The Naysayers by Roan Black and Roberta Papalia - ADVISABLE

The Naysayers (Guardians of Horsa #2) by Roan Black, illustrated by Roberta Papalia. 139 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Simon and Schuster. 2023 $20. 

Content: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The Guardians continue their search for the Yearling. Following the map, they soon realize that they must continue their journey underwater. Fortunately, Gale has the power to put them in an air bubble, which comes in handy when they meet The Sharrior! 

Guardians of Horsa is a cute graphic novel series targeted at young readers. I like that the illustrations and text size are similar to other graphic novels, but the adventure and readability are just right for a lower elementary reader. AJ was really excited about the story and was hopeful that I already had book #3.

Lisa Librarian and AJ (age 7)

Legend of the Yearling by Roan Black and Roberta Papalia - ESSENTIAL

Legend of the Yearling (Guardians of Horsa #1) by Roan Black, illustrated by Roberta Papalia. 139 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Simon and Schuster. 2023. $20. 

Content: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Four young horses - one from each of the realms of Horsa are brought together to find the Yearling - the one who fulfills the prophecy! The realms are enemies, and the horses must learn to work together to complete the quest. 

The first in a series, The Yearling was a fun adventure. The story was simple, and the dialogue was predictable - perfect for 7yo AJ to read on her own. She loved the illustrations, - not every character is a horse - and she was so excited to see I already had book 2. 

Lisa Librarian and AJ (age 7) 

What Hedgehog Likes Best: Rhymes for Children - OPTIONAL

What Hedgehog Likes Best: Rhymes for Children by Erwin Moser. PICTURE BOOK. NorthSouth Books, 2023. $15.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL(K-3)--OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

So many animals who like so many different things. Learn about the likes of cute animals throughout the world through rhyme.

Cute illustrations are matched with average rhymes about many different animals. The overall effect is underwhelming leaving the reader with not much to connect to or remember.

AEB

Linus by Stuart Hausmann - NO

Linus by Stuart Hausmann. PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. $18.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL(K-3)--NO

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Linus understands that in the town of Linneopolis it is important to stay in line. He is doing his best to fit in, but is learning that sometimes it’s ok to stand out. 

Gorgeous illustrations are let down by a story that is heavy handed and inaccessible to young readers. Children will be disinterested in a book whose theme is much too obvious and a story that needs constant explanation because of a vocabulary that is well above the target audience.

AEB

Door by Door by Meeg Pincus and Meridth McKean Gimbel - ADVISABLE

Door by Door: How Sarah McBride Became America's First Openly Transgender Senator by Meeg Pincus, illustrated by Meridth McKean Gimbel. BIOGRAPHY, PICTURE BOOK Random House. 2023. $19. 9780593484654 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Sarah McBride was always interested in politics. When she was young, she liked to read presidential biographies and build models of the white house out of blocks. Everyone knew she wanted to be president when she grew up, but what people didn't know was that the boy everyone saw was actually a girl inside. While Sarah knew she wanted to be a politician, she also knew that she wasn't ready to come out as transgender. But by college, she realized that showing her true self was part of her dream. 

I loved the inspiring story and the parallel journey of Sarah's political journey alongside her personal gender struggles. Gimbel's illustrations were nice, I loved the 2-page spread of young Sarah with a boyish look on one side and a more female appearance on the other. Includes a note from Delaware State Senator McBride and a list of ways a cisgender person can be a trans ally. Sarah McBride is White. 

Lisa Librarian 

Jackie Ormes Draws the Future by Liz Montague - OPTIONAL

Jackie Ormes Draws the Future: The Remarkable Life of a Pioneering Cartoonist by Liz Montague. BIOGRAPHY, PICTURE BOOK Random House. 2023. $19. 9780593426548 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

Even as a child, Jackie Ormes loved to draw, as high school yearbook editor, her edition was full of cartoon characters based on her teachers and classmates. After high school, she moved to Pittsburgh where her character Torchy Brown was published in the Courier. After a long break which included classes at the Art Institute of Chicago, she created her now famous "Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger cartoon. 

Montague's illustrations were sometimes in the style of comic panels, which I did not find appealing and it wasn't consistent. Sometimes the text was just in a box and read more like a description of the illustration. The story is all over the place, jumping from her professional experiences to her personal life, and back again. The author's note included a photograph of Ormes and an example of her work. Includes source material. Jackie Ormes is Black. 

