Abuelita's Gift by Mariana Rios Ramirez and Sara Palacios - ADVISABLE

 

Abuelita's Gift by Mariana Rios Ramirez, illustrated by Sara Palacios. PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A Knopf (Random), 2024. $19. 9780593568361

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Julieta searches for the perfect gift to honor her grandmother's soul on Dia de Muertos.Her parents prepare the altar to honor their ancestors.  As the day gets closer she still hasn't been able to think of the perfect gift.  She remembers dancing with her grandmother and how she was always smiling.  When she looks at her grandmother's unsmiling photo on the altar, she realizes what she can do for her."

Abuelita's Gift explores the tradition of honoring dead loved ones lives and remembering them with joy during Dia de Muertos.  It is very informative with a glossary of the Spanish terms used in the back.  I also appreciated the colorful expressive illustrations.

PGPowers

I Worked Hard On That by Robyn Wall and A. N. Kang - ADVISABLE

I Worked Hard On That by Robyn Wall. illustrated by A. N. Kang. PICTURE BOOK.  Simon & Schuster, 2024. $19. 9781665938723

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL:  MANY

An itsy bitsy spider named Kiara spun uninteresting webs everyday for lunch.  One day, she saw a fantastic extraordinary web up in some trees. She tries to make a beautiful web herself, but every time it almost perfect, someone ruins it.  She decides to quit trying, and runs into squirrels work of art.  He talks her into trying something new again.  Will Kiara ever make the perfect web?

Wall's story captures the trial and errors that encompass the creative process.  I liked her message that the creative journey and the friends you make along the way are just as important as the end result.  The illustrations are cute and delightful.

PGPowers

Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco and Priscilla Tey - ESSENTIAL

Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Priscilla Tey. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2022. $19. 9781536201161

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Franco writes 20 very clever poems about math concepts in this book.  It definitely would be a great way to introduce a new math concept reading this poem aloud to students.  It covers everything from palindromes to fractions, and my favorite: Math Makes Me Feel Safe.  Math is something we can always count on because he gives us the same answer.

Tey’s  illustrations are colorful and vibrant.  They fill up the whole page and give you so much creativity to look at.  This book got me excited about math because it depicts it in a fun and playful way. Different ethnicities are portrayed in the illustrations.

Emilee-Teacher Librarian

The Digger Dance by Judy Ann Sadler and Yong Ling Kang - ADVISABLE

The Digger Dance by Judy Ann Sadler, illustrated by Yong Ling Kang. PICTURE BOOK. Owl Kids Books, 2022. $20. 9781771474535

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

A boy and his grandmother decide to do some baking because its raining and the little boy can't go out and play.  He pretends he's excavating as he digs into the sugar.  He digs into the dough and in the oven it goes.  As he's waiting for the cookies to bake he sees the skies have cleared up.  He watches the diggers dance as their shovels swing in and out. 

Sadler writes a charming story for any child who loves things that go vrooom vroooom.  It's fun to think of diggers as if they are doing a dance.  Kang’s  illustrations are whimsical, simple, and fun.  I can see this one being read over and over by a child.

Both of the characters are caucasian. 

Emilee-Teacher Librarian

Harold Hates to Hibernate by Vern Kousky - ADVISABLE

Harold Hates to Hibernate by Vern Kousky. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2024. $19. 9780593712337

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Harold the bear loves the joys and days of fall. And he enjoys playing with his friends, the crows - worried that they might forget him over the long winter. As he works to keep himself awake, the crows help him - right up to when Harold just can’t keep his eyes open any longer. 

A cute winter book and a cute book for bedtime, too!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Road Trip! by Penguin Young Readers - ESSENTIAL

Ford Road Trip! by Penguin Young Readers. BOARD BOOK. 2024. $10. 9780593753095

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

A family is piling into their Ford truck and taking a road trip to the beach.

Yes, I know that it is blatant commercialism, but the book has wheels!  And it talks about all kinds of safety along the way. I’m 60 years old and I still enjoy rolling the book back and forth across my desk. It stands up very nicely, too.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens and Monica Mikai - ESSENTIAL

Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens, illustrated by Monica Mikai. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2022. $18. 9781536222524

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Giddens,  who is a banjo player, wrote this song of a book in collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma.  The lyrics are about slaves who were forced to come to America to build houses for their masters and plant and harvest their crops.  When the slaves built their own house, the masters burned it down.  Regardless of how they were treated the slaves never gave up and found joy in the journey.  This book was written to commemorate Juneteenth. 

