BOOK REVIEWS
Illustration from Bears Don't Read by Emma Chichester Clark.
CLICK TO READ THE LATEST REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS!
A QUICK LOOK AT SOME OF OUR MOST RECENT REVIEWS (UPDATED 12/28/2021)
All Kinds of Animal Friends (Sophy Henn):
Picture Book Recommendations: “I love that this book not only teaches fabulous animal facts but that it also subtly shows all the ways in which kids too can be a good friend. I highly recommend checking this one out!”
Big Dog, Little Dog (Sally Rippin, Lucinda Gifford):
School Library Journal: “This brilliant Australian import offers children an opportunity to develop important social-emotional skills; it’s especially needed for those who are adjusting to new changes.”
The Book of Math (Anna Weltman, Paul Boston):
Booklist: “Each spread is discrete and invites browsing, and users can peruse the contents cover to cover or dip into topics that catch their attention. … This book certainly helps make math more accessible, much more interesting, and lots of fun. This would be a great addition for any library looking to spice up the M part of their STEAM collection.”
Good as New, Kisses, Cuddles, and Goodnight! (Bernd Penners, Henning Löhlein), and It's Christmastime! (Bernd Penners, Christine Faust):
Little Cub Literacy: “Good as New … is great for developing empathy but also opens discussions about safety … Good as New and Kisses, Cuddles, and Good Night ask readers to use visual discrimination to match the image on the sticker with the image of each character. Visual discrimination is an important pre-reading skill for littles to develop as it will help them identify differences in print down the line!”
Hey Jack! The Lost Reindeer (Sally Rippin, Stephanie Spartels):
Future Bookworms: “Perfect Christmas story for those early readers!”
Holidays & Celebrations (Carron Brown, Ipek Konak):
Kirkus Reviews: “An inclusive, secular-leaning panorama with a simple but clever visual gimmick.”
Our World of Words: “This book is wonderful in the sense that it captures so many diverse festivals and celebrations. ... Overall a gorgeous book to include some diversity in children’s bookshelves!”
How to Make a Book (Becky Davis, Patricia Hu):
Kirkus Reviews: “The spreads are busy, with irregularly shaped, colorful panels helping to make the stages of the publishing process clear; many are festooned with arrows to assist in focus, and well-placed speech bubbles further help to delineate the action. … For detail-oriented future publishers.”
I Like Helping People ... What Jobs Are There? (Amanda Learmonth, Elise Gaignet):
Kirkus Reviews: “The jobs are varied, with wide-ranging educational requirements, skills, and duties. … The workers depicted are racially diverse, and illustrator Gaignet breaks gender assumptions for many jobs, illustrating a female-presenting mechanic, for instance, and a male-presenting nurse. … Plenty of details to absorb while engaging readers to discover their own perfect careers.”
Leo and the Octopus (Isabelle Marinov, Chris Nixon):
The Horn Book: “Marinov tactfully parallels Leo’s neurodivergence with Maya’s own talents, allowing readers to both sympathize with and admire their approaches to the world. Nixon’s stylized illustrations, gently rendered in a muted palette, make excellent use of shape and color to communicate Leo’s and Maya’s senses of safety (or lack thereof), even linking the archway of Maya’s enclosure to the shape of Leo’s cardboard hideout at home. Using her own family as a model (per an appended note), Marinov simply and straightforwardly honors the experiences of a child on the autism spectrum who is negotiating this overstimulating planet.“
Let's Go Shopping series (Nastja Holtfreter):
Homeschooling on Instagram: “Perfect books for toddlers – develops concentration, memory, language development. Children will learn the concept of grocery shopping and making lists. For preschoolers: you can turn this into a game with some math skills.”
Nibbles: Christmas (Emma Yarlett):
The Blossoming Bibliophiles: “Nibbles makes his Christmas book debut, in this charming little board book from the talented Emma Yarlett! With flaps, die-cuts and a countdown from 10 to 1, Nibbles fans will be eager to check out his latest adventure!”
Kids Lit is Lit: “Everyone’s favorite book eating monster is back with a festive count down read along! This little board book would make an excellent stocking stuffer for Nibbles fans who will delight in the flaps, holes, and all around Christmas cheer in this new release.”
The School of Monsters series (Sally Rippin, Chris Kennett):
Picture Book Recommendations: “[A] fabulous new early reader series. … Highly recommend …”
Wheels! All About Transport (Moira Butterfield, Bryony Clarkson):
Kirkus Reviews: “The book is admirable in its worldwide scope, as when it surveys the different designs to be found on trucks in India, Pakistan, Japan, and Peru. … The book that’ll give Richard Scarry’s venerable Cars and Trucks and Things That Go a run for its money.”
