Paletero Man (HarperCollins) by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player, and Friday Night WrestleFest (Roaring Brook) by J.F. Fox, illustrated by Micah Player have both been named to the Mockingbird Reading list. The list, for younger readers, was created by the Abilene School district inspired by the interest and enthusiasm generated by the Texas Bluebonnet Award.

See the full list here

In addition, J.F. Fox was recently featured in Publishers Weekly, with an editorial entitled A Call to the Children’s Publishing Community: Join the Fight for School Librarians.

See the editorial  here

Get Paletero Man here

Get Friday Night Wrestlefest here

When The Schools Shut Down: A Young Girl’s Story of Virginia’s “Lost Generation” and the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Decision (HarperCollins) by Yolanda Gladden, as told to Tamara Pizzoli, illustrated by Keisha Morris as earned a star from Publishers’ Weekly.

The review says “Collaged tissue paper and digital media art by Morris offers a lushly layered backdrop to the events, emphasizing the expressions and closeness of the Black community portrayed in this informative, warmly personable autobiography. ”

The book will be published in January 2022.

Pre order the book here

See the full review here

Dinosaurs on Kitty Island (Dial Books) by Michael Slack will be published on December 14, 2021.

School Library Journal says “Young children will enjoy the mishaps and high jinks and perhaps take into consideration the feelings of others when playing. Children will enjoy interpreting the illustrations and bring their own takes to what is unfolding . . . Charming illustrations partner well with a simple story of playtime.”

Pre order your copy here!

Not Enough Lollipops (Knopf) by Megan Maynor, illustrated by Micah Player has earned a starred review from Kirkus. The review says “Player’s retro-styled illustrations tie the hues of the lollipops to the children’s colorful attire but never go overboard; there’s plenty of drama around the crushing candy saga without overplaying the visuals.

Not Enough Lollipops will be published in January 2022.

Read the full review here

Pre order the book here

Kirkus calls We Play Soccer (Holiday House) by Rene Colato Lainez, illustrated by Nomar Perez “A bright, sweet story about friendship, teamwork, and the joy of soccer.”

The review also says “The illustrations are vibrant, and characters are depicted having various shades of light brown skin. Backmatter helpfully provides direct translations of words that appear in the story.”

We Play Soccer will be published in January 2022. Pre order a copy here

Read the full Kirkus review here

In a post on HornBook’s Calling Caldecott blog, Scot Smith makes a strong case for King of Ragtime (Simon & Schuster) by Stephen Costanza. Smith commends the illustrations in the book for capturing the essence of music, and says “Costanza’s illustrations depict composer Joplin’s use of syncopation through complex collage work, thoughtful use of vibrant colors, and a mixture of artistic styles. We can almost hear “Maple Leaf Rag” as we turn the pages of this wonderful biography.”

Our fingers are crossed, Steve!

Read the full blog post here

Get King of Ragtime here

Illustrations by Sarah Dillard from several of her picture books will be on view in “The Art of Stories: A Vermont Picture Book Exhibit” at the TW Wood Gallery in Montpelier, Vermont from November 7 through December 22, 2021.

Learn more about the exhibit here