Looking Back at 2023 Nonfiction and Poetry

Nancy Brashear and Carolyn Angus
 
In looking back at the bounty of nonfiction and poetry published in 2023, we have considered the identification of outstanding trade books with curriculum connections and the reading interests of children and young adults in deciding on our best-of-the-year picks.

​Afterward, Everything Was Different: A Tale of the Pleistocene. Jairo Buitrago. Trans. by Elisa Amado. Illus. by Rafael Yockteng. (2023). Aldana Libros. 
Wordless panoramic double-page spreads show a clan’s travels to find a place to shelter over winter. Left alone while others go hunting, a young girl uses a charred stick to draw pictures depicting events in their journey on the cave walls. Upon the clan’s return, she has a story to tell. A final page of text begins with “The cave was different afterward.” (information on cave art) (Gr 3 Up) 

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​America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History. Ariel Aberg-Riger. (2023). Balzer + Bray.
America Redux offers a new way of seeing American history through visual storytelling. In 21 nonlinear chapters filled with mixed-media collages created with archival photographs, maps, graphic images, and excerpts from documents and a lively text presented in a handwritten typeface, Ariel Aberg-Riger immerses readers in an exploration of thematic stories that have shaped our sense of the history of America, including what is not in our text books. (image sources, selected bibliography, index) (Gr 9-12)

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​An American Story. Kwame Alexander. Illus. by Dare Coulter. (2023). Little, Brown.
“How do you tell a story / that starts in Africa / and ends in horror?” Kwame Alexander’s poetic text and Dare Coulter’s exquisite mixed-media artwork address the question “How do you tell a story about slavery?” in this powerful picture book in which a teacher’s telling of the history of slavery to a group of children ends with a classroom discussion in which the students’ responses affirm that this difficult American story is one that must be told.  (author’s note, illustrator’s note) (PreK Up) 

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Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art. Hannah Salyer. (2023). Clarion.
Hannah Salyer introduces young readers to cave art—the rock paintings, drawings, and etchings that are time capsules telling the stories of our ancient past. A spare text and stunning artwork tell the story of how our ancient ancestors produced cave art with pigments made from minerals and handmade tools. Today, archaeologists continue to study the details of the stories being told by cave art found all over the world and are working with Indigenous people from communities with connections to these ancient sites. (world map of rock art sites, information on the Lascaux Caves, author’s note, glossary, timeline, resources) (Gr 3 Up) 

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Ancient Night. David Álvarez (with David Bowles). Illus. by David Álvarez. (2023). Levine Querido.
“At the start of things, the elders say, / the universe was hushed and still. / The moon alone shone bright and round / in the star-speckled dark of the sky.” Exquisite full-color illustrations and a lyrical text weave together ancient Mesoamerican tales featuring the traditional characters Rabbit and Opossum to tell how it came to be that now, as the moon dims, the dawning sun lights the sky. Noche Antigua published simultaneously. (creators’ note) (PreK Up) 

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​The Book of Turtles. Sy Montgomery. Illus. by Matt Patterson. (2023). Clarion. Naturalist and writer Sy Montgomery’s engaging text and wildlife artist Matt Patterson’s realistic illustrations, done with acrylic paint, introduce young readers to these shelled reptiles. The thought-provoking opening statement that around 240 million years ago “the shell invented the turtle” is followed by interesting facts about the structure of the shell; the characteristics, diversity, and conservation status of the more than 330 species of turtles; and a “You Can Help Turtles!” section. (resources, glossary, bibliography) (PreK Up) 

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Facing the Mountain (Adapted for Young Readers): A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II. Daniel James Brown. (2023). Viking.
Daniel James Brown’s compelling World War II narrative focuses on four first-generation Japanese Americans (nisei): three soldiers in the heroic 442nd Regimental Combat Team and a conscientious objector who spent the war years embroiled in legal battles and imprisonment for protesting the U.S. governments racial policies under Executive Order 9066 that violated the rights of citizens and incarcerated families of Japanese descent in concentration camps in the U.S. (resources, source notes, bibliography, index) (Gr 6 Up) ​

