Kids

Jam, too? book cover

Jam, too?

JaNay Brown-Wood

jE Brown-Wood
Kids, Picture Books, Music

"A jam session forms, instrument by instrument, and welcomes a child who loves dancing along"--

Casey's picture

Janay Brown-Wood's latest, "Jam, Too?" is a rhythmic delight! Look for this one in preschools and storyJAMs near you soon. -Casey

Seoul food book cover

Seoul food

Erin Russell

jE Russell
Picture Books, Kids

When Hana's grandparents visit, Hana decides to cook a meal that represents both her Korean and Southern heritages.

Casey's picture

Love is the ingredient that brings this fabulous picture book together. I may have to try the recipe in the back! -Casey

Sounds good! : discover 50 instruments book cover

Sounds good! : discover 50 instruments

Ole Könnecke

j784.19 Konnecke
Music, Kids, Nonfiction

Explore over 50 common and uncommon instruments as showcased by a fun group of animals. Learn interesting, practical and curious things about music and making music. Discover instruments of all kinds-- from the electric guitar and steelpan to the theremin, from viola to vibraphone to ukulele. Listen through QR codes on each page to a piece of music composed to showcase every instrument by an award-winning musician-- and to a full band that brings together all the instruments in the book!"--Adapted from back cover.

Anne W's picture

I don't know anything about music except if I like or don't like something when I listen to it, based on nothing but a gut reaction. So this book taught me a lot! Accompanied by hilarious illustrations of random animals playing the instruments, each instrument gets one page of accessible, yet interesting information. Like, I never considered that a harmonica makes one note when you inhale and a different note when you exhale, so that's why it can be so small as to fit in your pocket! There is history, practical info, and fun facts, all presented in a straightforward writing style. -Anne W

Log life book cover

Log life

Amy Hevron

j577.3 Hevron
Nonfiction, Kids, Nature

"A nonfiction picture book that's all about the tiny world of nurse log habitats. Nurse logs are tiny ecosystems with hundreds of rare and important life forms. When old trees fall to the forest floor, they can take centuries to decompose, helping all sorts of organism for hundreds of years. They provide nutrients for tree seedlings, hideaways for small animals, shelters for the winter, and protection from the elements"--

Anne W's picture

Want to know how a downed log provides home and nourishment for scores of animals for the next hundred years? This book is entertaining and thorough yet simple and succinct for the youngest of readers on up. You'll learn something and have fun doing it! -Anne W

Luna Ranchera book cover

Luna Ranchera

Rodrigo Morlesin

jE Morlesin
Kids, Picture Books

"This spellbinding original story opens in a cantina crowded with desert animals, cowboys, and cowgirls all excited to see the glamorous Luna Ranchera mother-daughter singing duo. Long ago, Luna was down on her luck, starving and struggling to feed her pups, reduced to thieving from nearby ranchers. One day, escaping another heist, Luna has to hide in the worst possible place: on top of a beehive! She howls in pain so loudly, it carries all across the desert. It turns out Luna's musical wails are something special, captivating creatures far and wide. Her most rebellious pup, Ranchera, joins her, and soon the two become the famous howling singing act with the flea-bitten souls, Luna Ranchera! Immersive and unforgettable, with knockout, whimsical art, the tale ends with the lyrics to Luna Ranchera's most famous song. Perfect for fans of Coco and Soul."-- Provided by publisher.

Anne W's picture

This book is so funny and so entertaining and the cartoony illustrations on a dark background are so cool! It begs to be read aloud with its folkloric, conversational, clever tale-spinning vibe. -Anne W

Tomfoolery! : Randolph Caldecott and the rambunctious coming-of-age of children's books book cover

Tomfoolery! : Randolph Caldecott and the rambunctious coming-of-age of children's books

Michelle Markel

j741.6092 Caldecott
Kids

Quick! If you don't move fast, you're going to miss him -- there he goes-- Randolph Caldecott, future famous illustrator. His sketchbook is full of hurly-burly; wild weather, frisky animals and people so sprightly they can barely hold on to the pages. But in the 1850s, there are no children's books like that. Not yet. Many are published, but their pictures look still, full of pretty poses and cluttered scenery. No one has imagined how much fun an illustrated book can be ... Because the future hero of children's book illustration is just a lad.

Anne W's picture

Have you ever wondered about the origin of the Caldecott Medal, awarded annually to the book for children with the best illustrations? Even if you haven't, read this anyway because it's really good! An entertaining, lightly-written biography of Randolph Caldecott, the 1850s children's book illustrator who took children's book art from dull, staid, stiff, formally-posed, purely decorative, and needlessly ornate to a modern, integral part of the story. Caldecott made pictures that were filled with action, humor, movement, joy, and worked to advance the story, so that even a child who couldn't yet read could glean the story by looking at the pictures. A modern understanding of picture books developed due to his work and we continue to recognize his innovations today through the Caldecott medal. -Anne W

The first cat in space and the Soup of Doom book cover

The first cat in space and the Soup of Doom

Mac Barnett

jGRAPHIC NOVEL Barnett First
Kids, Graphic Novels

Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris are back with the second volume in the bestselling The First Cat in Space graphic novel series! Secret tales of woe, hilarious new characters, and dangerous plans of sabotage will keep readers delighted and laughing until the thrilling climax. Perfect for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators. The Moon Queen has been poisoned—by SOUP. With few she can trust in her own royal court, she and First Cat will have to journey alone to find the antidote. If only LOZ 4000 were still with them . . . But our once-heroic toenail clipping robot is on the run, looking for new purpose in this vast universe. Unbeknownst to our trio, secret forces are working against them. In a world of villainous cowboys, high-speed chases, and falling pianos, can our iconic trio find their way back to one another and save the Moon Queen before it’s too late? And who would want to poison her? Is Captain Babybeard, the adorable baby pirate, in this one?

Angie's picture

The ridiculously fun sequel is finally here and I am over the moon! I laughed out loud at the adventure that was just as clever, funny, and artistically impressive as the first volume in the series. This is a great family read aloud for the younger kids, and a great book for the independent reader-through 6th grade. Kids will love it and will be eagerly awaiting the third volume! -Angie

Something, someday book cover

Something, someday

Amanda Gorman

jE Gorman
Kids, Picture Books

"Presidential inaugural poet and #1 New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Christian Robinson have created a timeless message of hope. Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change. With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact" --

Angie's picture

Inspiring for the young, old, and everyone in between! Beautiful words and equally as beautiful illustrations. I hope this is the first of many collaborations from these two! -Angie

In the night garden book cover

In the night garden

Carin Berger

jE Berger
Picture Books, Nature, Animals, Kids

"A collage-illustrated bedtime read about the often mysterious and always beautiful experiences to be found in nighttime spaces"--

Casey's picture

Yet another gorgeous picture book title from Carin Berger! Pair with Ashley Wolff's "Only The Cat Saw" for a fabulous nighttime cat-themed storytime. -Casey

The skull : a Tyrolean folktale book cover

The skull : a Tyrolean folktale

Jon Klassen

jFICTION Klassen, Jon
Kids, Early Chapter Books, Fiction, Paranormal, Short Story

"This is an old story. It is about a girl named Otilla who runs away. It is also about a house in the woods, and a skull who lives there, and a secret the skull has, and the night that Otilla finds out what that secret is."--

Angie's picture

Jon Klassen’s signature offbeat humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit—with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note—The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding and quite different from most of our chapter books on our shelves! -Angie