Reviews
I Say Shehechiyanu
“Rocklin’s simple text will help religiously observant young listeners recall their own family experiences, while Filipina’s colorful, cartoon-style artwork will trigger visual memories of these events . . . a good choice for religious schools and observant families… View →
Place Hacking: Venturing Off Limits
“This brief but lively introduction to the joy of urban trespass is the stuff reluctant reader dreams are made of.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books View →
New Month, New Moon
“This book is well done and filled with facts that will integrate the holiday of Rosh Chodesh with the teaching of astronomy. In addition, children will develop an appreciation of the earth’s environment. This can be a perfect addition to a classroom unit on Israel or Rosh… View →
Escape from Egypt
“a Passover-themed book that seems to be the first to fill a much-needed niche in Jewish children’s literature.” — Jewish Journal View →
Ode to a Commode: Concrete Poems
“Cleary’s collection of poems range between quietly clever to laugh-out-loud funny….[T]he poems are short and fun enough to charm even the most ardent enemy of poetry, and children will likely walk away feeling inspired to make their own concrete poems in the most… View →
Sometimes You Barf
“I like this book because it will help educators discuss an embarrassing topic with children; the cover art and illustrations are eye-catching and fun. This book will have children giggling until the last page.”―Library Media Connection View →
“This two-in-one flip book features the story Alef is for Abba. Turn the book upside down and Alef is for Ima is on the other side. Hebrew words that begin with the letter alef are included on each page. The Hebrew word, the transliteration, and the… View →
Chips and Cheese and Nana's Knees: What Is Alliteration?
“Wildly colorful, Goneau’s cartoon illustrations turn the rhythmic, rhyming verses into comically exaggerated little dramas. While many children’s books use alliteration, few actually define it or talk about it. This playful yet practical book will help kids grasp the… View →
I Say Shehechiyanu
“Vibrant, playful watercolor drawings depict each Shehechiyanu occasion with humor and excitement, while the concise text communicates just what being thankful is all about. Children (and others) will appreciate both the message and the accompanying illustrations as they learn to… View →
Trash Mountain
“Beloved children’s author Yolen offers a fable about accepting others in spite of their differences and respecting the natural environment….[A] perfect selection for the reader who is new to novels.”―Booklist View →
Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush
“Nostalgia, companionship and cooperation are emphasized in the simple text and winsome retro-style illustrations. Children and adults will be charmed by the latest in this amiable series.” — Kirkus Reviews View →
FishFishFish
“Thanks to its wordless design, expressive characters, colorful look, and small jumps in time between panels, this tale will appeal to a broad range of children.”—School Library Journal View →
The Wren and the Sparrow
“Lewis (Harlem Hellfighters), the former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate, writes in elevated, allusive, but always approachable language: ‘A six-year-old’s only possession, ten finger cymbals, tinkled like the sound of spring escaping winter.’… View →
Transgender Lives: Complex Stories, Complex Voices
“YAs familiar with Cronn-Mills from her Stonewall Award–winning Beautiful Music for Ugly Children will be particularly pleased to encounter her nonfiction work.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Literature View →
Chernobyl's Wild Kingdom: Life in the Dead Zone
“A narrowly focused topic, clear presentation, and light page count make this an easy pick for academic strugglers faced with a research assignment, but any readers with an interest in endangered animals—not to mention human-generated and nature disasters—will be drawn to this… View →
Ghost Walls: The Story of a 17th-Century Colonial Homestead
“Teens fascinated by archaeological fieldwork will appreciate Walker’s inclusion not only of the dig but the reasoning behind many of the archaeologists’ conclusions (often tentative and changeable) concerning use of space and artifacts.” —The Bulletin of the… View →
Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems from the Water Hole
“Fifteen poems capture the denizens of the African water hole, from impalas and elephants to oxpecker birds and dung beetles. Entries vary between rhymed and unrhymed, but all are compact, rhythmic, and short-lined, with frequent tasty soundplay (‘white tackles/ in a rugby… View →
A Rock Can Be . . .
“…this beautiful picture book makes an excellent classroom read-aloud, challenging children to puzzle out the ideas in the poetic phrases and to broaden their thinking about rocks.” —Booklist View →
Sammy Spider's First Mitzvah
“This is yet another Sammy Spider tale that young children will love. I’ve read many Sammy Spider tales and this one is a perfect one to introduce the bikkur cholim.” — Feathered Quill View →
Sammy Spider's First Mitzvah
“Everyone’s favorite little spider is back, still spinning webs and still teaching children Jewish values in his delightful way. His latest adventure educates about the mitzvah of bikur cholim, visiting the sick to promote healing and to bring comfort and a sense of caring.… View →
Beetle Boy
“The strata of Charlie’s trauma peel back gradually through dreams and flashbacks to reveal a highly sensitive boy who was badly used and then abandoned by his opportunistic father; readers will feel the ache screaming from his dreams into his waking responses, which would… View →
Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis
‘Alice + Freda Forever’s’ Alexis Coe on a Shocking, Forgotten Case of Teenage Lesbian Murder Books | By Karen Abbott | October 9, 2014 Karen Abbott, the author of the new Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War, and Alexis Coe,… View →
My Heart is Laughing
“Keep this volume in mind as an accessible chapter book for younger children and a riveting readaloud choice for the classroom.” —starred, Booklist View →
BirdCatDog
“A compelling, engaging, and original wordless graphic novel for young children in which readers can determine the hero…. A must-own for elementary school libraries.” —School Library Journal View →