Campout! Biscuit Goes Camping by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

It is a warm, late summer evening. Just the time to do something special!

A girl, already in her PJs, heads out into the backyard and under the clothesline with a pillow and a bundle of blankets.

This way, Biscuit. It's time to go camping.

WOOF!

She has her tarp. She has her blankets and pillow and flashlight and baggie of cookies. She tries to toss one side of the tarpaulin over the clothesline. Biscuit grabs another corner and starts pulling.

Silly puppy!

The girl evens up the four corners and anchors them down with four big rocks. Voila' A tent!

WOOF! Biscuit is distracted by something new that hops! The girl shines her flashlight on Biscuit's find. It's a frog! Then Biscuit spots something blink-blinking in the air. Biscuit barks again!

It's a FIREFLY!

Leaves blow in the wind, Whooooooo! Biscuit is a little bit intimidated.

WOW! The wind and the firefly seems to be telling them it's time to turn out the light. By the moonlight the girl, one flip flop on and one off, and Biscuit curl up together, cookies forgotten, and close their eyes.

But then.... UH-OH!

CRACK! BOOM!

Rain begins to splatter down, as the race is on to the kitchen door that Mom is holding open for them. Biscuit gets there first, making a B-line for his doggie bed.

The campout continues on the little round rug beside Biscuit's bed, as the two snuggle up together under their own covers, in Alyssa Satin Capucilli's Biscuit Goes Camping (My First I Can Read) (Harper). In fact, someone else came inside with them--the firefly!

Author Capucilli's simple narrative sticks to the high points of the action, accompanied by artist Pat Schories' sweetly and skillfully-drawn accompanying illustrative cues to make this My First I Can Read book for emergent readers a fun and funny adventure for the primary set, of which the Biscuit series are a standout. There are plenty more of these and other landmark beginner reader books in Harper's excellent catalog which help parents and teachers in making reading time fun time.

Told You Not To Do That! Anansi and the Pot of Beans by Bobby and Sherry Norfolk

On one morning Anansi the Spider went to see his Grandma Spider. He knocked on her door and asked if he could do some work for her.

"Good morning, Grandson!" she said, with a hug. "I want you to plant some beans in the garden!" She showed him what to do and then went back in to the kitchen.

It was hot and Anansi worked up a quite a sweat digging and planting in the hot sun. At last Grandma Spider came out with a pitcher of cold lemonade to cool him off. She told Anansi that she was going to go to the store for some spices for the beans, and warned him sternly not to touch the pot cooking on the stove. It was too hot and too heavy, she told him firmly, and set off to the market.

But the yummy smell rose and drifted out the window right to Anansi's nose. His mouth began to water.

It led Anansi inside to the stove, assuring himself that it couldn't hurt just to inhale the delicious smell a bit closer.

"I'm sure it's all right just to taste the beans, he thought.

And before Anansi knew it, he was slurping up spoonfuls of the beans. Just as he was stashing some of the beans in his hat, for a snack later, he heard the neighbors yelling at blackbirds in Grandma's garden. And when the neighbors and Grandma Spider came in, Anansi only had time to hide the purloined beans in his hat--on his head!

OWWW! They were hot! They were so hot Anansi was sweating and hopping around nervously, trying to pretend nothing was wrong. The neighbors were so impressed with his dancing that they started dancing with him!

"YEOOWW!" Anansi shouted, as he took off his hat. Beans flew everywhere!

And the burned-off hair never grew back on the head of Anansi the Spider--to this day--in Bobby and Sherry Norfolk's retelling of this story from Africa's folklore of that top trickster, Anansi, in their Anansí and the Pot of Beans (Story Cove) (August House Publishers). There are many stories about that too-clever-for-his-own-good trickster, Anansi, for youngsters who love to laugh. Pair this one with the charming and kid-friendly storytelling and illustrations of Eric Kimmel and Janet Stevens in their delightfulAnansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (Anansi the Trickster).

Beware! Big Beasts! Marvlt and Goreg by Connor Anstiss.

Marvlt and Goreg are good friends, buddies who find adventures wherever they go! One afternoon, fishing with their dads, they spot a big fish... a VERY big fish!

SHARK!

JUST THEN GOREG FELL INTO THE WATER.

It's bad timing, but after a little bit of shark bite, a few stitches in his foot, and a good night's rest, Goreg has recovered and goes for a swim in Marvlt's pool.

REFRESHING!

Luckily, Goreg recovers fast, and the next day they go to the zoo. But they both get too close to the dinosaur enclosure, and both of them are bitten by the dinosaur.

THEY RECEIVED STITCHES ON THEIR HEADS.

THEY SURVIVED.

Marvlt recovers quickly and goes over to see Goreg, who has a lingering headache.

OUCH!

After a restorative nap Goreg is ready for a swim and some basketball. Getting the stitches out of his head is no walk in the park, but a trip to the toy store helps. Apparently, Goreg still can't get enough of big beasts!

I ALWAYS WANTED A TOY TYRANNOSAURUS AND A TOY MEGALODON.

It's not easy being a character in a book by an eight-year-old author. You need to be a fast healer and have an ongoing attraction for beasts with big, scary teeth, but best buddies Marvlt and Goreg have got what it takes in Connor Anstiss' Marvlt and Goreg Get in Big Trouble With a Dinosaur (XLibris). And when the big beasts are bested, there's always time to jump in the pool. For preschool and early primary kids, reading this one may stimulate their desires write their own big beast adventure!

Eggnapper! Big Egg by Molly Coxe

HEN HAS SOME EGGS.

In her cozy nesting box, Hen is proud of her clutch of four little eggs. But, wait!

ONE IS BIG!

It's obviously not Hen's egg! She resolves to make some inquiries.

She loads her four little eggs and the Big Egg into her stroller and trundles them out of the hen house. Outside she spots Cat.

Could it be a cat egg?

"NO!" SAYS CAT.

Hen inquires of each animal she meets. Dog denies that it is a dog egg, and Mama Pig and piglets in her mud wallow decline ownership, too. Cow and Goat vehemently reject the very idea of a Cow or Goat egg.

Fox peers out from behind a tree, so Hen poses the question to him!

"IS IT A FOX EGG?"

"YES!"

Fox and little Fox push Hen's stroller with their prize at top speed to their little house under a hill, where the grinning foxes grab fork and knife and prepare for a tasty dinner.

But with a PEEP! the four little eggs begin to hatch. And so does the Big Egg, in a big way!

"SQUAWK!"

A very large, long-legged ostrich chick pops out! Fox suddenly realizes he's lost his appetite for poultry! He exits, page right!

Hen pops her four little chicks into her carrier, and then she and the Big Chick make a run for the hen house together!

HEN LOVES THEM ALL!

Molly Coxe's Big Egg (Step-Into-Reading, Step 1) has it all as a read for emergent readers--a satisfyingly funny, fast-moving plot in which the bad guy is foiled and courage and mother love are rewarded, all done up in few, but well chosen words, with plenty of contextual prompts in the clever illustrations which help beginning readers sail through the story with pleasure. Share this one with Molly Coxe's Hot Dog (Step-Into-Reading, Step 1).

Zut! Alors! Eloise in Paris by Kay Thompson

One teatime this telephone is ringing its head off and oh my lord, it was the front desk saying, "Eloise, there's a cablegram for you here!"

It was a cablegram from my mother.

"OH, my lord, we are going to Paris, France!"

Eloise has to tell everyone at the Ritz--the Porter, the Bell Captain, the Housekeeper and General Manager. And she and Nanny must get shots and of course, sit for their passport portraits, where Eloise's poses require many exposures!

(I am rawther photogenic.)

Then they must find an airline that allows Eloise to fly with her turtle, Weenie.

"When you get to the French border, you have to parler Francais!"

Nanny and Eloise are whisked to their hotel by her mother's lawyer's chauffeur, Koki, where Eloise learns there is no bell captain and no elevator. The proprietor calls her nanny Nahnee, which Eloise adopts for the duration. She also learns a new, all-purpose French phrase right away which means many things, like "Never mind" and "You're welcome" and "Forget it!"

"Pas de que!'"

Every morning Eloise leans from the balcon to greet the Seine. She learns also that there is beaucoup de traffic. And she learns that you cawn't get a proper cup of tea in Paris.

"They simply do not boil the water!"

But there is cafe' latte, and champagne with peaches in it, the Louvre, les croissants, the Eiffel Tower, la tarte mirabelle, Notre Dame, and Dior's, (where Eloise gets a personal fitting overseen by Christian himself) and dinner at l'Escargot.

"J'aime beaucoup Paris!"

But... Eloise admits ...

