Earhart by Torben Kuhlmann

When I first saw today's read, I wasn't sure it would be quite what I was looking for. I'll admit, while I adore history and such, there aren't many books out there, which can hit a historical figure and bring them across in a way that middle graders will really enjoy...unless the readers just happen to be looking for that kind of thing. In other words, I find that these books tend to be for a niche audience or better for the learning end of things. So, I hesitated on this one but something about it made me want to give it a chance.  

Will I regret it or, maybe, I'll be won over? It turns out there's an entire series with similar books, so I could be headed into an entire row of reads to pick up and explore. Let's find out if this one is a winner or not!

(Note: This one is going onto my possible favorites of the year list. After my first thoughts, I had to smile about that, too.)

Also, it's Monday! That means the Marvelous Middle Grade list is up with a list or recommended reads from lovers and knowers of the genre. Just head on over HERE!

EARHART

The Incredible Flight of a Field Mouse Around the World

by Torben Kuhlmann

Illustrated by David Henry Wilson

NorthSouth Books

Middle Grade Fiction

128 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING MAY 13th!!!

The latest tale in award-winning author and illustrator Torben Kuhlmann’s Mouse Adventures series takes flight with the courage and spirit of aviation pioneers.

For the field mice, the boundary of the garden is the edge of the world. But one little field mouse is determined to discover the wide world beyond the burrow—even if she isn’t supposed to fly. With her knack for engineering and help from an experienced mouse aviator, she defies the other field mice and sets off on a daring journey. Could it be that she inspired Amelia Earhart’s pioneering aviation career?

Amelia Earhart dreamed of becoming a pilot after she attended an airshow, and went on to defy gender barriers when she became the first female to fly non-stop across the Atlantic. Torben Kuhlmann’s masterfully rendered illustrations and gripping story, inspired by Earhart, encourage young readers to pursue their passions–despite all obstacles.

Includes nonfiction backmatter: a biography of Amelia Earhart, a description of her infamous flight and the myths around it, and a timeline of other successful flights around the world!

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.” –Amelia Earhart

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Get ready for adventure because this little mouse is about to go where no mouse has gone before.

This book is only one of...oh, I don't know how many books centered around historical moments, which set san adorable mouse as the main character. I picked this read up unaware of the series, and that's no problem since these are made as stand-alones. I will be heading back to discover some of the other tales, though, since it is really a delightful read. 

A little field mouse dreams of discovering the world beyond its burrow and receives inspiration from a tale about a mouse, who once flew to a far away place itself. After seeing amazing places around the globe on stamps, the mouse takes one on its back and heads out to see if its truly possible to visit far away places. Especially the giant cats in Africa seem like something worth seeing...if they truly exist. The journey leads to unexpected places and has the mouse meeting interesting characters. There's danger, disappointment, unexpected surprises, and experiences which make the heart soar. But the goal of flying to Africa isn't one easily achieved, and every step forward could be the mouse's last.

I'm simply going to gush over my favorite part of this read right away: the illustrations. Middle grade books tend to be packed with words, where illustrations remain on the  sideline at best. This book turns that trend on its head. Each page radiates with capturing scenes, filled with details and love. The artwork is carefully done and visually adds so much depth and information to each moment. It's a treat to simply pick the book up and soak in each one.

The text is well set for the middle grade audience or as a read-aloud for slightly younger audiences (but it will take several sessions to get through this read that way). The chapters are short but grabbing. While it might first appear that this might work for chapter book readers, the vocabulary and sentences are fitting to the slightly older reading group. While the illustrations carry much of the world-building visually, the text concentrates on driving the plot and characters' personalities forward. And it does a marvelous job, making the mouse easy to like and root for. The plot is also quick-paced, tense and intriguing. Even more reluctant readers won't steer clear of this one. It reminded me a bit of An American Tail.

