BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
The Monarch informs the reader of the life cycles and other wonders of the monarch butterfly through sweet verse made into a story. It also encourages us to take care of this treasured species. Kristen Hall makes learning about the monarch butterfly fun and interesting. Arsenault's illustrations are gorgeous and bright.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Tori loves to play the piano, and is happy when her eleven muses come to see her. They brought her a magical pink piano. They asked her to play something she wrote herself. Her muses talked her into taking her magical pink piano for a walk through the town to discover how other people discover their inspiration. What does Anna learn about other people's muses?
Tori and the Muses is about navigating the magical world of inspiration. This is a great concept, but this story is not very relatable and is very wordy. Haughton’s illustrations are beautiful and sweet.
PGPowers
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Calling all treasure hunters and puzzlemasters! Join your best friends Saksham and Zuri as you jet around the world solving mysteries left for you by a mysterious figure you think might be the ghost of Captain Kidd trying to recover his lost treasure. Along the way, you will learn a lot about other treasures, real and imagined, throughout world history as you crisscross the globe solving these different kinds of clues.
A great nonfiction adventure book for upper grades, this text will have your students flipping madly through the pages as they try to figure out all the clues. I delighted in the riddles and cryptograms sprinkled in between interesting tidbits of history. This could give you some great ideas for a breakout room classroom activity, or brain teasers for your kids throughout the year.
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
The wait for a new baby brother or sister is long for small children. To help pass the time and make it interesting, a young father starts telling his daughter about the size of the baby growing inside of mommy. At each stage she imagines what it would like for the baby at that size.
Darnton has written a fun and happy story and Ismail’s illustrations clearly show how happy and cheerful this little girl is. The book is delightful and happy. A really good book to read to your children and grandchildren. Wait for the fun surprise at the end.
The little girl in the book is brown.
Ellen-Anita, Librarian
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
From the very first time they met, a boy and a dog become best friends. They share their life together. Their bond becomes deeper as they go on adventures, celebrate milestones and comfort each other. As the dog gets older, the boy discovers that love never goes away and it never forgets.
Ashman has written a poignant book about coping when a pet passes away. The illustrations are beautiful paintings that look like photographs. The book is laid out partially like a scrapbook detailing the boy's life with his dog. This book would be a comfort to a child who has lost their pet but can also be enjoyed by children who are dog lovers.
The boy is presumably white.
Tracie, Elementary School Librarian
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
This is the story of Blacks in Africa before the slave ships came. They had beautiful buildings, beautiful and fascinating cultures, and they had great societies.
The book is written in beautiful, flowing verse - a great read-a-loud book for children. The illustrations are amazing. Such a beautiful book and a beautiful story. Very elegant!
Ellen-Anita, Librarian
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
Zeb and his Zombie family raise certified organic brains on the farm. He knows better than to name the brains, but when he sees his first newborn brain, he can’t resist making it his pet. When Zeb thinks his Dad is going to eat Brian Brain as a midnight snack, Zeb helps Brain escape to where the wild brains roam.
Rule number one on any family farm is “Don’t Name the Animals!” I love Lucianovic’s riff on the familiar premise. Cham makes the brains and the zombies so adorable, that you will forget, just a little, that you are reading a book about brains and zombies. Silly fun.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
Mushroom had a bad night and now he has had a bad morning. A really, really bad morning. Now he is out for revenge. But is revenge the best answer?
I was totally grooving on mushroom’s story. FUn to read - especially since it was a bit backwards in the telling and had, what I thought was a great way to end. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of those reverse ending books where the main character didn’t actually learn its lesson and he should have gone into the blender in the first place. Funny for a read through - but not great classroom read aloud material.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
CeeCee has slaved for the Townsend family for so long that she had almost forgotten her real name. She is afraid, but talks to the cook about what it would take to escape. She takes courage from the story of Cinderella and the prince and dreams of a knight-prince who could take her to freedom. She carefully makes plans and relies on the kindness of the cook to plan the final steps.
Ceecee’s story reads a bit like a myth itself. I am conflicted, but I had to read the story a few times to understand it - I don’t know if young children would give it that much time. I also wonder at the illustrator’s choice of Ceecee wearing a red dress and coat for her escape - much harder to hide in that color. The addition of Harriet Tubman to the story was a nice touch. I do enjoy a good Underground Railroad story; it is nice to have new ones from which to choose.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
Snail is brave - kind of. He is really NOT brave enough to enter the paper airplane contest, but when his friend Stump listens carefully to Snail’s feelings, they decide to practice together. Snail feels great after the contest, but now Stump is not feeling so kind. Can Snail help Stump this time?
What a perfect blend of illustrations and story! The expressions on the characters are delightful and Hrab keeps the story going long enough for SNail to show off what he has learned about listening and helping. Much love!
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
Rosie and Jojo’s Papa has been gone so long, the children want to give him an extra special welcome home. Their list of things that Papa needs at the airport keeps getting longer, but Daddy is happy to help them.
A sweet look at the love between child and parent - especially when the parent has been away for a long time. The long list becomes pretty silly - but that is part of the charm. Taylor’s vibrant illustrations are a perfect example of how illustrations created through digital means can have depth and liveliness.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
