Barnyard Revolution! Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell

THERE WAS ONCE A DUCK WHO HAD THE BAD LUCK TO LIVE WITH A LAZY OLD FARMER.

THE DUCK DID THE WORK. THE FARMER STAYED IN BED.

While the blubbery farmer lounges, enjoying a breakfast tray brought by Duck, reading newspapers and eating chocolates all day, the duck must do all the farmwork. He watches the cow in the pasture, bringing her back at night to the barn, and, giving her some grain, milks her faithfully. He brings the sheep back to the barn at night, carrying the wayward ones on his back. He feeds and  hustles the hens off to their coop at night.

Duck digs the garden, climbs up a ladder to pick apples in the orchard, saws the wood, and aproned appropriately, cooks the meals and irons in the kitchen. The farmer only bestirs himself occasionally to yell out his bedroom window.

"HOW GOES THE WORK?"

"QUACK!"

ANSWERS THE DUCK.

At last Duck can carry on alone no more.

DUCK IS SLEEPY AND WEEPY AND TIRED.

The barnyard animals come together. Poor Duck! Upset, they call a meeting and make a PLAN.

And just before dawn they creep quietly out of the barn and sneak across the barnyard and through the kitchen door.

THEY CREAKED UP THE STAIRS AND STOLE DOWN THE HALL.

With the help of the hens, even the cow scoots beneath the sleeping farmer's bed. They begin to shake and rock and rattle the bed, and the farmer awakes to face the rebels in full force.

HE FLED WITH THE COW AND SHEEP AND HENS MOOING, AND CLUCKING AND BAAING AROUND HIM...

AND HE NEVER CAME BACK.

It's justice restored with the barnyard revolt, after which all the animals share the work and the rewards on their farm, in Martin Waddell's beloved classic in reissue, Farmer Duck (Candlewick Press.) With its theme that everyone should pull his weight in this world, Waddell's text, simple and yet so timely, has not lost its punch, and the beloved artist, Helen Oxenbury's rustic illustrations are as lovely and evocative as ever. A picture book that no child should miss.

Making Friends: Snow Friends by Margery Cuyler

It's very early. Everyone in the house is still asleep.... except for Oscar the dog. Oscar smells something different in the air.

SNOW, SNOW, AND MORE SNOW!

Oscar races upstairs with his leash in his mouth to wake his boy Matt, who's awake and cozily reading a book in bed, not ready to go out yet. He pads downstairs barefoot and lets Oscar outside to romp in the snow in the yard for a while. But there's one thing Matt doesn't notice.

THE GATE WAS OPEN!

Oscar is only too happy to take himself for a walk. He spots a rabbit and chases him through the woods until he comes to an icy pond, where he spots a girl walking her dog, Daisy. The girl throws a green ball as far as she can and Oscar and his new friend chase the ball and romp in the snow.

Meanwhile, back home Matt is up and padding downstairs barefoot to let Oscar back in. But Oscar is nowhere in sight. And then Matt sees the open gate.

UH OH!

Matt suits up for the snow and follows the footprints Oscar has left, through the woods and down to the pond where he meets... Oscar and Daisy playing on the ice and a girl coming over the hill.

"THAT'S MY BOY!" barked Oscar.

"THAT'S MY GIRL!" woofed Daisy.

There's a snowday reunion for old friends and their new friends and much snow fun ahead in veteran author, Margery Cuyler's latest picture book, Snow Friends (Henry Holt and Company, 2020). It's a happy surprise meeting for the four of them, portrayed with great warmth and charm by the talented illustrator Will Hillenbrand. This snow story, with just a touch of fantasy, combines snow day fun, new friendships, and a cozy and happy ending for the unexpected friends in a joyful coming together. Says Kirkus Reviews, "There is an infectious exuberance underlying the story . . . A joyous, wintry read."

Stowaway Sister: B Is For Baby by Atinuke

B IS FOR BABY.

An endearing baby girl is the star of the story. Mama does up her baby's do, putting in the last BEAD, while BABY plays with the lid of a BASKET.

B IS FOR BROTHER.

Baby's big brother boogies to the music on his earphones as he packs a bunch of BANANAS into a BASKET. But while he practices his best moves, BABY wants a BANANA for BREAKFAST and crawls into the BASKET and stows away under the lid of the BASKET. Brother struggles to get the strangely heavy BASKET on the back of his BYCYCLE, while BABY giggles silently. But BROTHER is feeling big as he pedals down the road to take the BANANAS to his Grandfather BABA. The day is BEAUTIFUL, with a BAOBAB tree full of BIRDS and fluttering BUTTERFLIES. But the road to BABA'S BUNGALOW has its obstacles.

B IS FOR BUMPY!!

And there are BABOONS, one of which snatches the lid off the BASKET and swipes a BANANA! From her bed in the basket BABY begins to hand out BANANAS to the BABY BABOONS as they pass under their tree and the BOYS on the school BUS as they ride by. Over a BRIDGE and by the blossoms of BOUGANVILLEA, BROTHER finally arrives at BABA'S BUNGALOW with the gift for his grandfather. It's a surprise--with a BABY among the BANANAS in the BASKET, which calls for a snack from BABA for the two intrepid travelers.

B IS FOR BISCUITS.

And then it's BACK TO MAMA FOR BABY!

It's a BIG day for the letter B, in Atinuke's B is for Baby (Candlewick, 2019), a boisterous and endearing alphabet book which features a lively cast of characters and an adventurous and adorable baby sister who provides the plot for this lively story. The text is very much buoyed by the charming, bright, and beautiful illustrations provided by Angela Brooksbank. "...A charmer!" says Booklist.

There Goes The Neighborhood! The Belonging Tree by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

LIFE WAS FINE AND DANDY IN THE BIG OAK TREE ON FOREST LANE. SQUIRRELS LIVED UP, SQUIRRELS LIVE DOWN.

AND IN THE MIDDLE LIVED THE GRAY SQUIRREL FAMILY--PA, MA, AND LITTLE ZEKE....>UNTIL SUMMER ARRIVED AND A FAMILY OF BIRDS MOVED IN.

"THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD!" GROUCHED PA.

The jay birds' raucus squawks drove Ma and Pa crazy, but little Zeke liked their weird songs. Pa sound-proofed their hole with moss, ranting that the Jays didn't belong there.

And it only got worse in the fall, when the Chipmunk family moved in downstairs.

"CHIPMUNKS STEAL ACORNS!" HUFFED PA. "THEY HAVE LOTS OF CRYING BABIES!" ADDED MA.

Ma and Pa squirreled away all their acorns up in the attic, and when autumn set in, the Jay Birds flew south and the Chipmunks began to hibernate. At last the Squirrel family had their tree to themselves. Ma and Pa were happy, but to tell the truth, Zeke missed the cute Chipmunk babies, and he was bored.

But then.... spring came and the Jays and the Chipmunks were back-- as noisy as ever. And even worse, the Beavers move in.

"THEY DESTROY EVERYTHING! EVEN OAK TREES!" ROARED PA.

Pa and Ma have had it. They load up and move across the river into an old maple tree with lots of hollows and quite a few squirrels. Mama points out that Zeke can find lots of nice squirrel friends there. That is all well and good, but Zeke misses his oak tree neighbors, so one evening he slips out and goes across the river to visit.

Suddenly a wild storm comes up and blows down the maple tree. Ma and Pa land in the river, calling for help!

And suddenly their old neighbors come to the rescue. The Blue Jays mount a mission, flying Ma and Pa out of the river, the Beavers quickly come to their aid with one of their quicky constructions, and the Chipmunk family welcome them with hot acorn soup and warm beds of dry leaves. Life's better when everyone works together. Now the Squirrels know who is their neighbor. Soon the Squirrels move back to the safety of the sturdy oak tree, and life is fine and dandy for all--

THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed" is the powerful theme of Maryann Cocca-Lefler's new The Belonging Tree (Henry Holt and Company, 2020), a parable of true neighborliness that is more than a story of cute animals, one that appeals to one of the better angels of human nature, the urge to help each other. Artist Kristine Lombard's lovely illustrations of forest scenes and humorous animal families make this one a great read aloud for youngsters just learning to work together. With essential themes woven into a charming story, this is a recommended general purchase," says School Library Journal

Signs of Spring! My Spring Robin by Anne Rockwell

When is spring?

It depends. For some it's the first crocus in January. For some it's tearing off that January calendar page. Depending on where you live, it's the first tufts of green grass peeping out of the melting snow, or planting peas, or the first green daffodil shoot piercing the brown, wet leaves. For some it's switching to a lighter jacket and stowing the mittens away. For some it's blooming dogwoods or redbuds or magnolia trees.

But for some, all those preliminaries are not THE sign of spring.

EVERY DAY LAST SUMMER, A ROBIN SANG FOR ME. I LIKED THAT ROBIN.

BUT IN THE FALL, MY ROBIN FLEW AWAY.

The girl waits expectantly for her robin to return and make this a real spring. She sees the first bee, and the first crocuses. She sees the forsythia bush burst into little yellow blooms, a tiny baby frog in a bunch of daffodils, some fiddlehead ferns unfurling, a fat worm squirming, and a cat napping in the warm sun. She picks a bouquet of violets for her mom. But...

I DIDN'T SEE MY ROBIN.

But then, she hears a familiar song....

CHEER UP, CHERILEE!

And now, it's beginning to look a lot like spring in Anne Rockwell's classic seasonal picture book, My Spring Robin, filled with those "signs of spring" beloved of primary teachers and (admit it!) all of us. Whether spring begins for you in February or May, whatever your favorite sign, the one that makes you believe that winter is at last really pastis, it is a big day! For me, it's a row of those daffodils in the sun, "tossing their heads in sprightly dance," and for some it's the clever robin who times his or her return just right to miss the last freezing night. With illustrations by her family, Harlow and Lizzie Rockwell, this one has most of the signs kids count up in either the text or in the illustrations of the girl's parents doing "spring things." Share this one with Caldecott-winner Kevin Henkes' When Spring Comes. (See my review here.)

All in a Day's Work! Big Rig Rescue by Chris Gall

THERE'S A STORM BREWING AND A WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY.<

Who are you gonna call? Big Orange Wrecker!

Big Orange Wrecker has the right stuff--14 wheels, a boom, hooks, and a winch, plus a burly operator!

But when the Big Orange Wrecker arrives, the scene is dire.

...A BIG OL' SEMI ON ITS SIDE.

ROLLOVER!

It's even worse than it looked at first. The payload is scap metal, now strewn across the scene. The driver is not injured, but the fuel is leaking all over the road. Big Orange Wrecker's operator has to call a tanker truck to drain the diesel tank, and pull out his chains, straps, the snatch block, and the metal-cutting rescue saw to get the semi loose from the guard rail.

ZEEEEEEEEENNNNGGG! And that's not all!

By the time Big Orange Wrecker rolls away from the scene, he also has to pump up the giant airbags to raise the truck partway from its side and attach hooks and cables to winch the semi's trailer up, and when that fails, he has to call for more help--Big Blue Rescue, with more equipment to get the heavy trailer righted on the road and finally lifted on an new tractor-trailer rig's flat bed and secured for the haul-away. At last Big Orange Wrecker is on his way. He's done a good day's work, all right. But what's that ahead on the highway???

