Published by Balzer + Bray

Summary:  One day when Mama’s away from the nest, Mel decides she’s going to try flying.  “It sure is a long drop,” her brother comments, while her sister asks, “Aren’t you scared?”  “Yes,” says Mel, “But I won’t let that stop me.”  Off she goes, spreading her wings and diving straight down, past owls, bees, ants, spiders, and other tree inhabitants, who all try, unsuccessfully, to break her fall.  Finally, Mel lands headfirst–in the water.  She dives deep, catches a fish, and heads out again, flying back up the tree.  The animals she passed on the way down watch in amazement, cheering her all the way back to the nest, where she is joyously greeted by Mama and her siblings (the fish gets released and has his own dive back into the water).  Includes a brief author’s note about kingfishers, which is what Mel and her family are. 40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  Well, this is just pure fun.  The book is designed to be read top to bottom instead of side to side.  After Mel’s dive, there’s one page that’s read the conventional way, and then the book is turned in the other direction…it’s kind of hard to explain, but the unique design may help win some awards, and definitely will win the hearts of young readers.  A good lesson about trying things when you’re scared is subtly inserted as well.

Cons:  I found myself trying to figure out how I could turn this uniquely-formatted book into a Google slideshow to share on Zoom. Then I remembered that I hopefully will never have to do that again (that part is not a “Con”).

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Summary:  Two animals tell their stories: Monkey is stranded on a dessert island made of chocolate, frosting, and berries, while Fox is stuck on a rocky desert island.  While Monkey is feasting on cake, Fox is going hungry.  When a berry falls off the cake, Fox is thrilled to scoop it up as it floats by.  Fox plants one of the berry’s seeds, and a rainstorm helps grow a plant–and starts washing away Monkey’s cake.  The plant proves key to Monkey’s rescue, and the last berry from the cake allows the two new friends to start over.  The final spread shows the two friends on a desert island with a berry plant flourishing, and their thought: “We are very lucky.”  40 pages; ages 3-8.  

Pros:  This picture book debut tells a simple story, but could spark some interesting discussions about kindness, cooperation, and how quickly fortunes can change.  Monkey and Fox are a pretty cute pair; it would be great to see more about what transpires on their desert island.

Cons:  Despite the berry plant, the desert island situation doesn’t seem sustainable.

Published by Orchard Books

Summary:  “The night wished it was quieter.  The bag wished it was deeper.  The light wished it was brighter.”  The story of a family’s escape from their home in an open sailboat is told with spare text and illustrations, showing them saying goodbye to loved ones, walking a long road with three small children, and traveling by boat on a stormy sea until they are finally picked up by a larger ship and see their destination ahead.  “I didn’t have to wish anymore,” concludes the story, switching into the first-person voice of the young girl narrator. Includes notes from the artist and the author, telling of her family’s escape from Vietnam in the 1980’s and tying it into the story of present-day refugees.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  It’s amazing how much of a story can be told in just a few brief sentences, accompanied by the lush, detailed illustrations, which should not escape the attention of the Caldecott committee.  The back matter fills in details and invites readers to think more deeply about how they can help new refugees.

Cons:  It’s hard to know what age to recommend this book for.  It looks like a 4-8 picture book, but I think older kids would benefit from it and understand it on a deeper level.

Published by Norton Young Readers

Summary:  Lili is thrilled when Nai Nai (her grandmother) invites her to help with baos, dumplings made with dough, filled with a spicy pork filling, and steamed in a basket lined with cabbage leaves.  When they go to steam them, though, Nai Nai discovers she’s out of cabbage.  She sends Lili to Babcia’s fifth floor apartment to borrow some.  Babcia has a head of cabbage, but needs potatoes for her pierogies, and sends her to Granma’s on the second floor.  And so it goes, as grandmothers throughout the apartment building need different ingredients to make their versions of dumplings.  Finally, Lili is able to return to Nai Nai’s, where they finish their bao.  They join all the others in the courtyard for a dumpling feast, which turns into a welcome-home party for Lili’s new baby brother…another dumpling treasure.  Includes a recipe for baos and pictures of all the other dumplings on the endpapers.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This mouth-watering picture book may inspire young cooks to try bao and some of the other yummy foods mentioned in the story.  The party and new baby brother make a perfect ending.

Cons:  I would have liked more information for the other dumplings, especially their countries/cultures of origin.

Published by little bee books

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

Summary:  In Grandad’s Camper, a girl enjoys hearing Grandad reminisce about travels with his husband, Gramps, in their old camper.  Since Gramps died, Grandad hasn’t felt much like traveling, but the girl convinces him to fix up the camper so that the two of them can take a trip to the beach.  The boy in Grandpa Across the Ocean doesn’t like spending time with his grandfather, who lives in a strange place, eats unfamiliar food, and doesn’t speak his language.  When the boy breaks Grandpa’s orchid pots with his ball, he’s sure he’s in trouble, but Grandpa turns out to be pretty forgiving and actually a lot of fun.  By the end of the family’s visit, the boy and his grandfather have had lots of adventures, he’s learned a few Korean words, and both eagerly anticipate another summer visit.  Grandad is 32 pages and Grandpa is 40; both recommended for ages 4-8.

Pros:  Two more excellent reads for Father’s Day that celebrate a grandfather-grandchild bond and show how a grandchild can bring out the kid in a grandfather.  

Cons:  I feel like I’m becoming the spelling police, but why Grandad and not Granddad?

Published by Tundra Books

Published by Schwartz & Wade

Summary:  Two books for Father’s Day that celebrate a bond between a father and daughter and a grandfather and grandson.  In Carpenter’s Helper, Renata is enjoying helping her father build a new bathtub, imagining herself building bubble castles in the deep new bathtub.  One night, though, a pair of wrens come in through the window hole and build a nest in the bathroom.  Dad says they need to stop work until the babies are hatched and ready to leave the nest.  Renata enjoys watching them grow, and has to do some problem-solving when they fall into the bathtub and can’t get out again.  

Moshom (Grandpa) hasn’t been to the trapline in the northern wilderness since he was a boy, but now he and his grandson are going back for a visit.  Their first stop is the Cree community where Moshom and his family lived after they left the trapline.  From there, they take a boat ride to the trapline.  Moshom reminisces as they go, recalling how he worked and played with his family, and how he attended an English-only school where he and his friends had to sneak into the bush to speak Cree (“I learned in both places.  I just learned different things.”).  Each page ends with a Cree word and its meaning.  As they fly home, the grandson is able to close his eyes and imagine the trapline just the way it used to be.  Includes notes from the author (who made a similar journey with his father) and the illustrator, as well as a glossary of Swampy Cree words.  Carpenter’s Helper is 40 pages; On the Trapline is 48 pages; both ages 4-8, although older kids would also enjoy On the Trapline.

Pros:  Both books show warm, loving relationships between a father/grandfather and child.  Carpenter’s Helper celebrates STEM and using problem-solving skills to figure out a real-world problem.  On the Trapline gives readers a look at an indigenous lifestyle as well as an introduction to Cree culture and language.

Cons:  Both stories require a good attention span from the intended audience: they are both on the long side and somewhat low key.