My Name is Hamburger by Jacqueline Jules

My Name is Hamburger is a verse novel. Jacqueline Jules packs a lot into this short book - Jewish culture, discrimination, hopes and wishes, friendship complications, bullies, belonging, making new friends, Holocaust survivors, school life and family life.

The year is 1962 and Trudie's parents are holocaust survivors and Jewish. Her father owns a printing business and her mother stays home to look after her new prematurely born baby brother. 

I like how my family sit at our round table

just eating a tasty food, not a last name

I wish didn't go with my first.

Trudie has a very special friend who lives nearby named Lila. They have been friends since they were babies. Trudie excels at spelling and so as this story opens she is competing in her school level competition. Trudie is in grade four. She and her dad have been studying hard for this. She spells homogenous and makes it to the final round of two contestants but then the judge gives her a word with a silent letter - rhythm.

Like a gherkin.

That little green pickle

Kids like to crunch

This gives rise to more dreadful teasing by one horrid boy in her class - Daniel Reynolds. Trudie is so disappointed about the spelling bee but there is the hope she can compete again next year - she did make it through five rounds. I loved the way her teacher celebrates her achievement. 

School should be a happy place for Trudie but every week there is the problem of the music class. Trudi cannot sing the Christian songs and so she spends her time in the library. She loves being with the librarian Mrs Nolan, doing tasks like shelving books from A to Z. It is lucky because Trudi loves to read and she is getting close to the target on fifty books on the class reading chart. She didn't win the spelling bee perhaps she can win the reading trophy. Then a new boy arrives. He is also subjected to racial taunts because he is thought to be 'Chinese'. In fact he was born in the US.

Meanwhile Lila seems to have found a new friend. A pretty and popular girl named Sue Ellen. Young modern readers might be shocked when they read that Trudie cannot be invited to Sue Ellen's birthday party because as a Jewish child and so she is not allowed into the Colburn Country Club. The new boy, Jerry Braswell, who lives next door also used to be her friend but then he joined up with Daniel Reynolds. They taunt the girls and one day they throw water bombs at them on their way home:

Only red balloons, scattered

in little pieces all over the street

along with my trust

in mothers who understand

Trudie loves doing things with her father. Her mother is always distracted by the baby. They decide to plant a cherry tree in their garden but then Trudie comes home one day and the little plant has been destroyed. Not long after this her father has a dreadful accident and he can no longer work.

Her father does not tell Trudie much about the holocaust but he does offer some wisdom:

"He says 'hate' starts with separation and grows bigger, until it turns to stones angry people throw through windows. ... Daddy doesn't like the way I say that word 'different'. Doesn't like when it pulls people apart, puts some on a pedestal and others in the dirt."

"In my life ... I've seen people turn their backs when others suffer. But today ... true neighbours show me the best of what people can be."

I read My Name is Hamburger on a Kindle but this 2022 book is still available in paperback. Here is an interview with Jacqueline Jules. And here is a review from the Jewish Book Council.

Bookseller blurb: Trudie Hamburger is the only Jewish kid living in the small southern town of Colburn in 1962. Nobody else at her school has a father who speaks with a German accent or a last name that means chopped meat. Trudie doesn't want to be the girl who cries when Daniel Reynolds teases her. Or the girl who hides in the library to avoid singing Christian songs in music class. She doesn't want to be different. But over the course of a few pivotal months, as Trudie confronts her fears and embraces what she loves--including things that make her different from her classmates--she finally finds a way to say her name with pride.

The Truth about Old People by Elina Ellis

Who decides when you become old?  The other day I jumped onto a very crowed bus. There were seats towards the back but before I could get that far a lady (I would say she was around my age) jumped up to give me her seat!  Of course I said no and walked further back to the empty seat I had spied but really - am I old?

I have many friends who are grandparents. I would love to gift them this book (the paperback is only AuS$14) - the text and illustrations are wonderful opposites. It is not true that old people are slow, clumsy, not bendy, or scared of new things. Let's think about that last one. Today I visited the mum of a friend. She is well over 95 years old and she proudly showed me photos of her great grandchildren on her iPhone! Then she scrolled through the text messages from another family member and showed me some special photos her friend had sent recently.

