Empanadas for Everyone by Jackie Azúa Kramer

Illustrated by Lenny Wen 3 stars A delicious story of community, family, and generosity. Every Saturday, Carina visits Tia Mimi’s to make empanadas. But this week, Tia Mimi is volunteering at the food center, which leaves Carina to collect all the ingredients herself. Along the way, she finds that her diverse neighbors all have their…

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Eyes That Weave the World’s Wonders by Joanna Ho with Liz Kleinrock

Illustrated by Dung Ho 5 stars Another lush, heartwarming, gorgeous read from Joanna Ho and Dung Ho. Through poetic text, the narrator describes how her eyes are different from her adoptive family’s and how their loves connects them. It explores the narrator’s relationship with her adoptive father and mother, and her curiosity about her birth…

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The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling

5 stars A little bit creepy, very mysterious, and so intriguing. I loved this one! Kess is doing her best to keep her family’s Unnatural History Museum going while her parents are away on a job and her older brother is holed up in the library doing “research”. That leaves her spending most of her…

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My Sister, The Cat Vol. 1 by Senko

Translated by Liya Sultanova 5 stars Absolutely adorable. Heartwarming and hilarious. After the death of his mother, Nekota is taken in by a family of anthropomorphic cats. He gets along especially well with his new cat-sister, Neneko, and the manga centers around slice-of-life adventures showing their bond. Cute art style. I loved reading about the…

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The Mommies on the Bus by Hannah Eliot

Illustrated by Airin O’Callaghan 3 stars A sweet little book to celebrate moms, set to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”. The illustrations and text wonderfully capture some of the ways moms show they care, from providing snacks and reading nonverbal cues to zipping up coats and holding the door. Gorgeous illustrations. Loved…

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Boys Don’t Fry by Kimberly Lee

Illustrated by Charlene Chua 4 stars A delightful and delicious story full of family, food, and love. Jin is disheartened when his sisters are asked to help prepare the family’s Lunar New Year’s feast and he never is. When he asks to help, his aunties only shoo him away, assuming he will just get in…

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Sydney’s Big Speech by Malcolm Newsome

Illustrated by Jade Orlando 5 stars Sydney wants to grow up to be a great leader, but public speaking makes her nervous and she can’t get the words out. To help her gain the confidence to give a speech to her class, her father teaches her about famous Black women in history including Kamala Harris,…

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Merman in My Tub Vol. 1 by Itokichi

Translated by Angela Liu 3 stars Tatsumi is minding his own business when he comes across a stranger in need. He offers help only to end up with a merman in his bathtub with no intention of leaving. Overall a fun read. I enjoyed the premise and loved the different characters that show up. The…

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I Love My Body Because by Shelly Anand and Nomi Ellenson

Illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina 5 stars A wonderfully sweet and empowering book, celebrating bodies and what they can do. The illustrations are beautiful. Loved the soft lines and diversity of characters. The artwork contains people with different skin tones, sizes, hair textures, and heights. There are characters that wear glasses, use wheelchairs, wear hijab,…

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