Lisa Librarian

Wings, Waves & Webs: Patterns in Nature by Robin Mitchell Cranfield - ADVISABLE

Wings, Waves & Webs: Patterns in Nature by Robin Mitchell Cranfield. PICTURE BOOK (K-3rd grade) NON-FICTION Greystone Kids 2023. $19. 9781771646765 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Anything repeated in a regular way can form a pattern. Dots, stripes, colors, and many other things in nature form patterns. The ladybug is an example of exact important spots, while the guinea fowl can lose a feather having 22 spots and not even notice.  A skunk's stripes warn predators, while sunflower seed stripes encourage animals to try a tasty snack. Other patterns found in nature are spirals, mirror symmetry, radial symmetry and waves. There are the sturdy hexagon shapes when packed together make homes for tortoises and honeybees. Nature also has patterns of branching found in lightning and snowflakes, meandering found in rivers and snakes, and many more patterns. Which patterns can you find? 

Wings, Waves & Webs pleasantly surprised me with the informative simple text and beautiful graphic art of patterns in nature. Each page was enjoyable to peruse. Children will be introduced to the interesting patterns found in nature and encouraged to explore and recognize patterns in the world around them. 

PGPowers paula.powers@jordandistrict.org

Play With Jay: Fun and Games for Little Readers by Pascale Bonenfant - ADVISABLE

Play With Jay: Fun and Games for Little Readers by Pascale Bonenfant. PICTURE BOOK Orca Book Publishers. 2023. $20. 9781459835504

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Jay the bear and his friends, Nora the bunny and Clementine the bird, have created many pages of fun and games. The first page Jay asks us where all these delicious foods come from. Some of the successive pages and games include: Put the letters of the alphabet in order, what emotion is the animal feeling, which words are good words or bad words, telling the difference between these two people, pairing up objects, junk drawer, counting with numbers, which monster is scariest, big or small, and many others. 

I liked Play with Jay. It would be great for kids who are bored. Although there is not much of a storyline, the very simple activities are fun, and the illustrations are cute and engaging. 

PGPowers 

And I Think About You by Rosanne Kurstedt, illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang - ADVISABLE

And I Think About You by Rosanne Kurstedt, illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang. PICTURE BOOK Kids Can Press. 2022. $19. 9781525304590 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

A story that shows how a child and a working mother think about each other and stay connected throughout the day. There is a dual story showing the child's activities at school and the mother's activities at work. While she does different tasks she is reminded of her child like while she reads emails she is reminded of reading stories with her child and while eating lunch with a friend she is reminded of a lunch shared with her child. 

The mother and child are represented as bears. The other characters in the story are represented as a variety of other animals. This is a sweet story that reminds children that even if parents are away from them during the day, they are still thinking about them. 

A. Snow

Annie's Cat is Sad by Heather Smith, illustrated by Karen Obuhanych - ADVISABLE

Annie's Cat is Sad by Heather Smith, illustrated by Karen Obuhanych. PICTURE BOOK Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) 2022. $19. 978-1-250-80684-0 G 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

When Annie comes home from school she realizes that her cat is sad. She tries several things to cheer up her cat like jokes, warm milk, yoga, a TV show, and a hug. Annie realizes that sometimes you have to face your bad day head-on and have a good cry. 

I like that Annie and her cat found comfort in each other. The illustrations are fun and expressive. The text format and structure are good for early readers. This book will teach children that we all have bad days sometimes. 

A. Snow

Glitter Everywhere! by Chris Barton and Chaaya Prabhat - ADVISABLE

Glitter Everywhere!: Where it Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going by Chris Barton, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION Charlesbridge. 2023. $20. 9781623542528

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS  - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Glitter is lots of things. It is tiny, clingy, colorful, loved, and not loved. Glitter is iridescent and is the reason glitter captures the eye and the reason most of us are attracted to it. 

The science and story behind glitter are revealed in this all-encompassing book. The ancient Egyptians used iridescent beetles to glitter objects. Glitter was once called “flitter” until the word glitter became more popular. Glitter is bad for the environment, and scientists are working on many biodegradable forms of glitter. Glitter everywhere! calls attention to something most of us haven’t thought twice about. Barton’s humorous approach and interesting facts produce a very enjoyable read. The vibrant, whimsical illustrations add to the sparkling information. 

PGPowers 

Leo at the Park by Anna McQuinn and Ruth Hearson - ADVISABLE

Leo at the Park by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Ruth Hearson BOARD BOOK Charlesbridge. 2023. $9 9781623543402 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Leo and Mommy are going to the park. Mommy is pushing Leo on his tricycle. When they get to the park, Leo’s friend Yu is there having a picnic with her mother and brother. Leo and Yu play, swing, dig in the sand, and splash in the water together. Now it’s time to enjoy the picnic. Soon it’s time to go. 

Leo at the Park is a cute book showing fun interactions between families of different ethnicities. Small children will enjoy looking at the charming illustrations. Leo and his Mommy are African American, and Yu and her family are Asian 

PGPowers