Category: picture books

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Read Black KidLit: Beautiful Black Boy by Sophia Robinson & Ken Daley

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Beautiful Black Boy, by Sophia Robinson/Illustrated by Ken Daley, (Apr. 2026, Orchard Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781338864649

Ages 3-7

Beautiful Black Boy is a celebration of Blackness, inspiring young Black boys to feel confidence and pride. Each spread is an explosion of joy, with affirmational wording to fill readers with positivity: “Beautiful Black Boy, / You are strong. / You can do anything you set your mind to”; “Beautiful Black Boy, / You are full of hope. / Always live your life with an open heart and mind”. Powerful words, like strong, hope, resilient, and leader are bolded for emphasis; each spread incorporates the page’s verse into the illustration, building the words into the background. Bold and bright colors show a full range of active Black children smiling, their gazes turned upward; expressions of wonder and elation on their faces. Robinson’s words pair with Daley’s beautiful illustrations to show children they are seen, appreciated, and loved. A recommended first purchase for picture book collections.

 

SOPHIA ROBINSON was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. She has been an elementary school teacher for over 20 years, where she shares her love of picture books with her students.

KEN DALEY is an award-winning artist/illustrator and veteran educator for over twenty years from Tillsonburg, Ontario. His art and illustrations are inspired by his African-Caribbean heritage, and he has exhibited his work in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. Ken has illustrated numerous children’s books and has received an Américas Award Honor Book and a Kirkus Best Picture Book for Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings.

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, picture books, Teen, Tween Reads

Scholastic brought the party!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Scholastic has been bringing the party to librarians and bookish folk! First, we had the in-person Graphix celebrations and Comic-Con parties, and now we had a virtual LLX (formerly the American Library Association’s Midwinter conference, then LibLearnX) party where we got to see authors and Scholastic editors talk about some exciting upcoming Spring books. For those folks who got their responses in early, we got a box of ARCs AND candy!

Sour Patch Watermelon! (There was a Hershey bar, too, but that didn’t make it to the photo.)

There’s a great spread of books in this box and I’m hoping to read and report back on all of them. There are picture books: Mac Barnett and Carson Ellis’s newest collaboration, a retelling of Rumpelstiltkin; Rhea’s Rodeo, Laekan Zea Kemp and Raissa Figueroa’s gorgeous look at Mexican women’s rodeo; Mama Says I’m Fine, Brittney Cooper and Tanisha Anthony’s love letter to moms (their interview had me sniffling back tears: this book is just wonderful), and Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal’s Awe, which evokes that exact feeling with each turn of the page. 

Next, we have some graphic novels: Midsummer Sisters from Niki Smith; a moving story about the impact of divorce on stepsiblings who are as close as siblings and best friends, and Opting Out from Maia Kobabe and Lucky Srikumar, who bring us Saachi, a kid who is dealing with the usual friendship, sibling, and crush dilemmas, but also wants nothing to do with “blue-and-pink binaries”. This conversation was so good that I can’t wait to dive into these books… dare I bring them home this weekend and jump the TBR line?

Novels in verse are up next: Aida Salazar’s Stream, where two rising ninth graders meet after being sent to Mexico by their parents to unplug from the online world. If you’re thinking a sweet resort where they’re going to hang out by the pool all day, you’re wrong: they’re in locations without electricity or running water! Then we’ve got Perfect Enough by Meg Eden Kuyatt, a companion to Good Different (2023). Selah, the main character in Good Different, is back (still a dragon) and looking forward to spending her summer at writing camp… until she discovers that Ezra, her bully, is there too.

Finally, we have a YA novel that sounds outstanding: Goldenborn, by Ama Ofosua Lieb, which draws from Ghanian mythology to tell Akoma Ado’s story. She’s a teen investigating magical crime when she’s made an offer she can’t refuse by trickster god Anansi. It’s romantasy and I am here for it.

More goodies to come!

