BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
Little Red Riding Hood is riding her pony through the forest to grandmother's house. She is older and more confident this time as she travels through the woods. But then she sees some ears behind a bush. It is the big bad wolf?
Rosen has created a new, cute, and funny take on this classic story. It's not very scary as no actual wolf ever shows up. I liked Melling's comical storybook illustrations.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
A young girl's parents are divorced and her Mommy has a date. The young girl refers to her Mommy's new guy friend as "That Guy". Will the young girl ever learn to like "That Guy".
I enjoyed the evolution of learning to like and accept someone new in Mommy's New Friend. Palacios’s illustrations were comical and adorable. The characters are illustrated as Black.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO:SEVERAL
A young girl asks, "Why do we sing?" The reader is taken on an adventure around the world to find out the role of music in people's lives.
Tsui and Breves use rhyming text to help young readers learn a simple overview of the many reasons why people sing.
I appreciatedTsui’s very colorful, fun, and detailed illustrations depicting many cultures.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Chester's mom asked him to go to the community garden next door to pick some vegetables. As he is looking for vegetables he see's some cauliflower. The cauliflower tells him he is not a vegetable. He finds a carrot, peas, beans, peppers, pumpkins and more all telling him that they are not vegetables. Will Chester ever find a vegetable? If they are not vegetables, what are they?
There's No Such Thing as a Vegetable is slyly informational and humorous for those wanting to learn more about food that is socially called vegetables. I enjoyed the delightful, funny illustrations.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
Little chicks and other cute characters say thank you in English and Spanish for being nice. They say thank you for the sun, sky, food, or when a friend plays with them.
Thank You Gracias is a bilingual preschool book that helps kids recognize the importance of practicing gratitude everyday. I liked the cute colorful characters and engaging lift-the flaps.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
The reader will discover facts, mishaps, a recent Space Poop Challenge design competition, and more as they learn about waste management in space with zero gravity and zero privacy.
Space: The Final Pooping Frontier was actually interesting, and Bondor-Stone handled the subject admirably. Kenseth's illustrations were humorous yet tasteful.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO:MANY
Sloth is climbing a tree with her friend Moth fluttering along and worm making comments from below. Moth and worm keep telling her that she doesn't have wings and might fall. Although worried, Sloth is determined to show that she is not a baby and that she won't fall. All of a sudden a fierce storm blows by. Will sloth be able to hold on?
Sloth Is Not a Baby! is a humorous story about being who you are, not listening to negative voices, and helping others. Bynum's illustrations are very cute and expressive.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
A poor immigrant from Jamaica, Barrington struggled to find his place in America. Then he met Gary Robinson - a black pilot - who mentored Barrington on his journey to become a pilot. Even before he came up with the idea to fly solo around the world, Barrington was already mentoring others to follow their dreams. Throughall of the No’s, Barrington found the yeses that made his dream a reality.
Irving is a living example of perseverance and of the value of mentoring. Amy plane-happy child will enjoy learning his story, too.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
When a tree falls naturally in a forest, its life, its usefulness is by no means over.
Pendreigh uses poetic (but not rhyming) language to outline the purpose of nurse logs, as they are called, in the forest life cycle. The back matter gives the important details about nurse logs and their necessity - please don’t go out raking the forest floor. Great to share in any ecology unit that talks about forest life cycles. Boschinger’s illustrations portray much flora and fauna, evoking the spirit of the Pacific NorthWest.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Ruby wants to come up with something fun to do on a windy day, but her brothers have run off to do their own thing. As each of their projects is destroyed by the wind, Ruby finally hits upon her idea - creating something they can all share and that the wind can actually help along.
Maier makes a big deal out of mentioning that her story was inspired by The Little Pigs - something no one would have noticed if she hadn’t mentioned it. Ruby seems smug to me - waiting for her brothers to fail before she can swoop in and make something that will last.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
Content: PG (cartoon pictures of blood, guts and gore)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO:SEVERAL
A Sick History of Medicine is full of fun medical facts from history such as the use of spells, healers, electric eels, maggots and leaches. We learn quick snippets of historic plaques and much more. Readers will also learn about great inventions from vaccines to X-rays.
