Picture books

The right stuff

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The Gallaudet Eleven: The Story of NASA’s Deaf Bioastronauts by Kerry O’Malley Cerra, illustrated by Kristina Gehrmann (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 1-4). As the Space Race heated up, a researcher at NASA needed to figure out how to help astronauts with motion sickness as they traveled into space. Knowing that motion sickness originates in the inner ear, he decided to study a group with vestibular systems don’t work–which is some people who are deaf. He recruited eleven men from Gallaudet University and spent the next ten years studying them in all sorts of environments that had them spinning, floating, and traveling on a ship through stormy seas. The team saw it as a way to serve their country, and the experiments led to the creation of medicines, space suits, and other devices that eased motion sickness for the hearing astronauts. Includes a note from the author (who is deaf but now hears with a cochlear implant) with additional information about the bioastronauts and the creation of the book, a timeline, and a list of selected sources.

This was such a fascinating story, and one that is sure to grab the attention of a wide range of readers. The Gallaudet’s enthusiasm and willingness to put themselves through a variety of challenging experiments really shines through, despite their isolation from scientists and hearing astronauts who didn’t know how to communicate with them.

Casting April by Wendy Lu (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 288 pages, grades 4-7). April loves the theater and secretly hopes to try out for her middle school play. Having a tracheostomy tube makes her nervous about performing onstage, and her mom’s worries don’t help her confidence. When her best friend Ruby urges her to try out, April nails her audition and eagerly awaits the cast list. Much to her surprise and disappointment, she’s given a backstage role. She decides to give it a try, hoping to unseat new girl Zahra from the lead role. After overhearing the director Ms. Rooney telling other teachers that she was afraid to give April a part because of her trach tube, April becomes more determined than ever to prove her wrong. The play turns out to be full of surprises, and April’s discoveries about Zahra and Ms. Rooney cause her to reevaluate everything. When it looks like the performance might get cancelled, April puts aside her own ambitions and works with her family and friends to prove once and for all that the show must go on.

At first glance, this may seem like another middle school theater story, but there’s a lot more packed into it, including interesting insights into living with a disability. April proves herself capable of handling just about anything related to her health, proving those around her wrong about her limitations. At the same time, she wants to be treated like other kids. She also gets a lesson about invisible disabilities with her discoveries about Ms. Rooney. An engaging and inspiring story by an author who also lives with a tracheostomy tube.

Ghostly tales

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Have You Ever Seen a Ghost? by Daniel Kwan and Julia Pott, illustrated by Sean Lewis (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Although we can’t see Ghost, the text makes it clear that they are a little nervous–trying on a hat, changing hairstyles, using powder to cover up blushes that appear when they’re embarrassment. It turns out Ghost is going to a party tonight. Can they practice some small talk with you? What should Ghost bring the hostess, who, it turns out, is Martha, someone Ghost wants desperately to impress? Finally, after a calming cup of tea, Ghost heads to Martha’s house. And the party turns out to be amazing! Martha loves the hostess gift, and at the end, we get to see the two ghosts grinning in a photo.

Social anxiety is addressed in a fun and reassuring way, as Ghost shares all their worries and insecurities about going to a party. The illustrations cleverly make the reader “see” Ghost even though they are invisible until the very last page. The ghostly party looks like an empty living room with some musical notes, but it’s easy to imagine a spectral gathering. This would be great to pair with Mole Is Not Alone to explore ways to deal with anxieties about parties and other gatherings.

Who Knows the Way to Mr. Grimly’s Classroom? by Chris Priestly, illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio (Candlewick, 32 pages, ages 4-9). Grace volunteers to deliver a book to Mr. Grimly, assuring her teacher, Miss Flytrap, that she knows the way. “But it was Grace’s first week at her strange new school, and she did not know the way.” Grace wanders through dark, cobwebby halls before finally deciding to ask for help. Miss Endpaper, the librarian, points her in the right direction. The journey gets even more fantastical, with large taxidermied animals, creepy statues, and…Mrs. Nightshade? Yes, that’s the head teacher lurking in the shadows next to one of the statues. She directs Grace across the fog-covered playground and into a stone tower. Finally, after a zipline ride, a few more staircases, and an encounter with a lunch lady, Grace arrives at Mr. Grimly’s classroom! But, alas, Mr. Grimly tells her the book actually belongs to Miss Scuttling, so off Grace goes again….

Halloween would be the perfect time to introduce Grace and her school, which seems like a cross between the Haunted Mansion and Wayside School. The story is both funny and spooky, but the illustrations, filled with shadows and every haunted house trope you can imagine, will really spark kids’ imaginations.

Home sweet home

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The Yellow Postcard: A Story About Food and Community by Savannah Allen (Viking Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Taylor is excited when her older sister ‘Tea wakes her up with the news that the yellow postcard has come in the mail. This card, sent to most of the people in the neighborhood, allows them each to pick up a “surprise box” filled with an assortment of food. Taylor’s hoping for some fancy macaroni, and she joins the neighbors in a joyful walk to the food bank. Happiness is replaced with worry, though, when they have to wait in a long line, and Taylor is afraid there won’t be enough. Finally, though, she gets her box and enjoys unpacking it, even if it doesn’t contain the much-anticipated macaroni. Their neighbor saves the day by giving her the bag she received, and everyone goes back home to enjoy a community feast. Includes an author’s note about the shame often experienced around food insecurity, which she herself experienced as a child.

With roughly 20% of American children experiencing food insecurity, this is a book that will be appreciated in many settings, with its celebration of both the variety of foods available at the food bank and the neighborhood community that enjoys sharing a meal together.

Homesick by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Daniel Miyares (Neal Porter Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Poppy is excited for her first sleepover at Mimi and G-Pa’s house. But Home is not. While Poppy is baking bread, collecting pinecones, and reading her mom’s old books at her grandparents’, Home is feeling empty and lonely. And when Poppy wakes up the next morning, she finds that she feels the same way. Mimi diagnoses her with homesickness and reminds her that “it can help to remember there’s a good home waiting when you’re out having adventures.” So Poppy decides to have some adventures with her grandparents that day, and when they drive her home, she and Home have a joyful reunion.

Anyone who has ever been homesick will recognize the feelings experienced by both Poppy and Home and will enjoy remembering what it’s like to come back home again. The illustrations mirror the feelings, with Poppy’s excitement portrayed with yellow backgrounds and Home’s melancholy shown mostly in blues. Everything gets bathed in a golden light when Poppy gets back home again.

The Brunch Shift by Adrienne Thurman, illustrated by Mags DeRoma (Random House Studio, 40 pages, ages 4-8). The narrator is up at dawn to accompany Mama to her Saturday shift at the diner. She tries to stay out of the way of Mr. Wong, the boss, who rewards her with a stack of her favorite blueberry pancakes. The day is long and sometimes boring, but when she gets a few minutes with her mother, Mama makes up an imaginary game about chasing dragons or capturing art thieves or flying to the moon. By the time the two of them ride the bus home in the dark, the girl is sleepy and wishing she could have a regular Saturday at home like other people. But a surprise detour reminds her that “whenever I’m with Mama…there’s magic.”

A perfect story for this Labor Day season, showing a single working mother doing her best to earn money for her daughter but also bring some magic into her life. The illustrations do a great job of weaving Mama’s imaginative play into the everyday life of bus rides and diners. The story reminded me of The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee, another picture book depicting a working family who tries to make life the best they can for their child.

Fun with food

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Mac & Cheese: The Origin Story by Michael L. Benner, illustrated by Alison Hawkins (Orchard Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Mac is a friendly noodle who gets along with other forms of pasta but longs for a real friend. Cheese is the king of Quesoland, beloved by his subjects, but also a lacking in the friendship department. When Mac heads off on an adventure and winds up in Quesoland, the two instantly click. Cheese loves Mac’s jokes, and Mac enjoys Cheese’s tour of Quesoland. Before long, they’ve become inseparable: two friends meant to be together.

I’ve seen quite a few comparisons of this to John Jory’s The Bad Seed series, and that seems apt. Both are kind of light on plot, but make up for it with fun, colorful illustrations, cartoon bubble dialog, and lots of food puns and jokes. The eye-catching cover is sure to draw lots of readers in quickly. Look for book 2, Milk and Cookies, coming next year.