Posted in picture books

Sunny and the Birds speaks to a parent’s longing for home

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sunny and the Birds, by Wendy Meddour/Illustrated by Nabila Adani, (Feb. 2026, Crocodile Books), $18.95, ISBN: 9781623715663

Ages 3-7

A young boy named Sunny watches birds alongside his father, his father mentioning the very same birds that lived “back home”. Each time, Sunny declares that “this is our home”, and his father’s expressions become progressively more wistful. Realizing his father misses their home country, he and his grandmother plan a surprise for his father: a bird feeder that allows them to see all sorts of birds and share a new pastime in their new home country. The story’s flow lets readers know that Sunny’s family has recently located to a new country. Where we usually see how moves affect children, Meddour gives readers a glimpse into the bittersweet moments adults experience when starting life over in a new country. Connecting through birdwatching allows Sunny and his dad to get used to life in a new place while keeping a bridge to their homeland. Adani’s illustrations are cheerful and expressive with visual affection between a child and parent. Sunny and the Birds is an excellent choice for picture book collections and storytime. Consider displays including books like Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine, by Hannah Moushabeck and Reem Madooh, The Little House of Hope, by Terry Catasús Jennings and Raúl Colón, Where Butterflies Fill the Sky: A Story of Immigration, Family, and Finding Home, by Zahra Marwan, and Rosa’s Song, by Helena Ku Rhee/Illustrated by Pascal Campion.

 

Posted in picture books

Braided Roots: a foundation of family

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Braided Roots: The Interweaving of History, Family, and a Father’s Love, by Pasha Westbrook/Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight, (Nov. 2025, Orchard Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781339015385

Ages 4-8

A girl’s father braids her hair, helping her get ready for school. His strong hands weave the strands of her hair with colorful ribbons as he tells her stories of her ancestors, the Freedmen who walked “that beaten-down dirt path from Mississippi to Oklahoma”, the Trail of Tears. Her braid is a link to generations of family and their strength. Past and present weave together in this lyrical tale inspired by the author’s childhood. Braided Roots is a story of resilience, of family, and of enduring love between a parent and child. Goodnight’s digital illustrations are filled with warmth and love; moving between images of past and present, she returns to a father’s hands and his daughter’s hair and pair beautifully with Westbrook’s emphasis on the braid’s tenacity: “Our hair is our history… It tells us who we are, where we come from”. An author’s note provides further context. An excellent choice for collections.

Posted in picture books

A childhood memory brought to the page: Herring to Huckleberries

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

ɬagət̓ hiyt t̓oxʷʊm / Herring to Huckleberries, by ošil betty wilson/Illustrated by Prashant Miranda, (April 2025, Highwater Press), $21.95, ISBN: 9781774921180

Ages 6-8

Inspired by author ošil’s childhood as a member of the ɬaʔəmɩn (Tla’amin) Nation, Herring to Huckleberries is a bilingual picture book, written in the the ɬaʔəmɩn language and in English. Ošil’s favorite time of the year is spent with her grandparents on the southwest coast of British Columbia, harvesting foods from the sea and land. They fish, pick berries, dig for clams, and curl up together to fall asleep under the stars. ošil’s descriptions are vivid, so filled with an infectious joy, wonder and respect for the land. It’s a warm memory of time spent with family beautifully illustrated by Miranda, who uses deep natural colors to create the coastal setting. The characters are expressive and affectionate, portraying a loving family. A glossary and pronunciation guide, a map, author’s note, and list of traditional foods round out the back matter. Recommended for collections.

For more information about the ɬaʔəmɩn (Tla’amin) Nation, visit the Tla’amin Nation’s webpage and British Columbia’s Assembly of First Nations’ webpage.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Uncategorized

Enjoy the seasons from an Indigenous perspective: Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint?: Celebrating the Seasons, by Tyna Legault Taylor/Illustrated by Michelle Dao, (May 2025, Highwater Press), $18.95, ISBN: 9781774921227

Ages 5-8

Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint? celebrates the relationship between humans and the land as a First Nations child and his family move through the seasons. Told in three languages: English, Swampy Cree (n-dialect), and Anishinaabemowin, the story is narrated by Joshua, a young boy who revels in his relationship to the land; his favorite time of year being mint-gathering season. Josh and his dad spend time together in nature through Fall, Winter, and Spring; he drinks in the colors and feels of the surroundings of each time of year. In the Fall, he sees the leaves change color and animals prepare for the winter; in the Winter, the cottony snow brings the cold. In Spring, he sees the animals return and the land come back from a winter’s sleep, and in Summer, he feels the longer, warmer days and rejoices in the green around him. Each season he asks Dad if it’s time to gather the mint, and each time, his father describes what other work must be done: hunting moose and partridge in the Fall; ice fishing in the Winter; hunting geese and fishing for rainbow trout in the Spring. Finally, the Summer arrives, and with it, the time to gather mint! It’s a moving story of family and stewardship to our world. Vocabulary in Swampy Cree and Anishinaabemowin are color-coded in brown and green throughout, with English translations in the margins. Back matter includes a glossary and pronunciation guide along with a recipe for Mint from the Land Iced Tea, just like Joshua’s mother makes. A moving and important addition to season books for collections.

For more information and resources on the Swampy Cree, visit the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Center and the Swampy Cree Tribal Council. For information on the Ojibwe, who speak Anishinabemowin, visit the Minnesota Historical Society the Gladue Rights Research Database of Legal Aid Saskatchewan. Always check in with Debbie Reese’s American Indians in Children’s Literature website for recommendations on Indigenous creators and works.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Messi brings his magic to picture book biographies!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Messi’s Magic: How Lionel Messi Became the G.O.A.T., by Caroline L. Perry/Illustrated by Luciano Lozano, (Sept. 2025, Scholastic Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781546147534

Ages 4-8

Soccer Lionel Messi is a household name (and then some here in my library’s community), and he didn’t have an easy journey to success. This picture book biography starts with Messi’s beginnings as a small, shy boy who loved soccer and was cheered on by his grandmother, his biggest fan. Showing an aptitude for the game, he endured expensive medical treatments to stimulate growth so that he could continue playing; when he was accepted by La Masia soccer academy, he experienced loneliness and depression. Was it all worth it? Today, he’s won the most professional awards of any player, is known the world over, and has a happy, soccer-obsessed family of his own, just as he grew up with. Perry tells Messi’s story with a humanistic point of view, concentrating on Messi’s family relationships and feelings of isolation on the road to success. Lozano’s illustrations move from close-up facial expressions to further away spreads that highlight action, particularly on the soccer field. Back matter includes a Messi timeline and additional facts. If you have sports fans in your community, this is a good choice for biography collections. Download free activity sheets to share! I know our library will be picking this one up.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

When Bear meets Goldilocks, a big mess ensues!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bear and the Three Goldilocks, by Patrick Horne/Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino, (July 2025, Holiday House), $18.99, ISBN: 9780823455522

Ages 4-8

This flipped fairy tale serves as a cautionary tale when going camping. The Goldilocks family – Mr. Goldilock, Mrs. Goldilock, and Goldie Goldilock – head to the campground for a family trip, but sharp-eyed readers will see that the family is being watched by a curious bear, who wanders to their camp when the family goes for a hike. He samples their s’mores – too gooey, too chocolatey, juuuust right – and finishes the rest of the food, too; after all, “that’s how bears roll”. Bear tries out the family’s instruments, and finally, makes himself at home in Goldie’s tent, where he falls asleep. Baby Bear’s family arrives on the scene as the Goldilocks family discovers the mess, but as the family doesn’t understand bear language, Mr. and Mrs. Bear’s apologies and an invitation to come to their house for some porridge doesn’t go over well. The moral of the story: put your food in bear-proof containers when camping! Yaccarino’s illustrations are wonderful and have little details to enjoy, from Bear peeking out of the trees as the family arrives to a wolf confronting a young girl with a red hood at the story’s close. Horne’s storytelling makes for a funny, casual readaloud that will keep readers giggling. Pick this one up for your storytime collections.

Terry Pierce’s board book, Eat Up, Bear! is another fun story about campground safety; my interview with Terry also includes links to keeping campers and bears safe.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Zombees invade just in time for Halloween!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Zombees, by Justin Colón/Illustrated by Kaly Quarles, (July 2025, Simon & Schuster), $19.99, ISBN: 9781665922500

Ages 4-8

It’s Halloween, and something creepy is buzzing around the graveyard… can it be? Oh no! The ZOMBEES are here! This rhyming tale is sure to be a hit at Halloween read-alouds (or for good, old-fashioned spooky tales storytimes). The Zombees invade a quiet town on Halloween night, but what are they planning? “Are they hunting for a snack? Do they like the taste of veins? Have they come to eat your brains?” Nothing so gruesome: they want to share their special Halloween honey! But are the Zombees all they’re cracked up to be? Keep reading for a fun twist. The buzzing spooks sport colorful capes and goofy, tongue-askew expressions as they do their best midair shamble-flying; they decorate their antennae with eyeballs and spiders. Playful rhyme and adorable digital illustrations set off against bright white or murky green backgrounds set the tone for a Halloween read that kids will demand any time of the year. Download a free educator guide and activity sheets from author Colón’s webpage (and he’s got educator guides and activity sheets for his other books, too!)

Zombees has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Two books for a stormy day

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Island Storm, by Brian Floca/Illustrated by Sydney Smith, (July 2025, Neal Porter Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780823456475

Ages 4-8

A pair of siblings ventures out of their island home to “see the sea before the storm” in Caldecott Medalist Floca’s new picture book. They feel the storm germinating as they stroll: the wind blowing, the waves crashing against the rocks at the shore; they pass neighbors who encourage them to get home to safety and they see the streets empty. They urge each other on, wanting to see just a bit more, until the storm arrives with its full fury and sends them running back to home and safety. Filled with sensory verses, readers can imagine themselves walking along a shore, feeling the spray of water and hearing the branches sway in the wind. Repetitive phrases like “is this enough, or do we try for more” and “you pull on me, I pull on you” invites readers to be a silent companion on the adventure. Smith’s watercolor and gouache illustrations capture a storm’s progression from beginning to end, and Floca places readers in the middle of the hurried preparation: “We pass the island grocery store where neighbors have been stocking up. We pass places built for summer crowds, parks and docks and the ice cream parlor, where now there’s hardly a person in sight. Our town is eerie and empty – a stage without its show”.  A beautifully crafted book that will get return readers finding something new each time they dive in.

Island Storm has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Horn Book, Kirkus, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Shelf Awareness, and is an Indie Next selection.

 

Hurricane, by Jason Chin, (May 2025, Neal Porter Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9780823458493

Ages 4-8

Caldecott and Sibert Medalist Chin places readers on Hatteras Island, North Carolina during hurricane season. Alternating between the science of hurricanes and the day-to-day life of people in the hurricane’s path, Chin creates a fascinating look at the life cycle of a storm and how it affects the lives of those affected by one. Chin’s research is spot-on and he shines in communicating weather and climate science to a younger audience. By inserting readers into the lives of the Hatteras Island community, he creates a textured experience that engenders empathy and understanding beyond the meteorologists and technology. There are callout boxes with greater detail and detailed maps throughout; Chin uses the maps to chart the storm and stoke interest and anticipation of the moment the storm arrives. Readers can follow along as the community weathers and recovers from the storm, relying on one another to “get through it together”. Generous back matter includes detailed illustrations and information on hurricane season, structure, the hurricane naming process, and climate change’s role in hurricanes. An excellent pick for nonfiction collections.

Hurricane has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Horn Book, Shelf Awareness, and BookPage.