Picture books

Building communities

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This Is a Library Book by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Chanelle Nibbelink (Kids Can Press, 48 pages, grades 3-6). This love letter to libraries looks at all kinds of libraries, from early ones to ancient Greece to ones that have served as beacons in such places as Auschwitz and war-torn Syria, to cutting edge institutions that only have digital books or that lend out unusual non-book items (including people!). There are little free libraries that have made banned books available to everyone and a camel library that brings books to kids in Pakistan. And libraries in places like prisons and hospitals bring light to those living through a dark time. Includes a list of libraries mentioned in the book with their websites, a glossary, a bibliography, and and an index.

Reading this book made me proud to be a librarian and really expanded my definition of the library! I loved the illustrations and the fascinating stories of libraries past, present, and future, although I found the text a bit too small and dense (I wish the creators had continued the first pages’ comic book style throughout). But thank goodness the stereotype of the sensibly-shod gray-haired librarian shushing people is being replaced by cool freedom fighters who bring joy and innovation around the world!

The Little Stone Buddha by Grace Lin (Alvina Ling Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). “The Little Stone Buddha had been lost. He was not supposed to be there.” Surrounded by trash on a city street, the Little Stone Buddha smiles up at the sky, day and night. One day a little girl and her mother walk by. Although her mother tells her not to touch the garbage, the girl pulls out the Buddha and sets him up on a box. Other people see him and start picking up some of the trash around him. A woman brings him flowers; a couple puts an umbrella over him. Little by little, people clean up the area around the Buddha and add plants a mural, and a bench until the dirty garbage dump has been transformed into a beautiful community park. Includes an author’s note and photos about the inspirations for this book: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton and the Oakland Buddha, a real stone Buddha that helped transform a dumping ground in Oakland, CA.

I found this story delightful and enjoyed the inspiring messages both about a community coming together almost by accident to create something beautiful in their midst and the Little Stone Buddha who smiled at his circumstances whether he was abandoned in a pile of trash or surrounded by flowers and friendly people in a park. I loved how the illustrations gradually transformed from grays and browns to a riot of color.

A couple of unconventional holiday books

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This Is Not a Christmas Book* *This Is a Book About Rocks by Jory John, illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 40 pages, ages 4-8). The lizard narrator is insistent: this is NOT a Christmas book, it’s a book about rocks. He stands in front of a field of rocks to prove it…but sharp-eyed readers will notice a few Christmas-y shapes among the rocks. And is that an elf wrapping presents at the far corner of the field? Every time the lizard returns to his lecture, another holiday figure appears: a reindeer’s antlers, a snowman, and finally, Santa himself, who gives the lizard a present. A lump of coal! It’s just what the geologically-minded reptile has been wishing for! And finally, he fully embraces the season as the field of rocks is taken over with festive cheer. There’s a gatefold spread of Santa flying through the sky to finish things off.

Kids will definitely get a laugh out of this serious lizard who’s determined to keep Christmas out of his rock lesson. They’ll have fun finding the holiday people, animals, and objects that appear with increasing frequency on each page. This is billed as a “This Is Not a Holidays book,” and, given John Jory’s popularity, I would be surprised if there aren’t a bunch of spin-offs for other holidays.

Midnight Manor: A Backwards Bedtime Book by Sid Sharp (Annick Press, 36 pages, ages 4-8). Naturally, the residents of Midnight Manor wake up as the sun is going down and get ready for a busy night. All kinds of monsters are introduced: goblins, banshees, poltergeists, gargoyles, and more. Everyone goes about their business, ordinary except for some ghoulish details. For instance, when the basketball players discover their ball’s deflated, Hector removes his head to keep the game going. The monsters all gather in the garden for a ghostly dance until the sun starts to rise. Then it’s back home for baths (with sharks) and bedtime stories, and a series of goodnights that include a nod to Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon.

If you’re trying to find a Halloweenish book that doesn’t actually mention the holiday, look no further than the front door of Midnight Manor. Kids will love seeing all the monsters that are just the right mix of creepy and funny, and those familiar with Goodnight, Moon will get a kick out of the illustration inspired by it.

A couple of slippery subjects

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A Riddle of Eels by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Corey R. Tabor (Random House Studio, 48 pages, grades 1-5). In this nonfiction book about eels…or, wait a minute, is this a nonfiction book about eels? Eels are, to quote Winston Churchill (although he didn’t say it about eels), “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” For instance, did you know that no one has ever been able to figure out how eels reproduce? While scientist Johannes Schmidt discovered that eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, to this day, no one has ever found a full-grown eel there. “We know so much about our world,” Day tells readers. “But sometimes there’s a crack in our wall of knowledge. And through it, we can catch a glimpse of the vast, wonderous world that’s still unknown to us.” So is this book about eels? Kind of. But it’s also about that world of wonder and all the unknowns that those slippery eels point to. Includes an author’s note about the disappearance of eels around the world and the importance of learning more about them to preserve them; also, a list of sources.

When you pick up a Nicholas Day book, the only certainty is that you can expect the unexpected. While readers will learn some things about eels by reading this book, they’ll also get their minds blown a little bit and their eyes opened to how much we still don’t know about the world we live in. I love that Corey R. Tabor did the illustrations, which add just the right amount of humor to complement Day’s slightly tongue-in-cheek writing style.

Goodbye, Koi by Jack Wong (Orchard Books 48 pages, ages 4-8). The narrator describes taking his koi to their new home in a pond at the park. He wonders if they’ll be happy there, just like he’s wondering about himself as he and his dad get ready to move to a new place. When he thinks about the fish getting cold in the winter, the illustrations show him shopping for a new winter jacket. When he hopes that they’ll get along with the other fish, readers see him interacting with family at a farewell party. His dad reminds him that they’ll have each other to share memories, and the boy decides that he’s ready for his new home. Includes an author’s note about his own journey from Hong Kong to Canada at the age of 6, how he learned Chinese brush painting to create this book, and how the story is really about the uncertainties that come from making big changes in life. Also includes additional information about koi fish.

As someone who recently made a transition (I’ve changed jobs from a big urban elementary school to a small, rural junior/senior high school), this story really resonated with me and reminded me that uncertainty is a part of any new journey. The illustrations are gorgeous, and I’m sure it’s only Jack Wong’s Canadian residence that will keep this from being considered for a Caldecott.

Based on the author’s life

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The Dream Team (Mae & Malibu book 1) by Anna Elyse Johnson, illustrated by Anuki López (little bee books, 112 pages, grades 1-4). Mae is excited to get a service dog named Malibu to help her with her epilepsy. Although Malibu has been well-trained, he has to prove himself a good fit with Mae and to go through training for seizure alert and response. Mae loves Malibu and wants to do everything she can to help him become part of the family. She also hopes having a service dog to help her will make her mom a little less overprotective. When Mae has a seizure at her friend’s house, Malibu proves himself more than capable, and not only does he get officially adopted, but Mae is allowed to go to the town’s big music festival for the first time ever.

The author’s bio reveals that she also has epilepsy and a service dog named Hamilton, who is listed as a co-author. Fans of animal stories will fall in love with the endearing and well-trained Malibu and will learn a fair amount about epilepsy and what it takes to become a service dog. Book 2 just came out a few weeks ago.

More Us by Elizabeth Withey, illustrated by Ellen Rooney (Orca Book Publishers, 32 pages, grades K-3). The narrator tells about his Uncle Gray, who’s moving in with him and his mom after several years of being homeless. The boy describes how he and his mom used to drive around the city looking for his uncle, and how one time they found him in a tent on a cold winter’s night. While it’s clear that Uncle Gray is still dealing with some of the issues that led to being unhoused, Mom thinks he’s ready for a home with them now. “Do you think he’s better now? Happy?” asks the boy. “Why not go ask him yourself?” she replies, and the last illustration shows him playing checkers with his uncle. An author’s note tells how she based this book and her 2020 picture book, The One with the Scraggly Beard on her experiences with her own younger brother.

This touching story shows the reality of a loved one being homeless and embraces the idea of “one day at a time” in recovery. The fact that it’s based on the author’s own life (with the book dedicated to her brother) makes it even more poignant.

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.