Format: Picture Book Fiction

As Brave As a Lion

As Brave As a LionAs Brave as a Lion by Erika Meza
Published by Candlewick Press on May 16, 2023
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

As Brave As a Lion by Erika Meza is the story of a young girl and her lion companion who helps her be brave. She lists all the ways the lion helps her, and then the reader goes on an adventure where our protagonist climbs the tallest slide but is too afraid to go down it. She looks to her lion for comfort, but he is scared too! So she decides to be brave for both of them. This book is a charming and sensitive look at facing your fears and figuring out what it means to be brave. The illustrations are bright and gorgeous and each of the characters are dynamically drawn and enjoyable to follow throughout the story. This is a great addition to any collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

five-stars

Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur?

Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur?Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon
Published by Candlewick Press on May 9, 2023
ISBN: 1536226254
Pages: 32
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon is a wonderfully illustrated story about a young boy who gives his dinosaur a bath and then can’t find him afterward. The use of crayon illustrations and negative space is a clever way to show where the dinosaur might be, without giving it away entirely. The premise did seem to promise more seeking out of the dinosaur as the reader, and perhaps this book would’ve benefited from a few more pages and for the reader to actively seek out the missing dinosaur. Overall a lovely addition to any collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

four-stars

Let’s Go Puddling

Let’s Go PuddlingLet's Go Puddling! by Emma Perry, Claire Alexander
Published by Candlewick Press on April 25, 2023
ISBN: 1536228494
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Let’s Go Puddling is a fun onomatopoeic picture book about the joys of a rainy day. A group of small friends (accompanied by their caregivers) race to jump in puddles and enjoy the rain. The illustrations are mixed media with a diverse cast of characters, and both text and illustrations support each other in the telling of the story. A worthwhile addition to a picture book collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

five-stars

My Friend, Loonie

My Friend, LoonieMy Friend, Loonie by Nina LaCour, Ashling Lindsay
Published by Candlewick Press on March 28, 2023
ISBN: 1536213934
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

My Friend, Loonie is about a young girl who befriends a yellow balloon and takes Loonie with her everywhere she goes, using it as a security blanket of sorts. When the balloon inevitably drifts away, she is sad but with the help of her two moms, she plants a flower to remember Loonie and begins to find yellow everywhere she looks. The prose is sweet and will ring true for any caregiver who has had to accommodate for the odd friends their children find. The illustrations are where this book shines however; the colors are vibrant and eye-catching and when the balloon disappears, the artist weaves in the color yellow more and more as the book continues. A worthwhile addition to any collection.

Reviewed by Mary Randall, Patten Free Library

five-stars

How to Write a Poem

How to Write a PoemHow to Write a Poem by Deanna Nikaido, Kwame Alexander, Melissa Sweet
Published by Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins ISBN: 0063060906
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A visually gorgeous book that invites readers to immerse themselves in colorful, poetry-making experiences through wordplay and art. Sweet’s collage illustrations and hand lettering exists symbiotically with Alexander and Nikaido’s text, blurring the line between written art and visual art, giving each page both words to ponder upon and endless artistic details to contemplate. A pitch-perfect introduction to all that poetry can be.

Easy to put in the hands of young children who enjoy looking at books on their own, and for families to read aloud; could also be used in a story hour paired with collage crafts. Highly recommend.

Reviewed by Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars

This Little Kitty

This Little KittyThis Little Kitty by Karen Obuhanych
Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers on January 31, 2023
ISBN: 0593435141
Pages: 32
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Anyone who love cats will enjoy this book! The observations of cat behavior throughout the day are entirely on point, but the  bold, graphic-style illustrations are what really make this book exceptional. The numerous cats depicted all convey their unique appearance and personality, even though they are all created with basically the same three shapes – head, body and tail. Miss Katy from Rockland Public Library created a wonderful template and video of how these shapes work together as a craft activity to go along with the book.

The bouncy rhyming text reads smoothly and is not forced, making it a great choice for Story Time. A fun book for preschoolers and cat lovers!

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

How to Ride a Dragonfly

How to Ride a DragonflyHow to Ride a Dragonfly by Anne Wilsdorf, Kitty Donohoe
ISBN: 0593175646
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

A child takes readers along on a Thumbelina–esque adventure in this whimsical and beautifully illustrated book. The shrunken blond caucasian little girl explores the world of flowers, bees, beetles, and fairies on the back of her dragonfly friend Priscilla. An element of suspense is that she will stay shrunk unless she returns to the same spot by sunset. Thin-lined watercolor and ink illustrations cleverly bring to life the dragonfly-filled landscapes and endearing characters. A fun bedtime story for preschool to primary children and can be used as a model for writing adventure stories in elementary classrooms. Pair with Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One by Kate Duke (1994).

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

Sam With Ants in His Pants

Sam With Ants in His PantsSam with Ants in His Pants by April Reynolds, Katie Kordesh
ISBN: 059356460X
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Sam just can’t settle down for nap time. When he is sent to his room he opens a book of African wildlife and soon his room is filling up with packs of wild animals. This wears him out, and after enjoying a comforting bowl of soup with his mother, he finally naps.

Naptime books are popular, as are books about collective nouns (a crash of rhinoceroses! a charm of hummingbirds!), so this is an easy one to add to the shelves and would make a good choice for story time.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Twenty Questions

Twenty QuestionsTwenty Questions by Mac Barnett, Christian Robinson
Published by Candlewick Press on March 14, 2023
ISBN: 1536215139
Pages: 40
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

This is a book all about imagination. The text of Twenty Questions is simple, twenty open-ended questions, as advertised. Fun for ages 3 and up to imagine different scenarios based on the simple illustrations shown. Christian Robinson uses cut paper, stamps, and sharpie to create a jumping off point for kids’ creativity. This book can be used for a chat with children, or as writing prompts for elementary student. Some of the questions are really fun, but the ones with people feel a little bit like profiling.

Overall, this is a creative and fun read for one-on-one reading or groups.

Reviewed by Katie Drago, Rockland Public Library

five-stars

A Smart, Smart School

A Smart, Smart SchoolA Smart, Smart School by Anait Semirdzhyan, Sharon Creech
Published by Harper ISBN: 0063059614
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

A companion picture book to Creech’s bestselling A Fine, Fine School. In this story, beloved Principal Keene is struck down with a burst appendix and taken to the hospital. The following week Mr. Tatters comes in to take his place. Suddenly, instead of art and singing and reading, students are testing, testing, testing! By Friday teachers can think of no more questions to ask, and student’s brains are “empty, empty, empty!”

Teachers and students go to the hospital on Saturday with a banner, cards and a song for Principal Keene, and he happily recovers enough to return to school on Monday, when things return to jolly normality.

This is a lovely book about the importance of creativity and joy at school, and of educators who instill a love of learning. Semirdzhyan’s digital illustrations are bold, colorful and perfectly in line with the spirit and words of the text. Written by a beloved Maine author, this will be a popular book in classrooms and libraries.

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta

five-stars