Today is Lunar New Year ...
Last year’s beaver den is this year’s cozy lair for a mother otter and three newborn pups. When they are finally allowed out, they lose no time leaping and tumbling, pouncing and wrestling, because, well, otters love to play. With their waterproof fur coats, the pups...
A dimple-cheeked girl, a flame-haired boy, and a black-and-white puppy share adventures, no matter the season. For each month, a specific shape suggests a unique detail associated with that month. “Circle round, / ready to roll. / Add two sticks, / a carrot, and coal” reads...
Brothers Joe and Cody, their parents, and Cody’s dog, Ootsie, spend each summer near one of the hundreds of lakes in northern Manitoba, Canada. By naming and playing with sticks, stones, and even small animals, the brothers have no shortage of available “friends.” Their favorite...
Going for a walk in “bear country” could be very dangerous business, unless you heed the wise advice of this intrepid child, whose well-stocked, oversize backpack contains all the many things necessary to negotiate potential sightings. When confronted by a black or brown bear, pepper spray...
*STARRED REVIEW It’s true: “When Ruth Law made up her mind, there was no use trying to stop her.” With tenacious aplomb, Law announced that she would fly from Chicago to New York in one day – a distance, in 1916, that had never before been...
The single-page "author's note" which introduces this stupendous, otherwise-wordless wonder is a full story unto itself: Guojing reveals her lonely childhood growing up in 1980s China under the one-child policy. Her parents worked, and she was often cared for by her grandmother. But sometimes when...
Text and art find a perfect pairing between two hard covers that stretch out to reveal a 10-foot, double-sided spread of popping colors, swirly lines, and infectious energy. Captured within is the story of two friends "who play together just like kids." They joyously romp through...
Thank the stars for all the women who never succumbed to 'you can't' and 'you're not allowed,' and the constant cacophony of insistent 'no's. Meet another such hero: drum dream girl. In spite of her strikingly diverse heritage – Chinese, African, and Cuban! – all her elders agree...
Mothers, you will relate. Meet your bluntly honest children. Ask your little one a question about yourself – all the while hoping for a smidge of uplifting compliment or encouraging understanding – and what you'll probably get is not exactly what you anticipated. You've been warned! These little wonders just aren't capable of...
The wife-and-husband team of Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant debuted the most ingenious use of (title) parentheses with You Are (Not) Small, and promptly won the 2015 (Theodore Seuss) Geisel Award, given annually to "the most distinguished American book for beginning readers." Lucky for their audiences, the screenwriter/New Yorker-cartoonist...
Although Bernard Waber passed away in 2013 (at 91!), he's left quite the literary legacy – most especially his beloved, readily recognized Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile! series with almost a dozen titles. This, his latest, pubbed posthumously, invoking his signature gentle, emotive style, starring a young girl and her...
A mother and her toddler son, cuddled together in a cushy chair, are surrounded by soft summer breezes and warm fading light. Together, they read their bedtime book, as the boy is about to drift off to slumberland. While the mother reads aloud, her heart promises...
Grace Lin’s 'not exactly the same’-twins debuted in 2010, then 'shared a birthday’ a couple of years later, and had 'twice as silly’ adventures together. Five years since they arrived on bookshelves everywhere, they're still Together in All Weather – and yes, they're as whimsically captivating as...
Today is the third title by Canadians Eric Walters and Eugenie Fernandes that captures real-life events from Walters' The Creation of Hope complex in Kenya. Together, Walters and Fernandes have become quite the dynamic duo in developing an effective series showcasing the inspiring, courageous stories of resilient, caring children...
Winter is quickly settling around us ...
I admit it: I'm not much of a dinosaur fan – on the page, anyway. Far too many books starring these behemoth beings seem to loom over my desk. That said, every once in a (long) while, I discover an irresistible prehistoric beast with a story that...
One fine Saturday a father and son visit a new library together for the first time. While his father explores “the grown-up shelves,” the boy enjoys story hour, makes a new friend, and discovers today’s library is even more than a treasure trove of books....
"SHHHH! Quiet." Because Roger is not only reading, he's reading a book. A book. Oh, for the love of books, this is the perfect book for book lovers of all ages. Yes, Roger is reading. Or trying to, anyway. He's got a spotlight illuminating the pages just so,...
Married at 14 to a much older man, Sonabai spent the first decade of wifehood cooking and cleaning for her demanding in-laws. When the couple moved to a tiny village to be on their own, Sonabai had far less to do, but she became a prisoner in her...
