Category: children’s

— book review, children's —

The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo & John Picacio (Review)

January 28, 2026

There’s a party tonight, but Cala doesn’t want to go. While her family prepares for the celebration, Cala grieves her grandfather and tries to pretend she’s not afraid. But when she is separated from her family at the cemetery, Cala encounters four mysterious riders who will show her she is actually quite brave after all. Brimming with magic and humor, The Invisible Parade is the first picture-book…… Read More The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo & John Picacio (Review)

— book review, children's —

The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown (Review)

September 22, 2025

Roz is not where she’s supposed to be.

You see, the robot wasn’t designed to live in the wilderness. But when she washes up on an island, she must learn from the animal inhabitants and adapt to her new, natural surroundings, and before long, the island begins to feel like home.

Filled with bestselling creator and award-winning artist Peter Brown’s stunning artwork, this moving picture book is the perfect gift for readers new to The Wild Robot or for longtime fans of the middle-grade book series that sparked a global phenomenon… Read More The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown (Review)

— book review, children's —

Wild at Heart by Evan Griffith and Anna Bron (Review)

December 5, 2024

Mardy and Olaus Murie fell in love in–and with–Alaska. Then set out on an adventure across the Arctic for Olaus’s work as a biologist, encountering the beauty and danger of the wilds along the way. They learned from Indigenous communities to appreciate the interconnectedness of all living creatures and understood that the way humans were moving in on wild land was threatening the natural world. So they shifted the focus of their work to conservation, fighting to protect the land and animals–and lobbying for the creation of what finally became the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, nine thousand square miles of protected land! Mardy and Olaus’s story of passion and hard work will inspire all readers to fan their spark of purpose into flame. Backmatter includes additional information on Mardy and Olaus, their legacy, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and more… Read More Wild at Heart by Evan Griffith and Anna Bron (Review)

— ARC review, book review, children's —

Mandeep’s Cloudy Days by Kuljinder Kaur Brar & Samrath Kaur (ARC Review)

September 27, 2024

Spending time with her dad makes Mandeep’s days shine. They have cha parties, perform Bhangra shows, and best of all, they write jokes together in her favorite unicorn journal. But when Dad starts a job as a truck driver, he starts being away from home most of the week. Without Dad, storm clouds start taking over Mandeep’s sunny days, casting a shadow on all the things she used to love doing. Can anything help Mandeep feel better?

The dynamic author-illustrator team behind the National Council Teachers of English Notable Children’s Book winner My Name Is Saajin Singh brings a new poignant story about father-daughter relationships, how we cope with being separated from our loved ones, and how to find glimpses of light in our days even when clouds threaten to settle in… Read More Mandeep’s Cloudy Days by Kuljinder Kaur Brar & Samrath Kaur (ARC Review)

— book review, children's, comic/graphic novel, middle grade —

Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp (Review)

September 26, 2024
bog myrtle review header

Two sisters, one stubbornly cheerful (Beatrice) and one relentlessly grumpy (Magnolia), live in a drafty old house with a family of helpful spiders. When Beatrice is gifted magic yarn from a giant forest spider obsessed with sustainability named Bog Myrtle, she and the spiders set to work knitting up a perfectly warm sweater.

But greedy Magnolia sees only the opportunity for profit, and quickly converts the old house into a magic sweater factory. The exhausted spiders are driven to strike, and Bog Myrtle is not pleased . . .

Bog Myrtle is a witty modern folktale that touches on themes of capitalism, environmentalism, labor rights, and being a nice person… Read More Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp (Review)

— book review, children's —

What Can a Mess Make? by Bee Johnson (Review)

September 25, 2024

Kitchen clatter.
Milk and juice.
Syrup splatter.
Chocolate mousse.
Bowl of berries―
Red and blue.
A mess can make a meal for two.

From a cozy breakfast together to crafts, fort-building, kitchen spills, and bedtime rituals, these sisters make tons of messes.

Imaginative, playful, forgiving, delicious messes.

And their messes make a day full of possibilities… Read More What Can a Mess Make? by Bee Johnson (Review)

— book review, children's —

Jelly-Boy by Nicole Godwin & Christopher Nielsen (Review)

August 18, 2024

What happens when a jellyfish falls in love with a plastic bag she mistakes for a jelly-boy?

Jelly-Boy is different. He is big and strong. And not as wobbly as the other Jelly-Boys. By the time Jelly-Girl discovers the dangerous truth about her new friend, it may already be too late.

This is an inventive approach to tackling a conservation issue that is plaguing our world: too much plastic in the ocean. Told in a kid-friendly and humorous way, this is a story with the potential to encourage dialogue around an important issue… Read More Jelly-Boy by Nicole Godwin & Christopher Nielsen (Review)

— book review, children's —

Bear’s Lost Glasses by Leo Timmers (Review)

August 18, 2024

Bear can’t find his glasses. He must have left them at Giraffe’s house.

On the way over, Bear sees all kinds of animals he didn’t notice last time: an elephant, a crocodile, a flamingo, a deer. And who’s this long spotty snake lying on Giraffe’s deckchair?

The patient Giraffe finds Bear’s glasses―right where glasses always get lost, perched on his head. Then Bear takes Giraffe to meet these wondrous animals that he found on the way.

Leo Timmers’ details are full of expression and humor―the angle of Giraffe’s neck and lift of his eyebrows, hiding his skepticism as he helps his friend, the dear, artless bear.

Through an ingenious telling of this classic comical situation, Leo Timmers shows us how to enjoy the world through different eyes… Read More Bear’s Lost Glasses by Leo Timmers (Review)

— book review, children's —

At the End of the Day by Lisl H. Detlefsen & Lynnor Bontigao (Review)

August 18, 2024

A pitch-perfect story about a busy, exhausted, and loving family dealing with one obstacle after another in the run-up to bedtime, in the spirit of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

At the end of a long day, sometimes it feels as if time will keep stretching endlessly. There are errands to run, homework to do, and toys to be put away. Sometimes it’s windy, and stormy, or downright boring. But . . . sometimes, with a little patience, the end of the day can be warm and cozy, surprising and exciting, and just right—filled with reasons to be grateful for the day you’ve had, and to look forward to tomorrow, too… Read More At the End of the Day by Lisl H. Detlefsen & Lynnor Bontigao (Review)