Picture Books

Pura’s Cuentos by Annette Bay

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Cover image for Pura’s Cuentos.

Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories by Annette Bay, illustrated by Magaly Morales (9781419749414)

This picture book celebrates the life of Pura Belpré, librarian and storyteller. From a young age, Pura loved stories, particularly those that her Abuela told her. As an adult she moved from Puerto Rico to New York, where she first dreams of being a librarian. Soon Pura is hired at the library and works as the storyteller. But she is bound by rules such as only sharing stories written in books. But the stories she grew up hearing were not written down in English. Pura shows the how storytelling can be more than is in books, and gets permission to tell her stories in her own way. Pura also finds ways to bring in children who had not been coming into the library, children who spoke different languages and were new to America. Finally, Pura manages to put her stories into a book, one that reminds her of the taste of home.

Through lyrical prose, this picture book shows the power of stories as they cross borders. It also shows the impact of one woman, determined not to lose her stories and how she changed public libraries and their services to children permanently. It is beautiful to see a biography for young children that captures the elements of Pura’s stories and her own personality of determination but also one of joy and playfulness.

The illustrations are filled with that spirit of play. They capture the spark of storytelling, the dance of movement, and the wonder of children entering the library for the first time. Done in the colors of citrus, papaya, guava and mango, they suit Pura’s stories and herself.

An inspiring biography of the librarian who changed the rules for generations to come. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy provided by Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Dream Street by Tricia Elam Walker

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Cover image for Dream Street.

Dream Street by Tricia Elam Walker, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (9780525581109)

Dream Street is a very special street where there is a strong sense of community even though everyone is different and has their own special dreams. Yusef waits for his brother while thinking of his ancestors who were kings and queens. Mr. Sidney sits on the stoop all dressed up every day, even though he’s just reading the newspaper. Belle wants to be a scientist who studies butterflies. Azaria is great at jumping rope and dreams of winning a trophy. Ms. Sarah has lived on Dream Street longer than anyone, her soft voice will tell you stories. Zion loves to spend time at the library. Ede collects odds and ends that others toss away while her cousin writes down what she hears. Dessa Rae has a gorgeous garden where she and her grandbaby sometimes sleep. Ms. Paula dances. Little Benjamin counts the stars. All of children on Dream Street can become whatever they want, cared for by a strong Black community.

Walker based Dream Street on the street that she grew up on. The individual stories of each person on the street stand alone and also form a tapestry of what people’s dreams look like both as a child and also as an adult. It is those critical adult stories amongst the children’s that show what a good life that followed dreams looks like and demonstrates that potential for all of the younger ones as well. The writing here is poetic and lovely, stringing the stories together into a whole that shows how one street, one community can be positive and strong.

Holmes’ illustrations are collages made from papers, fabric and acrylic paint. Filled with vibrant color, patterns, and textures, each image is a portrait of the person being described in that story. They are filled with beautiful Black faces and people, each with their own personality and style.

A book that shows how support from a community help dreams come true. Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Anne Schwartz Books.

Every Little Kindness by Marta Bartolj

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Cover image for Every Little Kindness.

Every Little Kindness by Marta Bartolj (9781797207926)

This wordless picture book shows how one act of kindness can turn into a chain of goodness that impacts an entire community and comes full circle. A woman wakes up in the morning to a stack of missing dog flyers. As she is hanging her flyers, she grabs a red apple from her bag. She decides to give it to a busker in the square. A man who saw that kindness smiles and picks up some litter. A little boy who sees that in turn helps a little girl who lost her balloon. One by one, a lost key is returned to its owner, an umbrella is shared in the rain, toys are shared, flowers are gifted. Finally. someone finds the dog and returns him too.

The illustrations in this wordless picture book tell the entire story, so it is critical that they clearly share large and small emotions. From the sorrow of losing a pet to the discovery of small acts of kindness, the illustrations show the way that kindness impacts people. The use of color is cleverly done with most of the illustrations in blacks and grays. Touches of red show kindness happening or people who have been impacted by kindness. By the end of the book the gray city has been lit with red all over.

This is a wordless book that works well for elementary-aged children due to the depth of its subject matter. There is great pleasure in following the color through the book, seeing who notices the kindness and who benefits from it as it passes through their lives.

