Dazzle Ships

 Even Chris was taken with this book and the true story it tells of the ships that were painted with dazzling designs during World War I.  It was a crazy idea born out of desperation to stop the deadly German U-boat attacks that were crippling Britain.  It's a fascinating story that combines history and art and warfare and ships and gives the reader the desire to learn more.  There's a timeline, actual photographs and an informative author and illustrator's note in the back pages.  It was also fun to learn the role that women artists played in painting the ships those outrageous designs.  

Dazzle Ships

Chris Barton

illustrated by Victo Ngai 2017

The Strange Voyage of Neptune's Car

The Strange Voyage of Neptune's Car

Joe Lasker 1977

 This is a pretty incredible true story about young Mary Patton who took over command of her husband's clipper ship, Neptune's Car, when he became ill.  Not only was she only 19 years old, but she was pregnant at the time!  Able to navigate and read charts, Mary brought the ship to harbor in San Francisco after rounding the most treacherous path of Cape Horn.  Joe Lasker's retelling is accompanied by his illustrations that resemble old photographs.

Alice and the Bird Lady

Alice and the Bird Lady

written and illustrated by Jane Grant Tentas 2002

Since Spring is around the corner we've been waking up to birdsongs and it's lovely!  There's only a couple birds I can identify by their sounds, but they all feel like familiar voices to me.  This little story was inspired by living on Block Island (off the coast of Rhode Island) and the real life character of Elizabeth Dickens who collected birds and taught the local children about them.  Her naturalist inspiration lives on through Tentas pictures and story.

Shackleton's Journey

Shackleton's Journey

William Grill 2024

The story of Ernest Shackleton's expedition to the antarctic is amazing.  There's some great documentaries and movies out there about it.  What's most amazing is how all of  the crew survived, even when their ship The Endurance was crushed in the ice and they had to live on the ice for months and then eventually make their way in lifeboats on the open sea.  

We loved William Grill's treatment of the story, the illustrations are just great.

We loved reading about all the dogs brought on the trip! (Even if they sadly didn't make it in the end.)

 

Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride

Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride

Andrea Davis Pinkney

illustrated by Brian Pinkney 2009

Here is a brief biography of the abolitionist and suffragette, Sojourner Truth.  These kinds of books are good starting points to delving more into the history and biography of such an incredible individual.  Sojourner Truth is famously known for her speech "Ain't I a Woman" which is also depicted powerfully here.  But the truth of that speech is much more interesting and complicated.  Sojourner was born in New York State speaking Dutch and didn't speak with the southern vernacular that the speech is known for.  Activist Frances Dana Barker Gage transcribed the speech years later and seems to have taken liberties with Sojourner's words.   What is undisputed and what the Pickney's capture is that Truth was an incredible woman who worked tirelessly for women and Black rights and equality.    

Clothing

Clothing

Piero Ventura 1993

We have a great selection of reference books about the history of clothing.  They've come in very handy as a vintage clothing collector/seller myself and for various school or art projects.  In this one Piero Ventura's illustrations are fun to look at as he walks us through the timeline of humans creating coverings for themselves.  (Just an FYI there is some historical nudity in some of the drawings.) 

Some of our other books and vintage materials relating to clothing...