Books of Culture

I noticed a theme of "culture" in my library basket this week.  Here are some of the highlights:



Roots and Blues: A Celebration
By Arnold Adoff
Paintings by R. Gregory Christie

I checked this book out from the library because I feel connected to both the author and the illustrator.  I have attended the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Children's Literature for the past two hears.  Arnold Adoff is the husband of the late Virgina Hamilton and attends the conference annually with his son Jamie Adoff.  Last year one of the special guests was R. Gregory Christie and I enjoyed the talk that he gave and have become a fan of his work.  His paintings for this work are astounding.  This is a great book of poetry that celebrates the Blues style of music. 






Mirror
By Jeannie Baker

This book is very unusual.  When you open the book there are two separate stories, one on the right side of the book and another on the left.  These are the stories of two young boys, one in Australia and the other in North Africa.  The stories are wordless and are told through wonderfully creative collage style illustrations.  It almost reminds me of claymation.  Though the two boys lives are very different and in very different settings, something connects them.  Be sure to check this one out to find out.






How the Sphinx Got to the Museum
By Jessie Hartland

I was drawn to this book because I recently took a workshop about Museum Collections and learned a bit about the inner workings of a museum.  This is a cumulative tale told in a fun and creative way.  The reader learns how a museum obtains an item for exhibit.  We also learn the names of some of the museum workers and a bit of Egyptian history at the same time.