Publishers Weekly has given a starred review to Breaking to the Beat! (Lee & Low) by Linda J. Acevedo, illustrated by Frank Morrison. The review says “…graffiti-inflected art style makes smart use of changing perspectives, crowd scenes, and dance silhouettes to showcase a triumphant story of a child honing his talent…”
The book has also received starred reviews from Booklist, The Horn Book, School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.
Read the full Publishers Weekly review here
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Booklist has given a rave review to The Bronx is My Home (Christy Ottaviano Books) by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris; illustrated by Kim Holt.
The book will be published Octobere 24, 2024.
Pre order it here
See the full review below:
A love letter to the Bronx, the only New York City borough with a definite article in its name. Afro-Latinx Santiago Alvarez-Rosario and his mom spend Saturday visiting all of the cool places their borough has to offer—the Bronx Zoo, Orchard Beach, Little Italy, and more. Striking down stereotypes, this joyous picture book shows the city’s northernmost town as a place of rich history and culture. It also offers eye-opening stats, such as how Pelham Bay Park is more than three times the size of Central Park and the High Bridge is the oldest bridge in the city. Passing mentions of Fordham University and the Edgar Allan Poe Park highlight some of the more recognizable sites, but much of Santiago’s narrative focuses on unsung gems. The boy’s energy is contagious, which is reflected in the effusive text. The illustrations add to the work’s liveliness. Bright colors take up full spreads. The art is digitally rendered in acrylic and pencil, giving the pages a textured feel. The expressions on the characters’ faces will bring smiles to readers’ own, especially as they slurp spaghetti at the Italian restaurant and act silly at the zoo. The endpapers feature a lovely tour guide–like map, and the back matter includes info on more sites and a selected bibliography. The fun there is in spending the day with someone you love in the place you call home will resonate with all readers. VERDICT An ode to the Bronx that natives and tourists alike will cherish, this is a great choice for picture book shelves.
Book bans are at an all-time high, most often blocking access to books featuring diversity, factual history, gender, sexuality, and the LGBTQ+ experience. Our librarians are under attack and now—more than ever—we need their presence and steadfast dedication to protect reading culture across the country.
Painted Words artists TeMika Grooms, Alex Nees, Chamisa Kellogg, Huy Voun Lee, Cherise Harris and Romina Rollhauser (cover). led by author J. F. Fox, are speaking up loud and clear to denounce book bans and support the librarians protecting kids’ freedom to read, by creating a piece, suitable for printing on a 4×6″ post card that can be printed out and mailed to elected officials.
To download art for postcards, go here.
Booklist has given a starred review to Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage (Anne Schwartz Books), by Lisa Rogers. Illus. by Il Sung Na.
This appealing picture book takes on the daunting task of introducing avant-garde composer John Cage to young audiences. Rogers eschews most biographical information, instead asking a series of child-friendly questions designed to convey a sense of Cage and his style. “What if . . . / all the sounds you heard . . . // a garbage truck screeching / feet skipping / pigeons scattering / tires whispering / cats hissing / children giggling // . . . sounded to you like music? Then you’d be like John Cage.” She describes his unorthodox musical notation style (curlicues, dots, and smudges), his compositions that relied on ambient sound (4’33”), and pieces that employed unusual instruments (blenders, washing machines, etc.). Na’s whimsical illustrations vibrantly convey the cacophony present in many Cage compositions. Employing a vocabulary of images (squiggles, slashes, lines) representing sounds and emotions identified on the endpapers, Na clearly represents the unique and experimental nature of Cage’s work. Many scenes portray cityscapes and crowded concert halls. Blues and grays predominate, although Na effectively uses explosions of intense color to represent some sounds. With back matter that includes sources, notes from the author and illustrator, and a bit more about Cage and his techniques, this makes a good introduction to Cage and a reminder that hearing things differently can be a very good thing. — Kay Weisman
The book will be published October 10, 2023. Preorder it here
School Library Journal has given a starred review to Baking with Mi Abuelita (Random BFYR) by Julissa Mora, and says the “Illustrations are delightful, perfectly portraying the big emotions that come with a big celebration….This book is a fabulous example of Rudine Sims Bishop’s mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors concept. ” The book will be published September 12.
Congratulations Julissa!
Preorder the book here
Read the full review here
In a review of Esperanza Caramelo, The Star of Nochebuena (Knopf) by Karla Arenas Valenti, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri Kirkus says “Chavarri’s effervescent artwork offers an appealing depiction of Navidad, with all its baked-in promises of magic.”
Read the full review here
The book will be published September 12, 2023. Pre order it here
Erika Lynne Jones, illustrator of The Loud Librarian ( Simon & Schuster) by Jenna Beatrice, and Black Girls: A Celebration of You (HarperCollins) by Dominique Furukawa is featured in an article in the Moms We Love Section of DFW Child. In the interview, Erika talks about how she has cultivated her talent to create quirky characters that help kids feel seen.
Read the article here
Get the Loud Librarian here
Pre order Black Girls: A Celebration of You here
Freshman Year (Christy Ottaviano Books), by Sarah Mai has been selected by the Junior Library Guild. The book, a stylish graphic novel about the unique angst, humor, and self-doubt universal to the experience of going away to college, will be published in February 2024.
Pre-order it here
Michael Slack’s sculptures are featured in a solo show at The Compound Gallery titled Chunky Artifacts: Objects For Future Discovery,featuring new drawings and ceramic sculptures.
In the distant future when cultural archaeologists are sifting through the detritus of contemporary culture what objects will they unearth? What stories will they attach to these objects? Will there be a point in the future where all mythology merges into a single universal mythology? If so, what would the personifications of this mythology look like? Objects for Future Discoveries is Slack’s playful attempt to explore these questions. Chunky Artifacts is also a humorous contemplation on disposable culture and the valuation of fine art.
Learn more here
The Most Magnificent Idea (Kids Can Press) by Ashley Spires, has been shortlisted for the Chocolate Lily Book Award. The Chocolate Lily Book Awards celebrates BC authors and illustrators while striving to increase literacy for grade school children in British Columbia, all of Canada and the whole reading world!
See all of the nominees here
Get the book here