BLACK ICE???

At least Big Orange Wrecker knows the right guys to call for help, in Chris Gall's heavy-duty road rescue story, Big Rig Rescue! (Norton Young Readers, 2021). Author-illustrator Gall gets right down to the nitty-gritty of trucking equipment and is one solid heavyweight creator of big equipment stories for young readers. His illustrations are graphic and yet appealing and his text achieves serious dramatic excitement amidst the danger of the roadway rescue corps. Writes Publishers Weekly's reviewer, "Gall’s storytelling is as muscular as the rigs he celebrates: precisionist-style renderings continually move around and over the scene to satisfy the curiosity of truck aficionados, while detail-rich, matter-of-fact prose honors their enthusiasm and knowledge."

For more of Chris Gall's BIG stories for youngsters, see my reviews here.

Un-BEAR-able! Louis by Tom Lichtenheld

The lot of a much-loved Teddy bear is not an easy one.

Take Louis, for example.

FROM DAY 1,

THINGS HAVE GONE DOWNHILL.

Right out of the birthday box, Louis has suffered indignities at the hands of his boy. He's been used to blow a runny nose, force-fed to a toothy dinosaur toy, buried alive in the sandbox, tossed into a swishy washing machine and hung out to dry by his ears. He's been nibbled by a pugnacious puppy, sewn up without benefit of medication, sent through airport X-Ray, and most ignoble of all... left behind on the seat of a city bus.

I CAN BEAR IT NO LONGER.

One more chokehold from that kid, and Louis is checking outta there!

But Louis has to make plans before he makes a move. Makes no sense to run away while it's raining, Louis rationalizes, as his boy carries him carefully under a big umbrella. He can't leave until Little Sister is done needing him as a guest of honor for her tea party--and anyway, those cupcakes will provide energy for the big getaway. But as soon as he's done starring as Exhibit One in a show-and-tell drama about the time he was left on the bus.... he's gonna be outathere!

That night, as his boy puts on his PJs for bedtime, Louis is ready to make his move....

I'M MAKING LIKE A TREE AND LEAVING!

Or not! It could always be worse. After all, the boy needs him to snuggle to sleep in bed, and, in the notable Tom Lichtenheld's latest, Louis (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020), the sometimes ill-treated LOUIS joins all those jolly but headstrong toy bears of children's literature, from Winnie the Pooh to Paddington to Corduroy, and kids will doubtless want to read more of this endearing character. Lichtenheld is responsible for having a hand in some of the most witty and beloved picture books of the last decade as author and/or artist, and in this effort his storytelling is perfect. Here author Lichtenheld he enjoys the delightful artwork of Julie Rowan-Zoch, who is as skilled as he in evoking the personality of this grumpy, but lovable little plush bear who teaches that love and loyalty are worth the ups and downs of daily life together. For more of Tom Lichtenheld's work, see reviews here.

Making It Matter! I Promise by LeBron James

REMEMBER!

NOTHING IS GIVEN.

EVERYTHING IS EARNED.

It takes a superstar to preach to kids like LeBron James does in his best-selling, straight-shooting picture book, I Promise (Harper, 2020). LeBron's admonitions are the real thing, the sorts of thing parents, ministers, and teachers say and which may go over kid's heads in daily life. But coming from the NBA hero, rather than the bespectacled old Ben Franklin, James' rules for living carry plenty of clout.

I PROMISE TO WORK HARDER AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT,TO BE A LEADER IN THIS GAME OF LIFE.

...

 TO REMAIN STRONG BUT HUMBLE, RESPECT MY ELDERS AND PEERS THE SAME.

...

 

TO USE MY VOICE AND STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT!

TO WALK BRAVELY AND BREAK DOWN WALLS.

With lively and engaging illustrations of kids working and playing by artist Nina Mata, LeBron's book helps kids to be themselves, to be the best selves that they can be, and to help others do the same along the way. A full-court press by a super athlete for the importance of good character, this one is a timely summary of modern proverbs and adages that include the timeless wisdom of the ages.

Dreamers and Doers: Gnu and Shrew by Danny Schnitzlein

Gnu and Shrew meet early each morning to surveil the crocodiles who dominate their deep and wide river. Gnu says there is a cave full of diamonds somewhere on the other side and dreams of digging them out and using the fortunes to see the wide world.

SHREW NODDED POLITELY.

Each dawn Gnu tells Shrew about his nightly dream. One morning Gnu says he dreamed of using the riches from the diamonds to build a boat and sailing the world with his friend.

"HMMMM!" SAYS SHREW. "THAT GIVES ME AN IDEA!"

Gnu starts digging a tunnel under the river, but soon finds it too hard. Meanwhile Shrew begins to build a boat to cross the river.

Gnu pooh-poohs Shrew's boat, saying the crocodiles will chomp it and eat them. But the next morning he tells Shrew that he dreamed that when he is rich, he will build them a Ferris wheel. Shrew incorporates the idea into his plan and builds a paddle wheel behind his boat to make it faster.

THAT'S NICE!, SAYS GNU, WITH A CONDESCENDING SMILE.

"WHEN I HAVE THE DIAMONDS, I AM GOING TO BUY A BICYCLE AND PEDAL AROUND THE WORLD!"

That gives Shrew another idea and he added two sets of pedals to power his paddle wheel. But a heavy rain sets in, and Gnu dreams of building a tall, strong house with a tarred roof to keep the rain out. That gives Shrew the idea of tarring the bottom of his boat to prevent leaking. Finally he is ready to cross the river.

