Age: Preschool-1st grade
Community Helper: Delivery "driver"
Delivery song can be sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"

Zogby isn't your usual petite, fluffy-tailed delivery animal but his heart has been set since he was a little cub. Unfortunately, Bear's are still seen as predators in this world and the delivery recipients get scared out of their minds when they see Zogby at their door. A bunny costume doesn't help Zogby but a new, personalized delivery song eases the customer's minds.

The story has a good flow and, paired with the interrupting screams, this will make for a great read-aloud. A good lesson for teaching children acceptance, but adults may want to sneak in a couple apologies from the customers for jumping to conclusions (ala discrimination against Zogby) since they are not provided by Gehl.

Age: Preschool
Emotions: Brave
Nature: Weather, rain
Toys: Stuffed bunny

Dressed up like her favorite lovey, Ollie runs outside her house to play in the rain with her stuffed Bunny in tow. When a magical breeze passes by, Bunny hops out of the basket and runs away with a group of rabbits. From a daring rescue to a trip in the clouds, Ollie and Bunny have an adventure-filled afternoon in the rain. Bunny stories and stuffed animal stories are already in abundance, but Killen's simple color palette and the joy of imagination allow this book to bound above the rest.

First line: " To think, only yesterday I was in my chancletas, sipping lemonade and watching my twin cousins run through the sprinkler in our yard. Now, I'm here in Mr. Patchett's class, sweating in my polyester school blazer and waiting for this torture to be over."

If only I could give this book 6 stars. Medina perfectly writes about so many life experiences and changes with such finesse and appeal for children. A close-knit family that is connected across generations, friendship changes as middle school starts, the looming influence of popularity and exclusion, a grandfather's recent diagnosis of Alzheimers, making personal sacrifices due to financial constraints, a growing sense of identity, and growing up latina.

This story is an indispensable tool for tweens that are experiencing friendship changes, as cliques begin to form and some, including Merci, get left behind and have to make new friends.

The plot organically grew and every character was important. I've been reading so many eye-rollers that this was a breathe of fresh air. I loved this one!

Age: Older preschool-2nd grade

For all the hopeless artists (myself included) that can draw nothing more than worms. The joke is strung out across an entire glorious picture book as Mabbitt tries to differentiate the worms using glasses, colors, and even cutting one in half (oh...oh no).

Truly a delight.

A compelling and unique story for the pregnancy shelves but is unfortunately soiled by Summers' need to lift up her own image at the expense of other gender queer people. It is a blip in the story but is completely unnecessary, especially for a book published in 2014.

Age: Preschool-2nd grade
Sports: Basketball
Author identity: Mixed

A boy's shadow amps him up in order to do his best on the neighborhood court. A fantastic way to show that motivation and perseverance can come from within and the power of a positive self-image. The dialogue is perfect for reading-aloud and audience participation. I would love to see a room full of kids put on their GAME FACE.

Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Identity, Author: Mexican American
Identity, Illustrator: Mexican

So many different things to do with a paleta ice cream bar. But the best thing? Eating it! I was so excited to find this still in print in 2019. It is a beautiful book, especially for storytimes and pre-k classrooms.

Age: Toddler-Kindergarten
Fantasy: Unicorns, rainbows, monsters

Look at this fluffy, big-eyed, sparkling, freckled monster! "Isn't it the cutest?" asks the bat. Oh, well maybe it could be cuter...Bat continues to add a variety of cute things like kittens, hats, and unicorns, until Bat gets to the cutest thing in the universe: the reader (with mirror provided)! Simple but children will enjoy it.

Age: K-2nd grade
Identity, Characters: Vietnamese-Indian child
Identity, Author: Vietnamese American
Identity, Illustrator: Polish-Vietnamese
LGBTQ: Daughter of lesbian mothers

An intriguing tale that distinguishes itself from other bullying books with its ambiguous approach to the power of imagination to overcome name calling. Not cut-and-dry, readers and listeners are encouraged to talk about the feelings of powerlessness, frustration, and family strength.

Age: Toddler-Kindergarten
Food: Ice Cream
Listen to the tune, then read it yourself!

An absolute delight. Groovy Joe makes sharing fun and easy with this catchy song. Not only does Groovy Joe happily share his ice cream with all the dinosaurs, but when there is no more left, they take turns playing the ice cream bucket drum.