SPARKLES FOR SUNNY: A Lunar New Year Story
Sylvia Chen, Thai My Phuong
Lunar New Year is coming up, and Sunny is stuck wearing hand-me-downs to the party AGAIN. The Lao family has four rules: 1. Make what you can yourself. 2. Get good deals. 3. Share extras with others. 4. Never waste anything. …which means that every year for Lunar New Year, Sunny winds up wearing a hand-me-down qípáo from her sisters. Just once Sunny wants to wear something that’s so her and not so one of her sisters! Can Sunny uphold the Lao Family Way while also staying true to herself? Take a peek at this sweet and funny sister tale to find out! For fans of Fancy Nancy and I Am Golden!
I AM NOT HAPPY!
Caroline L. Perry
In the vein of Grumpy Monkey and Unicorns Are the Worst!, this hilarious picture book introduces the adorable quokka, who—despite his ever-present smile—is definitely not as happy as he looks! With its bright eyes, puffy cheeks, and beaming smile, the quokka is clearly the happiest animal on earth. Or is it? This quokka is here to tell you…he is not happy! At least not all the time. Just like everyone else, he can be sulky, or sorry, or sad; but you’d never know from the look on his face! So, what’s a moody marsupial to do when he’s being misunderstood? Teach every other animal from kangaroos
The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang
Stan Yan
In this hilarious and heartfelt debut graphic novel, a girl born on a day considered unlucky in Chinese superstition starts to wonder if she really is cursed when she’s troubled by visions of doom set to occur on her thirteenth birthday. Twelve-year-old Eugenia Wang has never celebrated her birthday on her actual birthday, April 4th, because of her mom’s belief in the Chinese superstition that four is an unlucky number. And that’s not the only thing Mom’s strict about; she won’t let Eugenia go to a summer comic art camp because she thinks art is a waste of time. This year, Eugenia is determi
Grandmother from the East, Grandmother from the West
Jacinta Liu, Freda Chiu
A joyous celebration of multicultural identity and the many ways our grandparents shape who we are, from debut Chinese-Australian author Jacinta Liu and acclaimed illustrator Freda Chiu. I have two grandmothers. One with brown eyes, and one with blue eyes. One makes dumplings, and one bakes bread. They are my grandmothers. One lives in the East, and one lives in the West.
The Trouble with Heroes
Kate Messner
One summer. 46 mountain peaks. A second chance to make things right. When Finn vandalizes a cemetery and kicks over the gravestone of a legendary local hiker, the dead woman's daughter makes him an unusual offer: she'll drop all the charges if he can climb all 46 Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer. In a wild three months of misadventures, mountain mud, and unexpected mentors, Finn begins to find his way, learning more about himself and his dad, who died two years earlier. But the mountains don't care about any of that, and his final challenge may be more than even a hero can face.
Under Pressure
Shyamala Shanmugasundaram and Pankaj Saikia
Long before the world knew him as Freddie Mercury, he was Farrokh Bulsara—a shy boy at boarding school in India. He missed his family, endured teasing and sometimes doubted himself. But Farrokh loved music. With a countdown to his very first performance, readers watch him battle stage fright, lean on his friends and step up to the piano. As his fingers fly across the keys, fear turns into joy and even his bullies cheer for him. This inspiring picture-book biography captures a defining childhood moment of the boy who dreamed big—and grew up to become Freddie Mercury, a legend.
I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive
Leslie Barnard Booth and Alexandra Finkeldey
A riveting informational picture book that explores the beguiling mysteries of crow behavior. Gorgeous illustrations take us into a crow's environment and community, making this an incredible—and unforgettable—reading experience. Caw-Caaaaw! Crows are fascinating and resilient birds. What is the secret to their abundance and survival, especially throughout winter seasons, when crow-eating creatures lurk in the dark? I Am We unpacks these mysteries, exploring how and why crows roost together by the thousands and their reliance on cooperation and community.
RACING THE CLOUDS
Sydney Dunlap
If Sage had done one thing differently last fall, everything would be fine. She's determined to push what happened out of her mind, but just before summer vacation, she hears from the grandparents she’s never met. They want her to visit, and she realizes this could be her chance to mend the rift that’s kept everybody apart. When she meets Grandmother Marion, though, Sage is sure her trip is headed for disaster. Except she wasn’t counting on making a new friend or rescuing a sweet stray dog. With them by her side, maybe she can find the courage to face what she's been avoiding all along.
CAT NAP
Brian Lies
In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book. Her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten notices a mouse and dives after it, an epic chase through time, art, and history ensues. Is it a dream? That’s up to the reader to decide, but for the kitten, every leap and bound is full of suspense and makes for a masterpiece. ★ STARRED reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and Booklist
Seven, A Most Remarkable Pigeon
Sandra Nickel and Aimee Sicuro
Seven is different from the day he is born. He not only arrives in the world by himself, when most pigeons arrive in pairs, he is also born with an extraordinary sense of smell. As the other pigeons build their nests with twigs, eat breadcrumbs, and fly in a straight line, Seven builds his nest with roses, eats rice, and flies wherever the allure of fragrance takes him. But when the flock takes a long trip to the countryside and the fog rolls in on their way home, Seven’s special sense of smell might just be what guides the flock back safely. “An uplifting tale that celebrates difference."
The Dog Who Saved the Bees
Written by Stephanie Gibeault and Illustrated by David Hohn
When an overworked beehive inspector seeks a detection dog to protect bees from a deadly disease, she teams up with a lonely dog who needs a loving home and a purpose. When Cybil meets unruly Mack, she wonders if she has found her canine colleague. Can rambunctious Mack be trained to meet this important challenge? Readers of all ages will enjoy this warmly illustrated true story of Cybil and Mack as they work to save the bees.
STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits
Written by Joyce P. Uglow, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova
STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits Oozy, sticky asphalt seeps surprised Ice Age animals that wandered in for a drink (or an easy supper). Stuck instead, predators and prey got mired in the muck! Trapped until unearthed, uncovered, unstuck - revealing stacks of climate science stories buried at La Brea Tar Pits. For fans of Fossils for Kids: An Introduction to Paleontology, my creative nonfiction for ages 7-10, offers lyrical intrigue for curious kids with crossover appeal for families, museums, and science educators.
THE BLUE JAYS THAT GREW A FOREST
Anne Hunter, Lynn Street
Take a lyrical journey on the wings of blue jays as they bury thousands of acorns for next season’s food and help mother nature extend the oak forests. This debut picture book from poet Lynn Street lyrically celebrates the connection between blue jays and oak trees. It will appeal to readers fascinated by the behavior of birds and by the reciprocal relationships found in nature. While jays depend on acorns to survive, the oak depends on jays to scatter its fruit far and wide.
YOU CAN SIT WITH ME
Rachel Kenyon Tatiana Kamshilina
You Can Sit with Me shows the power of one simple offer to not only make one person’s day better but lead our whole world toward love and inclusion. A softhearted picture book that shows how much a day can shift by one person simply reaching out a hand for someone to feel more welcome. The simple yet profound gesture of offering someone a place to sit, just as they are, is precisely what some kids need to feel welcomed into a new or overwhelming space. Whether you're at a reading circle, a craft table, or a picnic blanket, it’s always time to demonstrate kindness.