Fish Farts and Other Amazing Ways Animals Adapt by Joanne Settel PhD and Natasha Donavan - OPTIONAL

Fish Farts and Other Amazing Ways Animals Adapt by Joanne Settel PhD, illustrated by Natasha Donavan. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum Books For Young Readers (Simon), 2024. $19. 9781665918831

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

APPEALS TO:  SOME

How many gross bodily functions are found in this book?  It would be hard to count!  Animals adapt to their environments in many different ways including losing a tail, rolling around in dung to camouflage themselves or farting to send a message.  Learn fascinating facts about animals that you probably didn't know before!

Fish Farts is an intriguing book that will probably appeal to students who like to read about gross things.  The illustrations are drawn but are fairly lifelike.  The text is more extensive than your typical-non fiction children's book.  Third grade and up would probably be the best age for this book.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

The Three Year Tumble by Dayeon Auh - ADVISABLE

The Three Year Tumble by Dayeon Auh. PICTURE BOOK. North South, 2024. $20. 9780735845749

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

APPEALS TO:  SEVERAL

A grandfather lived on a small farm in a tiny village.  Whenever he needed to go to market, he had to go over Misfortune Mountain where there was a legend that whoever fell on the mountain only had 3 more years to live.  The grandfather began his journey, but stumbled and fell.  He was so sad that he only had three more years to live.  After three years he began to get very sick.  Doctors had no explanation and said that he was healthy.  His clever grand daughter came to visit.  What could she do to save his life?"

The Three-Year Tumble is a Korean folktale about choosing to find the positive perspective  in a negative situation.  The interesting turn about in the story is surprising and delightful. 

Auh uses many different artistic mediums to create energetic and colorful illustrations that enhance the story.

PGPowers

Elmore the Christmas Moose by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt - ADVISABLE

Elmore the Christmas Moose by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2024. $19. 9780593487167 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Santa needs a new reindeer (Prancer is busy that night), and Elmore the Moose thinks he might be the right Moose for the job. Maybe. Okay, maybe there are a few problems. Okay, maybe Santa has a whole different job for a very earnest moose? 

A very funny Christmas story - unique, too, which is not always easy to find. Petty and Boldt make a great team. Great endpapers, too. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Everett Green the Not-So-Christmas Tree by Freddy Wexler and Fanny Berthiaume - ADVISABLE

Everett Green the Not-So-Christmas Tree by Freddy Wexler and Fanny Berthiaume. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2024. $15. 9780593567944 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Everett may be a plastic palm tree, but he has big dreams of stardom. Too bad he’s stuck in a food court at the local mall at the Sandy Straw. He decides to bling himself up and head off to the bright lights of NYC. When a snowstorm strands him at the airport, can he find a way to still bring joy? 

The idea of a plastic palm tree dreaming of being a Christmas tree might seem absurd, but who doesn’t remember the tv commercial with the Christmas lighted palm tree? I found this a nice change-up from more traditional pb’s. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Jelly-Boy by Nicole Godwin and Christopher Nielsen - ADVISABLE

Jelly-Boy by Nicole Godwin, illustrated by, Christopher Nielsen. PICTURE BOOK. Walker Books Australia, 2024. $20. 9781760659349

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

A girl jellyfish falls in love with a plastic bag drifting around in the ocean. Her family warned her against jelly-boys, but she wouldn't let go of him.  Things became dangerous. The bag was almost shredded by a boat motor. Then she saw  him join an army of jelly-boys. The girl jellyfish was whisked along with them in a strong current into a large plastic garbage whirlpool.  Will she ever get back to her family?

Jelly-Boy is very effective in showing the relationship between sea life and the plastic garbage that ends up in the ocean.  I liked the environmental fact page at the end of the book.  Nielsen's kid friendly illustrations are humorous and colorful.

PGPowers

Leo and the Pink Marker by Mariyka Foster - OPTIONAL

Leo and the Pink Marker by Mariyka Foster. PICTURE BOOK. Peachtree, 2024. $20. 9781682636909

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

Leo lives with Mom and Mama who own a scrapyard.  He is told to play quietly while they are out working.  He grabs his favorite pink marker and quickly uses up all the pages in his coloring book.  He then moves on to outside rocks, the mailbox, Mama's tall boots, and the cat.  He knows he shouldn't touch Mom's truck.  Then he colors on all the junk and cars in the scrapyard.  Soon he see's his parents walking toward him.  Will they be mad?

Leo and the Pink Marker seems to teach never to discipline your children no matter what, and to embrace their choices.  I don't really agree with the book.  The illustrations are interesting and well done.

PGPowers

Santa’s Workshop by Design Eye (Quarto) - ESSENTIAL

Santa’s Workshop by Design Eye (Quarto), 2023. $30. 9781836001027

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT  - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

The elves at the North Pole have come together to write a handbook about the goings-on in their workshop and home. And because they are elves, they have made things extra special by including an interactive workshop with a large cast of characters to make-up your own stories with.

Being as I am, I put the workshop together without seeing the instructions on the last page of the booklet - and I did just fine.  I can think of three little ones (besides myself) that I want to gift this to this Christmas. I will also be buying a set to add to my personal Christmas decorations!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Story Fold Classics) - ADVISABLE

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Story Fold Classics), 263 pages. Design Eye (Quarto), 2024. $15. 9781836001423

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Design Eye has taken the classic Christmas story and published it in a very beautiful cover, with illustrated and colored pages.  What makes this version really special, and best suited as a gift, is that as you read the book you fold each page (lines provided), so that by the time you finish the book you now also have a Christmas display piece.  

I haven’t finished the book, so I haven’t seen the final product, but I have my suspicions.  As someone who is book-folding-challenged, I appreciate the guiding lines. This seems to be the first in what I hope is going to be a series of collectable foldables. It would be fun to read this aloud at bedtime together and mark your progress with the folds.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Alphie Explores AtoZ: A Seek and Find Adventure by Jeff Drew - ADVISABLE

Alfie Explores A to Z: A Seek and Find Adventure by Jeff Drew, 80 pages. INTERACTIVE Random House, 2024. $22. 9780593813119 

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Alfie is an adventurous bookworm and he is looking for Betty. As he goes from place to place he seems to just miss her. 

Photoshopped collages make up the illustrations. Each illustration is accompanied by a poem which is themed by the alphabet, so the first one has A things to look for, like a Alien and an Ape playing the accordion. The poems are really cute. I enjoyed working my way through this adventure, finding all the things mentioned and then seeing bonus objects there as well. Includes "tour guides" at the end identifying everything. 

Lisa Librarian

A Story No One Has Ever Heard Before by Avi Steinberg - ADVISABLE

A Story No One Has Ever Heard Before by Avi Steinberg. PICTURE BOOK.  Farrar Staus Giroux (Macmillan), 2023. $19. 9780374390945

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Who is going to write this story? YOU! Though, Steinberg is going to give you three intertwined examples along the way of the basic rhythm of a good story, with an outline at the back to get you started when you are ready to write your own.

Steinberg adds another book to the little used tool breaking the fourth wall in a picture book. For teachers beginning to explain elements of story and wanting a ready-made lesson for young writers, share this as a great place to start. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Frizzy Haired Zuzu by Medeia Sharif and Basma Hosam - ADVISABLE

Frizzy Haired Zuzu by Medeia Sharif, illustrated by Basma Hosam. PICTURE BOOK Magination Press, 2023. $18. 9781433841576 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Zuzu has big hair! It's amazing and curly and red, but there's more to Zuzu than just her hair. Sometimes she gets teased about her hair, so sometimes she hates it. Her sister tried to help, her cousin tried to help but their ideas only made things worse. Eventually Zuzu spends all her money to get her hair professional straightened. Now, she doesn't look like herself. Oh what has she done? 

A great book about the effects of teasing. As with most magination books, there's a great author's note about her own journey with big hair. The author is Kurdish and there are some Arabic and Kurdish words in the story, so I would assume Zuzu is too. 

Lisa Librarian

Miguel Must Fight by Jamie Ofelia and Sara Palacios - ADVISABLE

Miguel Must Fight by Jamie Ofelia, illustrated by Sara Palacios. PICTURE BOOK. Little, Brown and Company, 2024. $19. 9780316365093

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL:  SEVERAL

Miguel is an artist in a family of sword fighters. They want him to train to fight like him but all he wants to do is draw the beauty he sees around him. When the village is threatened by a dragon Miguel must decide if he will fight with the sword or find another way.

A great story about family tradition and being true to yourself. The illustrations are great, very fun and colorful. There is a glossary of Spanish words at the end of the book.

All of the characters are hispanic.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian