7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #675:
Featuring a Picture Book Stack
January 26th, 2020 by jules
I’ve a feature over at BookPage that includes some new picture book selections for Black History Month, which is just around the bend. These are also books to be read and shared all year, ones that pay tribute to the lives of African Americans who have contributed to the arts, sciences, and the written word.
The books in this feature are: By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, the Father of Gospel Music, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Bryan Collier; The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read, written by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and illustrated by Oge Mora; The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne, written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by John Parra; and The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver, written by Gene Barretta and illustrated by Frank Morrison.
That feature is here, if you’d like to read about these books.
(Note: Earlier this year, I chatted here with Rita Lorraine Hubbard at Chapter 16 about The Oldest Student, and you can see some art from the book here.)
Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. New kickers are always welcome.
1) This is a wonderful discussion.
2) Leon Bridges teaming up with others for new music. I love his voice.
3) Plans to see friends this week.
4) The opening track on the new album from The Innocence Mission, particularly the lyrics.
5) My daughters’ friends. Always.
6) Book club tonight. And on the eve of …
7) The ALA Youth Media Awards! Tomorrow morning!
What are YOUR kicks this week?
What a fab list! Will be sharing. Maybe even tonight as book club meets here. We’re discussing BELOVED by Toni Morrison.
Jules, what are you discussing? We’re book club twins.
Am flying by this morning as I scurry to get ready.
Love the covers of all of these books, but especially drawn in to the colors and depth and textures of The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver.
Jules – love your first kick so much as Bryan Stevenson is such an inspiration. Love Leon Bridges too – was just playing Daisy Mae for my Daisy this morning. Enjoy book club.
Jone -hope your book club meeting goes well!
My kicks this week:
1) Unexpected sunshine all morning yesterday. It was glorious.
2) Group texts with far-flung friends planning a possible summer meet-up.
3) Finished a 15 day #Create2020 class for framing the new year and it was fun and helpful for setting some goals/intentions into motion.
4) Watched Wine Country with a friend last night and enjoyed the synchronicity of the seeing the class teacher in a small cameo in the film (she’s sitting with Brene Brown.)
5) Enjoying a small thing that is bringing big joy – new shower curtain and bath mat changes whole mood/look of the bathroom and makes it feel like a plant filled oasis.
6) Having dinner – takeout from my favorite Chinese restaurant – with a friend last night to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Happy Year of the Rat everyone!
7) Reading The Mediator by Meg Cabot and enjoying it.
7.5) Daisy spending time in the yard in the sun digging up small holes looking for 1 of the many bones she has buried in the yard. I’m thinking of getting her some language buttons like Stella at Hunger4words: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7WEEPjhcEj/
Wishing everyone luck, happiness, joy and peace!
Howdy, Imps! Thank you, Jules, for the stack of book recommendations! I especially like the cover of The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver – the light! the flowers! the peace!
Jules: Have fun at the book club and at the awards! I’m glad your daughters have good friends, and I’m glad you do, too.
Jone: Have fun at your book club!
Rachel: Singing/sharing songs with your pets which feature their name/nickname is SO much fun! Congrats to your friend in the film! I love celebrating the joy of simple things. If you start using language buttons for Daisy, tell me, please, because I will want to follow that journey with you both! Oh my goodness. Now I have to go watch all of these videos and research her work. Thank you for sharing. Have you read The Dogs of Babel novel?
My kicks for the past week:
1) Offers
2) The power of choice
3) The power of no
4) Realigning
5) Asking for help
6) Good luck
7) Hope, always
Jone, we will talk about our favorite Caldecott-eligible picture books of the year, most likely. No other books were assigned. We’re excited that we’re meeting on the eve of the big awards. Have fun at yours!
Rachel, your summer meet-up sounds fun. Thank you for video of Daisy. Always. Gonna go watch in a sec.
Little Willow: Those are especially wonderful kicks. Maybe all of our kicks every week should end on ‘hope.’
Have a good week, you all!
Rachel, The #create20/20 sounds interesting. Wine Country was fun. And the glorious sunshine was a gift.
Little Willow, Hoe and choose are essential.
Jules, how fun to be discussing the Caldecott nominees.
Little Willow – have not read Dogs of babel, putting on my list. I especially love your kicks 3, 5, 6 and 7 this week. I’m learning to be better about #3 these days.
Jules – the link is to Stella the dog and her mom Christine who is a speech pathologist – Stella pushes buttons that communicate what she wants. Its AMAZING.
I am going to get a starter pack of buttons for Daisy and see how it goes.
Jone – the #create2020 was via Karen Walrond aka HeyChookooloonks on Insta. I learned of her years ago via Maggie Mason’s blog and have been following her – it was a 15 day self-guided course and I really enjoyed it.
Ah, I see now (now that I’m finally watching it — yesterday got away from me). Yes. Um, wow. THAT IS AMAZING.
There seems to be a fresh new feeling in the world of picture books. I am excited for the newest of these.
Newcomer to these chats with others I am all in on books for kids, positive thoughts, new experiences, and online classes. I run, I journal, I haunt antique and thrift shops, and wear bold jewelry. Big bracelets seem to be catching my eye lately. Reading Alexander McCall Smith now: The Peppermint Tea Chronicles;newest of his 44 Scotland Street novels. I professionally introduce kids to books in a little small town library in NE Ohio.