food – Mom Read It

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.

Taste the rainbow with How Do You Eat Color?

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

How Do You Eat Color?, by Mabi David/Illustrated by Yas Doctor/Translated by Karen Llagas, (March 2025, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780802856388

Ages 4-8

Spend a day eating color: wake up and “sample sunshine in yellow, in a bite of pineapple”; by noon, brown like a banana. Enjoy and orange sunset as you see a melon moon rise, and tuck yourself in like a yam. Two kids and their chameleon wander through a rainbow of color, sampling food and enjoying their day. A nice twist on the “eat the rainbow” concept, David talks textures in a way that will bring a smile to readers and listeners: “Do you know how red tastes? / Does it tickle the tongue? / Is green sweet and cold like your / favorite sorbet?” As someone who grew up associating the flavor “green” with my favorite ice pop, I greatly appreciated this. Doctor deftly incorporates food into the landscapes, letting the group frolic among leafy greens and walk past carrot heads casting a shadow at dusk. Back matter includes some notes on additional colorful foods, why eating the rainbow is important, and tips on getting families to eat more colors together. Originally published in the Philippines, How Do You Eat Color is a good purchase to picture book collections and food storytimes. It will work really well with the Color Our World Summer Reading Theme (if you’re part of CSLP).

The Whole Kids Foundation has Eating the Rainbow printables available to share with families.

picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Books for Valentine’s Day snuggles

Posted on January 23, 2025January 22, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Getting Ready for Valentine’s Day, by Vera Ahiyya/Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia, (Dec. 2024, Random House Books for Young Readers), $10.99, ISBN: 9780593810002

Ages 3-7

Kai and their family are busily preparing for Valentine’s Day! They make valentines and decorate; Mom makes cookies. The next morning, after a special Valentine’s Day breakfast and photos, Kai heads to school, where their teacher encourages students to contribute things they love to her list. Kai worries about not receiving any valentines, but the teacher has asked everyone to make cards for everyone so no one feels left out. Kai receives cards and best friend Chelsea loves hers. Getting Ready for Valentine’s Day is a cheerful book with family and friends showing love to one another. Author Ahiyya, also known as the “Tutu Teacher”, is a Kindergarten teacher who knows her audience and takes care to model positive, inclusive behavior and gives Kai the role of first-person narrator to give readers a child’s point of view; Ahiyya concentrates on enthusiastic wording to communicate Kai’s feelings: “I can’t wait to celebrate with my friends and family”; “My heart feels extra big, knowing how happy everyone is going to be when they open [the valentines]!” A fun and inclusive look at Valentine’s Day for younger readers.

I Lava You!, Illustrated by Liv Wan, (Dec. 2024, Cartwheel Books), $7.99, ISBN: 9781546138402

Ages Birth-3

The plush lava on this cartoony volcano welcomes little hands to this adorable ode unconditional love. Seven spreads filled with rhyming phrases make for a snuggle time every time: “I lava you, I really do! No one warms my heart like you”. From volcanoes to diamonds, sunshine and rain to rainbows, to the planets and stars, each spread is filled with bright colors and cheery faces. Readers will visit this book all year ’round.

Visit Liv Wan’s website to see more of her illustrations.

Be My Yummy ABC, by Joyce Wan, (Jan. 2025, Hippo Park), $14.99, ISBN: 9781662640766

Ages 2-5

The cutest ABCedary you’ll have in your hands this month! Joyce Wan is one of my favorite children’s illustrators because her artwork is just SO CUTE. She’s all about the bright colors and the bold outlines and her rhymes are the sweetest. With Be My Yummy ABC, Wan creates “a bite of love on every page”, highlighting tasty treats from all over the world: “The cutest GYOZA of my heart. My sticky HONEY BUTTER TART”. Wan’s wide-eyed, smiling food illustrations will delight every reader. Letters of the alphabet are large and puffy, looking like letter balloons and easy to read. Let this be the yummiest book on your shelf. Back matter includes pronunciation of each food, plus a note on each food’s country of origin; the book jacket unfolds into a poster. Endpapers show a variety of foods with heart shapes and rainbows. A feast for the eyes and a lovely look a foods of different cultures. Do not miss.

Visit Joyce Wan’s webpage for Be My Yummy downloadables (and downloadables from her other works)!

picture books, Toddler Reads

Color Our World with stories!

