The House Without Lights by Reem Faruqi, illustrated by Nadia Alam - ADVISABLE

The House Without Lights by Reem Faruqi, illustrated by Nadia Alam. PICTURE BOOK. Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2024. $19. 9781250907219

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

The little house is happy it has a new family, but is sad that while all of the other houses in the neighborhood are decorated with twinkling lights, it is sitting dark.  It listens carefully to learn about its new family - and hears a new word - “Eid”. Which means that in the spring, house will have its lights, while the other houses are dark.

Faruqi sweetly shows how it might feel to be a family that doesn’t celebrate the same holidays as its neighbors - in a way that shows, instead of telling. An excellent fit for any community with Muslim students.  The back matter explains a bit more about Eid.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Christmas Forever: Escape to the North Pole by Elysa Dutton, illustrated by Manu Montoya - ADVISABLE

Christmas Forever: Escape to the North Pole by Elysa Dutton, illustrated by Manu Montoya. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2024. $19. 9780593430989

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

The ornaments on the Christmas Tree love Christmas so much, they decide to run away to the North Pole, where it will be Christmas every day of the year.  But what if one of them gets stuck!  Will the others give up their dream to rescue them?

I love that Dutton writes about ornaments, not about a greedy human who wants Christmas every day. Now it is a friendship story with a sweet ending. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Moon Tonight by Jung Chang-hoon and Jang Ho - OPTIONAL

The Moon Tonight: Our Moon’s Journey Around Earth by Jung Chang-hoon, illustrated by Jang Ho. PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION. Blue Dot Kids Press, 2023. $18.99. ISBN 9781737603252

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

APPEAL TO: SOME

What kind of moon will rise tonight? It is always changing, the author explains, waxing when it is visible in the early evening for a short time in the west, or waning when it peeks over the horizon near dawn. The full moon, on the other hand, is visible all night long. The moon is constantly cycling through these phases, but one thing is certain. You can always see the same phase of the moon at the same time in the same place in the sky. The author also includes information about the tides, lunar calendars, and a few additional facts about the moon in an end note.

The author’s use of “you” and “we” pronouns makes this informative text feel like a conversation you might be having with a beloved and wise elder while the illustrations offer helpful diagrams as well as arresting images of the moon in various settings (over a city skyline, illuminating a carnaval, through tree branches, reflected in water). The look of the book suggests poetry while the text offers scientific facts that are not always easy to grasp. That juxtaposition may be jarring and off-putting for the intended readers (though perhaps highly appealing to adults). It feels like a student attracted to the illustrations would not be interested in learning about the moon and a student wanting to learn about the moon would not think a book that looks like this would have the facts they want.

Reviewer: P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

Christmas Cheer is Everywhere, illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan - OPTIONAL

Christmas Cheer is Everywhere, illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan. BOARD BOOK. Chronicle, 2024. $11. 9781797210698

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Readers need to turn the wheel to find a holiday object - then they have to guess which flap the object is hiding behind.

I don’t know if it was just my version of the book, but sometimes there would be no object, but each of the flaps had something behind it anyway. A kind of cute idea, but not underwhelming in execution.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Merry Christmas Zoo by Lisa Eickholdt and Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Laura Watkins - ADVISABLE

Merry Christmas Zoo by Lisa Eickholdt and Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Laura Watkins. PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle, 2024. $18. 9781797216560

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

As Christmas approaches, the zoo staff work hard to get the gifts for the animals ready and wrapped for Santa to deliver on Christmas Eve.

Love the idea of zoos giving special, safe gifts to the animals near Christmas - not sure why Santa needs to be part of it all. Great back matter about what goes into choosing and preparing the right gifts for the animals.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Little Daymond Learns to Earn by Daymond John and Nicole Miles - OPTIONAL

Little Daymond Learns to Earn by Daymond John, illustrated by Nicole Miles. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2023. $19.99. 9780593567272

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) –OPTIONAL

APPEAL TO: SEVERAL

Daymond wants to buy a poster at the street fair where his mom is working, but he doesn’t have enough money. When his mom suggests he may be able to earn the rest, he paints some t-shirts, recruiting his friends to help, and eventually sells them all.