"Oh, I absolutely miss the Ritz"

It's a whirlwind tour of la belle Paris, for Eloise and Nanny, seeing all the sights and hitting all the famous sites, before they fly back to New York, in the new edition of Kay Thompson's Eloise in Paris (Simon and Schuster, 2020 ed.) complete with Hilary Knight's timeless illustrations of the illustrious Eloise. These recent new editions bring back the original spoiled little rich girl for proper introduction to a new generation of young readers. For more of the pampered Eloise, see the new edition of Eloise Takes a Bawth (read review here)

Thomas The Tank Engine On the Case! Risky Rails (Thomas & Friends by Britt Allcraft

When Blondin Bridge suddenly collapses, poor Paxton is half-buried in rubble. Sir Topham Hatt dispatches Thomas in to take his friend's place.

"I LIKE WORKING WITH MY NARROW GAUGE FRIENDS," TOOTLES THOMAS.

Thomas is met with whistles of welcome and smiles from all the other hard-working engines--except for one.

A little green engine dodges into a tunnel every time Thomas gets near. Skarlooey explains that little Luke did something very bad and is afraid of being sent away from Sodor in disgrace.

"DON'T WORRY, LUKE," THOMAS SAID. I'LL FIND A WAY TO HELP YOU!"

It's Detective Thomas on the case. He interrogates Luke first, who reports that when he was being lifted from the delivery barge, he bumped a yellow locomotive who fell into the sea.

"AN IDEA FLEW INTO THOMAS' FUNNEL!"

But Paxton is eavesdropping on the conversation between Thomas and Luke and chugs at full speed to tell Diesel and Sir Topham Hatt, who declares that Luke must be deported from Sodor.

But there is overlooked evidence to be uncovered, and Detective Thomas discovers a clue that exculpates little Luke, in Britt Alcraft's new story, Risky Rails! (Thomas And Friends) (Pictureback(R)) (Random House), in a surprise ending that young fans of Thomas the Tank Engine will enjoy. For this spinoff of the DVD series, artist Tommy Stubbs provides detailed workplace illustrations which make this book absorbing to young train fans in this adaptation from the movie Blue Mountain Mystery.

Ties That Bind: Just Like a Mama by Alice Fay Duncan

Mommy and Daddy live miles away. I wish we lived together. Maybe one day.... I live with Mama Rose now. She's just like a mama to me.

Mama Rose combs the tangles out of her hair and buttons her up in her winter coat, and waves to her as she goes off to school.

"I love you, Lady Bug!"

Mama Rose gives her a watch for her fifth birthday and teaches her how to tell time. She shows her how to make her bed and how to dribble a basketball.

And when she is six, Mama Rose gives her a yellow bike so they can ride through the park together and see the birds.

She tells me, "One day, child, you will spread your wings and fly!"

And like a mama, Mama Rose makes her do her chores, marching her back upstairs to make her bed and put her clothes away. Like a mama, Mama Rose makes her eat her veggies before she gets a piece of chocolate cake.

"Carol Olivia Clementine! Peas are good for you!"

And when Carol Olivia Clementine does well, Mama Rose tells her...

"SUPER JOB!"

Mama Rose is just like a mama to me.

In her new book, Just Like a Mama (Simon and Schuster, 2020), author Alice Fay Duncan celebrates what she calls "fictive kin," those people who are in loco parentis, taking the place of mothers and fathers to children to offer love and nurture and guidance when their natural parents cannot. Illustrator Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, granddaughter of Caldecott artist Jerry Pinkney, adds gentle, warm, and affectionate illustrations which show the love between Carol Olivia Clementine and her Mama Rose. Kirkus Review adds, "A beautiful story of love and kinship, so needed for the many children living apart from their nuclear families."

Light, Shine on Me! Dark Was the Night by Gary Golio

AD ASTRA!

Outside of jazz and blues devotees, few know about Blind Willie Johnson.

In the 1920s he sang on street corners all over the South with a tin cup tied to the neck of his guitar, but his records outsold the legendary blues singer Bessie Smith. He pioneered the use of a pocketknife slide for his guitar, and his songs were later covered by rock luminaries like Led Zeppelin, John Sebastian, and Eric Clapton.

And somewhere, out in the deep dark of space, the Voyager spacecraft, ambassador of Earth, carries a golden record representing our planet's sights and sounds, and there--along with Beethoven, Louis Armstrong, and Chuck Berry--there is Willie Johnson's song.

So how does a blind boy get along?

How does he make his way in the world?

Willie Johnson's mother died when he was four years old and he lost his sight a few years later. But he loved to sing, so his father made him a cigar box guitar, and he learned to accompany himself well enough to play at his church. Soon he taught a real guitar to sing along, even inventing a slide technique with a penknife blade that made his instrument sing in harmony with him. When he was grown, he traveled the Southeast, from his home in east Texas to Georgia, singing gospel songs in churches and blues on street corners and any place he could be heard.

And then in the 1920s he was heard by a music company rep and taken to a recording studio to make records. Willie sang into a microphone and the sounds were cut into wax and pressed into shellac. His records sold well. People loved them and they were heard all over the country through the new medium of radio.

"Nothing like it anywhere else!" they said.

But times got hard after 1929. Fewer people could afford records. Willie Johnson still sang on the radio and on street corners and in the churches for small change, but the life of a blind black man, alone in the dark, can be hard and short. But his music has not been lost, not to modern listeners, and not unsung in space and time.

"Dark is the night,
But my burden will be light ..."

And in Gary Golio's latest book about American musicians, Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars (Nancy Paulsen Books/Random House, 2020), we know his music now sings among the stars. In a simple melodic narration, Golio's story touches the heart. The exquisite realistic but muted illustrations of the notable artist E. B. Lewis are in perfect harmony with Golio's strong and simple text, deftly set in a lovely book design by Suki Boynton. The author also adds an appendix with bibliography and a link for young readers to explore the content of Voyager I's Golden Record.

Gary Golio is also the author of such notable musicians' biographies for young readers as Bird and Diz, Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix, When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan, Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song, and Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey, (see reviews here). Notable illustrator E. B. Lewis won his Caldecott Award for Coming on Home Soon (Caldecott Honor Book) by Jacqueline Woodson.

The What's Missing Mystery: I Lost Something by Beth Johnson

The kids are just arriving at school, struggling out of their bulky winter jackets and boots. Emily stands in the middle of the group, looking a bit wistful.

"I LOST SOMETHING." SHE SAYS.

Her teacher Mrs. Hill looks concerned. The others do, too. Kendra asks Emily if she lost her hat. But Emily says no.

Victor wonders if she's lost her scarf. Jasmin asks if she's missing a glove. Emily shakes her head to both. Nope.

Her boots? The others giggle at Derek's joke, as they imagine Emily walking in the snow in bare feet!

Well, WHAT? Everyone is mystified. What did she lose?

"I LOST MY TOOTH!"

Emily smiles her new gap-toothed smile, and everyone laughs at her trick.

Missing teeth are both commonplace and yet exciting in first grade, and Emily has a little fun with her classmates before the big reveal, in Beth Johnson's early first-grade reader, I Lost Something, in King Press' The King School Series - First Grade Collection (60 books) (Townsend Press). With a bit of a mystery and a word count of 74, this Level 4 early first-grader primer has a lot to recommend it. It's an all-too-common scenario for primary grade readers, and artist Mark Weber portrays the diverse students in Mrs. Hill's class with a variety of sympathetic expressions, while his illustrations provide visual cues for the words for items of dress included in the text.

Two By Two! At the Zoo by Beth Johnson

"Let's go to the zoo!" said Mrs. Hall.

Her group of first graders is eager to go. The school bus, with a sign saying To The Zoo, is ready to load.

At the gate to the zoo, Mrs. Hall gives them the plan for the day. She warns them not to go anywhere alone.

"Stay with your buddy!"

Together the kids move into the avian display, where Jasmin and Kendra do a good job of staying together. At the elephant compound Derek and Victor notice that the elephants are staying together as a baby elephant gets a shower bath from the trunks of two adult elephants. At the big cats exhibit, the kids spot a family of lions hanging out together. They move on to another exhibit.

"Look! Monkeys are not alone!" said Mrs. Hall.

Two monkeys wave from a branch at the kids. Everywhere they see animals two by two and three by three or  even more staying together.

And nobody gets lost on this field trip to the zoo, in Beth Johnson's At the Zoo, an early first-grade reader from the set The King School Series - First Grade Collection (60 books) (Townsend Press),

With an easy-going word count of 64 and plenty of visual cues among the drawings by Mark Weber, a diverse group of first graders take one of those "can't-miss" field trips in early childhood education. Books in the King School Series feature both Kindergarten and primary grade pre-reading and early reading primers for emergent readers. Good for classroom prep for a field trip, and for children whose classes are on-line, this book gives them an idea of what a zoo field trip is all about.

Odd Cat Couple! It's Me! (Catwad) by Jim Benton

Catwad looks like a cranky cat.

He may not really be cranky, but we'll never know--as long as he's stuck with his dumb companion Blurmp. Not just the usual slowcoach, your everyday dense and dumb dolt, mind you. Blurmp is a boneheaded blockhead. But Blurmp has his good qualities, too.

Here's a sample:

"I'M A CRIMEFIGHTING HERO NOW!" SAYS BLURMP.

"OKAY," CHALLENGES CATWAD. "LET'S HEAR YOUR ORIGIN STORY!"

Blurmp tells Catwad that he considered being one of those inscrutable-heroes-with-a-past, those Angry Heroes of the Night. But he has to go to bed too early for that.

He considered being the type of hero who gets his super powers from the bite of an irradiated insect, but he worries that the bug might have spent too much time in proximity to dog poo.

He was tempted to be one of those heroes who grows huge and powerful whenever he's in a bad temper.

"BUT GETTING BIG AND STRONG WOULD MAKE ME SO HAPPY THAT I WOULD JUST SHRINK AGAIN!" SAID BLURMP.

So Catwad questions Blurmp about the scope of his superhero powers.

"WELL," SAID BLURMP, "WHENEVER I SEE A CRIMINAL GETTING READY TO STEAL SOMETHING... I JUST GO AHEAD AND BUY IT FOR HIM!

THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT CRIME IS TO MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS!"
Catwad has no comeback to counter that kind of logic!

But finally Catwad comes up with a way to at least keep Blurmp quiet:

"HEY, CATWAD. LET'S PLAY TRUTH OR DARE!"

"OKAY," SAYS CATWAD. "TRUTH OR DARE?"

"DARE!"" SHOUTS BLURMP!

With a wicked grin, Catwad executes his clever plan.

"I DARE YOU TO STOP PLAYING AND NEVER BRING IT UP AGAIN," SAID CATWAD.

Blurmp sits silently, snickering to himself. Days and weeks and years pass....

"OH, MY GOSH, I'M WINNING." HE THINKS GLEEFULLY....

"I'M STILL WINNING...."

But thanks to Jim Benton, the New York Times best-selling cartoonist has plenty more graphic comic books like It's Me. (Catwad 1)(Scholastic Books, 2019), spoofing this star-crossed couple, with the crotchety Catwad and his quirky companion playing the perfect straight man and noodle-head character. This one offers perfect comic relief that will appeal to the fans of Dav Pilkey's The Adventures of Captain Underpants and its sequels.

Backyard BASH! Stick Dog Gets the Tacos by Tom Watson

Stick Dog was downhearted. As a free-living mutt, each day is a challenge in finding food to fill his stomach and the bottomless tummies of his followers, Karen, Mutt, Poo Poo, and Stripes. His buddies are not the brightest doggie treats in the box. So Stick has to be the brains of the bunch.

But today his haul has been zilch, and he has returned to his drainage pipe under Route 16 to console himself with a nap. He has just enjoyed twenty-seven seconds of shuteye when he is abruptly awakened by Karen, the freakout queen dachshund. Karen has just seen something dreadful--so awful that she forgot it on the way to fetch Stick. Kindly Stick patiently draws it out of her.

Her body began to shiver. "It was terrible. It was in that backyard. Two small humans were hitting .. a... a... a... DOG!"

CODE RED! Stick rouses Mutt, Poo Poo, and Stripes and leads his rescue dogs to the scene of the crime, with little Karen lagging behind on her short legs.

But when Stick arrives at the scene, things are not exactly as represented.

"Did she say the dog was in a tree?" panted Mutt. "Can dogs climb trees?"

Stick Dog's experienced glance takes in the truth of the scene quickly. The "dog" is not a dog. It is a papier-mache' unicorn pinata hanging from a tree limb, and the two kids are swinging their sticks wildly, unable to hit their target.

The disappointed pack prepares to head for home, but Stick quickly determines that the setup in this backyard has some serious food possibilities. A man and woman bring out napkins and paper plates and a big bowl covered with foil to a picnic table. When the woman goes back inside, the man stealthily raises the foil and fishes out a big gob of gooey green stuff on his finger. He licks his finger clean, eyes closed in pleasure.

"That's really good guacamole," says the man.

