Timeless Thomas is mentioned on a list of 26 Top Science and STEAM Books. Thank you, Amanda Dodge!
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Here’s an interview I did for The Art Side of Life!
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Watch my second presentation! Follow this link. Tue, Nov. 1st at 10:30am EST. I’ll be back at the 92nd St. Y in NY with Author/Illustrator Don Brown speaking about “Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare.” He’ll be speaking about his book, “Aaron and Alexander.”Check It Out

Lincoln and Kennedy was given a Carolyn W. Field Honor Book Award! Thank you, PA Library Association!

I’m doing an interactive event at First Sundays for Families at the Brandywine River Museum. 12pm

The students at Carey Elementary, in Carey, Ohio, paid me a wonderful honor. They chose my giraffe painting from “Dear Deer” as their favorite painting at the prestigious Mazza Museum.

A new NY Times review for “Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born!”
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A St. Louis Dispatch review for “Muhammad Ali: A Champion is Born.”
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Great to hear that the Children’s Book Council has included LINCOLN & KENNEDY: A PAIR TO COMPARE on its 2017 NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books List!

A kid named Cassius Clay discovers boxing in this nonfiction picture book. Barretta sets the scene through Muhammad Ali’s three record-setting heavyweight championship titles. Oversize comic book–style action words (“POW!”) highlight Ali knocking out Sonny Liston, George Foreman, and Leon Spinks. Circling back to Ali’s childhood, Barretta recounts the oft-cited origin story of 12-year-old Cassius riding high on his brand-new bike. Unfortunately, the bike disappears, and when Cassius reports the theft to police officer and boxing coach Joe Martin, threatening to “whup” the thief, Martin suggests that he first learn how to fight. Regular sessions at the gym develop in Cassius a single-minded determination to be the greatest boxer in the world. As he becomes a more public figure, his self-confidence never wavers, effectively illustrated by a few choice quotes, bold and set apart from the mostly invented dialogue. Morrison’s dynamic oil paintings complement Barretta’s lively text, capturing a self-assured Ali in detailed spreads. Action scenes full of movement and intensity draw readers into the boxing ring and depict Ali’s growth from a gangly youth to a dominant athlete. Two pages of unfailingly positive biographical information fill in the rest of Ali’s career. A brief bibliography and suggestions for additional reading are also appended, but no source notes are included. VERDICT This is an attractive choice as an inspirational read-aloud, but report writers will want to seek more nuanced and thorough sources.
–Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN