Tag: Orchard Books

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, Preschool Reads, Uncategorized

To Catch a Ghost… or make a friend?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

To Catch a Ghost, by Rachel Michelle Wilson, (July 2025, Orchard Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781339031958

Ages 3-7

“Bringing nothing to show-and-tell is like wearing shoes without socks. It stinks.” Sam is the new kid, which is hard. Being the new kid AND having show-and-tell coming up is even harder. Written from Sam’s perspective, To Catch a Ghost reads like a manual; Sam lays out the steps and drops some knowledge for prospective ghost-catchers: how to find one, how to observe one, and how to catch one. But when it comes right down to it, does Sam want to capture a potential friend? Luckily, there’s a solution that works for all in this upbeat, playful story about making friends. Acrylic and pastel illustration gives bold linework and soft color, giving a fun, retro feel to the piece. A cheerful story about friendship and unexpected surprises, To Catch a Ghost is a nice addition to storytime and picture book collections.

To Catch a Ghost has a starred review from School Library Journal. Sign up for Rachel Michelle Wilson’s newsletter at her website.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

That’s Not Funny, David! – actually, it is

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

That’s Not Funny, David!, by David Shannon, (March 2025, Orchard Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781546123187

Ages 3-7

That mischievous preschooler, David, is back and he’s still in trouble! That’s Not Funny, David! shows David just trying to have a little fun: but not everyone appreciates his sense of humor. David rams a shopping cart into a fruit bin; does a cannonball into the pool, soaking everyone around him; goofs off during class, and somehow – in what may be the most hilarious spread in the book – wedges a peanut firmly in his nose. The narrator’s exasperated voice starts with “Not funny, David!”, which becomes, “That’s disgusting!”, “We are not amused, David”, and “What were you thinking?” Kids and grownups alike will recognize both sides of the story; they’ll also recognize the moment David’s parent gives in and admits, “Okay, that’s pretty funny”. Show me a grownup who hasn’t had to hide a smirk or a chuckle at some behavior or other they should be curbing, right? As with all David stories, after an exhausting day of hearing “No, David!”, the story ends on an affectionate note where David’s parent expresses love for the lovable goofball, and David has a smile that stretches from ear to ear. All my David books go out on the regular, and I expect I’ll need a couple of copies of this newest one to keep up with demand. That’s Not Funny, David! is another fun addition to the series and to picture book collections. That’s Not Funny, David! is an Indie Next pick. Download some free activity sheets from Scholastic!

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Duckie and Snaps meet can they be friends?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Duckie and Snaps: We Cannot Be Friends!, by Ame Dyckman/Illustrated by Tim Miller, (Feb. 2025, Orchard Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9781338837872

Ages 2-6

The unlikeliest of friendships begins when one egg rolls into another’s nest. Duckie, a bright yellow duckling with a pink bow on her head, boisterously greets a more reserved crocodile and names him Snaps. As she’s describing all of the adventures the two new friends will have her, an adult crocodile shows up on the scene to inform the two hatchlings that they CANNOT be friends, because Snaps’s folks eat Duckies! This doesn’t sit well with either Duckie or Snaps, who just started getting used to his new friend, but when Snaps’s tummy starts a-rumbling, Duckie has to do some fast thinking. Dyckman’s hilarious back-and-forth dialogue, paired with Miller’s expressive facial expressions and body language, makes for a laugh-out-loud tale of friendship against all odds. Illustrations are organized into graphic novel-type panels, with dialogue taking place via word bubbles. The message is clear: friendship (and bananas) wins all. A great add to collections; I can’t wait to see what Duckie and Snaps will do on their next adventure.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Meet Marc Brown’s newest friend, Hop

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Arthur fans, get ready! Marc Brown has a new group of friends for readers to meet, and they’ll be coming to Max in April.

Hop Helps Out, by Marc Brown, (Feb. 2025, Orchard Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781339035680

Ages 2-6

Hop is a frog who lives in Fair Village with his friends. One day, he and his friend Benny meet a troll named Helga, who’s crying by a bridge. She wants to explore and see the world, but she’s scared. Not to worry: Hop and Benny take Helga by the hand and bring her exploring, introducing her to their friends and enjoying fun things like making ice cream and playing dress-up. Geared toward younger children, the narrative focuses on short, easy-to-read sentences. Marc Brown’s signature style is familiar to any Arthur fan, and the emphasis on friendship and being able to support one another is perfect for a younger age group learning social skills. Brown also creates characters that “are reflective of our communities and friends and inclusive of children who had been underrepresented in the media”, featuring characters with some sort of disability: Hop wears one sneaker that looks like a platform; a depiction of anisomelia (one leg is shorter than the other). Helga is coded as having agoraphobia.

According to Scholastic’s press release, RespectAbility, an advocacy nonprofit organization fighting stigma and advancing opportunity for people with disabilities, was brought on to consult on the series.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Light of Home: Home isn’t always a place

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Light of Home: A story of family, creativity, and belonging, by Diana Farid/Illustrated by Hoda Hadadi, (Sept. 2024, Orchard Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781338890617

Ages 4-8

Nur is a child who loves her home by the sea where she plays, enjoys time with her family, and fills her room with her artwork. Life drastically changes overnight when the family must leave right away; Hadadi illustrates the urgency of a family fleeing with the clothes on their backs, Nur grabbing a single painting off of her wall as her mother grabs her hand. On the next page, men bearing shovels and stick ransack the rooms and destroy what they can reach. Told in verse, Farid’s story of a family fleeing one home and moving to another is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. Her exquisite verse finds the beauty in pain; as Nur and her family find places to live, she remembers the sigts, smells, and textures of home: “Sometimes, / [the horizon] breathes tangerine orange and sour cherry clouds, / like the sunsets she used to watch from a picnic blanket”. As the family gets used to living in a new city, in a building unfamiliar and loud, Nur uses her painting, desperately torn from the wall on the night of their departure, as the inspiration to create once again, this time of the “glittery path she loves / even if it’s far away”. Hadadi’s paper collage brings texture that make the memories tangible to readers, using vibrant colors and evocative images. The growing body of work on the refugee/immigrant/migrant experience is incredible and such an important part of collections. Don’t miss this one. Display and read with other stories, including Nicola Davies’s The Day War Came, Yuyi Morales’s Dreamers, Hollis Kurman’s Counting Kindness, and Hannah Moushabeck’s Homeland.