Bat's Moonlight Feast is a nonfiction picturebook written by Gordon McMillan and illustrated by Carly Allen-Fletcher. It is currently scheduled for release on November 1 2021. The tube-lipped nectar bat is the pollinator of a pale, bell-shaped flower found in the Ecuadorian cloud forests. First discovered in 2005, the bat is the only known pollinator of a pale, bell shaped flower called Centropogon nigricans . Due to the length of the bloom, no other animal can reach the nectar which rests at the flower’s base. This is the story of one such bat and her nocturnal search for this rare flower whose nectar sustains her.
Bat's Moonlight Feast is an absolutely beautiful book. I thought the artwork was extremely well done and did a great job of showing the details of the subject matter. The backgrounds were just as beautiful as the work done on the bats and flowers. I looked through the images several times simply to enjoy them. I also thought the text was well done, and easy to understand without being dumbed down. I liked the additional text that gave more information on the newly discovered bat and what we have learned about it. I think young readers will love this book, and animal and nature enthusiasts of all ages will as well.
Eli And The Mystery Of The Hallowshine Dragon is a fantasy picturebook. First, I need to say that my favorite thing about this book is the artwork. The illustrations are beautifully done, and worth a look all on their own. I looked through the book more than once simply to admire the artwork. I will be keeping an eye out for more from the artist. I was less impressed with the story. The plot and characters were cute, but I felt like the text and story line was a little inconsistent or scattered. There were a couple times that I had 'wait, what' moments or felt like something had been repeated. I think there was great potential here, and the framework for something amazing is here, but it just did not come together for me. Perhaps one more editorial pass would have pulled everything together and made it work more for me.
Grumpius is a picturebook written by Jennifer Gold and illustrated by Jessica Gadra. It is currently scheduled for release on August 15 2021. Grumpius doesn't like anyone--except Winnie Brown. Winnie has a very beautiful garden that many people want to visit. Winnie and Grumpius are a perfect pair, but when Winnie becomes busy and distracted by visitors, she forgets all about Grumpius. Winnie doesn't notice until it's too late, and Grumpius has gone. Distraught, Winnie calls for her grumpy orange cat, who returns home when Winnie makes a compromise about her time spent with Grumpius.
Grumpius is a story that can be enjoyed on many levels. On one hand it is a simple story about a woman that is adopted by a stray cat and makes mistakes on the way of finding a happy balance with him and her activities. It can also be enjoyed as a story of compromise and balance, or of time management, and of giving your pet (or friends, family, etc) the amount of care they need to thrive. I thought the story was well told in all aspects, with text and illustrations that complimented each other and lends itself to both shared storytime and reading independently.
Being the new kid is hard, a child in the school playground tells us. I can think of better things to ask than if I’m a boy or a girl. Another child comes along and says she gets asked why she always has her nose in a book. Someone else gets asked where they come from. One after another, children share the questions they’re tired of being asked again and again — as opposed to what they believe are the most important or interesting things about themselves. As they move around the playground, picking up new friends along the way, there is a feeling of understanding and acceptance among them. And in the end, the new kid comes up with the question they would definitely all like to hear: “Hey kid, want to play?”
A Kid Is a Kid Is a Kid is a wonderful book, and a follow up to the equally well done A Family is a Family is a Family. It shows that everyone is different. Yes we all look different, like different things, have different skills, have different experiences. However, and more importantly, we are also all the same. We all want acceptance, friendship, and fun. I think the book handles this simple, but oh so important idea very well and the books makes for an enjoyable and thought provoking read for all readers. I think this is an important read, and one that could be shared in many classroom and other group settings with a positive response and as a great conversation starter for those that might be struggling.
The Eyeball Alphabet Book is a children's nonfiction book written by Jerry Pallotta and illustrated by Shennen Bersani. It is currently scheduled for release on May 11 2021. The eyes have it! Laugh as you learn by staring right into the eyes of familiar animals (A is for alligator eye) and not-so-familiar ones (Z is for zebu eye!). Readers of all ages will be entertained with every page turn. Language learning bonus: each page defines an idiom that includes the word "eye"!
Grandfather Bowhead, Tell Me A Story by Aviaq Johnston is a picturebook. Bowhead whales are the longest-living mammals on the planet, living over 200 years. In this heartwarming story, a grandfather bowhead recounts to his young grandchild calf all the beautiful, amazing, and surprising things he has seen in his lifetime, all while assuring the little calf that there is nothing more wondrous than the love a grandfather has for his grandchild.
Grandfather Bowhead, Tell Me A Story is a sweet picturebook that teaches young readers a little about bowhead whales, and the love grandparents can carry for their grandchildren. The text is well written, and easy to follow, and I liked that there is a pronunciation guide. The art work is extremely well done, and I enjoyed studying it while reading, and I went back for a second, closer look. I think this would be a great book for adults to read with children, grandparents or not, because it shows the health love adults can have for the children in their life while also celebrating nature and this particular species of whale in particular.
Seaside Stroll, written by Charles Trevino and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga, is a picturebook. Explore the beach in winter in this story told through clever language. During a sunset beach saunter, a girl stumbles and drops her doll into a tidal pool. Soaked! Celebrating the natural silence of an off-season location, the surf and sand are brought to life through this story. Backmatter includes an author’s note about the word choices in the book and parts of speech used, as well as a note about exploring a beach in winter: what animals you might see, sculpting with snow and sand side by side, the colors of a winter sky and sea, and more.
A Quiet Girl by Peter Carnavas is a picturebook currently scheduled for release on August 4 2020. Mary was a quiet girl. She thought quiet thoughts, stepped quiet steps, and whispered quiet words. Mary knows how to savor the small things. Wonder is everywhere: in the rustle of leaves, in the sigh of a sleeping dog, in the wingbeats of the birds who visit her upcycled feeders. But Mary’s family couldn’t be more different. Amidst the sound of blow-dryers, blenders, lawnmowers, and her brother’s trombone, Mary goes almost unnoticed. It isn’t until her family starts searching the neighborhood for her that they begin to see the world through her eyes. From critically acclaimed author-illustrator Peter Carnavas comes a gentle breeze of a picture book with themes of mindfulness, observation, and being present in the natural world. A Quiet Girl invites young readers (and the noisy adults in their lives) to appreciate the thousand little pleasures that surround us—if only we would notice them.
A Quiet Girl is a picturebook that really resonated with me. I loved that the artwork was pastel and simple, not bright and shouting, so that it matched the personality of Mary. She is quiet, and because of that often feels invisible and overlooked. However, her quiet nature also lets her hear and notice things that her family might be missing out on. I like that she is not as absent from the thoughts of her family as she thinks she is, and that taking the time to listen and look for her allows her family to notice the things she wanted to share with them. I think this book is a great family read, especially for those with a quiet family member or friend. I related to Mary a great deal, having preferred a book or sitting under a tree to louder pastimes (both as a child and an adult). I think the book can help readers understand the wonders that they might be missing, and to understand how other people might feel in a world that seems to be loud and in a hurry as a default.
