Picture books

Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle’s Incredible Journey Home by Lindsay Moore

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  Yoshi is a young, injured sea turtle when she is rescued by fishermen and sent to an aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa.  She thrives there, growing and swimming in a giant tank for twenty years, until she starts to display some restlessness.  The scientists want to return her to the wild, but they’re worried that she won’t be able to survive.  They attach a tracking device to her shell before releasing her back into the ocean.  At first her travels seem random, but eventually she starts heading east.  In February 2020, more than two years after her release, Yoshi completed a 25,000-mile journey to reach the Australian waters where she was born.  Includes a labeled map with additional information about Yoshi’s journey, a labeled diagram of a sea turtle, and additional information about turtles, their habitat, and tracking devices.  64 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  The beautiful watercolor illustrations do an amazing job of portraying Yoshi and her ocean environment.  I liked how the repeated refrain “Hello from Yoshi.  I am here” showed how the tracking device helped scientists follow her journey.  There’s a ton of excellent back matter which makes this a great research book.

Cons:  I found Yoshi’s lengthy journey a bit monotonous at times.  Maybe she did too.

Hot Dog by Doug Salati

~ Janet Dawson ~ 4 Comments

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary:  “City summer, steamy sidewalks/concrete crumbles, sirens screech.”  Walking through the city with his owner, this dachshund is truly a hot dog!  Finally, he goes on strike, lying down in the middle of a busy street.  His owner scoops him up, hails a taxi, and heads to the train.  Before he knows it, the dog is cooling off on “an island…wild and long and low.”  The two have a refreshing afternoon there before heading back to the city where dusk has brought a welcome coolness.  Time for dinner and then “ready to leap into a deep ocean sleep” where he dreams about the seal he met on the beach.  40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  An idyllic summer book where the illustrations perfectly capture the sweltering heat of the summer and the cool relief of a trip to the beach.  The words and illustrations transition from short phrases and hot colors to longer descriptions and cooler colors.  Not to be ruled out for Caldecott recognition.

Cons:  These two take a day trip from what appears to be New York City on a sweltering summer day to an island that appears to be populated only by seals, so we must definitely classify the story as a fantasy.

Sanctuary: Kip Tiernan and Rosie’s Place, the Nation’s First Shelter for Women by Christine McDonnell, illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Kip Tiernan learned about helping others as a child growing up during the Great Depression.  Her grandmother used to keep a pot of soup on the stove and would feed anyone who came to the door for a meal.  In the 1960’s Kip gave up her advertising business to help the poor.  While working in shelters, she saw that women had to disguise themselves as men to get a meal and a bed.  Noticing how many homeless women there were on the streets, she became determined to find a way to help them.  In 1974, she opened Rosie’s Place, the first homeless shelter in the country just for women.  Over the years she expanded the services offered there to help women become self-sufficient.  The book concludes with a story of Kip riding on a bus many years after starting Rosie’s Place.  The bus driver pulled over to thank her, stating that he would not have had food to eat as a child if it hadn’t been for her.  Includes additional information about Kip Tiernan and a list of quotations from her.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  An inspiring story of a woman who worked tirelessly to provide the services she envisioned, and who truly saw the humanity of every individual.

Cons:  The story is a bit long to use as a read-aloud for younger kids.

Because of You, John Lewis: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Tybre Faw grew up learning Black history and was particularly inspired by John Lewis.  In 2018, at the age of ten, he convinced his grandmothers to take him to Selma to be part of the commemoration of 1965’s Bloody Sunday.  Tybre met John on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and the two became friends.  They walked together again in 2019 and in 2020 when John Lewis had been diagnosed with cancer.  Lewis died a few months later, and Tybre was invited to recite one of the congressman’s favorite poems, “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley at the memorial service.  Includes additional information about both John Lewis and Tybre Faw, a timeline of Lewis’s life, a list of sources and resources for further reading, photos from both the 1960’s and the interactions between John and Tybre, and the text of “Invictus”.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  I marvel at the way this book is written, using beautiful poetry and watercolor illustrations to weave together the lives of both John Lewis and Tyre Faw, and showing the intersection between the civil rights and Black Lives Matter movements.  The back matter adds a lot and gives resources for further exploration.

Cons:  I found it a little difficult to figure out when and at what age Tybre met John; it would have been helpful to me to have those dates included in the timeline.


Tisha and the Blossoms by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Every time Tisha tries to slow down and enjoy something, someone tells her to hurry up: catch the bus to school, go to an assembly, get to lunch, clean up at the end of the day.  When Mom picks her up and says they have to catch another bus, Tisha finally rebels against all the hurrying.  Her mother suggests they walk home instead. As they do, they notice everything around them.  At home, when her father says he has to hurry up and get dinner Mom suggests a picnic.  They eat under a tree, savoring the food and the blossoms that blow off the branches.  “I think my favorite days,” says Tisha, “are full of blossoms and a bit of slowing down!”  32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A story of mindfulness and slowing down that both kids and adults will relate to and embrace.  The illustrations are gorgeous, especially the big, colorful flowers. 

