Rachel's Roses by Ferida Wolff - ADVISABLE

Rachel's Roses by Ferida Wolff, illustrated by Margeaux Lucas, 100 pages. Holiday House, 2019. $16. 9780823443659.

Language: G; Mature content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Rachel is excited to get new buttons for her Rosh Hashanah outfit but he money from Mother will only buy plain buttons. Rachel sees special rose buttons that cost more, and decides to work extra to earn the money she needs. But shortly after the buttons are in hand, Rachel loses them along with her little sister! The search for Hannah helps Rachel realize what the most important things in life are really about, and her rose buttons (once found!) help the family in other ways.

This was a nice and simple story aimed at younger female readers. I enjoyed the story, and the setting in the Lower East Side among Jewish New Yorkers made it a quality historical piece, too. The author includes a personal note at the back that added a bit to the story. Overall, I'd recommend this one to any young girls looking for a good book.

Reviewer: TC

Cuddle Monkey by Blake Liliane Hellman - ADVISABLE

Cuddle Monkey by Blake Liliane Hellman, illustrated by Chat Otis. PICTURE BOOK. Caitlyn Dlouhy (Simon & Schuster), 2020. $18. 9781534431171

BUYING ADVISORY: PRE-K - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A little monkey who loves to cuddle waits all day until his mom and dad are free to get the cuddles he really wants. During the day he tries to be patient and even tries to cuddle other things: a puddle, stuffed animals, etc. 

Lewis is a cute monkey and little readers who also like to cuddle will enjoy this simple story. There isn’t a lot of complexity to this story and that might make it a little boring for some readers, but there is charm in its simplicity.   

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Layla’s Luck by Jo Rooks - ESSENTIAL

Layla’s Luck (Once Upon an Island) by Jo Rooks. PICTURE BOOK. Magination Press, 2020. $15. 9781433832383

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Layla, a ladybug is sure that her luck comes from all of the “lucky” objects that she deploys around her.  After a disaster when she tries to bake a cake for the Great Garden Cake Bake, her friends help her realize that things don’t create “luck”, her hard work and diligence helped her succeed.

The simple, stylized illustrations definitely point this to a younger audience, but the message is a great one to share with slightly older students.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

Come Next Season by Kim Norman and Daniel Miyares - OPTIONAL

Come Next Season by Kim Norman, illustrated by Daniel Miyares. PICTURE BOOK. Farrar, Straus, Giroux (Macmillan), 2019. $18. 9780374305987

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A white brother and sister play and live their way through each season in a dreamy palette of suburban home and family farm.

The lush illustrations add a wistful effect to an idealized version of the perfect middle class white childhood.  It is very much a celebration of simplicity.  What I’d really love is to have an older class read this book – an older, urban, diverse class – and have them rewrite the entire book from their own perspectives.  What do they do each season? If you want to book to explore the seasons, you’d be better off with Bruce Goldstone’s season series for slightly older readers or Sam Usher’s seasons books for younger readers.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

The Heart of a Whale by Anna Pignataro - OPTIONAL

The Heart of a Whale by Anna Pignataro. PICTURE BOOK. Philomel Books (Penguin Random House), 2018. $18. 9781984836274

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A whale with a beautiful song brightens everyone’s day who hears him as he swims along. Unfortunately whales’ song doesn’t make him happy and he feels alone until another whale hears his song and follows it. When they find each other they also find happiness.  

The illustrations in this book are gorgeous watercolors with shades of blue and green with pops of bright colors, but I really struggle with the message that someone else can make you happy. If whale isn’t happy on his own, he isn’t going to be magically happy because of one special whale. It seems a shame that his lovely song didn’t represent a happiness he had found himself.    

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal - ADVISABLE

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal.  PICTURE BOOK. Roaring Brook (Macmillan), 2019. $19. 9781626727465

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

First celebrate the front and center place of fry bread in First People families and then Native American culture.

The cover wrap is a nice surprise and the end papers are a litany of the names of First People Tribes. It even includes a recipe for fry bread at the end. The detailed back matter goes through each page spread, giving excellent background information to add to the depth of the material. I can see why this won the 2020 Seibert Award.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

Rain Makes Applesauce by Julian Scheer and Marvin Bileck - ADVISABLE

Rain Makes Applesauce (restored edition) by Julian Scheer, illustrations by Marvin Bileck. PICTURE BOOK. Holiday House, 1964, 2019. $19. 9780823443611

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Silly, merry illustrations join the call and response patterned verse of nonsense. 

There is an extra pattern to learn, but it will be fun once it is. Much fun for a day of ridiculous play, especially for a preschool.  I can see why the illustrations won a Caldecott Honor.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

I Love You All Year Through by Stephanie Stansbie and Mason - ADVISABLE

I Love You All Year Through by Stephanie Stansbie, illustrated by Suzie Mason. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2019. $18. 9781984851499

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

A variety of animals express love for their babies through the four seasons of the year.  Each page spread is a different animal in a different season.  The text is simple and the illustrations are beautifully matched.

