March Recommendations

CALL YOUR MOTHER, written by Tracy Gold and illustrated by Vivian Mineker, is a lilting, heartfelt story of the strong bond between a girl and her mother throughout the years. Beginning with a baby crying, readers see her grow through potty training, first days of school, soccer games, and dating, until the girl has a crying infant of her own. Told in smooth, rhyming text—“when you’re hungry, when you’re sad,/when you don’t know why you’re mad”—embellished with distinctive calls for help, this is a sweet read. Illos are dominated by soft greens, golds, and oranges that give off a comforting vibe. It’s a tender circular tale of multigenerational love that should inspire hugs all around.

In SEA SMILES, by Bonnie Kelso, a child losing a tooth serves as a springboard to learning when they open a book called “Sea Smiles.” Out pops a perky, young wolffish, followed by, among others, a baby penguin, a narwhal, and a sea snake. Together, this quirky group finds out many of “the good the bad and the ugly” things about their teeth—the different kinds they have, how they lose them, number of teeth, and other kid-friendly science facts about their important choppers. Conversational text and cartoony digital art help make learning fun!

In OLD TO JOY, written and illustrated by Anita Crawford Clark, Joy’s Grandmama is old. So is her street, with its trees that “shimmy and shake,” and so is her house, with its “rickety-rockety” chairs on the “crikety-crockety” porch. Even the way Grandmama says words like “mosey” feels old to Joy. But bubbles dance in the air when Joy and Grandmama do dishes the old-fashioned way, Grandmama’s garden is glorious, and, when they mosey up to the attic, the old-fashioned hats Joy finds there are amazing! Both text and art are buoyant and expressive, and the ending is satisfyingly sentimental.

and coming soon is MONARCH BUTTERFLIES, UP, UP, AND AWAY, written by Marta Magellan, illustrated by Mauro Magellan, and with photos by James Gersing, delves into the migration of this “most studied, tracked, and recognized of all butterflies.” Every year, millions of monarchs fly south to escape cold winters. They use “the position of the sun and the earth’s magnetic fields to find their way.” But, in a fascinating twist, it takes “three or four generations” or “several life cycles” to make it back. Confused? All is clearly explained in the informative text, in concert with vibrant charts, illustrations, and photographs. Extensive back matter points out actionable steps we all can take to help these wonders of nature survive. This is a smart and beautiful science book!

--Lynn