OOO-LA LA LA!

Nancy Clancy and her best friend Bree can't wait for the up-coming Bubbles Party, celebrating their science unit on the wonderful things they've learned about bubbles!

But then Nancy gets horrendous news (fancy for really bad!) from Bree: she is sick and won't be back to school until Friday. Nancy is sad that her friend will miss performing in the spendiferous bubble show in the school auditorium! Her class will be demonstrating everything they can do with bubbles. It's too bad that Bree will miss all the fun!

But while Nancy is telling her family all about the Bubble Show, she gets an idea.

"SUDDENLY AN IDEA GOES POP IN MY HEAD!"

Nancy and her class rehearse their own Bubble Party play just for Bree when she gets well and returns to class!

And the kids perform a Bubble Ballet Party to entertain Bree and help her catch up with all the splendid things to know about bubbles. Bree even asks the kids to perform the whole show again so that she can blow the biggest bubble yet!

Fancy Nancy and Friends are always happy for a chance to dress up and perform, as in Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy: Bubbles, Bubbles, and More Bubbles! (Harper I Can Read Level 1), combining consideration for a member of the class and showing off their knowledge of the scientific properties of bubbles. With the familiar comic illustrations of artist Robin Preiss Glaser, this one is as light as a feather (er, bubble).

Turnip Cake, Anyone? A Birthday for Cow by Jan Thomas

Pig and Mouse have volunteered to make the birthday cake!

"THE BEST EVER!"

Pig and Mouse assemble their utensils: measuring cups, a big bowl, whisks and spoons, and a big baking pan. Pig and Mouse assemble their ingredients: eggs, milk, flour and sugar. But Duck has one more.

"AND A TURNIP?"

Mouse nixes the turnip. Now they have to mix the ingredients with ...

A TURNIP?

NO. A SPOON! Mouse says.

The bakers are ready to put the pan of cake batter into the oven.

"CAN A TURNIP GO IN, TOO?" DUCK INQUIRES.

Yikes, No way, Duck! But when the fragrant cake is done, they have to put something on top of it.

"NO TURNIPS, DUCK!"

Mouse suggests birthday candles! And just in time, the birthday cake is ready. And here comes Cow, right on cue!

"IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?" SAYS COW.

And, Yes, dear reader, COW means ....

The turnip, just for him!

It's different strokes for different critters, in Jan Thomas' early readers' hilarious noodle tale, A Birthday for Cow! (The Giggle Gang)(The Giggle Gang) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), in which Cow gets his heart's delight, and Mouse and Pig get to eat their own cake all by themselves. Everyone gets what they want. It's a simple story of the best birthday party EVER! With its thick blackline drawings and multicolored pastel pages, this clever noodle tale offers plenty of visual clues and repetition of key words to help beginning readers tackle reading this story all by themselves.

And now... is there leftover cake for successful readers?

Pair this classic with Jan Thomas' other delightfully silly beginner reader books, such as What Is Chasing Duck? (The Giggle Gang) and What Will Fat Cat Sit On? (The Giggle Gang)

Compare and Contrast! Black and White by Debora Vogrig

WHITE WAKES UP...

... And as dawn lightens the sky, the brightening White slips insides the sleeping silhouetted buildings, seeking her friend Black, hiding, as he often is, under the bed. White pushes under the bed, and finds her friend.

"HEY! STOP PUSHING! YOU'RE SQUASHING ME! BLACK GRUMBLES."

White has got places to go and things to do in the morning, but Black decides to trail along, turning into a dark octopus, gleefully squirting dark ink onto the spotless white!

Next he organizes the black ink to make the black spots of a speedy Dalmation running into a forest of birchbark tree trunks. White and Black are on a roll now, and together they make a white polar bear with black nose and a flock of two-toned penguins at the opposite pole.

Moving fast, White and Black form a racing herd of Zebras and a black panther in the rain forest and they go down to the sea flying the black and white Jolly Roger flag of a pirate.

And then it is Black's turn to creep into the landscape, creating those elongated evening shadows. The spiral of darkness begins to take charge.

But the two friends still have just enough light for a game with black and white chess pieces, a sing-along with the black and white keys of the piano, one more story on the black-and-white of the printed page--and just enough light from the crescent moon and a million points of light in the black sky.

It takes TWO, in Debora Vogrig's latest, Black and White (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2021).

Picture book gurus always advise choosing books for youngsters with vibrant colors, but, au contraire, this tour-de-force of picture book possibilities offers a bold sample of what can be done with black and white in the hands of an able author and an illustrious illustrator.

Working solely (but dually) with all-black and all-white pages, illustrator Pia Valentinis uses the contrasting markings of black-and-white animals to make each one easily recognizable in an eye-catching, brain-stimulating reverse-the field technique that illustrates the importance of differences, no matter how very diverse they can be.

Opposites attract, it seems, in this clever story of light and dark White and Black, working together to make their own world. "The story unfolds in short spare sentences that match the illustrations, both text and artwork presenting just enough for readers to fill in the details with their imaginations," says

Teatime Catastrophe: Phoebe Dupree Is Coming to Tea!> by Linda Ashman

PHOEBE'S AS PERFECT AS PERFECT CAN BE!

She's certainly one of the cool kids! It's quite the coup to travel in her company, and our girl hopes that everything will be a perfect as Phoebe. She even bathes her dog Louie, and prompts him to be on his best behavior. He's instructed to offer one paw to shake, and he's NOT to dig holes or jump in the pool!

NO SHEDDING! NO DROOL!

Phoebe's so clever and stylish, with plenty of smarts. She rates fine china, eclairs, and fruit tarts!

The table is set with pink tablecloth and matching flowers. It's ready ahead of time, by hours and hours. At last, says the clock, it is almost three. And right on time, Ding Dong, it's Phoebe Dupree! She greets Louie gently when first she comes in, with an appropriate little chuck of his chin. The teapot is fetched, and tea poured without a drip...

But the triple-tiered tea tray starts to slip...!

IT WOBBLES, I STUMBLE...THEN I TRIP...!

The eclairs fly through the air, Phoebe jostles a chair, and the table totters, with a tumble and a tip!

It's a teatime catastrophe, a hostess' disaster!

And then, to make things worse, Louie runs in from a dip in the pool. His shakes distribute equal amounts of pool water and... drool.

The party is a washout; is this teatime done?

"OH," SAYS PHOEBE, "THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN!"

And Phoebe IS perfect, displaying grace under pressure, as our would-be hostess with the mostest discovers, in Linda Ashman's delightful Phoebe Dupree Is Coming to Tea! (Candlewick Press, 2021). Consoled with some slightly smooshed eclairs and cookie shards, and with the lively, comic illustrations of Alea Marley documenting the calamity, a good time is had by all in an absolutely memorable tea party.

"Funny, subtly empowering, and sweet," is the verdict of Kirkus Reviews.

Wonderworldly! It Fell From the Sky by The Fan Brothers

IT FELL FROM THE SKY ON A THURSDAY.

It is a shiny, translucent, perfectly round thingie, with sinuous ribbons of soft color inside. Ladybug was the eyewitness. She said it bounced three times. Inchworm declines it bounced only two times, and after, all he was the counting expert. Frog shot out his long tongue and gave it a taste. It wasn't good. Adjusting his monocle, Grasshopper opined studiously....

"IT IS NOT OF EARTHLY ORIGIN!"

But just in case it was an earthly chrysalis, Luna Moth stood guard all night. But it didn't hatch. At sunrise Spider arrives and announces that the marvel is HIS. He claimed it fell right into his web.

NOBODY REMEMBERED THE WEB BEING THERE BEFORE, BUT IN FAIRNESS, NOBODY REMEMBERED IT NOT BEING THERE, EITHER.

No one dared question Spider as he begin to spin out grandeous plans to exhibit his treasure to the world. He named it WonderVille.

And with much construction assistance from the ants, WonderVille became a miraculous Mecca for multitudes of sightseers who came from far and wide. They grumbled when Spider raised the admission charge all too often, but they still came. He became fabulously rich, but the visitors from near and far kept coming and coming to see the celestial Wonder of the World, until...

They stopped coming.

WHERE HAD EVERYONE GONE?

THAT WAS BEFORE THE UNEXPECTED DISASTER!

Something with five nimble appendages reached down and snatched the wonder back up toward the sky.

Sic transit gloria!

Spider was ignored and the garden's inhabitants went back to their plebian lives, until. . .

. . . One night, inspired by the stars, Spider climbed high up to the dandelion's flower and started to spin again... . a giant web from tree to tree that was bound to capture more wonders from above...

And, as Hamlet said to Horatio, "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy," and as a wondrous assortment of otherworldly objects--pushpins and spools, legos and bottle caps--continued to fall from the skies, ripe for exhibit by an imaginative entrepreneur, Spider was back in business with his new and improved web of wonders, in The Fan Brothers' latest, It Fell from the Sky (Simon and Schuster, 2021).

