What In The World? What The World Could Make: A Story of Hope by Holly M. McGhee

WINTER WHITE FLAKES, A GIFT FROM THE SKY.

"I WISH IT WOULD SNOW FOREVER." SAID BUNNY.

"FOR ALWAYS?" ASKED RABBIT.

"NO, NOT THAT KIND OF FOREVER..." SAID BUNNY. "THE KIND OF FOREVER WHERE YOU REMEMBER IT WHEN IT ENDS," RABBIT SAID.

Tiny white flakes fall against a soft grey sky. Rabbit and Bunny lie on their backs and let them fall, until Rabbit gets up to make a snowball for Bunny--shaped by him, but given by the sky.

In a beautiful world where the friends sniff lilacs blooming in spring and Bunny makes a crown of blooms for Rabbit... In a beautiful world where two rabbits splash in the summer sea shallows and bite into crunchy sea cucumbers...

"A GIFT FROM THE SUN AND THE SEA AND THE SAND..."

And a world in which yellow gingko leaves form magical drifts of gold for the two to jump into... to remember forever....

A world where bunnies climb trees and make snowballs, play in the ocean, and splash in golden leaves, that is the world we visit in Holly M. McGhee's What the World Could Make: A Story of Hope.

In the charming and glorious illustrations by Pascal Lamaitre, two little white rabbits remind us of the many lovely but fleeting beauties of the natural world, too transient to keep, but worth remembering always. Making a memory is a skill, and this gentle story reminds grownups and teaches youngsters that the real gold, the lasting value, is in our memories--if we learn to save them. Says Kirkus Reviews, "The two good pals joyfully exult in yet another bounty of the world in this gentle tale of sharing and seasonal splendor... Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet."

Left Behind Little Brother: Henry at Home by Megan Maynor

AS LONG AS THERE HAD BEEN HENRY AND LIZA, THEY WERE TOGETHER.

They got their shots and their haircuts together. They shared their special place--the twisty tree. But then one day when Liza got a new backpack and a box of unsharpened pencils and new crayons, because she was going to school. Henry was too young for school pencils and crayons.

HENRY WAS SAD AND ANGRY.

"YOU'LL GO TO SCHOOL NEXT YEAR," LIZA SAID.

Henry was angry when the bus took her away. But he decided that if Liza could do things he couldn't do, he would do things that Liza couldn't do! He learned how to start the swing swinging by himself and he invented new tricks on the swing.

He practiced until he was great at The Falcon, balancing lying on swing seat with arms outspread as he soars.

And when the bus dropped Liza off, she was full of stories about her day--making new friends and being line leader and learning the school cheer. Henry just jumped on the swing and showed off his new trick, The Falcon. Liza was impressed!

And Liza offered to teach Henry her class cheer if he'll teach her to do The Falcon, in Megan Maynor's newly published, Henry at Home (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.)

It is hard for younger children to watch an older sibling move on without them, but it looks like Henry is going to be just fine on his own, and, anyway, they'll always have each other to share the twisty tree. Artist Alex Marley's sweet and sensitive illustrations portray a pivotal moment of childhood that navigates changes in relationships while still nurturing those ties that bind. "Says Publishers Weekly, "Younger siblings or those worried about distance weakening close bonds will find reassurance in this tender narrative."

What Do We Do? We All Play by Julie Flett

Play is almost universal among us. Birds dive and dip and seem to play chase until it's time to rest in their nest, and we mammals love to play, especially the young ones. Kids run and race and roll in the tall grass. They swim and dive deep... until they are ready to sleep.

Going from wild chases to sudden naps, wherever they live....

COYOTES YIP AND YAWN.

BIRDS PEEP AND PECK.

BUNNIES HIDE AND HOP.

Under the chill waters of the northern ocean, whales swim and squirt. And out on the grasslands, the buffaloes rumble and roll. Kids slip and slide in the slippery snow.

AND WE ALL SLEEP!

In the latest book of award-winning author-illustrator, Julie Flett, We All Play (Greystone Books, 2021), the joys of being alive in this world are celebrated--in elegant English and in a Cree Indian language glossary that supports the narrative. And to the joy of parents, this book brings them all together in a universal bedtime story as well.

Julie Flett is also the celebrated author of Birdsong (See my review here).

Kirkus Reviews writes, “Everyone loves to play! Award-winning author/illustrator Flett shares the joyful antics of young animals as they romp in much the same way as human children…This celebration of nature is sprinkled with words from the Cree language… [and] celebrate[s] our interconnection with the creatures who share our world.”

Hand-Me-Down Canines, Unite! Secondhand Dogs by Carolyn Crimi

"It's a new dog day. Miss Lottie, who adopts homeless dogs, has driven the whole pack to the park, a thing she only does when there was a new dog to join the pack."

"It'll be great," said Tank, the big bulldog. "It always is."

But Gus, the titular leader of the pack, is not so sure. So far, for a group of one-time strangers, they get along pretty well. Tank is a trustworthy bulldog backup, with some weighty muscle behind him if needed. Roo is smart but a bit flighty, observant but still unsure of herself, and the latest inductee, pug puppy Moon Pie, is enthusiastic about everything and anything. But Gus is a mature dog whose been around the block a few times, and he is wise enough to see the problems of heading the pack, especially when he sees the new dog, Decker, sitting up very straight and still on the leash, giving nothing away as the pack looks him over.

But when they get to Miss Lottie's house, Decker is already on the make, taking over, as Miss Lottie praises him and talks about how much he is like her childhood pet Mr. Beans, and he watches craftily as Moon Pie cajoles tidbits from Miss Lottie.

"Humans are such suckers," he says. He knew Miss Lottie would be easy.

And before the pack knows it, he climbs into the back of Miss Lottie's van, subordinating Gus' position, and when they are back to her house, he gets all the best food and the special place in Miss Lottie's big bed, previously held by little Moon Pie. Gus tries to smooth over his treatment, but the cat named Ghost has Decker's number already.

And the next day, the whole teamwork of the pack is in shambles as Decker has his way with them, and when Gus tries to assert his leadership, Decker bites his own foot to make Miss Lottie believe Gus is guilty. By the end of the day, Gus is in disgrace; Moon Pie is out of the big bed: and the other dogs are quarreling with each other over which side to take. And to make it worse, Moon Pie is made to share his food with Decker, who lays it out to him cruelly:

"YOU, MOON PIE, ARE THE WEAKEST, SMALLEST SILLIEST MEMBER OF THE PACK. YOU ARE LOWER THAN THE CAT!"

"I AM THE TOP DOG NOW."

But Decker is not done with his takeover. He convinces Moon Pie that his former owner, Miss Gertie, is still alive and is searching for him, and then hints that there is a hole in the fence hidden behind some bushes, a good place to escape and find his way back to Gertie's big bed and popcorn. Overnight, the wishy-washy Roo follows Moon Pie into the alley behind Miss Lottie's house--despite the scary scent of coyote there.

