Incredible Rescue Mission by Zanib Mian and Nasaya Mafaridik - OPTIONAL

Incredible Rescue Mission (Planet Omar #3) by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik, 244 pages. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin). 2021. $14

Language: G (1 swear); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Omar’s elementary school experience has just been ruined. His caring and creative teacher, Mrs. Hutchinson, has mysteriously disappeared and been replaced by crabby Mrs. Crankshaw. Omar and his friends set out to investigate Mrs. Hutchinson’s disappearance and are pretty sure it has to do with aliens. Omar has to act fast before his big trip to Pakistan to visit family. 

Omar is a fun character who has a vivid imagination and I learned a lot about Pakistani culture and food through his story. Omar’s family is close knit and supportive. Omar may have been the only one not to see the ending coming because it was predictable from the very beginning, , but his story is a quick read. 

Michelle in the Middle 

A Bear for Bimi by Jane Breskin Zalben and Yegenia Nayberg - ADVISABLE

A Bear for Bimi by Jane Breskin Zalben, illustrated by Yegenia Nayberg. Kar-Ben (Lerner), 2021. $19. 9781728415710 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

A new family, from a far off country, has moved in next to Evie’s family. While most of the neighborhood embraces the family, bringing food, clothing, furnishings and other needful things, but one older neighbor is struggling to welcome them. 

Another great PB about how easy it is to welcome and accept a variety of people into our spaces. Add this to your refugee collection, or any collection about kindness and acceptance. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Animals (Words of the World) collages by Motonitsu Maehara - OPTIONAL

Animals (Words of the World) collages by Motonitsu Maehara. BOARD BOOK. Blue Dot, 2021. 9781736226445 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Blue Dot brings us 18 animals rendered in delightful collage and 7 different languages identifying the animals. 

Very simple concept, charming illustrations – of interest of a small group of parents. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Hair Story by NoNieqa Ramos and Keisha Morris - OPTIONAL

Hair Story by NoNieqa Ramos, illustrated by Keisha Morris. PICTURE BOOK. Carolrhoda (Lerner), 2021. $18. 9781541579163 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

 AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

 A Latinx girl and her Black friend bemoan the extra care their natural hair takes – and its inability to be straight, shiny, and flowy. It’s only with time that they come to embrace their hair. 

Not my favorite natural hair picture book. Try Hair Love, My Hair is Magic, or Oona for lovelier hair celebrations. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Will You Be My Friend? By Russell Ayto - ADVISABLE

Will You Be My Friend? By Russell Ayto. PICTURE BOOK. Andersen Press (Lerner), 2021. $18. 9781728438931 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Bush Baby is having a hard time finding a friend. All the jungle animals reject Bush Baby for not looking right. When Lion becomes Bush Baby’s friends, they have so much fun, the others want to join in, but Lion has other ideas. 

What starts as a book with a great message about not choosing friends because of how they look, becomes something very different, more dangerous with the twist at the end. Kids will probably enjoy the thrill and can talk about what they think happened. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Monday-Into the Cave of Thieves by Ralph Lazar - OPTIONAL

Monday-Into the Cave of Thieves (Total Mayhem #1) by Ralph Lazar, 208 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Scholastic. 2021. $7

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Dash Candoo deals with Total Mayhem Situations every day. On Monday he is attacked by a squad of combat-ready scallywags and a two-tailed Devil Cat and the mayhem increases once he gets to school, where there is some mysterious thieving going on that involves a Wobble-Ball trophy and expensive perfume. 

With drawings on every page and large print, this is a fast read. The writing style is way over the top and it felt like the author was trying to push the weird envelope a bit too hard. It reads like a video game on speed. If you like your action swift and bizarre this may be your cup of mayhem. 

 Michelle in the Middle 

My Pet Goldfish by Catherine Rayner - OPTIONAL

My Pet Goldfish by Catherine Rayner. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2021. $18. 9781536215205 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL 

 AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

The 4yo child gets a goldfish as a pet and with the help of an older neighbor they learn how to care for it. 

I think the author is the only 4yo in the history of the world who managed to keep a goldfish alive longer than a week. I enjoyed the illustrations, but even with the goldfish facts sprinkled in, I can’t see it as a re-read. It is a nice alternative to a Care-And-Feeding goldfish book. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang and Rachel Wada - ADVISABLE

From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Rachel Wada. PICTURE BOOK. Carolrhoda (Lerner), 2021. $18. 9781541581302 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Though Kalia was living with her family in a Hmong refugee camp inside Thailand, her father wants her to know that the world is much bigger than the little bit they could see behind the fences keeping them in. Putting on their best clothes, he takes her to the top of the tallest tree. 

If you are reading Refugee by Alan Gratz, you should add this to your collection of supporting picture books. Yang shows us through her own story, the love and yearnings for home that exist even under such awful circumstances. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Grandude’s Green Submarine by Paul McCartney and Kathryn Durst - OPTIONAL

Grandude’s Green Submarine by Paul McCartney, illustrated by Kathryn Durst. PICTURE BOOK. Random, 2021. $19. 9780593372432 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Grandude and the Chillers (grandkids) set out in the green submarine to get out of the heat and find Nandude. 

The Green Submarine seems like a direct attempt to avoid “yellow”. Also – why Nandude would be gone so long is an unanswered question. McCartney’s picture book writing is more inconsistent than his musicianship – kind of fun, but not great. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Justice Is… by Preet Bharara and Sue Cornelison

Justice Is… by Preet Bharara, illustrated by Sue Cornelison. PICTURE BOOK. Crown (Random), JAN 2022. $18. 9780593176627 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Bharara talks about the many facets of justice, showing people and events throughout history. She has thoughtfully collected representative people and events and left the words simple and clear. Each page has a person or situation worthy of a deeper dive. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Hi-Five Farm! By Ross Burach - OPTIONAL

Hi-Five Farm! By Ross Burach. BOARD BOOK. Scholastic, 2021. $8. 9781338680263 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The barnyard animals are eager to help our little friends high-five. 

For babies who are learning to high-five, it is a treat to read together. Then they’ll be ready to high-five everyone they come in contact with. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

How to Hide a Ghost by MacKenzie Haley - ADVISABLE

How to Hide a Ghost by MacKenzie Haley. BOARD BOOK. Little Simon, 2021. $9. 9781534487635

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

All throughout the Halloween party, ghosts are hiding in fun, tricky places. Can you spot them? 

A very cute book to add to a Halloween treat bag for young trick-or-treaters. The cover has a flap on it also, and when my little friend grabbed it and tried to open the book, it ripped – the one weakness in such a cute book. 

 Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS