Kitchen Scientist and America’s Cook
Emma Bland Smith
Illustrated by: Susan Reagan
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
Calkins Creek
Editorial Reviews
A Bostonian revolutionizes the recipe world.
Fannie Farmer (1857-1915) grew up helping in the kitchen, as most girls did at the time. She learned to love cooking, and when polio left her with a limp that prevented her from attending college, she devoted herself fully to cooking. She developed methods based on precision measurements—a groundbreaking concept at a time when most recipes called for “a suspicion of nutmeg” or “as many yolks as may be necessary.” She became a teacher and later principal at the Boston Cooking School and wrote a cookbook (still in print years later). Deborah Hopkinson’s Fannie in the Kitchen (2004), illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, focused on Farmer’s life before cooking school; Smith, by contrast, spends more time on her subsequent professional life. The prose is peppered with rich cooking imagery and includes two workable, though not simple, recipes—for popovers and angel food cake. Reagan’s engaging watercolor and digital illustrations convey a sense of Fannie’s world; quotations from her writings are interspersed. Most people shown present white, like Fannie, but there are Black faces among her cooking school classmates, students, audiences, and customers for her books. In the backmatter, Smith carefully notes that some scenes about Fannie’s early life are based on speculation, due to lack of available information.
Delectable! — Kirkus
VERDICT She didn’t invent measuring cups, but she “influenced” the sales of them; this book rightfully bestows hall of fame status to a woman who insisted on accuracy when it came to getting success—not waste—from a recipe every time. For the biography shelves.
“colorful and sprightly illustrations”
A STAR—SLJ
The Horn Book—Foodwise List
“A charming book! An evocation of having fun cooking in the kitchen.”—Anne Willan, author of Women in the Kitchen:Twelve Essential Cookbook Authors Who Defined the Way We Eat, from 1661 to Today, and founder of La Varenne Cooking School
“What a delightful read! Fannie Farmer’s story is inspiring on so many levels. I can’t wait to try the recipes with my own kid!”—Georgia Freedman, food writer, cookbook author, blogger at The California Table and coauthor of The Ranch Table
Vera Rubin Discovers Dark Matter
Suzanne Slade
Illustrated By: Susan Reagan
Pub Date: November 7, 2023
Calkins Creek
Editorial Reviews
"Meticulously studying the stars when few women could, Vera Rubin changed the face of astronomy and our understanding of the universe. With energy and elegance, author Suzanne Slade and illustrator Susan Reagan perfectly capture Vera’s lifelong love of the night sky and the role it played in helping us reimagine the cosmos, one packed with mysterious matter we cannot see.”— Ashley Yeager, Science News editor and author of Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond: The life of Astronomer Vera Rubin
How Mathematician Edith Clarke Helped Electrify America
Jan Lower
Illustrated by Susan Reagan
Pub Date: March 14, 2023
Calkins Creek
Editorial Reviews
"The full-color images catch the eye and playfully include mathematical puzzles. Edith’s quotes are interspersed throughout, highlighting her love of math and her determination to succeed in a traditionally male field. This one will inspire and validate any readers who love mathematics and calculations, especially anyone who has felt marginalized within STEM fields...Rousing encouragement for readers—especially math-minded ones—to follow their dreams." —Kirkus Reviews
"The text tells Clarke’s story in terms that are accessible to children and offers more information in the extensive back matter. The attractive illustrations, drawn digitally and brightened with watercolors, do a particularly good job of portraying Clarke as she gradually grows from childhood to maturity. An intriguing introduction to a trailblazing woman in the field of electrical engineering."—Booklist
Oh, me oh my, I DO so love a good picture book biography when it has something to do with math. And as I mentioned before, over the last 10 or so odd years there’s been a notable uptick in the marketplace. I wonder, though, if you were to look at which publishers create such books, would the same names come up time and again? For example, the Calkins Creek imprint appears to be better suited to publishing a book of this sort. Why do I say such things? Because when I read a book like The Brilliant Calculator about Edith Clarke I notice several smart choices throughout. Fake dialogue? Not present. Is the story itself more fun than the backmatter? You betcha. Plus this is a smart duo of author and artist to pair together. Lower’s A Song for the Cosmos: Blind Willie Johnson and Voyager’s Golden Record was an accurate but dreamy take on its subject matter, while Reagan’s work on Revolutionary Prudence Wright elevated a book that might not have gotten attention otherwise. Here they have to prove their mettle in one specific way: Are they afraid of numbers? I’m not kidding about this. Many is the mathematician bio that eschews almost any mention of actual math (check out the bulk of books on Katherine Johnson if you don’t believe me). Ms. Reagan does include math in the details of the art, though the equations reminded me of the year I served on the Mathical Prize committee and the mathematicians there started trying to solve the math in the art that they found in such borders. But with her accurate rendition of the Clarke Calculator patent, I am certain everything checks out. Great writing, an interesting person to learn about, and some truly awesome art.