There's more talk between the man and woman about corn chips and take-out tacos on the way. The dogs are already on good terms with chips and tacos, and, hey! How bad can guacamole be!

The man and woman urge the kids around to the side of the house to play a game of badminton, and after convincing Karen that the kids are not hitting real birdies, Stick and Co. manage to fill their empty stomachs with the people's picnic while they play their game. Stick even figures out that the dangling unicorn pinata must contain some sort of quite delectable dessert, well worth trying to get down from the tree.

Can Stick come up with a way to get that pinata down and make their getaway before the badminton game ends?

It's another laugh-out-loud romp with Stick Dog and his crew of dim-witted but willing canines, in Tom Watson's Stick Dog Gets the Tacos (Harper, 2019). Watson's series is truly hilarious for middle readers who love graphic comic heroes like The Adventures of Captain Underpants and Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties: From the Creator of Captain Underpants (Dog Man 3) and author-illustrator Tom Watson's companion books to the Stick Dog series, Stick Cat: Two Cats to the Rescue.Ilustrator Watson, who honed his comic skills as a politician's speech writer, even throws in a free drawing lesson on how to create Stick Dog and his cronies to encourage some artistic comic storytelling among his fans.

Go With the Flow! Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home by Michelle Mulder

Imagine if you turned on a faucet and nothing came out. What if there was water but it contained substances that would make you sick or even kill you?

What would you do for a drink of water?

On a continent blessed with water, it is easy to give that resource little attention. Streams, rivers, and lakes filled with it, fog and clouds heavy with it in the atmosphere, stored as ice and snow, we have water in abundance, water to waste.

Or do we?

In Michelle Mulder's fascinating Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home (Orca Footprints)(Orca Books), author Mulder tells young readers that the water we have is only what the earth has always had, even back when dinosaurs were the biggest consumers, and we're drinking the same water they did. And what we know about using water goes way back to ancient times when our ancestors invented cisterns and reservoirs, irrigation, aqueducts, and filtering pots, and in the case of the Minoans of 3600 years ago, flush toilets, and the vast, underground and cathedral-like reservoirs in Turkey 1600 years ago. Still, because of population growth, industry, and climate changes, we are also being seriously forced to tap the reservoir of human water management wisdom to provide enough water for drinking, farming, and other uses now, so that, as she puts it, we can continue riding our water cycle right into the future.

Author Michelle Mulder's book is filled with lively color photos from all over the world, diagrams, informational sidebars, and fascinating factoids (e.g., Canada has twenty percent of the world's water, and in some places children's see-saws pump underground water into their system), and manages to sound the alarms for future water shortages while teaching conservation techniques to middle readers in every chapter. Great for conservation science and student research writing, this one is chock full of information that will have kids eschewing their plastic water bottles and giving a glass of clean water its due respect. Says Booklist"... startling water facts, and color photos of children collecting and conserving water around the world make this high-interest reading,"

Fair Trade! The Market Bowl by Jim Everbeck

Mama Cecile sang to Yoyo, teaching her to make bitterleaf stew.

It's a tiresome process, chopping the bitterleaf very fine, grinding the pumpkin seeds, chopping and adding all the other ingredients in order, and stirring and simmering the stew until it is just right.

But Yoyo bragged that she could make her own, not bothering with all the chopping, grinding, measuring, and stirring while it cooked.

Mama Cecile takes one look at Yoyo's lumpy, gooey stew and chastises her for being so lazy.

"Better leave that for the goats!" she tells her daughter.

Loading up her pot of stew to sell in the market, Mama Cecile reminds Yoyo that she must always bless her food and never refuse a fair offering price, or the grumpy god Brother Coin will see to it that no coins will every make their way into their market bowl again.

Yoyo pays little attention to Mama, sneaking her strange-looking stew into their wagon as they head for the market town.

In the marketplace, Mama Cecile's excellent stew sells out quickly for the going price of 50-50, and the coins collect in her bowl with her blessing. But as Mama packs up, Yoyo sees another hungry customer approaching. She pulls out her sorry-looking stew and offers to sell it to him for the regular price.

"I give you 10-10." says the buyer.""An insult! says Yoyo firmly. "50-50."

A rumble of thunder rolls across the sky.

And from that day on, Mama Cecile brought home a full pot of her unsold bitterleaf stew. There were no coins for the market bowl. Mama Cecile did not know how they were going to live.

Only the goats were happy.

