Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It
Loretta Little Looks Back is a moving and historically accurate account of how African Americans fought for the right to vote in Mississippi.
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By reviewing high-quality, culturally-sustaining (and enjoyable) books that affirm and value all children, I hope to encourage children and those young at heart to read more.
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Brave Enough for Two (a Hoot & Olive Story, Volume 1)
Brave Enough for Two (a Hoot & Olive Story) is Jonathan D. Voss’s debut author-illustrator picture book, and it is definitely a timeless treasure for children of all ages, young and old.
Lotería – a Game of Destiny
In Lotería (Knopf Books For Young Readers, Sept. 7, 2021), written by Karla Arenas Valenti, and illustrated by Dana Sanmar, Life and Death (who prefers to be called La Catrina) walk into Oaxaca City, Mexico, for their annual game of la Lotería. Before the game can begin, a child must be chosen by chance (or by destiny?) to be the pawn. If Life wins the game, the child will have a long and prosperous life. If Death wins, she will claim the child’s life. If neither win, these old friends will never meet again.
Love this NEGATIVE Cat
The boy in this picture book really, I mean really, wants a cat. Did I mention that this boy really wants a cat? Finally, on Day 427 of asking his parents for a cat, they say yes! At the rescue shelter, the boy immediately recognizes his cat – the one in the cage labeled “Pookie.” And thank goodness, the boy changes the cat’s name to Maximilian Augustus Xavier and calls him “Max” (a favorite nickname around here!).
Koala Lou, I DO Love You!
Koala Lou (Guliver Books/Harcourt 1988), written by Mem Fox and illustrated by the late Pamela Lofts, tells the story of baby Koala Lou, “so soft and round that all who saw her loved her.” But her mother loves her the most, telling her hundreds of times a day, “Koala Lou, I DO love you!” Koala Lou is the oldest, and as the family grows, her mother has less time to tell Koala Lou how much she loves her. Koala Lou, hoping to regain her mother’s notice, decides to win
The Adventures of the Brave Appleblossom the Possum
Not a big fan of possums? This middle grade book might just change your mind! Appleblossom the Possum by Holly Goldberg Sloan and illustrated by her husband, Gary A. Rosen, tells the story of Appleblossom, the smallest and most timid of Mama Possum’s first batch of babies.
Have You Ever Seen A Beautiful Flower?
Have You Ever Seen a Flower asks readers to see a flower with all of the senses, to go inside a flower, and to actually become a flower.
A Friend Like You – An Uplifting Guide to Friendship
A Friend Like You is a gentle lesson (and reminder) of all the things that make friendship so magical by Frank Murphy and Charnaie Gordon.
The True Blue Scouts of the Sugar Man Swamp, A Heartwarming Tall Tale
When the True Blue Scouts learn that a gang of feral hogs is headed straight for the Sugar Man Swamp, it’s up to them to save the day.
Book Review: Take A Beautiful Hike with Pete Oswald
Told through pictures, Hike by Pete Oswald is the story of a father and child taking a spring hiking trip into the mountains. Everything feels fresh and new, and you can literally feel the father and child breathing it in. The gender of the child is left open in this story to make it more inclusive. As Pete Oswald said in an interview with Publishers Weekly, he wanted a story that anybody could relate to. I love that.