This book goes on to say old people don't dance - but my friend (another grandmother) takes a jazz dance exercise class every day! Here is the dancing page from The Truth about Old People:

And I love the bendy page:

Publisher blurb: A very funny and lovable picture book tribute to grandparents and older people. When you're small, everybody bigger than you seems really old. But does being older have to mean being boring, or slow, or quiet? NO! Elina Ellis' wonderful illustrations reveal that the age you are makes no difference to how amazing you can be. From the winner of the Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2017, The Truth About Old People is an instant favourite with children and grown-ups that tackles ageism without being preachy. Elina has a great talent for characterful illustration: you'll feel like you've known this family all your life.

Here's the web page for Elina Ellis.

Look for these books which debunk the myth about grandparents. You can search for some of these using my sidebar search box:

Here is the companion book by Elina Ellis:

Bears don't cry by Emma Chichester Clark

The title of this book is sure to lead to an interesting discussion with your group of young readers. Should bears be allowed to cry? What might make a bear cry? What makes you cry? Is it okay to cry sometimes? Who might help you if you are crying? What do you thing the little girl might be saying to the bear? Flip over to the back cover. What is happening here?

This story is a sequel to an earlier book - Bears don't read.

Publisher blurb for Bears don't cry: George is no ordinary bear. He lives with a little girl called Clementine and her mother, who have taught him to read! One day, when George finishes his book early and knows it will be a long time before Clementine and her mother return home, he decides to go the library by himself. At first it’s exciting to stroll along the sunny street. But poor George’s trip soon ends in disaster and, to make things worse, his library book is ruined. Can anyone help George to feel better when his feelings are hurt?

In the first book George found a book then he found Clementine and her mother and he learned how to read. In this second instalment George loves living with Clementine's family and when they go out each day he is able to sit in the garden and read but on the day of this story he finishes his library book and so he decides to head into town to the library. Unfortunately none of the townspeople are used to seeing huge bears in the street and so everyone runs away in fear. George has no idea what is happening but then he slips on some fruit in the market and lands in the village fountain. The people all laugh at him but Clementine has something important to say about this:

"This is my dear friend, George ... He may be big but you have hurt his feelings."

As with all good books the final picnic scene back at Clementine's house with the librarian is sure to make you smile. 

Warning - if your library book falls into a fountain, as happened to George,  it really cannot be saved - I love that the librarian in this book offered to dry out the book but I think she was just being kind. 

Clever type design makes for easy reading, while lots of pictorial action adds drama to this tale that gently reminds readers not to judge by outward appearances. ... A sweet tale of a beloved bear defeating the tyranny of others’ expectations. Kirkus

Click on the name Emma Chichester Clark in my post labels to see more books by this wonderful UK author/illustrator. This story reminded me of this book:

Veronica

Nobody likes me by Raoul Krischanitz translated by Rosemary Lanning

"Buddy was the new dog in town. He sat outside his house with nothing to do. He was bored."

Stop reading after each of these short sentences and ask your young reading companion or group of children to think about each sentence one at a time. Buddy was new - how does this feel? How might Buddy make friends? Have you ever tried to make a new friend? What advice would you give to Buddy. 

He sat outside with nothing to do. Is this the way to make friends? Should Buddy just wait for friends to come along and talk to him? Is this likely to happen? What would you do?

What does the word bored mean? Do you have some suggestions for Buddy? 

Then Buddy sees a mouse looking out of her hole. He asks her to play but she says NO. Think about why the little mouse might react this way. I guarantee that no one will predict the true reason which is revealed at the end of the story. At this point we have only explored half of the first page of this book.

Buddy is sure the mouse doesn't like him. He walks on and tries to talk to a group of cats but you can imagine their reaction. Then he approaches three rabbits, a small flock of sheep and even another dog but in the end it is only the fox who offers to help him. The fox suggests Buddy should try again - go back and talk to the other animals and explain he is just looking for a friend or two or three or more! And YES as with all good books this one has a happy ending and a party!

Here is nearly all of the Kirkus review: Buddy is the new dog on the block, a chartreuse pudge-ball of immense visual appeal. His problem is that he can't make any friends; every creature in the vicinity - mouse to sheep, cats, rabbits, and even other dogs - either leaves him, glowers at him, or chases him off. Buddy, reduced to tears, is approached by a sympathetic fox. When Buddy relates that nobody seems to like him, the fox suggests he ask why, a question that demands courage. The fox accompanies Buddy on his friendship quest, ... , it turns out to be a case of mistaken intentions - the cats thought Buddy was going to attack them, the sheep thought he was going to herd them, and so forth. Once things get straightened out, they all become friends. Krischanitz's message - that making that second effort is fraught with emotional landmines, but might be worth the effort - is a noble one, and that it was recommended by a fox will give it the seal of approval with children.

