A Year of Everyday Wonders by Cheryl B. Klein

A year in the life of a little girl and her family. First moments captured one after another. 

Thoughts: Such a sweet, clever book. A Year of Everyday Wonders makes me want to start keeping track of the everyday wonders in my life. I love the innumerable fights with her brother. I grew up with a brother and a sister so I can commiserate. The ink and watercolor illustrations are softly colored and detailed. I like the mix of illustration types---gives the book a journal feel. The book's endpapers are another treasure...snapshots from earlier years in the girl's life. I feel like this is a book that will be treasured by families for years to come. It is the ultimate celebration of the simple things in life. Find out more about the author's process at her website. 

Themes: Time, Seasons

(Illustrated by Qin Leng. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2020.)

Sharko and Hippo by Elliott Kalan

Unlikely friends Sharko and Hippo are going fishing. Hilarity ensues when Hippo repeatedly misunderstands what Sharko needs from him. 

Thoughts: Sharko and Hippo is one of the funniest books I've read recently. I hope there will be more books to come. I love the speech bubbles and the colorful illustrations. The facial expressions are my favorite. I also like the supporting characters and objects that come out of Hippo's pockets. I think this book would pair well with The Monkey Goes Bananas by C. P. Bloom, Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman, and The Truth about Hippos by Maxwell Eaton III. The wordplay reminds me of Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox. 

Themes: Friendship, Sharks, Hippos, Wordplay 

(Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. Balzer + Bray, 2020.)

Unstoppable by Adam Rex

A bird, a crab, a turtle, and a bear all want to do things they can't. With a little help from one another, they find that they are unstoppable. 

Thoughts: Hilarious! I'll be sharing this book both in storytime and with older kids at local elementary schools. I love that even though there aren't any speech bubbles, it's very clear who is speaking when. Thank you, lines. This would be a fun book to use with reader's theater or with multiple readers. The illustrations are bright and colorful. I love the animals' expressions throughout. Given the ending of the book, Unstoppable would be a perfect book to read during any Earth Day celebrations. 

Themes: Friendship, Animals, Forest Animals, Lake Animals, Conservation

(Illustrated by Laura Park. Chronicle Books, 2020.) 

So You Want to Be an Owl by Jane Porter

Professor Olaf is quite sure that you, a human, cannot be an owl. However, he'll take you through owl school and the nine lessons it takes to be an owl. 

Thoughts: Too funny. Professor Olaf as a narrator is ingenious. I love how he continually disparages humans throughout the lessons. So You Want to Be an Owl is both fun and informative. My favorite lesson is #7, hooting. I enjoyed trying out the different owls' sounds and even discovered a few owls I'd never heard of...the Barking Owl and the Boobook Owl are now my favorites. The mixed media illustrations are colorful and detailed. The different characters have such personality. This will be a great book to share with first and second grade students when I visit their classrooms. 

Themes: Elementary 

(Illustrated by Maddie Frost. Candlewick Press, 2021.)

We Disagree by Bethanie Deeney Murguia

Two animals learn that despite their numerous disagreements, friendship is still a possibility. 

Thoughts: Too funny! I can't wait to share this book in storytime. I love the use of speech bubbles. The illustrations are soft colored with bold outlines. I like that the characters' distinct personalities are represented in the illustrations as well as the text. I can't pick a favorite illustration. They are all great. 

Themes: Friendship, Likes/Dislikes, Rodents 

(Beach Lane Books, 2020.)

The Beak Book by Robin Page

The Beak Book blends simple text with striking illustrations to introduce children to just a few of the myriad ways different birds use their beaks. 

Thoughts: I love finding nonfiction that is informative, engaging, and short enough to share with the youngest kids in my storytimes. The Beak Book ticks all those boxes. This will be a great addition to my birds storytime. I also look forward to sharing this book with elementary students when I visit their classrooms. Page's digital illustrations are reminiscent of cut paper collage. The birds are bright and bold and she makes excellent use of white space. Extra information at the end includes where the birds live, what they eat, and their relative size compared to a human. 

Themes: Birds, Elementary 

(Beach Lane Books, 2021.)

Bunny Overboard by Claudia Rueda

Bunny's going for a boat ride, but he has a host of problems. Could you help him? 

Thoughts: Claudia Rueda's Bunny books are some of my favorite interactive picture books. The invitation to help is simple and I love that Bunny is the speaker in the book. The illustrations are colorful and fun. My favorite parts are Bunny's expressions and the seal. I look forward to adding this to my summer storytime theme as well as rabbits and interactive. Don't miss the other Bunny books: Bunny Slopes and Hungry Bunny. 

Other Books by Claudia Rueda:

• Is It Big or Is It Little? 
• Huff & Puff: Can You Blow Down the Houses of the Three Little Pigs? 
• No
• Let's Play in the Forest (While the Wolf Is Not Around!) 

Themes: Rabbits, Interactive Books, Summer 

(Chronicle Books, 2020.)

We Believe in You by Beth Ferry

A celebration of animal parents believing in their offspring. 

Thoughts: Such a lovely book! I love how the text relates directly to the characteristics of the animals in each illustrations. I look forward to adding this to storytimes about animals and parents/kids. When I use this book in storytime, I think the best way would be to read it straight through and then go back and identify the animals. Molly Idle's illustrations are soft colored and detailed. I want to keep looking at them. 

Themes: Animals, Parents & Kids

(Illustrated by Molly Idle. Roaring Brook Press, 2020.)

Kitties on Dinosaurs by Michael Slack

These kitties like to climb. They've climbed everything they can on their own island. Now it's time to go to Dinosaur Island and climb everything there. Wait...are these kitties going to climb dinosaurs?

Thoughts: Hilarious! The kitties' multiple attempts to climb the dinosaurs combined with the narrator warning them not to had me laughing out loud as I read. I'm sure Kitties on Dinosaurs will be a storytime hit. The illustrations are colorful and energetic. 

Themes: Dinosaurs, Cats 

(Dial Books for Young Readers, 2020.)

Nine: A Book of Nonet Poems by Irene Latham

A girl is turning nine and this book of nonet poems helps her count down to her celebration. 

Thoughts: I don't think I'd heard of the nonet poem before reading this book. I know I've never tried writing one. It's an intriguing form and one I think kids will like to try. My favorite poems are Nonet, Play Ball!, Nine-Banded Armadillo, Ninth President, and Game Night. The mixed media illustrations are colorful and lively. I can see myself sharing Nine: A Book of Nonet Poems with classes of older elementary students and then inviting them to try their hands at writing their own nonet. Irene Latham even has a handout on her website called How to Write a Nonet.

Themes: Elementary

(Illustrated by Amy Huntington. Charlesbridge, 2020.)

Catch the Sky: Playful Poems on the Air We Share by Robert Heidbreder

Short poems celebrate all the things you might see in the sky. 

Thoughts: These short, fun poems will be wonderful to share with children. This collection reminds me of The Great Frog Race and Other Poems by Kristine O'Connell George in that it is a celebration of childhood. I could see myself sharing this whole collection during storytime or just sharing a few as they relate to a theme (living things with wings, for example). I love the word choice and the imagery used in the poems. My favorite poems are Dragonfly, Starlings, Elephant Cloud, Crows, and Fireflies. The illustrations are detailed and saturated with color. Each tow-page spread features two poems. I love seeing children of all ethnicities represented. My favorite illustrations are Catch the Sky, Hot-Air Balloon, Rain, Storm, and Moonrise. 

Themes: Numerous

(Illustrated by Emily Dove. Greystone Kids, 2020.)

Night Wishes selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins

What do you wish for when you or your child dreams? 

Thoughts: This is such a sweet collection of poems to share with your child at bedtime. I love how most poems address the child directly. My favorite poems are "Blanket" by Jude Mandell, "Book" by Joyce Sidman, and "Stars" by Deborah Ruddell. Jen Corace's gouache illustrations are charming. I especially like the use of dandelions throughout. 

Themes: Bedtime

(Illustrated by Jen Corace. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2020.)

Bird Show by Susan Stockdale

This nonfiction book introduces the youngest readers and listeners to birds and their appearances with the perfect blend of simple text and gorgeous acrylic on paper illustrations. 

Thoughts: Susan Stockdale's latest book does not disappoint. Her nonfiction books are perfect to share during storytime. I can't wait to add Bird Show to my bird theme. The text is simple and the illustrations are bright, colorful, and detailed. The additional information at the end of the book identifies each bird, tells you where to find them, and how they use their appearances to attract mates. The very last page of the book is a pattern identifying activity. This is also available as an activity sheet from the publisher here. 

Themes: Birds

Other Books by Susan Stockdale:

• Fantastic Flowers
• Stripes of All Types 
• Spectacular Spots
• Bring on the Birds 
• Fabulous Fishes 
• Carry Me! Animal Babies on the Move 

(Review copy provided by publisher. Peachtree, 2021.)

Spi-Ku: A Clutter of Short Verse on Eight Legs by Leslie Bulion

Learn all about spiders in Leslie Bulion's latest collection of science poetry. 

Thoughts: Short poems and lots of facts make this a fascinating poetry collection. I found it easiest to read all the poems through and then go back and read all the facts. I've enjoyed science poetry collections before by Douglas Florian and Joyce Sidman. I think I need to add Leslie Bulion to my list. The poems are engaging while teaching the reader about spiders. My favorite poems are Golden Silk Orbweaver, Fishing Spider, Diving Bell Spider, and Hawaiian Happy-Face Spiders. The illustrations are colorful, detailed, and realistic. I wanted to reach out and pet the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider. I enjoyed that while the spiders may not be actual size, they were in proportion to the other spiders on the page. The back matter includes a glossary, notes on poetic form, spider identification, spider hunt, and spider sizes. I especially love the illustration of the spider that has written haiku in Japanese. A teacher's guide is available here from the publisher. I'm looking forward to adding a few of these poems to my next bug themed storytime. (Yes, I know spiders aren't bugs, but I use the term bugs to mean insects and spiders.) I think this would be a great book to pair with Charlotte's Web by E. B. White to further explore the world of spiders.

Themes: Spiders

Other Poetry Collections by Leslie Bulion: 

Leaf Litter Critters

Amphibian Acrobats

Superlative Birds 

Random Body Parts 

Hey There, Stink Bug!  

(Review copy provided by publisher. Illustrated by Robert Meganck. Peachtree, 2021.)