Cons:  A little more information about mindfulness at the end would have been nice.

Little Houses by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

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Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  A girl visiting her grandparents ponders what she sees at the beach with a sense of wonder.  She and her grandmother collect shells, which her grandmother calls little houses.  That makes her wonder about what used to live there, which leads her to think of everything under the sea.  Her grandfather says, “The world is so big and there is so much to know.  And someday you’ll know it all.”  She thinks about all the things she would like to know.  One thing she does know is that she’ll take home all the shells–the little houses–back to her house and keep them on a shelf with all her favorite things.  40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  Another beautiful collaboration by the husband and wife team of Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek.  The text and illustrations help foster a sense of wonder and curiosity in young children, and make a perfect story for a summer day.

Cons:  I’m always happy to see a new book by Kevin Henkes, but sometimes I miss Lilly and the rest of the mice.

The Rainbow Parade by Emily Neilson

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Published by Dial Books

Summary:  Emily is traveling with her two moms to the Rainbow Parade.  They see all kinds of people on the train and in the crowds lining the streets, wearing “whatever makes them feel most like themselves.” They wait and wait.  Finally the parade starts, with people marching, juggling, singing, dancing, and chanting.  When they see a banner that says LGBTQ+ Families, Emily’s moms hop over the fence to join them.  Emily feels shy, but her mothers assure her that pride takes practice, and this is the perfect way to get that practice.  Marching with the families is lots of fun, and Emily enjoys seeing families that are similar to her own.  On the train ride home, she declares that she is going to practice pride all year long.  Includes three photos and a note explaining that this story is based on the author’s childhood.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Another excellent book for Pride month (or any month) that captures the fun and “be yourself” spirit of a Pride parade while also showing that it can be a little intimidating sometimes to show that pride.

Cons:  I wish there had been a longer author’s note and some resources at the end.

I’m Not Missing by Kashelle Gourley, illustrated by Skylar Hogan

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Published by little bee books

Summary:  A dog explains why he left home to become a “lone wolf”.  Trying to be a good boy all the time, getting dressed up in silly costumes, pooping in public with everyone watching…he’s definitely better off on his own.  But then he sees his owner out walking a new dog. They’re playing, sharing treats, and taking selfies.  It turns out she’s only dog sitting, but the jealousy serves a purpose.  Pretty soon he’s back on the couch, dressed in a pullover sweater, and enjoying some scratches behind the ears.  After all, “relationships are all about compromise.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  I could definitely relate to the dog’s struggles between needing people and wanting to be a lone wolf, and I’m guessing others–both kids and adults–will as well.  There’s plenty of sly humor, and a reassuring message about taking a break but returning to those you love.

Cons:  Some of the humor may be a little over the heads of the intended audience.

Free At Last: A Juneteenth Poem written by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, illustrated by Alex Bostic

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Published by Union Square Kids

Summary:  This free verse poem begins with the news arriving in Galveston, Texas: the war is over, and “all who live in bondage here shall from now until be free.”  The words and oil paintings depict Black people’s reactions.  Some head for their shacks, which they now declare home; some go to another farm to work “for a pittance and a little plot of space.”  Others pray, dance, or head farther away.  The last few pages depict their descendants celebrating that freedom, right up to the present day.  An author’s note tells how she was introduced to Juneteenth in the 1980’s and wrote this poem, originally published in 2004, and how Juneteenth has gained wider recognition, eventually becoming a national holiday in 2021.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  The beautiful words and pictures in this book make it an excellent addition to Juneteenth literature, and a perfect way to observe the holiday.

Cons:  It would have been interesting to get more information about the fate of the different people portrayed in the book, and how their decisions to stay close to home or travel affected their futures.

The Queen of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  From the team that brought you The King of Kindergarten comes this companion about MJ Malone, the Queen of Kindergarten.  She’s got a new dress, freshly braided hair, and a sparkly tiara.  Before she sets out for her first day, her mother reminds her that queens are caring, kind, and helpful.  MJ remembers those lessons when she gets to school, helping a girl who is homesick, promising to share her lunch with a boy (“sharing is my jam!”), and enthusiastically participating in every part of school.  That night she reports about her day to her parents, and her mother tells her she’s earned the right to keep the tiara.  32 pages; ages 3-5.

Pros:  It’s never too early to be thinking ahead to first-day-of-school read-alouds, and this book is perfect for those getting ready for kindergarten.  MJ’s enthusiasm and kindness are sure to inspire kids to try their best on their first day of school, and the illustrations make everything look like fun.

Cons:  Art, music, and gym all on the first day of school?  Sounds exhausting.