A hilarious story of a girl's disillusion at the realization that her favorite animal isn't exactly what she thought they were: Seals Are Jerks by Jared Chapman. Seals Are Jerks Review Sometimes learning the truth isn't always fun. Lorelei learns this when she finds out that seals and penguins aren't actually friends. In fact, seals eat penguins! Does that make seals jerks, though? Lorelei and readers have to decide for themselves. This book is a new sort of nonfiction with facts presented in the context of a story - nonfiction lite, if you will. Kids will be laughing hysterically while learning about a food chain. It's one of the best ways to learn! Librarians may struggle with shelving this one since it has both fictional and factual facets to, but kids will check it out whether its cataloged as a picture book or as nonfiction. Illustrations The illustrations are ... read more

A beautifully-crafted set of illustrations and flowing language about a thinly-covered subject that leaves readers wishing for more: A Flag For Juneteenth by Kim Taylor. A Flag For Juneteenth Review The recently-minted national holiday of Juneteenth is a subject that still has limited selection in terms of children's books. The story follows Hulduh, a slave girl whose birthday is also the day that the last slaves in Texas found out that they were free - June 19, 1965. The day becomes a jubilee for her birthday and their freedom. Imaginative and mature Hulduh rejoices in the news and the special freedom flag she receives as a gift. This historical fiction picture book is by debut author-illustrator Kim Taylor - if you can even call it illustration. Rather than drawings or paintings, the entirety of the artwork in this book was done through quiltwork. Taylor's talent as a ... read more

A playful, engaging book with 20 questions and countless answers: Twenty Questions by Mac Barnett. Twenty Questions Review "How many animals can you see in this picture?" The book opens with this straightforward question that invites the readers to count the many animals on the page. An amazing, low bar of entry to participation question. That's when Barnett throws a curveball. "How many animals can you not see in this one, because they're hiding from the tiger?" How will the children respond to that question? Most will react with giggles, others may give an actual number. The answers will be as surprising as the question. The variety of questions that follow invite a multitude of answers and debate. Christian Robinson's illustrations leave as much to discuss and are as critical to the story as the questions themselves. Conclusion Those wanting to spark the imagination ... read more

A cozy bedtime story for introspective youngsters from a talented author-illustrator: A Bed of Stars by Jessica Love. A Bed of Stars Review In Love's latest installment, readers are presented with a boy plagued by anxiety as he tries to go to bed at night. The infinite size of the universe and the countless stars make him feel small and insignificant. To help him, his dad takes him camping in the desert outside their southwest U.S. town. Love's multisensory details throughout the story bring the story to life. Meanwhile, the boy discovers that the desert too, is filled with life. The narrator tells the story as a sort of journal entry complete with lists, how-tos and diagrams of the trip. The narration reveals to us a very introspective, observant and sensitive child who comes to a transformative realization. As he and his father look up at the same stars that precipitated ... read more

Author Andrea Caceres' debut bilingual children's book is a celebration of language and a discovery of a new home away from home. My Dog Just Speaks Spanish Book Review (Mi perro solo habla espanol) This is the story of a recent immigrant named Aurora who has learned English, but her dog Nena only understands Spanish. Many kids who only speak English may be surprised to think about a dog not understanding some of the simple dog commands like sit, come, or even treat! The illustrations show us how Aurora has been learning English by labeling objects in English and Spanish. Nena obviously can't learn that way. When other dogs in her new community respond to the English commands, Nena just stares. Later, Nena meets a new friend who also speaks Spanish, showing Aurora that there are other bilingual people like her in her community. For English-speaking kids, this is an engaging ... read more