Picture Book Pick: Brave

 

Brave

by Weshoyot Alvitre

Illustrations by the author

Kokila

an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

2025

32 pages

ISBN: 9780593531600

“[T]he celebration of a young boy who is deeply loved, valued, and respected, and how activism can come in many forms, including growing one’s hair out, are powerful messages that are presented with thoughtful care” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, recommended review

My Review: 

Brave is the story of a young boy and his father who celebrate their traditions by growing their hair and wearing braids, something their grandfathers and fathers could not do as American schools and society forced them to cut their hair. Their ancestors wore their hair long as a sign of bravery and strength. 

"Braids are brave," is the beginning line of the story, and the boy embraces growing his hair even though sometimes it hurts when his mother combs it and braids it. Having long hair is a sign that you are proud of your hair. Your hair represents strength to face your enemies. 

When kids at school bully and tease, the boy remembers his father's words and tells the kids, "STOP!" He is proud he stood up to them and stood up for himself. He is brave. 

His father teaches him to, "Be brave when they force you to sing, even though they won't let you speak your language on your own land." 

Mostly pastel illustrations by the author were made using gouache (a tricky, often difficult type of watercolor), watercolor and ink depict the softness and sweetness of the father/son bond and deep love for each other. 

Highly recommended for all collections grades K-5. 

Artistic and Captivating: Wind Watchers

Wind Watchers 

by Micha Archer

Illustrations by the author

Nancy Paulson Books

an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

2025

32 pages

ISBN: 9780593616550

Wind Watchers is a gloriously beautiful book, stunning in creativity and artistry. Illustrations by Micha Archer are in inks and collages made from layered tissue paper and her own homemade stamps. The layering effect creates shards and pinpricks of color peeking through and captures the subject of "wind" in each design. 

Three young children call out to the wind. What will it do today? 

The kids celebrate wind throughout the seasons. Wind is a catalyst for trees to shed their leaves or petals, blowing rain clouds in, helping kites take flight, and scattering seeds in the fall. The wind is always there even on hot, still summer days, it barely ripples the pond, but it's there: constant. 

Wind Watchers is likely to score several awards this year and could win the Caldecott. It's that great. A must have, must read for every child and collection. An excellent gift for any artist or art lover. 

Ages 2 and up. A masterclass in mixed media usage. 

Non-Fiction PB Pick: Let's Fly

Let's Fly

Barrington Irving's Record-Breaking Flight Around the World

by Barrington Irving and Chana Stiefel

Illustrations by Shamar Knight-Justice

Dial Books for Young Readers

an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC

2025

40 pages

ISBN: 9780593532133

Aviation enthusiasts will be soaring over this new autobiography (written with co-writer Chana Stiefel) about Barrington Irving, a young black man who dared to dream big and broke barriers in flight, in life and continues to foster the dreams of kids from all over the world through sharing his travels and adventures online. The first black man to lly solo around the world, he was also the youngest to do so until 2012 when his record was broken, but he will always be the first black man to fly solo around the globe. 

When young Barrington meets Captain Gary Robinson, a black pilot, in his parents' book store, a dream is born. Captain Gary takes Barrington to see his jet. Barrington was hooked. On his sixteenth birthday, Captain Gary gave the gift of flying lessons to Barrington. He inspired Barrington to pay it forward and do something to help others. Barrington's big idea is to fly around the world, but he does not have a plane. With donated parts and a lot of begging, companies helped Barrington build his plane that he christened "Inspiration." With children watching, he climbed into the cockpit and set out on his ninety-seven day flight journey. 

He continues to inspire and teach aviation and dreaming to thousands of kids. He founded Experience Aviation which teaches STEM to after-school kids. Over 5,000 kids have now completed the course and most went into math and/or science fields. 

Complete with charts, maps, fab facts, records, timeline and bibliography, Let's Fly is a must have, must read for every collection. This book is a great gift to inspire young people who dream of flying, 

Highly, highly recommended. 

Ages 2-up for entertainment; ages 4 and up for inspiration and fostering dreams of flying. 

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Board Book Pick: Dinosaur Roar! The Tyrannosaurus Rex

 

Dinosaur Roar!

The Tyrannosaurus rex 

by Peter Curtis

Illustrations by the Dinosaur Roar Company Limited 

Based on Dinosaur Roar! by Paul Strickland and Henrietta Strickland

In collaboration with The Smithsonian Enterprises 

National Museum of Art 

Simon Spotlight 

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division 

2025

26 pages

ISBN: 9781665972697

This sturdy board book is perfect for little hands. With fun, rhyming text, children will be introduced to the most fearsome dinosaur, the Tyrannosaurus rex which means "tyrant king lizard." It is indeed the strongest of any land animal that has ever lived with a roar louder than thunder. Dinosaur Roar has a softer side as shown through his friendship with Dinosaur Squeak, a small dinosaur called the Compsognathus. 

Illustrations of each dinosaur along with pronunciation guide is located in the front of the book with Tyrannosaus rex facts following the story.

Dinosaur Roar! is a great first dinosaur book to get readers excited by dinosaurs (as if they need much nudging). Ages 18 months and up. 

Bold Words From Black Men

 

Bold Words From Black Men

curated by Dr. Tamara Pizzoli

Illustrated by Desire Cesar "El Cesart" Ngabo

A Denene Millner Book

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Simon & Schuster

2025

112 pages 

ISBN: 9881665930642

Bold Words From Black Men is a treasure trove of quotable quotes from black actors, performers athletes, politicians, and other famous pubic figures. 

From Shawn Carter, also known as Jay-Z, "You gotta be able to compete. Steel sharpens steel. You gotta get out there and earn your spot. It's not given," and from Lebron James, "Don't be afraid of failure. This is the way to succeed," wise words from two world famous black men who are at the top of their games respectively. 

The reader will find words of wisdom, life lessons, introspective thoughts to ponder and true compassion, From baseball great Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in the major league, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Imagine the impact Robinson had and still has on generations of young black men and women. His life lives on. 

From funny man Eddie Murphy, in a pensive moment for a comedian, I suppose, he offers, "Positivity, creativity, forward motion. Those three things pretty much cover everything. Whenever things get crazy, if you go back to that, you get grounded." Pretty smart advice from a man who spends his life getting laughs. 

There are fifty quotes from fifty different black men gathered by the author Dr. Tamara Pizzoli. Powerful words in a powerful book and a great gift idea for any young tween, teen or new high school graduate, first year college student and yes, even adults will become a book the reader goes to find inspiration or healing. 

Highly recommended grades 5 and up. 

Non-Fiction Pick: The Keeper of the Stories

 The Keeper of the Stories 

by Caroline Kusin Pritchard

Illustrated by Selina Alko 

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

an imprint Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division 

2025

40 pages 

ISBN: 9781665914970

 Illustrations by Selina Alko capture the tragedy of a fire that consumed the Theological Seminary Library in 1966. For 130 years, the library was a work and study place which housed 200,000 books, newspapers and magazines, some dating back as far as the Middle Ages. Although thirty-five fire houses responded, the fire lasted nine hours and destroyed 70,000 books, but the neighborhood came together immediately to save the stories, 

In a project known as "Operation Booklift," people, both Jewish and non-Jewish, it did not matter, volunteered to help with the damaged books, forming a human chain to pass books down the line into cartons and later onto carts. The people knew the stories and the words were worth saving for everyone. What a testament to humanity! 

The water from the fire hoses had water logged most books, but thousands of hands dried book pages with paper towels and they even freeze dried books to save them.

Prithcard's prose hits at the heart with repeated lines, almost like a chorus, "Keep our stories alive" which gives the story rhythm. It MUST be read aloud to hear the beauty of the story, Exemplary design throughout the book changes the text placing in every two-page spread using the entire page drawing interest. 

Photos and a page detailing the event follow along with an author's note and a list of sources. There is even a link to a full interview with the author and the library's head librarian of twenty years. 

The Keeper of the Stories will be front and center come awards season. A must have for every collection. If your library is well-funded, you'll want to put one copy in history and another in picture books. 

Grades 1-4. This would be an excellent book to teach about non-fiction versus fiction. 

 

The story opens with, "A library is a keeper of stories. A keeper of memories. A keeper of hope," which is as true today as it was in 1966. 

Fun With Math, Yes, You Read the Title Right! Mega Math Maze

 

Mega Math Maze: A Multiplication Adventure

by Kjartan Poskitt

Illustrations by Seb Burnett

Workman Kids

An imprint of Workman Publishing 

Hachette Book Group, Inc. 

2025

48 pages

ISBN: 9781523530854

Learning and practicing multiplication tables is now fun! Kjartan Poskitt's creation of a fun adventure through connecting mazes will entertain and capture a reader's attention using questions, fun comic characters called numbugs who lead the way, dialog bubbles, a variety of settings and die-cut pages with possible correct answers. 

There is no right or wrong order to complete the mazes. The reader has the choice to visit the adventure of their choice featuring the swamp, the jungle, Yeti Mountain, Termite Mound, or visit the crowd of penguins in Polar Pathways. There are fourteen different mazes to explore and enjoy. 

Bonus pages are a treasure! Excellent "insider" tips include times table tricks that would have come in handy when I was in school, but now that I know the "Amazing Two Times Table" trick, I will be able to use it to multiply any two numbers as long as I can add and divide by two. Who knew there were tricks and patterns in math? Well, probably Einstein, but he was a genius. The average fourth grade math student probably does not see patterns or invent tricks to learn multiplication. If Mega Math Maze were used as a teaching tool, students would be able to easily master multiplication and use critical thinking and engage their brain the entire time. Learners would more likely stay on task and have fun doing it. Students might engage with other students as they go through the mazes, even making it a springboard for collaboration and dialog. 

Captivating, colorful, comic illustrations by Seb Burnett capture the personalities of the numbugs, the beauty of the African animals, the silent stealth of the nocturnal animals in the forest and on Yeti Mountain, wolves look on with happy smiles as the blue Yeti emerges, bug-eyed and furry, seemingly ferocious but secretly playful as he has a snowball in his hand ready to launch at an unsuspecting someone. Gleeful and whimsical! This is math? Yes, please. 

Highly, highly recommended for ALL learners, even if adult. You will pick up some fancy tricks that will amaze you. 

Grades 4 and up, and yes, all adults. Excellent tool for use in home schools. A MUST HAVE, MUST EXPERIENCE book. 

 

The ABCs of Women's History

by Rio Cortez

Illustrated by Lauren Semmer

Workman Kids

Workman Publishing 

Hachette Book Group, Inc. 

2025

64 pages

ISBN: 9781523523290

Remarkable women who came before us showed us the path to equality, justice, knowledge, freedom and using our hard work and voices to bring about change. This important book features women who questioned the status quo and joined movements to ensure civil rights and worker rights. 

This gem of a book will motivate girls to stand up for what they believe and are passionate about. My favorite page reads, "We have the right to our bodies, to education, and free speech, and the right to work at whatever we please." A two-page spread shows a diverse group of girls who know that no means no. They will never go backward. 

Among the famous women mentioned are Shirley Chisholm, Sally Ride, Kamala Harris, Gloria Steinem and many more. Pages in the back list terms used and famous figures mentioned under each letter of the alphabet. The only drawback is the publisher's choice in solid color endpapers instead of eye-catching illustrations. 

Recommended for every history buff, every young girl who dreams,  and every library. Grades 3 and up. 

Non-Fiction Picure Book: Poo Pile on the Prairie

 

Poo Pile on the Prairie

A Tiny Habitats Book 

by Amy Hevron

Illustrations by the author

Beach Lane Books

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2025

48 pages

ISBN: 9781665935029

Rave reviews: 

*This incredibly amusing addition to the Tiny Habitats series is a treasure. . . . A spectacular snapshot of a truly special—if slightly smelly—small world.
– Booklist, STARRED REVIEW, 02/01/2025
* An interesting and beautiful story about this important prairie ecosystem contributor. Highly recommended.
– School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW, 2/1/25
* Hevron blends whimsy and science for an enchanting and much-needed reminder that complex ecosystems can be found in the most unlikely of places.
– Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW, 12/15/24

My Review: 

Poop on the prairie sounds nasty and smelly, but Amy Hevron enlightens readers showing them that a pile of bison poop is really an ecosystem for all kinds of creatures. When a bison poops, dung beetles and worms make it their home and soon flies lay thousands of eggs that in turn feed birds and turtles.The poo pile enriches the soil and soon prairie wildflowers grow. 

The flowers entice bees, crickets and birds. In the spring butterflies emerge. In the winter, snow covers the pile, soaking it into the grasses which will feed the bison and the cycle will begin again. 

A double page spread follows the story with illustrations of the animals found on the prairie who benefit from that pile of bison poop. In "The Scoop on Bison Poop," readers learn that over three hundred different types of insects call a single poop pile their home. Because bison poop is so rich in microbes and nutrients, it makes the soil rich. Seeds are also found in bison poop. When bison graze they spread these seeds over the prairie and the flowers that sprout attract butterflies and bees. One single pile of poop is responsible for sustaining the prairie ecosystem. 

Additional reading and selected sources are listed for those who want to learn more about poo on the prairie. Illustrations use mixed media of pencil, markers and acrylics. 

Highly recommended ages 4 and up. 

Young Foodie Pick: Kids Around the World: What's Cooking?

 

Kids Around the World: What's Cooking? 

A Ready-To-Read Level Two book 

by Patty Michaels

Illustrated by Clarice Elliott

Simon Spotlight

An imprint of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2024

32 pages

ISBN: 9781665963435

The Ready-To-Read series allows young readers to connect with the text by using short, simple chapters and new vocabulary words (with the pronunciation in parenthesis for children to sound out unfamiliar aand sometimes foreign words. An example is kimchi which finds its origins in Korea. 

Many countries eat the same types of foods. Rice is found in many cuisines and is a diet staple. Pasta and noodles are similar yet different. Noodles can be used in soups and stews and even deep-fried or stir fried where pasta is usually only boiled. Dumplings are another type of food that many countries have their own take on. Originally made in Georgia (the country, not the state) dumplings are also part of the Chinese culture and are popular in the United States (chicken and dumplings) and in South America where their dumplings are known as enpanadas which are like a stuffed meat hand pie. 

Bread truly is the staff of life. Countless countries bake with different types of flour: white flour, corn flour, rice flour or buckwheat flour. Cakes are used for special celebrations like the king cake found in Louisiana during Mardi Gras or mooncakes eaten in China in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Complete with a handy glossary--in the front of the book--and a table of contents teach readers to use these tools as a guide to understand the story. Adult readers who should always read to children should point out these two "extras" and explain how to use them. This may be the first time a young reader encounters these two things in a book. 

Diverse and multi-cultural characters are prevalent in the illustratons and on the cover. 

Highly recommended pre-school-grade 5. 

Board Book PIck: What Dinosaur Am I?

What Dinosaur Am I? (The World of Dinosaur Roar!

Lift-the-flap book

by Peter Curtis

Illustrated by the author

In collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution

Simon Spotlight

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division 

2025

16 pages

ISBN: 9781665966047

What Dinosaur Am I? is full of riddles about different dinosaurs and engineered to allow busy young hands to grasp the book itself and carefully lift each flap to reveal the answers. Peter Curtis uses colorful illustrations to capture each dinosaur's attributes and personality traits. The dinosaur facts were approved by paleontologists (the scientists that study ancient life uses fossils and other remains).  Fun book design encourages the child to  lift each flap and discover facts about the dinosaur until they lift the last flap labeled, "What dinosaur am I?" to reveal the dinosaur's scientific name. 

With twenty-eight flaps which open from the left, the right, the top and the bottom readers will be busy not only with  the visual art and the fascinating facts but also in learning how to open each flap. The paper over board construction is sturdy enough for hours of reading and revealing, but an adult should read the facts and guide their child into lifting the flaps carefully to avoid damaging the flap or book paper. 

What Dinosaur Am I? is sure to become a favorite book for every child and especially those who love DINOSAUR ROARS! 

Highly, highly recommended ages 18 months and up. 

Best "Guide to the world's living wonders:" Atlas Obscura: Wild Life

 Atlas Obscura: Wild Life

An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders

by Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer

Hachette Book Group, Inc. 

Workman Publishing 

2464 pages

ISBN: 9781523514410

Atlas Obscura Wild Life is chock full of factoids, trivia, photos and full color illustrations of curious species of plants and animals from every corner of the world. Painstakingly indexed for ease of use and divided into seven catagories, this book is a treasure for the curious reader. From forests to grasslands to shallows and deeps to deserts, the authors have covered little known species most of us will only encounter in these pages.

Interesting animals fill the pages: the platypus, for example is probably the silliest looking animal and is indeed a strange creature. It lays eggs but nurses its offspring. It has fur yet swims underwater. It can pull in the webbing on its feet allowing it to walk on its claws on land. They are shy and only spotted in Australia and Tasmania. Another strange creature is the great Indian bustard, a giant of the bird which can reach up to four feet tall and weigh up to thirty-three pounds, it can actually fly. Fewer than one hundred bustards remain and are found near the border of India and Pakistan. 

The ocean boasts its own array of different creatures: the peacock mantis shrimp lives in the Indian Ocean and can be found in the southwestern Pacific. The authors describe its appearance as, "...a jumbo prawn crossed with a birthday cake." This shrimp has eyes with twelve color receptors that allow it to see up to 100,000 colors. Scientists are still studying this unique ability. A bird who likes to fly (literally) is the airpot snowy owl which can be spotted at many airports in all kinds of weather and even in the day time. They are quite at home where there are flat runways and air fields which mimics their native tundra. 

This book would make a great gift for anyone who loves animals or adventure. Reluctant readers will find this book easy to devour as facts in bold type are set off to show the species range and species scientific name. Color photos of every plant and animal make it a great book for visual learners. 

Highly, highly recommended grades 5 and up. 

Picture Book Biography: The One and Only Googoosh

 

The One and Only Googoosh: Iran's Beloved Superstar

by Azadeh Westergaard

Viking 

An impint of Penguin Random House, LLC

2024

40 pages

9780593114636

Mixed media art using block prints, collage pieces using paper and cardboard, colored pencils and brushes give this picture book biography a definitive texture allowing elements to appear almost in 3-D. Author illustator Azadeh Westergaard captures the sights of her homeland she remembers as a chld, "...snowcapped peaks of the Algorz Mountains," and the sounds of the streets as vendors sell pomegranate juice, and the aromas as bakers pull out fresh barbari bread. A tiny girl first appears with her father onstage and people are charmed. She gathers national attention as her fan base grows. Googoosh becomes Iran's favorite singer until war comes, the theaters are shut down, people flee, "the roar and thunder of a revolution... which turns Iran, "...into a typhoon of turmoil."  

People flee their homeland to seek a new life somewhere safe, but they never forget the songs Googoosh sang. They hold them tight and remember a peaceful Iran. Time marches on, "...as the years slipped through our gingers lie the stringed prayer beads our grandfathers used to mark time." Googoosh is allowed to leave Iran in 2000 and she performs in Toronto, Canada. Generations of Iranians love her music which they hold in their, "collective history andt now exists only in the land of memories." 

Beautiful prose and striking imagery evoke memories of Iran before the revolution. Googoosh is remembered as Iran's first superstar and is celebrated in this compelling picture book about a famous person in a country's culture. Non-Iranian people may not know Googoosh, but this children's book will change that. 

Highly recommended for the biography section as well as the children's picture book section of every library. The One and Only Googoosh is too important a book to miss! A biography of a famous Iranian is important, but even more so here since Googoosh is a famous FEMALE Iranian. 

Ages 4 to 8. 

Empowering Picture Book: Girls On the Rise

 

Girls on the Rise 

by Amanda Gorman

Illustrated by Loveis Wise

Viking

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

2025

32 pages

ISBN: 9780593624180

A much needed book for troubled times, Girls on the Rise celebrates the power of having a voice and speaking up for change. When girls get together, there is nothing they can not accomplish and even though they may have differences,  Gorman writes, "we might have our own voices, but we're singing the same song." If they work together, they are too powerful to ignore. 

Illustrations are inclusive and multicultural. Girls on the Rise embraces change and the spirit of a strong sisterhood. Girls, "are gutsy...gorgeous, gleaming, giving and gifted, glorious glitter and grit." 

Artwork is digital using Adobe Photoshop and collage art. Highly recommended ages 2 and up. 

Novel In Verse: Radiant

 

Radiant

by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Dutton Children's Books

an impint of Penguin Random House LLC

2025 

320 pages

ISBN: 9780593855782

The year is 1963 and Cooper Dale is in fifth grade, and she is not at all happy to be in Mrs. Keating, aka the Queen of Darkness's, class. 

Set in history, this novel in verse tells the story of turbulent times: there's a bombing in the Baptist church in Alabama, and four little black girls are killed. Cooper is worried about the violence and afraid the KKK might come to her church or her neighborhood. She wonders why white people hate black people so much. She hears Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and wonders when it will be that people are not judged by the color of their skin. She sometimes wishes she were white, "But sometimes I don't want to be black...but sometimes, sometimes, I just want to be white." In a poem called "If," Cooper says, "If I could--/I would/take my box of crayons/and color the world/the way I want."

Cooper's personal problems include growing apart from her now fourteen-year old sister and a mean boy named Wade in her class who calls her "Mud Face" and bullies her. What's worse is that Cooper's mother works as a maid for the mean boy's mother. Cooper is embarrassed her mother has to clean up after Wade and his family.

One problem is solved when Beatlemania (notice the album cover the girl is holding on the book cover art) takes over the country, both Cooper and her sister Maxine are crazed. They are brought back together in their shared love of the Fab Four. 

As the British Invastion sweeps the nation and teens are brought to tears, the entire country comes to a complete stop on November 22, 1963, the day beloved President John F. Kennedy is assassinated. The adults watch the news and talk about politics, and, of course, Cooper hears what's transpiring around the country. Her mother and father debate the activism of Malcom X. 

Wade's mother dies, and Cooper and her mother attend the funeral. Wade eventually comes back to school, but he's a changed person. Cooper empathizes with him even though he's been nothing but a terror to her all year. Cooper even changes her mind about Mrs. Keating. She's not the Queen of Darkness after all. 

Perfect for reluctant readers, Radiant shines! It will likely be a contender for awards season this year. Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, the winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, may have to clear off more space on her mantle. 

Highly recommended grades 4 and up. Radiant would be great for classroom reading. Savvy librarians will purchase a class set and a few other copies for circulation. 

Non-Fiction Picture Book: Dinosaurs in Space

 

Dinosaurs In Space

by Todd Sturgell

Illustrations by the author

Sourcebooks

2024

40 pages

ISBN: 9781728236278

A dinosaur named Austro gives a lesson on dinosaur fossils and the asteroid that wiped them out and blasted pieces and bones into space. Pachy (another dinosaur) keeps interrupting the lesson and adding fun tidbits for young readers to think about. Could there be dinosaurs on the moon? On Mars? Maybe there's dinosaur zombies out there. Austro assures him there are not. The fun banter between the two is full of whimsy and will entertain the reader. Pages follow with more information about various dinosaurs and the asteroid that hit earth. 

Fantastic illustrations by Sturgell make this picture book a winner. It will be one of the most frequent check-outs in any library, so savvy librarians will order several copies. With "dinosaur" in the title, many kids will be attracted to this book. 

Highly recommended grade 3 and up independent readers. Younger children will love the book, but an adult will have to read it to them. 

Picture Book Pick: When Alexander Graced the Table

 

When Alexander Graced the Table

by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner

Illustrated by Frand Morrison 

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2025

40 pages

ISBN: 9781534488724

Gorgeous illustrations by Coretta Scott KIng Award winner Frank Morrison and a story based on James Beard Award winning chef Alexander Smalls own childhood make this book a must have for every library and child's book shelf. 

Alexander loves to help his mama in the kitchen, and Sunday dinner is a major production in their home. So big, in fact, they'd start planning and cooking on Saturday night. His mama includes his help in every dish: he picks peas and collards from the garden and lemons from the tree, he peels eggs for the potato salad and grates the cheese for mac and cheese. All of this is done with commitment and love. The entire family gathers on Sunday to share the bounty and joy. Even though the dinners are special and filled with love, his papa never seems impressed. 

Alexander wishes he could impress his father. One Saturday evening, his mother says 
Alexander can make a special dessert for Sunday dinner. He is so proud, and gets right to work, making lemon icebox pie, his father's favorite. Mama puts it on a fancy cake stand and Alexander delivers it to the table. Papa says the pie looks great, and Alexander holds his breath, hoping his father will love the taste. His father takes a bite and is impressed. Alexander beams with pride, and the memory of his father trying his pie and loving it will stay with him forever.

Highly recommended ages 3 and up. When 
Alexander Graced the Table will likely be a popular pick in awards this award season. 

Graphic Novel PIck: PAWS: Hazel Has Her Hands Full

 

PAWS: Hazel Has Her Hands Full

by Nathan Fairbairn

Illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn

G.P. Putnam's Sons 

an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

2025

176 pages

Color Illustrations

ISBN: 9780593695807

Book Four in the PAWS series follows twelve-year old Hazel who has moved from Toronto to Vancouver. At first, she was worried she wouldn't be able to make friends or that some people might be mean to her, but she quickly makes friends with Gabby and Priya and later their friend Mindy. They happily welcome her to their PAWS group which stands for Pretty Awesome Walkers where the girls walk other people's dogs for pay. Even though Hazel uses a wheelchair, she can use her legs but only for short distances due to her spinal muscular atrophy. 

With school almost out for the summer, the girls share their summer plans. Gabby is in too many camps to count, Mindy must visit her father for a month and Priya doesn't want to ride the bus twice a day to get to their clients' houses. Hazel is on her own: no one can help her with PAWS. Her mother has made it clear she is only to walk dogs with others, never alone. When a cat sitting job presents itself, Hazel takes the gig and lies to her mother telling her Gabby is helping her. Hazel worries her mom will find out, but she's too afraid to come clean. 

Balancing walking the dogs while her friends are gone and cat sitting for her new clients, Hazel begins to get fatigued. She worries she got herself into a real mess. When the cats accidentally escape, Hazel turns to her friends and their families to help her search for them. One thing she knows for sure: In a crisis, people get together. 

Highly recommended for fans of graphic novels and readers of the series. It is not necessary to read the first three books to understand book four; however, most readers may want to find the first three after reading Hazel Has Her Hands Full. 

Grades 5 and up. 

Community Center Pick: Saturday Morning at the 'Shop

 

Saturday Morning at the 'Shop

by Keenan Jones

Illustrations by Ken Daley

Beach Lane Books

Simon & Schuster, LLC

32 pages

2025

ISBN: 9781665940801

What a joyous and positivie picture book that celebrates a Saturday morning tradition! 

Every Saturday a young boy goes to the barber shop to see all his friends, neighbors and relatives. The 'Shop is the heartbeat of the community. It is not just about the haircuts and the shaves. The 'Shop is a history lesson taught by barbers and friends. It's a playground for the boys until Mr. Charles tells them "to settle down." It's a fashion show, a comedy club, a sports bar, and even a showroom for the neighborhood tailer, and a listening booth to hear David Jr.'s new tracks. Every Saturday is like a family reunion and a time to learn about black history. Every Saturday, the young boy learns something new. 

Illustrations by Ken Daley capture the movement, the joy, and the personality of the shop: it is welcoming, colorful, vibrant and noisy. You can almost hear the noises of the shop from the illustrations. This neighborhood is lucky indeed to have a weekly meeting place for young boys and men to share stories and tell jokes. Saturday Morning at the 'Shop exudes happiness, belonging and love. 

Highly, highly recommended ages 3 and up. 

Picture Book Pick: The Hare Who Wouldn't Share

 

The Hare Who Wouldn't Share 

by Steve Small 

Illustrations by the author

A Paula Wiseman Book

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Originally published in 2024 in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster, UK Ltd 

32 pages

2025

ISBN: 9781665972932

When a family of rabbits show up and become his neighbors, Hare in not friendly. In fact, he sends them away hungry, refusing to give them any of HIS turnips. He tells the rabbits to keep on moving and he does not share his food. 

Hare stays to himself, enjoying his solitude while the rabbits work to plant a big garden of carrots. Even Hare is impressed when he sees it. The rabbits invite him to share their carrot soup, but Hare declines and says he does not need nor want their friendship. Hare cannot believe the kind rabbits would share the food that they worked so hard to grow. 

One night, a ravenous wild boar shows up and steals Hare's turnips. The boar is not sated and goes in search of more free food. He heads off toward the rabbits' home. Hare realizing they are in danger, does something completely unexpected! He races to trick the boar and save his neighbors. His plan works, and the rabbits and their carrots are safe. 

Hare rushes back home to save his turnips, but the greedy boar has eaten every single turnip. The rabbits plead with the Hare to stay with them for the long winter. As Hare watches the rabbits share and work together, he begins to change his mind. He decides being around others isn't so bad. In fact, it's quite nice. 

The Hare Who Wouldn't Share is an uplifting story of a curmudgeonly, selfish hare who learns to live and work with others and most importantly, learns to share. Ages 2 and up. 

Fail-A-Bration

 

Fail-A-Bration

by Brad and Kristi Montague

Dial Books for Young Readers

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC 

2024

40 pages 

ISBN: 9780593697146

Maybe things didn't turn out the way you wanted. Maybe the cake you baked turned out messed up. Maybe you failed at something important, but author Brad and Kristi Montague have a positive message for all the messers, missers, the late to the party, the ones who came in last place--everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to realize that you learned from your mistake and tomorrow, you will "...fail better." 

The concept of throwing a Fail-A-Bration is lovely. Everyone is invited to share and talk and learn from each other. Bring your messed up cake, show up in your shirt you spilled chocolate milk on earlier, share the time you fell down and got embarrassed, and talk about the time you tried so hard but failed. You learned! 

What a simple, positive concept. Children need this book, libraries need this book, parents need this book. The positive message that failure happens to everyone and it is okay to feel sad or mad or cry, but you could throw a Fail-A-Bration to make your failure a positive experience for you and everyone else.

The rhyming text keeps the message light-hearted and positive. Illustrations are mixed media and include collage elements, string, cardboard, double sided tape, acrylic paint and even cookies! All the pieces were "rescued" from the authors' recycling bin, Use this picture book to teach about the concept mixed media art of reusing and repurposing common items from the recycling bin to create art. 

Highly recommended for all. Ages 2 and up. 

Cute Picture Book Pick: Have You Seen My Acorn?

 

Have You Seen My Acorn? 

by DK Ryland

illustrations by the author 

Flamingo Books

an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC
2024

32 pages

ISBN:9780593622421

A clueless squirrel is in a tizzy when he can't find his acorn. He runs to each of his friends in the woodland: Skunk, Raccoon, Deer and Fox but none of them can find it. Squirrel is in such a huge hurry, he never stays long enough to hear what each friend is trying to tell him. He rushes off in search of his elusive acorn all the while right under his nose! Finally Owl drops an acorn from his tree, and Squirrel is so happy to see his missing acorn, so he decides to bury it! Young readers will solve the mystery of the missing acorn long before Squirrel "finds" his new acorn. 

Clever banter between the animals uses new and fun words for readers: chitchat, skedaddled, scurried, literally and morals. The use of onomatapeoia allows the adult, or older reader, the chance to embellish the word sounds including sounds animals make like "rat-tat-tat" and "whoo! whoo!" Words in bold and all caps direct the reader to make sure and put emphasis on them. 

This is such a fun book! Any reader will giggle as Squirrel scampers all over the forest when the entire time, his acorn has been visible...except it's turning into a small plant that will grow to a giant oak. 

Ages 3 and up. A must-have, must-read for every child and every library. 

Non-Fiction Picture Book Pick: The Dog That Dug For Dinosaurs

 

The Dog Who Dug For Dinosaurs

Ready-To-Read Level Three

by Shirley Raye Redmond

Illustrations Simon Sullivan 

Simon Spotlight

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2024

Text and illustrations copyright 2004

32 pages

ISBN: 9781665963329

Even the most reluctant reader will want to read about a real life dog who loved to dig for fossils. One day, Mary Ann and her dog Tray discover giant bones on the cliff. They run and find grown ups to help them. The town is surprised to find the largest bones anyone has ever seen. A wealthy man offers to buy the bones and give them to the British Museum in London. The "monster" discovered by Tray was an ichthyosaur, or fish lizard. 

Soon people were flocking to Lyme Regis to see where the bones were found. Scientists were deeply interested in the find and an Oxford scientist, William Buckland, visits and asks Mary Ann to show him where Tray discovered the bones. Tray comes through again. He sniffs out the bones of a plesiosaur and later a pterodactyl--a fossil never seen in England before. The little dog that dug for dinosaurs became famous and people visited Mary Ann's village to buy fossils and search the cliffs. 

The bones and fossils discovered by Tray and Mary Ann are on exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London today. 

Highly recommended for readers who like non-fiction and dinosaurs, but Tray is charmingly captivating and will keep any reader entertained as they learn about fossils, dinosaurs and discovery. 

Grades 3 and up. Level Three books feature more character development, more difficult vocabulary, longer sentences and more complex sentence structure. 

Funny Getaway Picture Book: Stop That Mop!

 

Stop That Mop!

Ready To Read Level One

by Jonathan Fenske

Illustrations by the author 

Simon Spotlight

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2025

32 pages

ISBN: 9781665932721

An unhappy mop is sick and tired of having to mop and mop and mop all the slop and glop, so they decide to run away. They run away from the pig who's chasing them. A bunny joins in the chase followed by a pony and a fishy. The group of animals continues to chase the nimble mop until they all reach a stop sign, warning of a cliff drop off ahead. 

The mop is not done yet. They fall the cliff and are saved by a bird, but the mop wins freedom as the flabbergasted and tired chasers look on. 

The fun rhyming story will likely be your toddler's favorite book. The mop is winsome, silly, entertaining and speedy. Fenske captures each animal's personality using colorful, almost cartoon-like facial expressions and body language. This book is a rare gem and a must-read. Beginning readers will be captivated by the easy rhymes featuring easy words to sound out and it will help them with their first sight words. 

This picture book is a Theodor Seeuss Geisel Honor Winner and a Junior Library Guild Selection and will be a popular pick for awards this year. 

Highly, highly recommended ages 18 months and up. 

Reinventing Robert Frost: A Picture Book Rewrites Robert Frost's Poetry

 

Stopping By the Jungle on a Snowy Evening 

by Richard T. Morris

Illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch

A Caitlain Dlouhy Book

Atheneum Books for Young Readers 

2025

40 pages

ISBN: 9781482478021

This clever redux of Robert Frost's "Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening" is witty, irreverent, and entertaining. 

Frost's famous poem is set in a snowy wood on the "darkest evening of the year."  In the poem, the narrator describes the setting as having "easy wind" and "downy flake" and the "woods are lovely, dark and deep." He halts his horse to watch the snow fall, enjoying the silence and darkness. 

A young boy reimagines the poem. He sees the woods, but his ride is a hippopotamus with a jingle bell collar. Robert Frost appears at a window, correcting  the  boy, telling him it's not a hippo, it is in fact supposed to be a horse. The boy, not convinced, asks the man who he is. Frost defends his poem, "I wrote this poem." The boy says he only sees his hippo, no horse at all, and changes Frost's work to a jungle setting. Frost disagrees, saying it does not snow in the jungle. As Frost continues to pontificate, the boy says it's boring, so boring that the hippo has fallen asleep. The boy continues to add fun to the poem with a giant snake, a hippo that does karate, an incoming meteor, a tidal wave, and an alien invasion. 

The surprise ending uses lines from another Frost poem and ties the new poem and its exciting story together. The Frost character ends up loving the redux and riding off with the boy atop the blue hippo.

At the beginning of the book, you can almost hear the disdain in Frost's voice as he points his finger and "schools" the young boy. When he says he wrote the poem, the word "wrote" is in bold font, directing the reader to give more emphasis, or inflection, to this word. Frost carries a notebook and pen, further showing him as a man of learning. He pulls out a podium to recite the last stanza of his poem, emphasizing the fact he is a writer/poet who recites his poems in the public. He's soon interrupted when the aliens show up and he must hop on the rhino with the boy as the boy shouts, "Run for your lives!" 

This fun interpretation includes the original poem after the story. For younger kids, read the poem after the story. For older children, read the poem first so that they have a starting point. The humor will make much more sense if they are familiar with the poem. This is a great conversation opener for a unit on modern poetry (by modern, I am including the twentieth century to the present). 

Highly, highly recommended ages 3 and up. It would be a fun creative writing lesson to have students choose a famous poem and rewrite it to "jazz it up a bit." Who knows? Maybe their outcome becomes a picture book! 

Picture Book Pick: Freedom Braids

 

Freedom Braids 

by Monique Duncan

Illustrations by Oboh Moses

Lantana Publishing

Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 

first published in the U.K. 

2024

32 pages

ISBN: 9781915244802

Freedom Braids is the story of a young girl named Nemy who lived in Columbia on a plantation that harvested sugar cane. The author's note explains her story is based on people who were taken from Africa and enslaved in North and South America. In Nemy's case, she escapes with a group of women led by one known as  "Big Mother," a slave who leads them to freedom. 

The braids the women wove in their hair represented paths to freedom, and even where Spanish troops were encamped.  A style called "El Undihito" was used for women who hid gold and seeds in their braids, These seeds were transported and used to plant crops when they arrived on free soil. The people fled to the mountains where they could hide in the dense forests in freedom. They built "palenques," or communities, and often would help others escape to join them. 

Beautiful art by Oboh Moses captures the women braiding each other's hair by the light of a fire. In one spread, the darkness of the forest at night is stunning in black and colors of dark blue. As the page turns, it is sunrise as Nemy looks to the mountains, the back of her head dominant to highlight her braids that zigzag like the river in front of her. The dark blues and black are replaced by hues of purple, pink and green with a blue river winding down the mountain. Nemy and the women reach freedom, "And in the light of a new dawn, she found a way home." 

It is a rare experience to encounter such a powerful picture book. Its beauty is only eclipsed by the amazing story told by a master storyteller, Monique Duncan. The end pages feature each of the braided hairstyles. 

Freedom Braids is a MUST HAVE, MUST READ for everyone of all ages. Libraries should plan on purchasing multiple copies as this will be a popular check-out. 

The most highly of recommended! Ages 3 and up. 

Picture Book Pick: Who's Writing This Story?

Who's Writing This Story?

by Robin Newman

Illustrated by Deborah Zemke 

Creston Books, LLC

2024

32 pages

ISBN: 9781954354296

A brilliant take on "The Three Little Pigs" features an author who is writing the story and the characters, the three little pigs, who step in and take over! What happens to a writer when the characters steer the ship? 

Comic-book like illustrations by Deborah Zemke will enthrall as young readers laugh their way through the pages as the silly antics of the three little pigs unfold. Even the Big Bad Wolf has his own "take" on the story. He's tired of being the bad guy and wants to be the good guy, the protagonist. He wants friends. As each character steps up, the writer changes the setting and the story, but she takes a stand on the five elements of a story: plot, setting, characters, conflict and resolution. The pigs and the wolf disagree and, "...wrote the writer right out of their story." 

Creative and funny, Who's Writing This Story is a standout among all other picture books. It's likely both the author and illustrator will earn awards for this one. Anyone teaching any writing class or English class needs this book. Every writer needs this book to remind them of the basics while entertaining them with a new twist to an old story.  Never as "The Three Little Pigs" been both winsome, necessary and funny. 

Highly, highly recommended. You NEED this book for every collection and writer's desk. A fantastic gift for any budding writer; furthermore, even a seasoned author like David Baldacci or Stephen King will enjoy the storytelling. 

Ages 7 and up and recommended as a gift for everyone who is writing. 

Picture Book Pick: Still My Tessa

 

Awards:

Award Winner, CBC Kids Reads, 2024

Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centrre, 2024

Nominated, OLA Blue Spruce Award, 2025

My Review: 

Still My Tessa

by Sylv Chiang

Illustrated by Mathias Ball 

North Winds Press

Scholastic Canada Ltd. 

2024

32 pages 

9781443196239

Younger sister Evelyn misses her older sister Tessa, but Tessa doesn't want to play or talk. She stays in her room or wears her headphones everywhere. When Tessa confronts her older sis, Tessa tells her that she is not her sister anymore. Tessa instructs Evelyn to refer to her as her sibling, not sister nor brother. 

Tessa explains that pronouns are important, and she uses "they" or "them." It takes about a week, but Evelyn learns the correct pronouns, and Tessa seems happier. When the family goes on a bike ride and gets ice cream, their parents warn the siblings that it's not necessary to tell everyone Tessa's gender. Evelyn disagrees, knowing it is important. Later, Mom uses "non-binary" as she refers to Tessa and Tessa smiles. Readers see the personal growth of the entire family of four: Tessa is much happier when people use her pronouns and understand that she is neither a boy nor a girl, Evelyn becomes her sibling's ally and instructs others about how important pronouns are, the parents use the correct pronouns and introduce Tesssa as "non-binary." 

Included in the book are pages defining the terms: non-binary, ally and pronouns as it refers to gender and tips to become a "pronoun ally." 

Still My Tessa is a powerful story about a family learning to use pronouns and understand how important being an ally is for any person, young or old. 

This picture book is a must-have for all library collections. Ages 3 and up. 

Middle Grade Pick: Camp Twisted Pine

 Camp Twisted Pine 

by Ciera Burch

Margaret K. McElderry Books

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2024

256 pages

ISBN: 9781665930574

Camp Twisted Pine is a spooky middle grade read with just the right amount of the elements kids love about summer camp. The author dedicates the book to, "...all the kids who wanted to go to summer camp but weren't allowed to...," and those readers will visit Camp Twisted pine through the eyes of eleven-year old Naomi. 

Although she doesn't want to go to camp, she finds out that she and her twin younger brothers are being shipped off for the summer while her parents sort out their separation and impending divorce. While Naomi was ready to hate camp, once she's there, it's not so bad. The counselors are okay, the cabin is decent and she gets along with the other campers and becomes friends with Jackie. Jackie is hard of hearing and teaches Naomi ASL (American Sign Language) as the girls become closer. 

There's something amiss in the woods, and the scary stories told at the campfire has Naomi on edge. When a kid goes missing, Naomi convinces Jackie that they better solve the mystery of just what is out there in the woods. Could the Jersey Devil be real? 

Readers will cheer for Naomi as she unravels the mystery: she's fearless, smart and driven. For all those readers who have never been to camp, Camp Twisted Pine is the answer. 

Recommended grades 5 and up. A little spooky, but no gore.