(Atheneum) by Jenna Beatrice, illustrated by Erika Lynne Jones is featured in an article in the Washington Post titled It’s Okay for Libraries to be Loud! Take it From Me, a Librarian. The article celebrates the book and talks about the importance of libraries focusing on programs for kids, which can (and maybe should!) get loud.

In addition, the book has been included on Laura Bush’s 2023 Summer Reading List. The list is intended as a resource for parents and caregivers to keep their youngest readers through middle schoolers engaged in reading over the summer break.

Read the article here

See the full list here

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The Historical Novel Society has a great review of All Aboard the Schooltrain (Scholastic) by Glenda Armand, illustrated by Keisha Morris. The book tells the story of third-grader Thelma in 1930’s Mississippi and how her family becomes part of the Great Migration out of the South.

The Historical Novel Society was founded in the UK in 1997 and has since become an international resource for reviews of the best historical novels.

Read the review here

Get the book here

Publishers Weekly gives a rave review to Abuela’s Super Capa (HarperCollins) by Ana Siqueira, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. The review says “Chavarri’s hand-painted acrylic gouache and cut-paper illustrations pop with crisp vibrancy.”

Read the Full review here

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Tiny Spoon vs. Little Fork (Hippo Park) by Constance Lombardo, illustrated by Jason Patterson and Dan Abdo has been named an honor book by the Children’s Book Council Anna Dewdney Read-Together Awards.

Congratulations, Constance!

See the awards announcement here

Get the book here

Shadra Strickland is the guest on The Reading Culture podcast, in an episode entitled Inflection Point: Shadra Strickland Puts the Dash in Author-Illustrator. In the episode, Shadra shares her reading challenge; to encourage reading picture books that make us want to move!

Here the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify.  or here on the Reading Culture Podcast website.

For Shadra’s Reading Challenge, click here

Because of You, John Lewis (Scholastic) by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown has been named to the Children’s Book Council Children’s Favorites Award List: Grades 3-5.

See the full list here

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Kirkus has given a starred review to Not A Monster (Charlesbridge) by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez, illustrated by Laura Gonzalez. The book explores the traits of the axolotl; a water based salamander, the Aztec origin myth about the species, and the way pollution is affecting its natural habitat: the canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City.

Kirkus calls the artwork “sublime and earthy.”

Congratulations Laura!

See the full review here

Not a Monster will be published May 9, 2023. Pre-order it here

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar (Doubleday) by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, was featured in the New York Times Book Review in an article by Chris Raschka entitled “Two Picture Books about the Godmother of Rock ‘n Roll”.  The article says:

Pinkney Barlow, who illustrates her storytelling with winsome painted-paper collage (cutout shapes layered to create shadows), painstakingly constructed this “talking guitar” from separate pieces: body, neck, sides. Plus strings made of cotton twine. There is no skimping — six strings on a real guitar, six pieces of twine in her palpable art. Pastel colors on light backgrounds throughout convey the atmosphere of warmth that nurtured the soul and goodness of Tharpe’s voice.

Congratulations Charnelle!

Read the full article here

Get the book here