Bake Infinite Pie with X+Y by Eugenia Cheng, illustrated by Amber Ren - OPTIONAL

Bake Infinite Pie with X+Y by Eugenia Cheng, illustrated by Amber Ren PICTURE BOOK Little, Brown and Company/Poppy. 2022. $18. 9780759556867

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

X and Y are kids who dream of making a pie infinitely wide and infinitely tall, so they ask Aunt Z for help. She explains that there are infinite ways to make a pie. Aunt Z helps them make pie crust - which they roll out in different shapes, a triangle, a square and a circle. They choose fillings that match their shapes. When the pies are ready, they discuss how to eat them - there is a way to make them last until infinity. And what about the extra dough, how many corners can we make, and how many circles? 

The story presented the concept of "infinite" in an understandable way. Calling the children X and Y and the aunt Z however, really made this a book just about math. I wish there was a different way to have expressed their personalities other than doing that. It limits the interest. I don't see kids picking this up on their own. There was no identifiable culture or race of the characters. 

Lisa Librarian

Small but Mighty: Why Earth's Tiny Creatures Matter by Kendra Brown, and Catarina Oliveira - ADVISABLE

Small but Mighty: Why Earth's Tiny Creatures Matter by Kendra Brown, illustrated by Catarina Oliveira. PICTURE BOOK, NON-FICTION Owl Kids. 2021. $19.00 9781771474313 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Many of the smallest animals are called Keystone Species. This is because they are critical to the survival of other species. Krill eat phytoplankton, and then lots of other sea life eat krill. Leafcutter ants are small but mighty because they live in such large colonies. They help enrich the soil which keeps our rainforests healthy. Fireflies use a chemical reaction to produce light, scientists would love to create lightbulbs that do the same.

A combination of photographs and illustrations perfectly accompany the informative text. I love the "Actual Size" details which compare the small animal to something everyday (a termite is tinier than your pinky fingernail.). There's a reasonable amount of text, but not so much that a 3rd or 4th grader couldn't easily navigate.  Love this fun non-fiction.

Lisa Librarian

Look Grandma! Ni, Elisi! by Art Coulson and Madelyn Goodnight - ADVISABLE

Look Grandma! Ni, Elisi! by Art Coulson, Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight. PICTURE BOOK Charlesbridge, 2021. $16. 9781623542030 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Bo and his uncle Ben have been working on crafts to sell at the Cherokee National Holiday. Bo has been making marbles. His uncles invites him to come sell, he's finally old enough! So Bo looks for the perfect container, but the one he finds is too large for their small booth. How can he make the marbles fit in a container that takes up less space? 

I loved the realistic math problem and his different solutions - and the extra problems the "wrong" solution caused. The cultural connection was a nice bonus. The illustrations are great - and pair perfectly with the text. I loved that the reader gets to look at Bo's messy room to try and find the solution (before turning the page.) Includes some fun math activities, a note about playing Cherokee marbles, and a glossary of Cherokee words.

Lisa Librarian

Skywatcher by Jamie Hogan - ADVISABLE

Skywatcher by Jamie Hogan. PICTURE BOOK Tilbury House, 2021. $19 9780884488972 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Tamen's favorite book character is Skywatcher, and he wants to travel to the stars like she does, but he lives in a bright city and can't see the stars at all. So his mother takes him camping, and Tamen finally sees the stars. And it's so much better than he expected. 

Jamie Hogan has written and illustrated a beautiful story. Readers will love the camping trip and the constellations drawn into the pictures of the night sky. I loved the author's note which talks about light pollution, stars, owls, and moths, and even gives some tips on becoming Skywatcher!

Lisa Librarian

Usha and the Big Digger by Amitha Jagannath Knight, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat - ADVISABLE

Usha and the Big Digger by Amitha Jagannath Knight, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat PICTURE BOOK Charlesbridge, 2021 $16.00 9781623542023 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Usha cartwheels down a hill and almost runs into her sister who is laying on the grass. Aarti is looking at the big dipper and points it out to Usha - the four stars make the scoop and the other three make the handle. But Usha, who loves trucks, sees a digger. The next night they show their cousin Gloria, and she sees a kite! Then Usha notices that the way you turn to see it, might make you see differently. 

