static" feel ("Creator Q&A | 21 author Wilfred Santiago," Mautner, 4/1/2011).

Summary: Chronicles the life of Roberto Clemente including his growing up in Puerto Rico, his baseball career highlights, and his life on and off the field.

Personal Reaction: Roberto Clemente was the first Latino inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  He grew up in a poor family in rural Puerto Rico.  He came to the United States to play baseball during the Civil Rights movement, and he, himself, was subjected to what was the common inequalities of the time.  This book shows Clemente's own personal beliefs in kindness and justice.  A great book to suggest for young baseball fans learning about inequality and the civil rights' movement (though it is more baseball then civil rights).           

Use of Allusion: As a child Roberto is shown reciting in class the phrase "Amarillo is yellow!" which alludes to the color of the Pittsburgh Pirates uniform color that he will wear in the future.

Use of Simile: "It's like he has eyes on his fingertips!" & "Arm's like a bazooka!"

Non-Fiction in Graphic Novel Format
Curricular Connection: 9th to 12th grade Social Science
California Historical Interpretation Standard #3: Students interpret past events and issues within the context in which an event unfolded rather than solely in terms of present-day norms and values.
California Standard 11.10.5: Students analyze the development of federal civil rights and voting rights by discussing the diffusion of the civil rights movement of African Americans from the churches of the rural South and the urban North, including the resistance to racial desegregation in Little Rock and Birmingham, and how the advances influenced the agendas, strategies, and effectiveness of the quests of American Indians, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans for civil rights and equal opportunities.