How (Not) to Make a Jelly Sandwich by Ross Burach (Scholastic, 40 pages, ages 4-8). The narrator promises to explain how to make a jelly sandwich in five easy steps. The first step is to get two slices of bread, so she goes to the grocery store, buys the components of a duck disguise, heads to the pond in said disguise, then gets a woman to hand her two of the slices of bread that she’s brought to feed the ducks. The rest of the steps are similar, turning simple tasks into complicated Rube Goldberg-like procedures. As the girl is finally ready to take her first bite, all the people and animals that helped her show up to collect their jelly sandwiches, and she’s off again. Includes a couple of pages with some other suggestions to complete the steps and inviting readers to come up with more.

The crazy ideas and cartoon illustrations will have kids rolling on the floor with laughter. Not only that, but it could also serve as a fun introduction to writing procedural text or the concept of brainstorming.

Boo! Halloween is coming

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Giggling Ghosts by Fiz Osborne, illustrated by Tim Budgen (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A group of happy ghosts wake up at (our) bedtime and get ready for a night of haunting fun. They tip-toe, glide, spin, giggle, and boo, inviting readers to join in. The last two wordless pages show them all fast asleep after their exciting but exhausting night.

This fun, non-scary Halloween book will have young kids up on their feet and moving along with the ghosts. The illustrations are adorable, and the catchy rhyming text complements the movements. You might want to add a wind-down activity or have the kids make their boos get quieter and quieter to settle everyone down after all the action.

Scritch! Scratch! An Itchy, Witchy Halloween Tale by Teri Sloat, illustrated by Zuzana Čupová (Random House Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). When three children hear a loud “Scritch! Scratch!” they’re sure they’re being pursued by a witch. They race outside, only to see her shadow flying by a full orange moon. Are the rustling sounds they hear her harvesting toads, rats, and snails for her spells? All three kids find hiding places in the house and are relieved when they think the witch has finally flown away. But then, there it is again: “Scritch! Scratch!” Slowly, they open the door…to find a little black cat scratching at the mat.

The black and gray illustrations, highlighted with bright orange, along with the spooky rhyming text will make a great late-fall read-aloud. I was a little confused by the ending; was it really just the cat all along? And what’s up with the kitty’s menacing shadow on the last page? But maybe the ambiguity about whether or not scary things are real makes it part of the fun.

Celebrating community

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A Very Good Parade by Eleanor Davis (Harry N. Abrams, 48 pages, ages 4-8). When Gabby decides it’s time for a parade, she is unstoppable. Miguel has his dad’s big horn, but he doesn’t know how to make it work. “That horn is so good you don’t even have to play it,” Gabby tells him. Hugo can sing every part of “Stayin’ Alive,” so he’s in. Mavis and Isabel have snack time scheduled, but Gabby feeds them string cheese, and they decide to be parade acrobats. The only ones not allowed in are some big kids who are bullying a little kid–but the little kid gets to join. At last, Gabby tells them it’s time to perform, and at this perfect moment, Miguel figures out how to make his dad’s horn work. The adults go wild, cheering and clapping! Then Gabby’s grandma calls her home for dinner, the crowd disperses, and Gabby goes inside where she declares, “It was the best parade in the history of the whole entire universe.”

Gabby is clearly a person who gets the job done, and readers will love the techniques she employs to bring out the best in everyone, and to shut down those who don’t play by the rules. The illustrations portray a diverse and multi-talented group that truly celebrates community.

Here Come the Aunties! by Cyntia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Aphelandra (Heartdrum, 32 pages, ages 4-8). River introduces all the aunties who are part of his life as he goes through a year. Auntie Vicki is his second-grade teacher, and Auntie Betty drives him and his friends from around the rez to school. Auntie Patrice teaches him to bead at the powwow, and Auntie Emma comes to his class to teach the kids about Indigenous history. Auntie Wendy makes a crib quilt for a Christmas gift, and all the aunties come over when the new baby is born the following summer. Includes an author’s note with additional information about aunties in Indigenous communities and the Muscogee Nation that River is part of.

Here’s a great choice to celebrate Indigenous communities, with a wide variety of aunties who each contribute their own special talents to help River and his family throughout the year.