"I'M LEAVING TO GO GET SOME DIAMONDS! WANT TO COME?" SAYS SHREW.

"I COULD REALLY USE YOUR HELP."

Gnu elects to take a nap, and Shrew safely makes the river crossing solo, digs up plenty of diamonds, and goes out to see the world. One day he returns to see his old friend Gnu and invites him to see the world with him.

"NO, I'VE GOT SOME PROJECTS TO FINISH," SAID GNU.

Some are dreamers and some are doers, in Gnu and Shrew (Peachtree Publishing, 2020).

It takes all kinds to make a world, in Danny Schnitzlein's little parable of wish fulfillment. Rather than form a dynamic duo, Gnu would rather continue to "entertain" ideas, while Shrew chooses to bring those ideas to fruition. Shrew goes on to build a home, a family, and a business, while Gnu continues dreaming up big ideas, some of which come true. Who's to say which is the best way? In author Schnitzlein's telling, the characters wind up doing both, and artist Anca Sandu comes up with whimsical illustrations for this little fable of an offbeat friendship.

The Heart of a Warrior! Helga Makes A Name for Herself by Megan Maynor

YOUNG HELGA LOVED TO HEAR THE SAGAS OF HER FAVORITE VIKING WARRIORS.

SHE BEGGED FOR THEM AT BEDTIME... AND AT FISH-PICKLING TIME, AND DURING HER MONTHLY BATHS.

Helga fashioned a Viking helmet and a Viking shield for herself and her pet wolverine and trained to become a famous warrior. Her parents pooh-poohed her expectations.

"OH, HELGA," HER MOTHER SAID, "YOU ARE JUST A FARMERSDOTTER!.

HER FATHER LAUGHED. "WARRIORS DO NOT COME FROM SMALL MOUNTAIN VILLAGES LIKE OURS!"

But Helga fashioned herself a sword and wondered what her Viking name should be. She practiced Viking deeds with her pet, Wolvie. She charged up the steep hills when she took the sheep to pasture. She practiced swinging her battle ax when she chopped wood for the fireplace. She played out the daring deeds of the great warrior Ingrid the Axe. And then on Thor's Day, Helga hears some great news!

INGRID THE AXE WAS LOOKING FOR NEW WARRIORS!

HOLY VALHALLA!

Helga joined all the young would-be warriors, flocking to the coast to compete for Ingrid the Axe's sea raiders.

But in the uphill race, Helga is bested by Olaf, and Sigrid wins the axe-throwing competition. It's not looking good for Helga's career as a Viking warrior, and now she has to face Magnus in the sword fight contest.

But Helga run rings around Magnus, tweaks his nose, and finally plants her foot on his fallen figure with a loud, long Wolverine AROOOO, earning a place in Ingrid the Axe's fleet and her very own Viking name...

HELGA THE HOWLER!

In this lively take-off Viking tale, Megan Maynor's Helga Makes a Name for Herself (Clarion Books, 2020), "I gotta be ME!" is the theme of the comic drama of a farmer's daughter from the hill country who sees her future differently from her parents' expectations in a charmingly silly spoof of Viking sagas. Although being the scourge of the North Atlantic seas is currently out of favor, Vikings are a popular comic trope these days, and with artist Eda Kaban's perky cartoon characters, this is a lively story for Viking fans and a good choice for a read aloud for Women's Month in March.  Quips Kirkus..., "the art is peppy and thoroughly upbeat... You’d have to be beserk(er) not to appreciate this mighty gal."

In the Room Where It Happened: Starting from Seneca Falls Karen Schwabach

The cell was five feet by nine feet and stifling hot. It contained a bucket, a pile of dirty straw, and Bridie. Up near the ceiling was small barred window.

If Bridie jumped up and grabbed the bars of the window, she could pull herself up and see the poorhouse children weeding the cabbage field outside. Bridie would be weeding with them, except that she had opinions about the way things ought to be and spoke up about them.

And because of her opinions, Bridie finds herself on trial to be indentured to Farmer Kigley and quickly learns that he beats his wife almost as as often as he beats her. So Bridie runs away in the dark of the night and makes her way to the nearest town. Starved and cold, discovered by a black servant girl named Rose, Bridie is taken in work for a kind lady and unexpectedly finds herself in the midst of history. The town is Seneca Falls and the kind woman is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, already in the midst of planning the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Convention, to be attended by Abolitionists Frederick Douglass, Lucretia Mott, and Lydia Marie Child, as well as Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman medical student.

Bridie finds herself attending the local school and assisting Mrs. Stanton, working on her "Declaration of Sentiments" which urged that women be given rights to their wages and inheritance and all rights before the law, and Bridie even gets a chance to help the local print shop set the type for Mrs. Stanton's posters advertising her historic Seneca Falls convention.

The boy, Davie, came up and took the notice from her hand. He was wearing a blue apron and was covered in ink. Davey smiled at her. "Want to watch me set the type?" he smiled. He picked up an empty composing stick and started to set the type. "You can do the next word if you want," Davey offered. Bridie did want. The moment the stick was in her hand, it felt like it belonged. She felt as if she was standing on the edge of something important.

Davey allows her to set the word RIGHTS on the document, and Bridie resolves to become educated and become a printer herself someday. Mrs. Stanton's Declaration of Sentiments is adopted with a majority of votes, and beginning in Seneca Falls, her plans for the advancement of women and former slaves made at that convention eventually changed the nation and spread around the world. But first Bridie must avoid re-capture by Farmer Kigley, barely escaping aboard a tow boat on the Erie Canal, where Rose and Bridie hide until they can make their way to the home of Frederick Douglass in Rochester, New York, where  Bridie soon  learns the printing trade working on the famous Abolitionist newspaper, The North Star. And from there, it's all history.

From Seneca Falls you could go anywhere! And Bridie did, in Karen Schwabach's Starting from Seneca Falls (Random House, 2020), an exciting novel of two girls, one an orphaned Irish immigrant and one a free-born black girl, who managed to stay free and make lives for themselves in a rapidly changing world. With details of the life of women in the mid-1800s, from the independent and energetic Elizabeth Stanton, a pioneer of the emancipation of women, the devout Quaker Lucinda Mott who fought for the emancipation of all races, and the courageous Frederick Douglass who believed in both, this historic novel is filled with danger and adventure which takes the reader back into that time, into the very rooms where it all happened and their future and ours were changed. With fast-paced action, hairsbreadth escapes, and brave female characters who help shape their own lives and change those of the future, this historical novel should be a first purchase for school and public libraries, and in classroom collections for Women's Month activities.

"The political is personal in this effective introduction to 19th-century society and women’s rights," says Kirkus Reviews.

Literary Feline: The Bookstore Cat by Cylin Busby

The bookstore cat is an ADORABLE cat!

But if he doesn't like the sort of cat food the gentle librarian gives him, he is also ...

a BOSSY cat!

He can be a cozy, coddled, cuddled cat, especially fond of laps which already have a laptop computer on them. On the other hand, when a stranger approaches, he can dart away and make himself scarce. In the courtyard he can excitedly climb a fence to see a friendly dog on the other side. He may be gorgeous (although he tries to appear humble)!

The bookstore cat is many things, all in alphabetical order--sometimes he's as wild as a kitten, sometimes not so nice, as he leaps high and pushes books and potted plants off the shelves--but almost always loving and patient with the little kids in the children's section. And when he tires of his duties, he snoozes on shelves, amid displays, and in the acquisitions office inside those sturdy cardboard boxes that books are shipped in. He manages to take a dive into the bookstore aquarium, emerging as a yucky and yowling cat. He's everywhere and nowhere, and when evening comes, he is...

... a ZIGZAG CAT...

...who is hard to catch at closing time, in Cylin Busby's adorable new title, The Bookstore Cat (Balzer and Bray, 2020). Author Busby's big orange striper is the favorite pet of patrons, adding some cachet and clutter to the scene, in the winsome and endearing illustrations of the award-winning artist Charles Santoso. What could be better than an alphabet book that brings together cats and books and vocabulary-building for all ages? The author's note states that the book is based on an old Victorian game, the Minister's Cat, in which one by one the players come up with their own adjective to describe the cat through the alphabet in a vocabulary-enriching competition to keep the words coming without breaking the clapping rhythm. This brand-new offering is handy for March's Dr. Seuss' Read Across America Day, April's National Library Week, or May's Book Week, or any school's own book fair promotions.

Making a World: What We'll Build--Plans for Our Together Future by Oliver Jeffers

WHAT SHALL WE BUILD, YOU AND I?

I'LL BUILD YOUR WORLD AND YOU'LL BUILD MINE.

WE'LL BUILD A WATCH TO KEEP THE TIME.

A father wants a place to keep his little daughter safe. He has his red toolbox--with hammers, saws, pliers, nails and screws, and all the rest--and with the urge to protect, he builds first a stout red door and a doorstep. But he knows she needs more--more rooms, strong brick walls, a roof to shelter her.

But that is not enough to keep them safe, so he digs an underground shelter... just in case. Or perhaps a castle, where they can cower in the keep while frightful figures (a Viking, a witch and a dentist) scale the crenellated walls? Or perhaps they are not in danger, so he'll build a welcoming table inside for all that come?

Perhaps he can devise an ocean liner that won't sink in a storm? Or perhaps he can build a faraway getaway.... a tiny house by a pond?

A PLACE TO STAY WHEN ALL IS LOST,

TO KEEP THE THINGS WE LOVE THE MOST.

But by this time both are weary and perhaps too tired to do more than build a fire to get them through the night.

THEN WE'LL SAY GOOD NIGHT,

AS ALL'S ALL RIGHT.

In his latest picture book, What We'll Build: Plans For Our Together Future (Philomel Books, 2020), the best-selling and award-winning author-illustrator Oliver Jeffers has a book for parent and child to share quietly. Jeffers' rhyming text and witty illustrations, executed with his signature lovely lines and little red fox, and his wide palette of colors--from cerise to coral, lavender to lilac, magenta and mauve--will please preschool and primary students, but this book is really one written for sharing between parent and child who together are building their own world. As School Library Journal says, "An intensely personal statement of intergenerational fellowship."

The Right Time: Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Kindness by Kimberley and James Dean

"KINDNESS IS KINDA MY THING," SAYS PETE.

Pete the Cat is in good company in this celebration of kindness as a philosophy of life in Kimberley and James Dean's latest, Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Kindness(HarperCollins, 2020).

For your kind consideration, Pete the Cat has curated some quotes about kindness from all of time and all over the world.

"NO ACT OF KINDNESS IS EVER WASTED." -- AESOP.

"BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO BE." -- GANDHI.

"OUR FINGERPRINTS NEVER FADE FROM THE LIVES WE TOUCH!" -- JUDY BLUME.

"NEVER BELIEVE THAT A FEW PEOPLE CAN'T CHANGE THE WORLD. FOR INDEED, THAT'S ALL THAT EVER HAVE!" -- DALAI LAMA XIV

And Pete the Cat knows that a kind meow can keep the peace, warm the heart, and sometimes save the day in his groovy guide to everyday goodness. And as Pete always says, "It's all good!"

