The sisters from What Can a Mess Make head out with their mother to run errands around town in this jaunty sequel. After finding their missing bag and gathering their phone, the three head out to the farmer’s market. They dance to some music and buy some flowers. Then they have to wait in line at the post office where they make a young friend along the way. They meet a puppy next, then make a mess in the vintage store. Lunch at the diner has a little chaos and then a dash home in the rain. Throughout the busy day, there are moments of waiting and what happens in those times is just as important as the rest of the day.
Johnson captures the dynamic nature of a busy day of errands in this picture book. From the list at the beginning of the book to the end where it’s all somehow been accomplished, the day is a glorious riot of moments spent together, items getting done and the busy city around it all. The text rhymes and has the repeating phrase “while we wait” that make it a pleasure to share aloud. The illustrations are merry, filled with small details that bring the world alive, and capture the warm love of family.
Just right for your own busy day. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Henry Holt and Company.
Enter the weird and wonderful world of the Head friends in this graphic novel for elementary-age readers. Cabin Head and Tree Head are good friends and spend a lot of time together. They spend one day saying hello to all the other Heads and then realize the impact their surprise hellos are having on some of the more volatile Heads. In another story, Cabin Head starts doing portraits, first of a taco and then of other Heads who request it, but Tree Head thinks the taco portrait is too delicious to leave alone. There are adventures with holes and treasure maps, and another with the perfect hiding space that fits far too many. The book ends with byes, stories, drawing and a final pool party.
I just can’t express how delightful this graphic novel is. The concept is bizarre and immensely charming, creating a childlike playfulness that is enticing and great fun. I particularly enjoyed the riff on Jack and the Beanstalk as well as the interaction between the various Heads to solve problems and have fun.
Laugh-out-loud funny and joyful, this is a must-read for those who enjoy silliness. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Wally is the mail carrier for Faraway Forest. He and his rabbit friend Bo deliver mail all over the woods. There are tiny envelopes and big heavy packages to deliver. The last house on the route is Mr. Sternbill’s and he’s quite grumpy. But Wally knows that you never know what is weighing on someone’s mind. In four chapters, readers get a tour of Wally’s route, see how a day can become surprisingly long by helping neighbors, see how a big storm impacts Wally’s job, and finally end the book with Wally getting sick and seeing how appreciated he is by his friends, including Mr. Sternbill.
This friendly and cozy graphic novel for elementary age is like a hug. Wally and Bo’s helpfulness shows the impact that someone can have on others in their community. The stories are fast paced and still make time for Wally and Bo to enjoy tea and lunch along the way. The illustrations are large, colorful, and friendly, making the reading more accessible and friendly for newer readers. The book begins with a seek and find for each chapter and ends with tips on how to draw Wally and Bo.
A welcome cozy delivery for young graphic novel enthusiasts. Appropriate for ages 5-8.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss & Chronicle Books.
This picture book is pure visual joy. A cat naps in the warm afternoon sun. Awoken by a mouse, the kitten follows the mouse into a poster about Egyptian Antiquities at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first place they land is a sculpture with hieroglyphics. They run through the sculpture, taking on the art style as they pass by. They leap to the next, this time an illuminated manuscript. Then the next where they become clay sculptures. They pass through paintings, past wooden masks, into stained glass, and Japanese ink. Finally, Kitten realizes he is lost and can’t see the mouse anywhere. A kind monk from a gold leaf painting suggests he listen for home. Kitten can hear the food being poured into his bowl!
The final pages of this picture book show the Caldecott Honor-winning artist working on the art for this book. Instead of doing the various styles digitally, Lies created the art, including all of the pottery, stained glass, gold leaf, paintings and sculpture. It’s such a rewarding read where the physicality of the art he created truly shows on the page. These are illustrations that will stop you and make you feel.
A romp through art, this picture book is one to inspire more exploration. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Greenwillow Books.
