Leslie Staub
Leslie Staub is a children’s book author and illustrator from New Orleans. An accomplished artist, her work has been exhibited nationwide. She works from her studio in the country with her dog, rabbit, and all the wild creatures who live in the woods.
Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation was written by Edwidge Danticat and published by Dial Books For Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group LLC. Time for Earth School Dewey Dew won a Golden Kite Award Honor for picture book writing in 2017. Leslie’s most recent book is If You Were An Elephant, illustrated by Richard Jones and published by Putnam/Penguin.
Reviews
If You Were an Elephant
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year, 2022
“An inviting voice employing the conditional ‘if you were’ guides readers through a book that gives them a glimpse into life as an elephant . . . readers will want to keep turning the pages of this engaging and informative picture book.” —The Horn Book
“Good as a read-aloud and for emergent readers, it concludes in a way that leads equally gracefully to the author’s notes or bedtime . . . Worth a trumpet.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“What a treat when art and text are both delightful! That’s the case with this eye-catching title introducing children to a familiar animal's personalities. The text is pleasingly straightforward, informing readers about what elephants do and enjoy and emphasizing their social nature . . . Throughout, the animals’ affection and daily life on the African plains are beautifully illustrated by Jones in a highly textured style that calls to mind the friendly, simplified shapes of Eric Carle's collages, all in an appropriately golden palette of natural tones. Back matter offers more information on elephants, but there's plenty little ones can grasp from this book's winsome lines and genial artwork.” —Booklist
How Do You Say I Love You, Dewey Dew?
"A powerful message about the support of friends and defusing a bully wrapped in a sweet Valentine tale." —Kirkus Reviews
Shine, Baby, Shine
“Warm and bright.” —Kirkus Reviews
Mama’s Nightingale
“A must-read both for children who live this life of forced separation and those who don't." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"[Danticat] beautifully conveys a story about loss and grief and hope and joy." —School Library Journal , Starred Review
2016 Jane Addams Peace Prize Honor Book in the Books for Younger Readers category
"Skillfully written with Creole words sprinkled into the English, Mama’s Nightingale is richly illuminated by Leslie Staub’s oil paintings evoking Haitian folk art." —The New York Times
"Children of parents who are being detained will be comforted by knowing they are not the only ones facing this challenge and might even be inspired to take action the way Saya does." —The Horn Book
"A serious yet hopeful story . . . readers similarly separated from a loved one may well find solace in Danticat’s honest storytelling."—Publishers Weekly
"Danticat’s immigration story is compelling . . . The inclusion of Haitian phrases adds to the personal nature of the story, whose happy ending is deserved by all." —Booklist