A winner! — FUSE #8 Best Math Books (31 list)
Leading the Minute Women in the Fight for Independence
Beth Anderson
Illustrated by Susan Reagan
Pub Date: February, 1 2022
Calkins Creek
Editorial Reviews
★ "Reagan’s accomplished illustrations, executed in watercolor with digital drawing, add historical veracity to Anderson’s superbly documented, at times hair-raising narrative. The author explicitly situates Wright and her female comrades as pioneers who 'proved themselves as full citizens' in an era before female enfranchisement. Vivid, absorbing, and inspiring. " —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"In compact and dramatic fashion, this book conveys the issues that provoked the Revolutionary War, the divisions it created within families, and the role-defying actions undertaken by women of the time. Fine-line and watercolor illustrations teem with energy and emotion, establishing a colonial feel to the pages and making excellent use of spots and varied perspectives." —School Library Connection
Marsha Diane Arnold
Illustrated by Susan Reagan
Pub Date: August, 18 2020
The Creative Company
Reviews
Creatures search for Night in this story about the negative effects of light pollution.
A rhythmic refrain ("Across the wide, wide world, / they search... / for the Dark of Night. // But everywhere--Lights!") creates a satisfying cadence in the text. Two spreads toward the open and close of the story feature short rhymes in four stanzas about the kinds of artificial and natural lights the creatures encounter; these anchor the story and contrast the two kinds of light in appealing ways. The closing spreads with the dark sky and natural, nocturnal lights are enchanting. Stars twinkle, and the moon glows, as Mother Nature would have it. The fade-in title design on the book's cover is especially smart, communicating much about the story. An author's note kicks off the book, noting how little we hear about light pollution. Kirkus
Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Illustrated by Susan Regan
pub date: August 16, 2018
In this illustrated board book, a poem expresses both the joys of a baby and the balancing of attention for older siblings who still crave "you and me" time.
2019 Notable Children's Books List
“The importance of giving positive attention to the child who may be feeling overshadowed by a new baby cannot be overstressed, and it’s nice to have the reminder delivered in such a lovely, sensitive package and featuring a loving, brown-skinned family.” Kirkus
Emilia Zebrowska
Illustrated by Susan Reagan
Pub Date: August 6, 2019
The Creative Company
One last game of Simon Says before bed leads to a dreamy night time adventure!
“Reagan’s illustrations convey the dark and stillness of the ocean and sky at night, everything washed in a gray tone. The parallels between what the child sees on the imaginary exploration and what readers see in the bedroom play up the beauty and reality of a child’s fantasy. Zebrowska’s rhyming Simon Says text invites readers to play along even if they’re not really on their way to the moon—a nice way to engage squirmy listeners.” Kirkus
Emilia Zebrowska
Illustrated By: Susan Reagan
The Creative Company
Pub Date: August 9, 2022
Reviews
A popular children’s game makes its way to the pages of this board book, in which a persimmon hot-air balloon, piloted by a girl in a blue hijab, drifts through the countryside as she plays I spy. Double-page spreads feature landscapes dotted with endearing animals (a smiling turtle, a bright-winged butterfly) and two short sentences that form a rhyming couplet. Adjectives appear in bold, and the descriptor in the “I spy” refrain changes with each page turn. “Curious," “quick,” and “brave,” give way to “I spy with my sleepy eye,” as night closes in and, in the final spread, the sun rises.
–Julia Smith, Booklist, 09/01/2022
Curiosity, wonder, and investigation are at the core of this splendid and non-traditional I Spy book. You and your little one get to float through these gorgeous illustrations in an inventive hot air balloon, picking up forest friends along the way, and using the clues to uncover more wonders of the forest and surrounding areas. This book is filled with lovely, simple text, yet gloriously rich in vocabulary for young ones. Bold adjectives jump out at the turn of a page, making this a wonderful book for pre-readers. As with any good picture book, I Spy With My Curious Eye, invites and generates more questions and interests as you read and welcomes the idea of grabbing a picnic and taking this sturdy book outside to explore. What a splendid asset to any toddler room, preschool classroom, or outdoor library. This would make a lovely gift for anyone who values cultivating an ever questioning scientific and imaginative mind.
–Children's Literature, 09/13/2022
Emilia Zebrowska
Illustrated By: Susan Reagan
The Creative Company
Pub Date: March 8, 2022
Reviews
A Treasured Story for Families
"As the zookeeper covers his eyes with his hands, he plays a game of hide-and-seek. The animals in the zoo dash off to find a place to hide. In this rhyming story, follow the zookeeper as he seeks out the animals in their hiding places. The prepositions (i.e. in, on, off into, below, above, near) indicate where the animals are hiding and these words are featured in dark orange font. The richly, shaded colored illustrations provide support to the text by showing the animal and hideout. In the picture, the pig sits below a twig; the frog is crouching on a log. The zookeeper rounds up the animals from the game and takes them for a ride on the zoo’s train. This board book provides opportunities for toddlers to recognize different animals, locate them on the page, and sense the rhythm and rhyme of the language." —Children's Literature Review, 01/2022
"An absolutely delightful board book that brings readers into a game of hide-and-seek. With timeless illustrations and a world of imagination, Ready or Not, Here I Come! emphasizes words like in, on, off, into, below, above, and near. The train throughout the book is also a lovely component of the story as children will see it traveling through the countryside. When all of the animal friends have been found by the conductor, all the animals hop aboard and head off for more adventures." —Where the Board Books Are, 1/24/22
"A zookeeper finds all of his animal friends during a preposition-rich game of hide-and-seek. Rhymed text. Richly colored mixed-media illustrations."― Bank Street College of Education
