Ramen for Everyone by Patricia Tanumihardja

Hiro wants to make ramen just like his dad does and his dad before him. He watches and waits. When he turns seven he's ready to try. 

Thoughts: Ramen for Everyone is a fun book about food and family. I love that Hiro watches his dad cook and then tries to cook, too. This is exactly how I learned to cook from my granny. I especially love to see Hiro and his dad working together at the end of the book. The illustrations are colorful and full of life. I like the different illustration styles used. It adds interest to the narrative. The back matter (About Ramen, Kitchen Rules, and Easy Miso Ramen Recipe) offer a way to extend the story. You'll find an activity page and a cooking demonstration video on the author's website here. Ramen for Everyone would pair well with Delicious! Poems Celebrating Street Food Around the World by Julie Larios. 

Themes: Family, Food, Cooking

(Illustrated by Shiho Pate. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023.)

The Animal Song by Jonty Howley

The animals (Crocodile, Bear, and Weasel) all have instruments and have formed a band. They play for all the other animals in the forest. At least until winter arrives. Will the band find a new audience? 

Thoughts: What a fun book! This is just in time for the music themed storytime I'm planning for summer. I love the different sounds the animals and their instruments make. The illustrations are soft colored and appealing. I think Weasel might be my favorite. There's a free song + story read-along download available on the author's website here. 

Themes: Music, Forest Animals

(Random House Studio, 2023.) 

Party Hearty Kitty-Corn by Shannon Hale

Book #3 in the Kitty-Corn series...Don't miss Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn or Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn! 

It's a fact...adding a party always makes everything more fun. Unicorn and Kitty are planning a party. It's going to be grand, but they didn't anticipate Puppy's interest or destruction. Can Unicorn and Kitty's friendship survive Puppy? 

Thoughts: Party Hearty Kitty-Corn is bright and sparkly like the other two books in the series. I love the pinks and purples and use of white space in the illustrations. The story itself has an important lesson to impart. True friends always have room in their hearts for more friends. My favorite illustration is Puppy with his ice cream cone horn and hair curlers for cat ears. This book makes me want to throw a kitty-corn party at the library. And I just might! 

Activity sheets for the first book are available from the publisher here. 

Themes: Cats, Unicorns, Dogs, Friendship 

(Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2023.)

Run! by Guilherme Karsten

Run! Quick! Hide! He's Coming! You'll have to read the book to find out who "he" is. 

Thoughts: What a fun book! When you first start reading it, you think the animals are hiding from something bad, but then you realize it's just a game of hide and seek. Using this book in storytime, I think we'd go through it once and identify all the animals and then go back a second time to read the story. The text is so brief, asking about the animals as I read would hinder the narrative. Run! would pair well with Hide & Seek by Il Sung Na. The illustrations look like cut paper collage, but may be digital. I especially like the expressions on the animals faces and the foldout page where you have to find them hiding. 

Themes: Jungle Animals, Hide and Seek

(Owlkids Books, 2022.)