Tundra Reading Club: Spic-and-Span! Reviews

Hi everyone!

Happy Tuesday!

I’m so happy to share our five reader reviews for our January reading club pick, Monica Kulling’s Spic-and-Span! Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen.

TundraReadingClub

Spic-and-SpanSpic-and-Span!
Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-380-3
“This engaging picture-book biography details the many accomplishments of Lillian Gilbreth … Kulling deftly describes early twentieth-century social, physical, and technical conditions that presented challenges to productivity in both public and private settings, and she explains how Gilbreth’s innovations improved conditions, creating context so that young readers can appreciate the extent of her contributions. Parkins’ rich, cartoon-like illustrations provide clear period detail, and his characters’ faces portray an extensive range of emotions, adding interest and emphasizing Gilbreth’s primary commitment to her family. Student researchers might also enjoy other titles in the Great Idea series…” – Booklist

  • Shilpa at SukasaReads thought the illustrations by David Parkins “do a remarkable job taking kids through that time period, yet still keeping the book relatable.”
  • Ann Marie at a dainty dish loved the poem at the beginning because it “sets the tone for the story and the state of mind – calm, restful and relaxed – that Lilian was hoping to help others achieve through her innovations.” She also included a modified recipe for Frank Gilbreth’s beloved apple cake! Yum!
  • Heather at Books and Quilts said that Monica Kulling “brought Lillian Gilbreth to life” and recommended the book “to all young women considering a career in engineering.”
  • Jennifer at A Penne for Your Thoughts recommended it for 6-10 year olds because she believes the Great Ideas Series “will spark interest in learning more about the remarkable people they tell the stories of.”
  • Annette at Teacher Librarian suggested it would be a “wonderful book to feature during Women’s History Month” (review will go live January 30th, 2015).

If you read the book as well, please let us know what you thought about it in the comments below! How many of you knew that Lillian Gilbreth was that accomplished?

I’m also very excited to announce our February reading club book: An Armadillo in Paris by Julie Kraulis. Make sure you check back here next Monday to sign up for your chance to win a review copy.

Thanks for participating and see you next week!

Tundra Reading Club: January 2015

Hi everyone!

I’m Sam and I’m currently the editorial intern here at Tundra. I’m very excited to announce our brand new Tundra Reading Club!

Each month, we’ll post a book and a sign-up form for bloggers. Then we’ll randomly choose the lucky five who will receive a copy (in some cases, an advance copy) in exchange for a review on their blog!

Of course, everyone is free to participate via tweets (@tundrabooks) or in the comment section on the monthly post.

To make it easy to work into your busy schedules, we’ve chosen picture books so it shouldn’t take you too long to read the book of the month (or like me, you might pore over it for hours and be distracted by the illustrations).

TundraReadingClubWithout further ado, welcome to the first month of our reading club! January’s book is Spic-and-Span! Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen by Monica Kulling, illustrated by David Parkins. It’s the beginning of the year and we all have those pesky resolutions to keep, such as organize the kitchen, design efficient appliances, walk the dog and raise eleven children under the age of 19 . . . no? Just Lillian then!

Spic-and-SpanBorn into a life of privilege in 1878, Lillian Moller Gilbreth put her pampered life aside for one of adventure and challenge. She and her husband, Frank, became efficiency experts by studying the actions of factory workers. They ran their home efficiently, too. When Frank suddenly died, Lillian was left to her own devices to raise their eleven children. Eventually, she was hired by the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company to improve kitchen design, which was only the beginning. Lillian Gilbreth was the subject of two movies (Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes), the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and the first female psychologist to have a U.S. postage stamp issued in her honor. A leading efficiency expert, she was also an industrial engineer, a psychologist, an author, a professor and an inventor.

Visit your local library or bookstore to get reading! If you’re interested, fill in the form below and we’ll randomly select five bloggers to read and review a copy of Spic-and-Span! and join our discussion.

