I’m linking to Allyson Beecher’s Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday at Kid Lit Frenzy today.

Two nonfiction picture books I read in the last week are below:

Mahalia Jackson: Walking with Kings and Queens by Nina Nolan

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: January 27, 2015

A fantastic picture book biography about the “Queen of Gospel,” Mahalia Jackson.  Even as a young girl, Mahalia Jackson loved gospel music  People say she was born with nothing, but she had something – a voice that was bigger than she was.  Life was difficult for her growing up, but singing gospel always made her feel “like a peacock with her feathers all spread out.”  When Mahalia realized how powerful her voice was, she wanted to share it with the world.  Her journey takes the reader from a record contract, to performing at Carnegie Hall, and all the way to the historic March on Washington – all without compromising who she was inside! A powerful story of staying true to yourself.

Fur, Fins, and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo by Cassandre Maxwell

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: August 10, 2015

From the time he was a little boy, Abraham Dee Bartlett loved animals.  He spent every night reading about animals and dreamed of working with them when he grew up.  In 1859, Bartlett was asked to become the Superintendent of the London Zoo.  His love and respect for animals led him to become a pioneer in veterinary medicine and to create an environment for animals in zoos as we know them today.  Check out Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books for my thoughts on how to use this book in the classroom.

Disclosure: I received copies of these books from the publishers for review.

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