Format: Picture Book Fiction

Our Spectacular Sukkah

Our Spectacular SukkahOur Spectacular Sukkah by Sidura Ludwig, Sophia Vincent Guy
ISBN: 1536235105
Genres: Holiday
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Our Spectacular Sukkah is about a family who is celebrating the Jewish harvest holiday of Sukkot by making a temporary dwelling to represent the exodus from Egypt. Throughout the story, we see the family work hard to build it and make it a beautiful place. Then, a windstorm blows in and destroys the Sukkah. The community comes together to help rebuild it and celebrate the holiday, showing readers the power of community care. Readers will also be charmed by the beautiful illustrations that help readers understand the story and the emotional impact of the storm and the community’s help. The illustrations are colorful, expressive, lively, and engaging. 

Readers will appreciate the emotional rollercoaster and suspense of what happens with the Sukkah. Educators, librarians, and caregivers will appreciate the accessible introduction to a Jewish holiday, the vocabulary words like spectacular and distinctive, as well as the holiday-specific vocabulary, like sukkah. They will also appreciate the diverse character representations in the community and the author’s note at the end that helps us understand more about the holiday for those who are older or looking to learn more about the holiday. 

This would be a strong addition to any library serving readers in first through fifth grade, those who want to expand their holiday titles, or those looking for titles about community or community helpers. This was a four-star read for me.Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

four-stars

Pippas’ Hanukkah Hunt

Pippas’ Hanukkah HuntPippa's Hanukkah Hunt: (A Jewish Holiday Picture Book About Latkes, Traditions, and Community for Kids Ages 4-8) by Jill Weber, Vivian Kirkfield
ISBN: 0823455718
Genres: Holiday
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Pippa’s Hanukkah Hunt is about a mouse named Pippa who is trying to make latkes to celebrate Hanukkah. However, Pippa is out of potatoes, so she decides to ask her neighbors, but every neighbor is also out of potatoes! Each neighbor still gives Pippa something — beets, carrots, leeks, etc. When Pippa finally arrives home, she discovers that the hare children stole all of the potatoes to play games with but have now brought them back. In the spirit of the holiday and community, Pippa invites everyone to stay and enjoy Hanukkah together, and all of her neighbors show up with other items to help her celebrate — dreidel, doughnuts, gelt, etc. Together, the forest friends enjoy a Hanukkah feast, and the book ends with a non-fiction telling of the story of Hanukkah to help readers learn more. 

This would be a great introduction to Hanukkah for young readers, ideal for those in Kindergarten through second grade. The language is accessible, the text follows a predictable pattern, and the storyline of a community conflict and resolution feels age-appropriate for young readers and will help them solve their own conflicts. 

Educators, librarians, and guardians will appreciate the positive example of reparations; the hares do not just bring back the potatoes and apologize but also offer to help Pippa prepare her garden and plant more in the spring, showing young readers how to navigate conflict positively. The text on each page is limited, and the illustrations are charming and sweet, making it a good holiday read-aloud or story for little ones to share with a reader in their lives. The Hanukkah story at the end helps readers better understand the holiday without going into too much depth or overwhelming anyone. This would be a strong addition to any library that serves young readers, is looking to expand its holiday representations, or whose patrons love animal characters and winter stories. This was a four-star read for me. Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

four-stars

My Neighborhood

My NeighborhoodMy Neighborhood by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, Delano Brown
Genres: Cultural / African American, Poetry
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

My Neighborhood by Delano Brown is about two Black brothers who describe their neighborhood as they walk through it. Brown’s storytelling is lyrical and reads like a poem or music, adding life and rhythm to the story. Readers will appreciate the positive and engaging view of the neighborhood and the “slice of life” story. 

Educators will appreciate the positive representation, the personalities of all of the members of the neighborhood and how the neighborhood becomes a personality itself, and how the text introduces readers to poetry. With a fair amount of text on each page, this would be a best fit for grades 3-5 and as an introduction to a poetry unit or as a poetry exemplar. The representation and illustrations make it a standout title, but the amount of text and lyrical structure may limit its readership. This would be a good fit for school libraries and libraries serving readers who love poetry, need broader representation, or those who like “slice of life” stories. This was a 3-star read for me. Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

three-stars

The Sweetest Rosh Hashanah

The Sweetest Rosh HashanahThe Sweetest Rosh Hashanah: Festivals of the World by Aura Lewis, Mara Bergman
ISBN: 1536244716
Genres: Holiday
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
two-stars

The Sweetest Rosh Hashanah is about a girl named Ellie who is celebrating Rosh Hashanah with her family. The illustrations are beautiful and engaging and do a wonderful job of welcoming readers into the holiday and the main character’s home. Readers and librarians looking for more diverse holiday titles or who want to learn about Rosh Hashanah will appreciate the representation of the Jewish holiday.

Other than the holiday, the main storyline is the tension between Ellie and her cousin, Laura. The previous holiday, Laura took Ellie’s paints without asking, which made Ellie understandably upset. Elle wasn’t looking forward to seeing Laura and wouldn’t greet or look at her when she arrived. Her parents and family were confused because Ellie never told them about the incident. Laura does apologize, and Ellie is able to forgive her in the spirit of the holiday.

Some readers may be concerned that Laura is the only character of color and representing her as Black and a thief may unintentionally reinforce negative stereotypes and biases against Black people. For this reason, this was unfortunately a two-star read for me. Reviewed by Katy Jones, Gardiner Area High School Library, Gardiner

two-stars

Tom and Momo

Tom and Momo by Akiko Miyakoshi
ISBN: 1525314475
Genres: Picture book/animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

A parent and child, depicted in muted watercolor as bears in snow coats, walk through the park in a snowy city.

Tom and Momo, written and illustrated by Akiko Miyakoshi.

Two friends live in the same building with their families in the city. With their parents, they ride the same train and go to the same shops, and they both hope for a friend, but for a long time their paths never cross.

Through poignant text and beautiful muted illustrations, we meet Tom and Momo, but they don’t meet one another–until–they both have the idea to get the same cake at the cake shop.

The two families are depicted as rabbits and bears, and the book ends with Tom and Momo not only being friends, but the families gathering together to eat the delicious cakes. A sweet storytime or lap book for younger kids. 

Reviewed by Antona Briley, Librarian, Dora Small School, South Portland

four-stars

When The Sun Goes Down

When The Sun Goes DownWhen the Sun Goes Down by Greg Pizzoli
ISBN: 059364980X
Genres: Animals, Nature, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

From award-winning author and illustrator Greg Pizzoli, is a classically perfect bedtime picture book. With his signature illustration style, and rhythmic, repetitive lines, the narrator asks,

“Where do you go? Where do you go when the sun goes down?”

the butterfly responds, “I go under a leaf. I find a good leaf and I crawl underneath. I go under a leaf when the sun goes down.”

And it repeats, so soothingly, for each animal as the story goes on. The font is simple, the illustrations are eye-catching, and the lines are poetic. Parents and children alike will read this on repeat. Reads like a modern classic akin to Margaret Wise Brown. An absolute must for public libraries’ picture book collection. Best for ages 0-5.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

The Big One

The Big OneThe Big One by Dashka Slater, Myo Yim
Genres: Adventure, Folklore, Realistic Fiction, Suspense
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Avast! There’s a Big One in the waters of a fictional coastal town, and a grandmother and her small granddaughter are determined to catch it. In this refreshing, intergenerational story Nana and Marina believe they have the “grit and the gumption” to haul it in. With many failed attempts, and a variety of different bait, Marina starts to doubt that they’ll be able to catch it. (It is odd that they chose peaches, cantaloupes, and other tropical fruits). But after singing a few sea shanties and drifting out to the open sea, something giant nudges the boat. Something much bigger is in need of their help, as a tangled whale bursts up beside them. Nana cuts the fishing ropes and her and Marina are able to come back to shore with a boat full of fish and an awe-inspiring story.

The strongest trait of this book is the pencil and pastel illustrations by Myo Yim which depict a quaint and colorful seaside town and aquamarine ocean. The harbor community is diverse and the intergenerational heroes are inspirational. Any coastal Maine library will not regret adding this one to its picture book collection. Ages 4-8.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

The Brunch Shift

The Brunch ShiftThe Brunch Shift by Adrienne Thurman, Mags DeRoma
ISBN: 0593808177
Genres: Family Life
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Saturdays may evoke warm thoughts of sleeping in, playing with friends, relaxing… but not for our protagonist. She tags along every week with her mother, who “can’t afford to miss” working the brunch shift. We follow the unnamed narrator as she and Mama take the early morning crosstown bus, spend the day at the diner, run an errand, and make their way back home after a long day. At the diner they are overseen by Mr. Wong, who is neither a complete villain nor an ally, interrupting fun to keep Mama on task, but also slipping our narrator a stack of blueberry pancakes “just the way I like it.” Throughout the day, Mama leans into imaginative play, teeing the pair up to be brave knights on the bus, art detectives catching thieves at break time, gold miners while doing dishes, Olympic sprinters rushing to the bank after work, and astronauts getting a rocket fuel snack on the way home. Despite all the fun that Mama creates, our protagonist ends the day tired and wishing that she could have “somebody else’s Saturday.” But Mama has one last surprise on the way home to make this day feel special.

Mags DeRoma’s mixed media illustrations have a childlike quality that the effectively parallel the mix of imagination and realism in Thurman’s text. Both visually and thematically, this would be a great pair with Oge Mora’s Saturday, another story of the precious time a daughter and her working mother share.

Reviewed by Carolyn Gallmeyer, Lithgow Public Library, Augusta ME

three-stars

Homesick

HomesickHomesick by Audrey Vernick, Daniel Miyares, Liz Garton Scanlon
ISBN: 0823457141
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, Family Life
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

With School’s First Day of School (2016), Adam Rex and Christian Robinson helped readers to see a new experience through the eyes of a building. Liz Garton Scanlon, Audrey Vernick, and Daniel Miyares take up this theme in Homesick and allow readers to see: just as you might miss your house when you’re away, your home misses you.

We open on Poppy, a girl who is zooming with excitement over her upcoming first sleepover at her grandparents’ house. Juxtaposing this warm first illustration of Poppy is a stark counterpoint: the cool colors and remove of Home, who is not looking forward to this separation and the quiet that Poppy’s absence will bring. As we see Poppy leave home and enjoy the adventure of a sleepover, Home is given equal consideration, and we learn how forlorn, “almost… sick” Home is without Poppy. Waking up in a new place, Poppy starts to share Home’s sickness, until grandma reminds her that Home is waiting for her while she has adventures. “Poppy thought she’d better have some adventures then.” The sleepover is a success, and the reunion of Poppy and Home is sweet.

The real star of the show are Miyares’ illustrations, created with gouache and ink on paper, with warm yellows and oranges capturing the excitement of Poppy, and cool blues showing the corresponding emotional state of Home. Miyares makes great use of these simple color palates and of white space to show the discrepancies in experience of our two main characters, but also ways in which emotions are blended, combine, and ultimately shift. A fresh take on a first sleepover, with ample visual treats to explore.

Reviewed by Carolyn Gallmeyer, Lithgow Public Library, Augusta ME

four-stars

The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story

The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the StoryThe Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story by Brian Biggs, Kate Messner
ISBN: 0063372622
Genres: Animals, Humor, Informational, Non-Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction, Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

This is a unique picture book that can be read from front to back, and then back to front. On the first reading, the Whale’s character is humorously boasting true facts about whales in comparison to otters. When you reach the end of the book, it instructs to read it backwards to hear the Otter’s side of the story. The text cleverly turns the boasted information around to make the Otter’s facts appear in favor to the Whale.

This wordplay makes this a fun read-aloud to kids, who will also learn real facts about both species. However, the wordplay makes the actual read-aloud somewhat stilted, and ruins any sort of fluidity of story-telling. Overall good, children will enjoy the humor. Recommended for ages 4-8.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

three-stars