The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver (HarperCollins) by Gene Barretta, illustrated by Frank Morrison is one of three selected books for Virginia’s Reading Makes Cents Program. The program is designed to help students understand how money works in the world. On January 19, there will be a free webinar is to introduce the Reading Makes Cents program to librarians and teachers in the Southwest Region of Virginia served by our Center for Economic Education at UVA Wise. To learn more about the program go here Register for the webinar here Get the book here
When the Schools Shut Down, (HarperCollins) by Yolanda Gladden as told to Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, illustrated by Keisha Morris, was published January 11, 2022. The book is an awe-inspiring autobiographical picture book about a young African American girl who lived during the shutdown of public schools in Farmville, Virginia, following the landmark civil rights case Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. Congratulations Keisha! Get the book here
Millions of Maxes (Dial Books) by Meg Wolizter, illustrated by Micah Player, was published January 11, 2022 to rave reviews. “The cheery aesthetic of Player (Paletero Man)—colors that pop, crisply rendered characters who wear their hearts on their sleeves as they run hither and yon—matches Wolitzer’s warm, knowing voice page for page, and Player’s varied digital compositions capture the visceral excitement of an action-packed day outside.” —Publishers Weekly Congratulations Micah! Get the book here
Ready for the Spotlight (Candlewick) by Jaime Kim and Millions of Maxes (Dial Books) by Meg Wolitzer, illustrated by Micah Player, are Amazon Picks for January! Congratulations, Jaime and Micah! See all of Amazon’s January picks here Millions of Maxes will be published January 11, 2022. Pre-order it here Ready for the Spotlight will be published January 25, 2022. Pre-order it here
In a starred review of Some Days (The Experiment) by Julie A. Stamm, illustrated by Chamisa Kellogg, Kirkus says “This beautiful picture book shares an affirming message that honestly and unapologetically reflects life with a parent who has a chronic illness. . . . A loving, tender celebration of the mother-child bond.” The review also makes special note of the art, saying “Kellogg’s illustrations notably construct an unshakeable parent-child relationship using warm, vibrant colors and joyful expressions. Love and acceptance radiate on every page. ” Read the full review here Get the book here
Barroux has been selected as a member of the jury for the Bologna Book Fair Illustrators Exhibition. Born in Paris and raised in Morocco, Barroux has an instinctive passion for travel and exploring other cultures. It’s no surprise that he approaches each new book he is illustrating as if it’s the beginning of an adventure. Barroux strives to create unusual artwork, and when creating picture book art, he always tries to surprise the little kid that is inside of him. He studied photography, art, sculpture, and architecture in France at the famous École Estienne and École Boule, and his mastery of these other mediums influences his illustration. He began illustrating by creating linocut images, and continues to try out various techniques in his work – from collages with antique papers, to oil pastels, to interesting color palettes. Despite all of the countries and far-away lands he’s explored, Barroux still believes that life in books is more extraordinary, where dogs can fly and trees are blue. Congratulations Barroux! http://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/about/the-2022-juries/jury-detail/5801.html?spe=322