Being able to buy and paint a t-shirt at the fair for only $1 while a poster costs $10 seems wonky to me, as well as some of the other details of the story, such as how Daymond is able to find and use an empty booth at the fair. However, the bright, energetic pictures will invite young students into this story and they will learn some basic entrepreneurial principles along the way. Written by a star of Shark Tank, the back matter outlines five steps you can follow to start your own business, as well as an explanation about what is money and ways to use it. Teachers could use this book to preview or reinforce Junior Achievement or Career Day presentations.

Reviewer: P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

Sheepwrecked by Ashley Belote - OPTIONAL

Sheepwrecked by Ashley Belote.  PICTURE BOOK Random House, 2024. $19 9780593569665 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A flock of sheep pirates are sailing home with the Golden Shears of Woolly Jones, the scariest sheep of the seven seas. They become sheepwrecked on an island and only manage to leave with the help of a long-lost pirate.

The art is amazing. It is bright and colorful and the sheep are delightful. There are a lot of sheep puns. The story is cute but not as strong as the art.

Michelle in the Middle

Hello, I'm a Sloth by Hayley & John Rocco - ADVISABLE

Hello, I'm a Sloth by Hayley & John Rocco, 36 pages. PICTURE BOOK Putnam (Penguin), 2024 $17 9780593618127 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Facts about sloths, and endangered species that is part of a "Meet the Wild Things" series. The illustrations are well done and the text is written in first person from the point of view of a sloth. This was a great way to present some unusual and interesting facts about sloths. I learned a lot-like that there is algae and fungi in a sloth's fur that can fight diseases such as cancer. An easy and fun way to get information about wildlife. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Super Small: Miniature Marvels of the Natural World by Tiffany Stone and Ashley Spires - ADVISABLE

Super Small: Miniature Marvels of the Natural World by Tiffany Stone, illustrated by Ashley Spires. NON-FICTION. Greystone Kids, 2023. $19. 9781771646567

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

APPEAL TO: SEVERAL

Most spreads in this volume contain a poem that introduces a tiny creature and hints at its unique superpower and also a cartoon strip that names and explains that superpower. The illustrator uses the same drawings of each creature, most portrayed with big round eyes, to both accompany the poem and populate the cartoon panels. For example, the smallest mite can lift 1000 times its weight. An axolotl can regrow limbs and the black-footed cat, one of the smallest wild cats, is the best hunter in the cat family. 

I can see this volume being used to practice inference (ask students to identify the creature’s superpower from the poem) or to model how to draw a cartoon about an animal’s unique characteristic. Additionally, I can see these poems and comics being enjoyed by young readers as they learn some very fascinating animal facts.

Reviewer: P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

The Forest Keeper by Rina Singh and Ishita Jain - ADVISABLE

The Forest Keeper: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Rina Singh, illustrated by Ishita Jain. BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOK. NorthSouth, 2023. $18.95. 9780735845053

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

APPEAL TO: SEVERAL

In 1979, 16yo Jadav’s community along a river in northeast India experienced a large flood and the aftermath left piles of dying river snakes along the hot sandy shores. Saddened by what he saw, he rushed to the village elders and begged them to plant trees along the banks to hold the land more securely and give much needed shade to the wildlife. The elders thought it hopeless. The forest department was also not willing to help but did give him some seeds to plant trees himself. Thus began a life-long project that has grown into a flourishing forest alive with birds, rabbits, deer, rhinos, and tigers, and is even part of a migration corridor for a herd of more than 100 elephants.

I have read this book several times, and each time, I am more and more inspired by the story. Jadav faced numerous obstacles, had to come up with creative solutions he could implement himself, and spent years consistently exhibiting hard work and perseverance. Working in isolation and complete anonymity until 2009, his efforts have created a thriving piece of wilderness where before was a “wasteland”. The quietly inviting illustrations include spreads with panels or surrounded with white space as well as spreads that are filled edge-to-edge with color. This problem-solving man’s story is worth sharing with anyone interested in our natural world and our place in it.

Reviewer: P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

Earnest Sandpiper's Great Ascent by Timothy Basil Ering - ADVISABLE

Earnest Sandpiper's Great Ascent by Timothy Basil Ering. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2024. $19. 9780763697358

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

It is time that Earnest and his siblings learn to fly.  Rouse and Spur take right off and fly.  But Earnest is fearful.  While the family is practicing down the beach, Earnest sees a floating balloon and follows it into the shallows.  He gets tangled in the balloon string that is tangled on a log.  The tide is rising.  Will Earnest get untangled and save himself by flying to safety?

Ering relates an inspiring story about overcoming our fears and trying new things.  He also warns us about how helium balloons affect animals.  Cute but realistic painted illustrations bring this story to life.

PGPowers

The Greatest by Veera Hiranandani and Vesper Stamper - ADVISABLE

The Greatest by Veera Hiranandani, illustrated by Vesper Stamper. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2024 $19. 9780593645567

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Grandfather's favorite day of the week is Sunday when his grandchildren come to visit. He feels he is just an average, simple old man, but his grandchildren act like he is the greatest!  He helps them draw, tell stories, play games, sing songs, and eat homemade sandwiches, but he knows he isn't the greatest at any of these things.  Should he explain to them that he is just a regular average old man?

I love Hiranandani's message that what is greatest is the love that is reflected back to people who love each other.  I enjoyed Stamper's delightful illustrations. This book depicts a Jewish family

PGPowers

Remember by Joy Harjo and Michaela Goade - OPTIONAL

 

Remember by Joy Harjo, illustrated by Michaela Goade. PICTURE BOOK/POETRY. Random House Studio, 2023. $18.99. ISBN 9780593484845

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

Originally published in 1983, U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo’s poem asks us to remember: the sky, the moon, the sun, your mother, your father, the earth, other living things, the wind, other people. Remember how we are all connected. They are in us and we in them. 

The Tlingit-inspired illustrations are bold and colorful. The author’s and artist’s notes at the end point out their Native American heritage (Harjo is Mvskoke) and share insights about their inspirations. It is important for everyone to be reminded to remember and make connections. Teachers could use this book to inspire students to think and write about their own special memories, be they universal or personal, ancestral or familial.

Reviewer: P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

Sleep Little Dozer by Diana Murray, illustrated by Cleonique Hilsaca - ADVISABLE

Sleep Little Dozer by Diana Murray, illustrated by Cleonique Hilsaca. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2024. $19. 9780593119044

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Little Dozer has been out playing in the mud, when Papa calls for him to come inside and get ready to go to bed. Dozer thinks that he can't go to sleep be cause Mama is still at work, but Papa scrubs him, and reads him a book.  But little Dozer still can't go to sleep without his mother's song.  How will he ever be able to close his eyes and fall asleep?"

Sleep Little Dozer is a cute sweet story about how a father can bring the same comfort as a mother when putting his child to sleep.  l liked Murray using construction trucks to spark extra interest in a young child.  The illustrations are colorful and adorable.

PGPowers

The Goblin Twins: Too Hard to Scare by Frances Cha and Jaime Kim - ADVISABLE

The Goblin Twins: Too Hard to Scare (#2) by Frances Cha, illustrated by Jaime Kim. PICTURE BOOK. Crown Books (Random), 2024. $20. 9780183480267

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Doki and Kebi, 601-year old magical goblins, decide to be adventurous and move from Korea to New York City. Doki is content reading books, but Kebi is sad. He had tried making friends without success. Kebi had tried playing tricks on the humans in the city, but no one had noticed him mixing up the trains, breaking stop lights, and spreading smoke in the streets. Doki agrees to put down his books and help Kebi. Will Kebi finally be noticed by someone?

Cha tells a humorous story with many visual jokes. I liked Cha's heartwarming message that when you are feeling sad and alone, all you need is just one person who loves you. Great comic book style illustrations show off the cute characters and situations.