A Sick History of Medicine contains fun and interesting facts. I enjoyed the very graphic, humorous, and colorful illustrations.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
A little tadpole asks his friend the snail if he is a frog. The snail replies “not yet, but soon.” As the tadpole grows he keeps asking the snail, and gets the same answer. The snail patiently explains all the changes that will happen to the tadpole as he grows and finally changes into a frog.
The book is delightful and informational, explaining the lifecycle of a frog. The illustrations are bright and fun and small children love to point out the tadpole and the snail in every picture. The very last picture shows the whole lifecycle of a frog. I loved this book and so did my 2 year old grandson. We must have read it ten times a day! I absolutely recommend this book.
Ellen-Anita. Librarian
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
No matter where you call home, nature is there. But how much do you really know about nature? Commonly held misconceptions about nature are everywhere. This is a myth-busting guide to planet Earth and it's animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and prehistoric creatures.
Nature reads a lot like a comic book and points out facts that go against what we think we know. It is an irreverent, fun, and enriching way to learn about biology. Caldwell entertains the reader with stylish and humorous illustrations.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
In the darkness just before sunrise, a boy and his grandfather set off on Grandma's favorite walk to find her favorite place. They walked through the woods noticing the activities of nature before they reach Grandma's favorite place.
Night Walk helps children realize that they can remember someone they have lost by remembering their favorite things. Beautiful illustrations help capture these tender feelings.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Little Chick is looking for a safe, clean, quiet place to wait out the storm.
Five little patches of soft fluff are the highlight of Horacek’s board book. It would be very cute in an Easter basket.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
Nop, a stuffed bear, lived among forgotten items at Oddmint's Dumporeum. Other stuffed animals enhanced themselves and were chosen by children, but Nop was not. He made a balloon and sailed away, seeking a place to belong.
Nop is a story about someone who feels forgotten by others, and decides to take matters into his own hands. The story is a little difficult to understand. The illustrations are cute and interesting.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Each autumn Mr. Lepron and his rabbit family gather vegetables from the farmer’s fields and he makes one giant pot of delicious soup that is famous all over the world. One day he decides to ramp up production and sell his soup all over the world. But as the factory expands and the worries begin, his soup loses that special sparkle that made it so delicious. Mr. Lepron has a difficult decision to make.
Zoboli seems to have a book about the dangers of over-commercialism and the joy of small batch production. The story is a little heavy-handed. Plus it is a very long read - very text heavy - it felt like it took up a longer time to read than I wanted to spend on it.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Duck runs a successful taco truck at the beach - until Goose comes along and takes all of the business. But Goose becomes overwhelmed. Can they both succeed if they work together?
I love the illustrations, I love the lesson. I do not love the rhyming composition - Rhymes are hard to pull off and the story becomes awkward stuck into the convention. Can we have a do-over with normal sentences?
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Meet the tails and uses of tails from a wide variety of animals - reptiles, mammals, insects, and more.
I like the clever composition of Davidson’s book. Each page has a part for an older reader (Like a parent) and a simpler part for the early reader. The text is enough that a beginner will probably need help with their part. Davidson packs a lot of information and many adorable pictures in his work.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Birungi is so frustrated with her hair! She doesn’t even want to go to school. Her understanding parents take her on a walk through town, pointing out what a variety of hair colors and types there are - and that each should be celebrated.
My frustration with this book is that Sewankambo doesn’t actually solve Birungi’s problem - she serves up feel-good platitudes instead. I was hoping for something more than “take good care of your hair” or “love your hair as it is” feelings.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
Down in the burrow are the floofiest bouncing bunnies! With so much energy to expend, will they ever be ready for sleepy cuddles?