SIGN-UP FORM CLOSED!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Annette, Heather, Ann Marie, Jennifer, and Shilpa! We look forward to your reviews!

Check back in on Monday, January 26, 2015 for our book club’s first meeting to discuss Spic-and-Span!

The Boston Globe: Best Picture Books of 2014

Spic-and-Span_Boston Globe
We are so happy to see Spic-and-Span! in the Boston Globe‘s best picture books of 2014! Cheers to another great idea!

Spic-and-SpanSpic-and-Span!
Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-380-3
“In Spic-and-Span, Monica Kulling tells Gilbreth’s life story with warmth and clarity, and David Parkins’ illustrations underscore the wit and humanity of this picture book biography.” – The Boston Globe

2014 Holiday Gift Guide: The Thinkers

Listed by age range:

Nancy KnowsNancy Knows
Written by Cybèle Young
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-482-4
Nancy knows she’s forgotten something. Something important. When she tries to remember, she thinks of all kinds of other things instead. She remembers things she knows and things she doesn’t quite know. She remembers things one way, then another. Sometimes she remembers with her ears or her stomach or even her heart. But Nancy knows she’s still forgetting something. It’s only when Nancy stops thinking altogether that she finally remembers the very important thing she’s forgotten. Nancy Knows is the charming story of an elephant who remember lots of things, except the very thing she is trying to remember.

Going Up - Elisha Otis Trip to the TopGoing Up!
Elisha Otis’s Trip to the Top

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Trade Paperback | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-516-6
In 1818, seven-year-old Elisha was fascinated by farm machinery. As a young man, he tried a variety of ways to make a living, but nothing fired his imagination more than the job he found in a bed-frame factory. Soon he invented a machine that made frames four times faster than ever before. In 1852, while overseeing the construction of a new factory, he had to find a way to move heavy machinery to the second floor. He didn’t trust the hoisting platform, so he invented a safety brake. It was so successful that rather than lift machine parts, Elisha decided to build “people-hoisting machines.” In 1857, Elisha Otis installed his first successful passenger elevator in a five-storey department store in New York City. Before Elisha’s invention, buildings were never higher than six stories. At last it was possible to build skyscrapers!

Spic-and-SpanSpic-and-Span!
Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-380-3
Born into a life of privilege in 1878, Lillian Moller Gilbreth put her pampered life aside for one of adventure and challenge. She and her husband, Frank, became efficiency experts by studying the actions of factory workers. They ran their home efficiently, too. When Frank suddenly died, Lillian was left to her own devices to raise their eleven children. Eventually, she was hired by the Brooklyn Borough Gas Company to improve kitchen design, which was only the beginning. Lillian Gilbreth was the subject of two movies (Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes), the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and the first female psychologist to have a U.S. postage stamp issued in her honor. A leading efficiency expert, she was also an industrial engineer, a psycologist, an author, a professor, and an inventor.

Nine Words MaxNine Words Max
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by David Huyck
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-562-3
Maximilian is a prince who loves to talk: No topic is too small, no story too boring. Max’s brothers are the opposite–the less said the better. When the king and queen go on a trip and leave the brothers alone, the three princes put a spell on Max that limits him to speaking only nine words at a time. The brothers are delighted: peace and quiet at last! But when a fearsome dignitary arrives, they realize the true value of their brother’s insatiable need for information.

Who Needs a DesertWho Needs a Desert?
A Desert Ecosystem

Written by Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-1-77049-386-5
Although deserts are harsh, dry places, they teem with fascinating plants and wildlife. Author and illustrator Karen Patkau takes us on a magical journey through one of the earth’s most important ecosystems. In Who Needs a Desert? A Desert Ecosystem, we discover, in breathtaking art and lyrical text, the plants and animals that have adapted to its severe conditions – from grasses, cacti, shrubs, and trees to Gila monsters, roadrunners, scorpions, and kangaroo rats.

