Sensitive by Sara Levine, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini - ADVISABLE

Sensitive by Sara Levine, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini.  PICTURE BOOK.  Carolrhoda Books (Lerner Publishing Group), 2023.  $19.  9781728450926

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL (4-6) – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A little girl who has been told that she is too sensitive learns how to lean into her strengths and overcome the naysayers.

The collage illustrations were such a great way to add visual depth to the story as the criticisms pile up inside the little girl. This would be a good story for your more introverted students as it helps them own their strengths and find ways to deal with the outside noise and opinions.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

Real to Me by Mihn Le and Raissa Figueroa - OPTIONAL

Real to Me by Mihn Le, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa. PICTURE BOOK Alfred A Knopf, 2023. $19 9780593377499 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

A friend is someone who is always there for you, someone you can tell everything. But what if others tell you that friend is just imaginary? And, what if that friend suddenly goes away? 

Oh, the joys of an imaginary friend! My favorite part of this book is the dark, bright, rich colors of the illustrations. Most kids understood the ending, but for a few, it was over their heads. The girl in the book is black. 

Rachel, Elementary School Librarian

Sleepy Sheepy by Lucy Ruth Cummins and Pete Oswald - ADVISABLE

Sleepy Sheepy by Lucy Ruth Cummins illustrated by Pete Oswald PICTURE BOOK (K-3rd grade) Flamingo Books (Penguin Random House), 2023. $19. 9780593465912 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Sleepy Sheepy is NOT sleepy! He would rather play, get a snack, knit some socks, or do anything other than go to bed. Ma and Pa Sheepy, on the other hand, are very sleepy. Will Sleepy Sheepy ever go to bed? 

In contrast with the text, Sheepy's eyes look very sleepy. The going-to-bed battle will be relatable for both kids and parents. Oswald's illustrations are eye-catching and simple (similar to his illustrations in The Bad Seed series). I used this as a read-aloud with kindergarteners, and they were giggling at Sheepy's antics. Characters are sheep. 

Rachel, Elementary School Librarian 

Ups and Downs: A Book of Emotions by Mike Wohnoutka - ADVISABLE

Ups and Downs: A Book of Emotions written and illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka.  PICTURE BOOK.  Candlewick Press, 2023.  $18.  9781536227376

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Experience the many emotional highs and lows over the course of one day at school for our little illustrated friends through simple words and pictures.

What a wonderful starting place for helping students articulate the many different feelings they have inside at any given moment. I thought the illustrations were perfectly paired with each emotion highlighted in the story and it leaves the door open for so many wonderful extension activities. Kids could make connections to the text when they have felt those same emotions or they could pick an emotion to illustrate and share how each of them draw it differently. I love the balance of highs and lows, underscoring the lesson that life is full of each.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

Snake's Big Mistake by Sarah Kurpiel - ADVISABLE

Snake's Big Mistake by Sarah Kurpiel PICTURE BOOK HarperCollins Children's Books, 2023. $20. 9780063093218

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Snake's art class is making pottery, and his pot is going to be the best! But when it comes out of the kiln, his pot is horrible. Then, Snake notices that his teacher mixed up the names of his pot and his friend Turtle's pot. Can Snake learn what it means to be a good friend even when we make mistakes? 

I loved the focus on the feelings of both Snake and Turtle. This would be an excellent book for teaching kids about being a good friend. Snake learns that friendship and apologizing both take practice. The characters are all animals. 

Rachel, Elementary School Librarian 

Pocket Peaches by Dora Wang - OPTIONAL

Pocket Peaches by Dora Wang, 79 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2023. $12  

Content: G 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Peaches, a bunny, lives in the city of Pocketon where she enjoys spending time with her friends. When Taro, a new mysterious cat, moves to town everyone thinks she is weird. Peaches makes it her mission to be Taro's friend, but it might be more difficult than she thinks. 

Wang's chibi-style illustrations are so adorable they make up for the slow start to this graphic novel. I liked that topics of friendship, making mistakes, and bullying were highlighted. The vocabulary may be a bit high for lower elementary students. The characters are animals. 

