The IMPORTANCE of the VOTE!

 

If you are reading this on the day it posts, our national midterm election date is just a bit more than four weeks away. The truth, though, is that the time to vote is NOW. This is NOT my endorsement of any candidate at any level, but it is my genuinely desperate plea that anyone reading here makes sure to VOTE. We each need to  facilitate the ability to VOTE in anyone else we know.

First, make sure you are still registered correctly. Many states have purged voters roles, or perhaps you've moved or been a student and changed status or location. Registration online is available in all states. Tell others about this concern and help them navigate the process.

Next, don't wait for election day. If a problem arises, at in-person early voting or by absentee, allow as much time as possible to rectify the situation and assure that your vote will be counted. Worries about ICE or other uniformed observers at the ballot places is reduced with early voting. Early voting by mail or in person is currently underway in many states. Check out the possibilities where you are registered and make use of the best ways to avoid concerns about lines or interference of any kind.

Finally, if mail-in voting has you concerned, make a plan to get your ballot to an official ballot drop-off box. That bypasses any possibility of your mailed vote somehow being batch-rejected or otherwise returned without enough time to correct an error.

All of this is in red font because I intend it as a legitimate alert, a caution, a call to stand up and assure that your right to vote is not lost. I truly never thought that would be threatened in my lifetime. The fact is that generations of Americans have fought and died, debated and legislated to assure that every American citizen has the RIGHT and PROTECTION to vote their will gave me confidence. And yet this central right of citizenship is under pressure, even threat. That is truly heartbreaking. Once you've assured your own right to vote and made your plan, add to your actions the intentional sharing of books about voting. Here are two. Both model engaging young people with your personal and family voting practices to assure the rights for future generations. 

PENGUIN WORKSHOP - RISE,  2024

SHOW UP AND VOTE  is written by Ani Di Franco with art by Rachelle Baker. The text begs to be read aloud, capturing the pacing and propulsive persuasion of a rap poem and the informality/voice of a childlike e. e. cummings. The full-bleed double spread scenes immerse readers in a day-in-the-life of the narrator and her mother within their community of color and commitment. Election Day, in fact. The processes of identification, line-waiting, and interactions effectively elevate what some might view as a chore or mundane, even unimportant activity. It becomes valued, something that matters.

This is not achieved by preaching or didactic dialogue but through the young narrator's observations, analysis, and clever awareness of details connecting to her emotional reactions. Her Mama serves as role model but also in a partnership/mentorship mode, expanding their singular situation with reminders of the exponential forces when each and every other voter is also making mindful selections. The conclusion is authentically satisfying as the pair return through their urban neighborhood and the child recognizes the interconnection of previously taken-for-granted aspects of their life. 

VOTE FOR OUR FUTURE

Have You Met Millie Fleur? Or her POISON GARDEN?

 If you don't yet know the picture book character Mille Fleur, you should! Her illustrated persona is reminiscent of Wednesday Addams of THE ADDAMS FAMILY, with a much higher frequency of appealing smiles. Millie, we quickly see, enjoys gardening. 

 

Where do we see this, you ask?

ORCHARD BOOKS, 2024

A good place to start is in Millie Fleur's POISON GARDEN, written and illustrated by Christy Mandin. Let's begin with the creator's dedication, since it expresses the overall tone of the series:

"For anyone who's ever felt a little bit weird.

The world is more interesting with you in it."

Millie's family moves into a neighborhood best described in  "Little Boxes," written by Malvina Reynolds in 1962, (little boxes full of ticky-tacky, little boxes in a row). All alike, including their landscaping. Everything spotless, pruned, trim and true. 

Everything except the new Fleur home. Millie and her thoroughly modern mom are happy there, except it doesn't feel like home until Mom hands Millie some packets of seeds. Images on the seed packs confirm our suspicions from the title...  these are no ordinary plants. 

Millie's well-tended garden thrives, complete with expressive faces, tentacles, snapping petals, and sprawling vines. What follows is also predictable, but in an entirely fun and metaphorical way. Something different is not only rejected by the majority but banned, condemned, utterly rejected. Even Millie's frog knows they  could just leave it alone and BYOB, so to speak.

Millie wonders about conforming. Affirmed by her mom that she should do what makes her happy, Millie finds a way to win over the curious kids, to broaden their awareness and understanding of differences, their respect for allowing space for new and exciting visitors to the neighborhood.

Throughout the garden scenes, Millie's plants sport seemingly frightening names that reflect both exotic and recognizable plants, along with characterized expressions that elevate the humor over the potential for fear. The resolution is a delight and allows for every level of acceptance, even if only a tolerance for change among the most conservative.

Mille Fleur also has a PUMPKIN picture book and a PROBLEM picture book, both of which can join the POISON GARDEN to launch falls season of spookiness and spicy lattes. Even this synopsis reveals that the stories have their own tone of oddity to them, while presenting Mille and her mom as appealing and empathetic. Discussions are guaranteed, and back matter connects readers even more closely to their own interests and concerns.

Do yourselves a favor and make it point to meet Millie Fleur. Just avoid her salads!

THE ABC'S OF WISCONSIN CHEESE

 I received a copy of this book to review, but I never doubted that I'd love it. The author is a Wisconsin writing talent and the illustrator is one whose work is widely recognized and admired, including by me. The topic, dear to my cheese-loving, Wisconsin-home heart, is a winner, too.

WISCONSIN HISTORICAL PRESS, 2026

THE ABC's of WISCONSIN CHEESE, written by Susan Apps-Bodily and illustrated by Reneé Graef, is a recently released, soon-to-be classic. Anyone familiar with Graef's work will recognize her signature style, her appealing characters and scenes that feel part of our shared histories. The warmth and depth of her colors are enhanced by whimsical additions (note the wedge-toting mice on the cover.) Apps-bodily has captured the timeless appeal of an ABC approach with accessible narratives that explore both familiar and unusual information about cheeses, particularly Wisconsin Dairyland cheese!

The checkerboard tablecloth endpapers with insert images could make a fun search-game related to the interior illustrations, and set the stage for a comfort-food-feeling throughout. I particularly enjoy the narrative nonfiction literary approach to this topic. This is not letter-object-learn approach, but instead assumes an older emerging audience of readers, offering detailed information that entertains and engages. 

The content draws on past knowledge (of farms and fairs and foods) while extending learning to dairy-state, cheese-critical vocabulary, connections, and economics. Dairy cow breeds are named and shown, history and heritage are featured, as well as inventions and the basic recipe for  cheese-making. Text/illustration images interact to expand understanding, while specific destinations and events achieve showcase appearances. 

It can be a struggle for any English alphabet book to achieve twenty-six topic-related words, especially those starting with X or Q. I found the writing decisions here to be artful and clever, allowing for the featured word to occur within the narrative, or to lead to the next sequences. For example:

" N is for NUMBER."   Followed by O and P passages revealing the incredible amounts of milk and cheese production details that make aspects of the information jaw-dropping! 

"Q is for Question."  Followed by Recipe....

Throughout the pages readers will find fascinating and reader-friendly information that has a conversational tone that issues an appealing invitation to follow the reading with some tasting and traveling. 

As I so often say here (standing proudly on my blog soapbox), the best picture books are for all ages, including adults. This is an example that proves my case, since it suits the youngest (who often begin solid foods with cheesy choices) and will appreciate the colorful kid-friendly illustrations while acquiring alphabet knowledge. Elementary learners of Wisconsin lore encounter a treasury of facts and fun connections. Older students might launch research projects in history, economics, or science after this is read aloud in class. And adult-planner-drivers of Wisconsin road trips will want to have this along for the ride. Don't miss out!

THE MOON EXPLORER'S GUIDE BOOK

 The explosion of news about potential MOON landings in the coming years will spark loads of works on the topic, and they'll undoubtedly range in target age from tots to adults. The attention is welcome for a topic as essential to all of our lives as Earth's MOON. 

But interest in that glowing orb is as ancient as life on this planet, from animals howling to adjusting migration and plant growth. Once humans arrived on scene, the MOON was a subject for countless storytelling and cultural developments. In other words, the MOON is a magnetic, irresistible topic for consideration.

SOURCEBOOKS eXplore. 2026

As such, a new picture book feels essential for homes, libraries, schools, and for anyone with an ounce of curiosity. THE MOON EXPLORER'S GUiDE BOOK, with words by Ben Lerwill and pictures by Patrick Corrigan, has much to offer for casual gazers to dedicated investigators. Launched with a "visitor's pass" to board a trip to the moon, a kid and their dog, safely encased in space suits, learn countless fun facts. Some are translated into kid-imaginable math:

The moon is more than 75 million stacked giraffes from the surface of the Earth!

Essentials, like how long has it been there and where it came from, are addressed in text and images. The MOON's puzzling changes in appearances, otherwise known as the phases of the moon, are considered effectively and clearly, while the names of seas (actually craters) are explained in dramatic illustration and powerful text. 

Although the moon landings were within my lifetime and are both undeniable and unforgettable, they appear as jaw-dropping history to young readers. Amusing details assure this is not AI or other contrived storytelling. For example, can you guess the number of bags of astronaut poop left behind? The correct response is provided in these pages. 

Young readers are encouraged to imagine themselves working on the science and engineering that will be involved in future trips to the MOON. Considering the potential span of young audiences for this book, they might well reach a point in the future in which they could travel there even if not in official capacities. From front to back, each spread offers inspiration and new discoveries, which are likely to lead to even more questions and further reading.

If you are reading this post as it goes live, I've timed it to release during the Autumn full moon period, otherwise known as the time of the HARVEST MOON. The moon will rise early, linger into the next morning, and appear even larger than usual. Good news is that this will appear to be so for several days, so that even if skies are overcast, anyone can likely find a time to step outside and just gaze. Gaze long. Gaze longingly. And wonder.