The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Children

The Beak Book by Robin Page

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I love a book that takes an impossibly large topic (in this case: birds) and simplifies it in a way that allows a young reader to meet several different examples through one method of comparison (in this case: beaks). Each bird’s beak is introduced by explaining what the bird uses it for. It’s a great way to find out how birds are different from each other while still being super accessible. The illustrations are gorgeous and the two-page spread in the back that shows where each bird lives is a nice touch!

The Beak Book by Robin Page, Robin Page (Illus) (List Price: $17.99, Beach Lane Books, 9781534460416, January, 2021)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Thesaurus Has a Secret by Anya Glazer, Anya Glazer (Illus.)

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thesaurus has a secret
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Young readers will savor, relish, treasure and adore this charming book about a dinosaur who, well, loves books. All Thesaurus needs to make him happy is a good book, a comfy spot and some peace and quiet. He makes books look so interesting, the other dinosaurs just might join him! This one’s sure to become a bedtime favorite.

Thesaurus Has a Secret by Anya Glazer, Anya Glazer (Illus.) (List Price: $17.99, Katherine Tegen Books, 9780062916051, 10/6/2020)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Peter Easter Frog by Erin Dealey, G. Brian Karas (Illus.)

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Who says Bunnies should have all the fun? HIppity Hoppity Pete the Easter… FROG is here to help out the Bunny any way he can. A fun holiday story of kindness, sharing and friends with a few giggle-inducing surprises along the way.

Peter Easter Frog by Erin Dealey, G. Brian Karas (Illus.) (List Price: $9.99, Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 9781481464895, 1/19/2021)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho, Dung Ho (Illus.)

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A warm and lovely book with glowing illustrations.

Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho, Dung Ho (Illus.) (List Price: $17.99, HarperCollins, 9780062915627, 1/5/2021)

Reviewed by Sami Thomason, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home by Kathryn Cristaldi

I'll Love You Till the Cows Come Home
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Oh my goodness, this is the sweetest thing I have read in quite a while. It just makes me want to gather my 3 year old to sit in my lap and read ” I will love you til the cows come home, from a trip to mars through skies unknown, in a rocket ship made of glass and stone… I will love you til the cows come home.

I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home Board Book by Kathryn Cristaldi
(List Price: $7.99, HarperFestival, 12/15/2020)

Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

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Julia’s House Moves On by Ben Hatke

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Julia's House Moves On
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A Fall 2020 Read This Next! Title

A lovely story about accepting change and chaos. Sometimes we can make the best plans and things will still go awry-but as Julia learns, that’s why we have friends and family to help us put things back together again. Hatke’s illustrations of fantastical creatures are gorgeous and so is kind, determined Julia.

Julia’s House Moves On by Ben Hatke (List Price $18.99, First Second, September 2020)

Reviewed by Sami Thomason-Fyke, Square Books in Oxford, MS

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Winter Is Here by Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek

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When winter comes it comes soft like snowfall and hard like leaves frozen in ice. Winter comes white and gray and deep deep blue. From husband and wife team of Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek, Winter is Here is the companion to the lovely When Spring Comes and is the perfect introduction to the seasons for young readers.

Winter Is Here by Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek
(List Price: $8.99, Greenwillow Books, 11/3/2020)
Recommended by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina

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Short & Sweet by Josh Funk

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Short & Sweet
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Dig into another adventure with your favorite breakfast foods in Short & Sweet. Another rhyme-tastic adventure, this time with our heroes shrunk down to size and the newly reformed Baron Von Waffle working to save the day. This series is pure fun and every illustration provides plenty of goofs to keep everyone entertained. Pass the syrup and settle in!

Short & Sweet by Josh Funk, (List Price: 16.95, Sterling Children’s Books, 9781454934271, September 2020)

Reviewed by Sami Thomason, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

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After Squidnight by Jonathan E. Fenske

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after squidnight
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A Fall 2020 Read This Next! Title

I can’t get over this weird and wonderful rhyming squid story. I love it for its nod to 1950s sci-fi creatures and its multi-seasonal appeal to booksellers. Summer? It’s got a beach! Halloween? Definitely! But it also works year-round. It’s a little creepy but not scary and LOL funny, but also full of heart. Jonathan Fenske’s rhythmic text will be a crowd-pleasing read-aloud, while his pared down palette sets the stage for seaside hijinks. The message to young creators is that art cannot be suppressed. It’s sneaky and subversive! Inky and inevitable! Artists, like these surreptitious squid, make their mark on the world long after they have slipped quietly into the deep, leaving the observer to wonder what happened–and when, if they’re lucky–it might happen again…

After Squidnight by Jonathan E. Fenske (List price: $12.99, Penguin Workshop), recommended by Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, Asheville, NC.

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