PGPowers

 

Destiny Finds Her Way by Margarita Engle and Sam Trull - ADVISABLE

Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to Be Wild by Margarita Engle, photographs by Sam Trull. NON-FICTION. National Geographic Kids, 2023. $17. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Baby Destiny was found under a tree by people kind enough to call an expect. She was separated from her mom, hungry, weak, and sick. Scientists at a sloth rescue center in Costa Rica took her in. They named her and nursed her back to health, though her one eye never healed. For the next couple years, Destiny was taught skills she’d need to survive in the wild, such as what to eat, how to take potty breaks, how to climb trees and move from tree to tree, and how to stay hidden. 

This narrative animal rescue story is endearing, accessible to readers just starting to read to learn, and well-illustrated with great photos. The back matter includes notes from the author and photographer, a map of sloth habitat, sloth facts, and additional resources. 

Reviewer: P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

Passover: A Celebration of Freedom by Bonnie Bader, illustrated by Joanie Stone

Passover: A Celebration of Freedom by Bonnie Bader, illustrated by Joanie Stone. PICTURE BOOK. Golden Book (Penguin Random House), 2023. $10.99. ISBN 9780593563885

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

APPEAL TO: SOME

Tonight, a family sits down at a dinner table that looks different than other nights. Why? Because they are gathered to retell the story of Passover. The Biblical story of Moses, the Egyptian Pharoah, the 10 plagues, and the parting of the Red Sea is then recounted. 

The book concludes with a description of the food eaten during a Passover Seder and why. While this story is a fictional account of how a Jewish family might celebrate Passover and why, a student can learn facts about this tradition from it. Add it to your collection if you need a book that reflects this religious holiday.

Reviewer: P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

Bee and Flea and the Puddle Problem by Anna Humphrey and Mike Deas

Bee and Flea and the Puddle Problem by Anna Humphrey, illustrated by Mike Deas. 128 pages. CHAPTER BOOK. Owlkids Books, 2023. $17. 9781771474436

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Bee is working on getting her F.L.E.A. (Fenced -in Law Enforcement Agency) badge.  She feels like Flea, her boss, is always saving the day and she wants to be successful too.  Flea and Bee are invited to an "after the rain party' hosted in a puddle.  Bee is afraid and doesn't know how to swim, but is dragged along by Flea.  While Flea is busy playing games, Bee has her own adventures and finds a lost baby water bear whom she returns to her mother.  She accidently gets propelled back to land and finds out a new danger for everyone who lives in the puddle.  Will Bee save the day and earn her badge? 

Bee and Flea and the Puddle Problem is interesting, funny, and engaging. Kids will enjoy the silly personalities of all the creatures who live in the puddle and in the yard. Humphry cleverly introduces readers to the water cycle and other real environmental concepts. I liked the true/false quiz at the end.  Deas cute black-and-white illustrations help bring the underwater party to life.

PGPowers

So Much Slime by Jason Lefebvre, illustrated by Zac Retz - ADVISABLE

So Much Slime by Jason Lefebvre, illustrated by Zac Retz. PICTURE BOOK. Flashlight Press, 2024. $19. 9781947277335

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Matty's family loves to make slime, and he wants to show his class how to make slime.  He brings the ingredients to school, and during art his teacher lets him make slime.  He dumps in the glue, and the baking soda.  But he forgot to bring the saline.  It gets all over the table. HIs classmates throw in everything they can think of to make it into slime.  Soon it is all over the room including the ceiling.  Is Matty in big trouble?

So Much Slime is a hilarious read as we wonder how the ongoing mess will ever be cleaned up. We all can relate to a show and tell gone wrong.  I was amused by Retz's fun and colorful illustrations.

PGPowers

I Spy Love: A Book of Picture Riddles by Dan Marzollo and Walter Wick - ADVISABLE

I Spy Love: A Book of Picture Riddles by Dan Marzollo, illustrated by Walter Wick. PICTURE BOOK. Cartwheel Books, 2024. $15. 9781546119784

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

On each page spread the reader is asked to find eight to nine items hiding there.  Once you have mastered all of the riddles on the pages, there are more riddles to go with each page spread at the end of the book.

Kids love an I Spy book and they will enjoy looking for the many items in the riddles. The photographic illustrations are beautiful and captivating.

