Illustrated by Jorge Lacera 4 stars A short and sweet comics-style picture book. Absolutely adorable. Four friends are convinced there is a monster living in the forest near their shared apartment building, Wild Oaks. They just can’t decide which monster (and their favored snack). When their beloved apartment building is scheduled for demolition, they turn…
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Illustrated by Jenny Løvlie 3 stars On the fence about this one. I loved the ways that Winnie’s teacher recognizes Winnie’s needs and finds ways to involve the whole class in meeting those needs together. They all participate in fun activities and in the process connect with Winnie. However, the basis of the book relies…
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Illustrated by Danielle Arrington 3.5 stars A sweet story about treating your hair with love and kindness. With the help of her older sister, a young girl learns how to care for her hair and treat it like a friend. The story goes through various steps of hair care, pointing out when the be gentle…
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By Deidre Havrelock Illustrated by Aphelandra 4 stars A beautiful picture book that tells the story of Carol Powder, her music, and her activism. The book goes through Powder’s childhood singing with her family, her great-grandfather making her a drum of her own and teaching her its songs, creating her own drumming group, Chubby Cree,…
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Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat 3 stars A fun, engaging story of how different vehicles communicate told through rhythm, rhyme, and repetition. Ibraheem and his cat, Mitu, join Baba on his delivery trip through Pakistan. Along the way, they must navigate the busy streets, communicate with other vehicles, and make sure everyone stays safe while they…
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3 stars A sweet story based on the author’s memories of attending Pride parades with their mothers. To be in the parade, Emily knows you have to be loud, proud, and colorful, but is Emily enough of those things to participate? With the encouragement of Mama and Mommy, Emily learns there is no one way…
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4 stars An adorable story about two siblings learning different aspects of lion dancing, from the costume itself to the accompanying instruments. Sweet, simple, and filled with great information. Adorable illustrations. Such a sweet read. Also includes a note in the back explaining the origins of lion dancing. A wonderful way to learn about lion…
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Illustrated by Hala Tahboub 5 stars An absolutely beautiful story about being there for those you care about when they’re grieving. As different people in his life experience loss, the narrator wants to help them, but they all seem to need different things. The narrator learns there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that just being…
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Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell 5 stars A beautiful story of grief, loss, and remembering. The narrator and her grandfather have a special box of treasures that is all their own. Together, they add to the collection. But when her grandfather passes away, the narrator doesn’t want to open the box anymore; it will just…
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Illustrated by Xindi Yan 5 stars An absolutely stunning exploration of the lasting presence of a loved one. A little girl remembers her grandfather and keeps his memory alive by enjoying the things they once did together. While she is saddened by his absence, she finds joy in living out the lessons she learned from…
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