Let's Hear It For the Birds... and Dinosaurs!

When was the last time you saw a dinosaur? Particularly a T-Rex? If you think  it was at a museum (fossils or reconstructions) or in animation or a book, you are probably not correct. That's my sideways introduction to the topic of the day. You probably HAVE seen a dinosaur in the last few days... if you've seen a bird! And that's surprising close to seeing T. Rex!

Several books about dinosaur-ancestor-links to modern birds have been hitting the shelves. Books for adults and young readers. I've been devouring many of those as research for a current nonfiction writing project. Books intended for adult and for youth audiences are equally revealing and remarkable. I generally use books from the library for such reading, since I lack both the funds and the floor space for the countless books I choose to read. But among the many gems on this topic, one was so impressive that I now own my own copy. 

WELBECK Children's Books. 2026
Hatchette Children's London

CHICKENS and OTHER DINOSAURS: How Dinosaurs Became the Birds We Know Today, is written by Ben Lerwill and illustrated by Sarah Edmonds. I wasn't aware of either of these creators and enjoyed exploring their websites. Lerwill is a nonfiction researcher and writer who says he writes "clear, readable pieces from in friendly, reliable text", and I agree! Edwards produces art with accuracy but also whimsical humor. Her site is grin-inducing.

Most of us, from preschool to elders, are familiar with the science evidence that linked birds to early evolutionary sources in dinosaurs. Many, if not most, of us, have concluded that the widely known flying dinosaurs, pterodactyls, were the likely great-great-great... originators of birds we see today.

This is where untrained "assumers" have been proven wrong by science investigators. Birds of today, from chickens to hummingbirds to ostriches, appear to be living remnants of the THERAPOD group of dinosaurs. Among those the most well-known is T. Rex, but they include those ancestors with three forward-facing toes, meat-eaters who ran very fast. Oldest fossil records begin about 230 million years ago, but fossil evidence of their smaller, faster, lighter therapod versions begins about 160 million years ago. So, when the author writes,

"When you are looking at a bird, you are looking at a living dinosaur,"

you must keep that time scale in mind. The generational changes that shaped monstrous T. Rex into the sparrow on your feeder are massive, and yet the changes were not simply a side branch on a family tree. That sparrow and all birds share a significantly similar DNA link directly to their theropod origins. 

This incredibly comprehensive and yet child-friendly book incorporates creative sidebar placements with informative illustrations, paleontology and social science evolution debates, along with a thoroughly accurate and exciting explanation of what makes a bird a bird: FEATHERS!

Not necessarily flight, since we know that not all birds fly. But flight certainly did aid in those evolving theropods who could travel to available food sources and habitats, to stay warm as the earth cooled, and to continue theropod survival into present day.

There's a terrific journey through dinosaur history (specifically theropods) including fossil evidence of varied feather-like formations, shifts to smaller, lighter skeletal frames, even evolving hollow bones and hardened beaks with residual teeth and varying arm and claw structures that became wings of one sort or another. Comparisons of fossil-inspired bird-like dinosaurs (none that are pterodactyls) to present day bird species are described in visual contrast and with bite-sized informational text that will stay with readers and bring them back to share facts with others. That's a good thing, because the contents are both detailed and enticing to explore, compare, and then observe in real life. This is a don't-miss nonfiction book for anyone who has ever seen a bird. That would be you, right?

Roaring Brook Press, 2026

While putting titles on hold, or ordering purchases, consider an informational fiction book to pair with the first. THE DINOSAUR AND THE BIRD: A TALE OF PREHISTORIC FRIENDSHIP is written by Richard Ho and illustrated by Jamie Green. Ho's website will reveal the many other appealing books he's written, and Green's website will lead you through an interactive discovery of her own making. This imagined tale about a dinosaur who is not welcomed by others of its species but finds company with a long-billed bird friend. In a modern-day fable of unlikely friendships (think of the lion and the mouse) these tentative, unlikely friends allow a wish to come true-- a wish for a friend. (And yes, some versions of modern birds lived at the same era as the dinosaurs we commonly recognize as such.) 

If this sounds like the end of the story, it would be fiction without the "informational" descriptor. The vibrant and abstractly-rendered backgrounds for each scene offer informational content as well as Disney-like appeal. Then, on a single page turn, the two friends witness a fireball falling from the sky. It is distant. Not an immediate threat. But in a compressed timeline, these two live through the ecological changes that darkened the earth, shifted a previously friendly climate, and reduced available food. 

The actual consequences over years are presented within a few pages about their lives, revealing the efforts and comforts of feathered, flying devotion. Attempts to support a starving, dying friend are tenderly conveyed. The ending suggests both the science underway and the fable at work, with hope and promise. 

Both books contain a wealth of material to think about and discuss, while taking entirely different approaches to their subject matter. Together, they should be in classrooms, libraries, and homes. especially in the hands of anyone of any age who never outgrows a love of dinosaurs, or birds!

BOOKS UP THE MOUNTAIN: A Packhorse Librarian Story

 Let's hear it for LIBRARIANS! (Pause for applause.)

For LIBRARIANS PAST AND PRESENT! (More applause, please.)

For LIBRARIANS matching readers to the materials they want, need, and love! (ROAR of applause!)

(Pause to recover.)

WAXWING BOOKS, 2025

BOOKS UP THE MOUNTAIN: A PACKHORSE LIBRARIAN STORY
is the lyrically told account of an unnamed librarian tagged Book Woman. But Book Woman does not work from a library building. Or a bus. Or even on a road. 