Darling story - I loved the older sister who says "Still the big dipper" under her breath. The illustrations are magnificent - the night scenes look just right. Includes more information about seeing starts at night, and some math related activities.

Lisa Librarian

Earth is Big by Steve Tomecek and Marcos Farina - OPTIONAL

Earth is Big: A Book Of Comparisons by Steve Tomecek,  illustrated by Marcos Farina 50 pages. PICTURE BOOK, NON-FICTION whatonearthbooks.com, 2021. $24. 9781912920341 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The Earth is Big is all about relative comparisons. The page on measurements goes from miles to nanometers, showing examples of each Amazon River compared to the Great Wall of China, a lady bug to a pinhead, a blood cell to the coronavirus. The age of the the Earth is used to plot a timeline including the age of the moon, through evolution, including Dinosaurs, early man; the lifespan of a person (122 years) is compared to the lifespan of a Giant Sequoia (2,500 years) Red Sea Urchin (200 years) Mayfly (1 day) among other examples. It's cold, it's hot, it's wet, it's dry, there's even a spread about things that make it unique. 

No! The size, why? Fully 12 inches high! I know it's about the earth being big, but if it won't fit on the shelves . . . it's like the publisher is angling for permanent display spots and that's not fair to all the other books that would like that placement. I expected huge illustrations (or at least big ones) instead I found that it is very fact heavy, with the pages divided into info boxes. So many comparisons, and so much information . The illustrations: colors are not vibrant at all, maybe they are going for an antique art look? 18 chapters in 41 pages, then a glossary, source notes and an index. Earth is Big is best read in pieces, opened anywhere and explored. A bit much to take in all at once.

Lisa Librarian

Treemendous: Diary of a Not Yet Mighty Oak by Bridget Heos and Mike Ciccotello - ADVISABLE

Treemendous: Diary of a Not Yet Mighty Oak by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Mike Ciccotello. PICTURE BOOK Crown Books (Penguin Random House) 2021. $18. 9780525579366

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Starting as a green acorn on a big oak tree, we read entries in the diary - one or two a year for a while, then every few years as things change. Planted by a squirrel who buried the acorn, it's growing in the shade of its grandmother, and getting bigger every year.  We learn about photosynthesis, the different kinds of bark, even how an oak tree affects global warming! 

Treemendous is so cute! I loved the sweet faces Mike Ciccotello put on the trees. Not too cartoony, just enough to make the tree personable, but it is still a tree. A great way to explore the life of a mighty oak, from seed to mature tree.

Lisa Librarian

Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention by Pip Jones and Sara Ogilvie - ADVISABLE

Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention by Pip Jones and Sara Ogilvie, PICTURE BOOK Peachtree Publishing, 2019, $18. 9781682631645

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Izzy Gizmo and her crow friend Fixer have been invited to participate in an Invention Convention! But when Izzy gets there, Abi von Lavish (another young inventor) is taking all the best supplies and even using more than her fair share of the power supply. Izzy needs to follow Grandpa's advice and make something that is useful, environmental conscious, and that everyone needs - she comes up with the perfect thing!

 Pip Jones poetic narration was reminiscent of Dr. Seuss - as were Sara Ogilvie's illustrations. The whimsical inventions were delightful to look at, and the story was perfect for today's audience. A follow up to the original Izzy Gizmo - I'm excited to see what she comes up with next.

Lisa Librarian

All in a Drop by Lori Alexander - ADVISABLE

All in a Drop : How Antony van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible World by Lori Alexander, illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger, 93 pages. NON-FICTION Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. $18.

CONTENT: G. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Antony van Leeuwenhock was a self taught scientist. He built his own microscope and studied the living things he found under his lens. Academics like the Royal Society didn't believe his research because he was not well educated, however, once other scientists could replicate his findings, he was made a fellow of the society. Before van Leeuwenhock, people thought the world was only what we could see with our eyes, these discoveries changed everything. 

