Hello to 2019 and hello to you lovely readers! I hope that all who celebrate Christmas had a good and as relaxing as possible celebration, and everyone enjoyed their break and New Year!

To start 2019 off, I am presenting a post featuring recently read and recommended children’s non-fiction titles. Now, just a note that your library may catalogue some of these titles in non-fiction or in picture books- it really depends on how your library has decided to categorize them! The majority of the titles featured here are in my library’s non-fiction section, save for a few.

Author and illustrator Jenni Desmond has two titles on this post, The Blue Whale and The Polar Bear , two absolutely glorious, educational, enlightening and awe-inspiring titles that my four year old kept saying, OOOH and REALLY? throughout our reading. Next we have Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Katy Wu, a detailed (but perfect for slightly older readers) study on the life, incredible work, and legacy of American computer programmer Grace Hopper; Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement by Stephanie Roth Sisson is a lovely starting point for readers who are either interested in ecology and conservation or just beginning to look into the amazing life and work of pioneering conservationist Rachel Carson; The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter is a fascinating study on groundbreaking architect Zaha Hadid, that also highlights some of her most well-known works; Maya Angelou by Lisbeth Kaiser, with art by Leire Salaberria, is another beautiful and inspiring read in the Little People, Big Dreams series that introduces young readers to the remarkable activist, actress and writer; Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville, with art by Brigette Barrager, is a rich and intriguing look at the life of vibrant artist Mary Blair (this book inspired me to go search for more books about and by Mary Blair!); Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay Haring, illustrated by Robert Neubecker, provides readers a starting off point to learn about pop artist Keith Haring’s views on the accessibility of art, and study some of his key art works and style. Returning to a look at more books about animals: Cute as an Axolotl: Discovering the World’s Most Adorable Animals by Jess Keating with illustrations by David DeGrand is the latest entry in The World of Weird Animals, and continues the tradition of being super informative, genuinely wondrous and filled with strange and cool facts; and last but not least is Mama Dug a Little Den by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Steve Jenkins, a wonderfully presented, instructive and wholly readable companion to the duo’s popular Mama Built a Little Nest.