But despite her distrust of the dogs, Ghost the cat has it all figured out and finally tells Tank about Decker's plan to take over Miss Lottie's house as the only pet. It's up to Tank to convince Gus to take back his job as leader of the pack. At last, Tank and Gus slip out and brave the outside world, coyotes and all, to try to rescue the lost little Moon Pie and recover and rebuild the family of Miss Lottie and the whole pack.

It's finally all for one and one for all, when the showdown with both coyote and Decker comes, in Carolyn Crimi's latest middle grade novel, Secondhand Dogs (Balzer and Bray, 2021). Gus sees even the fear behind both Decker and indeed even the young coyote, as he retakes his place as leader, stronger and wiser, in an exciting animal tale for middle readers told by veteran author Carolyn Crimi with understanding and insight into both human and animal nature.

Latkes and Brisket: There Was A Young Rabbi--A Hannukah Tale by Suzanne Wolfe

THERE WAS A YOUNG RABBI WHO READ THE TORAH.

SHE READ THE TORAH AND LIT THE MENORAH.

But this young rabbi has another vocation, and as all mothers know, it's no vacation!

Yes, this young rabbi is an energetic woman with a husband and two children, and in addition to her duties to her congregation, she also has the job of celebrating the joys of Hanukkah at home! She lights the candles, one each night, on her home menorah, until all eight glow in memory of the little bit of oil which lit the lights for the first Hanukkah. But that's not all...

She fries up the latkes, enough so everyone in the family can have some. And that's not all that the young rabbi cooks up at home.

THERE WAS A YOUNG RABBI WHO MADE A NICE BRISKET.

IT'S KOSHER, OF COURSE, OR SHE WOULDN'T HAVE RISKED IT!

She plays dreidel with the kids, and wins a game, too! So she eats a chocolate gelt; that's what winners get to do!

And when all eight candles shine on the eighth and last night, they all open their gifts by the bright candlelight!

In Suzanne Wolfe's rhyming story, There Was a Young Rabbi: A Hanukkah Tale (/Lerner/Kar-Ben Publishing, 2020), illustrated with zest by artist Jeffery Ebbeler, the energetic young female rabbi presides over the professional holiday practices and the festive family fun as well, in a jolly story about the holiday season. It won't take more than a few lines for savvy primary graders to identify the rhyme scheme of this story as the famous format of the folksong "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly," used so prolifically by author Lucille Colandro's and artist Jared Lee's holiday and seasonal series, such as There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! (see reviews here). With an unusually early Hanukkah coming up this year, be sure to make room in the holiday readings for this different and clever story.

Says Booklist, "The strong rhyme scheme and repetition in this Hanukkah tale will soon have young listeners chanting along!"

Little Dog Lost! I'm A Baked Potato by Elise Primavera

THERE WAS A LADY WHO LOVED BAKED POTATOES. SHE ATE ONE EVERY DAY.

SHE ALSO LOVED DOGS, AND ONE DAY SHE GOT ONE.

The dog was round and brown and warm, so she called him "Baked Potato." They ate together by the fire and slept together at night. But one day the nice lady went out.

Later the little dog went out the open door, too, and wandered far away. At last he met a dog, who wanted to bite him.

"YOU LOOK LIKE A GROUNDHOG!" HE SAID.

The little dog went on down the road, hoping to find the lady. It got darker and colder, and then he met a fox who invited him into his warm kitchen. The fox told the dog he looked more like a tasty bunny rabbit and opened his creepy oven door. But the little dog was rescued by a wise owl, who told him that he was not a baked potato or a groundhog or a bunny.

"YOU ARE A DOG, GOOD AT FINDING THINGS WITH YOUR NOSE!"

And the little dog sniffed his way back down the road where he met the Lady looking for him, and now he knows who he is and where he belongs.

It's a happy reunion, in Elise Primavera's simple book of self-discovery and coming home, I'm a Baked Potato! (Funny Children’s Book About a Pet Dog, Puppy Story) (Chronicle Books).

In this simple story of a little lost shaggy dog, veteran author Primavera takes on the big subject of what and who we are and where we belong, part of the important knowledge of early childhood. Artist Juan Medena provides the humorous textured and blackline drawings that make for this warm homecoming doggy tale and gives children a reason for chuckles at the obvious mis-identities applied to the main character. A good, somewhat silly, but cozy and reassuring story of belonging where love is.

"Movin' On Out!" Road Crew, Coming Through! (Construction Sites) by Sherri Duskey Rinker

The workday is done. It's time to head out. But the highway is full; drivers cringe and shout!

It's time to call the Construction Crew. They're the guys who know what to do. It's time to build a bigger, better ...

. . . SUPER HIGHWAY, A MEGA ROAD.

SIX MIGHTY FRIENDS ARE ON THEIR WAY.

TO HELP WITH SOMETHING BIG TODAY.

All the usual suspects are there--Excavator, Dump Truck, and Skid Steer, to dig and and haul away. But...

SOMETHING NEW.

TO JOIN THE BIG ROAD BUILDING CREW.

(THERE'S A GIANT JOB TO DO!).

There are more needed on this job--Bulldozer clears the stumps and boulders, and Scraper smooths it all out. Water Truck comes along to sprinkle down the dust and keep the air clean. Scraper, Grader, Compacter, and Roller makes the roadbed flat and smooth and hard, yard by yard. Paver lays the blacktop down all around, Crane Truck adds the signs and lights, and Striper Truck paints the yellow and white lines so that the drivers know where they should go.

The job of the big machines, the Road Crew, is done ....

EVERYONE IS ON THEIR WAY--

HEADING HOME TO END THEIR DAY.

The moon is rising; the time is right.--Time for a good night back at the construction site.

Sherri Duskey Rinker, the celebrated prolific writer about those beloved BIG MACHINES, from cranes to trains, introduces them all from her first builder book, to her latest in her new Construction Sites series, Construction Site: Road Crew, Coming Through! (Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site) (Chronicle Books, 2021)

With Rinker's pleasant, bouncy, and rhyming versification, and illustrator AG Ford's jolly anthropomorphic construction rigs happily on the job, this one is sure to please preschoolers and primary readers of the motorhead persuasion who would love to park Rinker's books on their bookshelf.

Share this new one with Sherry Duskey Rinker's Construction Site: Mission Demolition! (Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site), and Construction Site: Merry and Bright: A Christmas Lift-the-Flap Book (Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site)

Sound Off! My Voice Is A Trumpet by Jimmie Allen

SOME HAVE A VOICE AS TALL AS A TREE.

SOME HAVE A VOICE AS SMALL AS A TREE.

There are old, wise voices and there are new and bright voices.

THERE'S THE VOICE THAT ROARS LIKE A LION--

. . .one that says never stop tryin'. . .

A TRUMPET--STRONG AND CLEAR!