In this wondrously illustrated modern fable of . . . what? The errors of exploitation and greed, the promise of seeing wonders in the flotsam and jetsam of the world? Whatever the moral of the tale might be, in this latest eye-catching work of art, tiny insects in their miniature natural world are depicted joyfully in the Fan Brother's latest picture book.

Says School Library Journal, "A whimsical story of what happens when an everyday item is suddenly seen through new eyes."

For more of the fantastic and fantastical artistry of the Fan Brothers, see their acclaimed https://booksforkidsblog.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Night+Gardener here.

Winning! Houndsley and Catina by James Howe

CATINA WANTED TO BE A WRITER.

Attired in her classy leaf-print caftan and with her cup of ginger tea, Catina seated herself at her writing desk to write a chapter of her book.

One day her friend Houndsley politely asked how her book was going. Catina reported that it was called Life Through the Eyes of A Cat and that it going splendidly, had seventy-three chapters so far, and would no doubt win her lots of prizes.

But when Houndsley asked politely if he could read it, he saw that it was full of wrong spellings crossed out and the first chapter, on mice, concluded with "I am bored writing abut mice. Who cares?"

Houndsley could not think of anything good to say about about her work, but he was honest.

"I AM AT A LOSS FOR WORDS," SAID HOUNDSLEY.

"I AM SPEECHLESS!"

"THANK YOU, HOUNDSLEY!" SAID CATINA.

"NOW I KNOW I WILL BE A FAMOUS AUTHOR!"

Every Saturday Houndsley made dinner for Catina and his friend Bert. They were not an easy pair to cook for. Bert only liked worms and seeds. And despite her cathood, Catina was a vegetarian.

But one Saturday night Bert praised his worms and broccoli aux poppy seeds. To please Catina, the worms were made of tofu, and she raved over the novel dish. Bert urged Houndsley to compete in the upcoming Cooking Contest, and Catina insisted that it was his duty to share his skills with the world. And, besides, the contest was going to be on TV!

The two persuaded Houndsley to enter the cookoff, and he prepared to show off his friends' favorite recipe, Three Bean Soup with Rice.

Houndsley arrived cheerfully for the contest, but it seems that nothing went the way it should.

First, a big can of tomatoes fell on his foot. Then the rice wouldn't get done. And in all the fiddling with the heat under his pot, Bert forgot to put any of the three kinds of beans in the pot. His three bean chili was a No Bean Bust!

"I THINK I BROKE A TOOTH ON THE RICE!" SAID ONE JUDGE.

"I DON'T TASTE ANY BEANS!" SAID ANOTHER JUDGE.

And all three judges laughed when the third judge suggested it should be called "No-Bean Soup!"

But an invitation from his best buddies to watch the fireflies come out consoles Houndsley, in revered children's author James Howe's gentle story about life's little failures, Houndsley and Catina: (Candlewick Sparks) (Candlewick Press, 2021).

Howe's tale of three friends, written for early chapter book readers, drolly stresses the wisdom that not everyone can win first prize and it's possible to do something just for the pleasure it brings to you and/or your friends. Mary-Louise Gay's pencil and watercolor illustrations are lively and expressive, interacting with and amplifying the text wonderfully. Howe's tales are a wonderful addition to the canon of beginning-to-read books, especially when two best friends help each other.

James Howe is the noted author of his perennial best-seller series, Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery and sequels, Bunnicula in a Box: Bunnicula; Howliday Inn; The Celery Stalks at Midnight; Nighty-Nightmare; Return to Howliday Inn; Bunnicula Strikes Again; Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow (Bunnicula and Friends) and his hit middle school series, The Misfits (Turtleback School and Library Binding Edition).

Good Sledding! A Sled for Gabo by Emma Otheguy

It's snowing!

Gabo wipes off the window and sees boys and girls from his new school pulling sleds up the hill and then coasting down, screaming. It looks like fun.

But Gabo has a shortfall in the snow gear department!

GABO DIDN'T HAVE A SLED.

He doesn't have warm wool socks, just cotton ones. He doesn't have snow boots, just sneakers. And his baby pom-pom hat is way too small this year.

"VAMOS A RESOLVER!" SAYS MAMI.

Mami solves the problems one at a time: Four pairs of socks are just as cozy as wool. Plastic bags over his sneakers keep the snow out as well as boots, and Mami's snow hat fits him perfectly when she rolls the brim up. Gabo is all set, except for the sled, that is.

