Escargot and the Search for Spring by Dashka Slater

Illustrated by Sydney Hanson 4 stars An absolutely adorable book about a French snail venturing out after a long winter. Funny and sweet. I’m always a fan of fourth wall breaks and loved the humor of Escargot’s conversations with the reader. This is the first Escargot book I’ve read and I really enjoyed it. Will…

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Seoul Food by Erin Danielle Russell

Illustrated by Tamisha Anthony 5 stars A delightfully sweet and delicious story of family, love, culture, and food. Hana is excited for all her grandparents to visit. But one set is from South Korea and the other set is from South Carolina, which leaves Hana wondering what to make for dinner for them all to…

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Words Between Us by Angela Pham Krans

Illustrated by Dung Ho 4 stars A beautiful picture book about language, heritage, and the bond between a grandmother and grandchild. I love the way Felix and his grandmother connect across generations, languages, and cultures, sharing things they enjoy with each other. Felix is so excited for his grandmother to come to America and meet…

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The Little Guys by Vera Brosgol

3.5 stars A humorous story about the power of banning together and the danger of only looking out for yourselves. The Little Guys are proud of how strong they are together. They can do anything. But that also means they can take things too far, picking fights, stealing from others, and being bullies. After a…

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Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu by Ying Chang Compestine

Illustrated by Crystal Kung 5 stars A unique and entertaining retelling of Rapunzel. Ra Pu Zel is a princess who loves food, but isn’t so interested in meeting princes and acting like her parents think she should. So one day, she locks herself in a tower with her dog to enjoy cooking and trying different…

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Is This . . . Easter? by Helen Yoon

4 stars A delightfully fun book to celebrate Easter. When a group of animals happens upon an egg, they know just what to do with it. But it seems they can’t quite agree. Will they paint it… or eat it? Humorous and fun. This was a weird little adventure and I loved it. A sweet…

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I Am Happy! by Michael Rosen

Illustrated by Robert Starling 3 stars A short and sweet book about being happy. Follow an enthusiastic puppy through their day, doing things that making them happy. Cute representation of how contagious happiness can be as more friends join in along the way. This is the first I’ve read of Michael Rosen’s I Am series….

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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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Baker Makers by Kim Smith

5 stars A sweet story about battling perfectionism and showing it’s okay to not be good at something right away. I love the emphasis on being creative while still being realistic about your skills. It was great to see Naveen create something wonderful out of what he thought was a disaster. Loved the bright, colorful…

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Gladys the Magic Chicken by Adam Rubin

Illustrated by Adam Rex 4 stars Hilarious. Join Gladys on an unexpected adventure as she journeys over land and sea where she may or may not be granting wishes wherever she goes. A silly, fun adventure with plenty of jokes to engage the adults. The artwork is engaging and has great movement. The text is…

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