Here's Mud in Yer Eye! Rot, the Bravest in the World by Ben Clanton

Spuds love mud.

For the Potato Pals, mud is their natural happytat, RIGHT?

It's their favorite playground! They even eat it!

"MARVELOUS MUCK!

MUD IN OUR TOESIES! MUD IN OUR NOSES!

MUD IS GREAT... WHEREVER IT GOSES!"

So when mutant little brother Rot discovers a pristine mud pit, the mud puddle to end all mud puddles, he's just about to claim it for his own with an epic cannonball when his bossy big brother Snot comes along. Snot delights in scaring his little brother, so he tells Rot about the evil monster, The SQUIRM, who may reside in this very mud pit.

"IT'S SLIPPERY! IT'S SLIMY!

GRIMY AND GROSS--AND ALWAYS HUNGRY!"

But I'm sure this mud is probably... possibly...SQUIRM free!" says SNOT.

Don't be a scaredy spud! JUMP IN! (HE HE!")

Now Rot is scared, but he screws his courage to the sticking point and takes on the mantle of a superhero with Viking helmet and sword (actually a cooking pot and broom)

"SIR SUPER ROT, THE PIGtato! "I'm kind of a PIG DEAL!"

Rot studies his image in the mirror.

"ONE SMASHING SPUD. I'M ROOTING FOR YOU!"

Rot spots something moving beneath the turgid surface of the mud. "IT'S ALIVE!"

Is Rot a timid tuber?

But wait! It's a worm. A friendly worm. Whew!

Rot suddenly sees himself as a potent potato, turning this knowledge into a rout for the pest Snot. Can he perpetuate his ownership of the Perfect Mud Puddle? But there's still more of the Spud Bros. mighty mud fight in store in Ben Clanton's second book about the Tater Two, Rot, the Bravest in the World! (Atheneum/Simon and Schuster, 2020). Author-illustrator Clinton's quirky illustrations, done in turbid tones and his punny dialogue make this spuds in the mud tale pure giggle bait for preschool and primary readers. Kirkus Reviews' starred review calls this one "Spudtacular!" The talented Ben Clanton is also the author-illustrator of Rot, the Cutest in the World! Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea: A Narwhal and Jelly Book 1 (and sequels) and Rex Wrecks It! (See more Ben Clanton book reviews here).

Strangers on the Train: Milo Imagines The World by Matt de la Pena

Milo's husky big sister hurries him onto the subway, eager to get back to taking a selfie and whatever else she is doing on her phone.

Milo looks around at the other passengers, all seemingly absorbed with their thoughts--a bored-looking businessman with briefcase, a young woman in wedding gown, clutching flowers, a boy about his age dressed in a suit and tie, a whiskery guy in slipons and socks frowning over his newspaper. The Sunday subway ride seems to last forever.

Milo's feelings are bouncing around inside him like a well-shaken soda....

Excitement on top of worry, on top of confusion, on top of love...

To stop the feeling, Milo begins to draw in his notebook and wonder about the other people on the train. As the scruffy whiskered guy gets up and rings the bell, Milo pictures him at home with lots of cats and rats as company. He shows the bride going to her wedding and perhaps a trip in a hot-air balloon, and he pictures the boy in the coat and tie entering a castle, complete with drawbridge, butler, and chef with crustless finger sandwiches for him. Milo tugs as his sister to show her his pictures, but she gives him a quick look and elbows him away.

Who hasn't wondered about the lives of nearbypassengers on a plane or subway? But the subjects of Milo's drawings don't exactly follow the lives he creates for them.

When the wedding-dressed woman strides off the train, a band of street performers launches into "Here Comes the Bride" and everyone on the platform cheers.

Milo didn't see that one coming. He looks at the dressed up boy and the boy looks back.

They lock eyes for a few long seconds.

Milo is surprised when the boy and his dad get off at the same stop as Milo's.

He is even more surprised when the boy joins the long line to pass through the metal detector.

Maybe it's not so easy to know what another person's real life is like from looking at them, Milo muses.

And both boys enter a room where women prisoners are meeting with their families, in Matt de la Pena's just published Milo Imagines the World (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2021), where Milo shows his mom the picture he drew just for her, a picture of the whole family together on their front steps, a picture he still wants to be true. In this poignant family story, author Matt de la Pena is again joined by artist Christian Robinson, who illustrated their Caldecott Honor Medal book, Last Stop on Market Street (read review Last Stop on Market Street.)

"Pictures brimming with activity, an endearing main character, and threads for thinking about art, families, and what we see in others make this a book that will hold up to many readings," says School Library Journal.

Peace by Piece: The All-Together Quilt by Lizzy Rockwell

Jennifer and her friends met on Fridays at the community center. They were making for quilt. Everyone works together.

Jennifer partners with and older woman named Fran, and they choose two fabrics, one with dark colors and one with light colors. Fran traces a pattern shap on the light fabric and Jennifer does the same with her dark fabric and pins the two together. Fran sews them together to make a rectangle. A boy named Rich and a man names Maurice do the same with their fabric. Six more pairs of people do the same.

Together the pairs of people put the rectangles together to make eight squares.

But a girl named Naika works on one piece of plain fabric. Dipping her hand in paint, she makes handprints on her fabric, which is then cut into four long rectangles for the outside of the quilt.

With all the squares, the group tries all sort of layouts until they find the combination that pleases them all. Then the pieces are pinned and sewn and ironed and stretched over a frame, where they are carefully stitched together with warm batting and backing cloth to make the completed quilt. It is unique and beautiful, and all the workers are proud to see it framed with edging and hanging on the wall of the town public library.

