Marco Polo Brave Explorer by Cynthia Lord, Stephanie Graegin
Series: Book Buddies #2
Published by Candlewick Press (MA) on March 8, 2022
ISBN: 1536213551
Pages: 68
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy
Format: Early Reader
Goodreads

The second title in the easy reader Book Buddies series by award winner Maine author Cynthia Lord is enchanting and sensitive.  The author knows her audience and has provided a heart-warming story about a boy who needs something to make him brave.   Marco is a small character with a large heart who is borrowed from the local library for a special reason.    Without the mouse, readers might never have experienced a first sleepover with a charming protagonist named Seth.   The story is told in a compassionate voice which is reassuring and very honest.   Graegin’s illustrations make for a perfect complement as they depict the three boys, a family cat and the lost toys.   This reader is unsure who her favorite character really is; it could be Marco Polo, Tulip the cat, or Seth.

If only all libraries offered book buddies to their young patrons, what a service that would be!  Marco Polo Brave Explorer is a delightful easy reader with 68 pages of exciting text and delightful illustrations.   Media Centers in primary schools, public libraries and grade 1-3 classroom collections should all have this and the first book in the Book Buddies series.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Submitted by Jan Hamilton, retired youth services librarian in Scarborough, ME