Reviews
Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music
“Members of multiracial families may have more in common than expected . . . . Even more, the boy’s problem-solving abilities offer an opportunity to talk to children about situations that trouble them, and possible solutions. A thoughtful picture book for storytime and one-on-one… View →
Remembering Ethan
“Broaching a difficult but important topic, this heartbreaking story takes on a family’s loss in a delicate and relatable way. . . . [T]he work encourages communication and connection in desperate times. . . . This is an important work on mental health, for any collection aimed at… View →
Monster Songs
“These realistic. . . stories address some of the frustrations and fears of childhood. . .In Monster Songs, Hal is afraid of the creature that sings under his bed until his brother Jack helps him conquer his nighttime fears. . . [The books ueses] a limited vocabulary, making… View →
“This gentle tale is both comforting and effective as an explanation of the mezuzah. Noah’s emotional arc rings true, and information is smoothly woven into the narrative. The art is warm, welcoming, and interesting with its combination of watercolor, collage, pen and ink,… View →
Willie McLean and the Civil War Surrender
“These beginning readers offer basic historical overviews in story format. Both books have clear, unencumbered texts complemented by serviceable period art in color and an author’s note. These books offer perfunctory descriptions and interpretations for readers just… View →
Hunter's Heart
“Like many 14-year-old boys, Simon is fascinated by weapons and wilderness survival, but his fascination transcends the norm and his obsession with hunting fills the early pages of the novel with a powerful sense of foreboding. . . the compelling characters and story will keep… View →
Apple Cider Making Days
“The realistic illustrations are soft with autumnal colors and show the process that results in that glass of cider. Although listed as fiction, there is more straightforward information than story. The addition of the children makes this book more personal for young students. A… View →
Honestly, Mallory!
“Mallory’s friends take a backseat in this episode, as she faces the internal turmoil that comes with knowing you’ve done something wrong, and young readers will empathize with her. . . Recommend this book to fans of Amber Brown, Judy Moody, Junie B. Jones, and the… View →
Captured by Pirates: Book 1
“Pirates allows readers to control where the story goes, using both fairly lengthy prose and comic-book-style pages to move it along. The medium works well with the second-person narration, and Witt’s illustrations provide an excellent reflection of the tone… View →
Sail Away, Little Boat
“Ishida’s brilliantly colored spreads, done in mixed media, cast a swirling, whirling spell of balanced design. Working together in perfect pace, both text and illustration explore the natural world. . .The book supports standards in science, art, and language arts while… View →
Rhyme and PUNishment: Adventures in Wordplay
“The puns are in bold print and a different color than the rest of the text, and potentially unfamiliar words are explained at the bottom of the page. . . Sandy’s lighthearted cartoons add to the silliness, and make this a good choice for either browsers or for… View →
Finding Day's Bottom
“After the death of her father in a sawmill accident, Jane-Ery, 11 passes through levels of grief so poignantly revealed that her voice sets a ragged emotional tone throughout. . . it both uplifts and uncovers the family’s raw and slowly healing spirits. A novel full of… View →
Dazzling Dragonflies: A Life Cycle Story
“Clearly written text and bright-hued watercolor collage illustrations introduce the life cycle of that zip-a-dipping aerialist, the dragonfly, from newly laid eggs, through months of aquatic life as a nymph, to the final metamorphosis into a glitter-winged creature. . . basic,… View →
Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book
“This ambitious book provides colorful collages, hidden letters, word pictures, and alphabet sentences presented in rhyme while avoiding many of the pitfalls of the genre. By melding together nonsensical sentences that are as wacky as the illustrations, Cleary opens up the field… View →
I Know an Old Teacher
“Gammell’s lively artwork is a colorful combination of watercolor, colored pencils, pastel, and crayon framed by a mix of font sizes and colors. Assisted by conversational responses from Miss Bindley’s students, who are spying on her, the tale progresses as tails… View →
Lazily, Crazily, Just a Bit Nasally: More about Adverbs
“The CATegorical cats are back. A professorial feline opens this offbeat lecture with a definition of adverbs and a color-coded guide to the types found throughout the book. Readers are then drawn into another of Cleary’s signature rhyming narratives, which tumbles across… View →
Always an Olivia: A Remarkable Family History
“Tugeau’s vibrant paintings highlight the various moods of the story, from the fear of the Inquisition to the warmth of a family dinner, from the darkness of the pirate ship to the vitality of the Geechee community. This beautifully illustrated offering skillfully shows the View →
Doug's Dung
“Digital illustrations of buggy-eyed beetles have subtle elements, such as belts, that characterize each and add charm. The prose is succinct, with select bolded words that could lead to discussions after reading the book . . . . This book successfully focuses on resilience… View →
Blue Everywhere
“These bold and busy titles discuss where the colors occur in nature, describe their various shades, and discuss the meaning behind popular sayings or ‘fun facts’ about them. Well suited to independent reading, with simple sentence structure and boxed facts that… View →
Kathy Ross Crafts Letter Shapes
“These attractive books present hands-on projects to accompany phonics and letter recognition lessons. Shapes presents a craft activity based on each letter of the alphabet. . . The layout is friendly to nonreaders, including illustrations of the materials needed. . . Overall,… View →
"Mrs. Riley Bought Five Itchy Aardvarks" and Other Painless Tricks for Memorizing Science Facts
“Readers can learn how to remember simple facts such as that the Earth orbits the Sun and the Moon orbits the Earth, or more challenging information such as the elements of the Mohs hardness scale. . . Colorful cartoons match the lightheartedness of the presentation. Teachers… View →
Camilla, Cartographer
“Through this engaging story, children will be shown the benefits of using and creating maps of their own. Camilla is a lovable main character. She’s smart, kind, and adventurous . . . . A fun way to get children interested in cartography, this book lends itself to many lessons… View →
Pocahontas
“An easy-to-read biography of the Powhatan Indian woman who played an important role in American history. The author is careful to give a disclaimer, stating that it is difficult to know the true story because of lack of documentation. Large print and limited vocabulary make the… View →
Cooking the Norwegian Way
“The narrative pieces are smoothly written and offer some interesting tidbits. The authors are either natives or have some family connection to the country under discussion. All in all, these are good resouces for reports and for older kids who want to add something new to their… View →