I haven’t had the chance to express how thrilled I was that the 2024 Newbery Medal went to The Eyes and the Impossible, which was written by Dave Eggers and illustrated by Shawn Harris. Apparently, these two are not ones to rest on their laurels, as each of them has a new picture book this month.

Soren’s Seventh Song by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Mark Hoffmann (Harry N. Abrams, 56 pages, grades 2-5). Soren is a humpback whale teenager (or the equivalent of that in whale years) who hates the long, droning songs the adult whales sing. After much trial and error, he comes up with his own song, but when he performs it for his peers, they’re not impressed. One even vomits into his underarm (underfin, actually). Does Soren give up? No. He takes the feedback, particularly from his very blunt friend Hans, and makes revisions. Seven revisions, to be exact. And as he travels through the sea singing his seventh song, he notices that the lobsters are grooving, seaweeds are swaying, and barracudas are boogeying. Soren’s hard work finally pays off, and his seventh song becomes the hit whale song of the year.

Although the narration is third person, it reminded me of Johannes’s voice in The Eyes and the Impossible: funny and wise at the same time, with enough confidence to keep going despite multiple setbacks. It’s kind of a long tale, what with the seven songs and all, but I’m still considering reading it to the tough audience of fifth grade. If they don’t vomit into their underarms, I’ll consider it a win.

The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn by Shawn Harris (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, ages 4-8). The titular unicorn is sort of the Stuart Little of the unicorn world, significantly smaller than the rest of his family. His much larger siblings use him as a piece in their chess games and make fun of his attempts to cannonball into the moat. Tired of their mocking, he runs off into the lawn, where he eventually comes face to face with an angry gnome. It turns out the teeny-weeny unicorn is much bigger than the gnome, and accidentally put his hoof through the gnome’s expensive sports car. Fortunately, the unicorn family is able to make things right, and readers learn an important lesson: We are all teeny-weeny. We are all giant. And we are all just the right size.

Who can resist a unicorn? Kids will love this story for sure, and Shawn Harris’s illustrations add to the fun. Dave Eggers and Soren teach us to be persistent, and Shawn and the teeny-weeny unicorn offer a lesson in self-acceptance.

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  A family is struggling after the father comes home from a stint in the military.  Dad is silent, prone to nightmares, and easily angered.  Mom explains PTSD to their young son (the narrator): “When Daddy was away, some bad things happened…Those bad things harmed his mind.”  One day, the family goes to the YMCA, where Mom and Dad take a yoga class while the boy watches.  Before long, father and son are going every week, gradually getting better at the poses in the class, and Dad makes up the name boyogi for his son.  He tells his son that between yoga and therapy, he’s doing a lot better, making the boy feel happier as well.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An excellent kid-friendly introduction to both yoga and PTSD, with great digital illustrations of lots of yoga poses that kids will want to try.  

Cons:  Some additional information on PTSD and the benefits of yoga would have been a good supplement.

Published by Henry Holt and Company

Summary:  Mole wakes up to the realization that today is Rabbit’s moon harvest party, and he has to make the torturous decision about whether or not he’s going to go.  He decides to bring some homemade cream puffs, then sets off through tunnels that go under the town.  Readers can see other animals traveling to the party aboveground, while Mole goes back and forth between encouraging himself to talk to other party guests and recalling how awkward previous social gatherings have been.  He wants to push himself to be better, but as he approaches Rabbit’s house, he starts to think he should have stayed home.  At the front door, he meets Skunk, a kindred spirit who is also debating whether or not he’ll go inside.  Rabbit invites them in, but the two hand off their gifts and head for Mole’s place, where they enjoy a quiet cup of tea together.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Socially anxious introverts of the world, unite!  Rarely has a book spoken to me quite this accurately, as I recognized almost word for word Mole’s internal dialog while he overthought going to a party.  The underground illustrations are adorable, and I was delighted that Mole found a true friend at the end.

Cons:  I wish this book had been around in my younger days.

