Tag: Katie Mazeika

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Maybe Just Ask Me! encourages kids to be brave and speak up!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Maybe Just Ask Me!, by Katie Mazeika, (April 2025, Beach Lane Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9781665949897

Ages 4-8

Mazie is excited about starting at her new school and making new friends. She wears her prettiest eye patch and favorite scarf, and she’s ready to answer any questions her classmates may have… but the silence is deafening, and Mazie feels self-conscious. When a breeze blows her scarf off of her head, the whispering starts: did she lose her hair because she worked for the circus and had it burned off by the fire breather? Does she have an eye patch because she was a pirate? Mazie goes through the day hearing her classmates whisper and wonder about Mazie, but no one will talk to her and ask her directly. By the time she’s in gym class, Mazie’s had enough. Blowing her teacher’s whistle to gets her class’s attention, she lays it out for everyone: “… if you really want the story of what happened to me… Maybe just ask me!” Based on the author’s own childhood cancer experience, Maybe Just Ask Me! is about bravery and an invitation to a conversation. So often, people find it easier to murmur behind people’s backs, wondering about someone’s appearance, because it’s either considered rude or too awkward to ask outright, but Mazie shows us that folks want to be seen; they want to share their stories and their experiences to connect with others. By the end of Mazie’s day, she’s got a bunch of brand-new friends because she was brave enough to invite questions. Digital illustrations are colorful and imaginative, bringing pirates, circuses, aliens, and jungle creatures to life as the other kids imagine how Mazie lost an eye and her hair. Mazeika beautifully captures Mazie’s expressions and internal dialogue as she goes through the school day. Back matter includes an author note and a list of ways to be a supportive person. A good choice for social-emotional collections.

Check out this curriculum guide for Maybe Just Ask Me!, and visit TeachingBooks.net for an author interview, a word search, and book cover jigsaw.

 

“A reminder that kids with disabilities are the authorities of their own stories.” —Kirkus
Katie Mazeika is an author and illustrator with a BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design. When she isn’t in the studio, she likes to spend time at the theater, in her garden, or getting lost in a good book. She is the creator of picture book biographies including Annette Feels Free and Beulah Has a Hunch!. She lives in Ohio with her family and two dogs. To learn more, and download a free curriculum guide, visit her website at katiemazeika.com.
Posted in picture books

Beulah Has a Hunch! – a salute to STEMinism!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Beulah Has a Hunch! : Inside the Colorful Mind of Master Inventor Beulah Louise Henry, by Katie Mazeika, (Oct. 2023, Beach Lane Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781665903639

Ages 6-9

Beulah Louise Henry may be one of the coolest inventors we haven’t heard of. Born in North Carolina in 1887, Henry had both hyperphantasia – she saw things in extreme detail in her mind – and synesthesia – words, numbers, and music all manifested as color in her brain. This all sounds like the perfect conditions to create the perfect backdrop for an inventor, but not so for “young ladies” of the time; Mazeika describes her parents’ frustration at Beulah’s “daydreaming” and taking household gadgets apart to discover their inner workings. Henry’s desire to learn and discover pushed her to invent a multitude of devices; she updated parasol technology and bath toys, baby dolls and ice cream makers. Called “Lady Edison” by a patent office, Henry’s brain was hard-wired to create. Mazeika’s illustration uses bright swirling colors to denote Henry’s synesthesia and brings in different perspectives to allow readers to look over Henry’s shoulder as she creates technical drawings. Back matter includes photos and more notes on Henry, a timeline of her inventions, and sources for further reading. A good addition to picture book and STEM/STEAM biographies.

The U.S. Patent Office’s kids’ website has a page on Henry, and an expanded page in their Learning and Resources section.

Posted in picture books

Annette Feels Free breaks barriers and dances past challenges

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Annette Feels Free: The True Story of Annette Kellerman, World-Class Swimmer, Fashion Pioneer, and Real-Life Mermaid, by Katie Mazeika, (Sept. 2022, Beach Lane Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781665903431

Ages 4-8

Born in 1887, Australian youngster Annette Kellerman loved the freedom that she felt while dancing, but was sidelined by a childhood disease that attacked her legs. As part of her physical therapy, her father brought her to Lavender Bay, where the freedom of the ocean and the absence of her braces gave her the freedom she missed. She spent more time in the ocean, strengthening her legs, and became a water artist: she danced, she competed, and she attempted to swim the English Channel. Katie Mazeika’s picture book biography on Annette Kellerman looks at her life in the water, where she was feted as a “Diving Venus” and includes her struggle against Victorian social mores that kept her in bloomers and skirts, impeding her swimming career, until she designed – and fought to wear – a more comfortable, practical swimsuit, which influenced women’s swimwear fashion.

Mazeika covers challenges that today’s readers can easily identify and understand: overcoming physical disability, the drive to compete, and inequality. She navigates Kellerman’s life with informative, age-appropriate text; her artwork brings the wonder and excitement. Back matter includes an author’s note on Annette Kellerman’s life, photographs, and a note on overcoming physical challenges. A very good addition to picture book biography collections.

Download a free curriculum guide for Annette Feels Free at author Katie Mazeika’s webpage. Learn more about Annette Kellerman at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and the Australian Dictionary of Biography.

Katherine Mazeika is an author and illustrator with a BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design. When she isn’t in the studio, she likes to spend time at the theater, in her garden, or getting lost in a good book. She lives in Ohio with her husband, two kids (Lillian and Jack), and two dogs. To learn more, and download a free curriculum guide, visit her website at katiemazeika.com.

Twitter: @kdmaz

Instagram: @kdmazart

Facebook: Katie Mazeika Illustration

 

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“Annette’s legacy in competitive, artistic, and recreational swimming is undeniable, and Mazeika’s text deftly balances her subject’s varied career. . . . Swim-pressive!”—Kirkus Reviews

“An enthralling introduction to a remarkable woman.”—Booklist