Picture Books

All the Stars in the Sky by Art Coulson – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

All the Stars in the Sky by Art Coulson, illustrated by Winona Nelson (9781665931373)

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 – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

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.

2 New Picture Books Full of Child Power – Book Recommendations

| Tasha

Little Rebels by Yuyi Morales (9780823447541)

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.

The Monster in the Lake by Leo Timmers – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The Monster in the Lake by Leo Timmers (9798765670507)

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.

Reviewed from copy provided by Gecko Press.

If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall (9780316581721)

A merry look at two children playing together where one decides that they should be dogs. They will be the big dog and the other the little dog. They can wag tails, drink from water bowls, fetch big sticks and much more. Somehow though, the little dog keeps on not having much fun while the big dog is merrily playing. When even more dogs join them, the little dog has had enough! A clever look at how playing together means incorporating others’ ideas into imaginary scenarios. As always the illustrations by Blackall are charming. In particular, the little dog’s face captures his worry, doubt and how put-upon he feels.

A delightful doggy romp. Appropriate for ages 3-5. 

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Hachette Book Group.

The House That Floated by Guojing – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The House That Floated by Guojing (9780593709054)

In a tiny red house on the edge of a cliff above the sea lives a little family. They spend their days fishing and rescuing dolphins from nets at sea and then carving fish figures at home. When a huge storm comes, the water almost reaches the house! The family work together to get the small house onto a handmade raft and leave their beloved space behind. They reach an even higher cliffside and the house is hoisted up to a new green-filled space where they can now live.

This wordless picture book takes its time to show the closeness of the family unit, how they spend their quiet days together. Because of that, the storm’s arrival is jarring in the best possible way, shaking the reader out of the bliss that was their home. The book stays fantastical in some ways with the house on the raft and the lifting of it to a new site, but there is also a definite tie to our world facing climate change and dangerous weather that move people to new places where we hope they will feel welcomed and safe.

Wordless and profound. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Random House Studio.

Seven Ways Through the Woods by Jenn Reese – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Seven Ways Through the Woods by Jenn Reese, illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz (9780063356269)

When you come to a dark forest, you have several ways to enter it. First, you can simply follow the path where others have walked before you. It’s not exciting, but it’s an option. There are six other choices that are a lot more fun. Perhaps riding a griffin? Or taking the sprite tunnels? Or finding a portal flower. The seventh way is only for the bravest explorers. That way is to leave the path and stay in the magical forest, not seeing it as an obstacle but a destination. 

I didn’t know much about this picture book when I started reading that thought that it might be focused on nature and hiking. I was overjoyed to find that it took a magical turn into sprites, moss giants, griffins and more. The text keeps the tone of a guide narrator, much like a regular hiking book, which adds to the charm. The illustrations from the beginning are rich and colorful, using the digital format to create saturated tones that glow. 

Pure forest magic. Appropriate for ages 4-7. 

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Greenwillow.

The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle by Sy Montgomery – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Matt Patterson (9780063325166)

This nonfiction picture book shares the story of Fire Chief, a common snapping turtle. This turtle is currently over 60 years old and living in a pond near a fire station. Throughout his life, Fire Chief was lucky. He survived being so small that almost anything else could eat him. He found a safe pond to spend his summers and another one nearby to overwinter in. But as the town grew up around him, he was very unlucky one day as he moved to his winter pond and was hit by a car. That’s when the Turtle Rescue League came to help. They patched his shell and helped him regain the use of his back legs. When Fire Chief was ready to return to his pond, the humans there also decided to lend a hand to get him a space that would work for him all year long. 

The author and illustrator of the award-winning The Book of Turtles return with another book celebrating these animals. The author and illustrator also help rescue turtles in their hometown and know Fire Chief personally. This connection to the animals and to this story really make this book special. The book wisely mixes turtle facts and information with Fire Chief’s own life and story. There is so much to enjoy here in its warm tone and clear delight in its subject matter. That is matched by the art which takes close-up looks at Fire Chief and his habitat, getting readers closer and more intimate than photography could. 

A majestic look at one very lucky turtle. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Clarion Books.

World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue by Elizabeth Brown – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

The World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue by Elizabeth Brown, illustrated by Melissa Castrillón (9781452170985)

This is the true story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who was a Portuguese diplomat with the power to give or deny visas. As the Nazis approached, refugees started to flee France to Portugal since Spain was denying them refuge. Mendes thwarted his government’s guidance and rules on giving visas and in the course of 23 days in 1940 gave out thousands of visas to all sorts of people. He recognized that these people were the same as his own family experiencing it. Mendes saved thousands of people, even showing them a safe way to enter Portugal as the borders closed. He paid for it though, as he lost his position, his home and his family were forced onto the streets. 

Such a timely title during the American immigration crisis, this picture book nonfiction shows everyone that whatever their role and what they are being told to do, there are choices that can save lives and make a difference. Brown’s writing takes a complex story and reworks it for children without losing any of its emotional impact. She takes time to explain how Mendes fretted over his decision to defy his government, showing that it was not simple and that afterwards he was impacted by the choices he made. The illustrations are done in pencil with digital coloring, offering fine lines that show life before the war, maps of the impact, and the suffering of refugees as they wait. They capture emotion clearly and support the story well.

A story that shows how civil disobedience is a powerful force. Appropriate for ages 6-10.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Chronicle Books.