Leo’s Lunchbox, written by Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock, and illustrated by TeMika Grooms, was an instant New York Times Bestseller! Published by Philomel Books, this is the second picture book collaboration between Senator Warnock and TeMika Grooms, following their 2023 book, Put Your Shoes On and Get Ready!
Congratulations TeMika!!!
Author-illustrator Sarah Hwang appeared on CBS New York to discuss her new book, Gertrude Gish on a Dish on a Fish. Part of the Seuss Studios line of Beginnger Books fromRandom House, the book is based on an unpublished sketch by Dr. Seuss. See Sarah discuss the inspiration behind the book below!
Batter Up for the First Day of School! (Viking) by Bethany Hegadus, illustrated by Nomar Perez has received a starred received a starred review from School Library Journal.
★ It’s the first day of school at Grand Slam Elementary and twins Hank and Erin, both with light skin and brown curly hair, are eager to go. They wake up cheerfully in their baseball-themed bedroom, while their parents radiate the enthusiastic energy of supportive fans. Hegedus’s inventive game announcer narration increases the anticipation: “The Twins are off to a sluggish start. And here they come … with a bit more pep in their step … and they are ready for some fuel!” At Grand Slam Elementary, designed to replicate a baseball stadium, Hank and Erin meet their teacher, who plays the role of a coach. The class huddles for an overview of the dugout rules before starting their school day innings, which include art, spelling, lunch, and recess. Will Hank and Erin’s first day of school be a home run? Reminiscent in style to his book Coqui in the City, Perez again digitally paints colorful illustrations, which are bright and uplifting. Endpapers are scattered with mitts, helmets, foam fingers, and pennants against a vibrant yellow-green background. Hegedus and Perez are a winning team, hyping up young readers for their own first day of school. Intent on positivity, anxious feelings about starting school are not addressed, leaving that experience to be tackled in other stories about the first day of school. VERDICT: This is a peppy first day of school story to knock game-day jitters out of the park.
Congratulations Nomar!
The book will be published May 13, 2025. Pre order it here
Gertrude Gish on a Dish on a Fish (Random House Books for Young Readers) by Sarah Hwang has received a glowing review from School Library Journal.
Gertrude Gish adores stacking stuff. Her obsession leads to a poorly planned stack and an inevitable crash, after which her community requests that she cease and desist. Soon, though, it turns out that a penchant for balancing random objects on top of one another is the very thing that will help save the mayor’s precious penguins, who are stuck in a tall, tall tree. Gertrude revives her hobby to rescue the penguins, and from then on she uses her stacking talents in service to others. Bold outlines and bright colors make for cheerful illustrations. This title is part of the new Seuss Studios early reader series; though the rhymes in this volume don’t scan with the ease of Seuss’s work, the overall feel is similar. VERDICT This rhyming tale of an unusual character in a wacky situation will appeal to fans of Dr. Seuss.
Congratulations Sarah!
The book will be published May 6, 2025. Pre order it here
That’s My Truck! A Good Inside Story About Hitting, written by Dr. Becky Kennedy and illustrated by Joanie Stone, is a New York Times Bestseller for the second week in a row! Congratulations Joanie!
Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now! (FSG) by Phillip Hoose, illustrated by Bea Jackson has been selected for the 2025 Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Titles Intermediate List.
Since 1926 KNEA has published a list off recommended books by reading level as a service for school librarians and classroom teachers.
Congratulations Bea!
Get the book here
Learn more about the KNEA Reading Circle here
You Made Fun of My Sandwich (Teacher Created Materials) by Jessica Pegis, illustrated by Harry Briggs is #1 on the Children’s Book Council’s Children’s Favorites List for Third to Fifth Grade,and This is My Brain! A Book On Neurodiversity (Chronicle) by Elise Gravel comes in at #3!
Congratulations Harry and Elise!
See the full list here
Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States (Christy Ottaviano Books) by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee has been named to the May/June Kid’s Indie Next list.
See the full list here
The book will be published May 27, 2025. Pre order it here
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone (Lee & Low), by Katheryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Frank Morrison and Everything in its Place (Doubleday) by Pauline David-Sax, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow have both been named to Kirkus’s Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far).
Congratulations Frank and Charnelle!
See the complete list here
Living Bridges, The Hidden World of India’s Woven Trees (Beach Lane Books) by Sandhya Acharya, illustrated by Avani Dwivedi has been selected by the Junior Library Guild as part of a new category called Global Citizenship for grades K-2.
The book will be published June 3, 2025.
Pre order it here