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The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of. Kirsten W. Larson. Illus. by Katherine Roy. (2023). Chronicle.
Kirsten W. Larson’s lyrical narrative and Katherine Roy’s exquisite artwork depict the birth of a star and the life story of Cecilia Payne (1900-1979). Payne’s solving of the mystery of what stars are made of led to other discoveries about stars and recognition for her lifetime of excellence in astronomy research. (additional information on Payne and the birth of a star, timeline, bibliography) (Gr 3 Up) 

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​Fungi Grow. Maria Gianferrari. Illus. by Diana Sudyka. (2023). Beach Lane.
In this inviting introduction to the spore-producing organisms classified in the Fungi kingdom that live all over the world, Diana Sudyka’s vibrant illustrations complement Maria Gianferrari’s lyrical narrative that considers the wide variety of fungi, their characteristics, life cycle, and importance in the natural world. (WARNING! about never eating mushrooms found outside without verification by a mycologist, glossary, examples of how fungi heal and help, fun fungi facts, a fungi life cycle infographic, sources, further reading, resources) (PreK Up) 

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How Birds Sleep. David Obuchowski. Illus. by Sarah Pedry. (2023). mineditionsUS. 
This beautifully crafted picture book about the sleep behavior of 20 bird species from around the world opens at dusk in the U.S. with a barn owl wide awake while thousands of tree swallows perform an elaborate routine in the sky before funneling down to earth to slumber and ends at dawn with the owl asleep in his tree while swallows fly out of the reeds. Sarah Pedry’s lush artwork augments the text with realistic portraits of the birds (identified by common scientific name, common name, and location) sleeping in their natural habitats. (information about bird sleep, climate change, the backstory, resources) (PreK-Gr 2)

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How to Write a Poem. Kwame Alexander & Deanna Nikaido. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. (2023). Quill Tree.
Opening with “Begin / with a question, / like an acorn / waiting for spring,” Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido’s spare free verse text takes readers through the steps of the writing process until the words of a poem are there “to slide down your pencil” onto the blank page. Melissa Sweet’s creative collage artwork extends the playful, metaphoric imagery of the poetry. The final double spread pictures children balancing bicycle-like interconnected circles and the prompt “Now, show us what you’ve found.”  (authors’ note, illustrator’s note) (PreK Up) 

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In Between. April Pulley Sayre (with Jeff Sayre). (2023). Beach Lane.
“Every creature / on Earth / at times / finds / itself / in / between.” With a poetic text and beautiful close-up photographs of animals in their natural habitats, photo-illustrator and writer April Pulley Sayre explores the concept of “in between.” Animals (mammals, birds, reptiles. amphibians, spiders, and insects) find themselves between life stages, movements, transformations, and almost-but-not yet situations. “Almost landed, / but not yet. // Almost asleep, but not yet. // Almost ready, / but not yet / living on one’s own.” (PreS Up)

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The Indestructible Tom Crean: Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic. Jennifer Thermes. (2023). Viking.
Jennifer Thermes details the adventures of Irish-born Tom Crean (1877-1938) as a crewmember on three expeditions during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration: the Discovery (1901-1904), the Terra Nova (1910-1913), and the Endurance (1914-1917). Double-spread illustrations featuring panoramic views of the icy landscape, maps, and panels depicting the explorers’ activities enhance the story of how Crean motivated others with his courage and perseverance as they faced hardships and tragedies. (afterword, timeline, sources) (Gr 3-5) 

