Reviews
We Planted a Pumpkin
“Less gardening primer than accounting of a slow-moving triumph, this In the Garden series starter depicts a parent-free project in the works alongside the delayed gratification that gardening can represent, all leading up to the protagonists’ breathless delight around… View →
My Brain Is Magic: A Sensory-Seeking Celebration
“Peaches and pinks infuse Ladi’s domestic scenes with a warmth that lasts until cool colors arrive with the onset of a ‘big sleepy whale’ slumber—a soothing end to the lively pages that precede.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Night and Dana
“In a retro style reminiscent of Archie comics, Davidson. . . fashions characters who are convincingly relatable.” —Publishers Weekly View →
The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women's Suffrage, and Jujitsu
“[A]n empowering work both in content and visuals, about the figure who taught women how to take back their power.” —Publishers Weekly View →
A Book about Bupkes
“Slice-of-life drawings and upbeat characters…assure readers that the world moves forward on even the smallest acts of kindness.”―Publishers Weekly View →
Fodo Dodo Goes Fishing
“With self-assured characters and snappy pacing, it’s a simple angling story that’s as streamlined and functional as a pair of underpants.”—Publishers Weekly View →
My Mommies Built a Treehouse
“Evans’s warm digital renderings showcase the loving relationship between parents and child. Celebratory concluding scenes in the cozy fort successfully emphasize the value of family support in making dreams come true.”—Publishers Weekly View →
My Mommy Marches
“Hawkins’s rhythmic prose highlights the feelings and ideas that compel Mommy to march, and concluding pages make clear that her actions, like those of her mother and grandmother before her, succeed at inspiring both her child and her community.”—Publishers Weekly View →
The Moon Is a Ball: Stories of Panda & Squirrel
“As Franck models charming rapport and low-stakes companionship, Tjong-Khing’s delicate artwork provides nature-filled scenes of glorious suns and a bamboo forest.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Watch Me Bloom: A Bouquet of Haiku Poems for Budding Naturalists
“Appropriately sunny illustrations feature figures of varying abilities, creeds, and skin tones making daisy chains with a caregiver, greeting neighbors, and playing outdoors in a work that’s likely to inspire many garden daydreams.”—Publishers Weekly View →
The Weight of Everything
“Through Sarah’s tentative steps toward healing, Mickelson (Where I Belong) attentively showcases the mending power of tenderness, patience, and love in this moving read. Ages 12–up. (May)“—Publishers Weekly View →
Rise to the Sky: How the World's Tallest Trees Grow Up
“Hirsch teaches basic plant biology through the example of the world’s “tallest living thing”—trees—in this awe-inspiring text. . . . Washed in earthy browns and vivid emerald greens, Posada’s expertly rendered cut paper collage provide texture that feels… View →
Rainbow Letters: A Book for Rainbow Babies
“[A] compassionate, cheerfully rhyming text.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War
“An important read about an often forgotten piece of U.S. military history that celebrates its subject by forefronting their bravery in overcoming obstacles both foreign and domestic.”—Publishers Weekly View →
The Bear and the Wildcat
“Elegant, understated spreads over scumbled black backdrops by Sakai divide the story, the first half dark with Bear’s misery, the second half dawning with light. Hirano’s fine translation renders Bear’s transition in simple, natural-sounding English, and… View →
Another Band's Treasure: A Story of Recycled Instruments
“Rough-hewn b&w illustrations and lean text convey a linear story that prioritizes a collective journey over individual character arcs. By rendering the recycled instruments in full color, Xie adds a welcome burst of verve while spotlighting the story’s unique… View →
The Love of the Moonlight
“. . . Buckner invites readers to view the moon as a model of peace, comfort, and love in this message-driven picture book.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Indigo and Ida
“In Capps’s endearing debut, biracial (white and Black) eighth grader Indigo Fitzgerald faces scrutiny and microaggressions from her peers during her campaign for class president. . . . Forthright conversations surrounding privilege between Indigo and her white mother further View →
Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself
“Without losing the source text’s emotional heft, Edinger and Younge’s visceral poems respectfully provide an effective entry point into the seminal work.”—starred, Publishers Weekly View →
The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent
With intensely emotional and honest prose, Jacobus (Romancing the Dark in the City of Light) conveys Del’s inner turmoil and longing for relief from the constant pain and fear of death she believes haunt her life. . . . supportive health coordinators and mentors help Del… View →
Kind Crocodile
“[A] a diverting reminder that kindness comes in all shapes and sizes—and sometimes requires community.”—Publishers Weekly View →
Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport
“Stelson employs a communal we to narrate this story of 669 primarily Jewish children of the Czech Kindertransport . . . Impressionistic acrylic, collage, and pencil art by Alko is embellished throughout with sparkling stars and round yellow orbs.”—Publishers Weekly View →
I'm Gonna Be a SMITH!, Book 1: Volume 1
“Galadima and Jones deliver an immersive reading experience complete with pulse-pounding action sequences and an amiable supporting cast led by a resilient protagonist. This tech-driven graphic novel series opener promises deeper lore and mysteries in subsequent… View →