Amos McGee loves the snow, but all he has gotten so far is rain and wind. Then finally there is news that the first snow of the year is on its way. Happily, he has just finished his knitting and offers all of his zoo friends scarves, hats, socks or clothing to keep them warm in the snow. Everyone waits for the snow that day, but it never comes. However, overnight the snow arrives starting with just one flake. By the morning, the snow is deep enough for snow angels, snow art and shoveling. It’s just right for one more thing too: sledding! The day ends with cocoa for everyone with extra marshmallows.
This third Amos McGee book is just as charming as the first two. Amos and his animal friends share the glee of small children when the first snow comes and invite readers to join in the joy of playing in the snow with them. I appreciate how Stead creates a world where the quiet of snow is also part of the beauty of it for children. The illustrations are lovely with their fine lines and details. They make an elephant and rhino deep in the snow immensely believable.
Another delightful book in a great series. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Roaring Brook Press.
A group of children make a snow kid on a winter day, giving them a carrot nose, stick arms, and a top hat. They name the snow kid, Twig. When Twig is left along in the snowy woods, a cold breeze takes their hat which makes Twig cry out. Twig had never spoken before and now wonders what else they could do! Twig is soon walking and talking, journeying down the hill, getting bigger and losing their carrot nose. But what makes them Twig? Are these changes making them into someone else? When Twig discovers a clearing full of unique snow people, they realize that there are many different ways to be and that they can decide who to be themselves.
Sima writes this picture book from Twig’s point of view and beautifully captures the existential questions that Twig has. Using gender-neutral pronouns and inclusive language, the picture book shows that embracing change is part of life and that transformation can be a way of finding one’s true self. The illustrations are a lovely mix of snowy delights and winter fun with wistful blues that give space for questions and exploration.
Young children exploring their gender expression will find a kindred spirit in Twig. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster.
Wolf wants to win the sled race, so Wally says she hopes he does. Otto the auk wants to win too, so Wally says she hopes they both win! Soon they are at the starting line, but Otto and Wolf crash almost immediately. Wally sails on past, suddenly winning. But the two fallen friends are sucked up into a huge snowball that comes after Wally. Perhaps she was right about not having to win all along! Told in speech bubbles, this picture book reads like a large-format graphic novel. The three friends are a great mix of characters just right for a silly sledding sequence.
Share this one at winter story times. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss & Greenwillow Books.
The first in a new graphic novel easy reader series, this book explores the friendship of Kat and Mouse. The two meet each day for lunch together. Kat is always inventing new sandwiches and explaining them to Mouse with great excitement. In contrast, Mouse prefers to have the same lunch every day. Cheese! Once the two friends realize how different they are, they decide to not have lunch together any longer. Mouse is saddened by the decision, thinking he is far too dull for exciting Kat. When Kat finds that she misses Mouse, it is Mouse who has the great idea of a compromise.
Wonderfully inviting and readable, this graphic novel easy reader uses speech bubbles, comic frames and bright colors to create something fresh and new. The interaction of the characters is remarkably impactful given the limited vocabulary and word count.
Readers will look forward to the next Kat & Mouse book. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
A penguin starts his long tunnel, the tunneler tunnels in the tunnel. Along the way, he pops up into various other locations. In the garden, the gardener in gardening. On the farm, the farmer is farming. The tunneler visits a mine, a building, camp, and even a baseball field as he tunnels around. In each spot, he hands out an invitation to something. It’s not revealed until the end what the tunneler has been doing with his tunneling tunnels.
Filled with wordplay, this beginning reader is a lot of fun both to share aloud or for new readers to read on their own. The illustrations are crisp and clever with touches that keep the book and the repeating words from getting stale.
The reader should be reading this reader. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss & Simon Spotlight.