But Yoyo had a plan. She carefully made a pot of bitterleaf stew fit for a god, following Mama Cecile's directions this time, and took her mother's market bowl and the stew to the marketplace, determined to find Brother Coin. She located him inside a dark and scary cave and set the fragrant stew outside the door.

A divine belly rumbled.

Entering, Yoyo spoke bravely,

"I offer this humble dish to your magnificent spirit!"

"Bitterleaf stew!" said Brother Coin, smacking his lips.

"Bless this dish!" he muttered.

And as the greedy god downed the whole dish, Yoyo snatches back her mother market bowl, now blessed, and to this day Mama Cecile's market bowl is always filled with coins and her cookpot goes home empty... sold out...

... At a fair price.

And, presumably, only the goats are unhappy, in this traditional trickster tale from Cameroon in Africa, Jim Everbeck's The Market Bowl (Charlesbridge, 2020), which has a clever girl and a lesson in fair trade to boot, along with colorfully costumed characters in his mixed-media illustrations. A recipe for ndolo, a map of Africa, and a brief description of Cameroon is appended, with further downloadable information for classroom social studies units.

Vamonos! Next Stop: Mexico by Ginger McDonnell

Bienvenido a Mexico! Welcome to Mexico! Everywhere you go, there is something new to see.

And there are many familiar things to see as well. Like the United States, Canada on our northern border, and Mexico, on our southern border, all three countries are part of the continent of North America. All three nations share many things in common: a tall range of mountains which we call the Rockies, extend down their middle, forming the "backbone" of all the three countries. All have long, rocky and sandy coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, all three three have tall forests and dry central plains between their coasts, and many familiar wild animals--coyotes, black bears, pumas (mountain lions) live and roam and back and forth over all three countries. But being further south, the climate is warmer in Mexico

Some plants and animals are different.

There are even pyramids there!

Yes, unlike the Native Americans of Canada and the United States, those of Mexico left vast cities built from stone, with wide avenues, houses, temples, palaces, lakes, canals, and tall pyramids--tombs for their rulers like those of Egypt, all sights that attract millions of tourists to visit Mexico.

In one of a first introduction to the countries of North America, Ginger McDonnell's Teacher Created Materials - TIME For Kids Informational Text: Next Stop: Mexico - Grade 2 - Guided Reading Level J (Teacher-Created Materials/Time for Kids) provides primary-level text and many color photos of the sights of Mexico, from tall saguaro cactuses to the skyscrapers of the capital, Mexico City,  of the country which calls itself Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, the United Mexican States. As an introductory book for nonfiction readers in the primary grades, McDonnell includes a photo glossary of terms and a chart of Facts about Mexico, handy for simple research projects for the early grades.

 Pair this one with its companion book, Next Stop: Canada (TIME FOR KIDS® Nonfiction Readers).

A Friend in Need! Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup by Cynthia Rylant

Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby lived in an old house with lots of old things. Mr. Putter and Tabby didn't mind old things. They were old, too. Mr. Putter was very attached to his stove, one of the oldest things in the house. He called her Bessie.

Usually when Mr. Putter wanted to make soup, he found that he was missing an important ingredient. But one day when he and Tabby wanted soup for supper, Mr. Putter found that he had everything he needed. He peeled and chopped it all--onions, carrots, potatoes, and celery. He dropped everything into a big pot of water.

Mr. Potter turned on the stove. But nothing happened.

Oh, no! Bessie is on the blink.

Mr. Potter looked at the house next door. Mr. Teaberry and her good dog Zeke lived there. And they had a stove.

He called Mrs. Teaberry, who said she was going to be out for a while, but Mr. Putter and Tabby were very welcome to come over and cook their soup on her stove.

"I hope Zeke won't be a bother!" she said.

"Zeke is never a bother," said Mr. Putter.

But Zeke was a bother.

First he appeared with his leash in his mouth, and Mr. Putter had to tell him that he couldn't take him for a walk. But then Zeke brought Mr. Potter his ball and then his fetching stick--and then a houseplant. Mr. Putter had to put the plant in the bathtub. Next Zeke appeared with a radio and even the floor lamp.

It was a very busy morning. Mr. Putter and Tabby were worn out and had to lie down on the couch for a rest.

When Mrs. Teaberry returned, she found Mr. Potter and Tabby sleeping soundly on the sofa. Zeke was on the floor, gnawing on a raw carrot. Everything looked ... different.

Her house was missing things.

