Technology

Picture Book Review for Women’s History Month – Beatrice and the Nightingale

 

BEATRICE AND THE NIGHTINGALE

Written by Patricia Newman

Illustrated by Isabelle Follath

(Peachtree; $19.99, Ages 6-9)

 

 

Beatrice and the Nightingale cover Beatrice playing cello as bird sings.

 

 

 

From the publisher:

“In 1924, an audience of more than one million listeners across the world listened in amazement to the first live radio broadcast of a nightingale accompanying the young cellist Beatrice Harrison.”

 

From Booklist:

“A gentle gem of a story [with] charming ink-and-watercolor illustrations . . . A delightful introduction to a lesser-known life, and a welcome reminder of the wonder that exists in the natural world.”

 

Review:

Beatrice Harrison grew up surrounded by music: in her home, through her father’s regimental band …

 

Beatrice and the Nightingale int1 surrounded by music.
Interior art from Beatrice and the Nightingale, written by Patricia Newman and illustrated by Isabelle Follath, Peachtree Publishing, ©2026.

 

even in nature. But nothing stirred her heart quite like the cello. So when her mother brought one home, Beatrice practiced and practiced, dreaming of the day she would share its music with the world.

 

 

Beatrice and the Nightingale int2 Beatrice practiced.
Interior art from Beatrice and the Nightingale, written by Patricia Newman and illustrated by Isabelle Follath, Peachtree Publishing, ©2026.

 

By 17, she had won Germany’s highest musical prize. She went on to share music throughout Europe and Russia, even playing for the President of the United States.

One day, while practicing in her garden, a nightingale joined Beatrice, lending its voice whenever she stopped playing. Night after night, the pair performed, sparking an idea in Beatrice’s mind. What if everyone could hear their duet?

Beatrice struggled to convince the BBC of the merits of her plan—broadcasting her nature concert live on the radio—but eventually she did, and her concert was a huge success! For 12 years, the BBC recorded Beatrice’s annual concert with the nightingale and aired it to their worldwide audience.

 

Beatrice and the Nightingale int3 BBC and Beatrice awaiting the nightingale.
Interior spread from Beatrice and the Nightingale, written by Patricia Newman and illustrated by Isabelle Follath, Peachtree Publishing, ©2026.

 

Charming watercolor illustrations bring Beatrice and the Nightingale, this nonfiction biography by Patricia Newman and Isabelle Follath to life. Best known for her nonfiction STEM titles, Sibert Honor recipient Newman expands her repertoire with this STEAM-tastic book, highlighting the connection between music and science, while Follath’s whimsical conceptualization of musical sounds further marries that connection. As per usual, Newman’s extensive backmatter and teacher’s guide make this book perfect for the classroom—especially during Women’s History Month.

-Reviewed by Roxanne Troup

 

Please see below for links to more reviews from previous Women’s History Months.

Three Picture Books for Women’s History Month

Five Children’s Books for Women’s History Month

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Nonfiction Picture Book Review – The Legendary Life Story of The Lever

 

THE LEGENDARY LIFE STORY OF THE LEVER:

How a Deceptively Simple Machine
Moves the World Forward

Written by Christine Van Zandt

Illustrated by Lesley Breen

(Union Square Kids; $19.99, Ages 4-8)

 

The Legendary Life Story of the Lever cover kids on catapult.

 

There’s a lot to learn about levers. And I’m not lying when I say this “deceptively simple machine” has made life easier over the millennia, which is why it’s great that Christine Van Zandt and Lesley Breen have written The Legendary Life Story of the Lever. This nonfiction picture book brings us to modern times by detailing the many ways levers have contributed to civilization’s achievements and advancements, and remains a crucial tool to this day.

 

The Legendary Life Story of the Lever int1 using a lever to weigh.
Interior art from The Legendary Life Story of the Lever, written by Christine Van Zandt and illustrated by Lesley Breen, Union Square Kids ©2025.

 

 

Presented chronologically, going all the way back to the Ice Age when people hunted woolly mammoths with a spear thrower, the book engagingly combines informative text with cute, detailed art that includes children in every spread. I recommend that kids explore each scene because Breen has made a point of capturing many activities, in addition to the main one of seeking food. The illustration above shows Ancient Egypt and the role the lever played in trade. Here, readers will see how the lever was instrumental in the balance scale. By measuring items to be purchased against the weight of stones, sellers could determine a price, and buyers could be assured the “transaction was safe.” Scales may be electronic now, but remained a reliable tool for thousands of years.

 

 

 

The Legendary Life Story of the Lever int2 building the Great Wall of China.
Interior art from The Legendary Life Story of the Lever, written by Christine Van Zandt and illustrated by Lesley Breen, Union Square Kids ©2025.