This is a wonderful book about how to make friends and about the importance of communication. At an even deeper level it is also about stereotypes and even perhaps prejudice. AND the end papers are brilliant.

Nobody likes me was published in 1999 by North South. This company seek or sought out fabulous European books in a range of languages and then organised to translate them into English. Their picture books are all of a similar large size in hardcover. Collecting these for a library allowed our Australian children to see different illustration styles. Nobody likes me is also a cumulative tale which makes it perfect as a book to read to a group of preschool children. 

I am very keen to find Molto (published in 2001). 

Molto the tiger cat wants to be able to fly. With the help of his friends, he can fulfill his wish. But on his second try, Molto finds out that experiences are best when you can share them with friends.

A Small Person's Guide to Grandmas by Jane Clarke illustrated by Lucy Fleming

I know several fabulous grandmothers and this book would make a perfect gift for each of them - in fact I was slightly tempted to purchase more than one copy but I resisted and only bought one which I will gift to a friend tomorrow.

This picture book is a perfect marriage between a text that says one thing and the truth we can see in the illustration.  Grandmas are not busy - but in the illustration we see her up a ladder, hammer in hand, fixing a trellis to her wall. Her tool box is at the bottom of the ladder and her shed is filled with garden tools.  No ice cream for breakfast - but grandma and child are tucking into huge dishes of colourful ice cream scoops. Grandma is not an old lady sitting in a rocking chair. She is a friend, she is funny and she is full of creative energy. Most of all she has tons of love to share. 

Blurb Walker Books: When it’s time to visit Grandma, it is very important to look after her. Grandma loves to bake, but you have to take charge of stirring and licking the spoon – all she has to do is put the cookies in the oven. You must take her to the park for fresh air and exercise, but make sure she doesn’t get too adventurous on the climbing frame! Told from the point of view of an expert grandchild, this is a truly heart-warming celebration of grandmas that overflows with charm, humour and multigenerational love.

Picture books about grandparents can be fun. They don't have to depict extremely old people or grandparents who are failing due to dementia or memory loss. Take a look at this list.

Wolfie's Secret by Nicola Senior

Wolfie was no ordinary wolf.

He was a wolf with a secret.

He was a wolf who loved baking!

Wolfie knows he has to keep his baking a secret. He is supposed to be growly, tough, mean and of course to enjoy eating grandmas. He just cannot do this. It is not in his nature. One day, as he closes the curtains and gets on with his delicious baking the smells waft outside. Three brothers have plans to build a house next door. You might recognise these guys - it is in fact our old friends the three little pigs. They know all about wolves and so they worry that this spot is not a safe place for their new home. Those smells, though, are so tempting. The trio tip toe up to the window and look inside. What they see is so shocking. A wolf in a pinny! A wolf making a chocolate cake!

This is a scandal. The three pigs make a plan to expose this impostor. They stalk him day and night taking photographs and making notes - gathering proof. Once they have everything they need they send it off to the local newspaper. On Saturday morning Wolfie sees the disastrous headline in the newspaper - WOLF IN CAKE BAKING SCANDAL.

Wolfie is devastated. He climbs into bed and retreats from the world. Then the most unexpected thing happens. Letters start to arrive. Readers of the newspaper love his recipes and are keen for more.The newspaper editor offers Wolfie a job. What about those pigs next door? I am happy to say they make peace with their new friend by gifting him a super cake mixer.

There is a recipe in this book for scones and if you look closely you will spy other delicious baked treats such as battenberg cake, and a Victoria Sponge.  Here is the book trailer. There are four activity pages on the publisher web site - Allen and Unwin.

Wolfie's kitchen is wonderful. This is a story to share with a young child followed by the sharing of some delicious home made cake.

This is a debut book from Nicola Senior. I do hope she has plans for more delicious treats like this.

The exquisite illustrations throughout expertly portray Wolfie’s emotions, from his love of baking, the expressions on his face as he concentrates and his horror and disappointment at being found out. Child Care and Education Expo

I would follow this book with The Fairytale News by Colin and Jackie Hawkins.

Brave by Stacy McAnulty illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

A few days ago I talked about Beautiful. Here is the companion volume, Brave. This is another deceptively simply book with minimal text but once again the power here is the juxtaposition of text and illustration. 

What does it mean to be brave?
The brave kid has super strength - here is the illustration:

A brave kid "never gives up". - the illustration shows a running race with a wheelchair competitor and he is winning!  The kids in the crowd hold banners "my hero"; "you can do it."

A brave kid "fights the toughest battles" - here is the illustration.

Image source The Picture Book Review

I think the best page of all comes at the end. We see two kids holding violins standing backstage looking quite nervous. The girl is smiling at the boy and offering encouragement and then when you turn the page you see the boy on the stage playing with a smile - he is brave!

Here are some teaching ideas.

"Thoughtful text from Stacy McAnulty paired with vibrant illustrations from Joanne Lew-Vriethoff encourage kids to be brave in all the ways they can: trying new things, speaking their mind, confronting bullies, and more. This book will inspire kids to follow their hearts and to have courage, no matter the situation. Running Press"

Beautiful by Stacy McAnulty illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

I like to think about the processes between the words of an author and the creativity of an illustrator.  The words in this book say one thing and the pictures show something quite different - making this a powerful story about image, stereotypes, perception, individuality and girl power.

Here is some of the text:

Beautiful girls ...
... have the perfect look.
Beautiful girls move gracefully,
And light up every room.
Beautiful girls know all about makeup,
And have a smart style.

Let's look at this last line.  On this page you will see one girl exploring nature. She has dirt on her face and knees and is keenly observing and recording bugs. Another girl is working on an engineering project. She is welding a circuit board. The final pair of girls are surrounded by test tubes and chemicals. Yes, they are all very smart!

Here are some other books illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff. Stacy McAnulty explains the importance of her book and provides links for further discussion.

With a text that sounds like it could have been directly lifted from a charm school handbook, McAnulty and Lew-Vriethoff upend the norm. Each phrase is paired with illustrations that show an alternative meaning.  Kirkus

The curious world of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

"I thought about it and realized that I, too was an explorer.  Hadn't I crossed the wide ocean to England with Mr Dickens? Hadn't I drifted down the great Mississippi with Huck? Didn't I travel in time and space every time I opened a book?"

I adored The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate so I waited a little while before beginning this second installment.  I was worried it might not be as good as the first.  There was no need to worry at all. The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate is just as good as the first book.  You could actually read this one without reference to the first because Jacqueline Kelly includes just the right amount of recapping and back story but because I loved the first book I recommend you try to start from the beginning.

In some ways Calpurnia (Callie Vee) has a small life.  She has never traveled beyond the nearby town, she has not been to the ocean and she is expected to learn the ways of a lady.  Luckily Callie is a curious girl who sees so much potential and wonder in her world.  With the support of her very well read Grandfather, Callie is able to ask lots of questions and receive guidance in how to explore the answers.  Her grandfather has an extensive library which Callie is able to use and in this second installment she is also able to explore the wonderful book collection owned by a local veterinarian  Dr Pritzker.  We see Callie make an astrolabe, a barometer and begin a series of animal dissections beginning with a grasshopper then a frog.

Callie has learned to observe her world in a scientific way but sadly she is also living at a time when girls are not given any credit for their intellect.  Callie, for example, is given only $5 when her father returns from assisting with the Galveston Hurricane while her brothers are given $10.  Worse though, is the way her expectations of university study are totally crushed.

"I suddenly realized that the moment and the stage were mine.  ... 'Well, Calpurnia, we might be able to, uh, send you to college for a year. That should be long enough for you to  earn your teaching certificate, I should think.'  I couldn't believe what I was hearing. One year. Not two. .... the injustice of it overwhelmed me.  Then what popped into my head was the question that ... I'd be waiting to ask my whole life.  ... 'How is that fair?"

The year is 1900.  There is change in the air.  Callie discovers the wonders of the typewriter thanks to her older cousin who has come to stay with the family following the hurricane.  Travis is still obsessed by animals and so Callie is able to learn more about armadillos, a blue jay, a black-spotted newt and a dog named Scruffy that is half coyote.  Callie also opens her first bank account and in this scene her father redeems himself.

