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 […]
May 9, 2022
A thoughtful examination primarily of the United States’ history of slavery, but including the historical presence of slavery around the world and the continued impacts of slavery, From Me to You presents a useful introduction to a challenging topic.
From Me to You was inspired by the author’s eight-year-old son Justin asking about slavery. The […]
September 3, 2021
Carol Sutters’ The Antarctic Warms Up is part of a series aiming to show young readers the impact of climate change.
The picture book features a mother watching a documentary about the Antarctic with her children. She narrates the bulk of the book, including scientific explanations, however, making the documentary premise superfluous.
The book starts […]
August 30, 2021
British children Tom and Kate share what they’ve learned about COVID-19 and the environment in Carol Sutters’ picture book The Coronavirus and Saving the Planet.
During the pandemic, Tom and Kate’s school is closed and they are learning remotely. One of their lessons is about COVID-19 and its origins, transmission and effects. Information is delivered […]
December 7, 2020
In this nonfiction picture book, young readers learn about different animals through an unusual lens: yawning.
Thirty-two animals are depicted in Who’s Yawning Now?, a book designed for both early and more advanced readers. The author includes popular species (impala, hippopotamus, etc.), as well as those less familiar (Tenrec of Madagascar). Each animal comes with […]
October 12, 2020
In this lovingly produced book, Rebecca DalMolin aptly demonstrates that children with Down syndrome, like her daughter Adella, are just like the rest of us in so many ways.
“My name is Adella and I have Down syndrome,” the story begins. Adella then uses the idea of building a snowman to explain what Down syndrome […]
May 25, 2020
Elisabeth Brown’s picture book The Little Lion with the Big Roar! is based on the real-life experiences of the author’s transgender daughter, Jennifer.
Dillion, a male lion cub has feelings he’s trying to understand. He doesn’t like chasing or wrestling with the other male cubs and spends much of his time playing alone. When he […]
January 6, 2020
The Life of Gus: The Dog with the Big Head is a heartwarming true story in chapter book format about a Houston street dog who eventually finds happiness with a loving family.
After being abandoned by his young owner, Timmy, Gus learns to fend for himself on the streets of Houston. While searching for food […]
March 28, 2019
A woman discovers an out-of-place gecko lizard and adopts it, in the nonfiction children’s book Daisy and Dee: A True Story of Mystery, Disbelief, Persistence and Above All Love.
Daisy and Dee takes place in Ontario, Canada, an unlikely location for a stray leopard gecko, a species not native to the area. Understandably, the book’s […]
April 28, 2018
The biology of plants, seeds, and pollination is expertly and beautifully explained in Polly W. Cheney’s picture book Sip, Pick, and Pack… How Pollinators Help Plants Make Seeds.
Most children understand that plants make seeds that grow into new plants, and that bees and other creatures are somehow helpful to the process. But here, the […]