Picture Book – Page 10 – Sneak Peek Books

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake

“If you give a cat a cupcake, he’ll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you’ll give him a bathing suit . . .”

A little girl has a messy, mischievous cat who loves to have fun. The little girl takes the cat to the beach, to the gym, and to a merry-go-round. The little girl often has a surprised look on her face, while the adorable black cat is full of enthusiasm.

This simple story has one sentence on each page, which makes it a quick read. Each page’s illustration shows the cat and his girl. The illustrations are often humorous. For example, the cat finds a “few” things to put in his beach pail; however, the pail overflows and contains a vast amount of items—seaweed, a boot, a hat, a toy truck, a hairbrush, etc. Other illustrations are silly, such as when the cat creates a sandcastle with the girl as part of it. The easy-to-read text and fun pictures make If You Give a Cat a Cupcake a fun book for younger readers.

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake will delight younger readers and introduce the idea of cause and effect. Sprinkle some fun into your day and read If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. Just beware, the story will give you a craving for a cupcake of your own.

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Angus All Aglow

Angus loves sparkly things so much that he can hear them. To Angus, shiny objects not only look beautiful, they also crackle, buzz, and go whiz-bang-POP! His unique ability is lost when Angus wears his grandma’s beaded necklace to school, and his classmates tease him for his unusual choice. Saddened by their laughter, Angus stops hearing the sparkle.

Without sparkly things in his life, Angus is sad. Before being teased, Angus loved the diamond studs on the collar of his dog, Sherlock. After being teased, Angus pushes Sherlock away because Sherlock’s collar has sparkly diamond studs that make Angus feel bad. As the story progresses, Angus’ emotions are explained in unique ways that younger readers can understand. For example, when Angus’ classmates tease him, their “laughter was like the downpour of freezing rain.”

In order to be accepted, Angus thinks he is going to have to give up sparkly things. One of Angus’ classmates shows him acceptance, friendship, and a shared love of all things sparkly. In the end, Angus gains a new friend and a new understanding that it’s okay to be different. Instead of feeling embarrassed because he likes sparkly things, Angus’ newfound friend and confidence make him glow from the inside out.

Angus Aglow should be on everyone’s reading list not only because of the positive message but also because the text and pictures are beautifully sparkly. Angus Aglow is packed full of fun words including new vocabulary, similes, and onomatopoeias. The text is fun to read aloud, and it also has some wonderful elements such as brightly colored font and larger text for important words.

The full-page illustrations use bright colors and fun details that younger readers will want to look at again and again. Angus’s classroom is diverse, and his new friend is an African American girl, which reinforces the idea that people do not have to be exactly alike in order to be friends. Each page has 2-7 sentences per page along with illustrations that show Angus’ expressive emotions. Even though Angus Aglow is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently.

Angus Aglow will help younger readers understand the value of acceptance and friendship. The story uses figurative language that makes the story fun to read. Angus Aglow will remind readers that they should embrace the things that make them feel sparkly inside.

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Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea

A boy swims “way down deep in the deep blue sea” to find treasure. While he explores the sea, the boy sees a variety of sea creatures including a sea horse, a hermit crab, and a swordfish. This story’s cute conclusion contains a surprise that reveals the boy was using his imagination the whole time.

Vibrant sea creatures are cast against the deep blue of the sea. As the boy swims with the sea creatures, he interacts with them without touching them. Even though this picture book doesn’t have a plot, readers will enjoy the imaginative story that takes place “way down deep in the deep blue sea.” Each page has six short lines that use repetition and rhyming, making the story enjoyable to read aloud. Bright illustrations give readers the opportunity to identify ocean creatures; however, the book has few facts about the sea creatures.

Even though Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. With bright pictures, simple text, and a surprise ending, Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea is a good read-aloud book. For more splashing fun, readers should jump into these ocean-themed books: Shawn Loves Sharks by Curtis Manley and The Pout-Pout Fish Adventure Series by Deborah Diesen.

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Julián is a Mermaid

Every Saturday morning, Julián and his abuela go swimming. But the day Julián spies three women on the subway, everything changes. He is entranced by their beautiful hair, their swishy, shimmering mermaid gowns, and their total confidence. Each woman has a different body type, and each woman is uniquely beautiful. When Julián sees the women, his imagination dives into the ocean where he is free to be a mermaid surrounded by colorful sea creatures. In his imagination, Julián’s hair grows long and he glides around the sea with a beautiful pink tail.

When Julián goes back to his abuela’s house, all he can think of is becoming a mermaid himself. Using a vase of flowers, a tube of lipstick, and his abuela’s curtains, Julián dresses as a mermaid. When Julián’s abuela sees him, she scowls and then leaves the room. Julián worries he will be scolded, which is conveyed through his facial expressions. When Julián’s abuela returns, she gives him a beaded necklace and takes him to the beach where he joins a parade of people dressed as mermaids and other sea creatures.

