Through the North Pole Snow by Polly Faber, illustrated by Richard Jones

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  A little fox out hunting accidentally falls through the roof of a house buried in the snow.  He’s rescued by a pair of red-clad arms belonging to an old, tired-looking man with a white beard.  After getting comfortable, the fox settles in at the end of the man’s bed, and the two enjoy a long winter’s nap.  With the arrival of warmer weather, they wake up, and the man gets to work building all kinds of things to fill his empty shelves.  As the days start to grow short again, snow arrives along with a blizzard of letters.  The man reads each one, using them as a guide to fill his bag.  On Christmas Eve, he hitches up his reindeer, and the fox accompanies Santa Claus as he rides his sleigh into the night sky.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This became my go-to holiday book to read to my PreK-1 students.  They enjoyed gathering clues with the fox to learn Santa’s identity and job.  The pictures at the end will certainly get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Cons:  The fox seemed a bit slow to catch on. The clues are all there, but he doesn’t completely catch on until he’s taking off in the sleigh with Santa and the reindeer.

The Christmas Book Flood by Emily Kilgore, illustrated by Kitty Moss

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Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Summary:  A girl searches for a gift book for Jólabókaflóɗ, or the Christmas Book Flood.  As the nights grow longer, people all over Iceland shop in bookstores and by searching the Book Bulletin to find books that they will give as gifts on Christmas Eve.  Time is running out, but the girl finally finds the perfect book.  On Christmas Eve, she and her family exchange books, then everyone settles down with blankets, pillows, and hot chocolate to read through the long December night.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about the Christmas Book Flood.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The very definition of hygge, this cozy book with its colorful illustrations is the perfect Christmas Eve read, for yourself or to give as a gift.

Cons:  Preschoolers may not find book shopping to be the most exciting holiday activity to read about.

Mia in the Mix by Coco Simon, illustrated by Glass House Graphics

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Published by Simon Spotlight

Summary:  The Cupcake Diaries chapter books are now a graphic novel series, beginning with Katie and the Cupcake Cure and Mia in the Mix.  Mia’s book was the first one to reach me via interlibrary loan, so I ended up reading book 2.  Mia has recently moved to town with her mom, her mom’s boyfriend, and his son, leaving behind her dad and friends in New York City.  She meets Katie, Emma, and Alexis, and the four girls form the Cupcake Club.  As the business is starting to get off the ground, Mia finds herself torn between wanting to spend time with the club and hanging out with some other girls who share her interest in fashion.  Ultimately, Mia decides the cupcake girls are her truest friends, while finding ways to make room for other people in her life.  160 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  This series will appeal to Baby-Sitters Club fans, with similar themes of friendship and starting a business.  The artwork is appealing, and the situations with family and friends are ones that many kids will relate to.

Cons:  It feels like a bit of a rip-off of the BSC series.

Tumble by Celia C. Pérez

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Published by Kokila

Summary:  Addie’s mom is expecting a baby, leading her stepfather Alex to offer to adopt her.  While Addie loves Alex, she wants to learn about her biological father before making her decision.  Her mom has always refused to tell her anything about him, so Addie does some detective work with the help of her best friend Cy.  When she discovers that her father is the wrestler Manny Bravo, she convinces her mom to let her visit him and his family in the nearby town where her mom grew up, and where the Bravo family still lives.  The Bravos are famous Mexican American wrestlers in a community known for wrestling, and Addie is kind of starstruck when she meets them.  But soon she begins to form warm bonds with all of them…except for Manny, who frequently is late for their meetings or stands her up completely.  Eventually, Addie begins to understand why her mother left him to pursue her own dreams, and she is able to make some important decisions about her family and her future.  368 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Belpré Honor winner Celia C. Pérez may be in line for another award or two with this heartwarming story of Addie and her family and friends.  There’s a lot going on with both of Addie’s families, as well as interesting subplots, particularly one about an unusual production of The Nutcracker that Cy is directing at their middle school. Pérez does an excellent job of weaving all the various parts of the story together.

Cons:  I could see the writing on the wall with Manny about halfway through the book.

The Mystery of the Love List by Sarah Glenn Marsh, illustrated by Ishaa Lobo

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Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

Summary:  As the only porcupine in her class, Pippa sometimes feels like she stands out.  It’s a lonely feeling.  When her teacher makes a Valentine’s assignment to compile a list of “things that take up room in your heart”, Pippa would rather read her latest Sherlock Gnomes book.  But when she finds a heart with a list that’s similar to her own, she puts her detective skills to work trying to figure out who her potential friend might be.  It’s a tough case to crack, but when Pippa finally figures it out, she comes up with the perfect way to connect: writing a new story called “Sherlock Gnomes and the Mystery of the New Best Friend,” which she leaves for her friend to find in her desk.  The last page shows Pippa and new friend Mitzie the Mouse meeting up in the forest.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A cute story for Valentine’s Day that celebrates friendship and introduces some elements of mystery books.  Kids will have fun spotting Pippa’s new friend in the pictures before she figures out who it is.

