Deep, Deep Down : The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench by Lydia Lukidis and Juan Calle - ADVISABLE

Deep, Deep Down :  The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench by Lydia Lukidis, illustrated by Juan Calle. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Capstone Editions, 2023. $19. 9781684466153

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Deep, deep down at the bottom of the Mariana Trench lies a secret world.  The reader goes on an imaginary trip in a submersible and learns about the different creatures that inhabit the ocean above the trench all the way down to the bottom depth of 36,037 feet.

Deep Deep Down fueled my fascination for the secret world of creatures at the very bottom of the ocean and was simple and easy for children to follow.  I was pleased to find more detailed information about the trench at the back of the book.  Dark lighted and detailed illustrations enhance the readers’ experience.

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Nobody Likes Monday by Kelly Lee and Amy Calautti - ADVISABLE

Nobody Likes Monday by Kelly Lee, illustrated by Amy Calautti. PICTURE BOOK. EK Books, 2024. $20. 9781922539847

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Monday, the day of the week, thinks nobody likes her.  She had a ton of letters, but she knew they were all complaints.  Maybe she could trade days with Tuesday or another day.  She decided to ask, but no day would trade.  They all felt good about their day.  She tried a disguise, or going on a vacation, but every week needed Monday.  Then she found something that helped her feel differently about herself. 

Nobody Likes Monday is about seeing our own strengths and gifts to find joy in our life.  I enjoyed the lighthearted humor and colorful cute illustrations.

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Sunday by Marcelo Tolentino - ADVISABLE

Sunday by Marcelo Tolentino. PICTURE BOOK. Blue Dot Press, 2025. $19. 9798989858811

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Martin was tired of always doing the same things on Sunday.  He liked his grandparents coming over, but everyone was busy cooking, watching TV, or doing laundry.  He decided that he would travel the world with his dog Maze on Sunday instead.   Off he went to experience the unknown world in his imagination.  What did Martin discover?

Sunday celebrates children's imagination and play.  The clever illustrations turned real everyday objects into fascinating adventures.  

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I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery by Cynthia Grady and Michele Wood - ADVISABLE

I Lay My Stitches Down:  Poems of American Slavery by Cynthia Grady, illustrated by Michele Wood. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Eerdmans Books For Young Readers, 2012. $19. 9780802856142

Content: PG (The poems talk about cruel injustices to the enslaved people)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL:  SOME

Grady’s collection of poems use quilting imagery to talk about various experiences of enslaved Africans.  Interesting perspectives are shared by a house slave, a slave fleeing, a blacksmith, a broken hearted mother, and others.

Grady has created a group of very moving poems to express the cruelty of slavery.  The meanings are deep and would be lost on younger children.  Beautiful and colorful folk art illustrations accompany each poem.

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Once Upon A Diwali by Anita Mishra and Diah Chakraborty - ADVISABLE

Once Upon A Diwali by Anita Mishra, illustrated by Diah Chakraborty. PICTURE BOOK. Soaring Kite Books, 2024. $19. 9781958372449

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

Riya loves the five days of Diwali (Festival of Lights) for the treats, but she is frightened over the dark night, the crowds of people, and the loud fireworks. Riya is hoping to stay in the house un-noticed while everyone else goes out into the night.  Will Riya find a way to be brave and celebrate with her family?

I liked how Mishra presents her story as a "once upon a time" bedtime story.  I enjoyed learning about Diwali and the traditions.  The glossary at the end was very helpful.

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Atlas of Extinct Animals by Radek Maly, Jiri Grbavcic and Pavel Dvorsky - ADVISABLE

Atlas of Extinct Animals by Radek Maly, illustrated by Jiri Grbavcic and Pavel Dvorsky. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Albatros Books, 2021. $25. 9788000061269

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Maly highlights many of the animals that have gone extinct due to human nature. It includes a lovely full page illustration showing what the animal looked like. The pictures remind me of an old fashioned 1970's illustration. It is very colorful and unique. The facing page contains an extensive look at the extinct animal, its habitat and what year it went into extinction. It is a very large book and I think it would not fit on a standard library shelf. It might have to be turned on its side. I was impressed with the research that went into each of these animals.