Posted on January 13, 2025January 13, 2025 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Are you thinking of Summer Reading yet? I am, because we’re working with the theme that the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) has for this year – Color Our World – and I’m enjoying the different books I can fit into this. We’ve got destination books; we have concepts; we have stories of people from all over the world. Naturally, I’ve got some new books that fit the bill. Let’s take a look!

Our World: Cuba, by Terry Catasús Jennings/Illustrated by Marla Cruz Linares, (Oct. 2024, Barefoot Books), $9.99, ISBN: 9798888592304

Ages 2-3

Any time I get a book from Terry Catasús Jennings, it’s a good time; pair that with Barefoot Books’ Our World board book series, and you can’t go wrong. The series is a hit here at my library, thanks to kid-friendly illustrations, a day in the life story, and vocabulary from different languages. Each author draws on their personal cultural experiences to communicate to their readers, which really makes this a unique series. Jennings invites readers to enjoy breakfast and a day full of activity at the park and the beach. Led by a young narrator, readers enjoy toast and café con leche at home; a ride to the beach on the guagua, and a game of los escondidos in the park. The child narrator spends a happy with parents, who are free with affection and a sense of play. Words in Spanish are also spelled phonetically on the page, allowing for easier pronounciation. Back matter provides deeper context to day-to-day life in Cuba. It’s an invitation to a day in Cuba, with warm illustrations and a joyful story. A great add to your board book collections – get some literary stamps in your passports with this book and this series.

Many Things at Once, by Veera Hiranandani/Illustrated by Nadia Alam, (Jan. 2025, Random House Studio), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593643907

Ages 4-8

A biracial girl reflects on her Jewish-Indian heritage, ruminating on her parents’ stories: her mother’s mother, a seamstress in Brooklyn, New York; her father’s mother cooking daal on a coal stove in India. The memories go deeper, exploring struggles on both sides of her family; her paternal grandparents separated during the Partition of India, and her maternal grandfather’s escape from the pogroms in Poland. Her families came to America for safety and a new beginning. Her parents tell her that she’s lucky to be “both Jewish and Hindu, to be part of many things at once”, but she sometimes feels neither “Jewish enough” or “Hindu enough” for her parents. Seeing a butterfly, the girl remembers a teacher telling her no two butterflies are the same, and she reflects on this and the roots anchoring the flowers from which the butterfly draws nectar. It all comes together: “I think of all the journeys I’m connected to and grow from”. Hiranandani tells an emotional story of struggle and love and the journey of self-discovery that biracial children travel, inspired by her own family background. An author’s note gives further texture. Pencil and digital illustrations show a diverse family and historical context: the girl views family photos from different decades and she imagines the struggles endured by her grandparents. Relating her cultural heritage to a butterfly will lift hearts. An excellent choice for collections.

I LOVE Blueberries!, by Shannon Anderson/Illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett, (April 2025, Feeding Minds Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781948898195

Ages 4-8

Jolie from I LOVE Strawberries! (2022) is back and this time, she has a friend! Jolie, who still loves growing strawberries, learned how to germinate blueberry seeds thanks to a local farmer. While showing her germinated seed and sprout in class, she meets new neighbor Margot, a homesick girl who’s just moved from Maine. The two hit it off – Margot’s love of blueberries is a delightful catalyst – and become interested in their teacher’s hydroponic gardening setup, which would let them grow blueberries even quicker. The teacher, who happens to be married to the friendly blueberry farmer, explains hydroponic gardening; the girls are inspired and proceed to hold a local blueberry festival and fundraiser to raise the necessary monies needed to invest in hydroponic equipment. I LOVE Blueberries! is a great story encompassing many areas that will interest readers: friendship, innovation and entrepreneurship, hydroponic gardening, and food farming. The way the community rallies around the two friends to support their ideas is gratifying and inspiring. The illustrations are filled with journals, as with I LOVE Strawberries: Jolie’s journals are joined by Margot’s this time, allowing us some insight into both characters in addition to illustrating the scientific method. Blue endpapers feature line illustrations of blueberries, and back matter includes a note on hydroponics, gardening, and blueberries as a superfood, A great choice for STEM/STEAM collections.

That’s a good start – what Summer Reading titles are you considering?

picture books, Preschool Reads

Harold the Iceberg is back!

Posted on June 19, 2024June 18, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Harold the Iceberg is Not a Super Food, by Lisa Wyzlic/Illustrated by Rebecca Syracuse, (June 2024, Feiwel & Friends), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250877802

(Ages 3-6)

Harold the anxiety-ridden iceberg lettuce is back, and he’s still stressed out: this time, because he can’t match up to Kayla, who’s clearly a SUPER food: she’s “tall and strong, with glorious full leaves” and everything just seems effortless for Kayla! Harold is so quick to be down on himself, but his friends come to the rescue and let him know that he does great things, too: he helps his friends, whenever they need him, and if he wants to do more, there’s always ways to help. Once again tying in themes of social awareness, Harold’s friends enourage him to volunteer at a charity event. Digital illustrations are bold and bright, with expressive faces that are both sensitive and cheerful. Back matter includes “Harold’s Tips for Helping Your Community”, offering readers ways to get involved with their community, from donating used clothes and toys to picking up litter. Endpapers display a spreaad of food labels. A fun additional purchase, especially where the first book did well. Download a Harold The Iceberg Activity Kit to share!

picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

New Earth Day Reads!

Posted on April 15, 2024April 13, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Earth Day is right around the corner! There are some great new books to have ready for a great readaloud. Let’s take a look.

Miss MacDonald Has a Farm, by Kalee Gwarjanski/Illustrated by Elizabet Vuković, (March 2024, Doubleday Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593568163

Ages 3-7

It’s a new spin on an old favorite! Miss MacDonald has a farm, and she loves to grow her own food in this ode to farm-to-table food. Kids are going to love this easy-to-learn song, with repetitive phrases like “Miss MacDonald has a farm. / She loves things that grow” and “E-I-E-I-GROW”. Miss MacDonald grows all sorts of yummy food, like tomatoes and green beans, sweet corn and pumpkins, and she “shuck-shucks” and “thrish-thrashes” her way through her fields, planting and harvesting her wares to bring to a farmer’s market and feasting at a community table with a diverse group of neighbors. It’s a fun way to illustrate where our food comes from and how it gets to the table, with colorful and appealing illustrations that show a young female farmer of color growing and harvesting her food. Back matter includes vocabulary that explains the steps in getting food to grow from seed to table, and a recipe for a harvest vegetable bake included in the story. I sang this story to a pre-k class during a school visit this week, and they loved it! This is a great story for anyone who’s doing flannel storytimes, too – get those colorful sheets out and make yourself a vegetable garden.

Chicken Soup for the Soul KIDS: The Sunshine Garden: Being a Team Player, by Jamie Michalak/Illustrated by Jenna Nahyun Chung, (March 2024, Charlesbridge), $14.99, ISBN: 9781623542863

Ages 4-7

The Sunshine Squad returns in this sweet story about kindness, teamwork, and gardening. The Sunshine Squad are six friends who loves to pretend they’re superheroes, and do some pretty great everyday superhero stuff. Mia, one of the Squad, learns that her grandma’s friend, Mr. Angelo, is sick and unable to tend to his community garden and steps in to help… but it’s a much bigger task than she realized. The rest of the Sunshine Squad step in and use their “superpowers” to get the job done and save the day! It’s a sweet story about helping one another and being kind, while showing kids that kindness can be a superpower. Back matter includes tips on being part of a team, with suggestions that work nicely within an Earth Day setting. It’s a good additional add to picture book collections, especially where Chicken Soup for the Soul books do well.

You Are a Little Seed, by Sook-Hee Choi, Translated by Jieun Kiaer, (March 2024, Charlesbridge), $15.99, ISBN: 9781623544287

Ages 2-5

Originally published in Korean in 2013, this is a gentle story that reads like poetry, describing seven types of flowers that bloom from different types of seeds and became beautiful flowers: “A seed, a seed blowing / in the wind… / took root in / the wild and bloomed / as a dandelion”. Children show up in the flowers as seeds and fully bloomed, showing readers that we can bloom under all sorts of conditions. A soft color palette creates a soothing setting, and the flower illustrations are breathtaking. A wonderful metaphor for how we grow and our beauty in diversity. My only concern is a pssage that describes a seed as “ugly and wrinkled”, which reads more like the author is referring to the child as unsightly; I’m hoping it was more of a moment where the child may feel that way but blossoms into themselves? Other than that, You Are a Little Seed is lovely.

You Are a Little Seed has starred reviews from Kirkus and Foreword Reviews.

picture books

MCBD24 continues: What the Bread Says

Posted on January 25, 2024January 25, 2024 by Rosemary Kiladitis

What the Bread Says: Baking with Love, History, and Papan, by Vanessa Garcia/Illustrated by Tim Palin, (Oct. 2022, Cardinal Rule Press), $17.95, ISBN: 9781735345185

Ages 5-7

Every Saturday, Vanessa’s mom heads to yoga after dropping Vanessa off at her grandfather’s. The two “meditate another way”: they bake all sorts of breads together, and Papan – a combination of “papa” and “pan”, the Spanish word for bread – provides history lessons for each loaf. Papan tells Vanessa about the baguettes he ate in France and the breads he ate in Cuba, when he and his brother left France during World War II; he talks about leaving Cuba to come to America. As the two weave the strands of a challah together, he talks about the symbols for each strand of the bread, and Vanessa ponders the patience that goes into making bread. A warm story of family and history, What the Bread Says is a good intergenerational story with points for discussion. Download a free readers guide and coloring pages at Cardinal Press’s website.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2024 (1/25/24) is in its 11th year! Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen founded this non-profit children’s literacy initiative; they are two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural diverse books and authors on the market while also working to get those books into the hands of young readers and educators.

Read Your World’s mission is to raise awareness of the need to include kids’ books celebrating diversity in homes and school bookshelves. Read about our Mission and history HERE.

Read Your World celebrates Multicultural Children’s Book Day and is honored to be Supported by these Medallion and Ruby Sponsors!

FOUNDER’S CIRCLE: Mia Wenjen (Pragmaticmom) and Valarie Budayr (Audreypress.com)

🏅 Super Platinum Sponsor: Author Deedee Cummings and Make A Way Media

🏅 Platinum Sponsors: Publisher Spotlight, Language Lizard Bilingual Books in 50+ Languages, Lerner Publishing Group, Children’s Book Council

🏅 Gold Sponsors: Barefoot Books, Astra Books for Young Readers

🏅 Silver Sponsors: Red Comet Press, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, Lee and Low Books, Cardinal Rule Press

🏅 Bronze Sponsors: CK Malone, Tonya Duncan Ellis, Anita Crawford Clark, Star Bright Books, Blue Dot Kids Press, Brunella Costagliola, Red Fin, Fabled Films

Ruby Sponsor: Crayola

Poster Artist: Rebecca Burgess

Classroom Kit Poster: Barefoot Books

MCBD 2024 is honored to be Supported by these Author Sponsors!

Authors: Gwen Jackson, Josh Funk, Eugenia Chu, Sivan Hong, Marta Magellan, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Angela H. Dale, Maritza M Mejia, Authors J.C. Kato and J.C.², Charnaie Gordon, Alva Sachs, Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett, Lisa Chong, Diana Huang, Martha Seif Simpson, DARIA (WORLD MUSIC WITH DARIA) Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou, Gea Meijering, Stephanie M. Wildman, Tracey Kyle, Afsaneh Moradian, Kim C. Lee, Rochelle Melander, Beth Ruffin, Shifa Saltagi Safadi, Alina Chau, Michael Genhart, Sally J. Pla, Ajuan Mance, Kimberly Marcus, Lindsey Rowe Parker

MCBD 2024 is Honored to be Supported by our CoHosts and Global CoHosts!

MCBD 2023 is Honored to be Supported by our Partner Organizations!

Check out MCBD’s Multicultural Books for Kids Pinterest Board!

📌 FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

📌 Register for the MCBD Read Your World Virtual Party

Join us on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at 9 pm EST celebrating more than 10 years of Multicultural Children’s Book Day Read Your World Virtual Party! Register here.

This epically fun and fast-paced hour includes multicultural book discussions, addressing timely issues, diverse book recommendations, & reading ideas.

We will be giving away a 10-Book Bundle during the virtual party plus Bonus Prizes as well! *** US and Global participants welcome. **

Follow the hashtag #ReadYourWorld to join the conversation, and connect with like-minded parts, authors, publishers, educators, organizations, and librarians. We look forward to seeing you all on January 25, 2024, at our virtual party!

Intermediate, picture books

A piece of Candy gets her big shot in Digestion: The Musical

Posted on October 30, 2022October 29, 2022 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Digestion: The Musical, by Adam Rex//Illustrated by Laura Park, (Oct. 2022, Chronicle Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9781452183862

Ages 5-8

Publisher Chronicle Books calls it “The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body meets Hamilton”, and how can you top that description? Digestion: The Musical is a look at digestion, set as a musical: a small-town piece of candy desires to be something important and a chorus of mini-carrots guide readers through all the action. Cameos from body parts, including an explosive appendix, kidneys, and intestines, and an old piece of swallowed gum add to the hilarity. Kids are going to laugh out loud reading this one (there’s an entire disco number dedicated to Number Two) and guaranteed, they’ll remember all about the digestive process after reading this one. An illustrated glossary defines terms. Endpapers highlight a cast of food characters sitting in the audience and working backstage. Digital illustrations are vibrant, colorful, and cartoony and will win readers over.

If you have felt foods left over from a storytime, get them out and invest in some more felt to create your own digestive system and take your storytime to another level.

Digestion! The Musical has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.

Need to know what this book would sound like set to music? Ponder no longer:

Toddler Reads

It’s another Board Book Blitz!

Posted on September 25, 2022September 24, 2022 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Time for more board books!

Tummy Time! A high-contrast fold-out book with mirror for babies, by Mama Makes Books, (March 2022, Red Comet Press), $8.99, ISBN: 9781636550138

Ages 0-1

A two-sided, fold-out board book that’s perfect for infants whether they’re laying on their tummies or during a lapsit. On one side, there is rhyming verse and photos of baby faces; a mirror lets baby see themselves. On the other, high-contrast black and white images with pops of bright primary colors attract baby’s attention. Stiff cardboard allows the book to stand up without tipping over, and the foldout pages allow for caregivers to lay out multiple images for baby to look at. Great for lapsit storytime and baby social time. These are sturdy enough to put into circulation, too!

The Trainbow, by Nina Laden, (Aug. 2022, Chronicle Kids), $8.99, ISBN: 9781452176413

Ages 0-3

Another foldout board book! This time, a colorful “trainbow” is rolling down the track, with rhyming text reminiscent of Donald Crews’s classic Freight Train. One side folds out into a color study of the cars on the freight train, all inhabited by colorful cartoon art animals and people. The other side features a cheerful rhyme as the train chugs past a group of well-wishers. Die cut pages fold into a rainbow readers will see from either side of the book. The pages are sturdy and will hold up to circulation and storytimes and will easily stand up for display or tummy time. A very cute collection choice from the author of the Peek-a…. series of die-cut board books, another board book collection staple.

Baby Hippo Finger Puppet Book, Illustrated by Yu-Hsuan Huang, (Sept. 2022, Chronicle Kids), $7.99, ISBN: 9781797212876

Ages 0-3

I can’t get enough of these adorable finger puppet books! I love putting them up and around my early reading area so my littlest learners can see and easily reach them. Baby Hippo has an exciting day, splashing in the water and playing with her fellow calves, having some grass to eat, and running back to Mama in time to go to sleep. There’s one sentence on each spread except for the last page; gentle blues and greens make up most of the scenery, making this a good naptime/bedtime lapsit choice. Let your kiddos take turns wiggling their fingers inside of the Baby Hippo puppet as you read, letting them act out the story. I won’t lie – the pages are blocky and study, but that puppet is going to go in little mouths, so give them a wipe down with some soap and water if you can. They are durable enough to hold up in circulation.

Baby Lion Finger Puppet Book, Illustrated by Yu-Hsuan Huang, (Sept. 2022, Chronicle Kids), $7.99, ISBN: 9781797212869

Ages 0-3

Set up your own jungle adventure storytime by pairing Baby Lion with Baby Hippo. Baby Lion spends his day playing with friends, nuzzling and getting a bath from Mama, taking a nap, exploring, rejoining his family as the sun starts setting. Oranges and yellows are the main colors here, with greens, blues, and browns joining the natural colors that dominate this story of life on the African Savanna. The Baby Lion finger puppet will easily accommodate a couple of tiny fingers to wiggle around and act out the story. These books are very sturdy and will hold up to multiple readings and in circulation; with all the finger puppet books, my suggestion is to wipe them down; I’ve seen my in-house copies are going in little mouths as toddlers and babies use all of their senses to explore.

Mr. Bear’s World of Food, by Virginie Aracil, (Sept. 2022, Twirl Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9791036345173

Ages 2-5

This oversize book has so much to discover! Mr. Bear just loves food, and takes readers on a trip through their taste buds to learn about different types of flavors, including sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami. Each spread introduces a new flavor, showcases foods with those flavors, and a little commentary from Mr. Bear on how each one makes him feel. Salty makes Mr. Bear thirsty; he thinks bitter, like coffee, tastes funny; fried makes him feel warm and toasty. Foods are labeled, expanding vocabularies, and introducing children to all sorts of different food, from endive and radicchio to miso and mushrooms; seasonings like vanilla bean and star anise to rich foods like salmon and whipped cream. A section of Favorite Foods features popular comfort foods – ask readers what they love most! – and Foods to Share encourages readers to share the love. There are lift-the-flaps and pop-ups to further delight readers, and a baguette bookmark assures readers can return to their favorite spreads again and again. Great for a yummy storytime! Originally published in France in 2021, this Mr. Bear book accompanies the three previous titles: Mr. Bear’s ABC, Mr. Bear’s Birthday, and Mr. Bear’s Colors.

So Many Kisses!, by Alexandra Garibal/Illustrated by Claudia Bielinksy, (Sept. 2022, Twirl Books), $8.99, ISBN: 9791036348822

Ages 0-3

An adorable board book that’s just perfect for a cuddly lapsit storytime. Adorable animals have a lovefest and show off all the fun ways of showing affection! Do you prefer a nose-to-nose kiss? Maybe a foot-to-foot kiss is more your style. An octopus loves to give tickly kisses, and a porcupine is there to give prickly kisses! Colorful animals and colorful backgrounds engage kids’ attention and different “kissy sounds” give readers a chance to really make this a fun readaloud. Originally published in France in 2021, So Many Kisses! gives readers the opportunity to show their caregivers how they like to be kissed and hugged.

Bookscape Board Books: We Love Books!, Illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius, (Oct. 2022, Chronicle Books), $8.99, ISBN: 9781797215587

Ages 0-3

Bookscape Board Books pack a little world into each book! We Love Books is all about developing a love of books, showing readers that they can enjoy a book just about anywhere, and maybe even consider writing a book one day. Arrhenius’s bold artwork is eye-catching, and the die cuts work together to create a layered world that reveals more with each turn of a page. Sturdy and absolute fun for exploring hands and minds, the Bookscape series is great for young learners. We Love Books is the fifth in the series and is great for board book collections. See more of Ingela P. Arrhenius’s illustration work on her Instagram.

Little Wild Animal Hugs, by Hans Wilhelm/Illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan, (Oct. 2022, Chronicle Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9781797207186

Ages 1-3

Pair this one up with So Many Kisses! for your cuddly lapsit! Little wild animals love hugging, and this die-cut board book allows readers to mix and match the hugs. When a monkey and a seal hug, they make a Chitter-Chatter, Splish-Splash Hug! A porcupine and a lion make a Prickly-Prickly, Roar-Roar Hug! You can read this in a different way each time, just mix and match your animals any way you please. Die cuts make the animals look like they really do hug, and colorful cartoon art shows affectionate, lovable animal friends sharing affectionate embraces. Perfect for readalouds.

TouchWords: Color Cards : Touch and Feel, Illustrated by Rilla Alexander, (Sept. 2022, Chronicle Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9781797214993

This oversized deck of ten cards is perfect for learning color. The die-cut cards let little hands feel and trace color names and a primary image on each card. Card backs show different shades of the featured color and other items of the same color. Purple is the color of a violet, with accompanying vocabulary words to help kids visualize and identify the world around them: flower / blossom / petals / leaf / stem / wild / delicate. On the back, shades of lilac, violet, and indigo give children additional shades of color, with examples including an iris, an eggplant, and grape jelly. The cards are study and will hold up to exploration; you may lose some in circulation, but keep a set or two handy for your storytime/playgroup collection.