 

 

Using a lever to lift heavy loads was an ingenious discovery and proved crucial in the construction of the Great Wall of China. Be sure to read the factoids as they are full of fascinating and helpful info. The artwork above shows how the pole relied on leverage “over a fulcrum (pivot point)” to lift an object. Spanning over 2,000 years, the building of the wall was intended as a defense system thousands of miles long and was actually not a single wall, “but a series of walls that were connected over time.” I cannot imagine how this feat could have been accomplished without help from the old, reliable lever, and my back hurts just thinking about it!

 

 

The Legendary Life Story of the Lever in3 Gutenberg printing press.
Interior art from The Legendary Life Story of the Lever, written by Christine Van Zandt and illustrated by Lesley Breen, Union Square Kids ©2025.

 

Jumping ahead many centuries to perhaps the invention most meaningful to me as an author is what printer and craftsman Johannes Gutenberg invented. The printing press greatly reduced the need for handwritten books, which were “rare and expensive.” It incorporated a lever that helped the machine move “back and forth” and used ink “to transfer words and images to paper.” There was movable type (even my father’s printing company used it before the advent of computers), which could be reused rather than having to carve a page of text from wood. The time saved was substantial. Approximately 250 pages could be produced in an hour, reducing costs for the public. The impact of this world-changing technology contributed to “enlightenment”, the creation of the Gutenberg Bible, and meant “the masses” could have access to the written word, provided they could read.

Some of my other favorite sections of the book credited the lever for train travel with its connecting rod allowing for movement, WWII airplanes’ throttle to control an engine’s speed and power (still in use), and the movie industry’s clapperboard to sync sound with pictures. Who knew a piece of wood could be so interesting, useful, and monumental in the history of mankind? This is the kind of book that can be read in one go or section by section. I can see parents or teachers using this book for activities that show levers in action, whether using a pair of scissors, a fishing rod, or even a seesaw! A bonus of buying this book is the step-by-step instructions for building the catapult model included. Click here to see a model of a lever in action.

 

Read a review of another one of Christine’s nonfiction picture books here.

 

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Nonfiction Picture Book Review – Skybound!

SKYBOUND!:
Starring Mary Myers as Carlotta,
Daredevil Aeronaut and Scientist

Written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt

Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

(Calkins Creek; $18.99, Ages 7-10)

 

 

Skybound cover Carlotta nee Mary Hawley Myers aeronaut.

 

 

★Starred Reviews – Kirkus, Foreward

 

I’m always happy to read nonfiction picture book biographies about lesser-known women who did extraordinary things. Mary Myers nee Mary Breed Hawley was one of those women so I’m glad that Sue Ganz-Schmitt and Iacopo Bruno have shined the spotlight on her fascinating story in Skybound. To be honest, I’m surprised that, considering the amazing feats of derring-do that she accomplished, we haven’t heard about her sooner.

 

Skybound int1 balloon madness.
Interior illustrations from Skybound written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt and illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, Calkins Creek ©2024.

 

Readers meet women in a parlor circa 1850 doing what women were expected to do in the 19th century, “land a husband, have children, and stay tethered to their homes.” Only Mary had other ideas and did not picture herself bound to traditional norms. She dreamed about flying, and found herself preoccupied with aeronauts; people who chose to reach great heights in the only way they knew how, in a hot air balloon.

 

 

Skybound int2 Carlotta in balloon.
Interior spread from Skybound written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt and illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, Calkins Creek ©2024.

 

 

Mary soon married a fellow aficionado, and together they read, planned, and even invented! “… she helped her husband, Carl Myers, invent a “groundbreaking” balloon fabric. I love the clever use of ballooning terms, often in colored font, when describing different aspects of Mary’s life. Bruno’s art, which I adored in Mesmerized, takes us back in time with attention to period clothing and other details that lift this illuminating story to another level.

Using their new material, Mary and Carl experimented with different balloon shapes and even hired a professional to try them out. But they also wanted their balloons to do more than just fly way up high. They wanted an aeronaut who’d be able to gather scientific data while also entertaining crowds.

 

 

Skybound int3 two miles up in the sky.
Interior spread from Skybound written by Sue Ganz-Schmitt and illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, Calkins Creek ©2024.

 

 

Mary made the case for how she could do this and, after much thought, she transformed herself into Carlotta, an exotic name for a performer. She would take her aerial act aloft and remain there “for five miles or thirty minutes.” Even the rain did not stop her! Even the risks, and there were many! Mary’s intrepidness could not be denied. Ganz-Schmitt builds up the tension with her prose as does Bruno’s art. Would Mary, on her solo journey skybound, remain safe? Would the inclement weather prove detrimental? Would she gather the information she needed? I couldn’t wait to find out! And neither will readers.

Eight delightful pages of backmatter delve into more detail about Carlotta’s interesting life including tales of her many close calls while up in the air. I enjoyed the timeline, and seeing a hand-tinted postcard of the Balloon Farm in Frankfort, NY where it was “the only aeronautic institution of its kind in the world.” As a former New Yorker, I wondered why the Balloon Farm was not better known because I’d love to have visited it. Skybound and other picture books that highlight women’s achievements in the 19th and 20th centuries are great for children to read. There are many instances of women who were ahead of their time and these books serve as important reminders that perseverance and vision pay off in myriad ways.

 

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Picture Book Review for National Space Day 2024 – Dancing Through Space

 

 

DANCING THROUGH SPACE:
DR. MAE JEMISON SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS

Written by Lydia Lukidis

Illustrated by Sawyer Cloud

(Albert Whitman; $18.99; Ages 4-8)

Dancing Through Space cover Dr. MaeJemison in space shuttle Endeavour.

From the Publisher:

“Today, Dr. Mae Jemison is famous for being the first Black woman to travel into
outer space. But when she was growing up, she felt torn between two passions: science and dance. It
seemed like an impossible choice. There had to be some way to make room for both—and Mae found
one. As an adult, she combined her gifts of scientific logic and artistic creativity and became an
astronaut.”

Review:

Author, Lydia Lukidis introduces her new book about astronaut Mae Jemison by highlighting Jemison’s
love of science and dance. “Mae’s curiosity was as wide as the sky … [but] Mae could not sit still.” She
continues, “Mae spotted science everywhere, from symmetry to gravity … [she also] spotted
choreography everywhere, from birds soaring to waves swirling.”
e
Dancing Through Space int1 young MaeJemison at planetarium.
Interior art from Dancing Through Space: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights written by Lydia Lukidis and illustrated by Sawyer Cloud, Albert Whitman & Co. ©2024.
e
Lukidis uses this dual narrative format to showcase how Jemison’s dual loves guide her through life
building her courage and determination, her mind, and her body. As Jemison considers her future, her
mother wisely counsels: “You can always dance if you’re a doctor, but you can’t doctor if you’re a
dancer.” So Mae studies both. Eventually, Mae’s dual-loves merge when she is invited to join the space program …
e
Dancing Through Space int2 space training.
Interior art from Dancing Through Space: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights written by Lydia Lukidis and illustrated by Sawyer Cloud, Albert Whitman & Co. ©2024.
e
And in 1992, she became the first Black woman to “dance through space” when she traveled aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Lukidis’ own love of science and art shines as she shares this phenomenal woman’s story, as does the art by Sawyer Cloud which illuminates Jemison’s determination to pursue her dreams.\
e

Purchase the book:

Goodreads – Click here.

Barnes & Noble – Click here. 

Find out more about the book here.

•Reviewed by Roxanne Troup
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Picture Book Review – The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box

THE BOY WHO THOUGHT OUTSIDE THE BOX:
The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer

Written by Marcie Wessels

Illustrated by Beatriz Castro

(Sterling Children’s Books; $16.95, Ages 5 and up)

 

TBWTOTB cover

 

I like the play on words in the title, The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box, written by Marcie Wessels and illustrated by Beatriz Castro, which you’ll understand after you read the review of this interesting and recommended nonfiction picture book.

The book’s main character, Ralph Baer, was born in Cologne Germany and enjoyed doing things other kids his age did, like riding his scooter or playing stick hockey. Wessels doesn’t mention specific dates, but adults and older readers will know the action was unfolding in the 1930s during Hitler’s rise to power, which is mentioned. Around that time, readers are told, Hitler began making life difficult for the country’s Jewish people. And, since Ralph was Jewish, “Even former friends became enemies.” He was bullied, and attacks by the Nazis were not uncommon.

 

Final Art TBWTOTB page 002
Interior spread from The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box written by Marcie Wessels and illustrated by Beatriz Castro, Sterling Children’s Books ©2020.

 

“With no one to play with, Ralph spent more time indoors, tinkering with his construction set.” Not only was Ralph able to complete all the models in the manual, he also came up with many clever ideas of his own.

 

Final Art TBWTOTB page-003
Interior spread from The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box written by Marcie Wessels and illustrated by Beatriz Castro, Sterling Children’s Books ©2020.

 

Restrictions on Jews didn’t stop Ralph from learning even despite being kicked out of school at age 14 for being Jewish. In 1938 Ralph and his family fled Germany. Once in America, his inventiveness proved invaluable. When he saw a way to speed up handiwork that he, his sister and his mother were doing to help make ends meet, Ralph created a prototype machine. Soon they doubled the amount of projects being completed, increasing their earnings. Always industrious, Ralph took a radio repair course which led to “… fixing radios for the entire neighborhood.”

In the army, since necessity is the mother of invention, Ralph constructed a radio for his barracks from whatever bits and pieces he could find. Then, after WWII he learned how to build a TV set (the box in the title I referred to earlier). The advent of television heralded in a new era in family entertainment and Ralph saw immense “possibilities.” I was impressed with how Ralph’s career anticipated or paralleled the rise of home technology.