Not all quilts will hang in the Louvre or even at the local library, but all of the others which the Quilting Club will make will be one-of- a- kind works and shown with pride on beds or walls all over town. Author-illustrator Lizzy Rockwell appeared in her famous picture book-producing parents' (Harlow and Ann Rockwall's) many creations, and her little quilting lesson, The All-Together Quilt (Alfred A. Knopf, 2020) is just right for crafty youngsters.

Mini-quilts for wall-hangings, doll and dog beds are popular, and Rockwell's crafty step-by-step book makes a handy manual for quilt designing. Rockwell appends a handy diagram showing nine of the most traditional American quilting patterns--Flying Geese, Bowties, Pinwheel, and Friendship Star, to name a few.

Share this one with Tony Johnston's classic The Quilt Story, illustrated by the Caldecott-winning Tomie de Paola.

Happy Chinese New Year! Alex's Good Fortune by Benson Shum

What's better than the first day of a week of special days? Inviting your best friend along for the fun?

It's the first day of the celebration, and Alex gets up early to invite her friend Ethan to join her family in the first day of Chinese New Year. Wearing her red shirt and headband, Alex pulls Ethan along to her house, where they join the parade, making their big paper dragon twist and bounce and dance in the parade to bring good luck to everyone there. Drums boom, cymbals crash, and firecrackers pop! And then the two race back to Alex's house, where their first job is to help Alex's grandmother shape dumplings to steam and fry up for the family feast that night.

FOLD AND PINCH! FOLD AND PINCH!

Everything should be spotless for the New Year's celebration, so Ethan pitches in to help Alex clean her room, and he is rewarded when Alex's Aunt Lin gives them both red envelopes with the traditional Lucky Money inside.

And then it's time for the New Year's feast, with special foods. There are noodles for long life and health, dumplings for wealth, and fish for prosperity, and a big platter of candied fruit and candy to make the new year sweet.

ALEX SERVES THE TEA. ETHAN CARRIES IN THE RICE.

And at last it is the night of the lantern festival with beautiful lanterns hanging from the trees to bring everyone a bright new year.

"THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR HOLIDAY WITH ME," SAID ETHAN. "XIN NIAN KUDI LE!"

This year, the Year of the Ox, begins on February 12--a good day to wear red, wish everyone a happy, healthy and wealthy year, and perhaps dance with a dragon and have some delicious Chinese dumplings for dinner. Benson Shum's new Alex's Good Fortune (Penguin/Random House, 2020) has two lively friends takes young readers through much of the fun and customs of the season. Add a readaloud story, Sam and the Lucky Money along with some fortune cookies for story-time snacks. Find more books about that other February holiday here.

What the World Needs Now...? HUG? by Charlene Chua

When a PURR goes to HACK! HACK!, resulting in a hairball, a girl asks her cat...

"DO YOU WANT A HUG?"

"Okay.... Thank you."

That went well, thinks the girl... as a dog approaches, from page left, and requests equal time for canines.

Fair enough. the girl shrugs and gives a hug. But then a pair of ducks, drake AND hen, ask for hugs--feathery, flappy hugs that muss the girl's perfect pony tail and wrinkle her crisp golf shirt, to the consternation of the cat. But then... a skunk, rife with odours, approaches.

"WHAT ABOUT ME?"

The girl holds her nose (her cat likewise!) and hugs the skunk.

The deed is done. But, Yikes! What's this? A BEAR? It's only fair!

"BEAR HUG!!!!"

But this is getting ridiculous! A PORCUPINE? Ouchy, ouchy, Oh, oh, OW!

The girl's shirt is a mass of wrinkles and her pony tail has melted into a mess of frizzies, when, what to her eyes doth appear...

Is that a TIGER? The girl is not sure that a hug is what he's really after! She gulps as the big beast tries to swallow her cat.

The girl declares snacking on the pets disallowed. But what's this? Now appears what looks like a very supercilious unicorn!

"I SUPPOSE YOU WANT A HUG?" SHE INQUIRES.

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Suddenly the girl is surrounded by an attack of other critters, including what looks like a tentacled green space alien! Hugging is good, yes, but when it turns into a mugging, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing....!

Is it time to STOP? Should the hugs really end right here?

But not until that smug unicorn gets his due in the finale, in Charlene Chua's brilliant take on THE HUG in her hilarious new title, Hug? (Kids Can Press, 2020). With a touch of satire, a bit of Seussian humor, and a sprinkle of truth, this one is sure to please preschoolers and primary readers as well during Valentine season. Illustrator Chua uses her considerable art skills to build just right amount of suspense, slapstick, and good sense into this story of that powerful symbol of affection, the hug, best utilized with some discretion! Says Kirkus Reviews, "This silly romp is sure to elicit giggles while promoting emotional intelligence."

Wait For It! The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear

CHARLES WANTED TO FIND A WISH TREE.

HIS BROTHER AND SISTER SAID, "THERE IS NO SUCH THING."

blockquote="">BUT CHARLES SAID, "WHAT DO YOU THINK, BOGGAN?"

AND BOGGAN THOUGHT SURELY THERE WAS SUCH A THING.

Charles follows his sled Boggan through the snowy woods, but none of the snowy trees seem to have any special powers. But Boggan whishhhh-ed along, and Charles sang loudly through the trees....

LA DI DA DI DA DI DAH!

Charles came upon Squirrel struggling to get a trove of nuts home to his home and loaded them on Boggan to take home to store for the winter. Further through the woods they meet up with Beaver, carrying birch branches, one by one, to his lodge. Charles loaded up Boggan, and soon Beaver was all set for the season. Singing his La-Di-Da song, Charles and Boggan slid across the beaver pond.

They didn't meet a wishing tree, but they found Fox trying to bring a bunch of berries home to her babies, so Charles and Boggan pitched in to deliver the goods right to the door of her den. They plucked some mushrooms for a mob of mice. It was nice that the mice were pleased, but Charles was beginning to worry if they would ever find their wish tree.

"WE MAY NEED TO MOVE A LITTLE FASTER, BOGGAN," SAID CHARLES.

It felt late. The shadows seemed darker.

"I CANNOT. SEARCH. ANY. LONGER," SAID CHARLES.

And then he sees it. The silvery Wish Tree.

CHARLES WROTE HIS WISH ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND TIED IT ON THE TREE.

And just beyond the Wish Tree the animals had set up a feast of hazlenut souffle and birch tea and berry biscuits for all.

And Charles sang as Boggan whooshed him all the way back home, in The Wish Tree (Chronicle Books), in Kyo Maclear's lovely snowy day story of kindness returned and wishes fulfilled. Illustrated with minimalist colors, white, blue, and pale pink, by Chris Dunham, there is a quiet magic in the snowy landscape in this wintry story of wish fulfillment.

When The World Grows Quiet....: Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper

WHEN LINA WOKE UP, EVERYTHING WAS QUIET.

It was a different quiet--no sounds of cars, buses, and garbage trucks. The snow had fallen and left the world muffled and so quiet.

But Lina was supposed to help her Grandmother cook her specialty that morning!

SHE BUNDLED UP.

The sunshine reflecting off the snow was twice as bright as usual. But the silence was so deep that it seemed strange.

Then she heard a new sound:

SCRAAAPE! SCRAAAPE!

Mrs. Watson's snow shovel was one way to hear snow!

SNYAK SNYEK SNYUK!

Lina's boots leave behind a series of sounds and waffle prints on the sidewalk.

As Lina walks down the snowy street, she hears other snow sounds. Blobs of snow plop to the ground off snowy branches, skiis go swishy swish through the park. She spots a friend building a snowman with a pat-pat-pat and as she walks on...

THWOMP! HER FRIENDS TOSS A FRIENDLY SNOWBALL HER WAY.

When she arrives at her grandmother's building, she adds to the snow sounds with a STOMP, STOMP, STOMP! of her snow boots.

Inside, Lina finds her Grandmother Sitti waiting and the lamb and rice are done simmering for the filling for the grape leaves. Lina and her grandmother have fun rolling them up into little bundles. Lina held one right under her nose like a bushy mustache.

"WE LOOK LIKE A COUPLA REAL TOUGH GUYS!" LAUGHS GRANDMOTHER SITTI."

Lina hears a dripping sound coming from her thawing mittens.

"THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO HEAR SNOW," SHE THINKS.

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And that evening Lina opens her window and hears the deep quiet outside, the tenth way to hear snow, in Cathy Camper's lovely snow day story, Ten Ways to Hear Snow (Kikali/Random House, 2020), illustrated in loving and lovely drawings by Kenard Pak, done in soft, "hushed" colors to fit the theme. Camper's sweet story introduces onomatoepoeia to young readers in the distinctive sounds and lack of them in the snowy scene which will tune youngsters' ears to the sounds of silence that snowfall brings. Share this one with Ezra Jack Keats' Caldecott-winning classic,

A Winter's Tale: Once Upon A Winter's Day by Liza Woodruff

MILO WAS LOOKING FOR A STORY, BUT HIS MOTHER WAS BUSY.

"WHY DON'T YOU GO PLAY IN THE SNOW?" SHE ASKED.

MILO DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY IN SNOW. HE WANTED A STORY!

But he dutifully bundled up and, leaving angry, stomping tracks behind him, walked to the bird feeder, where he notices some tiny mouse footprints under it.

WOULD THE MOUSE HAVE A STORY TO TELL?

Intrigued, Milo follows the tracks to a winterberry bush with no berries, but a single feather. Supposing the mouse had eaten all the berries, Milo moved on, raising a flock of cardinals, one of which drops a winterberry, proving that the mouse is not the only one who striped the bush of its summer fruit. Walking into the woods, Milo discovers some cut branches underneath an evergreen where he spots two porcupines happily crunching the hemlock needles. Still tracking the mouse prints, Milo finds a patch of dirt clogs mixed with snow. Something had been digging there, and just ahead he comes upon a group of deer, munching acorns that had been under the snow. Trudging on, Milo spots a slide made by otters, sledding downhill to the creek. Following the mouse trail a little further, Milo comes upon a worrying scene. The mouse tracks end in a patch of disturbed snow and Milo spots a swooping hawk, claws extended, grasping at something scuttling under a tree.

Is that the end of the mouse's story? And then he hears his mother calling him to dinner. DRAT! But then... he happily spots some tiny tracks disappearing down a deep hole.

MILO FOLLOWED HIS TRACKS BACK HOME.

And after supper, his mom finally offers to read him some stories.

MILO SHOOK HIS HEAD. "THIS TIME I HAVE A STORY FOR YOU," HE SAID.

Liza Woodruff's Once Upon a Winter Day (Holiday House, 2020) is a winter's tale, a snowy Sherlock mystery, and a fine nature walk all in one, in which Milo's trek offers much about how animals survive in winter, with a beautifully illustrated happy ending for the deer mouse in a two-page spread showing the mouse trekking through a tunnel and up into a cozy nest in the woodpile. With endpapers that reveal the names of the animals Milo encounters, this story is perfect for preschool and primary grade studies of animal adaptation to the season, with an attentive nature detective as main character. Says Horn Book's starred review, "Words and pictures work together to tell a taut and just-right-for-the-audience suspenseful tale."