Chengu, a young panda, can do a lot by himself. He can climb, push, swing and more. But even the most independent panda can use a little help sometimes. Mixed media illustrations highlight the expressive Chengu amid grass and on bamboo. Children — and adults — will see themselves in Chengu’s simple adventures.
Chengdu Can Do
Everywhere people take baths, but baths and bathing traditions are different in places and countries around the world. Take a look at the Yup’ik family as they trudge across a frozen landscape to a small cabin with no windows; venture to India with a father and son who descend steps to the Ganges River. Bright illustrations and straightforward text effectively depict ways of bathing around the world.
Around the World in a Bathtub
Summer adventures begin when “the days stretch out like a slow yawn…” and “bumblebees bumble around in flowers.” Then it’s time for flip-flops, lemonade stands, camping trips and more. Double-page spreads with jaunty, child-like illustrations combine with a rhythmic text to evoke the sights, sounds, smells, and even tastes of summer.
And Then Comes Summer
When their grandmother falls ill, Ivy Sparrow and her older brother, Seb, discover an entirely different London and the truth about their grandmother. Fast-paced and well-written, this magical adventure features a unique look to make the common rather uncommon.
The Uncommoners: Crooked Sixpence
Fifth-grade Maria and her younger brother live with their parents on a farm in Yuba City, California near the end of World War II. Their father is from India, their mother from Mexico. Maria loves to play baseball and is encouraged by her teacher but confronts other problems. Will their field be destroyed? Will the family lose their home? Both humorous and poignant, readers will gain a sense of the period and many of the issues that feel very contemporary.
Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh
Can the three friends — Eni, Hopper, and Josh — foil the dastardly principal to save the day? How can coding help? In this third installment of Secret Coders, information and adventure combine to create another exciting story.
Secret Coders: Secrets to Sequences
Anais speaks French in her native African country but must use English in her new home in Maine. It’s difficult to learn English, make new friends and adjust. When her grandmother insists that Anais corresponds with her in English, not French, she asks her granddaughter to note one good thing about America each time. Though sometimes difficult, Anais does which ultimately helps things improve in this sweet, hopeful story of immigration.
One Good Thing about America
It’s hard to make lemonade out of lemons when your mother has died and you’re stuck living far away from everything familiar. But that’s just what Lemonade Liberty Witt must do when she goes to live with her grandfather in Willow Creek, California, the Bigfoot Capital of the World. There she meets Tobin Sky, an odd boy who is the CEO of Bigfoot Detectives, Inc. Together, they solve a mystery, perhaps even meet a Bigfoot, and find that making lemonade can sometimes occur unexpectedly.
Lemons
Four very different kids each with unique problems and personalities, come together over a short period to find a lost boy, come to appreciate each other, and discover new friendships. Each character is recognizable, likeable, and when they come together create a fast-paced story sure to engage young readers.
Hello, Universe
Three unlikely heroes emerge to save their worlds by lighting five beacons. Told through action-packed sequential panels of art and conversation bubbles, the characters bring magic and fantasy to a thrilling end of the first installment in a new graphic series.
5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior
After the mother skunk is killed, Bixby “Bat” Alexander Tam’s veterinarian mother brings home its kit to be kept only until its old enough to be released. Who would have thought Bat would want to keep the baby skunk, named Thor? Is it really okay for a skunk to become a pet? Bat is a unique character and the story offers a deeply heartfelt glimpse into the life of a boy on the autism spectrum, presented realistically in this touching (and surprisingly informative) novel.
A Boy Called Bat
Barker and Purdy are best friends but very different. Not only is Barker a dog and Purdy a cat, but their personalities are quite dissimilar: one is hardworking, the other rather lazy. But differences are made to be appreciated as Barker and Purdy come to appreciate in this illustrated, episodic and charming book first published in Finland.
Bicycling to the Moon
Four young people come together at the Metropolitan in New York City on the very day that Pearl Harbor is bombed. Their quest involves Arthurian legend, creepy villains, and a bit of magic in this well-paced, riveting narration will be enjoyed by sophisticated listeners.
The Metropolitans
Saya takes comfort in listening to her mother’s voice on the answering machine while the family waits to be reunited. The moving story of immigration is beautifully narrated. The close-knit family will resonate with all ages.
Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation
The entire family will enjoy how Precious solves her first mystery — a thief in school! Written by the author of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency adult books, the narrator brings the book to life with a lyrical voice ideally bringing the characters to life. This is sure to please the entire family.
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case
Amber Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto is getting ready to start middle school and she’s worried. Imaginative and real, Amber — half Japanese, half Italian — is read with authenticity to punctuate her mixed heritage and family concerns shared by many 9 to 12 year olds.
Dream On, Amber
Darkus finds friends, adventure, and surprises once his widowed father disappears from a closed museum room filled with beetles. The author delightfully narrates the engaging science fiction/fantasy/realistic tale just right for slightly older listeners.
Beetle Boy
Bright, stylized illustrations are accompanied by brief descriptions that suggest the animals look like they’re wearing human attire. In this short, creative, humorous book the wooly sheep that “wears a fluffy jacket”, a rhino with “a warm coat”, a goldfish in “a tie-dye skirt”; and the “boy wears … nothing?”
What Do You Wear?
From 1 to 10 race cars with personalities line up to begin the race. When the lights go from red to yellow to green – off they go! Who will win? Playful, rhyming text accompanies the colorful, angular illustrations.
Race Car Count
Familiar and some not-so-familiar nursery rhymes are presented in a child-sized, sturdy format illustrated in Well’s signature style. Charming bunnies, chicks, cats and other critters in old fashioned garb and settings enliven and freshen up the ditties.
One, Two, Three, Mother Goose
Simple rhymes and colorful, flat illustrations introduce familiar farm animals and their sounds. In addition, young readers are encouraged to count from 1 to 5. Die-cuts for each animal’s eyes add texture and interest before the last animal and number roundup.
Moo: A First Book of Counting
Getting a new pup means getting a new friend but it also means getting to know each other. At first, the small brown and white dog is shy and kind of scared but that changes. Sometime dogs and kids are sloppy, smelly and noisy but it’s all worth it! Simple illustrations and straightforward text combine to present a warm story of friendship.
I Got a New Friend
Rhythmic, inventive language — “Yawny and dozy…”, “Tickly and feathery…” — along with boldly lined illustrations ask how each animal pair says goodnight. Turn the sturdy half page to see the cozy nighttime cuddle. Deep hues and black lines present the prefect bedtime tale to relax young children.
Good Night, Like This
Flora places an empty bowl near a hen’s nest filled with eggs. One by one as the eggs hatch, Flora fills the bowl the yellow, orange, and even a brown chick. Expressive illustrations on plain backgrounds and large numbers from 1 to 10 convey the story. The use of sturdy foldouts increases the delightful surprises as the chicks meet their new friend, Flora.