March Book Reviews: Peace and Women’s History
Author Mary Quattlebaum reviews a variety of books honoring Peace and Women’s History. Read one or more with your kids in March.
Babies/Tots
Peace
PeaceBy Baptiste and Miranda Paul
Illustrated by Esteli Meza
NorthSouth, 2021, $18.95
A poetic text and soft-toned artwork explore ways, large and small, of elevating peace. Husband-and-wife co-authors Baptiste and Miranda Paul write of the importance of “giving far more than you take” and of peace as “something we work toward” by listening to even the “smallest of us” and by saying “I’m sorry” when we hurt others. Esteli Meza depicts a world vibrant with animals, plants and people, and the illustrations build to a visually stunning four-page fold-out at the end. Perfect for celebrating spring as a time of birth and hope, this book is sure to spark family conversations about peace and personal responsibility.
Ages 4 – 8
Hold on to Your Music
Hold on to Your MusicBy Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen
Illustrated by Sonia Possentini
Little Brown, 2021, $18.99
Mona Golabek tells her mother’s story in this touching picture book. As the German Nazis take over parts of Europe in the late 1930s, young Lisa’s Jewish parents put her on a train to England, hoping that she will be safer there than in Nazi-run Austria. (Lisa was one of 10,000 children saved through this Kindertransport effort.) Lisa loves playing the piano, and her mother urges her to “hold on to your music.” These words guide Lisa as she settles into a new home with 32 other refugee children. She begins playing the old piano there – and is encouraged to audition for the Royal Academy of Music. This tale of resilience and hope will continue to inspire new generations.
Ages 9 and up
Wonder Women of Science
Wonder Women of ScienceBy Tiera Fletcher and Ginger Rue
Candlewick, 2021, $19.99
Want to celebrate contemporary women already making history, for Women’s History Month in March? Aerospace engineer Tiera Fletcher and writer Ginger Rue spotlight 12 such scientists, inventors and tech mavens in this enthralling work of nonfiction. Included are brilliant STEM leaders Mareena Robinson Snowden and Patricia Medici, whose innovative work in world peace and conservation, respectively, are advancing knowledge and creating positive change. The book is further enriched with details about each woman’s childhood experience and career path, sidebars on research with tips for young people on how they might develop STEM skills and projects for now and continued growth in the future.
