121

"121" starts with a simple question: "We gotta 121!! What's that?" From there, Willy Scurry's rhyming picture book follows a neighborhood where something isn't right. There's a strange dog that's up to no good. There's the Poetic Justice Police, beep beep, asking if they can help you see. And there's an old lady with a bat who is capable of rockin' the steeple. Every page pairs a few bouncing, sing-song words with a bold, hand-painted pastel picture set on black, and the book moves fast, like a song you want to sing again. The words are simple, but each line stands for something much bigger. Who is the old lady with the bat? Why are the seas being brought to their knees? What does it mean to "break it down to the people"? And what is 121, anyway? The book answers its own question: 121°F is a tipping point for our planet, a heat we've already passed, where changes become hard to undo. That is what makes "121" a book to read together. A young child can enjoy the rhythm, the colors and the call-and-response of "What's that?" An older child, a parent or a teacher can stop on any page and ask what the picture really means. Children notice things grown-ups miss, and grown-ups can connect the dots to weather, oceans, cities and the choices people make. The conversation goes both ways, and every page is a starting point. "121" treats children as thinkers. It doesn't lecture or frighten. It hands families and classrooms a shared way into one of the biggest subjects of our time, and ends with the feeling that people, big and small, can still choose to care for the Earth. Perfect for read-alouds at home, in the classroom or at the library, for ages 6 and up. Written and illustrated by Oregon author and artist Willy Scurry.