Meghan McCarthy

Picture-book author/artist Meghan McCarthy, whose non-fiction selections for the younger set include such titles as Astronaut Handbook and City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male, turns her attention here to the invention of that childhood favorite, bubble gum! Emphasizing that gum itself dates back to the ancients - the classical Greeks liked to chew the sap of the mastic tree - McCarthy focuses her story on the Fleer candy factory, in 1920s Philadelphia, where accountant Walter Diemer became show more involved (almost by accident) in the effort to come up with a gum that could be blown into bubbles. Persisting, long after everyone else had given up, Diemer eventually hit on the right formula, and Pop!, bubble-gum was born...

I hope this admission won't get me kicked out of the candy-loving crowd, but I actually am not that fond of bubble-gum (never have been!), and I loathe the ubiquitous black stains that gum leaves on sidewalks, when carelessly tossed aside. That said, I'm glad that Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum was chosen as one of our November selections, over in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month in "Invention," because the story here really emphasizes the importance of perseverance. I also really liked the message, communicated in Diener's statement about giving pleasure to children, that money isn't always the most important factor, when it comes to the invention of new things.

With McCarthy's trademark illustrations - her googly-eyed characters, while not really my style, aesthetically speaking, have been slowly growing on me, to the point that I am becoming fond of them - a simple but engaging story, and an informative afterword, this is one picture-book that I would recommend even to kids who don't normally enjoy non-fiction. And to young bubble-gum lovers, of course! show less

A simple but informative text, and cartoon-like acrylic illustrations are paired to great effect in Meghan McCarthy's Astronaut Handbook, which offers a fun, fact-filled look at a common childhood dream: traveling to outer space! For the young reader who had wondered what qualifications they need, to become an astronaut (study hard, children, and learn to be a team player!), or what the training process involves (space food! the "Vomit Comet!"), this title will fill them in, allowing them to show more follow four young space cadets through the process.

A book that reminds me a bit of Faith McNulty's similar If You Decide To Go To The Moon, which offers a picture-book advice manual for space-bound youngsters, Astronaut Handbook captures the excitement of space travel, and the allure of the stars. I don't know that the style of illustrations is really my cup of tea, but it works well with the simple text, and I imagine that young readers will find it very fun. All in all, an entertaining look at a perennially popular topic, one I recommend to all those youngsters who dream of walking on the moon, or exploring the stars... show less

The third and final picture-book I have read, devoted to the story of Manhattan's famous red-tailed hawk - the other two are Janet Schulman's Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City and Jeanette Winter's The Tale of Pale Male: A True Story - this offering from Meghan McCarthy features a simple, conversational text, and appealing cartoon-like illustrations, with the artist's trademark google-eyed figures (see Astronaut Handbook as well). Presenting the basic story of how Pale Male appeared show more in New York City, and how he and Lola (one of his mates, over the years) set up nest and began raising a family, City Hawk is a good introduction to the topic for younger children.

That said, I wasn't entirely thrilled to see that the controversy regarding the destruction of Pale Male's next was entirely relegated to the author's note in the rear of the book, rather than integrated into the main narrative, as I think the way in which New Yorkers rallied around the evicted hawks is an important part of the story. Also, it seemed to me that the author was saying, at the beginning of the book, that hawks, and other wildlife species, were rarely or never seen in New York City ("What they never expect is to see real wildlife - animals that usually make their homes in forests or on mountaintops or by rivers."), which was contradicted by her afterword, mentioning the importance of Central Park as a stop-over for migrating birds, and as a home for other creatures. I understand that she probably meant that seeing a hawk regularly was unusual, in NYC, but it still might prove a little confusing/misleading for young readers.

Leaving these issues aside, City Hawk is still an engaging book, and one I would recommend to young bird lovers and Pale Male fans. show less

Young readers will be engaged by the ongoing drama of the infamous garbage barge being turned away port after port, country after country. A great launching point for discussion and projects about recycling, consumerism, and environmental footprints.