Mari

This book was an expired hold on the bookmobile, so I ended up "leafing" through it during a slower stop, their loss my gain! I was obsessed with the illustrations! The oversized pages offer several wonderful field guides for different types of trees, roots, seeds, endemic species, and more. I enjoyed the concise and gorgeous exploration of the use of trees as building materials throughout history. The book dives deep in the cultural significance to native trees around the world and examines religion and folklore surrounding trees. I loved the book so much I decided to buy a used copy online to enjoy again later. -Mari

A ghost, a witch, and a troll compete to see who is the baddest and can scare a little girl away from her hanky. A light Halloween read with moments of giggle, and the delightful flowing rhyme of Julia Donaldson (of Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo fame) and the familiar bold, and sometimes silly illustrations of Axel Scheffler will draw little ones right into this story! -Mari

Kids, and Millennials in their 30s :), will love this portrayal of junior high, and for me the fact that it was written by one of my favorite bands of my teens and 20s makes it even better! Tillie Walden is such a wonderful comic artist, and the semi-autobiographical story of twins Tegan and Sara as 7th graders in a new school quickly had me invested. The feelings and experiences felt authentic, and as a twin I could relate to a lot their relationship as sisters and best friends in the same class at school. Over the course of a year of pretty typical teenager moments including a lot of self-discovery, the story also loosely depicts their beginnings as a band. A must read for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Shannon Hale, Hope Larson and Jennifer Holm. -Mari

I love graphic memoirs, and Julia Wertz is just too good at drawing her life. Come for an honest graphic memoir about the journey of recovery from a drinking problem, stay for the immature but witty observations on life, beautiful drawings of New York architecture, and the fart jokes. Lots of fart jokes. -Mari

A beautifully tender family drama with echoes of the classic Little Women, primarily set in Chicago. Each character is tragic in their own way, and each one must face living their own truth even as it tears the family apart. A complex story that will resonate with you long after finishing. -Mari

The "parachute kid" phenomenon dates back to the 1980s. This term refers students who are sent to live and study in the United States,in this case from Taiwan, without their parents, at probably too young an age. I didn't know what the title meant before reading the graphic and TBH I didn't read the synopsis, so it was very shocking in the story when the three sibling protagonists end up living alone in America, and even more surprising to find out there is a generation of kids with this experience. I can't imagine going through what the siblings go through, not to mention how hard it would be living without parents in a country that doesn't speak your primary language. It's illuminating to read about the hardships the protagonists go through and to see just a small window into the adversity kids must face being immigrants in America alone. -Mari

Equal parts hilarious and horrifying. I would love to see this turned into a campy movie! -Mari

A coming of adulthood story about three best friends, all three Asian-American women in their 20s, navigating entry level publishing jobs and sharing an small Brooklyn apartment. I enjoyed this wonderfully detailed graphic slice of life story, and particularly identified with their hilarious and pop culture-heavy dialogue, as well as their frequent celebrations of good food and drink. Read this if you want to feel like you are part of this strong friendship of smart women, and/or want to peek into the not exactly glamorous publishing world of New York City. -Mari

I read the prequel to this graphic novel, "Stepping Stones" immediately before diving into "Apple Crush," and I enjoyed them both very much. I have read several of Knisley's adult graphic novels, and am always really drawn towards her illustration style. Both of these stories are semi-autobiographical, and I think a lot of children who have gone through their parents divorce will relate to her experience. "Stepping Stones" is about Jen learning how to live and work on a farm, while "Apple Crush" is more about her adjusting to a new school and the social pressures that come with middle school. Jen gets her first job on a pumpkin patch, and I think most readers will feel a longing for crisp, fall weather, hot cider, and trick-or-treating no matter what season it is currently. I can't wait to find out what the next season holds for Peapod Farm! -Mari

A zen, poetic rendition of the "House that Jack Built" featuring soothing colored pencil imagery of beavers, geese, moose and more. If you can't be in the middle of the calm on a lake in the woods, reading this beautiful nonfiction picture book might be the next best thing. -Mari

