Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen

Illustrated by Lucia Soto 5 stars A delightfully sweet story of a young girl and her favorite uncle. When Uncle Bobby’s announces he’s getting married, Chloe isn’t so sure. She wants him to keep having fun with her. But as she spends more time with him and his fiancé, Jamie, she sees that having two…

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Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Illustrated by Chris Case 5 stars A sweet story about being yourself. Jacob enjoys wearing the dress from the dress-up corner at school and the way his Halloween witch costume swirls around him. Now he wants to wear a real dress to school. His classmate tells him that boys don’t wear dresses and his parents…

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Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress by Christine Baldacchino

Illustrated by Isabelle Malenfant 3 stars A touching story about Morris Micklewhite, whose favorite part of school is the dress-up center and the swish, swish, swish of the tangerine dress the color of his mother’s hair. Morris is bullied for wearing the dress by his classmates and told that “boys don’t wear dresses”. But Morris…

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Mr. Chow’s Night Market by Emily Sun Li

Illustrated by Yu Ting Cheng 4 stars A sweet story that follows Mr. Chow, a supermarket owner who loves the nighttime and sleeping in. But supermarkets are supposed to be open early. Mr. Chow seeks advice from his neighbors on how to get up earlier. But maybe he doesn’t have to. Maybe he needs to…

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Ali and the Sea Stars by Ali Stroker

Illustrated by Gillian Reid 5 stars A sweet story of creativity, collaboration, perseverance, and creative problem solving. Ali loves performing. With a little inspiration, she decides to put on a show with her friends and family at the beach. But when a big storm rolls in and washes away the sets, the cast will have…

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The Rabbits’ Wedding by Garth Williams

3 stars A sweet story showcasing the joy of two rabbits spending time together. The text is simple and sweet with soothing repetition and soft illustrations. I do feel that parts of the book were a bit dated. The marriage plotline felt odd to me to be honest because we never really see the rabbits…

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In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco

4 stars A heartfelt story of a family’s love shared in a big house filled with memories. Told by the eldest daughter, the story follows the children from adoption to adulthood, depicting moments from dance parties to grandparent visits, new pets to Halloween adventures, tea parties to block parties. Such an adorable story. It was…

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Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

3 stars A humorous story in the tradition of “The Magic Porridge Pot” with important lessons about paying attention and following rules. When Strega Nona leaves to visit a friend, Big Anthony seizes the opportunity to try out her magic pasta pot. The pot begins to produce pasta for all the townspeople. Unfortunately, Big Anthony…

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Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman

Illustrated by Maria Mola 5 stars Absolutely adorable. A wonderful story with sweet illustrations. Jessie loves all things sparkly, but when her brother Casey shows an interest in them as well, she doesn’t think he’s allowed. He’s a boy after all. Her family supports Casey’s interest and helps him put together shimmery attire. When confronted…

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CeeCee: Underground Railroad Cinderella by Shana Keller

Illustrated by Laura Freeman 5 stars A wonderful book blending history, fairy tales, and biblical stories. Much like Cinderella, CeeCee is mistreated and disrespected. As an enslaved girl in the household, she is ordered around, isn’t allowed to learn, and is locked away in the attic whenever she is caught looking at books. The only…

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