Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes

Illustrated by Sanjay Patel 4 stars A gorgeously illustrated story inspired by Hindu mythology. When Ganesha was young, he loved going out with his friend Mr. Mouse to collect sweets from the temples to snack on. But after breaking his tusk on a Super Jumbo Jawbreaker Laddoo, Ganesha becomes self-conscious. Until he meets Vyasa who…

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Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

5 stars A sweet mix-up adventure. Little Sal and her mother go to Blueberry Hill to gather berries to can for the winter. Little Bear and his mother go to eat their fill of blueberries for winter. The families get separated and reunite, but there is a bit of a mix-up. A sweet low-stakes story….

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Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina

Illustrated by Angela Dominguez 5 stars A heartwarming story of a girl, her grandmother, and their pet parrot. This was such a sweet book. At first, when Mia’s grandmother moves in, they have a hard time understanding each other. Mia doesn’t know much Spanish and her grandmother doesn’t know much English. But together, they teach…

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The More You Give by Marcy Campbell

Illustrated by Frenci Sanna 5 stars The most beautiful picture book I have ever read. A gentle intergenerational tale of a family’s gifts of kindness, love, an appreciation of nature, and time spent together. They grow and build a community as large as the forest they’ve planted. I checked this one out because I love…

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Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes

4 stars A fantastic story about a young girl making her way through life in Reconstruction-era Louisiana. Though slavery in America has ended, ten-year old orphan, Sugar, is still stuck on the River Road Plantation working the sugarcane fields. All she wants to do is have fun, but she’s the only kid left on the…

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Disney’s Once Upon a Time with Mary-Kate & Ashley

by Gabrielle Charbonnet 3 stars A sweet collection of classic Disney stories featuring well-known princesses. Each story is paired with an introduction, a craft, and funny little asides between Mary-Kate and Ashley. The collection includes Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas. I’ve been on…

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The Unicorn Mix-Up (Princess Minna #2) by Kirsty Applebaum

Illustrated by Sahar Haghgoo 2.5 stars Kind of conflicted about this one. Princess Minna always knows when something is wrong in the kingdom when the seagulls flip and flap around Castle Tall-Towers and scare off all the doves. She sets off to make things right before Lord and Lady Welling-Tunboot arrive to play freeze dance….

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Me and My Fear by Frenci Sanna

5 stars A beautiful story of a child whose fear keeps her from connecting with others after moving to a new country. This is such a great metaphor for fear. At the beginning, the girl sees her Fear as a friend who keeps her safe, but after big changes, Fear becomes too overprotective, preventing her…

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Because of a Bee by Lola M. Schaefer

Illustrated by Frenci Sanna 5 stars A wonderful exploration of pollination. A simple journey from plants to insects to birds and back again that shows how different plants are pollinated and the important role insects and animals play in growing good. Absolutely gorgeous illustrations. I actually picked this book up because I really enjoy Sanna’s…

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