Outside He meets his neighbor Mr. Ramos. He doesn't have a sled, but he invites Gabo in to meet his granddaughter. But Gabo is too shy.

Then Gabo meets his aunt and uncle. His aunt has something for him. She says it's a sled, but it looks like a plastic cafeteria tray to Gabo. He doesn't know what to say or do, until Mr. Ramos' granddaughter, Isa, and her big dog come running toward him.

"CAN I HAVE A TURN ON YOUR SLED?" ISA ASKED.

"I DON'T HAVE A SLED," GABO SAID SADLY."

"OF COURSE YOU DO!" SAID ISA.

She sits down on the tray and coasts to the bottom of the hill, shrieking all the way.

And then, so does Gabo, whooping all the way down, in Emma Otheguy's A Sled for Gabo (Atheneum Books, 2021). It's Gabo's first snow day, sliding downhill with his schoolmates and having his new friend over for dulce de leche as the sun slides down behind the snowy hill.

Ana Ramirez Gonzalez's bright and cheery illustrations and the author's sunny can-do approach look at all the possibilities to tell the story of a happy snowy day and promises many more such days with new friends and new places. Says School Library Journal, "Otheguy's unhurried, lyrical approach to the story's central problems are of a piece with the message that life is constantly presenting opportunities for happiness, if you know how to look for them."

Dressing Down! Something's Wrong by Jory John

Bear wakes when the alarm clock rings and begins his morning routine. Bath? Check! Water plants? Check! Breakfast? Check! Comb fur? Check! Try on gift from Grandma? Check!

"HMMM! WHY DO I STILL FEEL LIKE I'M FORGETTING SOMETHING?"

"SOMETHING IS OFF!"

Actually it's what he has on! Everyone he meets along the way acts flustered and fidgety when they see him. They fumble for words and give him THE LOOK, but no one says anything!

But when he walks away, we find out why. Deer mutters to himself:

"WHY IS THAT BEAR WEARING UNDERWEAR?"

Deer stands frozen in the creek asking himself the same question. So does Raccoon, who falls flat out of his tree, and Fox, who is fairly flummoxed at the very sight of Bear. Finally Bear, befuddled, has to find out what it is about him that is causing their uneasiness.

"SOMETHING IS WRONG!"

"I NEED A TRUSTED FRIEND WHO WILL BE HONEST WITH ME!"

And Bear knows that that friend is Anders the Hare, who asks the unspoken question on everyone's mind.

"COULD IT BE THAT YOU LEFT THE HOUSE WEARING UNDERWEAR?"

"GULP!"

Bear looks down and sees that he's still wearing Grandma's gift, a pair of too brief whities, too "tighty" and already beginning to split down the backside. He's absolutely mortified, until good friend Anders takes a page from Tom Sawyer whitewashing his fence, to convince the others that they need a certain undergarment to join the in-group, in the New York Times' best-selling kids' humorist Jory John's latest comic tale, Something's Wrong!: A Bear, a Hare, and Some Underwear (Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2021).

Author Jory John's attire advisory is ably assisted by the clever cartoon illustrations of Erin Kraan, whose final spread pictures all the forest animals, now nattily attired in their stylish whitie tighties. This newest picture book comedy imparts a bit of social wisdom and is guaranteed to deliver gallons of giggles for any group of early graders!

Quips Kirkus Reviews, "This underwear affair is wise, witty, and just brief enough.”

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."

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."

Gone, but Not Forgotten: Old Pearl by Wendy Wahman

Theo enjoyed feeding the birds at the park. He tried to toss the seeds to all the birds, but he especially liked...

THE BIRD WITH THE RAGGEDY WING.

but the quicker birds always got there first and got all the seeds. Theo worked his way through the rest of the birds and told the bird with the raggedy wing...

"YOU'RE A TOUGH OLD BIRD."

Theo put down a little pile of birdseed in front of the old bird. A big dog barked at them.

"ALL FOR YOU," THEO SAID.

But all the dogs kept barking, so Theo brought the old bird inside to his old playpen, fed her birdseed there, and named her Pearl. Pearl liked living in a safe house.

EVERY MORNING THEY SHARED APPLES WITH PEANUT BUTTER.

But one morning Pearl didn't wake up.

