about the book
A brown, fuzzy rabbit and an equally brown but much smaller mouse have started a garden together. Eagerly they plant seeds—carrots, tomatoes, and cabbage—and then wait for the plants to grow and produce food. Together they bide their time, sitting in the rain, taking naps, reading books. As they are waiting, the skies fill with birds…
Finally! Carrots, tomatoes, and cabbage! All are tasty. But wait! Where did all these birds come from? Five winged menaces descend and attempt to get a bite of the rabbit and mouse’s produce. A food fight ensues, the result of a “seed of selfishness.” (Seeds can also be metaphorically planted, whether of strife or of friendship.)
Their garden in ruins, the rabbit and mouse decide to take the high road. They plant a “seed of kindness,” and before long they are sharing sunflowers, chard, melons, and more with their new bird friends!
about the author/illustrator
Kadir Nelson says that being an artist is “part of my DNA,” and that he has always been an artist. He started drawing when he was three years old and painting when he was ten.
In his career, he has worked for Sports Illustrated, Coca-Cola, the U.S. Postal Service, and DreamWorks Studio. His fine art paintings are in several notable collections, including the House of Representatives and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1999 he started working with several authors on picture books. His illustrations have won several awards.
We Are the Ship is the first picture book that Mr. Nelson has written as well as illustrated. The book won two Coretta Scott King awards in 2009 (the Award for Author and an Honor for Illustrator), as well as the 2009 Robert F. Sibert Award. His book, Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African American also won the 2012 Coretta Scott King Author Award and Illustrator Honor Award.
Sources:
Author website
Author video interview: AdLit
Also by Kadir Nelson:
Baby Bear. Balzer + Bray. 2014.
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King. Schwartz & Wade. 2012.
A Nation’s Hope : The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis by Matt de la Pena. Dia. 2011.
Mama Miti : The Mother of Trees by Donna Jo Napoli. Paula Wiseman. 2010.
All God’s Critters by Bill Staines. Simon & Schuster. 2009.
Abe’s Honest Words : The Life of Abraham Lincoln by Doreen Rappaport. Hyperion Press. 2008.
Henry’s Freedom Box : A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine. Scholastic Golden. 2007.
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. Dial. 2005.
Ellington Was Not a Street by Ntozake Shange. Simon & Schuster. 2004.
read more!
Albert the Fix-It Man by Janet Lord
Cheerful Albert repairs Mr. Jensen’s truck, fastens Akiko’s clothesline, and replaces Mrs. Peabody’s leaky faucet. It doesn’t matter who the neighbor is, Albert is glad to fix squeaky doors and even crumbling fences. No job is too small. But when he catches a terrible cold and ends up in bed, who’s there to give him a hand?
Baby Bear by Kadir Nelson
Lost Baby Bear is in search of his home. At first he is scared. When other animals appear, like a moose and a mountain lion, they scare him at first. However, as Baby Bear continues his search, he makes new animal friends. An owl in a tree says, “You are not alone, Baby Bear. I am here with you.” With new friends, Baby Bear has the courage to keep going.
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
Chloe and her friends refuse to play with Maya, the new girl. Every time she tries to join them, Maya is turned away. Eventually she stops coming to school. Chloe has a change of heart, wishing she had taken the opportunity to make a new friend, and hoping it is not too late…