Discovering that we need to learn and what we need to know before we speak up, is important. When we speak, the words needs to be loving and inviting to all our brothers and sisters.

SAY NO TO HATE!

Jimmie Allen's first picture book, My Voice Is a Trumpet (Flamingo Books, 2021) is an invitation to youngsters to think about how to think about finding their own voices in their day to day lives, to stop and think about the effects of what you say when standing up against what seems wrong and standing up for what feels right.

Says School Library Journal's starred review, ". . . "A suggested first choice for libraries, the rhythm and flow of words perfectly match the art while advising readers to choose love and use their voices."

When the Bough Breaks. . . Too Much Stuff! by Emily Gravett

IN A TREE THAT WAS TALLER THAN ALL THE REST,

MEG AND ASH WERE BUSY BUILDING A NEST.

It was to be a grand home, built with mud, grass, and carefully selected sticks, perfectly fitted for their chicks. They even lined the nest with schnitzels of torn-up magazine pages. In this colorful, comfy-cozy nest, Meg soon laid four fine eggs.

But since there was only room for one of them to sit on the nest at a time, the other magpie had time on his or her hands (er, wings), to think of so many other things the nest might need.

AT FIRST THEY BROUGHT BACK LITTLE STUFF.

But soon the two became... COLLECTORS. First a pair of ornamental cuckoo clocks, a bag full of clothespins, tiny baby socks... but eventually . . .

THEY GOT SOME BIGGER STUFF!

. . .a full-to-bursting park trash receptacle, a junked baby carriage, a mop, broom, and scrub brush, and a trike and a big bike, with basket and bell!

AFTER THAT, THEY'D NEED A CAR,

WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN A STEP TOO FAR!

A classic used Volkswagon is the straw that, er, broke the limb, totally bringing the whole collection down to the ground with a CRACK!

And in a messy pile on the ground, all that stuff was...

. . . just trash! And then the two birds have a truly worrisome thought!

WHERE ARE OUR EGGS!

The two compulsive hoarders are all a-flutter as they get busy, removing, repurposing, and recycling the stuff, until they get down to their nest, where they discover--

You guessed it!--FOUR FINE CHICKS--eager to learn to fly, in noted author-illustrator Emily Gravett's latest, Too Much Stuff! (Simon and Schuster, 2021 Am. Ed.).

Emily Gravett, a two-time winner of the Kate Greenaway Award, Britain's version of our Caldecott Award, given for picture book art, and and here adds this gorgeously executed and joyfully humorous pencil and watercolor artwork. Told in rhyming couplets that keep the story flying along, this one makes a great read-aloud for preschool and primary aged kids, and a clever cautionary tale in anti-clutter-collecting for avians and non-avians! Says Kirkus, "Cheerful, dear, and funny—with a comforting conclusion."

Downtown! Biscuit Visits the City by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Biscuit has mastered the backyard, but there are still new worlds to conquer!

"HERE WE ARE, BISCUIT, IN THE BIG CITY. . . TO VISIT OUR FRIEND, JACK!"

Biscuit is amazed by the busy big city--cars and buses and tall buildings and all sorts of people, some walking all kinds of dogs--and PIGEONS everywhere, pecking at the sidewalks, and flying up to ledges on the tall buildings and looking down at him. Biscuit wants to say hello to everyone. And there, ahead of him, is a big fountain, with some of the pigeons taking a bath in the sprinkles.

Biscuit pulls hard and his girl drops the leash, which trails behind him as he dashes toward the fountain and makes the pigeons fly up in a whirr of wings.

"OH, NO, BISCUIT! COME BACK!"

But the excited puppy stops suddenly when a quick-thinking hot dog vendor distracts him with a delicious-smelling hot dog. It's their friend, Jack, and Biscuit stops just long enough for the girl to grab his leash.

"SILLY PUPPY!"

All's well that ends with Biscuit chowing down on the hot dog, leaving most of the bun behind for the pigeons to share, in Alyssa Satin Capucilli's Biscuit Visits the Big City (My First I Can Read) (Harper I-Can-Read Books). Author Capuchilli introduces the city to both Biscuit and the young beginning readers who get to share a bit of urban life with him. Artist Pat Schories' adorable illustrations of Biscuit and his young mistress are as endearing and appealing as usual, and do an excellent job of extending the text with visual cues to Capucilli's controlled vocabulary for early readers.

Candle Light, Window Bright! Happy Llamakkah by Laura Gehl

CANDLES TO LIGHT.

MORE EVERY NIGHT!

In the time of the darkest dark of winter, the candles of Hanukkah appear, lighted one by one until the last, highest candle glows, ready to go into the window to challenge the dark.

Dreidles get spun to remind that miracles were done.

Gifts are given, bright gold foil-covered glittery gelt.

Latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganlyot (donuts) are fried in plenty of oil to remind the children of the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days when the temple was re-consecrated.

It's Llamakkah for young llamas, likely making a debut as a stars of a story about religious festival, in a path well-paved by bears and mice, reindeer and dogs in all those Christmas storybooks, in Laura Gehl's cleverly portmanteau-titled Happy Llamakkah! (Abrams Appleseed Books, 2020).

Written in tercets, with three-line rhymes, the young celebrants move through the games and rituals of the special days, one candle at a time, and ending with the lighted menorrah glowing in the window, proudly displayed for the world to see, just as lighted Christmas trees and candles also shine--as the author points out in her Author's Notes, for all to see, a symbol of freedom of religion, freely granted to all. Artist Lydia Nichols' little llamas and alpacas go through the beloved rituals of celebration, softly portrayed, mostly in profile, as they share the fun of the days of Passover. A good read-aloud to recognize the rituals of Hanukkah for preschool and early primary children.

The Magic Disappearing Cat: Monet's Cat by Lily Murray

MONET WAS A FAMOUS PAINTER WITH A MAGIC CAT. HER NAME WAS CHIKA.

Usually, Chika is a delicate white pottery cat, curled up on a cushion and sleeping silently. But on this day Monet is feeling playful, so he taps Chika three times with his magic paintbrush. Chika comes alive, eyes opening. . . .

SHE OPENED HER EYES AND S-S-SRETCHED! TIME FOR AN ADVENTURE!

But it was raining and wretchedly wet outside, so she wondered off down the hall, tail up!

Monet gave chase, wondering if she was looking for mischief. But now she was NOWHERE in sight, until...

MONET SPOTTED HER!

Chika is already inside the painting of an al fresco luncheon. Climbing nimbly into the picture frame, the rotund Monet recalls painting this scene, with two teacups on the table along with fruit and bread, and his little son Jean playing with his blocks, as Chika stealthily crawls out from under tablecloth, hopping atop the table to lap some milk and nibble a bit of baguette. Little Jean tries to catch her, but she leaps out of the painting, forcing poor chubby Monet to tumble out of the picture and onto the carpet. And before he can catch the runaway cat she's off and leaping into another picture.

