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THE TEACHERS I LOVED BEST

Name: THE TEACHERS I LOVED BEST
Author: Taylor Mali
ISBN: 978-0-593-56523-0

by Taylor Mali ; illustrated by Erica Root ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2023

An ode to educators that will resonate with anyone who has had a memorable teacher.

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In response to a lawyer who insulted his profession, Mali delivered a poem defending the work of teachers on a much-viewed TED Talk; he continues to laud the efforts of educators in this picture book.

The poet speaks about his own experiences with classroom teachers and other school personnel (coaches, crossing guards, drama, music, and art teachers) and notes that “Easy teachers who gave easy tests / are not the teachers I loved the best. // No, I loved the teachers who made me work hard / in the classroom, the science lab, / the theater, and the schoolyard. / Those are the teachers who stand out from all the rest.” The book-length poem has some rhyming lines and also includes internal rhyme, assonance, consonance, and repetition, but the verse doesn’t always scan well when read aloud. The stylized, digitally created illustrations appear to have some trompe l’oeil effects and are full of diverse children and teachers, including a child who uses a wheelchair and another who uses crutches. Rainbows are common images: quirkily erupting out of test tubes, providing a background for the art teacher, and playfully flowing among the musical notes streaming from a student’s mouth. The content may not be very original, but the theme and the words will speak to parents and children remembering the best parts of their school experiences. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An ode to educators that will resonate with anyone who has had a memorable teacher. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: March 7, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56523-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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JUST BECAUSE

by Matthew McConaughey illustrated by Renée Kurilla ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 12, 2023

Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes.

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Oscar winner McConaughey offers intriguing life observations.

The series of pithy, wry comments, each starting with the phrase “Just because,” makes clear that each of us is a mass of contradictions: “Just because we’re friends, / doesn’t mean you can’t burn me. / Just because I’m stubborn, / doesn’t mean that you can’t turn me.” Witty, digitally rendered vignettes portray youngsters diverse in terms of race and ability (occasionally with pets looking on) dealing with everything from friendship drama to a nerve-wracking footrace. “Just because I’m dirty, / doesn’t mean I can’t get clean” is paired with an image of a youngster taking a bath while another character (possibly an older sibling) sits nearby, smiling. “Just because you’re nice, / doesn’t mean you can’t get mean” depicts the older one berating the younger one for tracking mud into the house. The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it. Perhaps, after studying the illustrations and gaining further insight into the comments, kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. / Because every day is a gift, / each one a new surprise. BELIEVE IT.” As a follow-up, readers should be encouraged to make their own suggestions to complete the titular phrase. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023

ISBN: 9780593622032

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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LILA GREER, TEACHER OF THE YEAR

From the Questioneers series

by Andrea Beaty ; illustrated by David Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023

A much-needed reminder that kindness will always win out.

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Teachers influence children profoundly.

From earliest childhood, Lila Greer, the youngest of five in a single-dad household, has been a worrier. Then the family moves. Entering second grade feels overwhelming: Nothing’s familiar, and she has no friends. But Ms. Kern, Lila’s new teacher, invites Lila to erase the chalkboard at recess and to articulate her fears. It helps that someone listens. Soon, classmates get into the act, and lonely Lila makes friends, emerges from her shell, and learns that “what ifs” have positive sides. Lila grows up, still fretting sometimes, and then becomes a new teacher who worries upon meeting her own students. But then she remembers the teacher who helped her overcome her fears and doubts years earlier. What was that marvelous, ineffable quality Ms. Kern possessed? Then Lila remembers: It was kindness! Harnessing that memory, Lila now welcomes her own “smiling young faces.” This is a sweet story that emphasizes good cheer, helpfulness, and the importance of feeling welcome and heard, no matter who you are: terrific messages, expressed in bouncy verses that scan well. The illustrations are colorfully lively. Readers will appreciate occasional displays of humorous and quirky typesetting creativity and will admire Lila’s poufy topknot, which resembles a huge ball of yarn. Lila is light-skinned, Ms. Kern is tan-skinned, and other characters are diverse.

A much-needed reminder that kindness will always win out. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)