Cons:  It doesn’t feel like the right week to be thinking about Valentine’s Day.

The Tide Pool Waits by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Amy Hevron

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Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  The cycle of a tide pool is explored, starting with a wave crashing onto the shore, the water pooling in some rocks.  As the sun warms the water, all kinds of creatures gather in the pool–barnacles, mussels, an octopus–and they all wait.  Finally, the wait is over, as another wave crashes, connecting the tide pool to the rest of the ocean.  The animals swim around and eat, and slowly, the cycle begins all over again.  Includes thumbnail illustrations of the various animals mentioned with additional information, websites, and a diagram of the different parts of the tide zone.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  I loved the illustrations in this introduction to tide pools, which is a great resource for preschool and primary grade science lessons.  The colors are beautiful, and kids will enjoy learning about the different critters.

Cons:  If you’re seeking an action-packed thriller, you may have to look elsewhere.

New from Here by Kelly Yang

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Summary:  As the story opens, Knox’s parents are making the difficult decision to take the three kids to California from their home in Hong Kong, where the coronavirus is spreading.  His dad has to stay behind and work, while his mom can work remotely from the small house in the Bay Area that the family has inherited.  This proves impossible, and before long, Mom is frantically looking for a new job while Knox, his older brother Bowen, and his younger sister Lea adjust to American schools.  Knox’s ADHD has made school difficult in the past, but he loves his new teacher and makes a new friend right away.  Bowen has a harder time and often takes his frustrations out on his younger brother.  The kids pull together, though, to raise money to get their dad a plane ticket to join them.  In the background is the news of increasing COVID cases in the US, and the story ends in the spring of 2020, with everything, including school, closing down.  The future feels uncertain, but the challenges of the past few months have pulled the family together in a way that makes navigating those challenges seem possible.  Includes an author’s note about her family’s experiences that were the basis for this book.  368 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  I started this book months ago and abandoned it after the first few pages; after seeing it on some best of 2022 lists, I decided to give it another chance and am so glad I did.  Despite the feeling of impending COVID doom, there is plenty of humor (I especially enjoyed the kids’ attempts to create a LinkedIn account for their dad) and some pretty touching family scenes, especially when the kids have to deal with anti-Asian racism.  

Cons:  As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve had a hard time getting kids interested in reading anything that has to do with the pandemic.

All from a Walnut by Ammi-Joan Paquette, illustrated by Felicita Sala

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Published by Harry N. Abrams

Summary:  When Emilia wakes up to find a walnut on her nightstand, she asks Grandpa if he has a story for her.  He tells her how he immigrated to the United States as a boy, bringing with him a nut from a walnut tree.  When he got to America, he planted it, moving the pot it was in when his family moved, and eventually planting in the yard of the house he and his wife bought.  Now there are two trees, a smaller one planted by Emilia’s mother as a girl.  Grandpa helps Emilia plant the walnut she found.  It flourishes under her care, but at the same time Grandpa grows weaker, until finally, Emilia has to say good-bye to him.  When she notices her sapling looking “as droopy as she felt,” she decides to transplant it next to the other two trees in the yard.  She knows that one day, she will give a walnut to her own child to begin a new tree.  40 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  A beautiful story that explores grief and loss but also looks at how life continues with each new generation.

Cons:  The new tree looked like it was planted too close to the bigger trees.

The Bird Book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

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Published by Clarion Books

Summary:  The husband-and-wife team of Jenkins and Page have created a picture book jam-packed with information about birds.  From their anatomy and physiology to their evolution from dinosaurs to record-holders in the avian world, readers will learn fascinating facts about birds, accompanied by Steve Jenkins’s trademark cut-paper illustrations.  Includes a four-page table listing every bird mentioned in the book, with its size, diet, range, and the page where it can be found; also, a list of books and websites with more information.  48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Another beautiful offering by Robin Page and the late Steve Jenkins, with a ton of information offered in an appealing format with stunning illustrations.

Cons:  Another childhood bubble was burst when I learned that the oldest bird on record is a pink cockatoo that lived to the age of 83, not Dr. Dolittle’s 199-year-old parrot Polynesia.

Mae Makes A Way: The True Story of Mae Reeves, Hat & History Maker by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, illustrated by Andrea Pippins

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Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Published in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, this book traces the story of Mae Reeves, a Black woman who left Georgia in the 1930’s to become a milliner.  She eventually opened her own shop in Philadelphia, creating hats for celebrities like Marian Anderson, Lena Horne, and Ella Fitzgerald.  She kept her business going while raising three children and being active in her community, helping other Black businesses.  Mae lived to be 104, long enough to see artifacts from her shop included in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.  Includes interviews with Mae’s daughter Donna and with Dr. Reneé Anderson, Head of Collections at NMAAHC, as well as information about the museum and a list of sources.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A fascinating biography of a woman who never became famous but who lived a full life, following her own dreams and helping others.  Readers will be inspired to head to Washington, D.C. to see Mae’s hats in the museum.

Cons:  It’s a long picture book for reading aloud.