Perfect for pre-nap time story time! Be ready for bouncy, jumping and tail wagging fun. Better have a little snack ready, too. ADorable bunny illustrations and such fun, energetic text to read aloud.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
The hare does not want anyone to share his turnips and he doesn't even want to join in when invited. Just leave him alone! But the kind rabbits are growing on him - so when the boar comes, Hare does something unexpected, reaping unexpected results.
SMall gives us a lovely lesson on the loneliness of selfishness without becoming preachy. I love his illustrative style.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Meet Quark - or Q. He is going to take you on a journey through the quantum universe.
High quality information presented in a fun way - but SUPER dense! I will be buying this for my shelves, because even though it is a picture book, it has enough information for any middle school level research project - some high school level ones too, I believe. I have a hard time seeing anyone being able to read this in one sitting - however the pictures are fun to look at. The index in teh back has more than 100 keywords.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL(K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
When Santa arrives at the house, the child has so many questions!
Adults will laugh (maybe roll their eyes) at the child’s many questions. Kids who are into Santa will love the adventure of it all. The illustrations have the right touch of whimsy and dreamy to set the stage for the end.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
The little girl doesn’t want to get bundled up and go out into the cold, but does enjoy watching the ice carvers - until she realizes her little horse figurine is missing. When they return in the evening to see the final pieces, she is taken away by the wonder of the creations - and she finds another lovely surprise.
Kurpiel has a sweet, dreamy book with a tranquil color palette. I will enjoy looking at it again and again. I also like the representation as the main character, a white girl, uses a wheelchair, but that isn’t the point of the story.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Peace on Earth is beautiful, but sometimes it can be hard to hold back harsh words and hurt. Then it takes time and care to build up peace again.
Written in a short rhyming style - the author tries too hard to tell us how to find peace, instead of showing us, making me feel like I was being preached at. The pictures are mostly beautiful to look at, which salvages it somewhat.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
The Kaua’i ‘o’o arrived soon after Akuai became inhabitable, surviving for 1000’s of years. The last one a male, was last seen in 1987 - officially becoming extinct that same year.
Piedra and Joy renders the Kaua’i ‘o’o’s story into a beautiful heartbreak. Perfect for showing what human interference has done to the natural world as we spread and build without thought of consequences. I also love that this is a book about Polynesia - which is still very underrepresented in picture books.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
The bunnies are running amok on the bus and wreaking havoc all over town. Where are they headed?
The bunnies are hilarious and adorable all at once. And keep an eye out for all that is going on in the background - so much to see!
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Becker celebrated the sparkling lights of winter with a board book containing some sturdy translucent panels simulating sparkling snow, flakes, and lights. It is very sweet - nice for a warm fire, a cuddly blanket and a little friend to read it with.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
Jack has to write an apology note to Zoe. He tries many varieties, but his teacher keeps asking him to try again - until he can sincerely apologize.
Lukoff does an excellent job of showing us how to write an apology without making bullet points about a great apology. This is a master text for those who want to write lesson-like picture books. And the message, the lesson, is one that is valuable for every age level. I am going to show this to my counselors and teachers.
Jack looks Hispanic.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Oak is the happiest leaf person in the whole oak tree. When the winter winds arrive, however, Oak is not ready to leave her tree. Even after her family has moved to their forest floor home, Oak clings stubbornly to the tree - until she finally remembers what makes her tree a real home - family and friends.
Oak’s story will resonate with anyone in your life who is afraid of change. And that is so many of us! Oak and her message are sweet, without becoming didactic. Fleming has created a character, both in attitude and illustration, that could easily populate more books.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Gumluck is a happy-go-lucky wizard that likes to be silly. He is friends with a raven and a ghost. Helvetica, the raven, decides it is time to build a nest to lay her eggs in. After Gumluck accidentally destroys several of her nests, she mistakenly lays her eggs in a dragon's nest.
Gumluck is a sweet and funny book. Most pages have pictures and the text is comparable to an easier chapter book (like Dragon Masters). The pictures are black and white. This is the second book in this series. The first book is called The Story of Gumluck the Wizard.
Gumluck is presumably white.
Tracie, Elementary School Librarian
