Cathy Jacobus Picks
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Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer
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By Deborah Kogan Ray.
Francis Foster Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- John Wesley Powell's name is forever linked with Grand Canyon, and most know him as the first documented explorer to successfully navigate the wild Colorado River. While the Colorado expedition was an amazing feat, it was but one of many courageous acts in Powell's life. The son of abolitionists, Powell's family were persecuted for their beliefs. After an incident at school, his mother invited a family friend and naturalist to tutor Powell at home. So began his fascination with the natural world, and a life of exploration that would take him to the Battle of Shiloh (where he lost an arm), the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado and, ultimately, simultaneous appointments as head of the US Bureau of Ethnology and the US Geological Survey. Author/illustrator Deborah Kogan Ray tells Powell's story in simple terms that nonetheless capture the determination of this remarkable individual and the times in which he lived.
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First Tortilla, The
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By Rudolfo Anaya.
University of New Mexico Press
- With help from a blue hummingbird, young Jade makes the perilous journey to the home of the Mountain Spirit to ask for rain. Impressed by the girl's courage, and pleased with her gift of food, the Spirit agrees to end the drought. It also gifts Jade and her village with kernels of corn, which they plant, tend, harvest, grind, and use to make the first tortillas. Bold and vivid illustrations beautifully complement this bilingual story.
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Hip, Hip, Hooray, it's Monsoon Day! Ajua, ya Llego el Chubasco!
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By Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press
- If you grew up in Southern Arizona, or if you’ve ever spent a summer in Tucson, you know how exciting the first glimpse of thunderclouds over the mountains can be. It might rain! If it does, the resin-scent of creosote will fill the air, heat-stricken plants (and people) will revive, and the world will seem clean and new. If it doesn’t rain? Well, hope springs eternal! Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford captures the magic of the desert monsoon season, as experienced by three children learning about San Juan’s Day traditions from their beloved Tata. Despite an astonishing level of detail, the story flows, moving from past to present, always with the hope that this knowledge and these traditions will be passed on. This is a rich and beautiful book.
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Nature's Yucky! 2: the Desert Southwest
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By Lee Ann Landstrom, Karen Shragg.
Mountain Press
- "Did you know that Circus Beetles, those skittering, nightime scurriers, squirt smelly liquid from their butts?" Authors Lee Ann Landstrom and Karen I. Schragg sure know their kid audience! Shock 'em with a disgusting fact about a desert creature, follow with a catchy catch phrase, add a recurring rhyme and a dash of alliteration, and then explain in simple, joyful terms why the suspect behavior is actually a good thing all around. Biology has never been so much fun! Rachel Rogge's illustrations, far from being yucky, combine realism and beauty to great effect. This one's a winner!
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Rascal the Tassel-Eared Squirrel
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By Sylvester Allred.
Grand Canyon Association
- Rascal, a tassel-eared squirrel, is experiencing her first year of life in Grand Canyon National Park. From her first moments in her mother's cozy nest, to her early forays into the wide world and ultimate independence, Rascal's journey is one of constant discovery. This lovely book works on so many levels. Sylvester Allred, a biology professor at Northern Arizona University who studies squirrels, tells Rascal's story in simple language that nonetheless manages to evoke the beauty and perils of her environment. Readers wanting more information will appreciate Allred's verbal snapshots, replete with facts about flora and fauna mentioned in Rascal's tale. Diane Iverson's illustrations complement and enhance the story through their realism and pure exquisiteness. One could have a thoroughly rich experience just by looking at the pictures! The seasons pass and Rascal comes full circle to build her own nest. It's been a wonderful journey for all.
About Cathy Jacobus
Jacobus is a reference librarian with the Pima County Public Library. While she enjoys working with people of all ages, she is a particular fan of children and teens, and the literature written for them. Her interests include weaving, lap-swimming, and the eternal quest to coax her Labradors to behave on walks.
