Age: Toddler-1st grade
Emotions: Confidence, bragging, humility

"No one is as brave as me and nothing scares me!" declares the Mouse as a larger shadow looms behind Mouse until the page turns and a large owl goes "Boo!" So goes the traditional cumulative tale as each new animal scares the smaller one away. Who is going to scare away Elephant, the largest, most bravest animal?

Spoiler

And so reappears the tiny mouse.

The story has been done before, certainly, but the illustrations elevate the humor and juxtaposition of the animals. Furthermore, kids can attempt to predict the upcoming animal by the shape of the shadow which provides a fun guessing game that will keep them hooked.

Age: Preschool
Food: Apples, pumpkins, chestnuts, corn, etc.
Nature: Wind, Forest

Autumn Wind, seen as a whirlwind of leaves, blows through the book as it prepares the annual Windfall Ball. Excited animals gather together to celebrate with music and dance and finish off the night with a Windfall feast of food meant to nurture the animals through the cold winter. Rhyming text, unique vocabulary, and an invitation to participate make this an excellent book to share in storytime or in the classroom. The illustrations are full of lush fall colors and detail that invites listeners to pour over the pages.

Age: Preschool-Kindergarten

Bird is grouchy and doesn't want to sleep--he wants to party! As Bird goes to each of his friends, they offer some ways to fall asleep: cuddling with a blankey or stuffy, reading a book, sing a lullaby, and count some sheep (one sheep, in fact). Of course, Bird wants none of that until he storms off to "walk forever" and cries out in frustration. His friends come to his aid and use their bedtime tricks to get Bird to fall asleep. True to the Grumpy Bird storyline, this is a wise addition to the series.

Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Animals: Pets
Community Helper: Veterinarian

Pets rely on us to take care of them as a veterinarian guides us through best ways to meet their needs. Pet the book, scrub the book, even give the book an (imaginary) treat--all perfect ways to make our pets happy. Very sweet way to encourage kindness towards animals with an engaging read.

Age: Infant+

An enchanting view of winter that captures all the wonder and uniqueness that amazes and intrigues children. Henkes provides extra little details about winter including his illustration of snow curling in the breeze and the windows rattling from the howling wind. Although winter feels like it stays and stays and stays, eventually winter shrinks away and becomes spring.

I mean, I know Henkes is a prolific children's author but he continues to amaze me with his storytelling. It is poetic but not saccharine, simple but not boring, that connects with a child's imagination and their perspective of the world without appearing fake.

Age: Toddler+
Toys: Doll
LGBTQ: Gender nonconforming

Teddy loves to play--especially with his favorite toy: Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of Pacifica. But when mom is cleaning up and accidentally throws the broken doll, mom springs to action to save Bren-Da from the evil clutches of the garbage truck. The simplicity of the storyline makes this perfect for reading aloud. No adults are seen challenging or questioning Teddy's choices which normalizes the concept of loving what you love, no matter the gender norms.

Age: Middle School-High School
Tough Issues: Death, natural disaster

With an objective narrative, Brown manages to capture Hurricane Katrina's layers of tragedy in such a short graphic novel. This would make an excellent companion in all history classrooms because Brown is unafraid to document the failure of the mayor, the president, and the local police while uplifting the true heroes of this natural disaster: the coast guard, the national guard, boat-owning citizens, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

In its earnest depiction of the horrors of the hurricane and its aftermath, Brown depicts several bodies floating in the water, desperate and hopeless faces, looting, and cowardice from the people sworn to protect the population. This honesty is a bit shocking as it pulls the sheet of time off a moment in history that has the potential to be forgotten.

Age: 3rd-6th grade

Sandy's favorite thing to do is draw. At night, she gathers tiny lights out of the air and transforms them into gorgeous artwork. But her drawing can be distracting at school, alienating her from her classmates and getting her in trouble with her teachers. When a new girl appears, Sandy is ecstatic to make a friend. But as her new friend's creepiness escalates, Sandy is lured into a forest where she finds out the true intent of this lavender-haired girl.

Gorgeous artwork, a quick story, and a creative solution make this an excellent addition to the graphic novel shelf. Best for readers of spooky fiction like Goosebumps.

Age: Toddler+

Nothing new to the interactive picture book genre, but will be sure to please audiences with tickling, blowing, spinning, and even yelling a cute little monster out of the book. But once he's gone, where will he go? Your room? Ah! Bring him back!

Age: Toddler-Preschool
LGBTQ: Gender nonconforming boy
Toys: Things that go, dolls

While the title seems to convey that the book is primarily about trucks, dolls share half the spotlight in this friendship story. Alex and Jack love to play together at the park. Jack loves smashing, crashing trucks with loud sirens and Alex likes dolls with pink, sparkly dresses that can do dips and twirls. With these two different styles of play, it's a delight to see how Alex and Jack problem solve and generally enjoy playing together as friends.