While Ralph saw the TV as a vehicle for playing games, his ideas were initially disregarded. He eventually held jobs building equipment for the U.S. military and for NASA. In fact “he embedded a radio transmitter in the handle of the video camera that astronaut Neil Armstrong took to the moon.” As time passed Ralph still envisioned the potential of TV and imagined “using an external box to control the TV to play games.” With the blessings and funding from one of his bosses, Ralph secretly created a home gaming system and “… the Brown Box, was born!” After numerous rejections, Magnavox took on Ralph’s invention and in 1972, the first iteration of the Odyssey went on sale. As we all know, the video game industry would grow in leaps and bounds over the decades and Baer can be credited with being one of its pioneers.

Wessels has made the story of Ralph Baer’s innovations an accessible and fascinating one. She’s managed to take a lifetime of Baer’s ingenuity and whittle it down to just 48 pages. While the book may read quickly, it definitely invites revisiting to let the scope of Baer’s achievements sink in. When children read the book or have it read to them, they’ll learn about more of Baer’s inventions and can find further sources for information in the back matter. Castro’s comic-like art wonderfully complements Wessel’s words. There is just enough realism to the illustrations when detailing the technology. She also conveys the right mood with the red palate during the dark days of Hitler. I’d love to see her do a graphic novel and could easily see Wessel’s story succeed in that format, too. The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box is a motivating STEM bio that will definitely resonate with unconventional thinkers and could very well inspire kids to pursue exciting new paths in learning.

  •  Reviewed by Ronna Mandel
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The Diamond and The Boy by Hannah Holt

THE DIAMOND AND THE BOY:
THE CREATION OF DIAMONDS AND THE LIFE OF H. TRACY HALL
Written by Hannah Holt
Illustrated by Jay Fleck
(Balzer & Bray; $17.99, Ages 4-8)

 

is reviewed today by Cathy Ballou Mealey.

 

The Diamond and The Boy book cover art

 

★Starred Review – Booklist

Holt’s debut nonfiction picture book digs deep into family history, introducing readers to natural and industrial diamond creation with an engaging dual narrative structure.

Cleverly designed, THE DIAMOND AND THE BOY: THE CREATION OF DIAMONDS AND THE LIFE OF H. TRACY HALL is engineered to compare graphite, a common gray rock, and young Tracy Hall, an inventor and the author’s grandfather. Free-form poetry on facing pages invite easy associations between the rock and the boy, subjected to physical and societal pressures respectively, which transform them over time.

Tension builds naturally through Holt’s lyrical mirrored text. Of the graphite; “Mighty, unyielding, brilliant. The rock would dazzle if it had any light to reflect, but it doesn’t.” She writes of the boy; “Mighty, unyielding, brilliant. His inventions dazzle classmates, But Tracy is still penny poor, with so many ideas floating just out of reach.”

 

int spread rock boy from The Diamond and The Boy by Hannah Holt
Interior illustrations from The Diamond and The Boy written by Hannah Holt with artwork by Jay Fleck, Balzer & Bray ©2018.

 

The tale celebrates Hall’s perseverance and resolve in the face of poverty and bullying. These obstacles ultimately build his resilience as he develops an invention to produce industrial diamonds. For those interested in learning more about diamonds, Holt provides backmatter on the mined diamond industry including the DeBeers monopoly and “blood diamond” conflict in Africa. A timeline and bibliography are also appended.

 

int artwork small gray meager from The Diamond and The Boy
Interior illustrations from The Diamond and The Boy written by Hannah Holt with artwork by Jay Fleck, Balzer & Bray ©2018.

 

Fleck’s color-saturated illustrations are digitally enhanced and multi-layered, keeping the focus squarely on the man and the gem. Clever use of the color palette, alternating between the echoing narratives, helps balance the book visually. The contrast nicely reinforces the natural comparison of Hall’s and the diamond’s transformations. Fleck makes excellent use of angular elements such as the striations of the earth, books shelved in the library, diamond facets and kite strings, while occasional red-orange ‘explosions’ emphasize dramatic changes.

 

interior artwork from The Diamond and The Boy Waiting
Interior illustrations from The Diamond and The Boy written by Hannah Holt with artwork by Jay Fleck, Balzer & Bray ©2018.

 

In THE DIAMOND AND THE BOY, Holt offers a personal and noteworthy celebration of a man deep in substance and character. This book is a different and delightful choice for readers of history, industrial manufacturing, or STEM classroom libraries. The intersection of science and personal character development is a unique and rich format that will engage a variety of readers and potential young inventors.

Where obtained:  I reviewed either an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher or a library edition and received no other compensation. The opinions expressed here are my own.

  • Reviewed by Cathy Ballou Mealey
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