I recently read a graphic novel by Soontornvat that I enjoyed about cheerleading, and though its a very different genre, I enjoyed both. This is a great adventure story with an element of fantasy and a strong female protagonist! -Mari

My last read of 2022, and possibly my favorite! An interesting character-driven story that illuminates the importance of sign language education. I loved the added history of deaf people and their civil right battles between chapters, and the current issues within the community, such as cochlear implants, the difference between ASL and BASL, and how some parents and schools don’t allow kids to learn ASL in an effort to mainstream them. I love a story about education, and this was great one for the underrepresented deaf community. -Mari

This book has a beautifully illustrate two-page spread for each popular from around the world, including a craft or activity and an easy recipe for a family to create together. I love the contributor for each holiday is a chef, artist or designer who share their favorite traditions, and that the book provides so many opportunities for kids to do hands-on activities to learn about that holiday! -Mari

Do I play the Pokémon trading card game? Nope! Have I played the videogames? Nope! Do I watch the show? Not in 25 years or so! Do I love this cookbook? YUP! The first recipe is a Pokémon Poke Bowl, which is both clever and delicious. I found the recipes in this book both irresistibly adorable and delicious, and I think some of the Pokémon are so cute! Look out for an entire week of Pokémon programming the first week of 2023!! -Mari

Hope Larson can do no wrong really, but even so I loved this unique and intriguing fairytale, and didn't put it down until it was done! -Mari

I love picture books about cats and dogs, they always have such a relatable point of view, depending on whether you're a cat person or a dog person. I'm a dog person, but I still appreciate Olivia the cat's perspective and appreciation of her home. It has short simple sentences and beautiful and colorful illustrations that I was really taken with. And I learned that the author has another book with a heart-melting look into the lives of pets starring a dog protagonist called " Such a Good Boy," that will be a great find for me next! -Mari

An imaginative and colorful story set in a idyllic little neighborhood by the sea. I loved the bright color of the Octopus and the rhyming is well-done and easy to read aloud. It gives cozy vibes as Octopus celebrates holidays and enjoys the seasons changing on top of the house The small community mutually benefit from the Octopus, who helps beautify the neighborhood by painting fences and raking leaves, and it in turn loves to play with the children. This book will spark imagination for young readers and wish they also had a giant octopus on the roof of their house! -Mari

I am always drawn to books with goat characters because they are my favorite animal. This is a cozy quick read set in a bookstore with delightful illustrations and calming pastel colors. A love letter to the books, libraries and bookstores set in a world where goats can learn to turn pages instead of eating them, and dress like and live among humans. A world I wanna be in! -Mari

This was my spooky read for the season. While the eeriness stems mostly from a couple that struggles to be honest with each other, the twists and turns in the plot will leave any reader unsettled. The characters are haunted by bad memories, the expectations they set upon themselves, and the constant feeling of disconnection from each other, but is someone or something haunting the church they are spending the weekend in? -Mari

I love reading survival stories, and this children's fiction book was particularly intriguing with an eerie science fiction element. An "imminent" but unknown threat forces the entire western United States to evacuate, leaving behind a 13-year-old girl in the confusion of sharing homes with divorced parents. I also love novels written in verse, and this story keeps you hooked with this unique storytelling style and the constants threats she encounters as she learns how to live in a completely abandoned town with little survival experience and no way to contact the outside world. -Mari

A patron told me this is his favorite book so I had to see if it measured up to my expectations...and it did! I loved how the protagonist learned to blend her Taiwanese culture with her new American identity, and the illustration style and pacing were just perfect. I love to see a story about kids taking interests and finding passion in their hobbies, in this story, cooking and art. Fans of Master Chef Junior will love this high intensity cooking contest comic! -Mari

I love both of the sing-along picture books by Lil Miss Hot Mess! They are so fun to act out and sing and the illustrations are colorful and so fun to look at! This one was an absolute hit sung and performed by local drag queen Valencia, especially her dramatic twirling of her dress! This book is a staple for Drag Storytimes and an absolute blast to read at any time! -Mari

This book was added to the collection just in time for a Pizza-riffic storytime with preschoolers this week! Greg Pizzoli's bold-colored (and only the colors of pizza, I might add) and adorable illustration accompany pretty much all of the information about pizza anyone could want or imagine knowing, including the history of the ingredients, the different styles of pizza across the world and factoids like we eat 350 slices of pizza every second in the US. I got so hungry flipping through the pages! -Mari

Fans of Raina Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson will love this funny coming-of-age story about family, friendship and expressing your true self! -Mari

The two most common requests I hear on the bookmobile are "where are your comics," and "do you have any scary books?" Mary Downing Hahn has always been a favorite of mine for ghost stories, so I was so excited to see one of her novels turned into a graphic novel. This creepy story is even creepier with illustrations! And now it can reach a whole new audience of kids who enjoy graphic novels! -Mari

As someone who watched and loved the LuLaRoe documentary series TWICE, this was a comprehensive and interesting overview of the various types of cults throughout history and "Cultish" which is the language used in cults. I am eagerly enjoying the TV, book and podcast trend that dives into this area of pop culture! -Mari

A young kid visits a friend's house that has several "magical" rooms, including a crystal room filled with houseplants and a quilt room filled with crafts! The girl sees how magical her friend's home is and appreciates new food she's never tried, and she gets excited to share the magical rooms in her own home. I just want to live in the pictures! So cute and truly magical. -Mari

I was reshelving this book on the bookmobile and my eyes were instantly drawn to the bright colors of the cover and the stylistic illustrations of the female artists. I read through the whole alphabet and learned about several artists I didn't know about and enjoyed learning about art history in the context of women's role in society during each artist's time. It's also very cool how the illustrator recreated each artist's work on their page but kept the same unique style throughout. So beautiful! -Mari

As someone who enjoys cleaning and organizing my home (just don't look at my work desk), I was surprised how much I got out of this book! I also got some gratification from reading some things that I already use as a rule. Mainly I would recommend this book for people who struggle to keep their home clutter-free, clean and organized because she really does offer very practical and useful tips that everyone can follow. -Mari

Fans of the first season of True Detective will enjoy this gritty serial killer copycat murder mystery set in the South. An unreliable narrator and lots of potential for multiple psychopaths in the story will keep you questioning the truth and changing the protagonist. A very solid debut thriller! -Mari

"Being brave is delicious!" This is a very unique story featuring an Indian-American girl who is afraid about starting a new school and finds comfort in her mother's kitchen. Kalamata is a great little heroine for foodies, and she has such a vivid imagination. I appreciated a short read, beautiful pretty pictures, and recommend this story for kids when trying new things! -Mari

This books is chock full of interesting facts for each state as well as hundreds of beautiful illustrations with bold colors. The highlight for each state for me are the lists fantastic foods, its super interesting to read about dishes unique to each state and makes me want to try them all! I also enjoy the state slang and list of books that take place in each state. -Mari

I was instantly drawn to this graphic novel when I saw it on the bookmobile shelf. The illustrations are bright, bold and beautiful and the characters are loveable immediately. I love how strong the protagonist is and that the reader learns about Hindu and Indonesian culture, as well as some exciting sports moments. Plus the elephant Marshmallow is SO CUTE. -Mari

I am beyond obsessed with these aunts! I love the illustration style and the story moves really quickly, just picked up the sequel "What the Hex?!" and can't wait to dive in! -Mari

A mixture of clever/hilarious text, adorable and colorful illustrations and as always amazing dinosaur trivia, this book is great one to enjoy during Dinovember! I enjoyed many of the award categories such as "Mom-of-the-Era," "Absolutely Crushing It," the "Scissorhands" award and "King of Rock and Roll." The book is delightfully sprinkled with comic strips, infographics, and tons of little quotes and details to keep you engaged all the way through. -Mari

I enjoyed looking through this book for the amazing pictures alone, plus the recipes are hilarious. My favorite recipe to try someday is the Nacho Man Nacho hat! I frequent this author's Instagram account, The Joy of Cooking Milhouse, on the regular. -Mari