A cute cautionary tale with beautiful art. I love how the wolf follows Millie around in the illustrations, and how Millie was able to outsmart the traps. The narration was easy to understand and fun. A great read for children.
Into the Goblin Market by Vikki VanSickle, (List Price: $18.99, Tundra Books, 9780735268562, July 2024)
Reviewed by Kamilah Wong, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia
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Inspired by a real-life poison garden in England, this adorable picture book is full of fun, detailed illustrations and highlights the importance of being yourself.
Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin, (List Price: $18.99, Orchard Books, 9781339023274, July 2024)
Reviewed by Jeannine Sons, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky
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This middle-grade debut from the author of The Day The Crayons Quit will captivate and delight readers. Sam is an adorable pug who takes protecting his new family very seriously. Things take a hilarious turn when Sam mistakes the neighbor for Medusa and the garbage men for pirates! Ultimately, Sam’s heart leads him in the right direction in this laugh-out-loud tale that gives readers a dog’s eye view of the world. For fans of The Eyes and the Impossible and Dog Squad.
They Call Me No Sam! by Drew Daywalt, (List Price: $15.99, Clarion Books, 9780358612902, June 2024)
Reviewed by Monie Henderson, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
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What Love Looks Like will make an excellent bedtime story or a way to stretch your imagination and practice mindfulness. Each spread takes Papa and Afia to a new place where they imagine all the things they can see and feel. And with every new place, they imagine they share what love can feel like. Perfect for readers who love Grace Lin & Kate Messner’s Once Upon a Book or Micha Archer’s Daniel Finds a Poem; I can’t wait to share this one with kids and grownups too!
What Love Looks Like by Laura Obuobi, Anna Cunha (illus.), (List Price: $19.99, HarperCollins, 9780063222434, June 2024)
Reviewed by Johanna Albrecht, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina
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Little Shrew is a quiet and sweet story of life and friends told in three chapters. Its quietness makes it a great bedtime story or a lovely moment to sit and ponder.
Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi, (List Price: $19.99, Kids Can Press, 9781525313035, June 2024)
Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana
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Perfectly positioned for Poetry Month and Earth Day, Poetrees is a poetry book, an art book, and a science primer all in one. From the humble seed to the Giant Sequoia there’s sure to be an ode to your favorite forest giant.
PoetreesPoetrees by Douglas Florian, (List Price: $8.99, Beach Lane Books, 9781665957946, April 2024)
Reviewed by Angie Tally, The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines, North Carolina
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I love this fun story about what makes us unique AND what unites us with others who may not look like us or speak the same language. Great for teaching empathy and kindness, to others and ourselves!
Someone Just Like You by Helen Docherty, (List Price: $18.99, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 9781665949583, March 2024)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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For a very special few days each October, young witch/skater Gwen gets to hang out with her best friends: a werewolf and vampire from the monster realm who can only cross over right around Halloween. Together, they do spooky things like go to the mall and haunt normies! A super fun series opener (I hope), perfect for whatever the Zoomer/Alpha version of Hot Topic tweens is.
Hellaween by Moss Lawton, (List Price: 22.99, Razorbill, 9780593524299, August 2023)
Reviewed by Talia Smart, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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A delightful homage to the neighborhood swim spot, Our Pool is the perfect summertime read! The onomatopoeias, bright colors, and strong lines will draw readers in and keep them rapt as the narrator delights in sharing about their day at the pool.
Our Pool by Lucy Ruth Cummins, (List Price: 18.99, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 9781534499232, June 2023)
Reviewed by Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
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Magical and imaginative, this autobiographical picture book follows a young girl’s explorations under the sea as she observes marine life and our critical need for marine conservation. I loved that Mother of Sharks features a Hispanic woman in STEM!
Mother of Sharks by Melissa Cristina Márquez, (List Price: 19.99, Penguin Workshop, 9780593523582, May 2023)
Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina
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Gorgeous drawings meet a classic childhood tale of a toy who comes to life at night. A wonderful early graphic novel to introduce young children to the format.
Good Night, Planet by Liniers, (List Price: $7.99, TOON Books, 9781662665035, March 2023)
Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
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Simon has my heart! His spirit, authenticity, and humor make him one of the most compelling characters I’ve met in a long time. Simon, along with his parents, show that trauma changes us in terrible & beautiful ways that create something new. This tough but tender novel shines with hope and resilience. As Dolly Parton says, laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.Please don’t let the subject matter push you away from this wonderful, funny, and important book. It’s a perfect example of its OK to read dark things, our lives are full of dark things and fictional characters working their way towards the light helps us do the same. Simon Sorta of Says is fantastic!
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow, (List Price: $16.99, Disney-Hyperion, 9781368082853, January 2023)
Reviewed by Susan Williams, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina
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Beautiful and poignant, this stunning ode to Cree life sings with love for the relations that sustain it—between people, with the land, and the communal practices that have endured through generations. Flett’s warm, evocative artwork is, as always, a treasure, imbuing Sainte-Marie’s lyrics with tender resonance.
Still This Love Goes On by Buffy Sainte-Marie, (List Price: $18.95, Greystone Kids, 9781771648073, September 2022)
Reviewed by Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia
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The thing I love about a great picture book is the way anything can become magical. (Please note: this is not a book about literal magic pancakes. It’s a book about the magic of friendship while making pancakes together!) Cat, Rabbit, and Moonbear spend the day together making pancakes, eating pancakes, and taking a post-pancakes nap. The simplicity of their shared day reminds me of the power of sharing a special tradition with friends, even one as simple as Sunday pancakes.
Sunday Pancakes by Maya Tatsukawa, (List Price: $17.99, Dial Books, 9780593406632, May 2022)
Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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I loved this new middle grade coming of age story told in verse. Faruqi is able to capture so much about Aafiyah’s life and what it means to be a preteen in America. She uses careful precision and economy of words to tell us about the Qamar family, their privilege and love for each other, their heritage and sorrows. I love a novel in verse for the author’s ability to express a depth of feeling that is not possible in prose novels. I think this is the perfect form to tell this story and think kids will be effected by the nuance of the writing.
Golden Girl by Reem Faruqi, (List Price: $16.99, HarperCollins, 9780063044753, February 2022)
Reviewed by Jamie Southernr from Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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