With all of this mouse-adventure goodness, there is a historical twist...and it didn't come like I expected. Ms. Earhart doesn't play a major role in the story until the very end. Instead, the joy of chasing goals, and the difficulty and work involved in finding a way (or finding a way to fly) is explored. The historical aspects hit after this inspiration settles in, building on the excitement after the tale. Not only is there a summary of Earhart's journey (and this, too, is interesting and even explores the various myths of what really happened to her), but other famous flights are quickly summed up and highlighted. 

Not only is this a very enjoyable read, but it uses the inspiration to introduce historical facts and leave the readers with a new respect for accomplishments of the past. 

And her he is...

Torben Kuhlmann lives and works in Hamburg as a freelance children’s author and illustrator. He studied illustration and communications design at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. He wrote and illustrated his first picture book, Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse, in 2012 as his final thesis, and it was published in 2014 by NorthSouth. It quickly became a bestseller and has been translated into more than 30 languages. Three more Mouse Adventures followed and were equally successful, including 2019 Batchelder honor and ALA Notable Book Edison. The publication of Earhart, the fifth book, marks the tenth anniversary of the series. However, a few mouse-free books have also crept into the repertoire during the last ten years, including Moletown, The Clown Said No, and The Gray City.

The Gray City by Torben Kuhlmann

THE GRAY CITY

by Torben Kuhlmann

Illustrated by David Henry Wilson

NorthSouth Books

Picture Book

64 pages

ages 6 to 10

COMING...

SEPTEMBER 17th!!!

Let there be color! From the creator of the Mouse Adventures–Torben Kuhlmann–comes an epic, illustrated story about a girl who sets out to bring color back to a city where everything is gray.

There is something off about Robin’s new city. Everything there is gray—house facades, people, even flowers. Where are all the colors? Robin sets out in search of color and uncovers a plot: behind all the gray is the faceless Gray Works company. Thanks to her powers of deduction and a few allies, Robin gets into the company’s control center and sets all the controls to colorful. In the end, only her cat is left gray.

Torben Kuhlmann–creator of the Mouse Adventures series including the 2019 Batchelder honor winner Edison–uses his love of science and his mastery of illustration to introduce color theory to young readers through his striking visuals and contemporary narrative.

GOODREADS   /   PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Entrancing illustrations invite into a gray world, where a girl embodies determination and perseverance to provide hope and inspire.

Until the move, Robin lived in a world with vivid colors, but the city holds nothing but gray. It's odd that anything can be so gray, and she's determined to find color...which she does but only hidden dabs here and there. After gaining detention during her first day of school for presenting something colorful, she discovers the gray is being force-fed into society and part of an indoctrination...but from whom? Determined to stand against the world around her, she soon discovers a secret which could change everything.

Reminding of the novel Momo by Michael Ende, this story places a girl against an organization—in this case corporation—, who wants to keep the world colorless and in control. The world of grays draws in, especially thanks to the detailed and lovely illustrations, and creates a mundane atmosphere where creativity and individuality are swallowed alive. It makes it very easy to root for Robin as she stands against everything with her bright yellow raincoat, but then, she's a heroine with a good heart. As she faces wrong ideas and is threatened and scolded, her never-dying determination inspires. 

There are several possible messages woven into this read, some deeper than others, which makes it a lovely book to open up to further discussions...and not only for kids. The entire thing carries an unique atmosphere, when compared to many modern day tales, but it's this light sense of oddness which gets those brain gears turning. 

While taking a picture book format, this is a read for slightly older audiences. It works well as a read-aloud for ages 6 to 10, and stronger readers ages 8 and up can dive in on their own. The slightly different feel will hit some better than others. More mature readers will find quite a bit food for thought, and this read does lend itself for group settings when hitting themes such as conformity and society-induced 'norms'. 

And here he is...

