Blueberry Cake by Sarah Dillard - OPTIONAL

Blueberry Cake by Sarah Dillard. PICTURE BOOK. Aladdin (Simon), 2021. $18. 9781534451346

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Mama Bear sends little bear out to the forest to pick blueberries for blueberry cake. Little bear has all kinds of fun playing, picking blueberries and eating them. He is easily distracted by things that he sees. He comes home without any blueberries. Mama Bear is not too happy. Little bear feels bad he did not get any blueberry cake. Early the next morning he gets up and runs to the forest to fill a bucket with blueberries.

Darling illustrations, bright and happy. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a story to grab onto for repeat reads. To top it off you could even make blueberry cake together.

Ellen-Anita LMS 

The Walloos' Big Adventure by Anuska Allepuz - OPTIONAL

The Walloos' Big Adventure by Anuska Allepuz. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2021. $18. 9781536215311

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

The Walloo family leave their rocky home for a tropical vacation. They come to land that is smooth and there are lots of wonderful leaves and seeds for them to eat. Little Walloo notices that not everything is as it seems. Their island seems to be moving! What can they do?

Darling, bright and happy illustrations to go with a cute, if not compelling read. Lots of fun things to discuss with little ones. The pictures are very detailed. I really enjoyed this little book.

Ellen-Anita, LMS 

The Strangest Thing in the Sea and Other Curious Creatures of the Deep by Rachel Poloquin and Byron Eggenschwiller - ESSENTIAL

The Strangest Thing in the Sea and Other Curious Creatures of the Deep: a strangely interactive book by Rachel Poloquin, illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiller. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Kids Can Press, 2021. $18. 9781771389181

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Life in the ocean is more odd and mysterious than any of us can even imagine.

Poloquin introduces us to 13 exotic ocean creatures. First you see an imaginative illustrations, which opens to a beautiful drawing of the actual creature and just the right amount of information about each. Like Jess Keating’s books, kids will pull this out and share it with each other.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

When the Schools Shut Down by Yolanda Gladden, Dr. Tamara Pizzoli and Keisha Morris - ADVISABLE

When the Schools Shut Down: A Young Girl's Story of Virginia's "Lost Generation" and the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Decision written by Yolanda Gladden as told to Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, illustrated by Keisha Morris. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Harper, 2022. $19. 9780063011168

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Five years after the Brown vs the Board of Education verdict, Yolanda was old enough to start school. But instead of integrating the classrooms, the school board of their county decided to shut them all instead. It took 5 years, and a Supreme Court ruling, for them to reopen.

The beginning of the picture book was a bit confusing for me, because the girl, Yolanda, doesn’t feel like a 5yo from the illustrations – she seems more like an eight year old. Regardless, Yolanda’s personal story is important – it took ten years from the original Brown decision for schools in her county to desegregate. Until now, little has been said about this “lost generation. A useful book to round out any history-based picture book collection.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Welcome Chair by Rosemary Wells and Jerry Pinkney - OPTIONAL

The Welcome Chair by Rosemary Wells, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. PICTURE BOOK. Paula Wiseman (Simon), 2021. $18. 9781534429772

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Follow the journey of a rocking chair, from its carving by a Jewish immigrant in the early 1800’s to the hands of refugees from the Middle East in modern America.

Wells starts her book with a family story of the chair, which passed out of their family in the 1910’s, imagining the rest of the chair’s journey. Pinkney uses a muted palette and an old-fashioned feel to his illustrations. As a long-form read, with denser text, I can see a teacher using this to discuss parts of the American immigration experience, decorating the classroom with the word “Welcome” translated into many languages. Otherwise, I don’t see children picking this up on their own.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham by C. G. Esperanza - ESSENTIAL

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham by C. G. Esperanza. PICTURE BOOK. Abrams, 2021. $18. 9781419747717 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

It's Sunday and the whole family is gathered for Soul Food. The kids are playing together, the men watching the game, but one child is given the opportunity to work with grandma in the kitchen. She teaches him how to grate cheese, prepare the greens and get the meat ready for the grill. 

What a wonderful opportunity, to learn to cook from his loving grandmother, who gives the best praise! Soul Food Sunday is an upbeat, fun book about family, food and teaching children with patience and love - and kids who try hard all the way to the end. Esperanza's illustrations are colorful, and realistic - oh the facial expressions!