Monet follows, to the loud clanking of metal, the CHOOOO! CHOOOOO! of...

THE STATION AT SAINT-LAZARE!

And there is Chika, zigzaging through the steam as the stationmaster blows his whistle..., and with the portly and now pooped Monet watching her pulling away from the station, framed by a window in the passenger car....

... Suddenly Monet is in one of his favorite paintings of his favorite place... the seaside. Mopping his brow, he sees Chika stalk and pounce on a seagull, so intent on her catch that he is able to capture her. The two rest for a moment and share an ice cream cone, when... with a blink they find themselves on a familiar bridge over their favorite pond...

". . . MY FAVORITE PLACE.... I COULD PAINT THE LILY POND FOREVER!..."

...

...SPLASH!!!

Then Chika dives in!

It's time for Monet and his wet pet to go home. His paintings are all still in place on the wall, but in a terribly messy state, as Chika, tail in the air, makes for her favorite cushion, warmed by a sunbeam, and, curling up, closes her eyes.

"ENOUGH MISCHIEF FOR ONE DAY," SAID MONET, AND HE TAPPED HER THREE TIMES WITH HIS PAINTBRUSH."

And it's sweet kitty dreams for Chika, while an exhilarated Monet grabs his palette and brushes and heads out to catch the colors of the setting sun, in Lily Murray's Monet's Cat (Random House Studio, 2021). This is a charming fantasy starring Monet's actual porcelain cat, still sleeping in the painter's home in Giverny, which offers an imaginative trip through the famous painter's home and favorite places, with a adventurous and playful feline as guide to five premier paintings by the great nineteenth-century Impressionist, Claude Monet, comically reproduced for young readers by illustrator Becky Cameron.

Says Kirkus Reviews, "A delightful introduction to a famous artist for young cat fanciers and art lovers alike."

Dream Big! Brontorina by James Howe

Brontorina had a dream.

"I WANT TO DANCE! IN MY HEART, I AM A BALLERINA!"

It's no surprise that Madame Lucille, owner and operator, and her ballet-slipper-shod little students are astounded, standing on the stairs of Madame Lucille's Dance Academy and gaping at the would-be pupil presenting herself as a potential danseuse. After all, Brontorina is a big orange brontosaurus, and moreover, as one little pupil points out...

"SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT SHOES!"

Clara and Jack insist that she be given a chance. Madame Lucille is a noted dance instructor, but she's never taught a dinosaur. Nonetheless, with the boys and girls in the class keeping a safe distance, at the next lesson she welcomes the eager Brontorina inside her studio, politely asking her large pupil not to squash the others. Madame Lucille orders her somewhat appalled pianist to play for the lesson and leads the troup through their warmup moves:

"PLIE!"

Brontorina's plie is perfect! But her RELEVE', while done with elegant form, forces her head through the ceiling. Her ARABESQUE is daintily done, but her JETE' rips a long rift through the roof!

"WHAT A GRACEFUL DANCER YOU ARE, MY DEAR! BUT I AM AFRAID YOU ARE TO0 BIG!"

But Clara insists that her mother has been making something for Brontorina, and at the next lesson she brings Brontorina a pair of beautiful Size XXXXX ballet slippers. Brontorina is thrilled, but then admits that perhaps she is just too big for Madame Lucille's Dance Academy.

"FIDDLESTICKS!! THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT YOU ARE TOO BIG!

"THE PROBLEM IS THAT MY STUDIO IS TOO SMALL."

And soon the class is back in session with a new location (a pasture) and a new sign--

MADAME LUCILLE'S OUTDOOR DANCE STUDIO~~BOYS, GIRLS, DINOSAURS!

And soon all the young danseurs and danseuses are ready to execute a grand tours jete, in the famed children's author, James Howe's, Brontorina (Candlewick Press). James Howe, the prolific master of droll children's stories with the appropriately whimsical illustrations of artist Randy Cecil, which encourage young readers to think "big''-- and outside the box!

"Text and illustrations work beautifully together in this witty fantasy. . . ." says Booklist in a starred review.

Cluck-A-Doodle--Doo! Chickens On the Farm by Dizzy Harris

Before the sun is up, the chickens on the farm huddle in their warm coop, a sort of house for chickens. When the rooster crows, the hens leave their roosts or nests, to start their day. If the hens have any baby chicks, the little ones follow their moms outside to scratch around with the rooster for fresh food like seeds, worms or bugs.

But the chicken farmer usually appears with some grain to feed them, especially the little ones, to make sure the chicks have enough food to grow big and healthy.

In Dizzy Harris' Chickens on the Farm (Bullfrog Books: Farm Animals) (Bullfrog Books, 2021) preschool and primary graders learn about those famous farm animals--the chickens--and how they are raised on farms.

With large accurately colored and labeled illustrations, young readers learn poultry nomenclature--hen, rooster, chick, eggs-- and chicken coloration, from showy red rooster combs and fancy tail feathers, and the more blendable hens' colors of brown, white, and brindle, their basic physiology--claws, combs, feathers, beaks,--and other chicken vocabulary--coop, eggs, hatch, grain, bugs, peck, and crow--and follow them through their day from first crow to last cluck in the coop at night.

Considerate of the age of his readers, author Harris' text delicately offers no discussion of the chicks' future as chicken nuggets or chicken noodle soup in his narration. The author does, however, provide many of the parts of a good non-fiction book--title page, table of contents, a labeled Parts of the Chicken schematic drawing, a glossary, index, and other resources on line in his Fact Surfer section-- all to get his beginning readers familiar with proper non-fiction reading for the research reports in their futures.

This well-illustrated and designed educational series offers similar informational books on various farm animals in this series, good to read aloud as preparation for school field trips or for beginning readers who want to know more about those animals down on the farm.

'Tis The Season for Freezin': The Wolf in Underpants Freezes His Buns Off by Wilfrid Lupano

HIGH ABOVE THE FOREST LIVES THE WOLF. . . WITH CRAZY EYES!

IN THESE WOODS WE KNOW TO MOVE OUR BUTTS WHEN THE WOLF COMES DOWN TO EAT!

In the safety of the clearing, the newsboy cries his wares to warn the citizens.

"EXTRA! EXTRA! GET YOUR FOREST GAZETTE HERE!

THREE MORE WOLF ATTACKS REPORTED!"

From kiosks in the clearing, Wolf alarms and wolf-proof fences are advertised, and wolf traps are sold. Kids practice their anti-wolf karate, and the Anti-Wolf militia patrol the perimenter in full battle dress. Savvy vendors hawk hazelnut products as the edible antidote to wolf anxiety. Everyone is on the lookout for a wolf with tell-tale signs:

"HIS TEETH ARE LIKE ICE PICKS. HIS EYES ARE WILD!"

And then a rabbit runs screaming through the clearing, reporting the approach of said Wolf, except...

This one is wearing red-and-white striped underpants!

