Spicy Spicy Hot! by Lenny Wen

4 stars A beautiful story of love, family, and the connection between food and culture. Lintang is excited to meet her grandmother for the first time and try the sambal that everyone loves. But when Lintang gets a taste, she finds it’s too spicy. She wants to connect with her family and her Indonesian heritage,…

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Love Is My Favorite Color by Nina Laden

Illustrated by Melissa Castrillon 4 stars Sweet, poetic text with magnificent, fantastical artwork. The narration is lovely. The narrator speaks of love, gratitude, sharing, hope, knowledge, and equality, showing the importance of each. A beautiful representation of incorporating each into one’s daily life and worldview. I really love Castrillon’s art style. The illustrations follow the…

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Slumbering Beauty, Vol. 2 by Yumi Unita

Translated by Angela Liu 4 stars A fitting conclusion to the story of Yoneko, her friendship with Nerimu, and her unconventional apprenticeship as a slumber spirit. In this volume, we really see Yoneko debating whether she’d like to be a slumber spirit or not. I absolutely loved her connection with Nerimu and how it builds…

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Because I Already Loved You by Andrée-Anne Cyr

Illustrated by Bérengère Delaporte Translated by Karen Li 3.5 stars Told from the perspective of a child, this book is a touching story of grief, loss, and recovery. Everyone is excited about the new baby. They all prepare for the upcoming arrival. But when his parents come home from the hospital without his new sibling,…

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Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle by Nina LaCour

Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita 4 stars This is all around a touching and wholesome story. While Mommy leaves on a work trip, the main character stays home with Mama. They go about their daily routines, but things are a little different without Mommy. Works well for discussing missing someone and waiting for them to come…

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A Dreidel in Time: A New Spin on an Old Tale

by Marcia Berneger Illustrated by Beatriz Castro 3 stars A fun, quick read about the origins of Hanukkah complete with adventure and time travel. Reminiscent of the Magic Treehouse books. All Devorah and Benjamin want to do is open their Hanukkah presents. But they’re in for a surprise when their family gives them an old…

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Amy Wu and the Ribbon Dance by Kat Zhang

Illustrated by Charlene Chua 3.5 stars Amy can’t wait for her friends to come over to have a dance party. She wants to share her love of ribbon dancing. But what can she use for dancing ribbons? A sweet book about creative thinking, problem solving, and doing what you love. Such a sweet book. Well…

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Not He or She, I’m Me by A. M. Wild

Illustrated by Kah Yangni 3 stars A cute picture book following a child’s typical day – eating breakfast, going to school, and hanging out with friends. Throughout, there is a catchy refrain, affirming the child’s nonbinary identity and celebrating they/them pronouns. Simple and nice. The artwork is sweet with fun collage-style visuals and a mix…

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Disney Frozen Adventures: Snowy Stories

3 stars A fun collection of comics that combine adventure, mystery, and humor. The comics range from a single page to longer adventures. Plenty of fun with Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Sven, and Kristoff. Cute artwork. There are nice lessons throughout such as the value of helping others, taking time for yourself, and making new friends,…

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Supergran! by Rhonda Gowler Greene

Illustrated by Lee Gosgrove 5 stars A delightfully sweet picture book celebrating problem solving, creativity, and perseverance. When things go wrong, Supergran teams up with her Superteam to save the day. This rhyming book was absolutely adorable. Perfect from Grandparents’ Day or to read throughout the year to celebrate grandparents. The illustrations are so much…

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