January 24, 2023
A young girl and her brother celebrate Christmas with decorations, cookie baking, and their own special preparations for a late-night vigil in the picture book On Reindeer Watch.
Christmas Eve has finally arrived, and two siblings are ready for their favorite Christmas tradition: the Reindeer Watch. The children, addressing readers, share their recipe for reindeer […]
December 13, 2022
Enhanced by vibrant illustrations, this picture book introduces children to a few common phrases in each of the many languages of India.
On the book’s first page, an illustrated map shows the official language in each region of India, written in both English and the native script. The facing page explains that “India is a […]
November 22, 2022
In Joni Franks’ seventh book of the Corky Tails series, the tailless dog Sagebrush and her friends go on a mission to save a village.
The Shuns, a group of tiny people living in the woods, are faced with the interruption of their village’s water source, the result of a landslide in the mountains that […]
November 15, 2022
A retold Bible story for children, illustrated with a variety of classic paintings, Mary Magdalene chronicles Jesus’s baptism, rise to prominence, and subsequent death, paying special attention to the women who followed and supported him.
The book opens in Nazareth, with a young Jesus being revealed as the son of God upon his baptism. He […]
November 15, 2022
Eileen Ferriter’s Sailing the Milky Way is a picture book that follows a dragonfly on a trip through the cosmos.
The book begins with a young boy in bed. “Before you tuck me in,” he says, “can you tell me the story of Yuri once more?” The narrator then informs readers that “The loving parents […]
November 8, 2022
Offering a heavy helping of desert ecology with a dash of drama, Desert Friends is an informative picture book for young readers who enjoy learning about wild animals.
Desert Friends opens by introducing readers to a roadrunner and a Gambel’s quail, two friends in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert who love to race each other. Readers learn […]
November 1, 2022
A young Viking girl who struggles to keep up with her schoolmates in class finds friendship and hope in the picture book Klippe the Viking.
Frustrated by her learning problems, Klippe is approached by Kanin, another little girl. Kanin says that she, too, has problems with school and they decide to work together to overcome […]
October 3, 2022
In Ballard’s third book in the Tales by Moons-light series, a ten-year-old girl who feels imprisoned by overprotective parents longs for adventure.
On a wildlife safari trip her mother won, Elvia sneaks away, is chased by a lion, and escapes into an outhouse. There, she’s pulled through a space-time tunnel and lands on a distant […]
September 19, 2022
A young dragon just learning to fly discovers the land of fairies in Nancy Benson’s picture book Fairies and Dragons.
Hunter, a dragon sent out by his father to practice flying, finds himself tired and stranded in territory he doesn’t recognize. Luckily, Hunter meets a group of fairies, including young Sylvie, who comfort Hunter and […]
September 5, 2022
In Cicek Bricault’s middle-grade novel, a twelve-year-old girl desperate to become popular hides her unique ability, fearful of seeming like a freak.
KyRose dreams of joining her school’s in-crowd, which means making friends with Georgia, the “popular and ruthless” soccer captain. One day in gym class, KyRose makes a good play, and Georgia pushes her […]