Torben Kuhlmann was born in Germany in 1982. Highly creative as a young child, Torben was recognized as early as kindergarten for being a gifted draftsman. He was captivated by small airplanes, strange machines, and steaming trains; these elements made their way into his drawings. He studied illustration and design at the Hamburg University for Applied Sciences. His preferred media are pen and watercolor. He also works with acrylics, oil paints, and digital programs. He works as a freelance illustrator in Hamburg. The books in his Mouse Adventures series are best sellers and owe their inventiveness to Torben’s great enthusiasm for unusual mechanical inventions. Edison: The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure was chosen as a 2019 Batchelder Honor and an ALA Notable Children’s Book.

Review: Flight for Freedom by Kristen Fulton

FLIGHT FOR FREEDOM

The Wetzel Family's Daring Escape from East Germany

by Kristen Fulton 

Illustrated by Torben Kuhlmann

Chronicle Books

Picture Book / Historical

56 pages

ages 5 to 8

An Inspiring True Story about One Family's Escape from Behind the Berlin Wall!

Peter was born on the east side of Germany, the side that wasn't free. He watches news programs rather than cartoons, and wears scratchy uniforms instead of blue jeans. His family endures long lines and early curfews. But Peter knows it won't always be this way. Peter and his family have a secret. Late at night in their attic, they are piecing together a hot air balloon—and a plan. Can Peter and his family fly their way to freedom? This is the true story of one child, Peter Wetzel, and his family, as they risk their lives for the hope of freedom in a daring escape from East Germany via a handmade hot air balloon in 1979.

• A perfect picture book for educators teaching about the Cold War, the Iron Curtain, and East Germany
• Flight for Freedom is a showcase for lessons of bravery, heroism, family, and perseverance, as well as stunning history.
• Includes detailed maps of the Wetzel family's escape route and diagrams of their hot air balloon

For fans of historical nonfiction picture books like Let the Children March, The Wall, Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon.

       

MY TIDBITS

This is a well done telling of bravery and determination during a difficult point in German history, which is sure to leave an imprint with young readers.

The wall separated Germany into two very different states: one had freedom, the other stood under tyrannic control. A little boy on the eastern side discovers a picture under his parents' mattress of a hot air balloon. Possession of this picture means arrest. So, he keeps quite as his parents slowly gather materials and plan their escape over the wall and to the freedom of the other side of Germany beyond.

Having lived over twenty years in Germany and raising a family there, I was already well aware of this story, the circumstances and the history surrounding it. This book does a very good job at bringing life in East Germany across in a quick way young readers will understand and makes the stakes clear while staying in a child appropriate realm. The danger is clear as well as the daring of this family. The text is also age appropriate and brings across what this type of escape meant nicely.

The illustrations hold well to the German style and present it with a historical atmosphere, which still lures children in. The fearful moments are brought across very well as well as the surroundings, allowing the details and scenes to come across with fairly nice historical accuracy.

As to the book in total, I see this more appropriate for the upper end of the intended age group, and then, only interesting with surrounding context. The author does add several pages of more detailed information and background at the end, which is very interesting and fills in whatever holes might exist. However, this section is only for older readers and won't fit well with the younger age group in this style. This book works better when slid in with the theme of WWII and German segregation. I hate to admit it, but there are very few children of this age group who will know what WWII was about...let alone the Berlin Wall or divided Germany (here, in the United States, of course). So, when using this book, there will need to be discussions with the listeners beforehand and afterwards. Otherwise, they won't know the context. But taking this into consideration, this book definitely does a great job at it's theme...and I can only recommend it and am sure young listeners will be left with food for thought.

And here they are...

The Author...

Kristen Fulton is a children's book author. She can always be found with a notebook in hand as she ventures through historical sites and museums. Most of the time she lives in Florida—but she can also be found traveling the country by RV.

The Illustrator...

Torben Kuhlmann is an award-winning children's book author and illustrator. Starting in kindergarten he became known as "the draftsman." Flying machines and rich historical detail often adorn his work. He lives in Hamburg, Germany. Fligh