Rachel, Elementary School Librarian 

Are You Mad at Me? by Tyler Feder and Cody Feder - ADVISABLE

Are You Mad at Me? by Tyler Feder, illustrated by Cody Feder.  PICTURE BOOK.  Rocky Pond Books (Penguin Random House), 2023.  $19.  9780593615669

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Whenever Opal the Ostrich gets anxious, her neck gets wobbly like a noodle! She gets assigned a big task for the annual Feather Family party, and she gets “the noodles” all the way through the day. Will she be able to overcome her anxieties and get the job done?

A very cute story for anyone who has ever gotten nervous before (so, everyone). I think it would be especially helpful in talking about anxiety and mental health with littles. I really liked how Opal faced her fears head on, instead of letting them build up in her head.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

My Little Sweet Boy by Hilary Duff, illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley - ADVISABLE

My Little Sweet Boy by Hilary Duff, illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley.  PICTURE BOOK.  Random House Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House), 2023.  $20.  9780593300756

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A list of wishes from a mother raising her son to be brave & strong & resilient & emotionally mature.

I would like to see more books like this for young boys about the softer side of life. It’s a great way to show young readers the ups and downs of growing up, while staying true to who they are at heart.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes #bookswithbeddes 

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo and Julie Morstad - ADVISABLE

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Julie Morstad. 160 pages. Candlewick, 2023. $18 

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

5 puppets are given as a gift to two little girls, Emma and Martha. Emma writes a play and the girls, and their maid perform for the guests of their parents at a dinner party. 

The summary doesn't do this marvelous story justice. It is told through the voices of the puppets, who see themselves as real. The wolf won't stop talking about how sharp her teeth are, and the king is altogether pompous and demanding. They have dreams of doing what real boys and owls and girls and wolves do - the king is waiting to be revered as king. Julie Morstad's illustrations are simply marvelous, suggesting the period is Victorian England, and they remind me of Edward Gorey's style. With the short chapters and the engaging story, The Puppets of Spelhorst would make a great read-aloud or bedtime story as well. 

Lisa Librarian

Snow and Sorcery (The Cardboard Kingdom #3) by Chad Selln - OPTIONAL

Snow and Sorcery (The Cardboard Kingdom #3) by Chad Sell. 312 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Knopf (Random House), 2023. $22 

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

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The Cardboard Kingdom is on winter break and having fun until newcomers from Parkside want to join in the fun. Some, like Jack, the Sorceress want to crush them and others want to join forces. Just when it seems the sides are resolving their issues, sneak attacks threaten an all-out battle. 

The art is colorful and the the story is divided up into handy chapters. It's nice to see kids being creative and playing outdoors instead of with technology. The kids are pretty intense with their role playing and take their battles seriously. The plot was pretty straightforward with few surprises, but nice themes of people changing for the better. Various cultures are represented through the artwork and one character lives with her mom and her mother's girlfriend. 

Michelle in the Middle

Bizard the Bear Wizard by Chrissie Krebs - HIGH

Bizard the Bear Wizard by Chrissie Krebs, 154 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Margaret Ferguson Books Holiday House, 2023. $21 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Bear is an ordinary bear living in the forest until a tornado blows a wizard's magic wand through the air. The wand implants itself in Bear's head, making him look like a unicorn bear. He discovers that the wand gives him the ability to grant wishes, which causes some big problems in the forest. 

 Bizard and his friends are delightful and the art really captures their quirky personalities. Loaded with humor, you will find yourself cheering for Bizard, the underdog, er bear. I will welcome the next Bizard book. 

 Michelle in the Middle

Bear Helps the Forest (Maybe You Help, Too) by Karen Lynn Williams and Andres Landazabal - OPTIONAL

Bear Helps the Forest (Maybe You Help, Too) by Karen Lynn Williams, illustrated by Andres Landazabal. PICTURE BOOK Charlesbridge/Imagine, 2023. $17. 9781623541613 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Bear loves playing in the fall leaves, but when he wakes up in the spring, the leaves are gone. The forest has done its work in every season and so have the forest animals. 

 The illustrations are nice. The prose is simple and could be used in a classroom setting about how to care for the forest and environmentalism. 

Michelle in the Middle