North of Supernova by Lindsey Leavitt

I'm most familiar with Lindsey Leavitt as a teen author, although she has a wide variety of titles in different age ranges. It didn't sound at all like something I'd personally like, or that any of my readers would be interested in - a girl turns to tarot and astrology to break up her dad and his new girlfriend? But Ms. Yingling recommended it, so I thought I'd skim it.

One hour later (yes, I read fast) I had read it cover to cover.

Stella's main concern this summer is getting an invite to the coveted after party of popular girl Talia and handling her consuming anxiety, especially since her dad took her out of therapy. She hopes this will be her gateway to a friend-filled summer, leading into finally feeling like she belongs in 7th grade. Then her dad comes back from his business trip to Las Vegas with exciting news. He's met his old college girlfriend, they're engaged, and they're going to spend the next two weeks in Vegas. Stella's excitement over getting her coveted invitation is dimmed by the rapid series of events and her stress increases when her aunt slips her a letter from her mom, who had disappeared into her opioid addiction.

When they arrive, Stella is reluctantly appreciative of Whitney, her dad's fiancee, who shares Stella's need for order and organization. She's surprised by how friendly her soon-to-be stepsister, Vivian is, even though she's fifteen, and the two make a cautious pact over their shared anger at their parents' abrupt changes to their life. Vivian doesn't want to leave Las Vegas, her friends, her school, or her dad. Stella doesn't want to leave Washington's forests for the blinding heat of Las Vegas, especially when she might actually be connecting to new friends. She turns to astrology to try and find answers, as well as a solution for breaking up their parents' engagement, but the more she gets involved, the more confused she gets. To add to her distress, her mom, freshly out of rehab, shows up again and wants to start rebuilding her relationship, her younger brother seems just fine with moving to Vegas, and she's starting to have feelings for the younger brother of a friend of Vivian's.

The ending is a perfect storm of emotion, incidents, and failed communication as Stella tries to figure out a solution that will leave everyone happy - but maybe that's not possible? In the end, the adults take a step back and really listen to their kids and as a family they come to a decision that everyone is willing to try.

Stella is a strongly realistic character, struggling with her longings for friendship, her anxiety, and the trauma resultant from her mom's addiction. There are no stereotyped villains or mean kids - even Talia, the vaunted "popular" girl, turns out to be a kind friend who has her own family challenges. Stella's mom is bluntly honest in her apologies for her past mistakes and realistic about the challenges she faces in her effort to battle her addiction. Although readers might wonder why Stella's dad wasn't more honest with her before (and didn't let her keep going to therapy) it's a very realistic twist that as Stella grows older both she and her parents have to adjust to seeing her as a more independent person and work on being more open and honest about themselves as adults, not just parents. This is complicated by her parents' desire to make up to her for the past when she covered for her mom's addiction.

Verdict: The library I borrowed this from put it in young adult, but it's solidly middle grade/middle school, in my opinion. Stella's romance never goes farther than hand holding and a brief kiss and her emotional struggles and anxieties are something many kids can relate to. I don't have a huge audience for this type of realistic fiction, but I do have a solid core of readers who will love this. For those concerned about the astrology aspects, it's treated from many different perspectives, both from skeptics to true believers, to the firm reminder to be respectful of others' beliefs. If you have the audience for this type of realistic fiction, this is a strong addition to your library.

ISBN: 9781250858498; Published June 2023 by Laura Godwin/Simon & Schuster; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

Animals to the rescue! Balto by Emma Carlson Berne, illustrated by Francesca Rosa

Contrary to what some patrons think, I do not read every book that comes into the library! Some I can just look at and know they will be popular, which was the case for this series.

This book tells the story of Balto, but it's more than just recounting the legend; it starts with a brief introduction to Balto and other sled dogs and then explains the context of the story, from what diptheria is to the history and use of sled dogs in Alaska. When it comes to the actual race, it follows each group step by step, including naming the Indigenous men who drove part of the way as well. After the teams successfully brought the medicine to Nome, it follows the fortunes of the dogs and their owners, including how the original owner of Balto, and the man who drove the longest section of the race, felt that his lead dog Togo was overlooked.

There's a brief note to the readers about what parts of the book were fictionalized, short biographies of some of the people mentioned, and a timeline. There are also black and white illustrations throughout the book.

I'm not sure this can strictly be called a series; two titles, this one and one featuring Sergeant Reckless, a horse in the Korean War, were published in the fall of 2022, but I've seen no information about plans for future volumes. It's a pity, because kids really, really liked these!

Verdict: If you can get these, they're worth adding and I hope Scholastic continues the series in the future. If not, Horse Diaries and Dog Diaries are a good read-alike series.

ISBN: 9781338681420; Published August 2022 by Scholastic; Purchased for the library

This week at the library; Last week of summer reading!

Programs and events

• Themed week in the Storyroom: Paper crafts
• LOTG outreach and daycare storytime (3 sessions)
• New teacher orientation
• Summer reading ends!

Notes

• It's really, truly over! This is the last week of summer reading, last week to pick up prizes and tickets, last week to turn in raffle tickets, last week of activities in the Storyroom. Next week construction on the new youth services desk will begin, as will the county fair, then school starts after Labor Day, then programs resume September 11th with outreach resuming in October.
• Projects this week - collection development, specifically some much-belated weeding projects, presentations for the new teacher orientation, and teachers are starting to ask for back-to-school collections (yes, I have AWESOME teachers who ask AHEAD OF TIME!!)
• I wasn't sure what traffic would look like this week - the local pool was originally supposed to close on the 20th but was extended to the following weekend and the County Fair officially starts on Wednesday. We're also at the peak of a heat cone or something and OUR A/C DIED ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. We ended up closing on Thursday and reopening Friday, not fully cooled off until Friday afternoon. It was... a thing.

Nayra and the Djinn by Iasmin Omar Ata

Nayra is near a breaking point. Constant harassment at school, pressure from her family, who think she should just tough it out like her siblings did, and increasing frustration with her friend Rami, the only other Muslim student, all come to a boiling point one Ramadan. While she's on a website that focuses on preserving Muslim oral history, she and the others get a strange message from someone claiming to be a djinn. Only Nayra is gullible - or desperate - enough to answer and is shocked when the djinn shows up. Marjan at first appears to be intent on helping Nayra deal with her complicated life - and they do have a lot of good advice to offer - but they're hiding secrets of their own. When everyone's secrets meet, will Nayra be able to salvage her friendships and find a way forward, or will everything collapse?

There's a quasi-manga style to the artwork, shown in the choppy hairstyles, big eyes, and exaggerated movements. Ata has a style all their own though, weaving myth and oral history throughout the contemporary story with Marjan's storytelling, illustrated in bright motifs of pink, purple, and turquoise.

This is a unique offering, delving into friendship and family challenges, like the memoir style popularized by Raina Telgemeier, but weaving in the challenges of Nayra's exploration of religion and her struggles with harassment from students and indifference from teachers as well. Her struggles and culture are expanded through the introduction of Marjan and the focus on memories, secrets, and the sharing of stories. The ending is left open; Nayra introduces the djinn to her family and they agree to set aside differences and discussions and have a peaceful Eid together, promising to listen to Nayra later. Nayra's complicated relationship with Rami and her desire for a more accepting atmosphere will resonate with readers trying to find their own identities and move forward into their own future.

Verdict: I don't think this is the first choice I'd give kids who are unfamiliar with Arabic culture and Muslim religion, but it's a good starting point for a discussion and, aside from the educational aspect, it's a strong story with beautiful art.

ISBN: 9780593117118; Published February 2023 by Viking; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Rex and Oslo: Oslo learns to swim by Doug Cushman

Doug Cushman has been writing and illustrating picture books and easy readers for decades. Some older readers will recognize his classic easy reader series like Aunt Eater, Dirk Bones, and titles from the heyday of I Can Read like Inspector Hopper. It's been several years since he published a book through a traditional publisher, although he's issued several through Walrus Way Books, but this new comic easy reader series for Ready-to-Read shows he's as adaptable and relevant as ever, moving easily into the format of word balloons and simple sequencing that's a trend for easy readers, started by Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie.

The first page establishes the characters and their colored speech balloons - Rex, a grey warthog, has a bright pink speech bubble. Oslo, named on the cover, is a small brown bird with a big orange beak and has a bright blue speech bubble. Rex gets the narrative going by inviting Oslo to go swimming. Next comes a stream of excuses from Oslo as Rex arrives at and plunges into the river. Eventually, the bubbles move underwater, where they lighten in color as the conversation continues with Rex and Oslo unseen. When Rex gets frustrated by Oslo's continued excuses, Oslo admits her secret - she can't swim! Rex offers to teach her to swim, and soon they are happily floating down the river. Then along come two crocodiles, one eager to swim and one worried that there might be warthogs...

The simple text and colorful pictures are attractive to beginning readers, with the familiarity of speech bubbles for kids who have grown up reading Elephant and Piggie. Unlike the frustratingly toxic relationships often depicted in the odd-couple trope of beginning readers, Cushman has woven in a sweet example of friendship, where Oslo eventually admits she is embarrassed she cannot swim and Rex does not make fun of her but offers to help her learn. A light vein of humor runs throughout the story and children will relate to the worry of trying something new.

Verdict: An excellent new early reader series, with a second title coming in January 2024. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781665926485; Published May 2023 by Simon Spotlight; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

Alvin Ho: Allergic to girls, school, and other scary things by Lenore Look, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

I have this in my beginning chapters section, although it's not truly a beginning chapter. I originally weeded this and the companion series, Ruby Lu, due to low circulation. However, I have a lot of teachers request/assign this title so I purchased a couple copies of the first book for them.

Told in a stream-of-consciousness style, with humorous black-and-white illustrations, it's a quirky mix of the classic Ramona and the more contemporary Wimpy Kid. At home, Alvin is loud and exuberant, but at school he just can't make a sound. This first book follows him through his first semester in second grade. Most of the incidents in the book stem from his initial outrage and frustration - when seats are assigned he can't speak and so his friend and neighbor Flea (Sophie), a GIRL, assumes he will want to sit next to her. He goes through a lot of trial and turmoil trying to get the boys to play with him and make friends with them, from taking his father's favorite vintage toy (and breaking it) to being mean and dismissive to Flea. Eventually, he realizes that Flea is a better friend than the boys he's been hanging around and he accepts her friendship.

There are thoughtful discussions with his father about being a gentleman, lots of interpolations about American history, specifically around the Revolutionary war, and a stomach-turning or hilarious (depending on how you feel about it) chapter on the whole class getting chicken pox. There's also integration of Alvin's heritage of being Chinese-American into the story and his school appears to be somewhat economically and racially diverse.

Some things about the book felt very outdated; It was originally published in 2008, but the chickenpox vaccine became available in 1995 in the US and by 2005 was one of the required vaccines for school. So while it's possible that Alvin and his classmates didn't get the vaccine as infants, it's odd that not a single person in his class was vaccinated. I had mixed feelings about the "boys vs. girls" thing as well. On the one hand, I still see a lot of teachers dividing their classes by boys and girls and, especially younger kids, still have issues with socializing with the opposite gender. On the other hand, a lot of kids don't care about this anymore and many parents actively encourage them to have a wide variety of friends. I don't know if this will reinforce stereotypes or encourage kids to break them down. Alvin, who visits the originator of the chicken pox, Jules, says he doesn't know whether they are a boy or a girl because they play with both genders.

Verdict: I can see why teachers like this and kids would find it funny; I can also see some things about it that feel outdated and I'm not surprised kids lost interest in it on their own. It really only circulates for the school assignments, but it's available in paperback and I don't think it's a problem to keep a few copies on the shelf. Because of Alvin's age and the length and complexity of the book, this is one of those titles that is a fit for younger readers who read at a high level and are very fluent, so you might consider this if you have a large population of those readers.

ISBN: 9780375849305; This edition published 2009 by Yearling; Purchased two copies for the library in 2022

This week at the library

Programs

• Weekly Theme in the Storyroom - Fiber arts (yarn, beads, some fabric)
• Two field trips/day camp visits (one school-age, one tween/teen girls)

Notes

• Only one more week left! This week our new security camera system was being installed, which was mildly annoying for various reasons. There were various meetings and I took a day off for a medical appointment. I made good headway on the schedule and program planning for the fall. I had one day with nothing planned. No meetings, no programs, no outreach, no desk shifts. The first (and last) time this happened in 2023 was May 10! Also, it rained! Really rained!

I cannot draw a bicycle by Charise Mericle Harper

I posted a brief review of the first book, I cannot draw a horse, but I wanted to spend a little more time on this sequel.

The story is written on graph paper and starts with a single shape, the base for the cat, and later the horse, of the original story. The narrator shows readers how she can draw these animals and a skateboard with her shape. The cat hops on the skateboard and the horse asks for something cool for it to ride...

At first, it seems like this will just be a reiteration of the first book, with the illustrator offering drawings of different things like an icicle, but it quickly evolves (or perhaps devolves) into word-play, as the illustrator creates a bite-cycle, then a series of things for stomping, then a leaf monster... Eventually, the illustrator admits she has never seen a bicycle, but offers a variety of shapes, inviting the cat and horse to build their own. However, the cat and horse have never seen a bicycle either! They combine their shapes into a variety of creations, finally agreeing that a bicycle is indeed hard... but maybe they can make something else. Of course, their something else brings its own problems!

The short, simple sentences make this something that can double as an early reader, but it also offers a lot of scope for imagination and trying different kinds of creative thinking. Harper has created many unique and quirky books and always seems to have the imagination for something new, so instead of recreating her original idea, she has expanded it even more and made a fun, new story for fans of the first to continue the fun.

Verdict: Useful as a storytime read-aloud, in art classes, or just for fun, this is a title that most libraries will want to purchase. You do not have to have read the first book, but it certainly adds to the humor.

ISBN: 9781454945956; Published August 2023 by Union Square; F&G provided by publisher

The case of the missing tarts by Christee Curran-Bauer

I, personally, cannot stand faux-noir children's books. However, very few kids are aware of the origins of the trope and generally just see them as funny mysteries, so I am letting it go. I have a handful of fans of Doreen Cronin's mystery series, and this one looks like a fun series starter.

Crime strikes at the Pigeon Private Detectives, PPD, when someone sneaks in and steals Mama Pigeon's tarts! The chase is on and the pigeons are on the case, searching for clues, questioning suspects, and playing good bird/bad bird in interrogations. Clues are dropped, smushed, and smeared along the way and they finally find the culprit - and the secret ingredient for Mama Pigeon's award-winning jam tarts.

I reviewed an unfinished galley, but the finished book will be a blend of images, comic panels, and text, using a faux-typewritten font. The colors are soft blues, greens, and grays, with splashes of crimson jam. The characters are mostly birds, but there are a few other woodland critters scattered about the pages as well. Back matter includes a simple glossary and some facts about the animals included in the book.

One of the reasons I don't like faux-noir or police procedural-style books for kids is that it trivializes very real trauma and tragedy for many people. While some kids will see the pigeons playing "good bird/bad bird" and alternately yelling, threatening, and offering deals to their bemused suspects, as funny, kids who have had personal or familial trauma with the police will definitely find the idea of being threatened and shouted at by an unreasoning authority (they're not even official police! they just randomly picked out animals to suspect!) to be a bit too close to home.

Verdict: Whether this is something that will amuse or traumatize your audience will be something you'll have to decide based on your community. The blend of comic and text and the silly ending will generally be attractive to beginning readers and some libraries will find this a fun addition to their beginning chapter sections.

ISBN: 9781454943617; Published August 2023 by Union Square; ARC provided by publisher

Arcade World: Dino Trouble by Nate Bitt, illustrated by Joao Zod and Glass House Graphics

Over the last few years Little Simon, which publishes a lot of beginning chapters, media tie-ins, and board books, has expanded their beginning chapter offerings into graphic novels. Some of them are spin-offs of popular series, like Super Turbo, Rider Woofson, and Kingdom of Wrenly. Others, like Arcade World and Guardians of Horsa, are original.

Their themed pseudonyms continue in their graphic novels (think "Wanda Coven" for the Heidi Heckelbeck series or "Callie Barkley" for Critter Club). This graphic novel series is based off gaming, so the author is listed as a gamer and given the name of "Nate Bitt" and the graphics, although attributed primarily to a particular artist, are done by a design studio that handles most of Little Simon's graphic art for other, similar series.

Travis, a white boy with square-rimmed glasses, and his wilder friend Journey, a Black girl with what looks like a green Pikachu hat, are delighted and confused when a mysterious arcade appears in town. Even better, all the games are free! The creepy owner, Mr. E. Miniboss, encourages them all to play. But there's one game that Travis hasn't bothered with - Dino World. It's just too cutesy, with candy dinosaurs and lots of sweets and glitter. However, under the urging of Mr. E. Miniboss, he gives in and tries it out. Having ignored the game, he is quickly scorched by the biggest T-Rex and the game is over... or is it?

Later on, he and Journey find themselves playing the game in real life and are both intrigued and terrified by being attacked by dinosaurs, finding easter eggs in the park that give them unlimited ice cream, and defeating the big boss dino. They are suspicious when they see the game being removed from the arcade with a giant hole in its screen, but are triumphant when they survive and win and determined to find out the secret. The book ends with a tantalizing glimpse of Mr. E. Miniboss and his creepy master, a hooded figure looming out of an arcade game.

The graphics are simplistic and sometimes pixelated, fitting in with the theme of the book, and the text is brief and simple as well. I kept expecting the story to get gorier or for their survival to be more questionable and then I'd remember that it's directed at a much younger audience than the graphic novels I've been reading!

Verdict: This is a very serviceable series that will be popular with kids who love Press Start and other game-related fiction. It's simple to follow and has lots of action and humor but not too much peril. I've found these titles to be sturdy even in paperback, but they are also available in hardcover. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781665904643; Published February 2022 by Little Simon; Purchased for the library

Two weeks mostly NOT at the library

Waterlilies at the Rotary gardens

Programs

• July 31 - August 5: Builders' week in the Storyroom
• August 7 - 12: Art week in the Storyroom
• Day camp field trip
• Teen after hours: The amazing race
• Outreach storytime and Library on the Go

Notes

  I was off August 1 - 8 and my awesome staff handled our first year of trying themed drop-in weeks in the Storyroom. They also covered the transition in summer reading; I put up the raffle (mostly quilts) before I left and they handed out free books and passes. I had multiple meetings this week and was busy catching up on work (as well as working a Saturday on the desk) with a focus on getting ahead on the marketing for the fall. There were supposed to be two field trips, but the school's bus broke down. Fortunately, they fixed it in time for one trip!

Vacation

  On my vacation, I got to see my sister, who I haven't seen in several years. We had to do a little negotiating - she is acclimated to the Caribbean and Texas and found my apartment very cold, also we did a lot of walking and I am seriously out of shape, definitely not in good enough shape to keep up with a dancer who walks all day and then goes out for runs at night because she still has energy lol. But we had a lot of fun and she wandered back and forth between my and my mom's apartments for food and conversation. We went walking at Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy, White River County Park, visited the local farmer's market, and Burlington Garden Center. We also ate at Tres Hermanos, Kira Asian Bistro, Sabai Sabai, and managed to find enough supplies for my sister to cook Trini food (with most of the spices left out b/c I have very bland taste). We went to the Art Institute in Chicago, specifically to attend Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape although we both visited some favorites (mine is Pissarro's Woman bathing her feet in a brook) and I spent some time looking at Remedios Varo: Science Fictions which was new to me. I'm not usually a surrealist fan, but the art was interesting. There were a lot of people since I had forgotten it was also Lollapalooza in Chicago and we had tasty crepes, milk tea, and Thai food at the Chicago French Market. We took my mom with us to the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville.

  We also went to the Milwaukee Zoo and shopping in that area, and, the one thing that was brand-new for me, was going to the Firefly Art Fair in Wauwatosa. It turned out to be more like what I would expect to see at a farmer's market, but we both found artists we were interested in and the neighborhood was pretty. We took a short walk as well as looking at the various vendors and a quick peek inside the house at the exhibit of old photos and cameras. I think we pretty much packed in everything possible in our short time!

Back to school picture book round-up

A lot of schools are going back now in August; my school district doesn't resume until after Labor Day, but the "back to school" books start flying off the shelf now. There are plenty of classic favorites, familiar tropes, etc. (many of which I, personally, hate) but here's a list of what I've reviewed recently as well as some past favorites and what I'll be giving my teachers.

I also have a Pinterest board that includes back to school and first day of school items.

First school experiences/preschool or kindergarten

• The king of kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
• The queen of kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
• Lupe Lopez: Rock star rules by E. Charlton-Trujillo
• Ready for kindergarten by Bethany V. Freitas
• Our classroom rules by Kallie George
• We belong to the drum by Sandra Lamouche
• Sora's seashells by Helena Ku Rhee
• Mina belongs here by Sandra Niebuhr-Siebert
• On the night before kindergarten by Rosemary Wells
• Bitsy Bat, School Star by Kaz Windness
• Play day school day by Toni Yuly

Returning to school, attending a new school, elementary grades

• Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo
• Hurry little tortoise, time for school by Carrie Finison
• Tomatoes in my lunchbox by Constantia Manoli
• Kindergarten Diary by Antoinette Portis
• Yuna's cardboard castles by Marie Tang
• This is not my home by Eugenia Yoh

Social-Emotional Learning

• Big by Vashti Harrison
• Marker by Anna Kang
• Snake's big mistake by Sarah Kurpiel
• One Thursday afternoon by Barbara DiLorenzo
• I am darn tough by Licia Morelli

Education and school-themed stories for elementary school kids

• Spanish is the language of my family by Michael Genhart
• Brain Storm by Rebecca Levington
• One boy watching by Grant Snider
• Love in the library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
• A land of books: Dreams of young Mexicah Word Painters by Duncan Tonatiuh
• Rivka's Presents by Laurie Wallmark

Just for fun!

• Milk goes to school by Terry Border
• Bruce and the legend of soggy hollow by Ryan T. Higgins
• We don't eat our classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
• Once upon a book by Grace Lin and Kate Messner
• The best/worst poet ever by Lauren Stohler

All in a day by Chihiro Takeuchi

This seek-and-find picture book is intended to teach children to read the time on a traditional clock. It's formatted in a vertical rectangle, showing the activity and movement in a tall apartment building throughout the day.

As seen on the cover, the building includes a large clock and it signals the different activities throughout the day. The story starts at 7am with people eating breakfast, the baker opening his shop, and people moving around on the streets. It goes through the day with meals and random activities, from a barber opening his shop to an artist starting work to the ice cream truck. At 11 o'clock, most people are asleep, but Grandma's cats, the artist and the musician are still awake. During the early hours of the morning only the cats and mice move around, but at 4am the baker starts his bread and a child delivering newspapers appears.

The art is small, collage-style with multiple details, the people looking like little wooden dolls. There book has an I Spy aspect, as each spread of a time includes things to look for, like counting cats, seeing which direction the weathervane on the building is pointing, and looking for quirky details like a person with a pet alligator. The skin shades shown are mostly tan and pink, with a few darker brown. A few characters, mostly older men, are shown with a bigger body type and one uses a cane at one point. A child in a wheelchair is shown in one illustration. 

This story is pretty stereotyped - all the people depicted working are males and the women are shown as an artist at home, caring for children, and shopping. Like most picture books depicted urban areas, it's extremely clean and the little cartoon illustrations show a uniform group of people who all appear healthy, happy, and well cared for. The idea of learning to read an analog clock by following the activities throughout the day is not a new one, but most of the events, other than perhaps meal times, are not really tied to any particular time, so this would need a lot of explaining.

Verdict: Despite the drawbacks of the book, I do get regular if infrequent requests for learning to read analog clocks and it has an old-fashioned, Richard Scarry-esque feel that will appeal to some people. The I Spy aspect is fun and offers a challenge to older readers especially. This would work in conjunction with another, more explicit book on reading clocks or as an additional and supplemental purchase.

ISBN: 9781922610546; Published April 2023 by Berbay Pub; Review copy provided by publisher

Apple pie picnic by Alicia Duran, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald

Living in a small, midwest town, I can pretty much circulate any and all apple-themed books, regardless of quality or content. However, I am also fortunate enough to work with a lot of dedicated, open-minded teachers who are always happy to have me recommend updated, diverse titles to expand their repertoire of read-alouds so when I noticed that this apple book seemed to have a Hispanic flair, I picked it up to examine and was delighted with what I found.

With the loose framing of the cumulative nursery rhyme, "The house that Jack built," the story cheerfully marches through the seasons of the apple tree by Rosa's house, where her familia lives. "The warm days of spring, la primavera, pass by as Rosa watches the apple blossoms slowly turn into fruits." Eventually, Rosa's familia, madre, abuela, and abuelo, settle in for a picnic under the apple tree, with apple pie, empanadas, and limonada. A simple illustrated life cycle of the apple tree is included in the back of the book, a glossary of Spanish words, and a recipe for apple sauce.

The pictures are bright and cheerful; Rosa's abuelo has brown skin and a curly hair, while her abuela has lighter tan skin and a thick coil of gray hair. Rosa and her mother have tan skin and dark hair. Their house is pictured as a small, pueblo-style home on the edge of the desert with thriving wildlife all around.

Verdict: It is, quite simply, WONDERFUL, to see a rather tired old theme refreshed with engaging text and illustrations and portraying an inclusive, multi-generational family. This is a must-have for any library that gets calls for apple tree/seasonal stories, and I can't wait to share it with my families and teachers and to see the joy of our young Hispanic patrons as they are included in a local tradition. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781636550619; Published March 2023 by Red Comet Press; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library; Additional copy purchased

Mini Mermaid Tales: The Friendship Wish by Debbie Dadey, illustrated by Fuuji Takashi

I frequently have kids pick beginning chapter books based on the cover, especially those involving sparkly fantasy creatures, and be disappointed that there are no pictures inside or that they can't read the more challenging text. This series is a good solution, being an easier spin-off of Dadey's popular "Mermaid Tales."

Rosie, a young mermaid, has just moved to Trident City and is lonely. She's trying to catch fish to play school with when she meets another young mermaid, Aqua, who is also too young to attend school. The two decide to visit Trident Academy, where their older siblings and cousins attend, to learn how they can play school. Unfortunately, they both get into big trouble! Rosie scares Nanny Manny when she sneaks away without letting her know and Aqua talks her into sneaking into the school where they run into Headmaster Hermit. Happily, all ends well when the headmaster talks to their parents and decides to start a Mini Mermaid and Merboy school for the kids.

The text is in a large, bold font and simple black and white pictures are scattered throughout the story. There is a list of characters at the beginning and a "word list" and set of questions at the end.

This certainly isn't great literature - the writing is rather choppy and trite and some of it makes no sense, like a seven-year old being too young to go to school. It's a different touch to see a nanny caring for a child, which will probably vary in familiarity by area. Kids may be disappointed that there aren't more colorful/sparkly pictures inside the book, to match the pretty cover.

Verdict: My ideal series for this niche is Princess in Black, followed by Paula Harrison's Kitty, with Acorn's Unicorn and Yeti and Fairylight Friends, but this does fill a niche and readers eager for mermaid stories that they can read, with or without a little help, will be very happy to see this. Parents who don't want to read the entirety of Dadey's full-length Mermaid Tales will also appreciate a shorter book! A must-have if you have a lot of young mermaid fans learning to read.

ISBN: 9781534489257; Published May 2023 by Aladdin; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

O is for Ossicone: A surprising animal alphabet by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Sara Papworth

Although this is technically a board book, I am including it in my Read 'n' Play reviews, as while I think it has some very positive points, it is not aimed at the usual board book audience of infants and toddlers.

This is an animal alphabet book, which is a familiar genre, but, as said in the subtitle, it has an unusual approach in vocabulary. Each page is a stiff cardstock flap. On the front, it has the letter and vocabulary word, "A is for antennae" or "K is for knuckles" to give some examples. There is also a close-up illustration of the part of the animal, a bee's antennae and a gorilla's knuckles. Lift the flap and there is a full illustration of the animal with additional paragraphs of information. Readers will learn about an elephant's lashes, giraffe's ossicones, crocodile's scutes, and more.

Obviously, this is not actually intended for the typical board book audience of infants and toddlers. The vocabulary is advanced, with fairly lengthy chunks of text in the explanatory portions and the illustrations are conceptual rather than photorealistic. Especially in the close-ups they are blurred with brief strokes of color and line to give the idea of the animal part. The pages are cardstock or thin, shirt cardboard thickness, not the usual sturdy cardboard of board book pages.

Verdict: While I would not add this to a board book collection, and it's not technically a pop-up for those who have such collections, it's perfect for the storytime kits I put together. These include a variety of books, toys, and activities based around a theme and this would be a great addition to an animal-themed kit.

ISBN: 9781665937504; Published June 2023 by Little Simon; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library

There might be a Kazoo Emergency by Heidi E. Y. Stemple, illustrated by Selom Sunu

This comic easy reader starts out wacky and goes completely off the rails very quickly. I love it!

Gregory James and Lola, the two main characters, show up before the story to explain how to read comic panels and speech bubbles. Gregory James has light tan skin, freckles, and exuberantly curly brown hair. Lola also has tan skin with a gap in her front teeth, black hair, and dark eyebrows. There is diversity in body types shown right away, with Lola having a square, broad figure and Gregory being more lanky, wrapped in a hoodie and long shorts.

The story begins with Gregory James walking to the bus stop with a heavy, clanking backpack. Accosted by bullies, his backpack spills an array of random objects across the sidewalk. In chapter two, Lola appears and cheerfully helps him pick up the items, offering to walk with him to school. When she asks about the things he has, including a colander, feather duster, and kazoo, he says "There might be a kazoo emergency."

The two new friends are chatting when suddenly... there is an emergency! A tyrannosaurus has grabbed the bus which is stuck on a hot air balloon! This is the unexpected situation Gregory James has been preparing for, and with the backup of Lola (and his kazoo) he saves the day. The two friends continue on to school, ready for anything.

Cheerful digital cartoon illustrations fill the panels, adding humor to the characters' matter-of-fact delivery as the wacky events accumulate. The art and text is simple but bold, with clear, easy to follow speech balloons and uncluttered panels with strong background colors to make the art and text pop.

Verdict: Ready-to-Read has done some really strong comic easy readers and my only regret about this title is that it doesn't appear to be a series. A delightfully humorous story with a diverse cast, strongly recommended.

ISBN: 9781665920049; Published May 2023 by Simon Spotlight; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library