Theo did not want to go the the park anymore. But as more mornings came and went, Theo changed. His sadness faded and was replaced with good memories, in Wendy Wahman's Old Pearl, which deals gently with loss, especially the loss of a pet, with the traditional teaching that "it's better to have loved and lost than never to loved at all." Pair this one with Margaret Wise Brown's classic story, The Dead Bird, lovingly re-illustrated recently for a new edition by Caldecott artist Christian Robinson.

Lean On Me! Nook by Sally Ann Garland

NOOK WAS SMALL AND GENTLE.

SHE LIKED TO SIT WITH HER BACK PRESSED FIRMLY AGAINST SOMETHING SO THAT SHE COULD FEEL SAFE.

Indoors, she chose to sit in corners and in large, pillowy chairs and watch the others play together, and outdoors...

... HER FAVORITE PLACE WAS THE HOLLOW OF AN OLD TREE.

From her comfy spot, Nook watched the other youngsters play alone and with each other. Sometimes they asked her to join them, but she preferred to stay in her safe spot. The others knew that spot was Nook's place.

BUT HER SPIRIT FOLLOWED THE OTHERS WHEN THEY WENT BACK TO PLAY.

But one morning, everything changed. There was a big, grumpy badger sitting in her place against the tree, who snarled out a warning.

"MINE!"

Nook felt terrified, standing all alone, out in the open with nothing around her. But then she heard a strong voice behind her.

"THAT'S NOOK'S PLACE!"

Bear, Fox, Squirrel, and even Mouse stood right behind her, staring at the intruder. Badger refused to budge.

So Squirrel and Fox each took one of Nook's hands and led her off to the middle of the playground to play.

"YOU'RE WITH US!" THEY SAID.

In Sally Ann Garland's sweet story of shyness and friendship, Nook - A Book About Kindness, Inclusion, Confidence, Trust, and Friendship (Sunbird Books, 2021), timid Nook discovers that with friends who "have her back" she is not shy or fearful anymore.

Author-illustrator Garland's theme is a simple one of friendship and safety in numbers, and her appealing artwork, done in textured colored pencil and paint, portrays her timorous but charming little white lop-eared bunny perfectly, a true shrinking violet blooming in the warm light of friendship. It's a hopeful note for all the faint-hearted, which most of us are at some time in our lives, and especially affecting for those retiring preschoolers and primary graders who find it hard to venture right out into the middle of things.

Chipmunk's Quest! Chirp! Chipmunk Sings For a Friend by James Swenson

CHIPMUNK LIVED ON A ROCK.

MOST DAYS SHE SAT ON THE ROCK, CHIRPING FROM DAWN UNTIL THE STARS SHONE DOWN.

She chirped happy songs, bittersweet songs, and some days her songs were quite sad. Rock was a solid friend, listening faithfully, but what Chipmunk really wanted was a partner to sing songs with her, so one day she took leave of her friend on a quest to find someone to sing.

She met a pinecone who agreed to join rock in their special place, and Chipmunk joyfully carried Pinecone back to Rock's resting place.

BUT PINECONE'S TALENTS, LIKE ROCK'S, WERE OF THE LISTENING SORT.

But Chirp longed, not for another friend to listen, but a friend to sing with her. The quest was long. She met a nice log who agreed to join Rock and Pinecone, but try her hardest, Chirp could not budge Log. Exhausted by her failure, Chipmunk began to sing a bittersweet song. Raccoon heard the beautiful song and agreed to help move Log to Rock's place, but the two of them were not up to the job. But at least Raccoon joined Chipmunk in a sweet but sad song, one that so moved Moose that he came to see who was singing.

And Moose did it! Once he got Log rolling, he rolled all the way to Rock's spot. And now when Chip sings all her songs...

RACCOON AND MOOSE SING ALONG TOO.

In James Swenson's just published Chirp!: Chipmunk Sings for a Friend (Simon and Schuster, 2021), illustrated affectionately by celebrated artist Scott Magoon, finding a friend doesn't necessarily come easily, but while music is good, music with friends is the best.

As Booklist points out, "Nicely phrased and using repetition effectively, the text is strongly in touch with young children’s impulse to befriend inanimate objects that come alive in their imaginations."

Super Student! Super Milly and the Super School Day by Stephanie Clarkson

TODAY IS SUPERHERO DAY AT SCHOOL.

Milly is super creative. She makes her superhero costume with a cape made with foil and red tea towel with a hole (it doesn't show), her brother's yellow underpants, and big, peel-off M sticker.

Milly's very inventive, but that doesn't mean she thinks she has real SUPERPOWERS. She knows she has no X-RAY vision. She can't leap tall buildings (or even climb up the sides of skyscrapers) and her brother Joe always beats her to the last slice of toast.

And there is already an emergency at school!

WILLIAM'S MOM FORGOT THAT IT IS SUPERHERO DAY!

He's crying in the corner. Milly knows that a real superhero would whirl up a super cloud to change school clothes into superhero tights and a cape. But she can't do that.

Instead, she has a super idea. She peels off her big M, turns it upside down, and sticks it on William's chest.

BAM!

WONDER WILLIAM!

Then Amazing Archie must have green paint for his superhero's picture, but the selfish Spider Sid won't share! Smart Milly has a super solution.

ZAP!

WE CAN MIX BLUE AND YELLOW!

Being kind and imaginative is Super Milly's superhero power, in Stephanie Clarkson's latest, Super Milly and the Super School Day (Nosy Crow, 2021).

Super Milly's special powers are just what her class needs for Superhero Day. Artist Gwen Milwand provides the jolly blackline drawings of typical tykes for this story about just the Right Stuff to save the day. This one is a good read-aloud choice for teaching youngsters empathy as well as how to think outside the box!

A Little Help from Her Friends! Nothing Scares Spider! by S. Marendaz

SPIDER IS PLANNING A BIG ADVENTURE!

SHE WAS GOING TO BE AN EXPLORER.

"I AM GOING TO SEE THE WHOLE WIDE YARD!"

Her friends, Caterpillar, Bumblebee, and Ladybug, who lack her bite and web-weaving powers, are frightened for her.

"WHAT ABOUT FEARSOME FISH, HUNGRY BIRDS, AND THE CLEVER CAT???" THEY ASK.

Spider chuckles at her feckless friends. Spiders don't fear anything! she boasts.

And what about THEM, alone without Spider's defensive powers?

Spider expansively promises to leave a lifeline of web behind her for fearful friends to tug on if they need her powers.

BUT ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES!" SPIDER INSISTS.

Freedom at last, thinks Spider, making it to the tall trees, oblivious to the peckish redbird with an open beak about to dive down and have her for lunch. But suddenly there's TWANG and a tug on the web from Ladybug, who has detected an interloper in her flower. Dragged back, Spider grumpily points out the it's only Bumblebee backing into the bloom. Unaware of the bird, Spider hustles back to cool half of her feet in the pond, where a hungry Fearsome Fish is rising to the surface about to suck her in.

"TWANG!"

Back snaps Spider to where Caterpillar is cowering from something big and frightful behind him.

IT'S YOUR OWN SHADOW," SHOUTS SPIDER. "THIS WEB IS FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY!"

But when Spider returns to continue her adventure, she finds herself finally facing FEARSOME FROG--alone.

If ever Spider has needed a few good friends, it's now, in S. Marendaz's Nothing Scares Spider! (Tiger Tales, 2021), as the tables are turned in this funny story that proves that a friend in need is a friend indeed! And Spider learns that perhaps adventuring is better done with a retinue of those friends you can trust. Kids will enjoy seeing Carly Gledhill's hapless comic critters discovering their courage when they come to the rescue of their friend. It's one for all and all for one, in this story of fear and friendship.

"How Can That Be?" Elephants Do Not Belong in Trees by Russ Willms

THERE ONCE WAS A BIG BUSHY TREE WITH A FAT TRUNK WHICH SAT IN THE MIDDLE OF A WIDE MEADOW. MANY ANIMALS MADE THIS TREE THEIR HOME. . . .

Until the day an elephant moved right in.

"THIS IS MY NEW HOME!" SAID LARRY.

"ELEPHANTS DO NOT BELONG IN TREES!" THE OTHERS SAID.

Larry took up too much space in the tree. Bird wanted her babies' nest safe. Squirrel wanted access to his nut storage space. Monkey wanted to swing through the branches safely. Elephant is too big! But their grumbling didn't budge Larry.

But, WAIT! What's that?</p>

VROOM!

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

It was a BULLDOZER! And it was trying to push down their TREE! This cannot BE! But what can a bunch of little-bitty animals do to stop a bulldozer?

But Larry is BIG! He reaches down from his perch with his long trunk and slurps up all the pond water his long trunk can hold and . . .

SPLOOOOOSH!

And when Larry blows the bulldozer away, the others decide that maybe Larry does fit in after all, in Russ Willms' Elephants Do Not Belong in Trees (Orca, 2021). A friend in need is a friend indeed, and perhaps Larry is just the right size to share their tree. With comical characters and an unexpected surprise slapstick ending, preschoolers will love read-alouds of this simple story, while primary graders who can read this book themselves will understand this little lesson in finding a unusual friend in unexpected places.

Says School Library Journal, "Filled with delightful onomatopoeia and expressive changes in font to aid in dramatic story times, this quirky, humorous story will delight young children and invite discussion on acceptance."

Sea Monsters? Pirates? Shipwrecks? Oh, MY! The Quiet Boat Ride by Sergio Ruzzier

Under a bright morning sky, Fox launches his little rowboat into the tranquil pond. But before he can row away, Chick appears, full of questions, as usual.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, FOX?"

"I'M GOING FOR A QUIET BOAT RIDE."

"CAN I COME, TOO?" ASKED CHICK.

"I GUESS IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE QUIET..." SAYS FOX, NOT WITHOUT REGRET.

And Fox is right about that. As soon as they shove off, Chick begins asking questions. Can he be captain? Are there sea monsters down there under the water? Are there scary pirates on this pond? What about shipwrecks?

"I DON'T KNOW, FOX. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A QUIET BOAT RIDE!" LAMENTS CHICK.

"A QUIET BOAT RIDE WAS MY PLAN!" MUTTERS FOX.

Fox reluctantly rows the boat to the shore, and as they disembark, Chick kisses the ground. Safe at last.

And as Fox ruefully remarks, no encounter is quiet with Chick around, in Sergio Ruzzier's latest super easy beginning chapter book, Fox and Chick: The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories (Chronicle Books, 2019).

In a classic example of the folklorish "noodle" tale, Chick is the perfect "noodlehead," and Fox is the unlikely and patient "straight man," who tries to bring the clueless little chick up to speed in three gentle stories in which Fox is forced to explain how things work to his inquisitive little buddy. In the second story, "The Chocolate Cake" and the third, "The Sunrise," there's a laugh on every page for both adults or older kids who share this book with younger children just beginning to read on their own. With a cogent little tale of innocence and caretaking told in comic book-format, four frames to the page, this latest from author-illustrator Sergio Ruzzier is a little gem. Ruzzier's other Fox and Chick stories and other picture books include Fox & Chick: The Party: Book 1 and Fox & Chick: The Sleepover: and Other Stories. (See reviews here:)

Falling Apart: Stick With Me by Jennifer Blecher

Izzy and Phoebe had been best friends since their moms used to plop them down on the floor with squeeky toys so they could have some mom-talking time. But since mean-girl Daphne came into the picture, it seems Phoebe has no time for anyone else, certainly not Izzy. And to add to her gloom, there are those low-voiced conversations between her Izzy's mom and dad, always about money. Or not enough of it.

So much for Best Friends Forever and Happy Ever After.

Then Mom announces she's signed up with "Vacation Rentals" to make some extra money, and Izzy learns that Mom is "decorating" the upper floor of the garage, not to rent out to people to stay in while they visit nearby Boston, but for her family to stay in while the vacationers take over the house. Mom is thrilled with her first rental, a couple with a preschooler who need surgery in nearby Boston, and Mom adds, they have a daughter just Izzy's age who is a serious ice skater. Mom points out that Izzy used to love skating. And that's not all! For winter break, she's signed up Izzy and the skater for Theatre Camp together, where Phoebe and Daphne will doubtless be the leading ladies. Thanks, Mom, Izzy thinks.

The idea of staying in a small-town bed-and-breakfast doesn't please Wren either. She NEEDS the school break to prepare for the regionals, to work on her double lutzes with her trainer every day, not play "Let's Put On A Show" with a bunch of strangers. But at the first day of drama camp, Izzy and Wren hit it off; Wren is sharp enough to recognize Phoebe and Daphne's mean-girl tactics right away, and Izzy agrees to show her the local pond that may be frozen over enough for skating. Still, it's tense time for both families, and, with the example of her ex-BFF, Izzy is slow to warm to the purpose-driven Wren, who's not exactly thrilled with spending her practice time in a town too tiny to have an ice rink. And when she quarrels with her parents and with Izzy, Wren decides to take things into her own hands, and skates in hand, slips off in the twilight toward Willowy Pond.

Wren reached her left toe pick into the ice. It went deeper than she expected. The crack ran from the entry point of her toe pick to a few feet away. She lowered her body to the ice to distribute her weight. Its cracks splintered and grew. But it held. For now.

Wren didn't have a phone. Maybe her mom would call her name and realize she wasn't home. Or maybe not.

That was only half the problem. The other half was that nobody knew where she was.

But when Izzy hears that Wren is missing, she knowsinstantly where she must be.

A friend in need is a friend indeed, in Jennifer Blecher's taut tale of friendship found, as Izzy manages to get her new friend to safety, in Stick With Me (Greenwillow Books, 2020). Author Blecher is skilled with writing about the ups and downs of tweener novels, and this one appeals especially to the troubled re-alignments of friendship that middle graders face.

Says School Library Journal, "Blecher has a clear gift for writing about young girls who live on social margins, and the particular struggle of wanting to belong while staying faithful to one's self. Izzy and Wren are relatable heroines with flaws, impulses, and dreams that will resonate with young readers."

Woolly Bully! SHEEPISH (Wolf Under Cover) by Helen Yoon

SHHH! I'M PRETENDING TO BE A SHEEP!

A wolf in an obviously homemade woolly costume siddles his way into the school playground of little lambs who, although of, er, tender years, are smart enough to recognize the big kid with the long shaggy tail and pointy ears in line in the cafeteria. The wolf's menu aspirations are for roast lamb, and despite the savviest young sheep cowering under the tray line, he thinks his disguise is perfect. He decides to bide his time, ingratiating himself by chowing down on okra, and helping do up the lunchroom dishes and baking the bread in the kitchen, all the while dreaming of roast lamb, kabobs, and lamb-burgers.

"NOBODY SUSPECTS A THING!"

The wolf even reads the little lambs bedtime stories, and as he joins them in the dormitory, his plan is almost complete--until one sweet little lambkin gives him a bedtime kiss. AWWWWWW! So sweet!

"NOPE! I CAN'T DO IT!"

Will the wolf give up drooling over lamb stew and take up schooling with the little lambs in Helen Yoon's latest, Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover) (Candlewick Press, 2021)? It's the classic "wolf in sheep's clothing" tale, with a twist, in which the big, would-be bad wolf finds that he actually likes living with the sheep. Can this villain really make the switch and go vegan? Noted author-illustrator Helen Yoon has another laugh-out-loud fractured folktale about everyone's favorite storybook woolly bully, a villain turned into an old vegetarian softie! Says Booklist's starred review, "Amusing and endearing in equal measure, the detailed mixed-media illustrations use light beautifully in the outdoor scenes and effectively in the cafeteria-line picture, where the wolf’s shadow reveals his identity."

A Mutual Friend! Best Friend in the Whole World by Sandra Salsbury

ROLAND LIVED DEEP IN THE WOODS ALL BY HIMSELF.

Although he is alone, Roland is nattily dressed and keeps himself busy by drawing his woodsy scenery, dancing to music on his tabletop Victrola, and refreshing himself by brewing an occasional pot of tea.

BUT SOMETIMES HE WAS LONELY.

So for an occasional scene, he leaves his cozy home in the base of a big tree for a walk in the woods, quietly seeking...

. . . A FRIEND!

And one day Roland spots a face--a pinecone with two twig arms and... sad eyes! He looks like he needs a friend, too! So Roland takes him home and names him Milton. Milton seems to enjoy drawing and music and a nice cup of tea at times. Roland is happier than he has ever been, until. . . walking one day with Milton, he sees a poster clipped to a big tree.

MISSING!

POPKIN

BROWN

POINTY

QUIET

And there in the middle is a drawing of a pinecone named Popkin, who looks a lot like Milton! Roland is worried, but he consoles himself that Milton's name is not Popkin!

And the next day he finds another poster on a tree, with a drawing of the missing Popkin, last seen at a big log by the lake. And there's another, saying the missing friend loves puzzles, baking, and lemonade! That couldn't be Milton, could it? But the next day there are too many sad posters to miss. Milton IS his best friend, but Roland knows what he has to do. . . .

Sadly, he takes Milton to the little house in the big log by the lake, to a lonely little cat, who joyfully recognizes her best friend!

And lonely Roland learns he's not lost his best friend! He's found a new one in Sandra Salsbury's just published Best Friend in the Whole World (Peachtree Books, 2021). There's plenty of future friendship ahead--with tea and baked goods, and their new mutual friend, in this lovely story that promises no more loneliness. Author Salsbury's poignant text is well written and perfectly paced with illustrator Salsbury's elegantly simple artwork, moving the story along perfectly with each page turn.

"Life lessons gently told," says Kirkus Reviews.