A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom and Brandon James Scott - ESSENTIAL

A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Brandon James Scott. PICTURE BOOK. Hippo Park (Astra), 2022. $19. 9781662640087

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Bear is hungry and knows there is honey up in that tree. Bess, however, is on guard and is not alone in protecting the hive.

I have to say it – Scott’s illustrations are luminous! Gorgeous. Glowing. While Bernstrom’s story is simple, the words and pictures are a cohesive whole that will delight every reader. A master text for picture book writers – it’d be great to share with any creative writing class. And I really want to cuddle that bee!

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781662640087

The Why-Why’s Gone Bye-Bye by Stephen Pastis - HIGH

The Why-Why’s Gone Bye-Bye (Trubble Town #2) by Stephen Pastis, 288 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Aladdin (Simon & Schuster). 2022. $14.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

My attempt at a summary: Milo lives in the Trubble Orphanage for Troubled Tots where he rarely speaks. The orphanage is crushed by a Hula-hoop and the children of Trubble are saved from aliens because they were tethered to the Wheel O’ Death ride, which when they are flung from it, they discover there are no adults in the town. And then it gets weird.

Wicked funny read. Pastis has a gift for bizarre but hilarious absurdity. Even though this is aimed at kids, the humor had me hooked and I think it would appeal to any audience. It’s like a comedic acid trip. Sign me up for the next one.

Michelle in the Middle 

That’s Not My Name! by Anoosha Syed - ADVISABLE

That’s Not My Name! by Anoosha Syed. PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin), 2022. $18. 9780593405178

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Mirha is excited for the first day of school, but after everyone, including her teacher, says her name incorrectly, she isn’t sure she wants to go back for day two. Her mama reminds her that her names means “happiness” and that people are capable of saying different names. Mirha is ready to kindly keep correctly people the next day and realizes that people want to say her name the right way.

Syed’s own illustrations are bright and bubbly to complement her story of owning your name and kindly expecting people to respect it – a simple, but necessary lesson. Excellent for those first few weeks of a new school year.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Tower of Life by Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal - ESSENTIAL

The Tower of Life: how Yaffa Eliach rebuilt her town in stories and photographs by Chana Stiefel, illustrated by Susan Gal. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Scholastic, 2022. $19. 9781338225891

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Yaffa was a little girl when the German army swept into her small village and killed nearly every Jewish inhabitant. Over the next few years, Yaffa and her family fled and hid – always a few steps away from capture. When Yaffa came to America, she became a renowned Holocaust scholar. When President Jimmy Carter asked her to help create an exhibit for the Holocaust Museumin WDC, she remembered the few photographs she managed to save and spent the next 17 years traveling the world to look for other photographs that may have remained as witness to her village.

Wow, Wow! What an awesome story. Any class in any school that studies the Holocaust or refugees will devour this book. Students may not understand at the beginning of the story why it is so important, but by the end they will be drawn in just like I was. What a precious new piece to our knowledge of history! I don’t always wish for more back matter in my picture books, but this one needed so much more! I guess I’ll have to do my own research. 

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

A Friend for Ghost by Suzanne Kaufman - OPTIONAL

A Friend for Ghost by Suzanne Kaufman. PICTURE BOOK. Neal Porter Books (Holiday House), 2022. $19. 9780823448524

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Ghost lives alone and wants a friend. He's active in his neighborhood, but lonely. Sometimes, a family pet will see him, but most never notice him. Then one day Ghost makes a friend. They do lots of things together. That is, until Ghost's friend disappears.

I like ghost stories, and this is a sweet one about friendship. Ghost, as drawn in the pictures, is a bit of a nerd, which will appeal to kids. And Ghost is shown as sad. I like that the artwork is pretty detailed and kids will like looking at the pictures of Ghost and getting his point of view. The pictures will also provoke conversation and empathy.

Wendi Smart, Librarian 

Expedition Backyard by Rosemary Mosco and Binglin Hu - OPTIONAL

Expedition Backyard by Rosemary Mosco and Binglin Hu, 122 pages, GRAPHIC NOVEL. RH Graphic (Penguin Random House). 2022. $13.

Content G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Best friends, Mole and Vole explore the world around them. They are suddenly transplanted from a rural environment to an urban one when they find themselves in moving boxes.

Well-illustrated, this may be a good introduction for kids to discover nature in their own backyards, whether in the city or country. Readers can learn how to keep their own nature journals and track what they see. Though Mole and Vole go on adventures, this is more of a one and done read for me.

Michelle in the Middle 

Kindergarten: where kindness matters every day by Vera Ahiyya, illustrated by Joey Chou - ESSENTIAL

Kindergarten: where kindness matters every day by Vera Ahiyya and Joey Chou. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2022. $18. 9780593484623

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Leo is worried about the first day of kindergarten, especially when his teacher sends a letter that it will be an adventure – he doesn’t want an adventure, he wants it to be quiet. Leo listens carefully as all day his classmates add to their kindness pledge. While he doesn’t add anything with his words, the other kids noticed that he was being kind through his actions. Maybe the second day of kindergarten will be great. 

While we in education talk a lot about letting students create their own class rules, I love this emphasis on looking at it as a way to choose to be kind, instead. The back of the jacket cover has a recreation of a kindness poster ready to hang, but hopefully every new class will actually create their own instead. While there are lots of books teachers can choose for the first day of kindergarten, I think adding this one about KINDERgarten should be a priority.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Girl Who Built and Ocean by Jess Keating and Michelle Mee Nutter - ADVISABLE

The Girl Who Built and Ocean: an artist, an argonaut, and the true story of the world’s first aquarium by Jess Keating and Michelle Mee Nutter. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Knopf (Random House), 2022. $19.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Raised as a seamstress, when Jeanne and her husband move to Italy, her imagination is sent soaring by the rich wildlife around her – especially in the ocean. Though at her time women weren’t respected as scientists, she taught herself to observe carefully and use her imagination. It was her imagination to helped her build the first aquarium, so that she could observe certain species in a way that they couldn’t scuttle off into deeper waters.

Such an excellent look at this inventive woman and I’m so glad that we didn’t lose her story. Nutter’s illustrations as gorgeous and she created some lovely endpapers. I do have to wish that the title didn’t call her “girl”, though.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

Hardly Haunted by Jesse Sima - ADVISABLE

Hardly Haunted by Jesse Sima. PICTURE BOOK. Simon and Schuster, 2022. $18. 9781534441705

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

The house on the hill is afraid that no one wants to live in it because it might be haunted. SO, it will try very hard not to do anything that will make it seem even more haunted. Try as it might, though, when the wind howls through and rattles everything, the ouse kind of likes the noise. Is there maybe a family out there who would like it just the way it is?

For a mildly spooky ghost-ish story, Sima has written a treat. The house has a lot of personality and expressions that are a delight to pause and enjoy. Have children discuss who might want to live in a haunted-ish house before you turn the page and show them.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

I Forgive Alex: a simple story about understanding by Kerascoet - ADVISABLE

I Forgive Alex: a simple story about understanding by Kerascoet. WORDLESS PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2022. $18. 9780593381502

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

When Alex accidentally bumps another boy’s artwork and ruins it, the other kids on the playground get upset at Alex and ostracize him in class, at lunch, and play. It takes a gesture of goodwill from the injured party for all of the feelings to get sorted. Kerascoet includes a nice page of back matter to help adults use this wordless book wisely with students. Excellent way to help kids ease through tense situations before they spiral out of control.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

When Spider Met Shrew by Deborah Kerbel and Genevieve Cote - ADVISABLE

When Spider Met Shrew by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Genevieve Cote. PICTURE BOOK. Groundwood Books (House of Anansi Press), 2022. $19. 9781773065632

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Spider is hungry so she spins a web. As a storm blows in she meets Shrew. Shrew and Spider go on an unplanned adventure, and meet more friends. Each friend has their own problem, but they learn to work together each using their unique gifts and talents to help each other and themselves.

I like the repetition of the book, because it will help young readers build reading skills. The art work is great, very colorful. I didn't like "possum" bei ng referred to as "possum" and not "opossum", which is the correct name.

Wendi Smart, Librarian 

A River's Gifts by Patricia Newman and Natasha Donovan - ADVISABLE

A River's Gifts by Patricia Newman, illustrated by Natasha Donovan. NON FICTION PICTUE BOOK. Millbrook Press (Lerner), 2022. $24. 9781541598706

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

The history of the Elwha River in Washington state and its importance for salmon and the native tribal people (Strong People) is depicted through simple detailed text and beautiful illustrations. As more people moved to the area and built dams to provide electricity, life on the river changed for the river's wildlife and its people. Did you know that licenses for dams need "renewing like an overdue library book?" What would happen if the license is not renewed? Extra notes from the author, illustrator, and a tribal member all give added insight to the book as well as maps on the endpapers comparing 1950 to 2020.

I was drawn into the book by the gorgeous illustrations. The text is very informative and felt like a mini lesson which could be enjoyed by upper elementary children (although not suitable as a read-aloud) through adults. I learned a lot about salmon, life along the river, and about the building of dams. There are many ways this book could be used to enhance any science curriculum.

CS - Middle School Librarian