Welcome Flower Child: The Magic of Your Birth Flower by Bridgette Barrager - ADVISABLE

Welcome Flower Child: The Magic of Your Birth Flower by Bridgette Barrager. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2021. $18. 9781984830395 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Follow a child through each month of the year with bright, happy illustrations and rhyming verse describing them and the flowers for the month they were born. The descriptions and pictures will make every reader happy and make them feel special, vlaued and loved.

 I loved this book with the vibrant illustrations, picturing the flower of the month of their birth. There is a two page spread with the rhyming verse and pictures of their own flower. This is a great read-aloud for young children. It is beautiful and happy. I really recommend this book. 

 Reviewer: Ellen-Anita, Librarian 

Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas by Elizabeth Shreeve and Frann Preston-Gannon - ADVISABLE

Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas by Elizabeth Shreeve, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. PICTURE BOOK, NON-FICTION Candlewick Press, 2021. $18. 9781536214109 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

How are a dolphin, a shark and a hippo related? Well, first it started billions of years ago with single cell microbes living in the seas. They evolved into Jellyfish and sponges, which over millions of years evolved into mollusks, and annelid worms and echinoderms. Some were the predators, some were prey and each evolved over millions of years, eventually moving from the sea to the shore. More evolution brought scorpions on land and sea spiders and horseshoe crabs in the sea. Then, over millions of years bugs (both on land and in the sea) evolve and mollusks from the sea evolve into snails with lungs. Then fish, then amphibians and reptiles, an extinction, then dinosaurs, and another great extinction, then mammals, like the dolphin (water) and hippo (land). 

Beautiful illustrations complement the scientist reviewed and well sourced picture book. There is text all over the page - a section of the story, but then "more facts" and names. The period and how many million years ago is easy to spot on every 2 page spread. A great introduction to evolution, with so many ancient animals!

Lisa Librarian

This Book Has Alpacas and Bears by Emma Perry and Rikin Parekh - ESSENTIAL

This Book Has Alpacas and Bears by Emma Perry and Rikin Parekh. PICTURE BOOK. David Fickling Books (Scholastic), 2020. $7. 9781338635706

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Alfonso the alpaca loves reading, but he begins to notice that while there are lots of books starring bears there are no books about alpacas. Alfonso sets out to write his own alpaca story but needs help from his friend, Colin. Colin is a bear and needs a little convincing that alpacas are cool enough to have their own book. In the end, we have a lovely meta moment when the reader discovers the book they are reading is the book Alfonso wrote--and he has plans for much more!

This was a wonderful story that had my kids laughing out loud. I like the subtle message about representation being important, and there's also a great bit about recognizing your own value. There are lots of great messages in this book but kids might just love it for the humor and illustrations. Either way, this one is a win-win!

Reviewer: TC

The Poisoned Apple: a fractured fairy tale by Anne Lambelet - ESSENTIAL

The Poisoned Apple: a fractured fairy tale by Anne Lambelet. PICTURE BOOK. Page Street Kids, 2020. $18. 9781645670605 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

A witch has put much work into preparing a poisoned apple for the beautiful princess. But the princess passes the apple to a dwarf, who passes it to some animals. Where will the apple end up? 

Ok – the final illustration is a bit gruesome, but the book is a delight! Lambelet tells a good story and crafts lovely illustrations. I personally want tis for my home collection!

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Seaside Stroll by Charles Trevino and Maribel Lechuga - ADVISABLE

Seaside Stroll by Charles Trevino, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2021. $17. 9781580899321 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A little girl and her mother are off for a winter stroll along the shore. All of the words in the book start with “s”, mimicking the sound of the waves. 

 

The backmatter explains not on the “s” choice, but some other choices the author made. The illustrations are delightful, and the story they tell is such fun, I could have done with less convoluted writing choices. But I will enjoy the drama of the “s’ words any way. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Doll by Nhung N. Tran-Davies and Ravy Puth - NO

The Doll by Nhung N. Tran-Davies, illustrated by Ravy Puth. PICTURE BOOK Second Story Press, 2021, $20. 9781772601657 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

A girl gives a doll to a refugee, which is cherished. When the little girl grows up, she always remembers the kindness of the girl in the airport, and decides to pay it forward, giving another refugee a doll. 

 Based on the real life experience of Dr. Tran-Davies. I liked the story, it teaches a nice lesson about kindness and empathy. I didn't like the illustrations, they were kind of creepy. The doll's "rosy cheeks" looked like boils, and the people's eyes weren't right. With illustrations so unappealing, I can't recommend this book

Lisa Librarian

Ferry Boat by Michael Garland - ADVISABLE

Ferry Boat by Michael Garland. EARLY READER. Holiday House, 2021. $16. 9780823447701 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Children take a ferry ride from Manhattan to Staten Island. seeing some sights along the way and buying a souvenir. 

Ferry Boat is part of Holiday House's "I like to read" series - guided reading level F. Very simple text, but oh, the illustrations!. Michael Garland has rendered them in digi-woodcut, and they look like a combination of photography, painting and drawing. The New York Harbor scenes are fantastic, I want to take a trip.

Lisa Librarian

My Hair is Magic by M.L. Marroquin and by Tonya Engel - ADVISABLE

My Hair is Magic by M.L. Marroquin, illustrated by Tonya Engel. PICTURE BOOK. Page Street Kids, 2020. $18. 9781624149818 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

A young girl celebrates her natural hair and talks about the way others react to and interact with her hair. 

An eye-catching celebration of natural hair. 

 Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Night and Day translated by Daniela Escobar - ADVISABLE

Night and Day translated by Daniela Escobar. BOARD BOOK. Barefoot Books, 2020. $9. 9781782859741 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Follow a series of animals through the day and then the night as they interact with and help each other, usually in very silly ways. Each page spread has a big flap to lift to reveal the next creature. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Day the Rain Moved In by Eleonore Douspis - ADVISABLE

The Day the Rain Moved In by Eleonore Douspis. PICTURE BOOK Groundwood Books, 2020. $19. 9781773064819 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Pauline and Louis's family has a problem. It's raining inside their house. They've looked for the source, it's not the roof and there are no cracks, but even when it isn't raining outside, it's raining inside. The children are worried that their friends at school will find out about their problem. Soon there's frogs in the house and plants starting to grow inside - and then, one day - the kids from school peek in the windows. 

This was a strange story that got better after a second reading. I was as confused as the family, but then, saw this as a fanciful story, rather than a realistic one (a leak that couldn't be repaired) and enjoyed it very much. Great conversation starter with children - what would you do if it wouldn't stop raining inside your house?

Lisa Librarian

Animals: Here We Grow by Shelley Rotner - ESSENTIAL

Animals: Here We Grow by Shelley Rotner NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Holiday House, 2021. $19. 9780823448289 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre K - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

From babies to adults, the text simply shows the names of the life stage "Egg to tadpole to Frog" featuring 14 different animals with great, full color pictures. 

I read this with my granddaughter, and after the first - a butterfly - she took over pointing at the pictures and saying the names. We learned that a "hatchling" comes out of an egg, and we learned that - a baby rabbit is a kit and a baby horse is a foal. We even discovered a bonus picture in the appendix. The photography is beautiful, lots of different animals represented. This is an instant favorite. 

Lisa Librarian (and AJ age 5)

Mamasaurus by Stephan Lomp - ADVISABLE

Mamasaurus by Stephan Lomp. BOARD BOOK. Chronicle Books, 2021. $8. 9781797205328

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Babysaurus loves being with his big Mamasaurus but he gets lost one day. As he wanders in search of her, he asks other small dinos (triceratops, pteradactyl, etc) if they've seen her but nobody has seen his wonderful, tall, loving mother. Eventually she finds him and they happily head off together. 

This is a cute little story about love between mother and child. Babysaurus is so proud of his mother and her unique traits! I like the bold yet quiet color scheme of the illustrations and the unpretentious highlighting of various dinosaurs. This is a fun pick for young readers who like dinosaurs and want an actual story rather than an encyclopedia. 

Reviewer: TC