PGPowers

The Truth About the Couch by Adam Rubin and Liniers - ADVISABLE

The Truth About the Couch by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Liniers. PICTURE BOOK. G. P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin), 2024. $20. 9780593619131

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

A fox wants to educate his audience about couches. While he is explaining and showing pictures on an easel, a badger in a suit shows up and blacks out the pictures that he thinks are false information like how couches grow on farms and how there are furniture police to catch runaway couches. When the furniture police ride dinosaurs across the stage after a runaway couch, and alien couches hover, will the badger be ready to listen?

Rubin tells a funny couch conspiracy story that will keep the reader intrigued. Very cute and silly illustrations enhance the fun.

PGPowers

Pirate & Penguin by Mike Allegra and Jenn Harney - ESSENTIAL

Pirate & Penguin by Mike Allegra, illustrated by Jenn Harney. PICTURE BOOK. Page Street Kids 2023. $14. 9781645677123

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

A lonely pirate is desperate for a friend.  A bird lands on his boat.  Could it be a parrot? It is black and white and looks an awful lot like a penguin.  Hilarity ensues as the pirate tries to get the penguin to act like a parrot.

This is the best picture book that I have read in a long time!  The plot is so funny and entertaining.  The pictures tell their own story as well.  My only concern would be that a lot of longer words are used in the text.  Younger students may not be able to pick up  on the meaning using inference.  Would be a super fun read aloud! The pirate is presumably white.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

Curve and Flow by Andrea J Loney and Keith Mallett - ESSENTIAL

Curve and Flow: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams by Andrea J Loney, illustrated by Keith Mallett. BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOK. Random House Kids, 2022 $19 9780593429075

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

The setting is the early 1900's in Los Angeles. Paul Williams plays with his other immigrant friends and loves to draw, especially buildings. He dreams of being an architect but his guidance counselor thinks otherwise being black and an architect don't go together. He decided he won't let the wall of racism get in the way. He goes to college and after graduation takes classes at 5 different schools to learn the latest architecture techniques. Paul becomes so famous that people like Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball ask him to design their houses. The ironic thing is he can design them but he's not allowed to live in them.

The detail in this story is remarkable and the storytelling is engaging. The illustrations are full of emotion and expression. They do quote the school counselor saying the "N" word, and yet it's culturally appropriate for the time. I truly enjoyed this book. All races and genders are represented especially in the immigrant children at the beginning of the book.

Emilee-Teacher Librarian

Wild Blue by Dashka Slater, illustrated by Laura Hughes - ESSENTIAL

Wild Blue by Dashka Slater, illustrated by Laura Hughes. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2023. $19. 9781536215670

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL

APPEAL TO: MANY

The subtitle “Taming a Big-Kid Bike” on the title page sets up the imagery of this story nicely. Young Kayla loves riding her pink pony (an “itty-bitty bike” pictured with training wheels) until her dad says it’s time to swap it for a bigger bike. She “wrangles” a blue one “from the herd” and names it Wild Blue. However, it takes her some time before she feels one with her new ride.

Throughout the story, Kayla thinks and talks about her bike as a horse, approaches and treats it as a horse, sees it and other bikes being ridden around the park as horses. The illustrator includes plenty of pictures of Kayla with her red helmet, blue bike, and baby-carrying dad set in a town or park, but the ones showing Kayla wearing a red cowboy and riding or standing next to a beautiful blue horse pull you right into her point-of-view. These choice illustrations, along with the present tense that the author uses for the story, make Kayla’s experience particularly engaging and endearing.

Reviewer: P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

Construction Site: A Thankful Night by Sherru Duskey Rinker and Helen Morgan - OPTIONAL

Construction Site: A Thankful Night by Sherru Duskey Rinker and Helen Morgan. BOARD BOOK. Chronicle, 2024. $ 13. 9781797226729

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Thanksgiving is coming and the wide variety of trucks have much to be thankful for.