I love the interaction of the animals and their babies and the illustrations depict the seasons perfectly.  The book for parents and grandparents to share with their babies.

Diann, Media Specialist

Is 2 a Lot? An Adventure with Numbers by Annie Watson and Rebecca Evans - HIGH

Is 2 a Lot? An Adventure with Numbers by Annie Watson, illustrated by Rebecca Evans. PICTURE BOOK. Tilbury House Publishers, 2019. $18. 9780884487159

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Joey has some questions for his mommy about numbers.  He wants to know if 2 is a lot.  His mommy explains that 2 pennies are not much, but 2 smelly skunks are a lot.  So begins the adventure as Joey and his mom discuss numbers and their car wondrously fills with Joey’s imagination.

The illustrations of the book are the best!  As Mom is questioned by Joey about numbers, those items appear on the pages.  Five freckles is not a lot, but five cowboys on a city street are a lot.  Joey’s imagination comes alive in the illustrations.

Diann, Media Specialist

Idriss and His Marble by Rene Goutchoux and Zau - OPTIONAL

Idriss and His Marble by Rene Goutchoux, illustrated by Zau. PICTURE BOOK. StarBerry Books, 2019. $18. 9781635921328              

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE       

Idriss has a lucky marble. It is beautiful and he feels that wherever he goes, if his marble is with him, he will continue to have good luck. Things in his country gets bad and Idriss and his mom has to flee. He keeps his lucky marble with him, no matter what, through scary trails, under barbed wire and on a small, seemingly unsafe boat - he keeps the marble with him.

I liked the book and the illustrations, and it showed the perilous trail refugees travel to find a safe place for themselves and their families. Maybe Idriss will find somebody at his new home that likes marbles like he does.     

Ellen-Anita, Librarian

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship by Chitra Soundra and Krishnaswamy - OPTIONAL

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundra, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy. 179 pages. Candlewick Press, 2019. $17.

Content: G                 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE       

When King Bheema is not able to rule and make decisions for a while, the young prince, Prince Veera, and his best friend Suku get the chance to meet with people, listen to their grievances and to make a decision for those people. This book includes original folk tales from India. 

I like the prince and his friend and how seriously they approach each case. They thought they would just have fun and that making decisions would be fun and easy. It interesting and fun to go with Prince Veera and his friend on all these adventures. It was a fast and enjoyable read and it made me giggle a few times. I liked the book and I will book talk it to my students.    

Ellen-Anita, Librarian

  

Sweet Dreamers by Isabelle Simler - ADVISABLE

Sweet Dreamers by Isabelle Simler. PICTURE BOOK. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2019. $19. 9780802855176

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

The humpback whale sleeps vertically!  Sweet Dreamers is about all kind of animals and how they sleep and dream. 

There are a variety of land, water, and air animals included.  Each page spread features one animal:  a close-up of the animal and the animal in its natural habitat. A short description is given about the animal’s sleeping and dreaming patterns. There is a dreamy feel to the illustrations.  The background is black with the other colors muted.  In between the animal pages are nighttime pictures of a location such as the mountains or a pond where the animals live.  The moon makes an appearance in each. Sweet Dreamers is the perfect bedtime book to share with a young child.

Diann, Media Specialist

The Tooth Fairy Vs. The Easter Bunny by Jamie L.B. Deenihan - ADVISABLE

The Tooth Fairy Vs. The Easter Bunny by Jamie L.B. Deenihan, illustrated by Erin Hunting. PICTURE BOOK. Penguin Workshop (Penguin Random House), 2020. $13. 9780593094051

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

A young girl, Veda, strategically loses her tooth the night before Easter and leaves a note explaining that she wants the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny to work together to hide eggs. Blue, the representative for the tooth fairy, and the Easter Bunny don’t get along at first but in the course of a needed rescue they become buddies.

My son picked this up immediately after the first reading and read it two more times in a row. This book is a very playful experience and taps into the young reader’s imagination. I think the line between believing in these characters and doubting, adds to the literary experience. It also means that there might be awkward conversations between classmates if some readers are beyond believing.     

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Monkeys Love to Eat by Trevor Lai - OPTIONAL

Monkeys Love to Eat by Trevor Lai. PICTURE BOOK. Imprint (Macmillan), 2019. $18. 9781250085443

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Three little monkeys like to eat different things from each other. One likes crunchy food, one likes sweet food, and one likes bananas. They try to combine their favorite foods into one meal but no one likes the result. Finally they find a food they can share when they eat a creatively built pizza and banana splits.