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  The narrator is grieving the loss of her dog.  As she and her family remember him, she gathers his favorite things to create an ofrenda, or offering, for him.  Each photo she looks at reminds her of a time she and her beloved pet shared. She makes his favorite meal and pours him a bowl of water.  When everything is ready, the family celebrates their dog together on Día de Muertos.  Includes notes from the author and illustrator about the loss of their pets and additional information about Día de Muertos and how to make an ofrenda.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  I’m adding this beautiful book to my list about grief and loss.  The simple text and realistic illustrations capture the bittersweet experience of grieving the loss of a pet and provide an excellent introduction to Día de Muertos.

Cons:  Keep the Kleenexes handy.

Published by Levine Querido

Summary:  When Bossy Older Cousin Violet comes over, she doesn’t hold back in her opinion: Riley is playing with toys the wrong way and needs to be shown the right way.  Riley can play all day with a pile of newspapers, and instead of having dolls and stuffies to a tea party like Violet does, Riley likes to line them up by size.  Riley creates art by sharpening crayons and making little spirals with them.  Fortunately, Riley’s dog Charlie is more understanding than Violet is, and all the kids enjoy playing fetch and running around the yard with him.  “See,” Riley tells Violet, “There are lots of ways to play with toys.  And everyone’s way is the right way.”  Includes an author’s note about her personal childhood experiences, similar to Riley’s, and how she got some answers when she was diagnosed with autism as an adult.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A charming story that will appeal to many kids, both those who are neurodivergent and those who simply enjoy doing their own thing.

Cons:  Cousin Violet.

Greenlight by Breanna Carzoo

Published by HarperCollins

Hidden Gem by Linda Liu

Published by Henry Holt

Summary: Two unconventional narrators discover their own value. Greenlight doesn’t like the fact that the cars slow down for Yellowlight, stop for Redlight, but speed through Greenlight, seeming to ignore it. Taking a break for a few minutes, with closed eyes and some affirmations repeated, Greenlight starts to see its own value and is ready to shine bright. In Hidden Gem, an ordinary rock can’t help comparing itself unfavorably when it goes to a museum exhibit of gems. But with the help of a spectacular diamond, the narrator comes to realize that every rock is special in its own way. 32 pages (Greenlight) and 40 pages (Hidden Gem); both ages 4-8.

Pros: With school starting up again, teachers and counselors will be looking for books like these that incorporate humor and striking illustrations (especially in Hidden Gem) to give kids some strategies for feeling good about themselves and accepting others for what they are.

Cons: Both books seemed to prioritize the message over the story.

Published by HarperCollins

Summary:  The first few wordless pages show Bob the seagull watching other sea creatures having fun together while he feels left out and alone.  Another bird comes along and offers Bob her red jacket (with fries in the pockets!), saying that she no longer needs it.  The jacket gives Bob the confidence to talk to the other animals.  Their responses reveal that they’ve always liked Bob but never had the chance to get to know him (“I didn’t know Bob could talk”).  When a huge wave causes Bob to lose his beloved jacket, his friends pitch in and help him recover it.  Bob spots a lonely turtle and offers the jacket to her, saying that he no longer needs it.  The turtle walks away happily, fries spilling from the pockets of her new red jacket.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A cute story with appealing comic-style illustrations that could open up some interesting conversations about where self-confidence comes from.

Cons:  Those have to be some soggy fries.

Published by Anne Schwartz Books

Summary:  A red apple hangs from a tree, ready to drop to the ground.  One by one, animals plan to grab that apple when it falls, each one imagining how delicious it will be, shown with a cartoon bubble and the word “MINE!”  Finally, the wind blows the apple from the tree, and Mouse, Hare, Fox, Deer, and Bear all pounce, resulting in a free-for-all that pushes the apple away.  It lands at the feet of Possum, who eyes it curiously: “Mine?”  A worm pops out, and the two say in unison, “Ours!”  40 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  With illustrations reminiscent of Eric Rohmann’s Caldecott book My Friend Rabbit, this story uses catchy rhymes and adorable (if greedy) animals to impart a fun lesson about sharing.

Cons:  Generally, apple trees produce more than one apple at a time, so it seemed like the animals could have just chilled and waited for more apples to fall.