Sarah Dillard’s First Day at Zoo School Hits Shelves August 1! July 31, 2014 First Day at Zoo School, the latest picture book from author-illustrator, Sarah Dillard, will hit shelves tomorrow nationwide. The perfect back-to-school book, Zoo School tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Alfred the alligator and Amanda the panda. Alfred is nervous about school, whereas Amanda couldn’t be more excited, and their clashing personalities make for an interesting first day at school. Kirkus praises the illustrations, saying “Dillard’s illustrations, a mix of spots and comic panels, deftly express the characters’ thoughts and feelings.” Publishers Weekly, too, finds Sarah’s comic-book inspired illustrations to be the book’s strongest point, saying “Dillard makes excellent use of comic-book elements like sequential panels and speech balloons in this witty, well-observed story.” Learn more about the book and purchase your own copy on Sleeping Bear Press’s website, here.
New reviews are in for London Ladd‘s latest. School Library Journal enjoyed the message the book conveyed and called Lend a Hand “a gentle book that will add value to any classroom or library collection.” A reviewer for Booklist wrote: “Though perhaps not likely to spark changes in behavior on their own, in conjunction with home or classroom discussions about social responsibilities, waging peace, or bullying, these instances of individual and collective giving may serve as inspiring models.”
Timeless Thomas, by Gene Barretta, was included on We the People! Scholastic Parent & Child’s list of Great American Picture Book Biographies. The books selected for the list, according to Scholastic Parent & Child, “aren’t just books that share facts; they will immerse the reader into the amazing lives and choices that these men and women made.” Timeless Thomas certainly fits the bill! In humorous cartoon illustrations, Gene presents the inventions of Thomas Edison in side-by-side comparisons with their modern counterparts, creating a fun and memorable learning experience.
The praise keeps coming in for Katheryn Russell-Brown’s and Frank Morrison’s picture book, Little Melba and Her Big Trombone. The book was a School Library Journal selection as a Top Picks for Children’s Books for the month of July, and received two more starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal! From the School Library Journal starred review: “Music lovers will enjoy this picture-book biography of Melba Liston (1926-99), child prodigy and virtuoso trombonist who collaborated with most 20th century jazz greats. An excellent match of breezy text and dynamic illustrations tells an exhilarating story…Morrison’s distinctive illustrations, stretched out like a slide trombone, draw the eye across each spread to the page turn.” Publishers Weekly: “Morrison’s oil paintings practically sway with a jazz beat, though somber moments crop up, too: the shadows on Liston’s face signify the trials of life on the road. A final image showing long-limbed Liston in profile as she plays under the glow of stage lights is exquisite.”
