Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  Sal loves the water and dreams of having a boat of his own.  Being a kid, though, he can’t buy a boat, so he decides to build one.  He scavenges materials from wherever he can find them: the garage, a builder’s castoffs, the marina’s dumpster.  Word soon gets around, and everyone has questions to ask and advice to offer.  But Sal is an independent kid, and he knows what he wants.  He finds a secluded spot and starts to build.  Before long, though, one thing becomes apparent: Sal’s boat looks like a house.  But Sal stubbornly clings to the notion that it’s a boat.  Disaster strikes when it’s time to launch the boat.  Try as he might, Sal can’t get it into the water.  He’s just about to destroy the whole thing when he hears, “Wait!”  His family, neighbors, and friends have shown up, ready to get to work.  At last, Sal’s boat is afloat, and he can enjoy a solitary sail…surrounded by the canoes, kayaks, and rowboats filled with all the people who helped him.  48 pages; ages 4-8.  

Pros:  This winning story with enchanting illustrations shows the power of determination and independence…and also accepting help when you need it.  The final picture is a lovely celebration of community.

Cons:  This would be a great read for Talk Like a Pirate Day, but unfortunately, you’ll have to wait another 364 days for it to come around again.

Published by Random House Studio

Summary:  Through luck and an assortment of odd jobs, Ben collects a bagful of nickels.  Deciding what to spend them on takes some consideration, but he finally succumbs to a salesgirl with what she claims is the world’s longest licorice rope (costing just one nickel).  “How long is it?” asks Ben.  “How long is the world?” the girl replies.  Determined to find out, Ben starts chewing.  Everywhere he goes, the girl is there to sell him (for a nickel) whatever he needs to continue the journey: a boat, snowshoes, even a carrot suit to outsmart a hungry lion.  Finally, just as he is getting tired, Ben runs into Jimmy, a boy on the other end of the licorice rope who also paid a nickel.  The girl tells them that for one more nickel, they can become friends.  The two boys burst out laughing, because, they say, “Friends are free!”.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This quirky and unpredictable book would make a great writing prompt to share where you might go with the world’s longest licorice rope.  The end makes a great case for exploring the world with a friend or two.

Cons:  The very tiny font.

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  “This is a school.  This is a kid.  This is a kid in a class.  This is a class in a hall.  This is a hall in a school – WELCOME!”  As school starts, kids learn that school is a place to learn and discover, to make mistakes, and to find out what they’re good at.  The school becomes a community that grows, transforms, and cares about each other.  The school community is made up of all sorts of people: teachers, students, principals, and staff, and each one of them is an important part of that community.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A wonderful back-to-school book that celebrates many different aspects of school through both the text and the illustrations.  A good companion to Alexandra Penfold’s All Are Welcome and a perfect springboard for discussing classroom and school communities.

Cons:  I should have reviewed this before school started. 

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  Bored by the pandemic’s stay-at-home orders, a family of four goes for a walk around the lake.  They’re surprised to find an egg floating in the water, and even more surprised when they find a second one half-buried in the mud.  They take them to their neighbor, Ted, who seems to be some sort of wildlife rehabilitator.  He explains that ducks sometimes don’t know what to do with their first eggs, and he lends them an incubator to see if they will hatch.  After a long month of waiting, both eggs hatch, and the family names the ducklings Pip and Zip for the sounds the eggs make when they open.  Ted helps them raise Pip and Zip until they learn to fly, then accompanies them to the lake to release them back into the wild.  On the last page, the family and their neighbors are out and about again, unmasked, sharing stories about their adventures.  Includes an author’s note about her family’s experiences on which she based this book and information about what to do if you find a duck egg, including several websites.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fun family story that shows that joy and adventure can be found even during a dark time and includes a good environmental message.  I had never heard of Doug Salati before this year, but he seems to be launching a promising career.

Cons:  The real pandemic lasted a lot longer than this fictional one seemed to.