Who Needs a PrairieWho Needs a Prairie?
A Grassland Ecosystem

Written by Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-1-77049-388-9
Prairies are wild and rugged grasslands, whose inhabitants depend on each other and their surroundings. Author and illustrator Karen Patkau takes us on a magical journey through one of the earth’s most important ecosystems. In Who Needs a Prairie? A Grassland Ecosystem, we discover, in breathtaking art and lyrical text, the plants and animals that thrive in its unique conditions – from buttercups, pincushion cacti, prairie crocuses, and sagebrush to burrowing owls, dung beetles, yellow-bellied racers, and voles.

Who Needs a ReefWho Needs a Reef?
A Coral Ecosystem

Written by Karen Patkau
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN: 978-1-77049-390-2
Colorful coral reefs, astonishing in their beauty, bustle and teem with life. Author and illustrator Karen Patkau takes us on a magical journey through one of the earth’s most important ecosystems. In Who Needs a Reef ? A Coral Reef Ecosystem, we discover, in breathtaking art and lyrical text, the plants and animals that flourish in its tropical conditions – from coralline algae, phytoplankton, and sea grasses to hermit crabs, moon jellies, whale sharks, and porcupinefish.

Every BreathEvery Breath
Written by Ellie Marney
Hardcover | 352 Pages | Ages 14 and up
ISBN: 978-1-77049-772-6
eBook: 978-1-77049-774-0
Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be. James Mycroft is her neighbor, an intriguing and troubled seventeen-year-old genius with a passion for forensics. When Mycroft asks Watts to help investigate a murder, she knows it’s probably a very bad idea. But Mycroft’s hard to resist when he’s up close and personal-and before she knows it, Watts has joined him on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer. But what happens when this brilliant bad boy becomes murder suspect number one?

Nancy Dreams

Tuesdays with Tundra 41

Tuesdays with Tundra is a monthly post on our new releases. The following books are available today in stores and online!

Nancy KnowsNancy Knows
Written by Cybèle Young
Hardcover | 40 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN: 978-1-77049-482-4
“Pure fascination.” – Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
“…a great example of the power and charm of simple storytelling” – Starred Review, Quill & Quire
“…truly exceptional paper sculptures from Young.” – Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

The RatThe Rat
Written by Elise Gravel
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-658-3
One in a series of humorous books about disgusting creatures, The Rat is a look at the black rat. It covers such topics as the rat’s long, agile tail (it’s good for balancing and picking noses), long teeth (they can chew through anything, including books) and disgusting taste in food (delicious electrical wires in tomato sauce, anyone?). Although silly and off-the-wall, The Rat contains real information that will tie in with curriculum.

The SlugThe Slug
Written by Elise Gravel
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-655-2
One in a series of humorous books about disgusting creatures, The Slug is a look at the land slug. It covers such topics as the slug’s two pairs of tentacles, one pair for seeing, one pair for smelling (it can see you’re a kid and smell like broccoli), its breathing hole (on the side of its head!), and its pretty gross mucous covering (in order to find a partner, the slug can follow another slug’s mucous trail. True love!). Although silly and off-the-wall, The Slug contains real information that will tie in with curriculum.

Spic-and-SpanSpic-and-Span! Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-380-3
“Monica Kulling explores the accomplishments of popular and less well-known remarkable inventors. With each book, she tells an engaging story about her subject’s life, inspirations, and inventions…. The lively illustrations by David Parkins help to tell the story and offer illuminating details, from the antiquated cash-room at Macy’s department store to the look of a modern 1920s kitchen.” – Gillian O’Reilly, National Reading Campaign

Pub Date Giveaway: In the comments below, please tell us which new August release of Tundra’s you would love to read and one lucky reader will receive their requested book! One request per person and please review our rules. This giveaway ends at midnight on Monday, August 11, 2014!

UPDATE: Congratulations to C Fowler, winner of The Rat by Elise Gravel.

Tundra Book Group