The bright illustrations are such a fun aesthetic, but the story was hard to feel engaged in. The monkeys’ food preferences were kind of odd and it never really came all the way together for me.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome - ESSENTIAL

Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome. PICTURE BOOK. Holiday House, 2020. $19. 9780823438730

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

A girl and her family leave before sunrise on a long train journey to the North. After the end of the Underground Railroad came another exodus from the south overland, usually on trains. The slave system made way to sharecropping and many blacks were as good as enslaved through debt.  So many blacks snuck out and onto trains to flee the South.

Any library with a historical non-fiction collection will need this additional facet of American history. The Cline-Ransome-Ransome team create excellent non-fiction reads.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

Kerry and the Knight of the Forest by Andi Watson - OPTIONAL

Kerry and the Knight of the Forest by Andi Watson, 288 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Random House Graphic (Random House Children’s Books), 2020. $13.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Kerry has the medicine for his parents, now he just has to get home before it’s too late. When a girl tells Kerry that there is a shortcut through the forest, he races in and gets lost. Finding a guide to help him, Kerry should be home in no time -- if he doesn’t stop for every distraction.

While Kerry is a little exasperating with his inability to focus, he is also a genuinely nice person. I love how Watson illustrates -- through both words and pictures -- the message of good triumphing over evil. Distractions got in the way, but this simple story contains truth that will resonate with readers as we, too, understand getting distracted from important tasks.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats by Kimberlie Hamilton - ESSENTIAL

Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats by Kimberlie Hamilton. NONFICTION. Scholastic Press, 2019. $10. 978133835583

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

This is a fun collection of bios and stories about different cats. Each cat bio is one page and is paired with a full page illustration. Interspersed between these stories are pages with bullet points full of facts and trivia about cats. 

We had so much fun reading these stories. They are short and engaging and perfect to read over multiple sessions - tackling one or two in a sitting. These short bursts are great for new readers who are building endurance but ready for harder texts.   

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Cool Cuts by Mechal Renee Roe - ESSENTIAL

Cool Cuts by Mechal Renee Roe. PICTURE BOOK. Doubleday (Random), 2020. $17. 9781984895578

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K – ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Roe continues her exuberant look at Black hair complete with affirmations of awesome-ness. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

Allah Made Everything: The Song Book by Zain Bhika and Azra Momin - OPTIONAL

Allah Made Everything: The Song Book by Zain Bhika, illustrated by Azra Momin.  PICTURE BOOK. The Islamic Foundation, 2019. $12. 9780860377702

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: ADVISABLE

Zain Bhika is a very popular Islamic entertainer for young and old.  His praise song for the goodness and greatness of Allah is beautifully, exuberantly illustrated.  While this would be most enjoyed in an Islamic family, it could also be a good addition for a school with any Muslim population.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

Doodleville by Chad Sell - ADVISABLE

Doodleville by Chad Sell, 288 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Alfred A. Knopf (Random House), 2020. $13.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

When Drew and her friends in art club go to the Art Institute, they take away inspiration to make something new. But Drew’s project quickly takes on a mind of its own, wreaking havoc on the other creations. With her doodles creating so many problems, can Drew recover from losing both her art and her friends?

Drew’s doodles are magical, and I love that everyone in the book takes it in stride as if it’s totally normal -- which makes me wonder what the rest of the world looks like as imagined by Sell. I also love that Drew has a great support system around her. The conflict in this book stems from Drew’s internal battles, and the depiction of depression, or at least a depressive episode, was beautifully done. A message to take away from all of this is when we reach out for help from those who love us, our inner demons can be overcome.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Under Pressure: The Science of Stress by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Marie-Eve Tremblay - ESSENTIAL

Under Pressure: The Science of Stress by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Marie-Eve Tremblay. NONFICTION. Kids Can Press, 2019. $17. 978152530073

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: ADVISABLE

With lots of examples and specific anecdotes about stress, this is a great book for getting a big picture understanding of the science behind stress. There are multiple chapters about different kinds of stress and the effects of stress. At the end of each chapter there is a blurb about ways to combat stress. 

I was interested in almost every single example and explanation in this book. I will say that some of the anecdotes were stress inducing, but always made a good point. One of the first stories in the book is about a plane crash in which everyone died all due to the pilot’s response to stress. This book is probably not intended specifically for the anxiously inclined, but rather an interesting read for the population at large. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Grace Goes to Washington by Kelly DiPucchio and LeUyen Pham - OPTIONAL

Grace Goes to Washington by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. PICTURE BOOK. Disney, 2019.  $18. 9781368024334

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Grace is on the school leadership team, but she is upset when the group can’t agree on what  they should spend their bake sale money on.  After a trip to Washington DC and an encounter with a new student, Grace has a new idea for the money.