Talented author Caroline Starr Rose brings concise and compelling prose that contributes a lyrical tone to this history. Illustrations by Gabrielle Grimard are slightly stylized but offer the natural colors, familiar figures, and subtle finishes of a landscape from earlier times. The visual narrative reveals the joyful transactions as well as the challenging struggles of Book Woman and her clients. In this case Book Woman represents the many women who took on this important role, had a limited range of printed items to circulate, and adhered to their mission despite serious challenges. 

On sprawling spreads of soft-edged landscapes across changing seasons, Book Woman follows her route through valleys and hollows, around mountain trails and ridges, knocking at doors and windows. Children and adults alike know her schedule and watch for her, welcoming pamphlets, series books, recipes, and news from far beyond their view. Brief but beautiful lines read descriptively but as poetically as a psalm:

"A cluster of clouds crowds the skies.

Streams surge. Waters rise."

Combined with images of gusting willow limbs and a shift of emotion on her face, those lines let readers feel the tension of being isolated far from home, committed to her mission but aware of impending storms. Along the way Book Woman keeps company with the ill and aging, offers suggestions and readings for the young ones, and notates requests, observing needs. On weekends, Book Women gather to exchange inventory, repair books, stitch bindings, and discuss the needs of their mountain readers. They were hired during the depths of The Great Depression and crippling unemployment by the Works Progress Administration to infuse modest income into families in Appalachia while uplifting literacy and community.

This well-researched, lovingly written, and entertaining picture book is a treasure at any time. In our present world, librarians are under siege while information and entertainment access is a click away for kids of any age. This story from history offers an engaging invitation to recognize the value of literature and its delivery. It provides a step back in time with a nod to the dramatic change in circumstances, slowing down the absorption of the story and its impact through the power of poetic pacing and phrasing combined with lush expanses of nature's best views.

If you aren't familiar with other books by Caroline Starr Rose, do yourself a favor and check out her award-winning middle grade titles, verse novels, and picture books.

Some prior posts featuring picture books about extraordinary efforts of  librarians are available HERE, HERE, and HERE, with a link to a PBS documentary on the packhorse librarians HERE.

Time to Think Ahead to Winter- on Winter Solstice Hill

 No complaints, please, about the topic of this review. Ads for Halloween costumes have been showing up in social media reels, back-to-school sales are already fading, and stock-up-for Thanksgiving ads actually showed up this week. Weirdly early, all of the above. 

CHARLESBRIDGE. October, 2026

Yes, the date is correct... AUGUST!
But the book under discussion here is WINTER SOLSTICE HILL, written by Cathy Stefanec Ogren and illustrated by Rebecca Evans. Why now, you ask, when we have yet to reach Fall's equinox? I'll answer that important question at the end of the post.

First, check out this lovely cover. You can see, as I did, that the story has been portrayed visually by a very perceptive and talented illustrator. Rendered in natural tones with soft edges, the scenes throughout have a light-infused effect. Indoor spreads of  the worn-wood floors, hearth fire, and simple furnishings are softly glazed with a glow that offers a "comfort-food" impact. That's true despite the frosted windows and concerned expression on the face of Ella.

The text is fluent and perfectly matched to the welcoming and straightforward life portrayed. Art details include moving boxes to unpack, a baby sibling, and a joyful golden dog, none of which are mentioned in text. Such details flood the spread with multiple examples of both security and change. Readers quickly connect with Ella (tagged by Grandpa as Ella-Bella) on her quest. They will trudge to the top of the hill, Winter Solstice Hill, where Ella's great-grandparent settlers first stood on Winter Solstice to share a wish for the first time. Finally, Ella is old enough to take part in the tradition. 

Readers join the uphill traipse with Ella, Grandpa, dog, and toboggan to search for the perfect tree, then hope to view the first Solstice star at the summit. Ella is on a mission to make an important but unstated wish. 

The spreads immerse readers in the depth of family history and generational connection, supporting text clues that these generations will be sharing that family home on heritage land. Just as we join in the satisfaction of finding a perfect tree, the weather (and tone) shift, adding the tension of impending storms that will block a view of any stars. In fact, arrival at the summit will not be achieved on that solstice night. The resolve from that point forward allows readers to experience Ella's wide emotional range, and to share in the gratifying ending. Will the wish need to wait, or is another approach possible? 

Overall, this generational story allows the specificity of the characters to feel universal, offering the softening effects of a dusting of light snow. The mix of eagerness, anxiety, joy, enthusiasm, disappointment, and excitement invite discussion, as well as recognition that few feelings are singular. The illustrations contribute so much to an already appealing text, magnifying the well-told story and delightful characters.

Now, back to my opening promise to indicate why a book about Winter Solstice matters in August? This goes to the business side of publishing, in which books are in their final phases (preparing to print, ship, distribute, and sell) for several months before the actual release date. It has become a business model to offer presale of those books, which can even drive the number actually printed and sold. It's a measure of interest and appeal, allowing publishers to guard against overproduction. I'll fully admit that I buy fewer books these days, preferring to read library copies when possible. In this case I was provided a digital copy to preview because I wanted to read it and encourage followers here to consider preorders. This is a seasonal celebration of the ways we carry on traditions, share family stories, imagine ourselves in relation to others, and more. With the multi-cultural holidays that center around late December and relate their stories and celebrations to the Earth's shift from dark to light, this book serves as an axis for all those other books. The storytelling, tone, and resolution can be the foundation for endless family and broader holiday stories at that time of year. To assure that you can purchase enough copies for the many people you'll want to gift with this book and to encourage publishers to produce enough to meet demand, please give this one a close look and consider using the preorder option to support it. 

 

RIDE ALONG: Incredibly Fast and Not At All Fun!

 As summer winds down, those who adore roller coasters and theme parks should be getting their roll on while they can. To share that experience (and examine it more closely) a new picture book has released. INCREDIBLY FAST AND NOT AT ALL FUN is the imaginative and marvelous new title from author/illustrator Tadgh Bentley. 

ATHENEUM
BOOKS FOR YOUN G READERS, 2026

The premise of this story is a surprisingly imaginative origin story for the first roller coaster ever. Bear (a big-muzzled beekeeper bear with some serious STEM skills) sets out to solve a problem. The wooded valley between his hilltop home and his hive (located on the other side of the valley) is (over) populated with critters! Bear needs  a quick, undistracted transport system to get from here to there, so to speak. 

Opening AND closing end papers nearly waylaid my efforts to read Bear's determined account while I scrutinized the graphic-design/blueprint style details revealing Bear's intended solution. The design drawings incorporate local terrain, creating a need for rising/falling, twisting, twirling layouts, with practical (and laughable) units of measure in length, labeled "bears". Why not? We measure length in "feet". 

Bear called his device the "Honey Runner". Although steep, and perhaps intimidating, the potential for efficiency outweighed his concerns. And, it worked! But Bear's debut ride was observed by countless woodland eyes, and those critters were curious! They begged to ride along. 

The story unfolds with those eager thrill-seekers clamoring for more exciting rides.  Complicating issues arise. Bear's attempt to simplify his life with an efficient transport system becomes anything but efficient. As you probably imagine by now, more engineering is involved, but that only makes the "Honey Runner" that much more exciting. 

No worries.Clever Bear finds a way to satisfy his thrill-seeking forest neighbors while still pursuing his quiet life. But that last page turn will have readers howling and ready to right a next chapter in Bear's story. 

First, all praise for the main text, which crackles with crisp and comical situations and language. Bear's emotional journey, including frustration and exasperation, will take readers on a ride in itself. And the small details (and I do mean small, including in earliest spreads shown with miniature scene set-ups and signage) will have kids poring over each spread, each little critter's expression, and each transition's potential through repeated readings. 

Bentley is as talented at visuals as he is at storytelling. This oversized book allows for expansive and colorful spreads suggesting nature's sprawling invitation to Bear to make a way through. The forest colors glow with fall foliage, offering a vibrant background for small brown silhouettes, each with bright white eyes. Figures are expressive and soft-edged in contrast to construction elements and detailed plans. 

Those eyes, by the way, deserve their own commentary.

First, I'll admit that manga-like, big-eyed characters in picture books are not my first choice in conveying character or personality. This forest population, though, sports white-eyed, wide-eyed expressions in a variety of angles and attitudes that actually reveal their otherwise limited expressiveness rather than looking endlessly repetitive. The eyes make it clear within dense backgrounds that there are SO MANY of them, as bear seems to be thinking. Yet his heart is tugged to give ride after ride and eventually solve the situation he confronts in those  pleading, begging, eager eyes, always aimed exactly where they must be in order to achieve their intent and to direct readers' attention. 

The overall story is a delight. Creators are often told to find something original, that there are plenty of dog stories, cat stories, bear stories, etc. ... UNLESS you can find something truly original to do with those familiar stars of the show. And this book does exactly that!  It dares to pair a nature/woodland scene with a lovable bear and a lively community of neighbors with a ROLLERCOASTER! A ride with swooshing, gasping speed, with curves and turns and twists that lift off the page could cause shrieks from audiences. It invites reading aloud to giggling groups as well as close scrutiny by chuckling children. 

For sheer fun and entertainment, this can't be beat. If you add to that its potential connections to planning and revision, problem solving, community needs, transportation, SEL, predictions, and more, it earns its place in families, classrooms, libraries, and the hands of anyone, any age, who loves rollercoasters!

Bentley is also the creator of popular early chapter books and easy readers featuring DINO DETECTIVE, LITTLE PENGUIN, and more. Click on the website to take you to an opening page that reveals sketches and image drafts unfolding bit by bit, not unlike Bear's planning sketches on end papers. 

Meet FIRE CHIEF: The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle

 Stories can come from endless sources- cloud shapes, playing with pets, personal drama, or a fertile imagination. Nonfiction content, especially narrative nonfiction, begins somewhere and sometime long before anything goes to press. It might be sparked by an encounter with some surprising information. Or it can begin with an "I wonder" question, a casual observation, or with a keen interest and investigation of facts that somehow involves a path to a picture book.

CLARION BOOKS, 2025

Author Sy Montgomery's nonfiction books have long been favorites of mine, because they have captured the attention and curiosity of so many students of many ages. A picture book authored by Montgomery will always be on my to-read list. That's why I waited patiently on library hold to get a chance to read THE TRUE AND LUCKY LIFE OF A TURTLE, written by Sy Montgomery and illustrated by Matt Patterson. With the kind of luck and support FIRE CHIEF has had in his already long life, he could still be chugging along when everyone reading here is a grandparent, or even a great-grandparent.  He is currently estimated to be about sixty years old, still a young adult in turtle lifespans when all goes well.

Yes, that means that FIRE CHIEF's projected lifespan will be greater than any human's. That presents a challenge to tell his story in a way that spans his longevity while making his present and past feel immediate and important. But that challenge was met and exceeded by this creative team. (More about the author and illustrator below.)

The accuracy of illustrations, from birth through early development and throughout his story, allows curious readers to experience the vulnerability of a just-hatched turtle trying to follow instincts and survive. Author notes make it clear that the discussions of early egg/hatchling depictions are conjecture, based on knowledge of turtles and the geography in which Fire Chief lives.

Using these assumptions to suggest this turtle's early life allows readers to invest in and marvel at survival and its determination to reach a small pond. To do so, it crossed a dirt road near a fire station and makes its way to its next home. There it continued to face threats across years of slow growth and learning. Over the course of a human generations, the local community of firefighters and their families observed a sizable turtle sunning on a log. 

They dubbed him FIRE CHIEF.

They and their families enjoyed his company, including observations of his annual road-crossing return to a larger pond, better suited for winter hibernation in the deep mud. Across years of time the families and firefighters grew older, as Fire Chief did. As the community did. And as the road grew, was paved, as traffic increased, as the crossing became more dangerous. 

Okay- that's all I will say. 

Just remember the title- this is a turtle with a LUCKY life. 

And know that the two talented folks who created and share this TRUE story of a REAL turtle with the actual name FIRE CHIEF came to know about this turtle and its story directly. They are neighbors who both volunteer with a turtle-rescue organization that plays a role in Fire Chief's life (okay, spoiler). The author and illustrator collaborated on two earlier turtle books based on their many years of expertise and education on the topic of turtles. FIRE CHIEF's life and story launched this book, and the factual content is indisputable. Resources and credentials, including back notes, photos, and backstory provide entertainment and education on their own.

The magnificence of this book (and I chose that descriptor intentionally) is in the success of showcasing FIRE CHIEF as an individual, and as an individual with a specific life, a survivor of its species, as a lived and living example despite the many ways in which nature restricts their survival, and as human development/encroachment on habitat does. It also reveals practical ways in which human attention and intervention can contribute to survival, during crisis and also proactively/preventively. 

Through it all, FIRE CHIEF shines through not as a caricature or cartoon, nor as a mascot or pet. This creature has dignity and value. As such, he serves as a reminder to us to take closer looks at all living things, to avoid mindless damage or development. To seek balance and respect in our choices.

On a side note, I actively link to the authors and illustrators of each book featured in posts, hoping that readers here might check out more about them and their other works. In this case, do yourself a favor and click on the links to Montgomery and Patterson.Their websites are an education in a range of topics and will offer links to their other books as well. 

Because of a Bee: Nonfiction For Every Age

 The recent release of a new nonfiction picture book by Lola M. Schaefer, BECAUSE OF A BEE, is a genuine joy. I've reviewed several of Schaefer's  picture books in the past, including an interview with the author HERE. 

Chronicle Books, 2026

Illustrated by Franci Sanna, this simple but intense and vibrantly colored presentation is produced in user-friendly square size with sturdy and clever cut-off elements that contribute to a broader sense of how each element of this natural chain of life interacts and is interdependent on the others.

We are in the midst of deepest bee season, while pollen, nectar, and blossoms are in abundance. The seemingly simple text takes readers on a cause/effect journey from bee to berry to butterfly to ... celery? hummingbird?   aphids and avocados? 

Through oversized and intriguing images, even the youngest can search out the mysteries of these connections and more, with the added asset of an author note in back to further explain the various roles of pollinator, insect hosts, and food chains, closing with a full circle moment back to bees. The final double spread in the main story is a feast, a celebration of the remarkable foods we enjoy, all because of bees. The slightly abstract and overlaid images of foods encourage little eyes and hands to treat the pages as a search and find. Much of that attitude can carry over into everyday life after reading this treasure of a book, encouraging discussion of food sources and the conditions that combine to allow things to grow and reach our tables.

In 2016 Chronicle Books released Shcaefer's BECAUSE OF AN ACORN,

which used a similar text and cut-out pattern to explore the interconnected lives within a forest . This earlier topic was illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, portraying woodland scenes and life cycles in natural tones and with subtle realism. 

While reading Schaefer's release I came across a slightly older picture book called BEGIN WITH A BEE, co-authored by Liza Ketchum, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and Phyllis Root, and illustrated by Claudia McGehee.

Stunning scratchboard illustrations combine accurate details with interpretative flow and grace, realistic colors, and subtle elements that invite close scrutiny. The text is structured to engage readers with simple questions:

"What's inside this hole in the ground?"

University of Minnesota Press, 2021

An image on the opposite page demands attention, even from the bird who eyes a dark and unexplained opening in the ground. A page turn reveals the answer, but not without close examination. The bee in question is sleeping in its tiny underground nest, because it is a queen, a rusty-patched bumble bee, waiting out the winter in sleep.

Throughout successive pages of close-ups and maze-like linked images, woodland animals and subterranean habitats, readers will learn about a particular kind of fuzzy, bulbous bee with a distinctive rust-colored midriff. 

This picture book also reveals and celebrates a chain of life and connection, indicating quite a different life pattern than many young readers learn about honeybees. The plants and animals involved, the stages of reproduction and restoration for another year, process of eggs becoming larvae, pupae,  and eventually adult bees follow the course of summer into early fall. 

With this book, as with those above, back matter provides accessible further details about the progression of life within the account, adding a page of ten things young people can do to help bees survive and thrive.  In all cases the well-researched and relevant information is presented in ways that can be enjoyed and explored across a wide range of ages. Tension and dramatic arcs lead to exciting page turns, attentive discoveries, and countless questions to pursue. 

If young readers you know are not as enthralled with story-reading as you'd like, nonfiction books like these can tell the story of the real world in ways that invite repeated readings and also encourage pursuit of further reading. What great books to hook new fans of books!

BEFORE I LIVED HERE: A Journey Through Time

 Earth has an incredibly long history prior to any form of life emerging. Then, as anyone who ever scanned a planetary timeline knows, life on Earth preceded human arrival and spans the majority of a timeline of evolution, with humans having a comparative sliver as a  "last minute" arrival in comparison to all other life forms. That's an intriguing and somewhat academic view of our planet's history. If nothing else, it's a view that can leave us (me) feeling inconsequential and relatively "speck-like" in the big picture of the world.

The numbers and spans of time and magnitude of planetary change are overwhelming. That's why this picture book take on Earth's evolutionary stages feels both kid friendly and academically valuable. The "story" is anchored in a seemingly specific place, through the eyes and voice of a child, and with sufficient familiarity to other concepts to make the planetary  journey through time digestible. 

In BEFORE I LIVED HERE,  written by Stacy S. Jensen and illustrated by Victo Ngai, perspective shifts from past-to-present. Instead, a young first-person narrator shares their perspective through a second story window. With vibrant illustrations, readers come along to view a landscape of mountains, and the neighborhood of homes/community in the foreground, just outside the narrator's window. 

That perspective shift is captured in a single line:

"But my house was not always there."

NEAL PORTER BOOKS, Holiday House
2025

Successive pages, text and images offer views of the construction of that neighborhood, a surreal view of the planning and developing that preceded construction of modern times. Throughout all of these, the horizon of a mountain range. Each page turn moves the perspective back in time by centuries and more, revealing pioneers and the displaced original residents whose land had been stolen. Another turn depicts those Native folks living full community lives. Another turn takes us to (you guessed it) earlier dinosaur residents of that very territory. Throughout these page turns, the horizon of mountain range persists, even as the land is submerged in underwater in prior epochs.

 Only then, about a billion years BEFORE I LIVED HERE, that mountain range burst from the earth's crust, shaping the land around it. Other than on the prehistoric spreads, a squirrel graces some corner of the spreads, tying the place and continuity to the PLACE where this particular story is being unearthed from its past. 

The closing is equally succinct and effective, 

"Now, I see those mountains 

from my house."

In that penultimate spread, the barefoot narrator in modern clothing looks outward through a free-standing doorway along with a suspended window. Both of those openings to the land frame the current landscape of people and community. The expanse surrounding these frames are an accumulation line images in scratched into a black background base, rendered as rainbow-colored reminders of the prior pages. That superimposed contemporary view on foregrounded historic references offers a remarkable sense of the change and permanence in which we live on this planet. One final spread becomes a searchable expanse of the passages of time that have been described. 

Back matter extends the dramatically portrayed Earth-history with accessible details and brief descriptors  for each spread. This is a magical interpretation of very well-researched and documented nonfiction content. I genuinely believe that this highly scientific depiction of complex  information could be enjoyed by very young audiences, because the illustrations and language are told in reverse time, anchoring ideas in the local and familiar aspects of a neighborhood. It also offers older audiences an identifiable timeline and pattern of regression that invites anyone, anywhere, to look around and wonder, question, read, and research.

Concepts of permanence and change are challenging at early developmental levels, but this is a terrific way to share those concepts and other abstract relationships and expanses of time that will intrigue readers of many ages.

Abuelo Shares HOW TO REACH THE MOON!

 The genuine and uniquely deep love and connection of a child and their grandparent is undeniable. Many wonderful picture books center this special relationship, making it a major challenge for new stories with this framework to break through. To editors, to buyers, to readers. 

AMAZON CROSSING KIDS, 2022

HOW TO REACH THE MOON is written by Nicolás Schuff and illustrated by Ana Sender, with translation by Lawrence Shimel. It was successful in its original Spanish release, and now I've found it in English translation. I hope this commentary will help it find even more admirers. It goes without saying that picture books rely on partnerships between the author and illustrator, with advice and curation through the publisher's team of editors and art directors. In this case the translator was trusted with the original text that is both robust and exquisitely tender. 

During summer, Emilio travels by train to spend his vacation in the forest with his abuelo. In evocative illustrations perfectly paired with bright and colorful text, readers will find themselves joining Emilio at their rustic outdoor table, listening to Abuelo's imaginative stories, and dealing with questions about the moon. 

On one full moon night, Abuelo wakes Emilio to hike through the forest to meet the moon. Imaginative questions and descriptions lead them deeper until they reach a steep bluff at the edge of the forest. Could this be a secret path to the moon?

The answer to that question and what follows are moments I won't spoil by discussing them in these comments, other than to say that the magic is in the shared experiences, the relationship, and the possibilities that Emilio explores. 

Both the text/language and the glowingly dense art invite sensory engagement with these special two folks and their habitat, while the seemingly invisible work of the translator makes it feel as if the original language was English, in the best possible way. 

View this picture book is a gentle ode to multi-generational love and adventure, to nature's atmospheric impact on our hearts and minds, to the value of imagination to prepare us for the astonishing offerings of our very real world. This serves as a strong and memorable fictional story, but also as a bedtime story, a celebration of family, a virtual journey into the depths of nature, and more. That's a lot of promise, but this picture book delivers, with every word and spread. 

BEES and the Dog who Saved Them!

 

SLEEPING BEAR PRESS, 2025

Meet Mack, a rescue dog who is a true BEE hero (now retired). THE DOG WHO SAVED BEES is written by Stephanie Gibeault and illustrated by David Hohn. I've centered the cover, larger than usual, because that's exactly the attitude the cover invites. This nonfiction picture book celebrates MACK, and the illustrations capture MACK's personality wonderfully. You may also note the JUNIOR LITERARY GUILD designation as well as the stacks of beehives. 

There's a human component to Mack's story that should to be overlooked, even though she is subtly backgrounded on the cover. That's Cybil, the "Chief Apiary Inspector" for the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Why is she a part of the story? She was the account's "instigating factor" when she realizes that some of the bees who are transported back and forth across our nation had been infect with "foul brood" a highly contagious and untreatable bee disease. Unless infected hives could be identified and destroyed, they would contaminate others, threatening our national pollination and harvests of almonds, apples, strawberries, and many more food crops. 

Humans can identify infected hives by visual inspection of each hive, but it wasn't possible to do in time to release them for cross continental transport. But those infected hives release a specific stink, one that a dog might recognize and signal, similar to the way dogs can be trained to identify drugs and other contraband. 

That explanation is simplified and visualized in the opening pages, after which Cybil decides she might seek out a dog to train to detect the scent, something never tried before. Special "seek" dogs need to be very high energy and motivated enough to ignore all else when put to work. But those same traits can make dogs poor candidates as pets. Cybil tried (against advice) to work with Mack, a confined dog who was living a miserably boring life and was seen to be rowdy and disruptive. Cybil gave Mack a chance.

Training is described and shown in highly relatable text and images. When Cybils tried some innovative approaches to get her distractible trainee to focus, their work as a team took off. Once Mack could succeed at the seek/signal work with "foulbrood" scent, the real tests would follow. If anyone has ever been stung by a bee, you'll understand the challenge. Mack's work required sniffing closely at hive after hive, and that alone was worrying. When Mack was eventually stung, he resisted returning to work. 

The unfolding story has the appeal of an irresistible dog, the inspiration of an innovative and clever scientist, the stakes of the very food on our tables, and heartwarming visual storytelling. Back matter includes more about Mack, including photos and resources to verify the facts behind this magical tale. 

Many young audiences are ambivalent about bees, recognizing their value in ecosystems, appreciating their fuzzy buzzing and flight, but fearing their sting. The illustrator note even says he recalls a bee sting from childhood but values the variety of plant-based foods on his plate. The story evokes empathy for Mack, highly motivated to his task but reluctant to be hurt again. it will model the steps to overcome fear and gain confidence, and it should inspire many questions and further readings about bees "on the road", about their role in the full cycle of pollination-to-plate.

Summer is certainly prime time for reading about bees, but as impressive as those insects are, they rely on humans (and scent-seeking dogs) to sustain the health of the hive. Mack's story is central but adds enough elements to make agri-business information very kid-friendly, serving as a portal to further nonfiction reading. Mack, the dog, is memorable and so is this nonfiction picture book. Highly recommended.

The Case for Resistance: Be A Flea... for Justice!

CHARLESBRIDGE, 2025

The call-to-action phrase, "a flea for justice", is a classic among civil rights fighters. Its origin story is revealed within the biography of Marian Wright Edelman is related in early spreads in A FLEA FOR JUSTICE: Marian Wright Adelman Stand Up For Justice, written by Valerie Bolling and illustrated by TeMika Grooms. It's worth reading for that alone, but it brings much more to the table.

Edelman's life story depicts an individual whose personal conviction, lived experiences, and community engagement led her to step up and speak up, despite enormous risk to her own life and the ones she loved and supported. The account launches with an incident in which four-year-old Marian takes a drink at a water fountain without knowing that it was labeled WHITES ONLY. The inconceivable "rule" that could be life threatening if ignored was so thoroughly unjust and intolerable to her that it shaped her path in life. And then path she followed changed the lives of countless others.

This new biography reveals a period in American history that, for me, is memory. But for so many younger folks this Civil Rights era can feel like "the distant past". What this account offers is Edelman's lifelong call to others, especially young folks, to recognize that even the tiniest voices and choices can cause harmful practices that add to an "itch" in those causing harm, to act. To not be complacent.

Marian was inspired by the life of Sojourner Truth, the originator of the "FLEA FOR JUSTICE" phrase. She was also aware of the life-and-death impact of segregation, including the death of young friend who died of infection when hospitals refused to treat Black families. That is only one of many examples of the forces driving Edelmann to change the unjust laws, securing her a place of leadership in a movement that changed society, at least on the books. 

Sadly, not all hearts have changed to assure fairness and justice, and the work is still needed.

This life account is compellingly told and thoroughly researched. Back matter includes a life-time-line that showcases personal experiences and global awards. A more detailed passage in back matter adds to her story, while the illustrations and readable text present a profile accessible for even the very young. 

Don't wait for Black History Month, or Women's History Month. Edelmann's story will resonate with readers of every background, achieving what she set out to to do: to empower even the youngest among us with a sense of agency and strength, an assurance that noticing and acting are choices and they lead to change. Don't miss this one. 

I WISH...a Universal Wish Captured In a Simple Story

It's fun to think of how many ways this new picture book will be used and appreciated across generations. The premise is direct: I WISH THAT YOU KNEW, written by Rebecca Gardyn Levington and illustrated by Alyssa Russell. The cover suggests a very warm and loving relationship between a young girl and presumed grandmother. Without knowing anything more, the wish could be coming from the elder, longing to share a lifetime of wisdom with the child. 

Or...

little bee books, 2026

...the young girl, on her own at the lower border of the cover, could be exploring on her own, longing to share what she sees and learns and knows. Naturally, families often face the reality that those precious cross-generational moments are limited to periodic visits. The first spreads could support such a situation: Maybe Grandma was visiting and has now gone home. 

But, in this case, the child's longing for a way to share her expanding awarenesses, learning, pleasures, and surprises with a grandmother not there becomes a more poignant story. 

Her loving thoughts of her missing person are suggested with ghostlike (colorful, happy, but semi-transparent) images. This offers a narrative/visual sense that the grandmother has passed on and yet remains present in the child's mind. The child's understanding appears to be that the transitional stage from "missing" to acceptance of loss includes awareness that sharing will always need to be in her heart and memories.

The subtitle of this is "A Bereavement Picture Book for Kids", although that is not indicated on the cover. In this case the family is Jewish and the signals of loss and formal good-byes are culturally specific, but the experiences and process portrayed are universal. There are those  who have not yet felt the loss of someone dear to them (although that  happens for everyone, many at a young age). But this book is suited for any time of life, not just when dealing with an immediate personal loss experience. 

As the cover suggests, the illustrations are rendered in pastels with gentle edges, expressions are sincere but not extreme, and the overall tone is one of hope and happiness. The warmth and connection of the generational relationship is delightful, and those "shadow-images" of grandma are not ones of sadness or loss, but a visual representation of the idiom so often expressed, even sometimes sounding like platitudes: They're never really gone if you are remembering them, etc. This story actually provides a sense of the continuity of lives over time and change, worth discussing and celebrating at any point in young lives. 

The brief author note after the story describes the "UNVEILING DAY" experience of attending the installation of a permanent marker, as well as explaining the Jewish practices surrounding this transition. endpapers feature illustrations of snapshots of shared happiness from the past.

Overall, this is a significant addition to classroom, school, and public libraries, as well as a useful book to share within families. That could be in the midst of a time of loss or at any time, since the continuity of life is worth our awareness and acceptance at any age. 

Where Is My Sister? A Gentle Reflection on Sibling Loss

 Few books address a child's experience of death, although some are so well done they merit call backs HERE (elders) , HERE (pets) , and HERE (Siblings).

WHERE IS MY SISTER, written by Shannon Gibney and illustrated by Huy Von Lee,  takes on the least-addressed topic in death, that of a child lost at or before birth. The extreme shift from glowing anticipation to fierce loss is a brave emotional journey to attempt, and these creators achieved something special and noteworthy. 

University of Minnesota press, 2026

In this case, the rarely addressed topic of siblings/children who die at birth is presented with  gentle nuance and deeply resonant validation of the process of grieving such an impossible loss. The cover image and many of the illustrations reveal the tragedy and loss felt throughout the family, with the father and older brother seeking comfort in faith and hope and pursuit of the spirit of the lost Toni, the coming sister whose life was so lovingly anticipated. 

But even-younger Salome struggles with the WHERE of her missing sister, not the why or how such a loss could have happened. This is quest story, Salome's quest is to find and keep her sister close at hand. Longing to believe that Toni might hear a story she reads aloud, that she is part of the family circle-hug, that she surrounds each of them throughout their day is reflected as "somewhat" satisfying when we see the final illustrations in which Salome's expression still holds sadness, but the prospect of better days and acceptance is evident. The strength of family loving resonates throughout the text and images.

I particularly appreciated that each member of the family was allowed a spread or more to suggest their personal journeys through their loss, with Mom clearly struggling the most. As in THE RABBIT LISTENED, among my all-time favorite picture books, Salome senses the value of simply staying near her mother, catching a tear and clinging to the hope that it might hold a bit of her baby sister Toni in its salty essence. 

This is certainly an ideal book for any family dealing with such an indescribable loss. As with so many other powerful books on difficult topics, it is also a superb book to share with everyone, since the experience is both heartbreakingly specific (building empathy) and also metaphorical about any tragic loss after extended anticipation and hope. That comparison is not meant to diminish the immeasurable suffering of families facing the loss of an expected child. It is meant to to suggest that everyone carries loss in different ways, and this book offers a loving portrayal of nonjudgmental and potentially helpful ways to struggle through painful times. 

This is not an upbeat or easy read, but it is one that opens conversations about deep feelings, especially among very young audiences. It does nothing to "fix" anyone else's loss, other than than to suggest that none of us are alone, and seeing the possibility of deep sadness in others can only make us better at being human to, and for, those around us as they experience  their journeys.

All EYES on Jon Klassen's BOARD BOOK Series

 Creator Jon Klassen has firmly established his style and successful track record in making distinctly, quirkily appealing picture books (His I WANT MY HAT BACK series, TRIANGLE, and so many others). In each case, the storytelling melds words and seemingly simple illustrations in ways that speak to audiences of every age, and that includes toddlers and adults. regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the narrative. In every case, his stylized eyes play a major role in the success of the storytelling and emotional journeys within the covers of the books.. 

In a recent board book series, each title of the sturdy and perfectly-sized books is populated by inanimate objects with their own sets of eyes. In each title the language pattern and story sequence follows a predictable template after reading even one. Despite seeming simplicity, each manages to introduce little ones to the power of narrative, its anticipated sequences, the comfort of a satisfying conclusion, and the ability to generate new meanings from otherwise familiar onbjects.

The series titles each feature YOUR.... followed by a noun/naming word that sets the stage for a little mini-drama within the few pages involved.

Candlewick Press 2026

Candlewick Press 2025

YOUR PLACES includes YOUR FARM, YOUR FOREST, and YOUR ISLAND, while the latest title, YOUR TRUCK, explores experiences of ownership, connection, and more. As the press summary describes, 

"Building on the quiet but evocative world he created

in Your Farm, Your Forest, and Your Island, Jon

Klassen invites young children to consider more

things that are theirs and theirs alone, reinforcing

that they have a right to solitude, exploration, and

companionship."

In every case the journey from opening page to closing is one of accumulative elements, arrangement options in relationship to the other elements, using simple language that depicts both obvious and imaginative traits (a fire that never grows out) and illustrations that are minimalist but also have depth and character. And those eyes. The few page turns needed to assemble a scene or connections lead to a shift toward sunset, the eyes closing, and night time. 

The power of these entertaining, conceptually complex, and magically simple books encourage engagement, awareness of language patterns, easy acquisition of basic concept words (orally and in print) while the dramatic significance of YOUR throughout the titles and lines assures that the child will feel full ownership of the story, the process of narrative, predictive capacity, and a sense of comfort within the world of books. 

In recent months I've focused on picture books for emerging and established readers, but that was not meant to diminish the layered and lovely importance off books for the youngest audiences. Even if you have no little ones in your lives, include a peek at these at your next library or bookstore stop. And if you DO have little ones in your life, make sure these are among their very own bookshelves. 

WOODY'S WORDS: Remember WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS?

 The author of that timeless novel for young readers was Woodrow Wilson Rawls, the "Woody" in the title of this picture book. WOODY'S WORDS: Woodrow Wilson Rawls and WHERE THE RED FERN RED FERN GROWS is a biography of the author, but also a celebration of the power of reading and writing. Actually, the focus is on a boy-grown-to-man and his drive to tell stories. Reading books changed his young life, and he vowed, "I don't care how long it takes me or what I have to do. Someday I will write a book, and it will have a dog in it." That powerful quotation appears on the title page in this picture book written by Lisa Rogers and illustrated by Susan Reagan. 

CALKINS CREEK BOOKS, 2025

I can hardly imagine that anyone raised in this country has not read (or heard aloud, or watched on film) WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS. It is, indeed, a book, and it does, most certainly, center on a dog ands a boy. Woody's ancestors were Cherokee, and he grew up on family land assigned to those ancestors when they were relocated from their own territories. 

His education was at his mother's knee, and not only in simple reading and writing and arithmetic. When she first read a novel aloud to him, (The Call of the Wild) it transformed his sense of purpose. The simple and accessible narrative text  in this biography reveals Woody's deep engagement in rereading that book and then in writing and rewriting the world as he lived it, even when his available tools were limited to scratching words into soft mud with the point of a stick. For anyone who says it takes time and patience to become the kind of writer and storyteller who can win hearts, they could have been speaking about Woody.

Woody grew up in hard times and spent many young (and later) years bumming from town to town, from jail cell to jail cell, suffering from a lack of food or money but never lacking a good heart. No matter where or in what conditions he found himself, the stories moved through his mind and onto the page, even when those pages were soiled paper bags. He kept his attempts for many years, until he met and married.

He was so ashamed of what he considered his poor efforts that he burned all of the saved writings rather than show them to the woman he loved. After eventually confessing his need and desire to write a book, Sophie worked with him, correcting spelling and polishing some sentences. That finally-ready manuscript became a book, and he wanted people to read it. In his folksy, plain-spoken way, he visited schools and libraries and met readers where they were. Once he talked about his youth and his effort (over forty years) to produce a story of a boy, his dog, and life in the country, readers sought out his book and joined him in the story.

The account of Woody and Sophie and their eventual success is both heartwarming and inspiring. Back matter provides more details, as well as photographs of  moments before and after his book became an all-time success.  His next book, SUMMER OF THE MONKEYS, also featured a boy and his dog. Both books sold millions of copies.  Multiple pages of resources and research references attest to the depth of story-searching by Rogers. The illustrator's colors, sweeps of landscape, and suggestions of struggle have captured an authentic sense of rural life in the era and the yearning within a boy/man who had  something to say. It was clear with every word and image that Woody felt inadequate as a writer, but never gave up on his dream to share his stories in a way that made them last. 

Rogers wrote a dedication that hints at how moved she was by the storytelling drive of Rawls: 

"For those who have stories to tell and the librarians who celebrate them" then named several important librarians from her own life.

The structure of this narrative and account of Rawls's life holds no surprises, but the direct and simple language and sequential revelations of his persistence and outreach are best suited to this simple and plainspoken man. It mirrors the steady pace of his personal journey and the glowing satisfaction of his eventual success. 

WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS has been a part of my literary life, but now Woody brings me back to reread it and to wonder at his determination and at the satisfaction he was finally able to achieve.