If Thanksgiving board books are your jam, then add this to your collection.  Otherwise, the construction fun is not as much fun as in other iterations of Rinker’s construction site series.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Eighteen Vats of Water by Ji Li Jiang and Nadia Hsieh - ESSENTIAL

Eighteen Vats of Water by Ji Li Jiang, illustrated by Nadia Hsieh. BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOK. Creston Books, 2022. $19. 9781954354067

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Xian loved watching his father, the most famous Chinese calligrapher in all of China.  For Xian to study calligraphy he had to wait until he was 6 and then he could become his father's student.  He became his father's apprentice and his father explained that "No one can become a great artist without working hard."  In order to be an expert you have to fill up 18 vats of water and as the years go by you will become a master calligrapher.

This book is so charming and I was excited to show it to my Chinese teacher to use for her class.  The illustrations look like they have been done with a paint brush that is used to create Chinese characters.  It is beautifully done. All the people in this book are Chinese.

Emilee-Teacher Librarian

If I Drove an Ice Cream Truck by Alastair Heim Tom Brannon - ADVISABLE

If I Drove an Ice Cream Truck by Alastair Heim, illustrated by Tom Brannon. PICTURE BOOK.  Penguin, 2024 $10. 9780593706275

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

The Cat in the Hat dreams of what he would do if he drove an ice cream truck. He creates fanciful ice cream treats for every day of the week, adding fun into the measure. One day, there are plenty of sprinkles. Another day, there would be glow cones in the evening. Of course, on Sundays, they would have triple dipped and flipped sundaes.

As anticipated, this Dr. Seuss inspired book carries the reader into fantastical machines and adorable creatures, which include thing one and thing two, along with the fish. The red, white, and blue illustrations are definitely Seuss trademark, meaning adorable. All those who love Dr. Seuss will enjoy this book.  I would have preferred more of a story line than a Sunday-Saturday telling of an ice cream truck.

MOMMAC

Tamales for Christmas by Stephen Briseno and Sonia Sanchez - ADVISABLE

Tamales for Christmas by Stephen Briseno and Sonia Sanchez. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2024. $19. 9780593647813

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Once the weather starts to turn, Grandma gets busy making her famous tamales. THe money she earns will help her fill the empty space under her Christmas with presents for her extensive family, and have plenty to share with those in need. This year, with only a little family help she is aiming for a new high - 1000 dozen!

Growing up in Southern California, tamales was a traditional food available only around the season. And you always bought them from a homemade stand. Briseno sharing his family recipe in his book is a very big deal! A fun way to celebrate and highlight a variety of holiday traditions. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Bluey: Jingle Bells - ADVISABLE

Bluey: Jingle Bells. BOARD BOOK. Penguin, 2024. $7. 9780593755099

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Bluey is getting ready for Christmas and has his own version of Jingle to sing.

Based off a Bluey episode, but the words are more Bluey oriented than the original or what was in the episode (the “Batman smells” version). I am sure little Bluey fans will like the lyric changes. I don’t see a video of the new lyrics, so it may not be as popular as Baby Shark - yet.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

I Bug You by Dori Elys andRiley Samuels - OPTIONAL

I Bug You by Dori Elys, illustrated by Riley Samuels. BOARD BOOK. Simon and Schuster, 2024 . $8. 9781665952828

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

Bugs are fun.  They are always around. I love bugs.

While the illustrations attempt cuteness, the story line is flat. Elys struggles to write in rhyme with good measure. In one stanza, she fails at rhyming.  The story would have been better told in prose. 

MOMMAC

Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough by Haley Rocco and John Rocco - ESSENTIAL

Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough by Haley Rocco, illustrated by John Rocco. NON-FICTION, BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOK. Penguin, 2024. $20. 9780593618097

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

David Attenborough grew up loving all things in nature. He studied natural sciences in college and wanted to share all he learned with the world. When commercial air travel and television became available to all, David decided to introduce humans to the world of animals, so that they would love them as much as he did. As time went on, David could see that the wild places on earth were being taken over by humans. He spent his last years inspiring the public to work at returning the wild places to the earth.

Rocco reminds us all of what we owe to our world. Not only did the book cover the biography of David Attenborough, it quoted him.  The book also educates the reader about ecology and specific ways to care for the plant, such as: renewable energy, sustainable farming, and protecting the oceans. The beautiful illustrations enhanced the reading experience. 

MOMMAC