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
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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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The Children’s Book Council “Hot off the Press” list for May includes Unstoppable; How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington (Little Bee Books) by Michael G. Long, illustrated by Bea Jackson, Arithmechicks Find Their Place (Astra) by Ann Marie Stephens, illustrated by Jia Liu and Not a Monster (Charlesbridge) by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez, illustrated by Laura Gonzalez.
This unique online bibliography features anticipated bestsellers, either recently published or forthcoming, published by CBC members.
See the full list here
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
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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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Booklist has given a starred review to Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington (Little Bee Books) by Michael G. Long, illustrated by Bea Jackson. The review says “the colorful, expressive illustrations align perfectly with the text and help convey the enormity of the 250,000-plus crowd that assembled that day.”
Congratulations Bea!
Unstoppable will be published May 2, 2023. Pre-order it here
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
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Everything in its Place (DoubleDay) by Pauline David-Sax, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow has been selected as an Ezra Jack Keats Honors book.
The Award ceremony will be live streamed on April 13 at 1:00 pm ET. Learn more about it here
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