There was a lamp in the sink.

And Mrs. Teaberry found the rest of the missing things in the bathtub.

"Were you a bother?" she asked Zeke. Zeke wagged his tail.

But while the rest of them nap, Mr. Teaberry stirred up some raisin bread and cheese toasties, and everyone had Mr. Potter's delicious soup for supper. All's well that ends with a tasty meal with friends. But Mr. Putter seems to still be missing his hat, in Cynthia Rylant's Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), another delightful tale of pets and friendship in Rylant's beloved heartwarming series. As always, the gently humorous artwork of Arthur Howard adds the comic details delightfully with his cleverly sketched sight gags. An easy beginning read and a knockout read-aloud story for groups in a series in which old is always good.

Dress Up Time! Brownie and Pearl Get Dolled Up by Cynthia Rylant

It's not quite bedtime and Brownie and Pearl get an idea!

Let's play dress up! Brownie looks around her room for inspiration.

"WHAT SHALL WE WEAR?"

Her dresser drawers are open, with an intriguing pink feather boa trailing out. I'll have that! Brownie thinks, tossing it fetchingly over her shoulders. Pearl picks a pearl necklace for herself, and plays with the trailing ends of the boa.

"THIS IS FUN!"

But Brownie is not done! Should she try a little face powder? Or perhaps a lot?

And how about a powdery Pearl? Why not!

And then there's lipstick! What are the possibilities? Brownie ponders the wisdom of trying to put lipstick on Pearl. She settles on her own lips only

"GLITTER?"

Of course! Brownie has a glitter shower. Her kitty gets the glittery treatment, too!

Now for the BIG QUESTION: HAIR! Brownie brushes her locks until they shine.

But Brownie is not done. She grabs the atomizer and gives herself and Pearl a big spritz of arome de rose. In a cloud of parfum and her mother's shoes, Brownie and Pearl are ... ready for THE BIG REVEAL!

Her room is a mess, but her patient parents declare the dress-up spree a big success, in Cynthia Rylant's Brownie and Pearl Get Dolled Up (Beach Lane Books/Simon Spotlight).  Mom and Dad celebrate their dolled-up daughter and cat and ease them into bedtime in this delightful dress-up time story. Artist Brian Biggs adds all the droll details with his charmant illustrations that extend the text with touches of plentiful pink in this easy-reading story of jolly, girly fun.

Party of One? Scaredy Squirrel Has A Birthday Party by Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel has a problem. He's afraid of almost everyone and most things----CONFETTI and CLOWNFISH, PONIES AND PORCUPINES, ANTS, and of course, BIGFOOT! And especially birthday parties.

Not birthday cake, of course.

But Scaredy Squirrel wants a birthday party, with cake!

Scaredy Squirrel decides to do his own birthday party of one. But first, he has to do due diligence--examine his exact birth data, get his tuxedo dry-cleaned, research the perfect birthday cake, build up his breathing to blow up birthday balloons, mail an invitation to himself only--all the essentials. But as he goes to mail himself the invitation, he finds a birthday card in his mailbox.

ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE BLUE. I JUST HAD TO BE THE FIRST
TO WISH A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Sincerely, Buddy

Awww! So sweet! Scaredy screws his courage up the the sticking point and mails his invitation to Buddy!

But inviting a guest is one risky move!

Still, Scaredy tries to prepare for every eventuality. He baits his casting rod with a carrot to divert ponies. He puts up a tent to shelter from falling confetti. He sets up perimeter surveillance for any roaming Big Foots. He puts on goggles and earmuffs in case a Porcupine pierces the perimeter and pops the balloons. He makes a list of party faux pas to avoid. He comes up with a list of acceptable conversational gambits.

Scaredy Squirrel is as ready as he'll ever be!

SURPRISE! PARTY ANIMALS APPEAR.

Scaredy can't handle an unplanned event!

Scaredy Squirrel panics... and plays dead.

But two hours later, when he recovers, Scaredy finds everything in perfect order, with Buddy Dog dishing out slices of delicious nut cake to a polite circle of puppies.

All is well and Scaredy Squirrel's first birthday party is a splendid success, in Melanie Watt's story of a successful shindig, Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party (Kids Can Press). Scaredy is a super stand-in for the worrywarts among us, which says that planning is always a good thing, but is never perfect, and that surprises can be a good thing as well. For Watts' first book about her quirky character, check out her Scaredy Squirrel and its nervous sequels! (See review here.)