February is Black History Month, and in honor of that, the online magazine Bold and Fearless made a list of 28 Books Every Black Girl Should Read This Black History Month. Not only did Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, written by Katheryn Russell-Brown and illustrated by Frank Morrison, make this list, it’s the featured book! Little Melba tells the story of Melba Doretta Liston, a famed African American jazz musician in the 1900s, and it’s a great book for celebrating Black History Month. For the other recommended Black History books, check out the full list here. You can purchase Little Melba and Her Big Trombone online here.
Ashley Spire‘s new children book, Over-Scheduled Andrew, was recently reviewed by The New York Times. Over-Scheduled Andrew is the cautionary tale of a little bird who signs up for way too many clubs and classes at school. The New York Times praises Ashley’s “digitally drawn creatures…with big heads and tiny paws and wings” and her “small details,” and remarks on the timeliness of her message in this age of over-scheduled children, calling it, “a sneaky kind of cautionary tale.” You can read the full review on The New York Times website and you can buy Over-Scheduled Andrew online here.
Sarah Dillard spent a fun day promoting her new book series Mouse Scouts at The Flying Pig bookstore in Vermont this past weekend. Mouse Scouts is an adorable series about young mice earning badges and learning about friendship, so naturally the Mouse Scouts event involved giving children a chance to earn their own mouse scout badges. With Sarah’s help, the kids planted seeds, camped out, and brainstormed for charity. Everyone, including Sarah, had a great time! The Flying Pig writes, “What I love about Sarah Dillard’s stories and characters is that they are cute without being cloying, and sweet without being saccharine. Like real children, her characters are a mixture of sweetness and rough edges, kindness and pinchiness. Fans of Ivy and Bean will LOVE this series.” For a fun write up of the whole event, plus cute pictures of kids enjoying Mouse Scouts and the related events, check out The Flying Pig’s post here. You can order Mouse Scouts online here.
The Quickest Kid in Clarksville, written by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Frank Morrison, comes out today! You can order it online here. Publishers Weekly calls The Quickest Kid, “A story about teamwork and determination.” They praise Frank’s art, writing that, “Working in watercolor, Morrison…gives the girls abundant personality.” The Quickest Kid in Clarksville tells the story of two girls determined to impress their track hero, Wilma Rudolph, and prove who the fasted kid in Clarksville really is. Check out Publishers Weekly’s full review here.
Echo Echo, the third collection of reverso poems from author Marilyn Singer and illustrator Josée Masse, turns its focus to Greek myths. The book comes out February 16th, and has already received lots of advance praise, including two starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. Echo Echo was chosen as a Spring 2016 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick, and Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast featured it in their 2016 picture book preview. Kirkus Reviews calls Josée’s art “gorgeous,” and Booklist calls it “enchanting.” If you want to check out what all the buzz is about, you can preorder Echo Echo here! “Masse’s acrylics, dominated by RICH COLORS and vertical symmetries, evoke weathered frescoes… Details about the myths appear across the bottom of the pages, further boosting the utility of another INVENTIVE exploration of stories readers thought they knew.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review “This IMAGINATIVE work is a symphony of cannily composed verse intensified by a palette of Aegean blues, sunlit golds, and delicate greens… The demanding wordplay is DEFTLY HANDLED AND PRETTILY DISPLAYED… For those unfamiliar with the Greek myths, an encapsulated summary is provided at the bottom of each spread. Verdict: A witty, seductive pairing of poetic imagination and artistic vision.”—School Library Journal, […]
Every year, the Texas Library Association chooses a list of 20 books to recommend for children age 2 to grade 2 in order to encourage reading. This year, Race Car Count, written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and illustrated by Michael Slack, was chosen as one of the twenty books. Race Car Count is a counting book for children age 3-6 featuring Michael Slack’s brightly colored, expressive race cars. Congratulations, Rebecca and Michael! The 2016 Texas 2×2 Reading List can be found here, and you can order Race Car Count here.