This book is simple as yet sends a powerful message.  There is a QR code in the back so you can hear the song recorded.  It's beautifully written and I highly recommend it. Ethnicity is vast because of its content area.

Emilee-Teacher Librarian

Just Like Jesse Owens by Ambassador Andrew Young as told to Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Gordon C. James - ESSENTIAL

Just Like Jesse Owens by Ambassador Andrew Young as told to Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Gordon C. James. BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOK. Scholastic, 2022. $18. 9780545554657

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

I just finished the book The Boys in the Boat and this story is set also during the 1936 Berlin Olympics in which Jesse Owens ran track. It is the time of segregation in America - whites go into the front of the theater and blacks go upstairs through the back, even though they pay the same money.  Andrew Young, the main character, plays with boys of both colors even though one of his white friend's aunt gave him a nickel not to play with the "colored boys."  Andrew sees people in his aunt's neighborhood “heiling” Hitler and he is confused why they are  raising their arm like that.  His Dad explains Hitler's view on anyone not of the Aryan race.  Later when he goes to the theater to see the newsreel of the Olympics he sees Hitler on the screen and then later he sees Jesse Owens one of the greatest track Olympians winning gold medal after gold medal.  He is inspired that Jesse proved Hitler wrong and did it all with grace.  He is inspired by Jesse and decides that he will fight for civil rights using nonviolence just like Jesse did. 

James’s  illustrations are breathtaking done in oil pastels.  The story is inspiring for anyone at any age.  It deals with racism in a very understandable and classy way.  The story ended abruptly for me.  At the end of the book the author and the illustrator complete the story giving clarity.  I would have loved some of those facts put in the story to finish it up and tie it in a neat little bow. The ethnicity is widely diverse in this book because of the topic of civil rights.

Emilee-Teacher Librarian

Beach Bummer (Mother Bruce) by Ryan T. Higgins - ESSENTIAL

Beach Bummer (Mother Bruce) by Ryan T. Higgins. PICTURE BOOK. Disney, 2024. $10. 9781368090247

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Bruce is perfectly relaxed at home on this hot summer day, but the family has other plans - BEACH!

Bruce being Bruce, however, means that nothing will go to plan.

Who doesn’t love Bruce!  He and his mice and geese family are serious fun.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Fart’s Favorite Smells: Lift the Flap by Zoe Foster Blake and Adam Nickel - ADVISABLE

Fart’s Favorite Smells: Lift the Flap by Zoe Foster Blake, illustrated by Adam Nickel. BOARD BOOK. Penguin, 2023. $10. 9780593887004

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

As Fart travels around, he finds all kinds of different smells. But which ones does Fart prefer? Roses? Yuck! Anchovies? YUM!

For parents and kids with unique senses of humor.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

A Tour of the Human Body by Jennifer Berne and Dawn DeVries Sokol - ADVISABLE

A Tour of the Human Body by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Dawn DeVries Sokol. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Kane Press (Astra), 2024. $19. 9781662670152

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Berne and Sokol take us on a tour of the human body. The book is filled with interesting facts and drawings. It starts with cells then moves on to eyes, ears, bones, lungs, hearts and more.

Packed full of interesting information about the human body. The illustrations are interesting and engaging while also being approachable and easy to understand.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

A Boy, His Dog, and the Sea by Anthony Browne - ADVISABLE

A Boy, His Dog, and the Sea by Anthony Browne. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2024. $19. 9781536234138

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Danny, a young boy, is feeling bored and lonely. His mom and brother are busy. With nothing better to do, he takes a walk on the beach with his dog. They play fetch for a while. Then Danny starts to take notice of things on the beach. He sees all sorts of interesting rocks. A little further down the beach Danny and his dog see a group of people waving and shouting at someone out to sea. Will Danny and his dog be able to help?

A sweet story about a boy and his dog and the things they do and discover at the beach. Great illustrations. Danny is white.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian