Sejal Sinha Battles Superstorms

 Sejal Sinha Battles Superstorms

I love how Maya Prasad weaves Diwali traditions, science, and imagination together for a magical trip in a cardboard box where readers will learn as they turn each page to see if Sejal, Professor Cheetah, and her cousin Mira make it through the storm and help to limit damage to their relatives and home as well. Next up for me is Sejal Sinha Swims with Sea Dragons!

Title: Sejal Sinha Battles Superstorms

Author: Maya Prasad

ISBN: 978-1-6659-1178-8

Published 2023 by Aladdin

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink

 The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink

I’ve always loved Shannon Hale and Leuyen Pham’s The Princess in Black books but THE EMU. LOVE. And an EVIL emu joined by twin ostriches?! Even better! The Princess in Black is joined by the Prince in Pink (as is indicated in the title…) to defeat, or at least makeover the emu and ostrich trio. My favorite spread is the battle/makeover sequence complete with “Beaky Furbish!” and “Glitter Flourish!”. Readers of all ages will delight in this newest addition to the Princess in Black series.

Title: The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink

Author: Shannon and Dean Hale

ISBN: 978-1-5362-0978-5

Published 2023 by Candlewick Press

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

Squirlish: The Girl in the Tree

Squirlish: The Girl in the Tree

I love just about everything about this book, from the story itself - who doesn’t love a “girl raised by squirrels” plot? To the graphic design that brought us a tail of a lower case h that is a squirrel’s tail and a lower case I dotted by an acorn. And even the imagery of a Central Park squirrel photographer who seemingly goes along with being Cordelia’s mother for permission purposes. All around, this is a fun story. While not a direct line, this made me think of another favorite “Flora and Ulysses”. Overall - read this one, you won’t regret it.

Title: Squirlish: The Girl in the Tree

Author: Ellen Potter

ISBN: 978-1-6659-2675-1

Published2023 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

Starla Jean Cracks the Case

Starla Jean Cracks the Case

Starla Jean Cracks the Case but thankfully no eggs were cracked in the making of this book because Starla is also a chicken expert. Illustrator A.N. Kang really makes the book with her expressive illustrations of the characters, Starla Jean, and Opal Egg (the chicken) specifically. Willa is lucky to have such an observant older sister in Starla Jean, and we readers are along for the ride as they all stroll the neighborhood. 

Title: Starla Jean Cracks the Case

Author: Elana K. Arnold

ISBN: 978-1-250-30580-0

Published 2023 by Roaring Brook Press

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

Dory Fantasmagory: Can't Live Without You

 Dory Fantasmagory: Can’t Live Without You

The very first book with main character Dory Fantasmagory (of the same title) was a PA Young Reader’s Choice nominee so I’ve been a fan from the start. Upon this reading, I felt like I could identify a friend’s daughter who might relate well to Dory and suggested the title to her as well. The intro and early chapters of “Can’t Live Without You” made me laugh out loud. Some examples:

Crossing Guard: I love your purse.

Dory: Thanks! I hate it.

And the contents of said purse created a…memorable…odor.

We actually had a similar circumstance with a class yesterday. 

A class was walked to the library and the teacher shared that all day long, the students had been complaining of a smell. And she also shared that it had been an eventful day in the hall, very similar to Dory’s classmate - George, who told the school nurse “Don’t worry about me. I throw up all the time.” So as not to alarm others about the contents of Dory’s purse. Back to the real life story - while the classroom teacher hadn’t been able to identify the mystery smell and thought the students were making it up, as I handed out library cards one at a time to students, I was able to pinpoint the mystery smell a bit better and requested that a student take their shoes to the hall. 

All that to say, this book’s plot and characters rang true to me and Dory’s (or Rainbow’s) fantastic imagination seems boundless. I hope that Abby Hanlon continues to create fantasmic content for future generations of readers yet to come!

Title: Dory Fantasmagory: Can’t Live Without You

Author: Abby Hanlon

ISBN: 978-0-593-61598-0

Published 2023 by Dial Books for Young Readers

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

Shermy & Shake: The Not-So-Nice Neighbor

 Shermy & Shake: The Not-So-Nice Neighbor

Each set of chapters is split into three sections of the book representing the summer months: June, July & August. While most kids might be excited to have a kid close in age move in next-door, Shermy is NOT excited to spend more time with Shake, the grandson of his next door neighbor, Mrs. Brown. Shake and Shermy couldn’t be more different but will they find common ground to develop a friendship over the summer? Or will Shermy decide to spend more and more time indoors to avoid his visitor from next door?

Title: Shermy & Shake: The Not-So-Nice Neighbor

Author: Kirby Larson

ISBN: 978-1-5362-1942-5

Published 2023 by Candlewick Press

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

Buddy and Bea: Not Really Buddies

 Buddy and Bea: Not Really Buddies

In the acknowledgements, author, Jan Carr, indicates that she has her niece, Phoebe, read her manuscripts to ensure they pass the kid-authenticity test and I think that explains a lot about this book. It feels VERY authentic. As a teacher of young children, second graders among them, I think this could make a PERFECT read aloud for the start of the school year, or any time year-round but it very authentically reads like a first day/week of school and kids and teachers alike will relate to the shenanigans that Buddy Finn-Lee and Bea experience from the get go. Like Buddy, students will relate to all different family structures, and many kids will relate to Bea’s “buzziness” either as a naturally impulsive nature or the result of first day/new school/new class jitters. I highly recommend this fun and engaging read!

Title: Buddy and Bea: Not Really Buddies

Author: Jan Carr

ISBN: 978-1-6826-353-46

Published 2023 by Peach Tree

This copy was received from the publisher as a PDF eBook via Edelweiss for review purposes.

Crimson Twill: Witch in the Country

 Crimson Twill: Witch in the Country

In the first Crimson Twill book, she travels from her home, Cackle County to New Wart City but in this sequel, the friends she met in the city come to visit her out in the country. They head out to look for three things: Rotten Apple, the Broom Fields, and the Croaking Corral. Crimson wants to show her friends all that the country has to offer but things seem to keep going wrong every step of the way. When they get into a real bind, they learn they’re ready for more independence - flying lessons and wand instruction!

Title: Crimson Twill: Witch in the Country

Author: Kallie George

ISBN: 978-1-5362-1464-2

Published 2023 by Candlewick Publishers

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

Naomi Nash: Saving Snakes

 Naomi Nash: Saving Snakes

While I’d always prefer a physical book in my hand, this one was sent to review via an eBook PDF and I’m excited to see it in print as I think readers will love this character and her budding business! Naomi’s mom is a veterinarian and they’ve recently taken in a Brown Rat Snake that swallowed not one, but two ceramic eggs (much harder to digest than the real thing). The snake is recovering at Naomi’s house and Naomi thinks of an idea to help those in her neighborhood remove snakes safely and humanely, and educate them (her neighbors, not the snakes) at the same time! With the help of her friend, Emma, and even her snake-averse brother, Nolan, Naomi gets to work!

Title: Naomi Nash: Saving Snakes

Author: Jessica Lee Anderson

ISBN: 9781666349511

Published 2023 by Picture Window Books

This PDF eBook copy was received from the publisher for review purposes.

Love Puppies: Best Friends Furever

 Love Puppies: Best Friends Forever

In this first book in the series, the reader is transported very quickly to the world of the Love Puppies and then to the human world as they travel through the “Doggy Door” a heart shaped magical portal. Each puppy has unique talents that help them to help humans solve problems. In this story, Meiko has recently moved to a new school and is having a tough time making friends. In chapter 5, the puppies share different ways to make a friend and initiate conversation, find common introductions and introduce themselves. Young readers who are thinking about making friends might find these passages particularly applicable for themselves with real life applications! Love Puppies will be a great reading addition for any fans of the Magic Puppy series. 

Title: Love Puppies: Best Friends Furever

Author: JaNay Brown-Wood

ISBN: 978-1-338-83408-6

Published 2023 by Scholastic Inc.

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.

The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale

 

If you recall a meme from Jon Klassen’s Twitter account (I refuse to call it X) where he writes, “last year in a library in Alaska I read a folk tale in a random book on a random shelf & have been thinking about it since & today i wrote the librarian w/ no book title or author & in 2 hours i had a scan of the story & cover in my inbox - librarians should be running everything.” THAT book from THAT tweet was the inspiration for THIS book. And it’s ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING. My take. I am confident though that there are readers who will be delighted by this even darker take on this Tyrolean folktale. And, if you’re like me, you might be saying what the heck is Tyrolean and since this was from a book of folktales in Alaska, in my brain, I had invented a narrative (much like Jon Klassen indicates in the author’s note that he invented a narrative that didn’t actually match the original folktale much at all) that Tyrolean was somehow related to Alaska or northern Canada but no - Tyrolean refers to Austria, more specifically to Tyrol which is a federal state within Austria and I might be betraying my lack of knowledge pertaining to geography that this was new news to me. All that to say, while Klassen’s picture books often have some dark underlying humor weaved into the illustrations or story itself, The Skull is a bit more blatant in the dark and twisty, while it is based on a folk tale, it’s not one I’d heard before. I don’t recommend as a bedtime story but for kids who lean into exploration of skulls and skeletons, this will likely be a huge hit! And for those who want to do a comparison of folk tales, this will offer a new perspective with the inclusion of a Tyrolean folktale. For my personal enjoyment, I love seeing the full circle-ness from public tweet to published book.

Title: The Skull

Author: Jon Klassen

ISBN: 978-1-5362-2336-1

Published 2023 by Candlewick Press

This copy was borrowed from the public library for review purposes.