Historically Speaking

Kathleen Krull's Big Wig: A Little History of Hair offers readers a fun and sometimes irreverent look at the history of hairstyles.  Brunettes might not agree with Krull's take on the history of blond hair, but they will surely giggle at Peter Malone's illustrations of the fashionable hairstyles of 1785 France.  There is lots to like about this book, including the extra facts at the end of the text, aptly titled, Hair Extensions. A fun and creative look at the evolution and significance of hairstyles.  

What a treat!  A Thanksgiving book that doesn't involve turkeys!  Thank you, Melissa Sweet, for doing what nonfiction authors do best - providing readers with great information in a creative way! Balloons Over Broadway  takes readers back into time, to the beginnings of the famous Macy's Parade.   It's a nostalgic look at  how Tony Sarg's puppets evolved into the giant balloons every kid in America eagerly watches before their turkey dinner emerges from the oven.  Sweet effectively combines traditional watercolor illustrations with cut paper, collage, and photographs.  This is definitely one to add to the shelf!

Barry Denenberg did it again!  As in Lincoln Shot, he has brought history to life with his creative work of nonfiction to mark the Titanic's historic anniversary. Titanic Sinks! is set up like a memorial edition of a imagined period magazine.  The design includes articles, headlines, historic photographs, and an imagined journal.  The reader cannot help but feel they have been witness to this tragic event in history with each page they turn.   My only concern is the classification of the title as a nonfiction book.  Will readers be able to separate what is fiction from nonfiction as they read dated articles and imagined journals?   I'd love to hear others weigh  in on this.    It certainly is a compelling read and presents a tremendous amount of research.

Announcing: The Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2012 I'm excited to announce the 2012 Nonfiction Reading Challenge .  The goal is to encourage everyone to read more nonfiction picture books this year. Take the challenge by setting a goal for yourself. Maybe you want to read one nonfiction picture book each week or each month. Visit both the  Kid Lit Frenzy   and  The Nonfiction Dete ctives  blogs throughout the year for nonfiction reviews and giveaways! Tweet about the challenge using the hashtag #nfpb2012. I'm taking up this challenge by reading at least one book a week.   You can find my science related titles on my other blog, Naturally Speaking, and my history related titles right here.   I'd love to hear your favorites!