Any child who has played dress-up will relate to Julián, whose definition of beauty comes from those around him. Jessica Love’s illustrations use soft browns and greens with a pop of color. Both Julián’s real world and imaginary world are portrayed with beauty. Jessica Love often allows the pictures to speak for themselves. Because many of the pages do not have words, readers will be able to imagine themselves in the story and let their imaginations roam.

Like many children, Julián is afraid of his abuela’s reaction. However, his abuela surprises him by not only adding to his mermaid costume, but also taking him to see others who are brave enough to parade around the beach in their own costumes. The vivid costumes include sea green mermaids, large colorful fish, as well as other sea creatures. The magic of Julián’s story is its ability to show readers the importance of accepting yourself and allowing your imagination to take you to unexpected places. In the end, it will remind parents of the importance of encouraging their children to express themselves, instead of scolding them for dressing outside of society’s norms. Like Julián, we should all believe that all it takes to be a mermaid is a little imagination and a beautiful tail.

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The Old Woman and Her Pig

Based on a traditional Appalachian folktale, an old woman goes into town to buy a pig for a penny. As she walks the pig home, the pig refuses to go over a bridge. The old woman pushes and pulls, cries and cajoles, with no luck. The old woman asks a dog, a pig, and a cat to help but they all refuse. In the end, everyone crosses the bridge, the old woman makes it home by nightfall and is able to dance a jig with her little boy.

Bright and colorful cartoon-like pictures give the story a cheerful feeling. The text is told using various font sizes, which allows the author to emphasize some lines. Each page uses repetition and onomatopoeia sounds, which younger children will enjoy. The friendly animals have funny facial expressions that add humor to the story.

Despite the cheerful pictures, this silly story falls flat. Unlike most folklore, Old Woman and Her Pig has little action. Instead of leaving the reader with a moral, the story leaves the reader wondering what the point of the story was. With so many books to choose from, readers may want to skip reading Old Woman and Her Pig. If you’re looking for a humorous book featuring a pig, the Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamill would be a better choice.

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I don’t want a posh dog!

Join one little girl in her quest to find her perfect pet companion. While dogs come in every shape, color, and size, she knows there is only one dog that she will call her very own. The little girl wants a “sweet willy-nilly dog. A not-too-proud dog. A know-me-in-the-crowd dog.”

Anyone who has a dog or dreams of having a dog will love I don’t want a posh dog! Each page of the picture book has illustrations of dogs that are cute and at times funny. For example, the girl doesn’t want “a fancy, attitudey dog.” The corresponding picture shows a dog in a fashionable dog carrier wearing a matching headband with stars. The dogs have expressive facial expressions in the illustrations that help bring out each dog’s personality.

The repetitive sentences and rhyming text make I don’t want a posh dog perfect to read aloud. Each page contains 1-2 short sentences. The large illustrations are cute and contain just enough detail to make the illustrations interesting. Even though I don’t want a posh dog! is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Whether you’re looking for a quick bedtime story or a picture book that will start a conversation about owning a pet, I don’t want a posh dog will hit the mark.

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Yo Soy Muslim: A Father’s Letter to His Daughter

Written as a letter from a father to his daughter, Yo Soy Muslim is a celebration of social harmony and multicultural identities. The vivid and elegant verse, accompanied by magical and vibrant illustrations, highlights the diversity of the Muslim community as well as indigenous identities. A literary journey of discovery and wonder, Yo Soy Muslim is sure to inspire adults and children alike.

A beautiful letter, Yo Soy Muslim encourages the daughter to celebrate her Latino heritage and her Muslim faith. The story uses poetic language and focuses on a positive message of having pride in one’s faith. Through both the text and the words, the author points out that some people “will not smile at you.” The illustration shows one woman glaring at the little girl and another woman whispering to someone. The father tells his daughter, “On that day tell them this: Yo soy Muslim. I am from Allah, angels, and a place almost as old as time. I speak Spanish, Arabic, and dreams.” Although the father clearly wants his daughter to feel pride in her heritage, children may not understand the abstract language.

The letter is beautifully illustrated with deep colors and natural scenes. However, the scenes where people look down on the child are darker and have shades of black. The color contrast represents both the negativity of people and the celebration of the child’s culture. Even though Yo Soy Muslim is a picture book, the story should be read with an adult. Although younger readers will love the beautiful pictures, they may need help understanding the message. Some lines will be confusing. For example, “There are questions we will ask when we are learning what it means to be human.”

Any child who has ever felt different will relate to Yo Soy Muslim. Even though the story focuses on a Muslim family, and there are references to God, the story is not an introduction to Islam. Instead, it’s a letter reminding a little girl to “Dance. Smile. Laugh. Pray. Say it with me: Yo Soy Muslim.”

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Batter Up Wombat

It’s a brand new baseball season, and the Champs are ready to go in their spiffy clean uniforms. Never mind that the previous year they finished last in the North American Wildlife League—this season will be different. But when a Wombat wanders onto the field on opening day, the Champs have no idea just how different the game is about to become.

When the Champs play a team of raccoons, they discover how little Wombat knows about baseball. The Champs decide that Wombat needs “a quick course in the sport.” In order to teach Wombat what baseball is, the Champs begin spouting baseball lingo. Readers will laugh at the baseball wordplay. For example, Wombat is told, “you’ll need a bat.” A thought bubble above Wombat’s head shows a bat flying above his head.

Cartoon-like illustrations show different animals including a bird, a frog, a mouse and raccoons. In order to help younger readers understand the wordplay, each time someone explains an aspect of baseball, a thought bubble appears showing the literal meaning of the word. Even though baseball fans will enjoy the wordplay, the story doesn’t flow well and is confusing at times.

When the Champs actually play a game, Wombat continues to be confused. Soon, the team realizes that despite Wombat’s size, he cannot play well. Wombat becomes “frazzled, exhausted, and very sad.” Then, a black cloud appears. When the animals realize a tornado is speeding toward them, they don’t know where to hide. There isn’t a dugout to hide in so Wombat quickly digs a tunnel big enough for both teams. Wombat wasn’t great at baseball, but he still saves the day.

Even though Batter Up Wombat is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page contains 1-4 sentences. Readers may have difficulty with the compound sentences. Batter Up Wombat’s wordplay is similar to the Amelia Bedelia Series. Young baseball fans will enjoy the wordplay and Wombat’s literal interpretation of the game.

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Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream

If there is anything in the world better than playing baseball, Marcenia Lyle doesn’t know what it is. As a young girl in the 1930s, she chases down fly balls, steals bases, and dreams of one day playing professional ball.

With spirit, spunk, and a great passion for the sport, Marcenia struggles to overcome the objections of family, friends, and coaches who feel a girl has no place on the field. When she finally wins a position in a baseball summer camp sponsored by the St. Louis Cardinals, Marcenia is on her way to catching her dream.

Based on Marcenia Lyle’s life, Catching the Moon shows how one girl made her dream come true, despite being discouraged from chasing her dream. Marcenia’s parents and her classmates think that Marcenia’s dream is impossible. Instead of giving up, Marcenia works harder and eventually proves that baseball isn’t just a “man’s game.”

Marcenia’s story has baseball action as well as dialogue, which keeps the story moving at a fast pace. Catching the Moon shows the prejudices that Marcenia faced during the 1930s. However, instead of being angry or giving up, Marcenia works hard to prove herself. In the end, Marcenia’s can-do attitude pays off and she eventually plays professional baseball. Marcenia’s story highlights the importance of hard work and persistence.

Catching the Moon is a picture book that uses pen-and-ink and acrylic illustrations to bring Marcenia’s story to life. The illustrations mostly use shades of brown and blue which recreates the feeling of a blue sky above a baseball field. Catching the Moon is a picture book and has 7-11 sentences on each page. Because of the story’s vocabulary and sentence structure, parents should read the story aloud instead of having the child read it independently.

Catching the Moon will encourage readers to work hard in order to make their dreams a reality. The fast-paced story will entertain readers as it teaches the value of persistence. Catching the Moon will appeal to sports fans as well as anyone who has big dreams. Readers may also want to add Mae Among The Stars by Roda Ahmed to their reading list. Both stories encourage readers to work hard and dream big.

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Homer

Alex loves baseball. So does his dog, Homer. One starry night, after Alex goes to sleep, Homer and his canine friends get ready for their big baseball game. Find out who will be the champions of the dog baseball world when Homer and the Doggers take on the mighty Hounds.

A story with baseball and dogs should be an interesting book; however, Homer has too many flaws. The dog characters and the plot are not developed, which makes the story confusing. Instead of telling a unique story, the predictable story uses too much baseball prose. For example, “Here’s the pitch. . . It’s a long drive to center field. It’s waaay back! The ball is going. . . going. . . it’s gone!”

The inside cover of the book has cute player cards of both teams, which identify their breed and teams. The picture book uses computer-enhanced photos of the dogs. The illustrations, while amusing at times, are strange. Often the artwork and photos do not match correctly. In one picture, a dog is batting while another one is peeing on a fire hydrant.

Baseball and animal fans might overlook the negative aspects of the book. The full-page pictures include text bubbles with some cute dialogue. The story also incorporates some dog puns. For example, when the Homers are suiting up for the game, one dog says, “it’s going to be a ruff game.” Most pages have one sentence, and many pages have no text. Baseball fans might want to leave Homer on the library shelf. If you’re looking for an inspirational baseball picture book Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream by Crystal Hubbard is an excellent story with a positive message. Readers who are ready for chapter books should read The Alien Next Door: Baseball Blues by A.I Newton.

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Mae Among The Stars

When Little Mae was a child, she dreamed of dancing in space. She imagined herself surrounded by billions of stars, floating, gliding, and discovering. Mae learns that if you can dream it and you work hard for it, anything is possible.

Mae Among The Stars was inspired by the story of Mae Jemison, the first African American in space. When Mae tells her parents about her dream, they tell her, “If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible.” However, not everyone believes that Mae’s dream of being an astronaut is realistic. Her teacher tells her, “Mae, are you sure you don’t want to be a nurse? Nursing would be a good profession for someone like you.” Despite her teacher and classmate’s disbelief, Mae makes her dream come true.

Even though the story was inspired by Mae Jemison, the story doesn’t incorporate many facts about Mae’s life. The story repeats the refrain, “If you can dream it, if you believe it and work hard for it, anything is possible.” However, the story doesn’t explain what Mae did to make her dream come true. The end of the book only has one page about about Mae Jemison’s education, when she traveled to the moon, and some other information.

The picture book is comprised of bright, cartoon-like pictures that show Mae’s interest in space. Even though Mae Among The Stars is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. Each page has 2-4 sentences; however, some of the sentences are complex. Mae Among The Stars encourages readers to work hard to make their dreams come true. Parents may want to use the story to begin a conversation about working hard to achieve one’s dreams.

Younger readers who are interested in space will want to add Mousetronaut and Mousetronaut Goes to Mars by Mark Kelly to their reading list.

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Hair Love

Zuri’s hair lets her be her. It coils and kinks to perfectly match a princess tiara or a super-hero cape. This morning, Zuri is too excited to sleep because her mom is coming home. Zuri knows that she’s beautiful, but today she wants an extra-special hairstyle.

Zuri knows her father has had to work extra hard while her mom was away, so she doesn’t want to wake him up. Zuri wants to do her own hair, but she accidently wakes up her daddy. He is convinced that styling Zuri’s hair will be “a piece of cake.” Soon, Daddy realizes that Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own.

While Zuri’s father loves the hairstyle he has created, Zuri and her cat aren’t impressed. After several styles and some tears, Daddy watches a tutorial. “Daddy combed, parted, piled, and twisted. He nailed it!” When Mommy comes home, she gives Zuri a big hug and tells her, “And your hair is beautiful.”

Hair Love isn’t only a book about expressing yourself, but also a beautiful story of a father and daughter. Both Zuri and Daddy show each other their love through actions. Zuri makes her father breakfast—cereal, an apple, and a juice box. Zuri lets him sleep because she knows he is tired. Zuri’s father also acknowledges Zuri’s need to look beautiful and creates several hairstyles before he finds the perfect one.

Told with full-page pastel illustrations, Zuri’s plight becomes real. When Daddy tries to style her hair, the results are often comical. Both the cat and Zuri’s opinions of each hairstyle are portrayed through the characters’ expressions. Even though the illustrations are often humorous, Hair Love does an excellent job of showing how Zuri’s hair allows her to express herself. The ending of the story shows Zuri’s mother, who is wearing a scarf over her head, hinting that she is undergoing cancer treatments. Even though most readers will not pick up on this aspect of the story, readers who know someone with cancer will understand the illustration’s significance.

Readers will fall in love with Hair Love and want to read the story over and over. Through both the illustrations and text, the story shows the special bond between father and daughter and highlights the family’s love for each other. The story’s message is simple and readers will understand Zuri’s need to feel beautiful and to express herself. Hair Love will leave readers with a smile and a new understanding of family love.

Even though Hair Love is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. Most pages contain 1-2 sentences, which makes the story a quick read and an excellent bedtime story. Hair Love should be in everyone’s home library because the story showcases healthy family relationships and highlights the importance of expressing yourself. If you’re looking for another picture book that explores family relationships, add Mars Needs Moms by Berkeley Breathed to your reading list. Another must-read picture book that shows the importance of loving yourself is Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o.

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We Are the Gardeners

In We Are the Gardeners, Joanna, and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything!), and all the knowledge they’ve gained along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden. As it turns out, trying something new isn’t always easy, but the hardest work often yields the greatest reward. There are always new lessons to be learned in the garden!

Told through both text and words, We Are the Gardeners shows the steps to becoming a successful gardener. The full-page illustrations burst with all the colors of the garden, from the bright red of tomatoes to all the greens of the plants. The illustrations are beautiful and show the joys of gardening—digging in the dirt, picking seeds, and taking time to splash in the sprinkler. Readers will enjoy seeing children helping by watering plants, weeding, and eating the fruits of their labor.

The cheerful story doesn’t only focus on all of the positive aspects of gardening. Instead, the story also shows the failures, including a dying plant and animals feasting. However, the failures are shown as learning experiences. When a plant dies, the text reads, “Some people tell themselves they are no good at something after one small failure. But no chance were we going to give up that easy.”

Readers will learn where to put a garden, the importance of pollinators, how to identify beneficial and harmful bugs, and more. However, We Are the Gardeners also teaches important life lessons, such as using books to learn, making a plan, and “every setback and failure teaches us something.”

Even though We Are the Gardeners is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. Most pages contain 1 to 3 complex sentences and some difficult vocabulary. However, We Are the Gardeners would make a perfect springtime story to read to younger children. We Are the Gardeners will inspire readers to find the perfect place to put a potted plant or make a garden of their own.

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Baseball Saved Us

“Shorty” and his family, along with thousands of Japanese Americans, are forced to relocate from their home to a “camp” after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Fighting the heat, dust, and freezing cold nights in the desert, Shorty and the others at the camp need something to look forward to, even if only for nine innings. So they build a playing field, and in this unlikely place, a baseball league is formed.

Surrounded by barbed-wire fences and guards in towers, Shorty soon finds that he is playing not only to win but to gain dignity and self-respect as well.

Although Baseball Saved Us is a picture book, the story introduces the history of Japanese American internment camps. An unnamed narrator explains the confusion of having to leave his home and the changes that came with living in the internment camp. His older brother begins spending more time with his friends and at one point becomes disrespectful. This event causes the narrator’s father to create the baseball field. With the help of others—inside and outside the camp—the baseball field becomes a reality.

The narrator knows he isn’t “that good” at baseball, but he keeps trying his best. The narrator gets angry that a guard is “always watching, always staring.” At this point, he is able to hit a home run. After that pivotal game, the narrator is back at school, being ignored by all of the white students. Baseball gives him a way to connect with the other kids. The story quickly jumps from the internment camp to events after the war. Because of the story’s choppy flow, readers may need help connecting all of the events together.

The sepia-toned illustrations mimic the colors of the desert where the internment camp was located. In most of the pictures, the faces of the people are indistinguishable, which gives the reader the feeling that the person could be anyone—even someone they know. Both the story and the illustrations explore the topics of prejudice and racism. The narrator learns how to deal with his feelings of anger and resentment. Through baseball, he is able to gain a sense of self-respect.

Although the topic is presented in kid-friendly language, Baseball Saved Us hits on heavy topics that readers may have questions about. Unlike other picture books, Baseball Saved Us has text-heavy pages as well as advanced vocabulary. The story is less about baseball and more about the narrator’s experiences in the internment camp. Baseball Saved Us will leave readers with many questions about World War II and the reasons why Japanese Americans were put in the internment camps. Baseball Saved Us would be an excellent book to read with a child and use as a conversation starter.

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Language

When Shorty was up to bat, someone yells “Jap.” The narrator “hadn’t heard that word since before I went to camp—it meant that they hated me.”

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Love

Love is the melody that follows us through each and every day of our lives. Whether it’s the sound of our parent’s voices lulling us to sleep, the joyful laughter of an uncle’s latest tall tale, or the warm embrace of a loved one telling us everything will be okay, it’s a feeling that takes countless forms and ultimately connects us all.

Love is a lyrical poem that illustrates the different ways love manifests itself. Sometimes love “is the smell of crashing waves, and a train whistling blindly in the distance, and each night the sky above your trailer turns the color of love.” The poem gives both positive experiences and negative experiences where people express love. “But it’s not only stars that flame out, you discover. It’s summers, too. And friendships. And people.”

Each page is beautifully illustrated in bright colors. The illustrations show people of different ethnicities and ages, a child in a wheelchair, and a Muslim girl. Each illustration portrays people showing their love to others, including a parent’s love for a child or “a quiet old lady” who helps when a fire breaks out.

Even though Love is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for a child to read it for the first time independently. The poem uses easy vocabulary and each page has 2-8 lines of text. Even though younger readers will not make all the connections between the illustrations and the words, they will recognize the importance of love and how love comforts each of us. Readers who enjoyed Love, should also try I Am Enough by Grace Byers which also shows the importance of supporting each other.

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Stellaluna

Separated from her mother before she is old enough to fly, Stellaluna finds out that not all winged creatures eat fruit. But swallowing food that crawls is just one of the amazing things the little fruit bat must learn to do. Not all are lessons in survival, however. As Stellaluna adapts to the habits of her new family, she learns the essence of friendship.

Stellaluna is a beautiful story that illustrates how everyone is not the same. When Stellaluna falls into a bird’s nest, she must learn to adapt because the mama bird told her, “You are teaching my children to do bad things. I will not let you back into this nest unless you promise to obey all the rules of the house.” As her bird friends learn to fly, Stellaluna tries to do the same things they do, but when she acts like a bird she is clumsy. It isn’t until Stellaluna meets another bat that she realizes her actions were “wrong for a bird, maybe, but not for a bat.”

The illustrations are simply amazing because they convey Steallaluna’s emotions. The beautiful pictures will help younger readers visualize the story’s action. Some pictures are heartwarming and others are humorous, but the one thing that remains constant throughout the story is the friendship between the three young birds and Stellaluna.

Each two-page spread contains a page of large text and a full-page illustration. Even though Stellanluna is a picture book, it is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page has eight or fewer sentences and the story ends with information about different types of bats.

Stellaluna’s story is one that younger readers will want to read again and again, not only because of the beautiful illustrations but because of the happy ending. In the end, Stellaluna is reunited with her mother, but it is clear that Stellaluna’s friendship with the birds will never end.

Sexual Content

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Violence

Stellaluna’s mother is attacked by an owl. “Dodging and shrieking, Mother Bat tried to escape, but the owl struck again and again, knocking Stellaluna into the air. Her baby wings were as limp and useless as wet paper.” Stellaluna drops into a bird’s nest.

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Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride

Mr. Watson and Mrs. Watson adore their porcine wonder named Mercy. Every Saturday, Mercy and Mr. Watson go for a ride in Mr. Watson’s convertible. Every Saturday, Mr. Watson has to push Mercy out of the driver’s seat. Everyone knows that a pig can’t drive a convertible. But one Saturday, Mr. Watson and Mercy find a stowaway hiding in the car. While Mr. Watson is distracted, Mercy takes the opportunity to get behind the wheel.

Even though Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride has the same unique, loveable characters as the first book in the series, each book can be read as a standalone. Eugenia Lincoln still finds fault in taking a pig for a ride in an automobile, but Eugenia’s sister Baby surprises everyone by taking a chance to add a little “folly” to her day. Readers familiar with Mercy Watson and new readers will enjoy the hilarious adventure. The conclusion shows how a pig and buttered toast can bring people together.

The wholesome, silly story will have readers clamoring to read and reread Mercy’s adventures. The illustrations bring the human’s emotions to the forefront with comical, exaggerated facial expressions.

Readers who are transitioning to chapter books will appreciate the large font, easy vocabulary, and illustrations that appear on almost every page. With lots of dialogue and onomatopoeias, Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride would also make an excellent book to read aloud. Anyone who has ever watched Charlotte’s Web and wished to have their very own pig will enjoy the Mercy Watson Series.

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Supernatural

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Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school . . . until one day Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so. Sofia misses her Abuelo and wonders what she can do about the dangerous Mount Trashmore. Then she gets an idea—the town can turn the slimy mess into a park! She brainstorms and plans and finally works up the courage to go to City Hall—only to be told by a clerk that she can’t build a park because she’s just a kid. Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do.

The story focuses on Sofia’s desire to rid the town of a huge trash heap. However, it is unclear where all the garbage came from and in the end, the story doesn’t explain where all the trash went. The huge pile of trash consists of everyday items, egg cartons, spoiled food, disposable cups. Although the everyday items show how everyone contributes to the pile, most younger readers will miss this lesson.

At first, Sophia is overwhelmed and “her heart skipped a beat as she realized each one of her neighbors had said: “Let me know when it’s done!’ They all thought Sofia could build it alone.” However, Sofia doesn’t give up. Instead, she goes to city hall, where she is sent to six different offices, each with a ridiculous silly name like “The Department of Cheese” and the “Office of Monkeys”. Younger readers won’t understand the humor of dealing with a city’s bureaucracy, but they will enjoy seeing a duck, a monkey, and a man dressed as cheese in the offices. Even though Sophia eventually gets the help of her classmates and adults, most of the story focuses on the process of making a park.

Sophia’s determination allows her to go through the process of getting the park built, starting with a petition drive. Sophia leads a group of diverse people who hold signs asking people to sign the petition. The illustration shows Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, and Ada Twist from Beaty’s previous books. Although their appearance is quick, readers will enjoy seeing the familiar characters. The petition illustration shows a child in a wheelchair as well as children of different races. Sophia is Latinx, drawn with medium brown skin, and her abuelo speaks one line in Spanish.

Written in rhyme, Sofia Valdez, Future Prez will entertain readers with funny events and detailed illustrations. However, the story lacks Sophia’s though process and the theme is not well developed. Nevertheless, the story would be a great conversation starter because readers will be inspired with Sophia’s can-do attitude, her leadership skills, and her desire to help others.

Even though Sofia Valdez, Future Prez is a picture book, it is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. The rhyming makes the story fun to read aloud. However, some pages are text-heavy and have up to 11 lines on a single page. Sofia Valdez, Future Prez’s will entertain readers as it teaches that one person can make a difference.

Sexual Content

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Supernatural

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I Am Enough

This story is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another—from actor and activist Grace Byers and artist Keturah A. Bobo. Byers’s story uses an unnamed narrator, who appears in illustrations with dark skin and curly black hair. In the beginning of the book, the girl compares herself to things, such as the sun, time, rain, etc. For example, “Like the moon, I’m here to dream.”

Towards the end of the book, the story shifts to focus on other ways the narrator is different from other people. For example, “I know that we don’t look the same: our skin, our eyes, our hair, our frame.” The theme is clear: despite everyone’s differences, we should love and help each other. While writing the book, Byers hoped to “empower young girls against the effects of bullying.” Even though bullying is not mentioned, the story does show that girl’s differences make them special.

Each page is illustrated beautifully, using crayon accents and realistic pictures of young girls. The girls are diverse: there are girls of different ethnicities, one girl is in a wheelchair, and one girl is wearing a hijab. The diverse group of children reinforces the idea that girls should help each other despite their differences. Each page has 1 to 4 lines of text. Even though the story uses simple vocabulary, readers may need help understanding the deeper meaning of the story. I Am Enough would be an excellent book to read aloud and discuss with a child. The picture book uses both text and illustrations to encourage girls to embrace their uniqueness as well as be kind to each other.

Sexual Content

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Violence

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Supernatural

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Sulwe

Sulwe wants to be like everyone else, but she is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe believes that because she is darker, she is not beautiful. To be beautiful, she needs to have lighter skin like her mother and sister.

One night, a star appears and takes Sulwe on a magical journey in the night sky. Sulwe is shown the story of two sisters, the Night and the Day. Even though the two were sisters, people didn’t treat them the same. “People gave Night names like ‘Scary’ and ‘Bad’ and ‘Ugly.” She felt hurt every time.” Upset by her treatment, Night left the earth. Because of Night’s absence, people realize they need Night. They learn “Brightness isn’t just for daylight. Light comes in all colors. And some light can only be seen in the dark.”

Night realizes that she does not need to change, she is beautiful just as she is. After hearing Day and Night’s story, Sulwe realizes that “she belongs out in the world! Dark and beautiful, bright and strong.” At the end of the book, the author explains how “it is important to feel good about yourself when you look in the mirror, but what is even more important is working on being beautiful inside. That means being kind to yourself and others. That is the beauty that truly shines through.”

Using language that young readers can understand, Sulwe shows the pain that colorism can cause. Even though the story focuses on colorism, anyone who has ever wanted to look different will understand Sulwe’s pain. Like everyone, Sulwe wants to fit in and make friends. However, she thinks that her problems would be solved if her skin was lighter. At one point, Sulwe tries to remove the darkness from her skin with an eraser. Sulwe’s sadness is shown in her words, her actions, and the illustrations.

The animation-styled illustrations are beautiful and moving. The illustrations show both Sulwe’s family and classmates and show the variations of their skin colors. Characters’ emotions are clearly shown through facial expressions and their actions. The book also has gorgeous images of light and dark that show the beauty in both.

Both Sulwe’s prose and illustrations are beautiful and show the importance of accepting yourself. This important message is one that every child needs to hear. Even though Sulwe is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. While many of the pages only have one sentence, readers will need assistance with the vocabulary. Sulwe would make an excellent addition to anyone’s library because the story shows that “you are beautiful because you choose to be.”

Sexual Content

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Violence

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Supernatural

A star came into Sulwe’s bedroom. “Sulwe hoped onto the star and off they went.” The star shows Sulwe the beginning of time and the story of Night and Day.

Spiritual Content

Sulwe went to bed and “turned to God for a miracle.” She prays “Please make me as fair as the parents I’m from. I want to be beautiful, not just to pretend.”

The Pout-Pout Fish and the Can’t-Sleep Blues

Mr. Fish can’t get to sleep, so he goes to ask his underwater friends for some advice. Even though his friends explain their bedtime, the routine doesn’t help Mr. Fish sleep. Miss Shimmer comes to the rescue. She helps Mr. Fish see that different routines work for different creatures. Mr. Fish takes what he learned and creates a routine that works best for him. In the end, the frustrated fish falls fast asleep.

The picture book, The Pout-Pout Fish and the Can’t Sleep Blues uses beautiful, colorful illustrations to bring Mr. Fish’s underwater world alive. The Pout-Pout Fish incorporates humor into the story. When each sea creature gives advice on how to sleep, Mr. Fish tries the method, but it doesn’t work for him. However, when he looks over, his friend is snoozing away. Mr. Fish learns that not all advice can be used because everyone’s needs are different.

