The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne and E.B. Goodale - NO

The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne, illustrated by E.B. Goodale. PICTURE BOOK Random House Studio, 2023 $19. 9780593374566 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - NOT RECOMMENDED 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

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I was very disappointed by the lack of illustrations and in-text information about the bees of Notre Dame during and after the fire. All of the interesting information is stuffed into the back matter instead. What a waste of a good idea for a picture book! As much as a I like the illustrations, having the fate of the bees after the fire reduced to two pictures is a travesty! Would some of author please write this story? 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Before the Seed by Susannah Buhrman-Deever, Gina Triplett, and Matt Curtius - ADVISABLE

Before the Seed by Susannah Buhrman-Deever illustrated by Gina Triplett & Matt Curtius. PICTURE BOOK, NON-FICTION MIT Kids Press, 2024. $19. 9781536226577 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Before the Seed is a discussion on how pollen moves from plant to plant to create seeds. The world of green that grows from seeds is aided by whirling winds, buzzing bees, and bustling birds. 

Buhrman's text is simple for children to understand with scientific facts on each page for more information. Lush detailed illustrations delight the reader on every page. 

PGPowers

Colorful Mondays by Nelson Rodriguez, Leonard Montes, Rosana Faria and Carla Tabora - ADVISABLE

Colorful Mondays: a bookmobile spreads hope in Honduras by Nelson Rodriguez and Leonard Montes, illustrated by Rosana Faria and Carla Tabora. Translated by Lawrence Schimel. PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION Eerdmans, 2023 $18. 9780802856166 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

While life in Luis's Honduran village is difficult, especially with his papa away looking for work, Luis and the whole village look forward to Mondays - the day the bookmobile arrives. After enjoying the time at the bookmobile, Luis will spread the stories he read throughout the village all week. 

Based on a real bookmobile that serves three small village in Honduras, and one of the bookmobile workers who drive each week to the villages. I don't know if it is a translation problem, but the text is not very engaging. All of the characters are Hondurans. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed and Hatem Aly - ADVISABLE

The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed illustrated by Hatem Aly. PICTURE BOOK Dial Books for Young Readers 2024 $19 9780593406380 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

A boy is writing a rhyming story about knights, dragons, and pirates when his sister comes along and wants to participate in his story. She takes a crayon, ruins some of the rhyming words, and adds her own words and wild ideas. Now as the boy reads his story, some of the sentences don't rhyme anymore and the story seems crazy. He feels frustrated until he realizes something important about his sister's words. 

Abed has crafted an amusing and lively rhyming story with a cute surprise ending. Aly's illustrations are fun and energetic. 

PGPowers

The Wild by Yuval Zommer - OPTIONAL

The Wild by Yuval Zommer. PICTURE BOOK Doubleday (Random House), 2024. $19. 9780593708989

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

While the people of the world thought The Wild was big enough to supply all of their wants forever, The Wild is sick and needs someone to get the world's attention. 

I love the gold leaf on the cover and the personification of The Wild. What puzzled me was Zimmer using a boy as the voice for The Wild. Not only is Mother Earth always depicted as a woman, but when I think about climate activism, the first three people who come to mind are women - Rachel Carson, Wangari Matthau, Greta Thunberg - I wish the author had made different editorial choice. Certainly a fair book to add to a lesson for young people about the need for people to start respecting Earth. The human main character is a white boy, with a variety of other ages, genders, ethnicities joining in within the illustrations. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

This Wolf Was Different by Katie Slivensky and Hannah Salyer - ADVISABLE

This Wolf Was Different by Katie Slivensky illustrated by Hannah Salyer. PICTURE BOOK Beach Lane Books, 2024. $19. 9781665900959 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Many thousands of years ago, a pup was born to a wolf family in the forest. Her brothers and sisters were more wolfish than she was. She tended to stay close to the den and follow snails. One day while following a snail, she was separated from her wolf pack. She couldn't find them and was alone. Then she noticed a new creature that she had never seen before. 

Slivensky has created an interesting story about how dogs and humans began their life's journey together. Salyer's illustrations are soft and mystical helping us imagine life thousands of years ago. 

PGPowers

One Day This Tree Will Fall by Leslie Barnard Booth and Stephanie Fizer Coleman - ADVISABLE

One Day This Tree Will Fall by Leslie Barnard Booth, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION McElderry (Simon), 2024. $19. 9781534496965 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

As seeds scatter on the wind, one catches hold and grows, sustaining life. When this tree finally dies, that will not be its end. 

If you've read Whale Fall by Melissa Stewart, Booth's book takes a similar look at the life of a tree. Perfect to read with young ones for Earth Day, any springtime reading time or with any unit that talks about plants and nature and life cycles. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Everyone Starts Small by Liz Garton Scanlon and Dominique Ramsey - ADVISABLE

Everyone Starts Small by Liz Garton Scanlon illustrated by Dominique Ramsey PICTURE BOOK Candlewick Press, 2024. $19. 9781536226157 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Everyone including plants, flowers, trees, and insects starts small and then grows. In the spring, water grows, and helps nature grow and ripen. Then wind grows strong and dries out nature. Fire comes and destroys much. Will nature recover? 

Everyone Starts Small is a sweet poetic book about how everything is connected in the natural world. I enjoyed the striking, colorful, graphic art telling the story of our planets resilience. 

PGPowers

While You're Asleep by Emmy Kastner - ESSENTIAL

While You're Asleep by Emmy Kastner. PICTURE BOOK Simon and Schuster, 2024. $19. 9781665931335 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

All of the animals of the world are prepared to send you off to sleep with their peaceful night time sleeping. Or ARE THEY??? 

Kastner does a great job in lulling you into thoughts of a sleepy time book - until she doesn't. Actually, she seems just as startled as we are to see other creatures who don't sleep the night away at all. The twists are a lot of fun. Her illustrations hit just the right note. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Stephen Curry vs. Magic Johnson Who Would Win? by David Stabler - HIGH

Stephen Curry vs. Magic Johnson Who Would Win? by David Stabler. 32 pages CHAPTER BOOK NON-FICTION Lerner Publications, 2024. $10. 9781728492339 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

The basketball careers of Stephen Curry and Magic Johnson are compared and contrasted. Both men are point guards. Magic Johnson excelled at assists while Stephen Curry excels at three-point shots. 

The book covers a little of each man's background and then highlights their career achievements. The book is filled with photographs and interesting facts. Readers who love basketball will enjoy this book. The end of the book includes a glossary and a list of books with additional information.

Reviewer: A. Snow

What Was the Donner Party? by Ben Hubbard and Tim Foley - ADVISABLE

What Was the Donner Party? by Ben Hubbard illustrated by Tim Foley 106 CHAPTER BOOK NON-FICTION Penguin Workshop 2023 $8 9780593520741 

Content: PG (death, murder and cannibalism are mentioned)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The story of the pioneer wagon train known as the Donner Party. The group set out from Illinois with a large wagon train bound for California. The Donner Party decided to take a short cut and ended up stuck in the Sierra Nevada mountains without supplies during the winter. Nearly half of the party died before rescuers could find them. 

Interesting and well written depiction of a difficult story in the history of westward expansion. The text is easy to follow and understand. In addition to the main story, historical context and background is also included. The book includes a timeline, bibliography, illustrations and photographs. 

Reviewer: A. Snow

Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence by Maisha Oso and Candice Bradley - HIGH

Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence by Maisha Oso illustrated by Candice Bradley PICTURE BOOK  NON-FICTION Orchard Books, 2024. $19. 9781338849981

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Long before the ships sailed, black people shined like stars. In Africa, they were royalty, doctors, farmers, leaders, merchants, miners, artisans, and much more with heads held high. They built mosques and palaces, and won many battles. Hausa and Fulani lore and folktales were passed down through generations. They uncovered the mysteries of the galaxy from mathematics to engineering. Today, they continue to tell their stories showing that Black lives have always mattered. 

Before the Ships is a beautiful tribute to black lives and a narrative of light focusing on early black histories great accomplishments instead of the pain and trauma of slavery. I really enjoyed Bradley's soft ennobling illustrations. A few of the pages seem political and focus on black lives matter. 

PGPowers