Picture Books
Drum dream girl : how one girl's courage changed music
Margarita Engle
jE Engle
Kids, Picture Books
Follows a young Cuban girl in the 1930s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there's never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who inspired the story, and Anacaona, the all-girl dance band she formed with her sisters.
Ocean meets sky
Terry Fan
jE Fan
Picture Books
"A little boy builds a ship to honor his late grandfather and sets sail for the magical place where ocean meets sky from his grandfather's stories"--
Dealing with the journey that we make through grief, the Fan Brothers' newest title is beautifully introspective. -Casey
Hello Lighthouse
Sophie Blackall
jE Blackall
Picture Books
"Explores the life of one lighthouse as it beams its message out to sea through shifting seasons, changeable weather, and the tenure of its final keeper."--
Added by Casey
The brilliant deep : rebuilding the world's coral reefs : the story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation
Kate Messner
jE Messner
Picture Books, Biographies, Nature, Science
Looks at the life of the coral restoration pioneer Ken Nedimyer, from his early fascination with the ocean to his ongoing efforts to save and rebuild the world's coral reefs.
Kate Messner and Matthew Forsythe's new picture book biography about Ken Nedimyer is absolutely stunning. This is a perfect place to start learning about our rapidly changing oceans and the efforts being made to combat the bleaching of coral reefs. Parents and children will love this title, not only for it's beautiful artwork, but for the wealth of information and hope that it embodies. It's never too early or late to learn that individuals have the power to impact great change. -Casey
Prince & knight
Daniel Haack
jE Haack
Picture Books, LGBTQ+
A prince and a knight in shining armor find true love in each other's embrace after fighting a dragon together.
This spin on classic fairy tale tropes is delightful and a lovely way to show children that true love can come from anyone. -Casey
People don't bite people
Lisa Wheeler
jE Wheeler
Picture Books, Humor
Illustrations and rhyming text urge children to use their teeth for biting food, not their friends or relatives.
"Biting is for food!" a friendly and sometimes necessary reminder. -Casey
Hello hello
Brendan Wenzel
jE Wenzel
Picture Books, Nature
In simple text a set of animals, each one linked to the previous one by some trait of shape, color, or pattern, greet and interact with one another.
Field Guide/Animal Primer by Caldecott Honoree Brendan Wenzel-- -Casey
Monster trouble!
Lane Fredrickson
jE Fredrick
Picture Books
Although Winifred thinks the monsters who creep into her bedroom each night are cute, she cannot get any sleep and tries to scare them away.
I love everything about this book: a girl setting monster traps, playfully skippy rhyme scheme, and a twist ending. It has bedtime themes without forcing the "go to sleep" issue in your toddler's face, too. My 2yo son sits rapt each time we read it. Definitely recommend! -Melody
Teddy's favorite toy
Christian Trimmer
jE Trimmer
Picture Books
"Teddy's favorite toy has the best manners, and the sickest fighting skills, and the ability to pull off a number of fierce looks. But when his toy goes missing, it turns out there's another woman around who's pretty fierce--it's Teddy's mom, and she will stop at nothing to reunite Teddy with his favorite toy"--
Added by Casey
Harriet gets carried away
Jessie Sima
jE Sima
Picture Books
While shopping with her two dads for supplies for her birthday party, Harriet, who is wearing a penguin costume, is carried away by a waddle of penguins and must hatch a plan in order to get herself back to the store in the city.--Provided by Publisher.
It's time to get carried away with Jessie Sima's new picture book! -Casey
The true story of a young Cuban girl who defied cultural norms and became a percussionist. Inspiring and beautiful! -Amanda