If you want to introduce your students to how democracy can look in their classroom, this could be a useful book.  It is not as user friendly as McNamara’s Vote For Our Future book, but it does help students apply the ideas in their own lives.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

Vote For Our Future by Margaret McNamara and Micah Player - OPTIONAL

Vote For Our Future by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Micah Player.  PICTURE BOOK. Schwartz & Wade (Random House), 2020. 9781984892805

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

As Stanton Elementary School changes from a school to a polling station, the kids educate themselves about why it is important to vote. Then they go out and work hard to educate actual voters.

McNamara has written a nice look at elections and shows how even children can make a difference.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander - ESSENTIAL

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson PICTURE BOOK Versify Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. $18. 9781328780966

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Kwame Alexander's beautiful poem is an ode to Black America. Stunningly illustrated by Kadir Nelson it shows strength, determination, talent, dignity, fortitude and history. In so few words, I found myself in tears several times.

Alexander and Nelson's book should be displayed open and brought out often. No wonder it won a Newbery Honor, the Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award. Includes an author's note as well as a description of the historical figures and events. Knowing who these faces belong to, as well as their contribution to this rich heritage adds so much to the reading experience. I am so impressed with this amazing picture book.

Lisa Librarian

Night Night Devotions by Amy Parker - OPTIONAL

Night Night Devotions by Amy Parker, illustrated by Virginia Allyn. PICTURE BOOK. Tommy Nelson (Thomas Nelson Publishers), 2019. $17. 9781400208906

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

This christian devotional book includes a scripture, a devotional about that scripture’s message, an illustration, a prayer, and a question. Each two page spread has these five elements. The devotionals are usually related to being loved, being kind, trusting God, and enjoying life. 

This may be a good experience for parents and young children, but many of the devotionals are overly simple and reductive.  The ritual of reading one passage a day appeals to me in that it builds regular reading for parents and kids to share, but the christian message may be better provided by a public library rather than a school library.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

The Old Truck by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey - ADVISABLE

The Old Truck by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey. PICTURE BOOK. Norton Young Readers, 2020. $18. 9781324014898

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

The Old truck works hard for its farm family, until the day it is retired.  As the weeds around it grow higher it dreams of a different life, until the day it is restored so that it can work again.

I love that the farm family is black – I’m so ignorant sometimes to assume that all farm families are white. But what really rocks is the combination of stylized, dreamy art with a sweet, nostalgic story.  If grownups read it, it may inspire them to restore an old car.  Who knows! It will for sure inspire younger readers in a round of playing with trucks.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher

She Leads: The Elephant Matriarch by June Smalls and Yumi Shimokawara - OPTIONAL

She Leads: The Elephant Matriarch by June Smalls, illustrated by Yumi Shimokawara. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Familius, April 2020. $17. 9781641702324

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

It is the matriarch who leads the elephant herd – to water, to shelter, to protection from enemies, and to teach the next generations – so that when her time is done there is a new matriarch to lead.

Smalls populates each page with one set of simple text and then a longer strand of more in-depth information. I like the play between the two strands of test rather than having a large amount of back matter. Shimokawara’s illustrations allow the elephant to front and center on each page.  I do wish the book were a taller format, though.  The square shape makes the elephants feel squished onto the page.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher

She Did It! 21 Women Who Changed the Way We Think by Emily Arnold McCully - ADVISABLE

She Did It! 21 Women Who Changed the Way We Think by Emily Arnold McCully. NONFICTION. Disney, 2018. $22. 9781368019910

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A collection of biographies, this book introduces readers to some women who they may never have heard of before. Each woman’s biography includes an illustration and a synopsis of her life, before covering childhood years, contributions to the way we think, and pertinent historical context. 

I have read and enjoyed a lot of similar books of anthologies of women, but the thing that this book offers is a more in-depth look at the woman, her life, and the history that surrounded her. I did not care for the illustrations, which were pastel and depicted the head larger than the body. I think the fact that most of these women will be new to readers is good, but it does have the disadvantage of not providing a comfortable starting place for readers who often look for a familiar name. 

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher

Badger and the Big Adventure by Suzanne Chiew and Caroline Pedler - OPTIONAL

Badger and the Big Adventure by Suzanne Chiew, illustrated by Caroline Pedler. PICTURE BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2019. 9781680101492

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

When a little bird gets hurt on her winter migration, Badger takes in her and her friends for the season.  When spring rolls around it takes special effort to reunite the birds with their flock.

Hmm.  I wanted to like this more than I did.  I saw the cover with the flying machine on it, but as I was reading I wanted Badger to help the bird build up her strength – not take her up there in a flying machine. It seemed like an incongruous choice – if the bird couldn’t fly around Badger’s house, how would flying her up into the air make a difference?

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher