Don’t let the winter cold get you down. This February we are releasing new titles in fiction, nonfiction, picture books, and young adult. Expand your imagination by reading about dinosaurs surfing, Super Potato’s cosmic battle, pigeons in the war, and much more!
New in Board Books
My First Dino-Boarding by Lisa Wheeler, Illustrated by Barry Gott
- Interest Level: Preschool
On sea or pavement, / glide and spin. / Dino-Boarding . . . / Dino-win!
High-energy rhyming text from Lisa Wheeler highlights key moments as dinosaurs compete on surfboards and on skateboards. Youngsters will delight in this action-packed introduction to two forms of boarding!
My First Dino-Swimming by Lisa Wheeler, Illustrated by Barry Gott
- Interest Level: Preschool
Dino-pool. / Swimming meet. / Goggled eyes. / Teams compete.
Dinosaurs swim and dive as fun rhyming text from Lisa Wheeler describes the action. Young readers will want to dive right in and join the fun in this high-energy board book!
Happy Purium, Grover! by Joni Kibort Sussman, Illustrated by Tom Leigh
- Interest Level: Preschool – grade 2
It’s Purim! Join Grover and his buddies as they celebrate the holiday, baking hamantaschen, dressing up in costumes, listening to the story of Queen Esther, and making noise with groggers as Haman’s name is read.
New in Picture Books
★ Best Believe: The Tres Hermanas, a Sisterhood for the Common Good by NoNieqa Ramos, Illustrated by Nicole Medina
- Interest Level: Grade 1 – Grade 4
Meet the Tres Hermanas: Evelina Antonetty, Lillian López, and Elba Cabrera.
They moved from Puerto Rico to New York City as children and grew up to become leaders in their Bronx community. Evelina, an activist for social causes, founded United Bronx Parents. Lillian became a librarian and administrator who fought for Spanish and bilingual books and Spanish-speaking library staff. Elba worked closely with Evelina and became an ambassador and advocate for the arts.
Rhythmic verse by NoNieqa Ramos and vibrant illustrations by Nicole Medina provide a stirring look at three dynamic changemakers.
★ “The sisters’ fiery spirit runs through the text, which frankly calls out disparities and celebrates the Tres Hermanas’ many victories as they passionately defended the rights of Puerto Rican Americans and lifted up their culture. . . Illustrations channeling the sisters’ Puerto Rican roots feature saturated colors, tropical flower embellishments, moving portraits of the family and community, and a clean, modern aesthetic.” — starred, Booklist
New in Graphic Novels
Super Potato and the Return of Zort by Artur Laperla
- Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5
Zort the Slug King is back! When Super Potato’s old enemy escapes his outer-space prison, he heads for Earth with revenge on his mind. And that’s not all: a trio of galactic bounty hunters are on Zort’s trail. Meanwhile, our hero has his hands full with Big Jaw, a metal-mouthed villain who just chomped his way through a ruby robbery. Things are about to get crowded . . . Get ready for a cosmic kerfuffle!
New in Nonfiction
Sounds Good!: Discover 50 Instruments by Ole and Hans Könnecke
- Interest Level: Grade 1 – Grade 5
An interactive introduction to musical instruments with 50 original compositions to listen to—from the kazoo to the bassoon.
What does a double bass or a sitar sound like? What’s the difference between bongos and congas? Which instrument has only one note? What do these instruments really sound like?
This book engagingly presents 50 common and uncommon musical instruments with practical and curious facts that will spark interest in music of all kinds. Each instrument features a piece of music composed by an award-winning musician, accessed via QR code. With instruments presented outside conventional categories, the book is open to all ways of listening and learning. Aspects of history, music theory, and culture are lightly mixed with information about how instruments are made and played.
“An incredible resource for teachers and caregivers alike eager to find a child-friendly introduction to sound and music history.” — Kirkus Reviews
★ The Observologist: A Handbook for Mounting Very Small Scientific Expeditions by Giselle Clarkson
- Interest Level: Grade 3 – Grade 7
A highly illustrated, playful field guide for budding natural scientists and curious observers of the world right under our noses.
A highly illustrated, playful field guide for budding natural scientists and curious observers of the world right under our noses.
Observology is the study of looking. An observologist makes scientific expeditions, albeit very small ones, every day. They notice interesting details in the world around them. They are expert at finding tiny creatures, plants, and fungi. An observologist knows that there are extraordinary things to be found in even the most ordinary places.
The Observologist puts more than 100 small creatures and features of the natural world under the microscope. Facts combine with comics, detailed illustrations, science, and funny stories in this unique, warm, and fascinating account of the small things all around us.
★ “[T]his book will have readers sharpening their senses in no time. A charming work sure to spark a lifelong habit of looking closely at the natural world.” — starred, Kirkus Reviews
Jimmy Carter: A Presidential Life of Service by Eric Braun
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 8
Jimmy Carter served as the 39th US president from 1977 to 1981. In 2002 he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Read about Carter’s journey from a peanut farm in Georgia to the White House.
New in Young Adult
★ Pangu’s Shadow by Karen Bao
- Interest Level: Grade 7 – Grade 12
There are no second chances in the Pangu Star System.
Rival apprentices at the most prestigious biology lab in the Pangu Star System, Ver and Aryl are working late one night when they find their brilliant but egotistical teacher, Cal, sprawled on the floor, dead. Murdered. And they immediately become the prime suspects.
Their motives seem obvious. Ver, who left her home moon to study the life-threatening disease wracking her body, had a hopeless crush on Cal that could’ve become twisted by jealousy. Aryl, on the other hand, clashed with workaholic Cal because she prioritized dance over research. To clear their names, the girls must put aside their mutual suspicion and team up to investigate Cal’s death.
★ “This dual-perspective tale maintains a vivid connection to each narrator’s voice while keeping up an exciting pace and unfurling a satisfying mystery. Hard to put down: A strongly written work that pulls no punches while providing much-needed representation.” — starred, Kirkus Reviews
Pigeons at War: How Avian Heroes Changed History by Connie Goldsmith
- Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
Pigeons were crucial to communications between Allied troops in both world wars. When phone, radio, and telegraph lines were cut or officers needed to send top secret information, it was pigeons that they depended on to reach support staff far from the front. In fact, pigeons earned the most medals of any animal for their services during these conflicts. Discover how pigeons were domesticated and trained for use in military conflicts, learn about some of their most daring flights, and find out what other ways pigeons and humans work together.
“Readers who love reading about animals accomplishing great deeds will enjoy this while, at the same time, they’ll learn a lot about a much-maligned bird.” — Booklist
Check out these titles and more at lernerbooks.com!