Alexander's biography is full color illustrated with the occasional captioned photograph. I learned a lot in this short chapter book, perfect for the 3rd to 5th grade reader, and a great STEM connection, but also accessible for middle school students.  What would you look at if you had a microscope? Includes a timeline, glossary and source notes. 

Lisa Librarian

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom - ADVISABLE

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom By Teresa Robeson, illustrated by Rebecca Huang PICTURE BOOK Sterling Children’s Books 2019 9781454932208 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Wu Chien Shiung was born in China in a time when educating girls was not valued, but her parents thought otherwise. Her father was a principal at a girls school and her mother the teacher, so Wu Chien Shiung was able to study science and went on to become one of the most important physicists ever. Despite sexism and racism, she embraced her name which means Courageous Hero, and proved the theories of important scientists like Enrico Fermi. Although the Nobel prized passed her by more than once, she deserves to be The Queen Of Physics.

Inspirational! I love short biographies, and Teresa Robeson found an amazing scientist to write about. Huang’s illustrations are great (I love the pearls and the lab coat on the cover). Hooray for women in STEM! Includes a glossary and life achievements.

Lisa Librarian

Cats are a Liquid by Rebecca Donnelly and Misa Saburi - ESSENTIAL

Cats are a Liquid by Rebecca Donnelly, illustrated by Misa Saburi.  PICTURE BOOK.  Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2019.  $18. 9781250206596

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Cats are a liquid – except when they are not!

I just have to encourage you to read this for yourself and then to as many others small and large as you can.  Absolutely delightful and a great look at a twist at scientific inquiry.  Are cats perhaps really a liquid.  I’d love to read this to students and have them then apply the thought process to other animals or objects.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

What Miss Mitchell Saw by Hayley Barrett and Diana Sudyka - ESSENTIAL

What Miss Mitchell Saw by Hayley Barrett, illustrated by Diana Sudyka.  NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK.  Beach Lane (Simon & Schuster), 2019.  $18.  9781481487597

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

When she was a child, Maria Mitchell was already helping her father - observing the stars each night and helping him calibrate sextants.  She became a teacher and then a librarian, and still she observed the skies, until in 1847 she saw a comet.  And because she was the first to see that comet and report it, the King of Denmark rewarded her with a medal and world still knows her name.

Barrett uses simple words to delineate Maria’s life and Sudyka compliments them with dreamy star-filled illustrations. A great read aloud to support a STEM class to talk about women’s early contributions, to spark imaginations to want to scan the star and even talk about the value of reducing light pollution.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Counting the Stars Cline-Ransome and Colon - ADVISABLE

Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by Raul Colon.  NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK.  Simon & Schuster, 2019.  $18. 9781534404755

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Katherina Johnson always loved numbers.  Though she starts her career as a teacher, she finds her stride when she because a computer at Langley Aeronautics. Through Katherine and other women at Langley, NASA was able to launch into space.

Cline-Rancome writes a perfect example of a middle elementary biography.  Excellent addition to a growing STEM collection and to add more women’s history.  Quite lengthy, though, so more for a student to read alone, rather than a read aloud. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Stinky Science: Why the Smelliest Smells Smell so Smelly by Edward Kay - ESSENTIAL

Stinky Science: Why the Smelliest Smells Smell so Smelly, by Edward Kay and Mike Shiell, PICTURE BOOK/NON FICTION. Kids Can Press, 2019. $18. 9781771383820

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Kids love to talk about stinky things! Here's a great book about the science behind it. Why things smell, how you smell it, and how smells trigger memory are all simply explained. The reader is introduced to the stinkiest things - like the stinkiest animals, plants and food; we learn what perfumes are made of and what space smells like, and of course, there's plenty of poop and farts and stinky feet. 

Comically illustrated by Mike Shiell, the topic and the pictures will capture even the reluctant readers who will suddenly discover they just learned a lot about the science of stink. A little text heavy for lower elementary, but for the upper grades and middle school kids, it's perfect. 

Lisa Librarian

The Day the Universe Exploded My Head by Allan Wolf - ESSENTIAL

The Day the Universe Exploded My Head by Allan Wolf, illustrated by Anna Raff.  POETRY PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2019.  $18.  9780763680251

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Wolf has written and Raff has illustrated a host of very clever poems about the objects, forces, and people in our solar system.  Included are two voice, three voice, and even four voice poems for group performance, but really every poem in here begs to be read aloud, sung aloud, rapped aloud. I can’t imagine a science class that wouldn’t be enhanced by these poems.  And what a great idea for a cross-curricular activity.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet by Curtis Manley - ADVISABLE

Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet by Curtis Manley, illustrated by Jessica Lanan. NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK.  Roaring Brook (Macmillan), 2019.  $19.  9781250155337

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Since the beginning of recorded history, mankind has wondered if there are other planets with life on them somewhere out in the stars.  How do we search for these planets?  What would life on them look like?

Manley gives us a detailed, but accessible look at the different ways scientists are looking for other planetary bodies throughout space.  Detailed enough that it will work best with older students – any class that discusses space exploration could use this.  The explanations of how the different methods work was very clear – clear enough for this non-scientist to get a good grasp.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Flower Talk by Sara Levine - ESSENTIAL

Flower Talk: How Plants Use Color to Communicate by Sara Levine, illustrated by Masha D’yans. PICTURE BOOK.  Millbrook Press, 2019. $20. 9781541519282 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

A purple cactus has information for us humans.  Flowers’ colors aren’t for us humans to enjoy, they are to signal the pollinators to help them. 

The slightly annoyed tone of the purple cactus is a great voice for this book.  The information is actually relayed very simply and understandably.  I think middle school teachers will like this for science class just as much as elementary teachers.  Wherever they talk about pollination.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Melia and Jo by Billy Aronson and Jennifer Oxley - ESSENTIAL

Melia and Jo by Billy Aronson and Jennifer Oxley PICTURE BOOK, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. $18. 132891626X

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Melia is an inventor. She works and works on her inventions but none seem to function as she would like. Jo is Melia's new neighbor. Jo is a singer and a dancer who doesn't respect Melia's space, nor does she see the inventions the same way Melia does. But wait! When creative Jo and logical Melia work together, they make a friendship (and a lot of other great things)! 

Aronson and Oxley have presented a great picture book which demonstrates why we need an A (Arts) in STEM - because creativity is so important! The illustrations are delightful, the story is spot on. I loved the smart resourceful girls, (and smart resourceful girls will love this book) 

Lisa Librarian

Dr. E's Super Stellar Solar System by Bethany Ehlmann -- ESSENTIAL

Dr. E's Super Stellar Solar System: Massive Mountains! Supersize Storms! Alien Atmospheres! by Bethany Ehlmann and Jennifer Swanson, 128 pgs. NON-FICTION. National Geographic Kids, 2018. $13.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS -- ESSENTIAL.

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

This guide to the solar system is full of information on planets, stars, comets, and many other celestial phenomena.

The writing style works well, packing in a lot of fascinating info in a fun, approachable, concise style. Photos, graphics, sidebars, and even comic strips make the text even more approachable and interactive. I only wish it were available in a library binding, or even hardcover, since paperbacks do not last as long on our shelves.

Reviewed by Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk - ESSENTIAL

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk, illustrated bySara Palacios. PICTURE BOOK. Viking, 2018. $17. 9780425291986

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

After introducing herself to the world, Pearl announces that today is the last day she can build a sandcastle. Previous attempts have failed, but today she has brought Pascal, her robot, to help. Pascal will do anything she tells him, as long as she tells him in code. She then proceeds to break down the instruction to “build a sandcastle” into smaller, doable steps. By the end, she has used a code-following robot to build an entire kingdom.

This book introduces some basics of coding through an activity that kids can relate to. Various coding conventions are introduced, such as breaking a big task into smaller steps, looping, sequencing, if-then-else clauses, and reusing the same code again and again. With the current emphasis on coding instruction, this book is essential to support such curriculum.

P. K. Foster, teacher-librarian