Creature features

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The Weaver and the Web by Chris Baker, illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler (Godwin Books, 40 pages, grades K-3). As the sun sets, Weaver, a spotted orbweaver spider, wakes up hungry and starts to build an intricate web. Just as she’s caught a fly, a human walks into her web and destroys it. Disoriented, Weaver has to get her bearings and build another web, this one in a treehouse window. After filling up on the tasty moths she catches there, she returns to the ground to curl up safely inside a leaf and falls asleep as the sun rises on a new day. Includes an author’s note about overcoming his arachnophobia to write this book, along with additional information about spotted orbweaver spiders.

The close-up illustrations of the spider and her intricate webs will grab readers’ attention, and they’ll enjoy the story of her persistence in building the webs and catching food for herself. Her interactions with humans will perhaps give them a new appreciation of spiders they may run across and make them think twice about killing vs. releasing them.

A Bear Belongs: A Wildlife Rescue Story by Catherine Barr, illustrated by Harriet Hobday (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 48 pages, grades 2-5). Tan-Tan is a young bear living in a Southeast Asian rainforest when she’s stolen away by hunters. Fortunately for her, the man who purchases her is a wildlife rescuer, and he takes her to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center. There, she’s placed with Boboi and Kitud, two other rescued sun bears, and the three are gradually introduced back into the wild. In part two, the bears venture into the rainforest for longer periods of time until they are finally released with radio collars. Scientists are able to track them for about a month, after which time the collars fail and the bears are left on their own, hopefully finding their way in their new home. Includes additional information about the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center.

The story of the three bears is expertly woven together with information about sun bears and the scientists who help rehabilitate them. I do wonder if this book would find a wider readership if it were told with photos, although I love the beautiful illustrations of the bears and their habitat.

Carpe diem

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A Day Off School by Oliver Jeffers, illustrated by Kevin Waldron (Philomel Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Herbie’s home sick from school…but not sick enough to stay in bed all day! He’s got a long list of things to do, like playing Space Blasters, making a pillow fort, and drawing dinosaurs. When lunch comes, Herbie’s surprised to realize he’s already worked his way through every item on his list. The afternoon drags, and he starts imagining increasingly audacious scenarios about what he might be missing at school. By the time his sister comes home, Herbie’s ready to go back to school, and the next day he does. And school is really boring.

While there may not be any great lessons to be learned here, kids and teachers alike will recognize the excitement of having a day off, only to realize they’re thinking about school…and that it’s still the same when they go back! The imaginative illustrations and real-life situations are a winning combination that will appeal to a wide variety of kids.

Today Is the Day! by Chelsea Lin Wallace, illustrated by Adam Rex (Chronicle Books, 44 pages, ages 4-8). The story is told from the perspective of a day. The day is born at sunrise. It says goodbye to thousands of people, while welcoming thousands more into the world. It celebrates millions of birthdays and becomes part of the 27,000 days that make up the lifetimes of many people. It’s the entire lifespan of a mayfly, and it sees the birth of many stars throughout the universe. As the sun sets, the day moves on to make room for other days, knowing that it will have been memorable for many people all around the world. Includes statistics on all the things that happen in one day.

This unique book will make readers stop and appreciate each day. The lush illustrations help convey the wonder, joy, and sadness that can be contained in a single day, and the back matter adds some interesting facts about all the things that happen around the world (and the universe) each day.

Perfectly imperfect

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A Not So Perfect Start by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Thea’s starting school with some big feelings: excitement (to meet her teacher), hope (that her teacher and the other kids will like her), and worry (that the teacher will get mad at her). The first few days have ups and downs, but halfway through the third day, Thea really gets stuck. She can’t get her picture to look the way she wants it to, and it makes her feel mad and like she’s no good at art. Mrs. Howard tells her that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. When a classmate spills paint on the floor, Thea helps clean up, then notices how beautiful the paint-soaked paper towels look. The class gets inspired to make a bouquet of paper towel flowers for Mrs. Howard. Includes a list of helpful tips for “perfectly imperfect YOU!”

