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Rainy Day for Tortas Fritas! Yum!

Posted on October 7, 2025October 6, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Rainy Day for Tortas Fritas, by Lau Moraiti, (Sept. 2025, Paw Prints Publishing), $21.99, ISBN: 9781223189147

Ages 5-8

It’s a rainy day in Uruguay, and that means one thing: it’s time for Dad to make his tortas! “Crispy and golden on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside”, tortas are a doughy treat that can be enjoyed with sugar, dulce de leche, or jam, and our narrator can’t wait for Dad to get in the kitchen. This fun family story is full of family, fun, and food: the perfect way to cheer up a dull and rainy day. Phonetic spelling under some words helps kids with pronunciation of new words like mate (mah-teh) and dulce de leche (dool-zeh deh leh-cheh). The chaos of waiting as the kids play a game and not-so-patiently await the tortas adds playfulness to the story, and the stretchy, colorful fonts make for a fun readaloud. A note from the author explains her father as the inspiration for the story and a tasty recipe for tortas fritas makes sure to suggest an adult’s help. A cute additional purchase for picture book collections.

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Jasper Rabbit goes Twilight Zone with Creepy Tales

Posted on September 27, 2025September 26, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Troubling Tonsils! (Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales), by Aaron Reynolds/Illustrated by Peter Brown, (Sept. 2025, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), $13.99, ISBN: 9781665961080

Ages 6-9

Kids (okay, and adults) who loved the earlier adventures of Jasper Rabbit, hero of Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Crayon!, and my personal favorite, Creepy Pair of Underwear!, get ready: Jasper is back with a new chapter book series, Creepy Tales. The first up is Troubling Tonsils!, the strange story of Charlie Marmot, an average, everyday marmot who lives in a house, wears clothes, and goes to school. Charlie’s looking forward to Halloween when he develops a sore throat; Mom brings him to the doctor, and the verdict is in: it’s tonsilitis, and the tonsils have to come out. Delighted at the prospect of having his red, inflamed tonsils kept in a pickle jar to show off at school, Charlie is all in. On the day of the surgery, though, the strangest thing happens: there are no tonsils to be found! Where did those fleshy lumps go? Things get creepier once Charlie goes home and heads to bed… Reynolds and Brown’s stories grow beautifully with their audience, graduating to chapter books with all the creepy humor readers loved in the picture books. Brown’s illustration, rendered in shades of grey with a punch of occasional red for impact, is a joy to look at. Jasper Rabbit, clad in a Rod Serling-like suit and wearing a grim expression, bringing readers into an intermediate reader-level Twilight Zone story. Reynolds injects his trademark humor into the narrative; for instance, Jasper encourages readers that “enjoy peeing their pants for a variety of reasons” to continue on with the story; Charlie’s mother believes his sore throat is due to his adenoids, which “is secret knowledge… imparted only to mothers and those in the medical community”. A brilliant introduction to what promises to be a popular new creepy chapter book series for readers. Don’t miss.

Troubling Tonsils! has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness. It was also an Indie Next pick.

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Spoopy Halloween is coming!

Posted on September 22, 2025September 19, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween, by A.J. Locascio/Illustrated by Laurie Conley, (Aug. 2025, Top Shelf Productions), $14.99, ISBN: 9781603095617

Ages 5-8

Halloween gets an adorable rhyming fantasy fable! Spoops is a charming tale in verse of a young girl named Holly Hollowell, a girl obsessed with Halloween. The only problem? Her parents are both dentists and won’t let her celebrate! Silly parents, they think Halloween is only about cavity-inducing candy and refuse to listen to Holly’s pleas, not even letting her wear a costume or carve a jack-o’-lantern. This Halloween, Holly’s parents head out to a dental tech convention, leaving Holly home alone to make a wish on the pumpkin she secretly purchased from a shop on the edge of town. Wishing to be part of Halloween and for her parents’ understanding, Holly’s wish is heard by Spoops, cheery little Halloween spirits hatched in the pumpkin patch. Representing all sorts of cute Halloween fare, there are candy corn ghost Spoops, owls and witch Spoops, leaf and bat Spoops, and even the cutest plague doctor Spoops you’ve ever seen. The Spoops all gather to Holly’s side and put on the most magical Halloween, with Holly front and center to enjoy the holiday she’s waited to celebrate! What happens when her parents come home, though? Not to worry: the Spoops have it all taken care of, and the family will celebrate Halloween in plenty of fun, non-tooth-decaying ways. The two-color orange and black illustration has a cozy, retro feel to it that will enchant moms, dads, and grands. The message about being free to express oneself and take part in things that make us happy is clearly communicated, and it’s nice to see parents that get on board with – and acknowledge that they were wrong! – their children’s interests. This is a fun Halloween read that kids will reach for every year when that first bit of crisp weather hits the air.

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Tales from the TBR: Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians!!

Posted on September 20, 2025September 18, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians!!, by Kristi Mahoney/Illustrated by Chantelle Thorne & Burgen Thorne, (Oct. 2024, Gnome Road Publishing), $18.99, ISBN: 9781957655284

Ages 4-8

What happens when you walk into the library and see the new librarian, who happens to be an alpaca? This laugh-out-loud book has the answers. First things first: Alpacas make terrible librarians! Readers will learn fun facts about alpacas and laugh at why they are not cut out for librarianship. For example, did you know that alpacas will hide all of the books about other animals and only let you read books about alpacas? My friends, that is denying access and that is a straight-up violation of one of the five laws of library science, so that should be your first clue. If you need more, though, alpacas make clucking and humming noises all the time: terrible for people who need to concentrate on their book! Also, when they get mad, they make an awful screech, and they spit. Do you need to go to the bathroom? Don’t ask the alpaca. Trust me on this one. Playful, colorful illustration work with bold, colorful fonts make this a great class visit readaloud.

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Tales from the TBR: How Not to Kill Your Plant

Posted on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

How Not to Kill Your Plant, by Magda Gargulakova & Lenka Chytilova/Illustrated by Hannah Abbo, (Dec. 2023, Albatros Media), $15.95, ISBN: 9788000069968

Ages 6-10

Kids love gardening programs. Remember in science, when you (or your kids) grew a sprout from a bean? Gardening is magic, and houseplants are pretty. How Not to Kill Your Plant is a kid-friendly, illustrated guide to caring for houseplants. Organized into areas like “The Basics of Care”, “Encyclopedia of Houseplants”, and “Cultivation Practice,” the book has everything kids need to get started on a new hobby and set them up for a lifetime of loving and caring for plants. The “Encyclopedia of Houseplants” section features detailed drawings on 16 popular houseplants that are great for beginners. Yes, I said beginners, because I’m using this book to take care of my plants, too. Kids’ books are the best way to learn things and develop a solid base understanding! There are troubleshooting suggestions and step-by-step instructions on plant care, including taking cuttings, propagating, and repotting. Helpful icons on the plant pages let readers know the basics at a glance: how much to water, how much sunlight, is it okay to have around pets? At only 56 pages, it’s not overwhelming for new plant hobbyists. I loved this book and think you will, too.

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Happy 5th Anniversary, Street Noise Books!

Posted on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Street Noise Books is celebrating five years of take-no-prisoners dissident graphic novel publishing! Five years of queer, BIPOC, and neurodiverse authors publishing their own stories for adults and teens: disabled authors; trans authors; indigenous authors, authors grappling with climate change and social justice; authors struggling for mental health. Street Noise has been recognized this year alone with FOUR Eisner Awards – a heck of a birthday celebration!

I’m a Wild Seed, by Sharon Lee De La Cruz, (Apr. 2021, Street Noise Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9781951491055

Ages 16+

One of the first Street Noise books I picked up was I’m a Wild Seed: My Graphic Memoir on Queerness and Decolonizing the World by Sharon Lee De La Cruz. This full-color graphic memoir details the author’s deep-dive to learn about and unravel the effects of patriarchy and institutionalized racism on her identity, sexuality, and what freedom looks like for her. In De La Cruz’s own words, she “never ‘came into my queerness’ – I decolonized the shit out of my gender and sexuality”. Teens and young adults will embrace De La Cruz’s unflinching and often humorous storytelling. Graphic novel Sharon talks directly to the reader, making the book more of a conversation. Resources in the back matter steer readers interested in learning more to videos, organizations, and books.

If you haven’t yet treated yourself to I’m a Wild Seed, please do – and check out more of the great graphic novels from Street Noise!

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The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole is a charming tale of manners

Posted on September 18, 2025September 17, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole, by Cecilia Heikkil, Translated by Polly Lawson, (Aug. 2025, Floris Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781782509530

Ages 4-8

This cozy animal tale is charming and perfect for spooky season storytelling that never gets too spooky. Fox and Mole are friends who gather to enjoy some snacks and a spooky story, The Legend of the Scuffling Monster. Fox is a generous host, baking and preparing food and drink his friend, but Mole is not a thoughtful guest. He interrupts and makes a mess; he even eats all of the cookies while Fox is reading! On the next night, Fox hits his limit when Mole doesn’t even remember Fox’s birthday – and complains about the lack of cookies! Life becomes art as Fox, in his anger, transforms into a monster that seems very similar to the antagonist of the earlier story! It’s up to Mole to figure out how to calm Fox down by telling – and finishing – the whole story. The story is sweetly amusing while offering a cautionary tale to readers about being a gracious guest. Fox’s transformation will resonate with readers as they see Fox sit with his frustration until he finally hits his limit. The illustrations are lovely with a touch of the eerie; the deep oranges and greens give a nice Fall feeling, and the bright blacks and bent postures add wonderfully to the macabre vibe. A delightful story for Spooky Season, The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole was a Foreword Reviews and Shelf Awareness pick. The tale was originally published in Swedish in 2024.

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Piece Out for International Games Month!

Posted on September 14, 2025September 13, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Piece Out, by Alex Willan, (May 2025, Astra Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9781662620935

Ages 4-8

International Games Month is coming in November! The American Library Association’s Games & Gaming Roundtable has some downloadable resources if you’d like to learn more. This year, I’m hoping to hold a Game Storytime for my library kids, and Piece Out looks like a great storytime choice for younger gamers (and gamers-to-be).

It’s a common occurrence: a game piece gets lost. In Willan’s Piece Out, it’s the key to adventure. A family enjoys their game night when the red piece discovers they’ve been left on the floor! Determined to get back to its box, Red escapes a hungry robot (a vacuum cleaner); discovers long-lost friends (other lost game pieces under the couch), and spends some time in the dreaded junk drawer! Always focused on returning to the Kaflooble box, Red narrates his journey with a grim determination that will make readers laugh as they see the world through Red’s eyes. Willan’s details are a feast for game fans who will love the map of the living room endpapers and the under-the-couch denizens who appear resigned to their life outside the box. The ending will leave readers laughing out loud and ready for the next adventure. Read this to your Toy Story fans.

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The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs – for the introvert!

Posted on September 13, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs, by Mamiko Shiotani/Translated by Polly Lawson, (Aug. 2025, Floris Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781782509264

Ages 3-6

A ghost enjoys the solitude of his attic until a little girl makes her way upstairs and disturbs his peace. What is a solitary ghost to do? Determined to get his attic back, he starts a ruckus, but the girl isn’t scared off: in fact, she seems kind of fascinated. When the ghost decides to visit her room and attempts to scare her on her own turf, she disarms the specter with an offer of friendship. The ghost accepts the offer and learns that “it is good to leave his attic once in a while”, saving his nights for his alone and time and spending his days getting to know his new friend. The primary use of gray and muted colors gives the story a dreamlike quality, and the ghost moves between translucence and a soft white, giving him an almost ethereal quality; his body language is humorous as he tries to hide from his inquisitive new neighbor, changing size, shape, and opacity to inhabit paper bags, shrink to hide behind a stack of books, or become see-through to cause a ruckus. The girl’s colorful outfits make her stand out against the murkiness of the attic, bringing life and color to the little ghost’s world. A sweet story about friendship in unlikely places, this is a fun storytime selection. The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs was originally published in Japan in 2020.