It's hard to take a big bad wolf seriously when he's wearing red-striped whitey-tighties. And Mrs. Owl informs the public that she herself knitted those underpants herself to insulate his backside from his icy-cold lookout rock high on the hill. Little Hedgehog says that this doofus can't be the wolf she's feared all her life!

THESE UNDERPANTS HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE!" INSISTS THE WOLF.

But It's hard to look friendly when your buns are frozen!

Humpff!

The crowd begins to disperse. It's hard to stay in a fearful frenzy when the big bad wolf is wearing silly knickers, in Wilfried Lupano's, The Wolf in Underpants Freezes His Buns Off (Graphic Universe, 2020). This second installment in this series continues to poke fun at underpants, with an easy-going lesson on remaining rational in the face of a baseless community hysteria. Lulpano's story owes much to the clever illustrations of Mayana Itiz and Paul Cauuet's humorously sinister main character who turns out to be a nice guy who's ridiculously proud of his snuggy underpants. Kirkus Reviews says "Lupano's message of kindness and perception shines without being cloying, making this quiet charmer a must-read." Share this one with its first in series, The Wolf in Underpants.

It Could Be Worse! My School Stinks by Becky Scharnhorst

 

DEAR DIARY,

TOMORROW IS MY FIRST DAY AT MY NEW SCHOOL. MOM AND DAD TOLD ME TO TAKE DEEP BREATHS.

IT ISN'T WORKING.

His seatmate smells like a skunk! His locker mate is a croc. His teacher is a real bear. And the monkey bars are full of... MONKEYS!

The next morning he tries faking red spots all over. But his fake stick-on spots don't fool Mom.

But Wildwood Elementary is a ZOO! A beaver eats his pencils. A gorilla grooms his hair, looking for tasty bugs. Only Mr. Fuzzybottom, a mouse, is friendly. So naturally Mr. Fuzzbottom disappears under suspicious circustances.

I SUSPECT SAMMY THE SNAKE, BUT HE SAYS HE WAS STILL DIGESTING FROM LAST WEEK'S BREAKFAST.

And when our boy tries to make friends by sharing his cupcakes, Charlie the Crocodile bites his finger. But Nurse Molly gives him a bandaid and some good news:

"YOU CAN'T GET RABIES FROM A CROCODILE. I ASKED."

It's a jungle out there, in Becky Scharnhorst's latest, My School Stinks! (Philomel Books, 2021).

Our young scholar finds a way to adapt to his new school. After all, Betsy the Beaver has stopped chewing up his pencils and just sharpens them for him daily. His class job is cleaning the closet, where he finds dead bugs to trade with Sammy the Snake for all his desserts in the lunchroom.

And Mom and Dad finally believe him when they come to OPEN HOUSE!

Artwork by illustrator Julia Patton backs up the scene at Wildwood Elementary with jolly spot art that pictures the beastly goings-on, and Scharnhorst's Wildwood Elementary School tale provides an introduction to comic scary school stories like the classic The Teacher from the Black Lagoon series.

The Museum Makers! The Collectorsby Alice Feagan

Winslow and Rosie were building an impressive collection of natural wonders.

In fact, the two girl adventurers have a charming tree house home in a spreading oak, and they have almost completely covered one wall with shadow box frames filled with the products of their explorations. Only one space is left to be filled.

The two friends made the perfect team.

Winslow leads the expeditions, hoping to locate unusual finds in unusual places. Rosie researches and identifies the finds, recording them with drawings in her journal.

One morning they realize that there is only one place left on the exhibition wall. They are determined to fill that place with something spectacular, something novel!

So they packed their gear and set off into the forest.

It's not long before Winslow spots an outcroping with a huge purple gemstone! But it's just too massive to move! Then Rosie discovers the skeleton of a T-Rex that needs excavation, but digging out the whole thing is just not do-able! Other items they like are located too high on a tree and too deep in a lake. Finally, their luck takes a turn for the better. They venture down deep into a wide cave, until the headlamps reveal an sleepy, angry...... BEAR!

AHHHHHHHHH!!

The bear gives up the chase on the way down the mountain, but Winslow and Rosie don't stop running until they are inside the latch their own front door. Their finds bag is empty, and so is that empty space still on their specimen wall.

Maybe enough is enough! Or maybe there is a different way to look at nature at home!

And soon the intrepid but also handy adventurers create a window in that space, one through which they can look out on nature any time they want and find many wonderful things. And they are just in time to watch a nestful of eggs hatching in a tree outside, in Alice Feagan's The Collectors (Kids Can Books, 2021).

Author-illustrator Alice Feagan's story of adventuring girl naturalists is told in crisp text and terrific cut-paper illustrations of her outgoing explorers' own little nature museum which may inspire primary graders to seek out and curate their own nature collections.

Writes Booklist, "Muted but detailed digital artwork confers the aesthetic of an old, well-loved museum onto the page ...."

Job Swap: Dogs At Work by Margaret Cardillo

THERE THEY GO. WHAT DO THEY DO ALL DAY?

SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF US!

WHAT IF--our dogs all went out to work all day? What are kids supposed to do? Kids need someone to take care of them--to notice if they are happy--or not! Who will take them out for a walk...or stop them from unwinding all the toilet paper? Who will see that they have something to eat... Who will keep them safe... or give them cuddles and good night kisses?

WHAT IF THEY NEVER COME BACK?

Dogs (and other assorted pets) dress up in their working clothes or uniforms and head out to the job, boarding the bus and going out into the world to do very important things, like emcee a TV show, run for mayor, rescue people in fire trucks or helicopters or on skiis, read to toddlers in the library, herd sheep, or deliver the mail! And the kids miss them a LOT!

But, wait! Someone's coming in the door!

HERE THEY ARE!

I KNEW YOU WOULD COME BACK!

Author Margaret Cardillo turns the tables on tots and their pets, in her latest, Dogs at Work: Good Dogs. Real Jobs. (Balzer and Bray, 2021), as kids wait in their empty homes, while their pets go out to do the work of the world.

Being a kid's best friend is an important job, but in her book's Barkmatter (Backmatter), author Cardillo also describes actual working dogs doing their jobs--lobster-diving dogs, truffle-sniffing dogs, herd dogs, search and rescue dogs, fire service dogs, therapy and guide dogs, and sled and hauling dogs, as well as a "Furrier" Further Reading, and online sources. Noted artist Zachariah Ohora furnishes the jocular illustrations of real and comic dogs doing their thing to add to the fun of this turnabout pet tale.

Says Publishers Weekly, "The scenes showing canine morning and evening commutes represent lovely moments of deadpan humor, and each image reminds readers of what they love best about their pooches: their tenacity and steadfastness, whether at home or on the job."

No Surprises, Please! Tuesday Is Daddy's Day by Elliot Kreloff

"I AM LUCKY. I HAVE TWO ROOMS!"

Her room at Mommy's has a big blue polka dot bed. At Daddy's she has a cozy pink loft bed with a ladder.

MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAY ARE AT MOMMY'S. TUESDAY AND THURSDAY IS AT DADDY'S.

On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, she alternates. With Mommy she swings at the park. With Daddy and Harry she visits the pet store. At both Mommy's and Daddy's, she likes noodles with butter and cheese better than broccoli, artichokes, and green pesto.

But one Tuesday after school, Daddy is not there. Mommy is! Mommy says he's doing something important and she will take her to Daddy's house. By this time the girl is having a "No changes in my routine, please" meltdown and refuses to get on the bus.

"TUESDAY IS DADDY DAY!" SHE SOBS.

Mommy has to hail a taxi, but when they get to Daddy's house, he's not there yet. Is he walking the plank on a pirate ship? Abducted by aliens? Harry says Daddy has a surprise.

"I DON'T LIKE SURPRISES!" SHE CRIES!

But when Daddy comes in with a small fuzzy puppy for her, she does have just the name for him--

"SURPRISE!"

In Elliot Kreloff's latest, his nicely paced storytelling portrays a couple doing their best to be the best kind of co-parents, cooperating in making two loving homes for their preschool daughter, and his faux-naif crayoned illustrations tell the story visually with aplomb. Author-illustrator Kreloff builds just enough tension and suspense into his text and pictures to draw young children into this gentle story of patience in shared parenting. As a bonus he appends a bonus page of advice for new puppy owners. Says School Library Journal, "For libraries looking for more titles on this topic, this is a perfect choice."

Three's A Crowd! Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes, He Did!) by Ryan T. Higgins

Norman the porcupine is not really a normal porcupine.

NORMAN'S BEST FRIEND WAS MILDRED.

MILDRED WAS A TREE.

They spend a lot of time together, playing baseball and chess, and birdwatching. (Birds like Mildred, too.) Norman even reads her bedtime stories. They are a perfect pair.

Until one day, Norman noticed a seedling sprouting.

"WHO IS THAT?"

"IT WAS ANOTHER TREE!"

Their perfect pairing was no more. And as the little tree grew, he and Mildred grew close and closer. NOW it was a threesome. And one ominous day, Mildred and the other tree touched branches. Norman is jealous!

THIS IS THE LAST STRAW!

By dark of night, Norman digs up the other tree, deposits him, root ball and all, into a wheelbarrow and pushes it through darkness until he comes to a lake. He rows to an island far out in the middle of the lake, where he digs a hole and re-plants the tree all alone.

THE OTHER TREE WAS GONE.

Norman and Mildred are a twosome again. But their easy companionship is gone. Mildred seems droopy. And Norman knows why.

"WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

"WHAT IF IT WAS THE WRONG THING TO DO?"

Norman also worries that his perfidy might have been seen by someone else. It was dark, very dark, and he saw no one, so who could have observed his dastardly deed?

OMG!

"OH, NO! THE TREES!"

Norman knows what he must do and he does it, in Ryan T. Higgins' latest, Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes, He Did).

Author Higgins' reformed hero even finds that a treesome threesome can provide a good place to hang his hammock! Ryan T. Higgs is a prolific source of comic hits for the primary set, such as Mother Bruce (Mother Bruce, Book 1) (Mother Bruce Series, 1) and We Don't Eat Our Classmates! (Penelope).

Says Publishers Weekly in a starred review, "...an astute and endearing story of displacement anxiety.... Higgins knows exactly when to go in for a close-up and focus on Norman's comic sturm und drang. The porcupine is a protagonist that readers should find deeply relatable: reveling in unconditional love, prone to impulsiveness and rumination, and absolutely capable of self-redemption."

TIME OUT! Biscuit Plays Ball by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

 

"IT'S TIME TO PLAY BALL, BISCUIT!"

"WOOF! WOOF"

The girl tells him to sit and watch by the bleachers. Puppies love ballgames. But little Biscuit doesn't know the rules! And Biscuit doesn't want to stay.

HE WANTS TO PLAY!

And when the ball is in play, Biscuit rushes to chase it--and grab it! Uh-oh! One bite, and that kickball is a dead ball!

No more kickball game! But here comes a boy with a bat and and a baseball in his puppy Puddle's mouth! Okay, everyone. Batter up!

WOOF WOOF! BOW WOW!

The pitcher delivers her best fast ball.

But Biscuit beats the batter to the ball. The chase is on, and Biscuit is on the run!

It's TIME OUT! at the old ball game, when Biscuit tries to get into the play action in Alyssa Satin Capucilli's Biscuit Plays Ball (My First I Can Read).

Capucilli's early reading series hits a home run when it comes to early readers, especially with the absolutely adorable illustrations by Pat Schories. With plenty of visual cues and controlled vocabulary, this one is out of the park for rookie readers.

Witty in Pink! Pink by Lynne Rickards

One morning Patrick the Penguin woke up to a SURPRISE!

HE WAS PINK FROM HEAD TO FOOT!

A quick trip to the penguin pediatrician Dr. Black found nothing wrong--except that Patrick was no longer feathered in basic black and white.

"I'M A BOY! BOYS CAN'T BE PINK!" PATRICK CRIED.

His dad consulted his BIRDS OF THE WORLD BOOK.

"FLAMINGOS ARE PINK," MUSED HIS DAD. "AT LEAST HALF OF THEM ARE BOYS."

The kids at school are quite taken aback at his change from being black! Patrick decides he does not like being different! He packs his backpack and sets off to swim to Africa where the flamingos live and his pinkness won't stick out in the crowd!

But after swimming for seven days he finds that he's still different. They have long, long legs and wade deep in the lake where they spear fish for lunch. Patrick's flippers are way to short. And when the flamingos nap, they stand on one of those long legs and put their heads under their wings. Patrick really tried to follow the crowd.

HE WAS HOPELESS.

AND WHEN SUNSET CAME, THE FLAMINGOS FLAPPED THEIR WINGS AND ROSE INTO THE AIR LIKE A BIG PINK CLOUD.

And Patrick sees that being pink on the outside doesn't make him a flamingo. It's a long swim back to the South Pole for Patrick, a trip only a true penguin could carry off, in Lynne Rickard's Pink! (Windmill Books/Wacky Bee Books, 2020). Sometimes changes in latitudes do not make for a change in aptitudes! Rickards's back-to-basic-black pink penguin tale humorously points out that most differences in outward looks can be less unimportant when it comes to whom you are inside, backed up by Margaret Chamberlain's humorous illustrations of a penguin trying out flamingo-hood.

DOWNFALL! Pig the Slob by Aaron Blabey

PIG WAS A PUG, AND I'M SORRY TO SAY,

WAS SHOCKINGLY LAZY, SUCH A SHAMEFUL DISPLAY.

HE LIVED IN A FLAT... HORIZONTAL POSITION,

WHICH LEFT HIM IN TRULY APPALLING CONDITION.

Yes, sadly Pig the Pug (a breed known to be fond of feeding) has become a devoted "couch potato" who lies day and night on the sofa, consuming comestibles constantly, downing mozzarella sticks and pizzas with a candy chaser, and exercising only when he changes the channel on his TV remote.

SWIPE. . . STARE. . . REPEAT!

His mild-mannered co-dog and sometimes friend Trevor, a timid but trim Dachshund, repeatedly warns him that he should change his ways, get off his fat bottom, and do some jogging. But the aptly-named Pig only grows more gross, and his sofa is more of the same, piled high with wrappers, paper cups, drinking straws, and assorted disgusting gnawed-upon bits of fast food.

HIS REPLY WAS QUITE TART.

HE SIMPLY SAID "NO," AND UNLEASHED A FART!

But Mother Nature, particularly as represented in the tensile strength of their apartment's flooring, has her limits, and in time nature follows its course (of course). The floorboards under Pig the Pug's sofa begin to fail, groaning and splintering and finally exploding beneath him, dumping Pig unceremoniously somewhere in the cellar with other disgruntled tenants. Luckily, Pig the Pug's well-developed avoirdupois serves well to soften his descent.

Will Pig the Pug ever change his greedy ways?

Well, sort of, in the noted Aussie humorist author-illustrator's Pig the Slob (Pig the Pug) (Scholastic Press, 2020.

Pig the Pug may work at physical conditioning diligently for a while, but in Aaron Blabey's laugh-out-loud picture books of this odd couple of dogs, Pig seems always to find, er, a new "avenue" for his greediness, much to the amusement of youngsters of preschool and primary grades. Blabey's best-selling rhyming tales of his odd pair of dogs include his trick-or-treat tale, Pig the Monster (Pig the Pug), his Christmas story, Pig the Elf (Pig the Pug), his Pig the Stinker (Pig the Pug), Pig the Tourist (Pig the Pug), Pig the Fibber (Library Edition) (Pig the Pug), and Pig the Winner (Pig the Pug). Couch potatoes and sofa snackers will relish these tasty tales of Trevor and especially Pig, who always gets his, um, just desserts! With plenty of titters and giggles along the way, Aaren Blabey's theme, that being greedy often leaves us needy, finds its mark.

"Lights Out! Sweet Dreams!:" Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed by Eileen Christelow

"IT'S BEDTIME FOR MONKEYS! NOW TURN OUT THE LIGHT." "OH, MAMA! OH, PLEASE! ONE MORE STORY TONIGHT!" BUT MAMA'S TOO TIRED. SHE'S READ MORE THAN FOUR. "LIGHTS OUT! SWEET DREAMS!" SHE CLOSES THE DOOR.

But there are lots of irresistible books left behind:

"IF MAMA WON'T READ IT, THEN MAYBE WE COULD!"

Five little monkeys take turns reading Where's That Puppy? First they weep and then they celebrate when the little lost puppy is found, bringing a grouchy Mama back to the door with a curt reminder: "What was it I said? No more reading in bed." But a scary ghost story beckons, and the monkeys can't resist making ghostly sounds to go along with the story, until something REALLY SCARY appears. It's MAMA, wearing bathrobe and slippers and a weary frown, and giving them a stronger still warning. But as the door closes firmly behind her retreating figure, one little monkey whispers:

"THAT STORY WAS SO CREEPY, I'LL NEVER BE SLEEPY."

And she has the perfect antidote to a ghost tale--a joke book. Soon the five little monkeys are trying vainly to stifle their snickers at the silliness until their giggles become a roar:

AND THEN CAN YOU GUESS WHO FLINGS OPEN THEIR DOOR?

Mama means business this time and to prove it she confiscates all their books and stomps out the door. But now the five little monkeys are too sleepy to protest and soon they are about to drift into dreamland at last when the sounds of weeping and then giggling from down the hall rouse them again. Of course, we can all guess who's reading in bed this time, and the five little monkeys finally get their turn to deliver that now famous line to Mama.

"OH, MAMA, WHAT WAS IT YOU SAID? LIGHTS OUT! SWEET DREAMS! NO MORE READING IN BED!"

Eileen Christelow's storytime simian siblings are at the top of their game in this eighth installment in her best-selling Five Little Monkeys series, the forthcoming Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed (Clarion, 2011), a must-have bedtime story starring those irrepressible little monkeys. Christelow's trademark blackline and water-colored illustrations are exuberant, each of the five with a different expression and body language which provide lots of visual fun to fit with her fine versification. A not-to-be-missed story that puts in a plug for independent reading-- with even Mama unable to resist a good nighty-night tale and a promise that "tomorrow...we'll read more." To open and close the fun, Christelow's front endpapers feature the little monkeys reading everywhere--from the potty to the backyard swing--while her closing endpapers set the pace for snooze time with five snoring little ones surrounded by stars. A perfectly realized picture book! Kirkus Reviews also gives this one a thumbs-up: "Christelow's silly simians are just as bouncy as they ever were.... Reading promotion at its best, with a little bit of bad behavior to spice things up!"

Movin' On Up! Graduation Groove by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hernbrook

Got the graduation groove,

In my kindergarten feet.

I'm zipping up my gown.

To a first-grade beat.

The members of the class are gowned up, trying on their mortarboards, posing for pictures, filled with fun of celebration, and a bit nervous about moving on to Grade 1 and all the newness it promises. It's been quite a year of new things to know--different friends, letters and numbers, and field trips to new places, but now the graduation bus is taking them to a ceremony and what lies ahead of that!

Got the graduation groove

In my kindergarten knees.

I'm waiting on the stage,

When suddenly... I FREEZE.

It's a big moment, one of life's many transitions, full of thoughts of all they've done and learned, the friends they made, their lonely class hamster, left behind until first grade?

Movin' up is a happy-sad time. Like all graduations, there's that feeling of closing one door and walking through another. But after summer vacation, they'll all re-unite, feeling big and COOL, on the way to big school, in Kathryn Heling's and Deborah Hernbrook's brand-new "last day of school" book, Graduation Groove (Little Bee Books, 2021). The authors' rhyming quatrains sum up the feeling of the big event, and Artist Addy Rivera Sonda's jolly illustrations and endpapers recall happy Kindergarten days--games at recess, building tall towers, learning letters and numbers, Halloween costumes and Christmas parties, field trips to the dinosaur museum--all of which together combine just-right feeling of nostalgia and excitement about what comes next in first grade. Says Kirkus, "A solid pick for the end of a momentous year."

QUIET! SHHH! The Baby's Asleep by JaNay Brown-Woods

NOW DON'T MAKE A PEEP....

THE BABY'S ASLEEP!

Mom creeps out of the room on the quietest of feet, worrying that the slight creak of the floor will wake the baby, who is finally asleep!!

But there's a whole big family downstairs, each one with his or her own noise potential.

Daddy's hungry stomach rumbles and Granny's washing swishes, and Pop Pop's big ACHOOS might end Baby's snooze! Sister Shae's hair dryer's whir gets shushed, as well as Dante's little hammer and Rover's howls.

Now what's that loud noise from next door?

MR. YOUNG'S MOWER ROARS!

UH OH! WAAAHHHHHH!

That does it! The baby is awake and bawling. Then big brother has an idea.

"YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NEED IS A GOOD BOOK TO READ!"

And brother Dante is at least partly right. Daddy reads and Baby loves the book, while the rest of the family slip into sleep, in JaNay Brown-Woods' brand-new picture book, Shhh! The Baby's Asleep (Charlesbridge Press, 2021).

With clever rhyming couplets with plenty of onomatopoeic words just right for read-aloud fun, and with artist Elissabura's bright caricatures of a multigenerational family and colored lettering that tracks the sounds through the not-quite-quiet house, this is a fine story for all the families who have ever been hushed or shushed while baby sleeps, or not. Says Kirkus, "Delightful comic relief for every household with a baby."

The sky's the limit. You can wield a hammer as a MAKER, or stir up something delish as a BAKER!

WHAT WILL YOU BE?

You can dress up fancy--be awesome at fashion. Or you can play your trumpet with great passion.

You can find your place in a great big city, or out in the country where it's green and pretty.

You can dance in a show, or coax awesome flowers to grow.

KNOWING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, OR CHOOSING ALONG THE WAY!

You can be an intrepid trowel-wielding archaeologist and and make an awesome FIND. Or you could decide what to wear, finally making up your MIND.

You can put out many a fire, or choose to inspire. You can fly high in the sky, or dive deep under the sea. There are so many ways...

TO BE AWESOME TO ME!

Although parents may come to groan at the repetition of that word which has come to be the universal kid superlative, the truth is that the choice of occupations and other endeavors for today's tykes is, well, AWESOME.

No more mere "tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor...." The list of choices of occupations and avocations and just ways to be waiting for today's preschoolers is almost unlimited, as shown in author Jess Hitchman's and illustrator Vivienne To's recently published All Kinds of Awesome.

Author Jess Hitchman finds just the right rhymes, and illustrator Vivienne To's exuberant youngsters of all sorts having the times of their lives are inspiring to preschoolers and early graders. Writes School Library Journal, "...Pictures and sound of the words will be pure fun for preschoolers while older readers will appreciate the message that there are enough kinds of awesome to include them and their passions."

Kitty Care! Maisy Gets A Pet by Lucy Cousins

Maisy's friend Penguin's cat has had four kittens, and she invites Maisy over to meet them. It seems that little tiny kittens are everywhere.

"WE NEED TO BE VERY GENTLE WITH THEM," PENGUIN SAYS.

But the kittens are not worried! The orange one chases a ball, the gray one climbs from the chair to the table, the spotted one rolls around on a small rug. And...

THE LITTLE BLACK KITTEN CLIMBS ONTO MAISY'S LAP.

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A KITTEN HOME?" ASKED PENGUIN.

It's no contest! The little black kitten has made her choice.

Of course Maisy names the kitten Little Black Cat and takes her home in a small carrier with a blanket and some cat toys. The kitty is shy at first, missing her mommy and litter mates, but soon she begins to explore her new home, and Maisy learns a new lesson.

LOOKING AFTER A PET IS LOTS OF WORK!

Every day there is feeding and watering, and every day . . .

MAISY CLEANS UP THE LITTER BOX!

There are more experiences ahead such as meeting Dr Furgood, the vet, and trying to get her kitty to sleep in her own bed ahead for Maisy, in the bright and shiny, new American edition of Maisy Gets a Pet (Candlewick Press, 2020 First American ed.) by Lucy Cousins, an author-illustrator so famous that her books are typeset in a font named after her! Cousins' thick black line style and strong primary colors are instantly familiar, as are her many charming books that prepare the preschool set in Candlewick's series A Maisy First Experience Book.

Midwinter's Eve: The Secret Staircase (Brambley Hedge) by Jill Barklem

Everything was sparkling in the frosty winter sunshine, and greetings of "Merry Midwinter," rang out among those who were dragging greenery--holly and chains of ivy and mistletoe--toward the Old Oak Palace.

LORD WOODMOUSE AND PRIMROSE, HIS DAUGHTER, OPENED THE DOOR.

"ARE YOU TWO READY FOR TONIGHT?" LORD WOODMOUSE ASKED PRIMROSE AND WILFRED.

A GRAND ENTERTAINMENT WAS PLANNED AND PRIMROSE AND WILFRED HAD CHOSEN TO GIVE A RECITATION.

Many of the mice of Brambly Hedge were inside the Palace, decorating and preparing the feast for the festival of Midwinter. But Primrose was not sure they had completely memorized their parts, and Wilfred's costume was barely in the planning stage. Lady Woodmouse, busy making carraway biscuits in the kitchen, gave them a snack basket of bread and cheese and shooed them up to the attic to look for outfits and practice their lines.

With good intentions, the two youngsters scamper up the stone steps to the attic area, where there are so many amazing things to investigate that they decide to explore first, especially when through a keyhole, Wilfred spies another enticing flight of stairs.

"IF THERE'S A KEYHOLE, THERE MUST BE A KEY!" SAID PRIMROSE.

The key searched out, the two climb to the attic of Old Oak Palace, where they find a child's bedchamber and a chest filled with wonderful jeweled clothing, perfect for their part in the program. Outside through a lavish golden-grilled window, they see that the lowering sun is growing red, and they begin to practice their lines in earnest.

WHEN THE DAYS ARE THE SHORTEST, THE NIGHTS ARE THE COLDEST,

THE FROST IS THE SHARPEST, THE YEAR IS THE OLDEST,

DRESS IN YOUR RICHEST AND FINEST AND BEST.

WINTER HAS BROUGHT YOU THE WORST IT CAN BRING,

AND NOW IT WILL GIVE YOU

THE PROMISE OF SPRING!

Humans have long felt the appeal of the ancient celebration of the turning of the year, the winter solstice, the nod to ancestral assemblages as old as known time, as in this book in Jill Barklem's celebrated Brambly Hedge series, The Secret Staircase (Brambly Hedge) (HarperCollins), in which two mischievous mouse friends find their roles in the mysteries and connections that link them to their ancestors and bind them together with their community.

This novel is filled with the attraction of young readers to tales of olden times, especially for those who may be drawn by the enchantment of books such as The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings series, and C. S. Lewis' Narnia books beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Beasts of Grimheart, from the Longburrow series), and of course the Harry Potter series, and the many books of hidden doors that lead to enchanting worlds just beyond.

This book about the ancient promise of springtime is offered in lovely prose, charming illustrations, and an intriguing setting for young readers just stepping into the great traditions of the English fantasy novels.