Barry Wittenstein

This groovy, bebopping, music picture book biography chronicles legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollinss search for inspiration on the Williamsburg Bridge after quitting the jazz scene in 1959.Rollins is one of the most prolific sax players in the history of jazz, but, in 1959, at the height of his career, he vanished from the jazz scene. His return to music was an interesting journey--with a long detour on the Williamsburg Bridge. Too loud to practice in his apartment, Rollins played on the New York City landmark for two years among the cacophony of traffic and the stares of bystanders, leading to the release of his album, The Bridge.Written in rhythmic prose with a bebop edge, this picture-book biography of Sonny Rollinss journey to get his groove back will delight young and old fans alike.

In 1959 the Boston Red Sox was the last team in the Major Leagues to integrate. But when they call Elijah Pumpsie Green up from the minors, Bernard is overjoyed to see a black player on his beloved home team. And, when Pumpsies first home game is scheduled, Bernard and his family head to Fenway Park. Bernard is proud of Pumpsie and hopeful that this historic event is the start of great change in America. This fictionalized account captures the true story of baseball player Pumpsie Greens rise to the major leagues. The story is a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement and a great discussion starter about the state of race relations in the United States today."A grand slam" Kirkus Reviews, starred review"The storys moments of triumph sound the loudest notes" Publishers Weekly"This uplifting account of a family and the integration of Boston baseball will be inspiring to many youngsters." School Library Journal"This picture book contributes to childrens understanding of Americas past, while telling a good story" Booklist

If you want to see 20th century American history unfold before your eyes, stand on a city street corner and watch it change! It all starts when an immigrant named Oscar opens a barber shop...When Oscar lands on Ellis Island, he has only a suitcase and a down payment in his hands. And he has a dream-- to own his own barbershop. After it opens on the corner of Front St. and Second Ave, Oscars barbershop becomes a beloved local fixture... until the day Oscar decides to move on and become a subway conductor. Over the years, this barbershop will change hands to become a ladys clothing store, then a soup kitchen. A coffee shop follows, then the space becomes an army recruitment center, then a candy shop. As the years pass and the world changes, the proud corner store stands tall, watching American history unfold around it. Barry Wittenstein and debut husband-and-wife illustration team Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell tell the rich, fascinating story of key moments in American history, as reflected through the eyes--and the patrons--of the corner store.

Did you know Band-Aids were invented by accident?! And that they werent mass-produced until the Boy Scouts gave their seal of approval?1920s cotton buyer Earle Dickson worked for Johnson & Johnson and had a klutzy wife who often cut herself. The son of a doctor, Earle set out to create an easier way for her to bandage her injuries. Band-Aids were born, but Earles bosses at the pharmaceutical giant werent convinced, and it wasnt until the Boy Scouts of America tested Earles prototype that this ubiquitous household staple was made available to the public. Soon Band-Aids were selling like hotcakes, and the rest is boo-boo history."Appealingly designed and illustrated, an engaging, fun story" Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW

As a new generation of activists demands an end to racism, A Place to Land reflects on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and the movement that it galvanized. Now available in paperback.Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for ChildrenSelected for the Texas Bluebonnet Master ListMuch has been written about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington. But there's little on his legendary speech and how he came to write it. Martin Luther King, Jr. was once asked if the hardest part of preaching was knowing where to begin. No, he said. The hardest part is knowing where to end. "It's terrible to be circling up there without a place to land."Finding this place to land was what Martin Luther King, Jr. struggled with, alongside advisors and fellow speech writers, in the Willard Hotel the night before the March on Washington, where he gave his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. But those famous words were never intended to be heard on that day, not even written down for that day, not even once.