Inspiration for young, creative minds

Kid Culture features fun and educational books and toys for kids.

“On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein” by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky

“On a Beam of Light” is a unique, magical biography that opens readers’ minds to Albert Einstein’s life of numbers, atoms, time, gravity and the universe. Some of his favorite moments — such as eating ice cream, playing his violin and sailing his little sailboat — give us a rare view of the relaxing thinking times in his life. Einstein’s thoughts come to life with illustrations that fill the pages with red ink highlighting important and fun wonderings. The illustrations are done in gouache and pen and ink. Some of the pages are filled with scribbles, like illustrations that take over and fill the pages with numbers or question marks, capturing what Einstein was thinking. The last two pages of the book are filled with resources. Discover Einstein in a new picture book biography and start thinking, asking questions and dreaming.

“Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing” by Leonard S. Marcus

Did you ever wonder about the origin of the Caldecott medal awarded to children’s book illustrators? In “Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing,” Leonard S. Marcus captures the spirit of Caldecott through extensive research with never-before-seen illustrations. He tells us the story of the “man behind the medal” from the 1800s. Caldecott’s lifetime experience as an artist led him to be one of the most original illustrators of children’s books. Experience his life, from his first published illustration of an 1861 hotel fire to his children’s book “The House That Jack Built.” Marcus shares Caldecott’s passionate journey as one of the most influential artists in children’s book art forms to this day. This is one biography you don’t want to miss!

Check out the Mock Caldecott 2013 at the Deschutes Public Library online. Review the nominees, share comments and vote: www.deschuteslibrary.org/mockcaldecott.

For more children’s biography suggestions, please explore our kids page under “If you like biographies”:

www.deschuteslibrary.org/kids/reading/ifyoulike/biographies.aspx