Reviews
Slug Needs a Hug!
“[A] bittersweet, slimy story…[with an] unconditionally loving ending….The book feels like a big, generous embrace.”―Kirkus Reviews View →
Ebola: Fears and Facts
“[O]ffers readers context for recent news headlines….A well-organized, informative overview.”―Kirkus Reviews View →
The Way Back from Broken
“A quiet and memorable story of how paddling in the wilderness forces two unlikely friends to face their grief and embrace their power.”―Kirkus Reviews View →
Game Changer: John McLendon and the Secret Game
“[A]rresting illustrations play up the basketball action and the emerging camaraderie that conjured the possibility of defeating Jim Crow….[A] charming read for young basketball fans.”―Kirkus Reviews View →
Change Is in the Air, Mallory
“Friedman uses a confluence of realistic events to nudge Mallory outside her comfort zone, and the result is a stronger story than most in the series.”—Booklist View →
One Good Deed
“The author lets her characters make her point (the world is a much better place when people are kind), only introducing the Jewish term for this behavior – mitzvot – at the end of the story. Melmon’s upbeat illustrations are similarly nondenominational and will… View →
Talia and the Very YUM Kippur
“It’s a fine introduction to an important Jewish holiday, as well as a reminder that intangible things like forgiveness can be as delicious as the best kugel.” — Publisher’s Weekly View →
A 52-Hertz Whale
“A cohesive, emotionally intimate story that sensitively handles loss, grief, accomplishment, and the not-so-simple act of growing up.”—Publishers Weekly View →
“Soft strokes and blended colors depict a cozy, congenial world that is supported by a sensitive translation. . . . While the lesson does not play out exactly as had been intended, the child learns that the universe is ‘…beautiful….And funny.’ So is this warm, loving… View →
“The economy of the stories is matched by the masterful use of white space and the placement of collage images. . . . This collection of quiet, open-minded stories is a solid choice for most libraries.”—School Library Journal View →
Information Insecurity: Privacy under Siege
“[A] wealth of information for students looking to learn more about this complex and ongoing debate….An essential purchase.”―School Library Journal View →
The Nitty-Gritty Gardening Book: Fun Projects for All Seasons
“These simple, inexpensive seasonal projects are designed to inspire minds, busy hands, and yield edifying results….[K]ids will gain a sense of scientific wonder watching their completed activities come to fruition.”―School Library Journal View →
Fuel under Fire: Petroleum and Its Perils
“Compellingly written…with surprising, sickening statistics….Though concise, a solid purchase for schools and public libraries.”―Booklist View →
An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns
“[A] clever contemplation of animal-centric collective nouns . . . inventively and captivatingly composed. . . . Language arts teachers as well as librarians will want to get their paws on this title.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
“Kids will readily relate to this time-consuming process of getting dressed. . . . Originally published in France, this vibrantly colored, vertically bound offering featuring a silly and slightly scary wolf will keep kids coming back for more.”—Kirkus Reviews View →
Lovely Old Lion
“Most appropriate for a child coping with such a situation, this is a selection that explains the concept of memory loss well and will help develop compassion in all who read it. A supportive, honest, and needed explanation of Alzheimer’s-type illnesses.”―Kirkus… View →
Swashbuckling Scoundrels: Pirates in Fact and Fiction
“A slender but sweeping survey of piracy on the high seas….Broad of beam for being so shallow of draft but seaworthy for all its distinctly romanticized picture.”―Kirkus Reviews View →
“Martin’s simple, subtle depictions…adorn Desbordes’ unconventional, comical dialogue. A blunt, at times knee-slapping story suitable for perceptive young readers, those unsure of social cues, and global readers alike.”―Kirkus Reviews View →
Elmer and Butterfly
“[Elmer learns] a humbling lesson….The message is delivered with a fable-like economy, and as always McKee’s vibrant, softly surreal artwork…pulls readers headlong into the pages.”―The New York Times Book Review View →
“With something of the philosophical bent of The Little Prince, this is a treasure box of curious ideas for a thoughtful child.”―starred, Publishers Weekly View →
The Wren and the Sparrow
“The affecting text is filled with both pathos and hope, befitting the author’s status as U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate (2011 – 2013). Somber watercolor and pencil illustrations convey the historical darkness of the time, yet are punctuated with the… View →
Escape from Egypt
“Twins Scarlett and Sam are quarreling while their parents and grandmother are getting ready for the Pesach seder. Their quarrel leads to a trip on their grandmother’s magic carpet that transports them back in time to ancient Egypt. Although they are still in their modern… View →
“A peppy, lively Shabbat song full of spirit and cheer, Shabbat Shalom, Hey! is known to many children who love to clap to its rhythms and shout out the ‘Hey’ emphatically and joyfully. In this bright, colorful picture book, Ann Koffsky has illustrated the… View →
Mazel Tov! It's a Boy/Mazel Tov! It's a Girl
“Fans of flip picture books, k’vel! Here is a well thought out, useful, warm, happy picture book with a sound life-cycle topic. Excellent photographs and sweetly chronological events capture the thrilling experience of welcoming a new baby, one way for girls, flip! the other View →