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Rap A Tap Tap Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books

This simple book for young children tells the life story of a ground-breaking African-American tap dancer. Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920s-30s. People said he “talked with his feet,” and in the Dillons’ graceful paintings of old New York, he dances from page to page to the tune of a toe-tapping rhyme.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars One of my 2 yr old’s favorites
We checked this book out from the library and haven’t taken it back now for months. We are going to purchase it today so that someone else can borrow it too. My 2 year old son absolutley loves this book! He is very particular and asks for certain books to be read and this one gets read at least once a day. He remembers the story line & loves to say “Rap A Tap Tap” at the appropriate times. The illustrations are wonderful and I am so glad we found such a beautiful book.

5 Stars 4 1/2* More Awards Than You Can Shake a Cane At
Boasting two Caldecott Medals, the Society of Guild Illustrators’ Gold Medal, three Coretta Scott King Awards, four “Boston Globe-Horn Book” Awards, three “New York Times” Best Illustrated Book Awards, the NAACP Image Award, and honorary doctorates from Parsons (”make it work!”) School of Design, Leo and Diane Dillon have an impressive collective vita, as well as enough honors to re-write “The 12 Days of Christmas” as a list of their multiple wards and honors.

Fine and good, what have they done for us lately?

Well, in 2002, they captured another King Award with the graphic stylings, and rhythmic narration of “Rap A Tap Tap,” their kids’ story about famed tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.” Leave the bittersweet side of the story to the Sammy Davis, Jr. song; this Bojangles is a jovial dandy–wearing a fancy suit or tuxedo, bow tie, boutonniere, top hat, a cane, and one great big Pied Piper of a smile. The Dillons remove him from movie studios and dance halls, focusing mainly on Bojangles the street dancer, entertaining crowds of ordinary people wherever he found them. Thus, we see Bojangles’ moves in a variety of settings: On the street, in a park, a bus stop, a market by an elevated train, in front of a church, inside a movie theater and by a fancy hotel. The Dillons capture the tension and dramatic flair of his entire body, his high stepping moves, and especially his active legwork, the latter through multiple images suggesting movement.

While this is not a biography of Bojangles (the only real reference is an informative, albeit necessarily sanitized four-paragraph afterwards), the Dillons largely chose not to set the book with a particular era. How much more interesting it would have been to see more images of the 20’s and 30’s, or Bojangles in a theater or on a movie set. The bold graphic arts style sets Bojangles’ dancing apart from the colorful poster-like backgrounds, but the illustrations only hint at what made him great. You feel the joyous emotions of Bojangles and his fans much more than see his famous footwork and iconic routines. This isn’t a huge problem, but it may limit the RAP A TAP TAP to a somewhat younger audience.

Still, there’s an undeniable power to the uncluttered illustrations, they rely heavily on big basic shapes, and the interaction of the joyful crowds and the always-giving Bojangles. Except for one clinking line mentioned by a reviewer above (”He briefly paused to pat an old cat’) the words sound wonderful, alternating smooth alliteration with a dance=matched syncopated beat. The oversized pages, quality paper, and excellent color reproduction make this a keeper, befitting the transcendent fame of its subject.

4 Stars Great book
This book was one that any age could enjoy. It showed how a child can get his or her dream fulfilled, as Bojangles dream of becoming a tap dancer became reality at a very young age. Also, the illustrations are great, and they add to Bojangles journey. This book also shows the race barrier being broken, as Bojangles who is black, starts working in the white theatres and makes a lot of money doing it. Overall, this book was very well done.

5 Stars Rap a Tap Tap- GREAT book, great seller!
This is a great book, from a wonderful seller. The shipping was quick; the price was great. I gave it as a gift to a friend’s son; he’s an avid tap dancer. I think that he really appreciated it.

5 Stars Creative and captivating
One of our favorite children’s books. Illustrations are outstanding, text is clever. Really a wonderful book. Highly recommended!

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Empire State Building When New York Reached for the Skies Wonders of the World Book

From start to finish, Mann tracks the wonders of architecture, engineering, and construction that went into the creation of the tallest building in the world for the time. Fascinating profiles describe the individuals who dreamed of and built this architectural marvel. Archival photographs recreate the heady world of the steelworkers out on the girders, high above the city streets.

Wonders of the World series

The winner of numerous awards, this series is renowned for Elizabeth Mann’s ability to convey adventure and excitement while revealing technical information in engaging and easily understood language. The illustrations are lavishly realistic and accurate in detail but do not ignore the human element. Outstanding in the genre, these books are sure to bring even the most indifferent young reader into the worlds of history, geography, and architecture.

“One of the ten best non-fiction series for young readers.” - Booklist

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars a modern metaphor for money and ego
There they are–hugging the walls of the hallway, eight silver cases, taller than I am, which open out into triptyches of a reader’s delight–so many books. Cartons of books are piled on top of these treasure mines. On my way to work in After School Care, I found a chair, opened nearly all the cartons before I found a book to look at (games, artsy products, science kits were in those boxes). I am the librarian, thus in charge of our semi-annual Book Fair. I wanted just one book to look at for now. Tomorrow I set up this wonderland of books!

“Empire State Building” is the book from the carton–and what a great topic. Equal in feat and imagination to anything the ancient world built, this modern Wonder of the World is awesome. Alfred E. Smith, presidential aspirant to the office, and John J. Raskob, a private businessman, pooled sources to build the tallest skyscraper in existence.

Filled with all kinds of tidbits of information, this book relates the history of the building of the Empire State Building from inception through completion. After manufacturing made so many men rich, they tried to outdo each other in building the tallest skyscraper. The final competition came down to Walter Chrysler and Smith/Raskob. Who won, why, and how makes a clever little story.