Clay was determined to be selected as the last start of the week for his classroom that year. He ran home to ask the advice of the smartest person he knew, his grandmother. When Clay explained that the star would make him the most important person at school, Elisi frowned and said that his family and community were more important than any individual. Clay was disappointed and confused. That night, Elisi used the star-filled sky to show Clay what she had meant. One star is only part of an entire constellation. Clay thought about what his grandmother had said and when he was made Star of the Week, he knew exactly what to do.
When reading this picture book, I was first struck by the indigenous beadwork created by the illustrator from her Ojibwe heritage. It is a beautiful part of all of the watercolor and pencil illustrations, making the art entirely unique, adding colorful flow to the pages, forming frost crystals and making stars and suns. Created by an author of Cherokee descent, the story is told in a frank and engaging way, focusing on the difference between the importance of individual vs. community.
A unique and beautiful book to get readers thinking. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
Family Feast! By Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison (9780593898291)
Big Ma and Pops start bright and early preparing for the family to visit. They peel fruit for pie and get the fish ready to fry. As people arrive, the kitchen gets busy, filled with various dishes either prepared right there or brought in by cousins, uncles and aunts. There are the noises of the kitchen, the pride of those providing dishes they are known for, and the longing of the children to start eating. The family gathers at the table, offers a prayer, and then start to eat. Afterwards, there is dessert, a few naps and once night comes everyone heads home.
This merry and loving picture book has been created by two masters of the form. It has a refrain that captures the entire story: “Tastes like home when family meet; a bond so warm, so strong, so sweet.” The writing is done in rhyming stanzas that add to the feeling of joy and the buoyant nature of the get-together. The illustrations are fabulous, capturing a family gathering from various perspectives. I particularly enjoyed the image looking down at the table before they begin to eat and also when we see the gathering from the perspective of the children in the room.
Joy in family and gathering together shines in this picture book. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Crown Books for Young Readers.
Welcome to the world of little rebels. You can be one too! Little rebels are looking for stories. They make poetry. They are dreamers and while rebellious they make sure to take care of others along the way. They know to turn to their ancestors when things get too big for them to change and also to change smaller things as they can. They learn and grow, making their own magic rather than waiting for it to happen.
Based on the author’s childhood experience at a freshwater lagoon and then her return in adulthood to find it dried up, this picture book explores nature with three BIPOC child characters who serve as additional voices in the story via their speech bubbles. Accompanied by animal friends, the three travel a landscape of frogs, plants and then desolation. Morales is calling for action, for caring for one another, for kindness and awareness in this book.
Strong and haunting. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
Reviewed from copy provided by Neal Porter Books.
Together, United by Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier (9781338752052)
This is the final book in the All Because You Matter trilogy. It is a picture book that speaks to the fact that all children were born of stars and brought to just this place via gravity and the Big Bang. The book is about using your voice and finding your gifts to share with others. It strongly points out that if we work together the impact of our efforts is far beyond what we could do alone. This is a book for our times and for children of today. As always, Collier’s art is tremendous, particularly when combined with the poetic skill of an author like Charles. Combined with the other books in the series, it is a call to action, a demand that we use our voices and an empowering book to share with children who may feel scared and powerless. Appropriate for ages 5-10.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Edelweiss and Scholastic.
When one of the ducks wants to go to the lake, Eric asks about the monster that lives there. The other ducks assure him that that’s just a story and there are only fish and frogs in the lake, so he follows them reluctantly. When he peeks his head below the surface, he sees the huge horned monster there. When he shouts to the other ducks, they think he is joking and keep on swimming. Eric soon finds himself face-to-face with the monster, but it’s not quite what he expected.
Timmers builds wonderful suspense here as he fills the page mostly with green lake water with the ducks way at the top. The fish and frogs float past and the reveal of the monster is great fun and deftly paced for maximum impact. Though this is a book with a monster, there is a merriment that keeps the feelings light, plus the monster itself helps with that since it’s quite charming. A great combination of building story line and brilliant use of the page, this would make a great read aloud for older children.
A monstrously great book to sink into. Appropriate for age 4-7.
Waking Brain Cells 