Argentina

2 New Perfect Pet Picture Books

| Tasha
Cover image for The Passover Pet Surprise by Ana María Shua, illustrated by Ángeles Ruiz. Features children and a dog outside a bird cage with two birds inside.

The Passover Pet Surprise by Ana María Shua, illustrated by Ángeles Ruiz

  • Publisher: NorthSouth Books
  • Publication Date: March 3, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9780735846081

Jordanita and her family are spending Passover in Argentina. What she loves most is how many pets her aunt, uncle and cousins own.  When they get there, they spend time with all the animals. The turtles and dog join in on the water fight. Even the pet parrots are moved to the garden to watch the fun. The family gathers for Passover dinner and they talk about freedom. When Jordanita spots the birds, she thinks about freedom and knows just what to do. In the morning, when the parrots are missing, she has to admit what she did to her entire family, learning that taking care of animals can sometimes mean not letting them go free. 

Shua tells the story of this big merry Jewish family with such warmth and love. It’s like being invited to share their table with them. The jolly chaos of a holiday spent together is captured on the page both in the text and illustrations. Those illustrations are filled with small details and show clearly the diversity within their family. I particularly appreciated that there was no neat ending about the parrots returning to their cage.

A diverse title ideal for Passover collections. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Cover image for The Rare Bird by Elisha Cooper. Features a white cat leaping against an orange sky with mountains and trees below.

The Rare Bird by Elisha Cooper

  • Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
  • Publication Date: February 24, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9781250364395

The Rare Bird was flying through the forest, knocking leaves off the trees. While the pictures tell a very different story than the text, a cat leaping through the living room. Rare Bird climbed on a rock, which was actually the dog. Rare Bird did all sorts of birdy things, which also in the real world matched cat activities. Even his dreams were filled with bird thoughts. At night, he was read a story about other animals and became an Elephant! 

Cooper brilliantly allows his text and images to directly contradict one another. Children will love seeing the ways in which the cat’s life and imagined bird activities overlap as curtains are ripped, boxes are napped in and the dog slumbers on. Cooper’s text is flatly narrative like a nature program while the images are jaunty and humor-filled. 

A delight of catty attitude. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Life, After

| Tasha

Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman

Released July 2010.

Dani’s life is changed forever when a terrorist attack in her country of Argentina kills her aunt and the baby she is carrying.  Adding to the misery, the country of Argentina is in the middle of economic collapse.  Her father has lost his job and his sister and is now unable to cope.  Dani and her mother keep the family going with Dani fixing meals and caring for her younger sister.  Many people are fleeing Argentina, heading to Israel and the United States.  When Dani’s uncle makes an offer to get them visas, there is little choice but to move to the United States.  Dani must now cope with going to a large American high school, speaking and learning in English, and her father’s continued anger and depression.  In a world changed by the effects of terrorism, Dani finds understanding in the most unlikely of people and realizes that there is life afterwards.

This novel is one of many branches that twine throughout.  There are many things happening here, many things for the main character to deal with.  It is down to the skill of Littman that the book remains so cohesive and powerful.  These many branches are what make this book special and interesting.  They help tell the tale of immigration but also terrorism and economic collapse.  It is a timely story for American teens to read, one that will resound in their lives.

Dani is a great protagonist to see this experience through.  She is bright, helpful, giving, and yet can be angry, sad and confused as well.  The novel spends time in Argentina in the beginning, setting the stage to show just how much the family gave up in their move to America.  Often immigration stories start with the family already in the United States.  This time spent in Argentina really makes Dani and her family understandable and relatable.

Highly recommended, this book will reach its braches towards you and hold you tight.  Appropriate for ages 13-17.

Reviewed from Advanced Reader Copy received from Scholastic.

Also reviewed by The Reading Zone and nomadreader.