Younger readers will enjoy the story and will want to look at the pictures over and over. The colorful illustrations even show one fish getting its teeth flossed as well as a sea creature counting fish-sheep. The rhyming text and short sentences (four sentences on each page) make The Pout-Pout Fish and the Can’t Sleep Blues a perfect bedtime story. Any child who has trouble falling asleep should read about Mr. Fish’s can’t sleep blues, which will help them think about creating a bedtime routine that works.

Sexual Content

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Violence

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Supernatural

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The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully-Bully Shark

Mr. Fish and his friends are playing at Tummy Tickle Park. They are having fun until a mean shark shows up and bullies the smaller creatures. The shark continuously shows bad behavior, which causes Mr. Fish to feel unhappy. But what can a small fish like Mr. Fish do?

Right from the start, the theme of The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully Shark is clear. The story contains a lot of repetition and includes a refrain: “Shark acted badly. / Being mean in wrong. / But I’m just one fish! / Am I really that strong?” Although some parents might find the message overdone, younger readers will learn the importance of standing up for others. In the end, Mr. Fish finds his voice and speaks up, telling the shark, “We are kind, we are fair. We are all potential friends.” Readers will come away with the message that one person’s voice can make a powerful change. Even though the message is clear, readers may find that in real life, a bully will not necessarily change.

Like the previous books in the series, The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully Shark uses detailed, colorful pictures throughout the story. The story does an excellent job putting Mr. Fish’s emotions into child-friendly terms. When he is bullied, his feelings are “tumble-jumbled.” The rhyming text highlights the central dilemma of the story and one illustration that appears at the end of the book shows the bully shark wearing glasses and reading a book titled How to be respectful.

As a picture book, The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully Shark makes an excellent read-aloud book because of the short, rhyming sentences. Each page contains 4 sentences of text. The story will encourage young readers to show empathy as well as care about others. Because of the serious theme, parents will want to take an opportunity to discuss bullying.

Sexual Content

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Violence

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Drugs and Alcohol

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Supernatural

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The Knight Who Took All Day

The Knight wants to impress the golden-haired princess. He wants to show the princess his skill with a shield and a sword. The Knight searches for a dragon, but doesn’t find one. When a dragon suddenly appears in the village breathing fire, the knight is worried more about his appearance than slaying the dragon. The Knight sends his squire up and down the stairs, getting his fashionable armor. The princess takes matters into her own hands, but will she be able to conquer the dragon?

The illustrations show the dragon in and around the village in soft water-colored illustrations, which do not portray the dragon’s destruction in a scary manner. The princess is in many of the illustrations, but because the illustrations are busy, readers may miss the princess’s reaction to the knight, which is important to the knight. Parents may want to make a game out of finding the princess and talking about her facial expressions. Although the illustrations are interesting and engaging, the character’s lack diversity and the two main characters—the squire and the princess—are blonde.

The Knight Who Took All Day is a cautionary tale that highlights the danger of pride and showing off. The Knight is more concerned with having the perfect outfit than saving the town from destruction. The story may lead to a great discussion on gender roles and stereotypes. In the end, the princess finds a way to tame the dragon. The blond-haired beauty marries the squire and lives happily ever after. In the end, the princess shows her bravery and doesn’t have to rely on someone else to save her.

The story’s text has repetition and different types of font to highlight important words and add interest to the page. Even though The Knight Who Took All Day is a picture book, the story will need to be read aloud, because the text is too difficult for a child to read independently. The Knight Who Took All Day takes a humorous, unique look at the traditional fairy tale that is best suited for those who are interested in knights, dragons, and princesses.

Sexual Content

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Violence

A dragon “rampaged across farms, scattering cows and sheep.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

The knight calls his squire a fool.

Supernatural

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Spiritual Content

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Hello, Crabby!

Crabby is NOT happy. Sun is in Crabby’s eyes. Salt is in Crabby’s teeth. Sand is in Crabby’s shell. Plankton tries again and again to cheer Crabby up — with laugh-out-loud results! Will Crabby ever crack a smile? Or will Crabby always be crabby?

Hello, Crabby! is perfect for children who are learning to read. Crabby—the crabby crab—will have readers giggling with his over-the-top grumpiness. Bright colorful artwork appears on every page, showing the character’s emotions through their expressions. Pages are broken into colorful panels, which make it easy for readers to follow along with the plot.

Readers will be drawn to the story because of the bright color and the humorous pictures. But they will also enjoy the storyline as well as the rhyming words that appear throughout the text. The text uses simple sentences and easy vocabulary, and the speech bubbles are color-coded to distinguish each speaker. Each page contains five or fewer sentences, which makes the story assessable to new readers.

Hello, Crabby is not only full of humor, but it also introduces a word with different meanings. The dialogue is full of humor and includes a joke as well as several puns. Readers will fall in love with the cranky crab and laugh as Plankton tries, unsuccessfully, to make Crabby smile. Hello, Crabby! will help beginning readers build confidence as well as instill a love of reading.

Sexual Content