Picture Book Recommendations: “I love that this book not only teaches fabulous animal facts but that it also subtly shows all the ways in which kids too can be a good friend. I highly recommend checking this one out!”
Big Dog, Little Dog (Sally Rippin, Lucinda Gifford):
School Library Journal: “This brilliant Australian import offers children an opportunity to develop important social-emotional skills; it’s especially needed for those who are adjusting to new changes.”
The Book of Math (Anna Weltman, Paul Boston):
Booklist: “Each spread is discrete and invites browsing, and users can peruse the contents cover to cover or dip into topics that catch their attention. … This book certainly helps make math more accessible, much more interesting, and lots of fun. This would be a great addition for any library looking to spice up the M part of their STEAM collection.”
Good as New, Kisses, Cuddles, and Goodnight! (Bernd Penners, Henning Löhlein), and It's Christmastime! (Bernd Penners, Christine Faust):
Little Cub Literacy: “Good as New … is great for developing empathy but also opens discussions about safety … Good as New and Kisses, Cuddles, and Good Night ask readers to use visual discrimination to match the image on the sticker with the image of each character. Visual discrimination is an important pre-reading skill for littles to develop as it will help them identify differences in print down the line!”
Hey Jack! The Lost Reindeer (Sally Rippin, Stephanie Spartels):
Future Bookworms: “Perfect Christmas story for those early readers!”
Holidays & Celebrations (Carron Brown, Ipek Konak):
Kirkus Reviews: “An inclusive, secular-leaning panorama with a simple but clever visual gimmick.”
Our World of Words: “This book is wonderful in the sense that it captures so many diverse festivals and celebrations. ... Overall a gorgeous book to include some diversity in children’s bookshelves!”
How to Make a Book (Becky Davis, Patricia Hu):
Kirkus Reviews: “The spreads are busy, with irregularly shaped, colorful panels helping to make the stages of the publishing process clear; many are festooned with arrows to assist in focus, and well-placed speech bubbles further help to delineate the action. … For detail-oriented future publishers.”
I Like Helping People ... What Jobs Are There? (Amanda Learmonth, Elise Gaignet):
Kirkus Reviews: “The jobs are varied, with wide-ranging educational requirements, skills, and duties. … The workers depicted are racially diverse, and illustrator Gaignet breaks gender assumptions for many jobs, illustrating a female-presenting mechanic, for instance, and a male-presenting nurse. … Plenty of details to absorb while engaging readers to discover their own perfect careers.”
Leo and the Octopus (Isabelle Marinov, Chris Nixon):
The Horn Book: “Marinov tactfully parallels Leo’s neurodivergence with Maya’s own talents, allowing readers to both sympathize with and admire their approaches to the world. Nixon’s stylized illustrations, gently rendered in a muted palette, make excellent use of shape and color to communicate Leo’s and Maya’s senses of safety (or lack thereof), even linking the archway of Maya’s enclosure to the shape of Leo’s cardboard hideout at home. Using her own family as a model (per an appended note), Marinov simply and straightforwardly honors the experiences of a child on the autism spectrum who is negotiating this overstimulating planet.“
Let's Go Shopping series (Nastja Holtfreter):
Homeschooling on Instagram: “Perfect books for toddlers – develops concentration, memory, language development. Children will learn the concept of grocery shopping and making lists. For preschoolers: you can turn this into a game with some math skills.”
Nibbles: Christmas (Emma Yarlett):
The Blossoming Bibliophiles: “Nibbles makes his Christmas book debut, in this charming little board book from the talented Emma Yarlett! With flaps, die-cuts and a countdown from 10 to 1, Nibbles fans will be eager to check out his latest adventure!”
Kids Lit is Lit: “Everyone’s favorite book eating monster is back with a festive count down read along! This little board book would make an excellent stocking stuffer for Nibbles fans who will delight in the flaps, holes, and all around Christmas cheer in this new release.”
The School of Monsters series (Sally Rippin, Chris Kennett):
Picture Book Recommendations: “[A] fabulous new early reader series. … Highly recommend …”
Wheels! All About Transport (Moira Butterfield, Bryony Clarkson):
Kirkus Reviews: “The book is admirable in its worldwide scope, as when it surveys the different designs to be found on trucks in India, Pakistan, Japan, and Peru. … The book that’ll give Richard Scarry’s venerable Cars and Trucks and Things That Go a run for its money.”