I loved the progress-not-perfection message of this book, which could be helpful for kids AND teachers starting a new school year. The only complaint I had is that every school I’ve ever worked at has had those brown non-absorbent paper towels, which could never in a million years soak up paint, much less be made into a bouquet of flowers.

Allie and the 100 Percent Perfect, Frustration-Free Day! by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Ellie Snowdon (Peachtree, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Allie the alpaca wakes up each morning determined to have a 100 percent perfect day. She WILL learn to tie her shoes, create an amazing painting, and bake incredible cookies. When inevitable problems arise, Allie feels angry and frustrated, even more so when her little brother laughs at her and her mom tells her to have a positive attitude. To make sure tomorrow is perfect, Allie lays out her clothes and fixes her lunch the night before. But a nightmare right before she wakes up derails her, and the morning gets off to another imperfect start. But just as the frustration is building, Allie remembers advice others have given her, like “Get help when you need it,” and “Try taking a break.” At that moment, Allie’s brother trips and falls, and the two of them start laughing together. Allie realizes she may not ever have a frustration-free day, but the day can be pretty perfect anyway.

Another perfectionist learns to relax in this cute story filled with alpaca illustrations. Both of these stories offer practical messages for kids to give themselves when things go wrong and would make a fun addition to any SEL curriculum.

Dear Math, We’re Not Friends by Lina Chopra Haldar, illustrated by Teresa Martinez (Beaming Books, 32 pages, grades K-3). When Nikhil’s teacher assigns the class to write letters to Math, Nikhil informs Math that they are not friends and never will be. His letters reveal that Math gives him anxiety about messing up and not being able to find the right answer. As the year goes by, however, he starts to realize that mistakes are okay, just part of learning. He also starts to see Math in his everyday life, like measurement and money, and that it also plays an important role in some of his favorite subjects, like space exploration, art, and cooking. “I seem to find you everywhere now,” he writes in his last letter, signing it “Your friend, Nikhil.”

This book of letters not only tells the story of a boy discovering the beauty and importance of math but also overcoming his fear of making mistakes. It would make a good introduction to math at the beginning of the year, helping to establish a growth mindset of learning vs. trying to always make sure you have the right answer.

Building communities

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Story Rug by Sophie Blackall, illustrated by Phoebe Wahl (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades K-3). Other classrooms may be noisy, but room 203 is silent as the kids indulge their new love of braiding. Whether its hair, shoelaces, or toy horses’ manes, their mantra is “Left over center. Right over center. Left over center.” When Norman can’t find anything to braid, Ms. Morena rips a rag into three strips. Inspired, Noah finds other rags at home, and his braid starts to grow. His classmates join in, finding old curtains, clothes, and blankets to add, and before long, the braid has become longer than all of them are. Norman organizes a Saturday meeting at the library, and the kids get to work sewing their long braid into a coil that grows and grows until it’s the size of a rug. On Monday, they surprise Ms. Morena with it, and the class celebrates together while the neighboring classrooms start braiding projects of their own. Includes instructions for making a braided rug.

Sophie Blackall’s quiet story and Phoebe Wahl’s colorful illustrations perfectly capture a creative class of kids who combine their own passion for braiding with contributions from friends and family to create something they all can enjoy. Perfect for reading aloud in the early days of school to start conversations about classroom community.

School for Woodland Creatures (Our Friend Hedgehog book 3) by Lauren Castillo (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 128 pages, grades K-3). Annika Mae is going to school for the first time, and her animal friends want the very best for her. They’re curious about school, though, and they decide to start one of their own. Each animal picks something to teach, and they take turns learning from each other. As her turn approaches, Hedgehog is nervous that she doesn’t have a talent worth sharing with the others. She likes art, but her projects don’t always turn out the way she thinks they should. When Annika Mae comes home upset that some of the kids in her class made fun of a story she wrote about her animal friends, Mole assures her that she was being true to herself and that’s what matters most. Hedgehog takes those words to heart and bravely leads an art project that celebrates all of her friends.

This is the first book from this series I’ve read, and it’s now on my list of chapter books to read to my first graders. It’s a sweet story with a funny and memorable cast of animal characters, as well as the human girl who brings them all together. Lauren Castillo’s illustrations make it an excellent choice for sharing, whether it’s as a bedtime story or a classroom read-aloud.