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… 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… 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… 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… 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… Read More
It’s certainly no sophomore slump for author Jordan Scott’s second children’s book: My Baba’s Garden by Jordan Scott. My Baba’s Garden Review A boy spends his mornings and afternoons with his Baba (grandmother). The personal connection they share despite a language barrier is obvious. Perhaps this boy is the same as the one from I Talk Like a River who… Read More