Subtle, lovely and filled with goodness and community. Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Chronicle Books.

Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites by Jamie Michalak

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Cover image for Niki Nakayama.

Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites by Jamie Michalak & Debbi Michiko Florence, illustrated by Yuko Jones (9780374313876)

Told in a series of meals and food, this is the story of how she rose to become a great Japanese-American chef. Starting with growing up in LA to parents who came from Japan, eating American food with a Japanese influence. Niki wanted to do her own thing, deciding not to go into the family seafood warehouse business and showing her family that she could be as successful as her older brother was expected to be. After high school, she traveled to Japan and discovered the art and flow of the kaiseki feast, a series of dishes that told a story. She went to culinary school, worked as the lone woman in a sushi restaurant, and then went on to learn kaiseki, even though no women did that either. Niki returned to LA to open a restaurant, first serving sushi to prove to her family she could do it, and then finally, opening the kaiseki restaurant she always wanted.

Using the food itself to form the structure for this picture book biography makes for a delicious journey through Nakayama’s life. Her family may not have believed in her, but Nakayama had enough determination and resilience herself to make it. Powered by her love of food and its ability to bring people together, her story shows how small steps in a journey can become destinations and life callings.

The illustrations are bright and full of foodie warmth. They focus on Nakayama herself both with her family and on her journeys. The food is central too, dishes that are colorful, steaming, luscious. Using clever frames of restaurant doorways, prep counters and plates, the illustrations always come back to Nakayama and her food.

A brilliant look at an inspiring figure in food who did it her own way. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Farrar Straus Giroux.

Whose Home Is It? & Whose Track Is It?

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Cover for Whose Home Is It?
Cover image for Whose Home Is It?

Whose Home Is It? by Radka Piro, illustrated by Carmen Saldana (9788000060927)

Cover for Whose Track Is It?
Cover image for Whose Track Is It?

Whose Track Is It? by Radka Piro, illustrated by Carmen Saldana (9788000060934)

This pair of engaging lift-the-flap books both take readers on journeys through the woods. The book about homes features a snail who is looking for the perfect home, not realizing what even the youngest readers will realize right away, that it’s on his back! The book looks at a variety of burrows, nests, holes in trees, tunnels, caves and more. The book about tracks tells the story of a fawn looking for its mother. The book offers a wide variety of tracks to explore. Some are in the forest, others on the shore, and still others on the farm and finally in the mountains.

There are a lot of lift-the-flap books on the market. These are something special because they allow little ones to guess the animal before lifting the flap. They also are full of information about the animals written at just the right level for young children. There is so much to explore in each of the books that it’s a real pleasure to open each flap.

Perfect for the youngest budding naturalists. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Whose Home Is It reviewed from e-galley provided by Albatros. Whose Track Is It reviewed from copy provided by Albatros.

The Midnight Club by Shane Goth

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Cover image for The Midnight Club.

The Midnight Club by Shane Goth, illustrated by Yong Ling Kang (9781771473941)

Milly waited in her bed until it was midnight and then she woke up her big sister, Becca. It was time for Midnight Club. The two headed out of bed, quietly sneaking past their parents bedroom door. They tiptoed over each shadow, not touching a single one. The entire house looked different in the middle of the night with the blue of moonlight. The girls munched on Dad’s jellybeans while sitting in his special chair. They tried on their mother’s coat until they got scared by the shadows moving, thinking it was a monster. They followed the cat around on midnight rambles around the house. Then it was time to head back to bed, but only after putting everything back so that Midnight Club stayed a secret.

Filled with the thrill of doing something just a touch naughty and a lot mischievous, this picture book is full of moments where you will hold your breath for a bit. Creaky stairs, stretching over shadows, the possibility of monsters, all create a delight of wonder. The book entirely captures the thrill of being out at night as a child and the joy of sharing that with your sister.

The illustrations show the colors of full night with the purples and blues of the shadows and the pale lemon of the moon shining into the room. The images focus on the two sisters and their relationship, showing them interacting as they play together throughout the house at night.

Full of sisterly love and moonlight. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Owlkids.

Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein

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Cover image for Have You Seen Gordon.

Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein, illustrated by Ruth Chan (9781534477360)

This search and find book features a very purple creature named Gordon. Children get to try to find him on the beach and in the city. At the amusement park though, Gordon stops hiding and stands in a field. At the farmer’s market, Gordon is wearing a bright yellow hat that makes him easy to spot. Gordon decides that he wants to stand out rather than blend in. So the narrator locates someone else to find. Her name is Jane and she’s rather shy. She manages to evade the narrator catching up to her, and that’s when Gordon has a new idea. Now the narrator has a bunch of creatures who are eager to be found on the complex pages.

This is Where’s Waldo with an attitude where the characters insist on being treated the way they want to be. It’s an empowering book with a great sense of humor. The book starts out as a straight search and find until Gordon breaks free of the expectations. Jane then does the same, taking readers on a wild dash across the pages. The solution at the end is clever and engaging.

For younger children than Where’s Waldo, these illustrations are just a touch more simple. They are also filled with silliness as readers look at detailed scenes of ski slopes, markets, cities and neighborhoods. The bright colors and strange creatures and animals make it all the more engaging too.

Great fun and full of silliness. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Mr. Tiger by Davide Cali

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Cover image for Mr. Tiger.

Mr. Tiger by Davide Cali, illustrated by Miguel Tanco (9781849767477)

Mr. Tiger is a wrestler with world-famous moves in the ring. His most famous move of all is The Leap of the Tiger, where he flies across the ring. Mr. Tiger has rivals in the ring and also friends who help him, but after the match all of the wrestlers are actually friends. But outside the ring and wrestling, Mr. Tiger doesn’t have any friends except for Fifi, his fluffy little dog. Mr. Tiger would like to be friends with someone, in particular a woman who works in a cafe named Lily. But Mr. Tiger can’t seem to work up the courage to speak with her at all. His worries about Lily are starting to effect his skills in the ring too, so he decides he must speak to her with a little pushing from his wrestling buddies. Time after time though, Mr. Tiger fails to speak up. Until one day, Fifi gets free and bumps right into Lily and her dog. Now it’s time to see if Lily likes wrestling at all!

There is a wonderful contrast between the loud yellow mask of Mr. Tiger, his dazzling moves in the ring in front of large crowds and then his shyness and lack of friends. Mr. Tiger wears his mask throughout the book, even when going about his day-to-day life. There is an added sense of whimsy when he wonders if Lily will accept him being a wrestler while wearing the mask. The text is brisk and vibrant with action in the ring, the humor of wrestler names, and just enough time to know Mr. Tiger is very lonely.

Tanco’s illustrations are bold and bright. He plays up the broadness of Mr. Tiger’s shoulders. Then there is the pink fluff that is Fifi snuggled against the yellow tiger mask. It is all clever and funny setting just the right tone about loneliness and shyness.

A clever mix of wrestling in the ring and wrestling with making a friend. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy provided by Tate.

A Perfect Day by Jennifer Yerkes

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Cover image for A Perfect Day.

A Perfect Day by Jennifer Yerkes (9780802855770)

The day starts with a peaceful song of birds and crickets. The hornets buzz in and out of their paper nest and the frogs croak from the lily pads. The melody continues through the morning, until the weather changes. Dark clouds enter the sky accompanied by the crash of thunder cymbals. The rhythm of falling rain takes up the beat. The rain drives down, filling the air. Then it ends with plunks of drops into puddles. The symphony is complete.

This picture book is beautifully simple. The text is carries the theme of music throughout the day, applying it cleverly to the sounds of the meadow. The various noises made by the animals will have children joining into the noise and creating their own music along the way. Admirably even with the onset of the storm, the pacing and feel of the book stays the same. There is no panic at the natural storm but a calmness that accompanies the noise and rhythm.

The illustrations are done with lovely fine lines that celebrate the vegetation and inhabitants of the meadow. Most of the animals are given a color that is their own from the orange fox to the green frog to the yellow bird. This will invite conversation about the illustrations, colors and what is happening on the pages. Some of the pages are wonderful in their simple drama such as the spread of rainfall that covers the meadow.

A musical look at nature. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.