Andrea Beaty

I'm going to have to disagree with the majority of online reviewers on this one - I've looked on various sites, and it seems that everybody loves Iggy Peck! - because I found this picture-book celebration of "creativity!" and "marching to the beat of one's own drum" (the two themes most frequently singled out for praise, as far as I can make out), rather poorly done. A rhyming tale about young Iggy Peck, who liked to build things, and his conflict with his stodgy second-grade teacher, Miss show more Lila Greer, who hated buildings - doesn't this just always happen?!? I often come across people with an irrational fear, not just of heights, but of buildings in general! - Iggy Peck, Architect was a distinct failure, when it came to arousing any sort of enthusiasm, textual or artistic, in me.

Some of this is personal, obviously. I didn't really care for David Roberts' artwork, although I did find his use of graphing paper, from time to time, quite intriguing. I didn't care for the themes, not because I don't believe that creativity, and marching to that individualistic drum are important, but because their presentation was so cliched. "Not another drubbing of the poor beleaguered school teacher, everybody's favorite punching bag these days!," I found myself thinking, as I read. "Not another paean to the poor misunderstood child genius, who, after all, only wants to build massive chalk castles, in the middle of his teacher's lesson about something else!" These issues, though, obviously struck other readers' differently. Other readers apparently appreciated the artwork here, and liked the presentation of the themes, which is fair enough. What has me scratching my head a little bit, is the praise they give the sing-songy narrative, which was often-times awkward and stilted, with rhymes that sometimes felt forced.

I'm bemused, as always, to be so out of step with the current zeitgeist - it does happen from time to time - but I guess in the end I'll take a page from Iggy's book, and just do my own thing. Which, in this case, involves not caring for Iggy Peck. show less

Young Rosie Revere is so eager to invent and create amazing contraptions. But she doesn't exactly have a role model, or a cheerleader, for her engineering dreams, so when her first few contraptions fail, Rosie Revere becomes very discouraged. Thanks to Rosie Revere's great-great-aunt Rose, Rosie Revere finds someone who believes in her and teaches her that failure is all part of the process.

I love that this book presents a child with a dream in a very realistic way - Rosie Revere does not show more want to be an engineer when she grows up! She wants to be an engineer now! Though imagination and creativity might not be lacking in any child, finding the determination and motivation to pursue one's dreams as a child is harder. I love how famous pilots were nodded to in the illustrations, like Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart. I would have loved to see more scenes of Rosie actually building her contraptions, rather than them just appearing. I listened and watched this book be read aloud in a Space Station read-aloud video done by astronaut Kate Rubins. It was very inspiring to see a woman astronaut read this book! show less

Inspired by the figure of Rosie the Riveter, a fictional icon of World-War-II-era America which became a symbol of the women on the home-front who pitched in and worked at factories and on farms, in order to aid in the war effort, author Andrea Beaty here spins a tale of a young girl inventor and the great-great aunt who helps her to understand the importance of carrying on in the face of initial setbacks. A born tinkerer and engineer, Rosie Revere liked to spend her nights putting things show more together in her attic. Shy about sharing her inventions, especially after she misinterpreted an uncle's laughter when he saw the hat she had made him, Rosie eventually came to doubt whether she had what it took to become an engineer. Then her Great-Great-Aunt Rose, who was one of those WWII women, came to visit, and inspired her to try again. Would a setback on this second project put an end to Rosie's newly revived ambitions? Not with Aunt Rose around...

After finding author Andrea Beaty and illustrator David Roberts' previous picture-book collaboration, Iggy Peck, Architect, rather unappealing - the artwork didn't speak to me, I found the rhyming text clunky, and I thought the use of the teacher as a convenient punching bag was cliched (not to mention irritating) - I was really quite surprised to find that I enjoyed Rosie Revere, Engineer. Here there was no stodgy stereotype of an authority figure for the young heroine to overcome. Rather, the adults around Rosie are supportive of her dreams, even when she doesn't at first realize it. I liked the messages implicit in this story, from the idea that initial failures should be celebrated as first steps, rather than mourned as the beginning of the end, to the notion that adults and children often perceive the same events in very different lights, leading to unfortunate misunderstandings. I also appreciated the rhyming text, which felt far more natural here than in the previous book, and which would make this an excellent read-aloud. Finally, I enjoyed the multimedia artwork here, and am not sure how to account for the difference in my aesthetic appreciation, between this and the Iggy book, as they are done in the same style. However that may be, I thought David Roberts' quirky illustrations, created in watercolor, pen and ink (with the occasional use of graph paper), suited the story, and captured the frenetic pace of Rosie's inventive process, as well as the intense emotional states through which she passes.

Recommended to anyone who is looking for children's stories featuring young people's inventiveness, inter-generational partnership, and the importance of perseverance in the face of initial failure. show less

Sofia Valdez proves that community organizers of any age can have a positive impact.

After a trash-heap eyesore causes an injury to her beloved abuelo, Sofia springs into action to bring big change to her neighborhood. The simple rhymes of the text follow Sofia on her journey from problem through ideas to action as she garners community support for an idyllic new park to replace the dangerous junk pile. When bureaucracy threatens to quash Sofia’s nascent plan, she digs deep and reflects show more that “being brave means doing the thing you must do, / though your heart cracks with fear. / Though you’re just in Grade Two.” Sofia’s courage yields big results and inspires those around her to lend a hand. Implied Latinx, Sofia and her abuelo have medium brown skin, and Sofia has straight brown hair (Abuelo is bald). Readers will recognize Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, and Ada Twist from Beaty’s previous installments in the Questioneers series making cameo appearances in several scenes. While the story connects back to the title and her aptitude for the presidency in only the second-to-last sentence of the book, Sofia’s leadership and grit are themes throughout. Roberts’ signature illustration style lends a sense of whimsy; detailed drawings will have readers scouring each page for interesting minutiae.

Fun but earnest, this rhyming romp reminds readers that one young person can make a difference. (Picture book. 5-8) show less