March Recommendations

Picture Books:

In A SPOONFUL OF FROGS, written by Casey Lyall and illustrated by Vera Brosgol, a witch hosts a cooking show, in which she tries to demonstrate an “easy to make” treat, Frog Soup. All goes well until it’s time to add a spoonful of frogs, which is “the last and most important ingredient.” Mayhem ensues. Luckily, our witch knows how to get creative with her cooking. The text is short and snappy, the digital art is expressive and action-packed, and the antics are all great fun. This one makes it look easy!

In THE SUN IS LATE AND SO IS THE FARMER, written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin Stead, a mule, a milk cow, and a miniature horse are concerned that the sun—and the farmer—are “late to rise.” The animals confer with Barn Owl, who agrees that the sun is, indeed, late. The mule, milk cow, and miniature horse worry that if they don’t wake up the sun, “the farmer will sleep and sleep…and breakfast will never come.” Barn Owl suggests that they take Rooster with them “to the edge of the world.” The poetic text speaks with a lovely, hushed voice that pairs perfectly with the delicate, indigo-tinged watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil illustrations. This book is a quiet delight.

MY POET, written by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Jen Hill, relates the story of Lucy, who’s "looking for words” during the summer she lives next door to a woman she calls “my poet." Whether spending time together at the farmers market, the beach, or at home, they find the magic in strawberries, sand, and stones. They find words which whisper, sing, and are woven into a spider’s web. The gentle text conveys the joy of discovering one’s own poetry, and the gouache art is illustrative and evocative. Back matter relates that the poet in the story is Mary Oliver.

In MONSTERS IN THE FOG, by Ali Bahrampour, after Hakim knits a sweater for his friend Daisy, he needs to go to the top of the mountain, where she lives, to give it to her. The morning is so foggy, Hakim can “barely see the end of his nose.” When an old goat warns him to stay away because “there are monsters up there,” Hakim assures her there are none. But the mist is so thick, readers will wonder—maybe there really are monsters, after all? Hakim’s kindness, along with some fun twists, give this story its humor and heart.

THE WORLD BELONGED TO US, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Leo Espinosa, describes the freedom of summer in Brooklyn “not so long ago.” When the hydrant, with the help of a lidless, bottomless soup can became a “super shooter.” When kids played in the street, “shooting bottle caps… across chalk-drawn skully boards.” When double-dutch ropes blurred, and “there was always some new kind of fun.” The text is exuberant and joyful, as are the pencil and Photoshop illustrations. This ode to summers in the city reminds me of my own childhood in Queens (except I never mastered double-dutch, a failure that bugs me still).

--Lynn

March's Book of the Month--Wildoak

March’s Book of the Month is the middle grade novel, WILDOAK, by C.C. Harrington.

Fear of how Maggie’s class will react to her stutter causes Maggie to go to extreme lengths to avoid her turn to read aloud. When the school nurse—and her father—have had enough of her “frozen mouth,” Maggie is sent from the family’s home in London to stay with Grandpa Fred in Cornwall. If her stutter improves, Father agrees she won’t have to go to Granville Place, an institution with a nightmarish reputation. (Even though Maggie’s mother understands that Maggie doesn’t need “curing,” it’s 1963 and Dad is ostensibly head of the household.)

In an alternate storyline, convincingly told from the POV of a snow leopard cub, Rumpus and his sister are separated when he’s taken from a pet store and gifted to a woman who can “barely look after herself, let alone a large cat.” Things go predictably poorly. Rumpus is dumped in Wildoak, an ancient woodland near Grandpa Fred’s house in Cornwall which is threatened by a rich landowner.

How animal-loving Maggie meets and befriends Rumpus, and ultimately learns to have her say form the basis of this strong-hearted novel promoting empathy, kindness, and the value of advocacy at any level. Deeply affecting and tinged with magic, WILDOAK is a winner.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--The Worlds We Leave Behind

MG Review: The Worlds We Leave Behind

The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold, illus. by Levi Pinfold (Bloomsbury, hardcover, 256p., ages 8-12, 9781547610952)

A.F. Harrold and Levi Pinfold's second collaboration (after The Song from Somewhere Else) is a beautifully formed illustrated novel that is grounded in the everyday, then elegantly spirals into the unknown. The Worlds We Leave Behind is a surreal commentary on forgiveness, revenge and the interconnectedness of humankind.

It all goes wrong the morning Sascha, younger and uninvited, follows best mates Hex and Tommo into the woods. The boys take turns on a rope swing and when it's Sascha's turn, there's a mud-clod fight, a stone is thrown and Sascha loses her grip on the swing. In a slow-motion moment that "the world pause[s] to watch," she falls and breaks her arm. The next day, Hex returns to the swing. Sascha's sister, Maria, punches him and, "bruising with humiliation and shock," he runs deeper into the forest. There a "small, bright jolly-looking woman" offers him revenge: if Hex crushes an acorn, the girl who hit him will "be gone, as if they'd never been." Hex takes the acorn home and loses it. But, unbeknownst to Hex, Maria was also given an acorn which she ground to bits. While the world reshapes around the absence of Hex, Maria learns what it means to make someone disappear.

Harrold's wonderfully crafted, mesmerizing text unfolds through different points of view, the chain of voices echoing the ripples of the ever-evolving world. Pinfold's meticulous and enchanting black-and-white illustrations blend perfectly with and enhance the brooding, otherworldly atmosphere of the text. This sophisticated novel exists in a delightfully dark place between fairy tale, horror and science fiction, and opens up a fascinating world of what-ifs. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

Toby Tootles Interview with Stephanie Gibeault

I’m thrilled to welcome Stephanie Gibeault to the blog! Her debut picture book, Toby Tootles, whooshes into bookstores on March 15th. It's perfectly illustrated with just the right amount of sweet and silly by Mary Sullivan and published by Sleeping Bear Press. Stephanie has generously offered to give away a non-rhyming picture book or query critique for one person who comments on the blog below by March 15th!

Where did you get the idea for this (very relatable) book about family and flatulence?

The idea of doing a story about the relationship between a grandparent and grandchild came from watching my own parents’ interactions with my niece and nephew. It’s such a special relationship and I wanted to celebrate that. But the flatulence part came from a conversation with an older friend who mentioned how much harder it is to be discreet with gas as you age, especially when you bend over. And whoosh, the idea for Grandma’s gassy moments was born. But at its heart, this is a book about being comfortable in your own skin, and as somebody with anxiety, I wanted to reassure kids that embarrassment happens to everybody and you can get through it.

Were you nervous to submit a book full of potty humor?

I was always a bit nervous about showing this story to critique partners (anxious personality, remember 😊) because, although farts are definitively funny, not everybody appreciates this type of humor. But I never let that stop me. I even read it at an open mic night at a Highlights Foundation workshop. But when it came to showing my agent, I almost didn’t. I was worried she might decide my humor wasn’t a fit. But after the contract was signed, I threw caution to the wind and sent it to her just in case. She loved it and felt certain we would find an editor who would it too. Thank goodness I took that chance!

Were there any surprises during the publication process?

Absolutely! When I wrote this story, I could clearly see Grandma and Toby in my mind. And they were humans. When I got my first glimpse of Mary Sullivan’s brilliant and hilarious artwork, I was shocked to see rabbits. But I adore how expressive and fun these characters are. They aren’t fluffy, gentle Easter bunnies! Now I can’t imagine Toby and Grandma any other way.

Do you have any other books coming out? Any other exciting projects on the horizon?

Yes, I have four other books on the horizon. Can’t Get Enough Dog Stuff (co-authored with Moira Donohue) is a middle grade nonfiction book full of facts, quizzes, and activities. It’s coming out in April of this year from National Geographic Kids. In spring of 2024, I have two middle grade nonfiction books releasing. The first is From Calculating Chimpanzees to Brainy Bees: Mathematical Abilities in Animals (illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett) from Candlewick/MIT Kids Press. And the second is Making Sense of Dog Senses: How Dogs Perceive the World (illustrated by Raz Latif) from Owlkids Books. In spring 2025, I have a nonfiction picture book from Owlkids Books tentatively entitled Dogs Versus Humans: Showdown of the Senses (illustrator to be announced). Plus, I have a picture book bio on submission right now. Fingers crossed!

Stephanie, thank you so much for sharing a bit about your writing journey. I’m so glad you threw caution to the wind to create—and submit—Toby Tootles!

Stephanie Gibeault is a children’s author and award-winning freelance writer. As a former biologist and certified professional dog trainer, she loves writing about dogs and other animals, even farting rabbits. Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in ecology and evolution and a Master of Science in animal behavior, and her time in academia involved grunting with gorillas and stinking like marmoset monkeys. Years later, dog training meant being covered in fur and drool. Now she spends her days just outside of Toronto, Canada, convincing her cat Heton not to take over her keyboard.

Stephanie is represented by Jacqueline Lipton at Tobias Literary Agency. For more information, visit stephaniegibeault.com and follow Stephanie on Twitter @GibeaultWrites and Instagram @stephanie_gibeault.

To order a copy:
Blue Heron Books
Bookshop.org
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

Shelf Awareness--Around Antarctica

PB Review: Around Antarctica

Around Antarctica: Exploring the Frozen South by Tania Medvedeva, illus. by Maria Vyshinskaya (Chronicle, hardcover, 48p., ages 5-8, 9781452172873)

Tania Medvedeva and Maria Vyshinskaya's wonderfully informative, beautifully designed long-form picture book follows Tom, a "top-notch journalist," as he joins an expedition to visit a research station in Antarctica.

A trip to this "mysterious frozen continent" requires warm clothes, but no visa because "Antarctica doesn't belong to any country." There's no military presence or mining, but there is a cooperative world research center, where "scientists from different countries share their research plans and results." Upon arrival, Tom learns rules designed to keep visitors safe, how the center itself functions (accompanied by a cutaway view of this bustling hub) and about different kinds of scientific research taking place. Meteorologists study the earth's atmosphere and ozone layer, a glaciologist and her team inspect ice samples, the oceanologists analyze Antarctica's unique waters and there are scientists who investigate the "more than 20,000 species of living things" that can be found here, including penguins, seals and "hundreds of different species of bacteria."

Reporter Tom's experience provides a continuity that allows Medvedeva to frame her work as a story while packing it with wide-ranging yet pertinent information. The detailed, colorful illustrations enhance and augment the informative yet playful text (such as a timeline of global explorers to Antarctica) and interactive nature of the book's design: a quarter-circle format that opens into a hemisphere with several gatefolds that open into full circles. Around Antarctica delivers a surprisingly thorough survey of this "harsh," complex "icy continent." It strongly conveys the usefulness in studying the area, as well as the need to protect it because, as Tom ultimately realizes, our entire planet is "a single organism. Beautiful, strange, mighty, harsh, fragile... and every action we take affects it." --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.

February's Book of the Month--A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree

A BEAR, A BEE, AND A HONEY TREE, written by Daniel Bernstrom and illustrated by by Brandon James Scott, makes clever use of its minimal text to to tell an entertaining story of—well, you guessed it—a bear, a bee, and honey tree!

“A hungry bear” wakes up and climbs to a golden meal in “a honey tree,” but a busy, “very angry fuzzy bee”—and another “million fuzzy buzzing bees”—all have something to say about this.

The simple story is greatly enhanced by the jaunty tone, with wordplay, rhyme, and repetition playing a huge part in its appeal. The vocabulary and structure make it a great choice for early readers, but pre-readers will enjoy the tongue-twistery aspect, as well.

Brightly colored digital illustrations do well by the text. The wide-eyed bear with a mouth full of honey reacting first to the one bee, and then to the emerging swarm, is picture book perfection.

Although he loses this first round, the final spread suggests our bear may be persistent… Pair it with Julie Hedlund’s and Michael Slack’s OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE? for more beary low word count fun!

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--The Fire of Stars

PB Review: The Fire of Stars

The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of by Kirsten W. Larson, illus. by Katherine Roy (Chronicle, hardcover, 48p., ages 5-8, 9781452172873)

In this refreshing, revealing picture book, Cecilia Payne's growth from driven, inquisitive girl to celebrated astronomer is perfectly paired with a lyrical description of the birth of a star.

Young Cecilia "realizes all by herself" that orchids have petals like a bee's belly to trick the bees and her body hums with a "lightning bolt of discovery." The "fields and flowers" inspire Cecilia, but the family moves to London. Cecilia's new school feels like "a black hole," so she pursues scientific study on her own. She eventually wins a scholarship to the University of Cambridge and "yearn[s] to feel that lightning bolt of discovery again." When Cecilia attends a lecture by a noted astronomer, "her brain buzzes." She switches her focus to physics and becomes "the only woman in a galaxy of men." After graduation, Cecilia works at Harvard where she is finally surrounded by other like-minded women. She devotes herself to studying the mystery of "what stars really are" and, through "careful calculations and hours of observation," she discovers "the exact recipe for what makes the stars."

Kirsten Larson (A True Wonder) deftly weaves together her compelling biography of an important woman who "stick[s] to her path" despite the odds. The decision to parallel Cecilia's development with that of an emerging star is an inspired one, and Katherine Roy (Red Rover) uses pencil, ink and digital color to create luminous illustrations that crackle with energy. Extensive back matter includes further discussion of Cecilia's life and accomplishments, along with an elaboration on the process of how "a star is born." --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author.