Emilee-Teacher Librarian

Cantora: Mercedes Sosa, The Voice of Latin America by Melisa Fernandez Nitsche - OPTIONAL

Cantora: Mercedes Sosa, The Voice of Latin America by Melisa Fernandez Nitsche. BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A Knopf (Random), 2023. $19. 9780593645970

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

This is the story of Mercedes Sosa, an Argentinian folk singer and activist who was forced to self-exile for a time. She had a beautiful voice and performed the all over the world. I enjoyed reading about a historical figure that I had not known about before. The story highlights how Mercedes was shy and reluctant to share her talent at first. But in time, she was about to use her voice not just for singing but also to fight for justice. 

The illustrations are beautiful and engaging. There is additional information at the end of the book including a timeline, Spanish vocabulary, and selected sources.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

Partly Cloudy by Deborah Freedman - ADVISABLE

Partly Cloudy by Deborah Freedman. PICTURE BOOK. Penguin, 2024. $15. 9780593352670

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Two curious bunnies are watching the clouds go by.  Both bunnies have very different perspectives about the clouds they see. One bunny uses his imagination to find pictures in the clouds.  The other bunny knows all the scientific names for the clouds.  Will a storm ruin their cloud watching?

Partly Cloudy is a combination of the scientific and the whimsical.  The illustrations of clouds are so beautiful that it makes you want to touch the pages.  Learning about clouds is entertaining with this book.  Additional information and resources about clouds are given at the end of the book.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

Unlocking the Universe by Suzanne Slade - ADVISABLE

Unlocking the Universe by Suzanne Slade. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2024. $18. 9781623544591

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

The WEBB telescope is expanding our understanding of the universe.  We learn about the decades of years, thousands of people, multiple tests, interesting materials, and billions of dollars that it took to build our biggest and newest telescope. We view photos of new spectacular images and other information being gathered by the telescope.

Slade captures the excitement and awe of the new WEBB telescope.  The wonderful photos balance the intriguing detailed information.

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When You Find The Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Felicita Sala - ADVISABLE

When You Find The Right Rock by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Felicita Sala. PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle Books, 2024. $19. 9781797214580

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

It's hard to ignore a rock.  Big ones are to climb on and small ones can fit in your pocket. You can do lots of things with rocks like stack them, sit on them, or collect them.  Just like people, there is something special about each rock.  A small rock in your hand can be a friend to you.  When you hold a rock, you feel a part of our world.

When You Find the Right Rock is a great exploration of the fascination we find in rocks and the natural world.  I also enjoyed the colorful and expressive illustrations.

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Our Wish For You by Dano Moreno and Ryan O'Rourke - OPTIONAL

Our Wish For You by Dano Moreno, illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke. PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2023. $18. 9781623543556

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

A women finds out she is pregnant with a baby, feels love for the child, and wants to find wonderful parents to adopt the child.  Eventually, she finds two dads who also share her same wishes of love for the baby.  A baby boy is born, and his parents and the birth mother help him grow his dreams.

Moreno tells a sweet and tender story about open adoption, and how all parents wish for a child's life to be full of love and family. Cute illustrations enhance the love in the story.

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Harper Becomes a Big Sister by Seamus Kirst and Karen Bunting - OPTIONAL

Harper Becomes a Big Sister by Seamus Kirst, illustrated by Karen Bunting. PICTURE BOOK. Magination Press, 2024. $19. 9781433843143

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

When Dad and Daddy adopt a new baby, Harper is excited to be a big sister.  But now she has to be quiet, and no one has time to play with her.  Why did everything have to change?  Will her daddies ever have time for her?

Kirst tells a tender story about the changes that happen when a new baby is added to the family, and how there is now even more love to go around.  Bunting does a great job with wonderful storytelling illustrations.

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