"Everything is fine, Father. ... I have come to open an account.' ... 'Why on earth do you need that?' I thought quickly.  'You're always telling us to save our money, so I thought this would be the best place to do it' ... 'it's an excellent idea, and you shall set a good example for them (the boys). Come, I'll introduce you to the president, and we'll get you started."

Callie deposits $7.58 - her life savings but there is a promise of more money to come.  She is now working for the vet and he his paying her to type is labels and accounts, she has her weekly allowance and some of the farmers give her small payments when she makes deliveries for Dr Pritzker.


Instead of giving up, Callie Vee comes up with a plan to prevail, teaching the readers that, no matter the circumstance, you can achieve more; try harder and let those nay-sayings fall on deaf ears.  Kinderlit

But not to worry….Callie, the witty and sincere narrator, is “smart as a tree full of owls” and won’t be denied her dreams of being a veterinarian or anything else she puts her mind to.   Kirkus

Kelly seeds the story with enough small, stinging incidents of gender discrimination that when eventually Callie stops weeping over “the hard fact of being a half citizen in my own home” and determines to find a way to fulfill her ambition, it’s both believable and cheer-worthy.   Horn Book

Fanny's dream by Caralyn Buehner illustrated by Mark Beuhner

I have made a plan for this year to bring home five or six picture books several times each week - books we have in our school library that I have not yet read.

Among my collection this week was Fanny's Dream. This is a book for all fairy tale fans.  I loved this book because I am a great believer in "they all lived happily ever after" just like Fanny and of course I did expect a prince would arrive!

Fanny is a sturdy girl living in Wyoming.  "She was going to marry a prince."  She hears the mayor is giving a grand ball.  She waits in the garden for the arrival of the fairy godmother but the fairy does not arrive instead along comes Herber Jensen. "Herber was cheerful and pleasant, and he had always liked Fanny, but heavens, he was so short!"

Fanny does not want to give up her dream but Herber talks things over with her.  He helps Fanny identify her skills.  She can harness a horse, cure a ham and even spread manure.

Fanny marries Herber and the routines of daily life on the farm take over.

"As for Herber, he figured that it hadn't been easy for Fanny to give up her dreams, so he made a point to wait on her at least once a day, as if she were a princess ... "

Babies are born, the house burns down but they rebuild and the farm prospers and then, many years later, the fairy godmother finally arrives.  Click the quotes below to read some reviews :

A delightful wedding of winsome story and ingenious illustrations; there is no more to be asked of a book.

Fanny Agnes is a delight: a feminist with a wry sense of humor, she balances her dreams 

with common sense and a loving heart.

How the library (not the Prince) saved Rapunzel by Wendy Meddour illustrated by Rebecca Ashdown

How the library (not the Prince) saved Rapunzel looked like the perfect book to begin our library year so I bought it home to read tonight. Told in rhyme Rapunzel is on the sixteenth floor on a tall apartment building. She ignores the milkman, the postman, the baker (she has a tray of delicious treats), her aunt and the Prince.

"To think,' said her aunt, 'that she's all alone, on the sixteenth floor, as thin as bone.
Rapunzel has patience. She doesn't move. 
She has nowhere to go. She has nothing to prove.
But to sit on your own all day and dream - 
well, it's not really good for one's self-esteem."

There is a problem.  Now we need a creative and co-operative solution.  The real remedy, though, is inside the letter the postman had tried to deliver.

"I've got a new job at the library."
"For along with her hair and her ravishing looks,
she loved nothing better than reading good books!"

When you read this book go back and take some time to notice all the extra and delicious details in the illustrations.  On the end papers you can see many cats enjoying the delights of the library.  Even though Rapunzel supposedly doesn't move she keeps changing her hat. The Prince arrives on his moped. I love the different faces too.  The baker is a lady and the postman wears a turban.

Here is the Prince - he is never seen again.

There is only one little problem with the rhyme for an Australian audience - moan and scone.

"So don't just wait for your prince to show.

He might turn up, but you never know.

Pop down to your library and borrow a book - 

there's SO MUCH to find out if only you look."

Here is an excellent review.

Take a popular fairy tale, modernize it and make the princess a sassy lass who refuses to let her hair down, 

and you have a nifty fairy-tale twist with a library message.