Lisa Librarian

May Your Life Be Deliciosa by Michael Genhart and Loris Lora - ADVISABLE

May Your Life Be Deliciosa by Michael Genhart and Loris Lora. PICTURE BOOK. Cameron (ABRAMS), 2021 $18. 9781951836221 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Every Christmas Eve, Rosie and her family visit their Abuela and make tamales with her in their kitchen. Everyone has a job preparing them, but before they put them together, Abuela has a story to tell, a story which makes each part of the tamale a wish for her family. 

Yes, it's Christmas Eve, but don't leave this with the holiday books - it's about story telling, and family, and culture and making food. As Abuela started telling her story I started to tear up. Beautifully told, sweetly illustrated - I want to start such a tradition with my grandchildren. Learn the stories from your grandparents so you can tell them to your children.

Lisa Librarian

The White House Cat by Cylin Busby and Neely Daggett - ADVISABLE

The White House Cat by Cylin Busby, illustrated by Neely Daggett. PICTURE BOOK. Balzer + Bray (Harper), Feb 2022. $18. 9780063138865

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Do you want to see every room in the White House? Then the best person to ask is ---- a cat! Follow our new cat friend as it weaves in and out of each of the rooms from top to bottom.

Not so much about the cat, Busby is really taking us on a different tour of the White House. There are some cat facts sprinkled amongst the very interesting back matter. A simple book to add to a White House lesson, perhaps.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Wombat Underground by Sarah L. Thomson and Charles Santoso - ESSENTIAL

Wombat Underground: a wildfire survival story by Sarah L. Thomson, illustrated by Charles Santoso. PICTURE BOOK. Little Brown, 2022. $19. 9780316707060

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Wombat is busy digging one of its several burrows under the forest of Australia, while other animals are also going about their days. When a wildfire sweeps through the forest, instead of driving the others away, wombat allows them to share its burrow, safe from the fires raging above.

A great book to talk about what is true about the behavior of wombats vs the viral gossip that spread during the recent Australia bush fires. I love seeing a human helper holding a wombat – really the only way to get the perspective on their sheer size! Any elementary teacher could pull this out for an instant.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art by Cynthia Levinson, and Evan Turk - ADVISABLE

The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Evan Turk. PICTURE BOOK, BIOGRAPHY Abrams Books for Young Readers (Abrams), 2021. $19. 9781419741302 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Ben wanted to draw more than anything. But paper was hard to get in his shtetl in Lithuania so he sketched in the margins of his book. One day, when the whole class was punished for 1 student's actions, Ben called out the injustice and left class. Immigrating to America when he was only 8, Ben again defied injustice but this time through his art. His skills in drawing often calmed the bullies at school (for a bit). He left art school because he didn't want to paint landscapes and instead drew portraits. He was even hired by the US Government to paint an important mural. But, during the 40s and 50s, he was accused of being disloyal to America (because he supported workers and immigrants and civil rights). He didn't back down. 

Like Ben Shahn, this picture book is full of illustrations. I loved that they resemble Shahn's style without looking like a parody. Plenty of information in the text, enough information for a good understanding of the artist, but room for research if used as a springboard. Includes author's and illustrator's notes, timeline, bibliography, sites and websites.

Lisa Librarian

Sato the Rabbit by Yuki Ainoya - ADVISABLE

Sato the Rabbit by Yuki Ainoya (translated from Japanese by Michael Blaskowsky). PICTURE BOOK Enchanted Lion Books, 2021. $18. 9781592703180 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Haneru Sato became a rabbit one day. One day, while watering the garden, he imagines where the water comes from. While washing the laundry he imagines he's a ship and the grass is the ocean. He imagines catching stars during a meteor shower, which helps to light the moonless nights. His watermelon becomes a watermelon boat, he explores a luminous puddle and finds a window to the sky. 

Many more adventures are in store for Sato the Rabbit in this delightful picture book. I loved the illustrations - the text is interactive so we follow a hose into the forest to see the pond blowing water into the hose. There's a page turn between the real and imaginary, giving the reader a moment to imagine for themselves. So many things can be imagined with a pair of walnut halves, or colored ice. A delightful read.

Lisa Librarian

Wilds of the United States: The Animals' Survival Field Guide by Alexander Vidal - ESSENTIAL

Wilds of the United States: The Animals' Survival Field Guide by Alexander Vidal, 128 pages NON-FICTION.. Chronicle, JULY 2022. $20. 9781452184494 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Vidal combines stunning illustrations with many, many tidbits of intriguing information to introduce the reader to the while spectrum of wildlife across the United States. You can see his years of study in his information – his love for nature oozes out in word and pictures. 

This one will probably go out with a reader and be renewed many times before it gets returned. I would love a set of posters for classrooms! 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS