Age: Preschool+
Song: There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
Animals: Frog, fish, bugs

A cumulative song that will amuse sadist children to see their teachers or librarians run out of breath. Seriously, a fun book for a group read.

Side note: We're all cool with the fly and gnat swimming in the water? Okay, just checking.

Age: Toddler
Concept skill: Sizes
Family: Older sister, younger baby
STEM: Engineering
Toys: Blocks

A dedicated girl with a towering imagination takes her blocks to build a dog house then a house, then an apartment complex, and so on until she builds a city. The look of shock on the girl's face as she hears baby approaching is a perfect moment to pause and build suspense for the listener. A great addition to this family series.

Age: Toddler-Kindergarten
Family: Grandma, grandson

Although a visiting grandson is frightened by the sounds and sights of the city at first, his Nana is able to show him all the wonderful things. Especially delightful is that Castillo turns the boys fears into celebrations. A neat tactic!

Age: 4th-middle school
Nonfiction: WWII, black history, civil rights

"On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked a Navy base at Port Chicago, California, killing more than 300 sailors who were at the docks, critically injuring off-duty men in their bunks, and shattering windows up to a mile away. On August 9th, 244 men refused to go back to work until unsafe and unfair conditions at the docks were addressed. When the dust settled, fifty were charged with mutiny, facing decades in jail and even execution. This is a fascinating story of the prejudice that faced black men in America's armed forces during World War II, and a nuanced look at those who gave their lives in service of a country where they lacked the most basic rights."

A fast-paced read for the more reluctant readers, or a quick audiobook for a short trip. I found it very interesting when Sheinkin included the historical remarks about the navy/army perpetuating a racist culture because they felt it wasn't their place to change it. Furthermore, several white political figures and people in power declared that they weren't racist, that they were only preserving their culture or just doing what was always done. Quite reflective of today's white/cisgendered/straight sentimentality towards the LGBT community, the black community, and other minority groups.

First line: “Staring at the sky in Bharata was like exchanging a secret. It felt private, like I had peered through the veil of a hundred worlds.”
Location: India

Teens will love the (much needed) unique Indian setting and characters, the fast-pace of the plot, and the unpredictable ending. I, on the other hand, wanted more world-building and more poetic and descriptive language but that would be more in line with an adult fantasy novel (that I would hope exists out there).

Plot spoilers for my addled brainMaya marries the god of Death and was his Queen and soulmate for many generations. Her childhood friend, Nritti, manipulates Maya into leaving Amar and being reincarnated as a princess. Amar finds her again and is ready to make her immortal again when Nritti ruins everything and manipulates Maya again. Maya goes on a journey of self-discovery and ends up saving Amar and the role of Death as a balance to the world.

Goodreads synopsis: "Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself."

Age: 4th-6th grade

Vera's friends go to sleepover camps every summer, creating an unstoppable desire to go to camp--any camp. When she discovers that there is a camp for Russian Americans just like her, she is elated to not feel like the outsider AND to have something to do during the summer. But as the youngest and newest camper in her section, Vera soon revisits the loneliness that comes with being an outsider, but this time without the comforts of home or a flushable toilet.

The illustrations are impeccable, full of emotion, and could potentially be wordless and still tell the tale. While I enjoyed the read, nothing really stuck out as extraordinary in terms of storytelling. That being said, camp kids and anyone that has experienced being new and navigating new friendships will definitely enjoy this.

Age: K-3rd grade
Tough Issues: Poverty
Location: Vietnam--author is Vietnamese refugee
Family: Mother and daughter

Truly an astounding picture book that presents a more mature issue for younger audiences in every beautiful way imaginable. A mother and daughter share a loving bond so strong and selfless that they attempt to convince the other of their future together. The daughter observes her mother's coarsened hands, her blistered feet, and her strained eyes as she tirelessly works. With love in her heart, the daughter assures her mother that she will stay with her. But the mother sweetly tells the child that all her efforts are to see her daughter travel beyond their small town and be educated. The daughter acknowledges her mother's desires and is determined to make her proud.

As a read-aloud, the rhyming text, the repetition, and the exchanging dialogue allow this beautiful story of hope and love to captivate all listeners--especially those who identify with the characters. The illustrations offer a delicate amount of realistic hardship paired with soaring birds, blooming flowers, and vines growing out of a book and reaching toward the sky. A fascinating contribution to children's literature.

Age: Infant-Toddler
Body: Eyes
Family: Grandma, grandaughter, grandson, and mom (at the end)
Nature: Out at the park

A sister and brother enjoy the park and all they see there. Pace focuses on the sense of sight with all observations accompanied with "-eyed."

"Big-eyed bug.
Stalk-eyed slug.
Closed-eyed rider.
Open-eyed slider.
Busy-eyed day at the park."

It gets a little tedious towards the end, but younger children may appreciate the repetition.

Age: Toddler-Preschool
Community Helper: Doctor
Toys: Stuffed Animals
Character: African American

Sweet and simple, Freeman perfectly captures the imagination of this doctor-in-training as she checks up on all her stuffed animals. Just like any true toddler or preschooler, the story ends with Zaza covering her stuffed animals in band-aids.

Age: Infant-Preschool

Great for reading aloud to an all ages group, Pitman writes about all-inclusive churches that embrace people of all different backgrounds and identities. Because the text is simple enough to read to an all-ages group, it's important for the reader to have discussions about some of the identities presented. Pitman presents "weak and healthy" and "poor and wealthy" which may not be something we can tell by the physical features of a person--but, by the very nature of a picture book, had to be illustrated. Honestly, this should have been navigated in a different way or phrased differently because it does give the reader pause and assigns the reader with the responsibility to parse out the complexities of the words.

These two phrases aside, the book will make a delightful read-aloud for families and congregants.

(Extra star given to combat the close-minded hate spread by self-loathing people)