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A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from One Judge to Barack Obama. Ray Anthony Shepard. Illus. by R. Gregory Christie. (2023). Calkins Creek.
In this biography in verse, organized in three parts: 1773-1913 Enslavement and Emancipation, 1862-1968 Freedom and Justice, and 1961-2008 The Promise of America, Ray Anthony Shepard’s story-poems focus on significant events in the lives of six Black Americans who heroically faced the challenges of their times to fight for freedom and justice: Ona Judge, Fredrick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama. (timeline, further reading, bibliography, source notes, and index) (Gr 6 Up) 

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​The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity. Nicholas Day. Illus. by Brett Helquist. (2023). Random House Studio.
Nicholas Day’s lively narrative alternates between the story of Leonardo de Vinci (1452-1519) and his creation of the Mona Lisa in Florence, Italy, in the early 1500s and the theft of the painting from the Louvre in Paris in 1911 and how the portrait became the most famous work of art in the world. Brett Helquist’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations add humor to the true-crime story. (sources, index) (Gr 6 Up) 

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​Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself. Monica Edinger & Lesley Younge. (2023). Zest.
Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge used words, phrases, and quotes from Equiano’s autobiography, published in 1789, to create this found poetry version of the life story of Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797) in which Equiano, who was born in Benin (now Nigeria), explains the horrors of abductions and being sold into slavery. Edinger and Young add informative notes and archival images that provide historical context. (“Creating a Verse Version” section, timeline, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further reading, index) (Gr 9-12)   

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Remember. Joy Harjo. Illus. by Michaela Goade. (2023). Random House Studio.
Joy Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, adapted her poem “Remember,” written in 1983, in a creative partnership with Tlingit illustrator Michaela Goade to produce this thought-provoking picture book for all ages. Harjo’s meditative verse, which prompts readers to reflect upon who they are and how they are connected to the earth and all living things, ends with “Remember you are this universe. // And this universe is you. // Remember.” (author’s note, illustrator’s note) (All Ages) 

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Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport. Caren Stelson. Illus. by Selina Alko. (2023). Carolrhoda.
In March 1939, as German soldiers march into Prague, Jewish children board a train to begin their long journey to safety in England. Fifty years pass before survivors learn that Nicholas Winton was the man who had arranged for the rescue of 669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia: Nicholas Winton. (the Kindertransport Movement, timeline, “Winton’s Children,”, “Stars in Another Night: the Yad Vashem’s Children’s Memorial” in Jerusalem, refugee children in the world today, author’s and illustrator’s notes, source notes, bibliography, further reading) (Gr 3 Up) ​

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There Was a Party for Langston: King o’ Letters. Jason Reynolds. Illus. by Jerome Pumphrey & Jarrett Pumphrey. (2023). Caitlyn Dlouhy.
In 1991, there was a dance party at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. It was “a fancy-foot, get-down, all-out bash” to celebrate Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes (1901-1967). Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey’s bold, colorful illustrations, created with handmade stamps and edited digitally, are as rhythmic as Jason Reynold’s tribute to “the word-making king.” (author’s note) (PreK Up) 

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Tomfoolery!: Randolph Caldecott and the Rambunctious Coming-of-Age of Children’s Books. Michelle Markel. Illus. by Barbara McClintock. (2023). Chronicle.
Barbara McClintock’s artwork completes this beautifully designed biography of Randolph Caldecott (1946-1886), the British artist who transformed picture books forever. Some of the double-page spreads include reproductions of Caldecott’s drawings, and there is a full-color wordless spread of an illustration from The Diverting History of John Gilpin (1878). (identification of reproductions of Caldecott’s art in Tomfoolery!; annotations; notes on illustrated Victorian periodicals and the “big three” of toy book illustrators: Walter Crane, Randolph Caldecott, and Kate Greenaway; Caldecott’s picture books listed by publication date; bibliography) (PreK Up)  ​

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Nancy Brashear is Professor Emeritus of English from Azusa Pacific University, in Azusa, California. Carolyn Angus is former Director of the George G. Stone Center for Children’s Books, Claremont Graduate University, in Claremont, California.