What made possible the building of these really tall skyscrapers was steel. The walls of the first multi-storied buildings were weight-bearing and had to be built thicker and thicker at the base. The substitution of steel as the framework made skyscrapers possible. Another tidbit is the work supplied by the Mohawk Indians from New York and Canada. It became a new tribal position: that of future riveter.

There were 3500 workers on site every day doing sixty kinds of jobs. Only six people died during construction which began in late 1929. There are a total of 86 floors at 1050 feet. Windows number at 6,500 in the whole building; elevators number 64.

Only the Sears Tower in Chicago is taller than the Empire State Building.

5 Stars A Winner!

Review By Robert Young, Lane ESD

www.lane.k12.or.us/bookreview

Part of the Wonders of the World Books series, this title tells the story of the creation of one of America’s most enduring symbols: the Empire State Building. From the demolition of the Waldorf-Astoria in 1929 to the completion of the Empire State Building that took its place in 1931, the book clearly chronicles the events in the creation of the world’s tallest building at the time. Large, color illustrations as well as historical black and white photographs add another dimension to the text. An excellent large-format book could have been made even better by adding interesting details in sidebars along the way. A winner!

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Poppleton Forever

In three charming new stories, Poppleton the pig gets help from his friends when his new tree begins to wilt; when he catches a cold; and later, when he decides to wallpaper his house. Learning is great for Poppleton, but it’s much better when it’s done with friends. Full color.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Poppleton “Foreber and eber”
My kids love this series of books. We checked them out from the library so often that I decided to just get them a copy of their own.

4 Stars Any Poppleton for first readers
My little niece is having reading issues and Sylvan recommended this series of books. She really likes the little pig and friends and likes reading about them. I got them and read them prior so when she reads over the phone to me I can help her sounding out the big words.

5 Stars Great for pre-schoolers!
My daughter is 3 and LOVES all of the Poppleton books. The three stories within one book combine fun and silliness with subtle points about friendship, sharing or kindness. Rylant’s “Mr. Putter and Tabby…” series are also at the top of our Favorites List.

5 Stars Wonderful Book
I love this book as well as the whole series and so does my daughter! She has been enjoying this particular book for only a few weeks now, but has loved many of the other books in the series since she was about 15 months old. It is perfect for bedtime and the characters are so lovable. I highly recommend buying this book as well as all the other books in the series.

5 Stars Review by Maelle P.S. 39 and Ijatou P.S. 39
If you read the Poppleton series you will learn from how to he treats his friends and how his friends treat him. Do you want to be tough and helpful? Then read Poppleton. Even though Poppleton looses his temper sometimes, he is still a good character. So check for Poppleton in the library, at the store, or read it at school. Poppleton is the book for you.

Review by Maelle

If you want to learn about friendship, you should read Poppleton Forever. Poppleton learns if you’re mean and you’re sorry friends will usually forgive you.

If you ever thoght Poppleton doesn’t loose his temper, you were wrong. He looses his temper in Poppleton Forever in the chapter Wallpaper. His friends didn’t put up the wallpaper like he wanted. And Poppleton yelled at them. They were nice and came over just to help him. I don’t think you should yell at your friends. It might make them not want to be his friends.

Read other Poppleton books. These are good for second graders and 6-7 year olds.

Review by Ijatou

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The Sky Isnt Visible from Here A Memoir P S

Days before Felicia Sullivan graduated from college, her mother disappeared; she hasn’t been heard from in more than twelve years. It was possibly the last betrayal her mother, a beautiful, volatile, deceitful drug addict, would add to those that built their relationship, which subjected Felicia to a nightmare childhood on the toughest streets of 1980s Brooklyn. Growing up in the close company of dealers, users, and a host of unsavory characters, Felicia became her mother’s keeper at a shockingly young age—getting her to the hospital after her overdoses, enduring her cruelty and narcissistic rages, and accepting the abuse or indifference of numerous so-called stepfathers. Years later, damaged and ashamed of her past, Felicia invented a new, brutally hard-partying persona to show to the world: she became her mother.

Affecting, honest, and utterly extraordinary, The Sky Isn’t Visible from Here is a book about secrets and forgiveness—the story of a young woman unraveling . . . and then putting her life back together again.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars not an easy read but well written autobiography
This is not an easy to read autobiography though extremely well written and poignant, as Felicia C. Sullivan bares her soul in a cautionary memoir. She lived poor in Brooklyn with her mom Rosina working in a series of diners while always being fired for stealing and through one boyfriend after another as Rosina stole to pay for her cocaine habit and changed boyfriends when they tired of her. Felicia did not fit in any of the zillion neighborhoods mom moved them to as her skin was to white. She escaped to Fordham University and just before she graduated mom vanished. However, the child is not far from the parent as Felicia fell into similar patterns with drink and cocaine even while succeeding in finance behind the facade of a fake history; that is until her behavior led to her firing. This is an excellent autobiography in which the author peels away the masks to reveal her most inner essence for audiences to see how far she has come from her nuclear bomb roots and how “habitually” easy it is for a person to fall back into self destructive behavior.

Harriet Klausner

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Storms Cant Hurt the Sky A Buddhist Path Through Divorce

Personal, practical, down-to-earth–and the first book on the subject of using Buddhist insights to heal the anger and grief of romantic break-ups.

Buddhism has been applied to everything from parenting to golf, but until now no one has offered Buddhist principles as a healing path through divorce. In Storms Can’t Hurt the Sky, Gabriel Cohen bravely delves into his personal experience–along with insights from Buddhist masters, parables, humor, social science studies, and interviews with other divorc