Indie Crushes - August 16, 2018
We are one week out from the start of school in Columbia, MD. One week out from teachers repopulating the school building, getting their rooms ready to welcome children, and thinking about what books will be shared that first week with students. I've been reading, reading, reading in consideration of upcoming book orders and lesson plans and podcast interviews. Lucky for me, there's no shortage of excellent books coming out.
Here's what I've been crushing on this week from small, independent publishers, often responsible for delivering to us unique and often unconventional stories. (NOTE: One of the titles is actually from a HarperCollins imprint, but is one I didn't want to miss.)
Check out previous Indie Crushes HERE.
INDIE CRUSHES - August 16th, 2018
CRUSHING ON EXCEPTIONAL POETRY AND COLLAGE ILLUMINATING HOW THE NEW YEAR IS WELCOMED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Every Month Is a New Year: Celebrations Around the World by Marilyn Singer and Susan L. Roth (LEE & LOW BOOKS)
In many places around the globe, the new year starts on January 1. But not everywhere Chinese New Year is celebrated in January or February. Iranians observe Nowruz in March. For Thai people, Songkran occurs in April. Ethiopians greet the new year at Enkutatash in September. All these diverse cultural, regional, and religious observances, and many others, have deep-rooted traditions and treasured customs. Acclaimed poet Marilyn Singer has created a lively poetry collection that highlights sixteen of these fascinating festivities, some well-known and some less familiar. Together with Susan L. Roth's captivating collage illustrations, the poems take readers to the heart of these beloved holidays. Every month of the year, somewhere in the world people celebrate with joy and good wishes for a happy new year.
CRUSHING ON OBSERVATIONS ELEVATING THE EVERYDAY BY ASKING READERS TO LOOK AGAIN
H Is for Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z by Sydell Rosenberg and Sawsan Chalabi (PENNY CANDY BOOKS)
In H Is For Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z, the late poet Sydell Rosenberg, a charter member of the Haiku Society of America and a New York City public school teacher, and illustrator Sawsan Chalabi offer an A-Z compendium of haiku that brings out the fun and poetry in everyday moments.
CRUSHING ON A GENTLE, SWEET, UNWAVERING REMINDER THAT ALL OF US MATTER AND ALL OF US CAN LOVE AND BE LOVED
All of Us by Carin Berger (GREENWILLOW BOOKS)
With a universal message and stunning paper collage art, this striking book is just right for fans of Matt de la Peña’s Love and Emily Winfield Martin’s The Wonderful Things You Will Be.
Award-winning illustrator Carin Berger’s beautiful and timely picture book celebrates the power of community, family, and most of all, love. Her beautiful collage art and lyrical text offer a message of hope in the face of adversity.
All of Us is ideal for family sharing as well as year-round giving and is for fans of Nancy’s Tillman’s Wherever You Are and Alison McGhee’s Someday.
CRUSHING ON BEAUTIFUL ENVELOPING WATER COLORS PAIRED WITH SIMPLE OBSERVATIONAL TEXT
Boats on the Bay by Jeanne Walker Harvey and Grady McFerrin (CAMERON KIDS)
A large-format picture book about a bunch of boats found on a busy bay, buoyed by simple, spare, and lyrical text. Inspired by the San Francisco Bay but with universal appeal, the book features a spectacular double-spread gatefold finale showing a boat parade and fireworks glowing against a city backdrop.
CRUSHING ON THE ABSURD AND WONDERFUL WAY THAT EVERYONE CAN GET DOWN WHEN IT'S TIME FOR BATH AND BED
Bathroom Boogie by Clare Foges and Al Murphy (FABER & FABER CHILDREN'S)
The fabulous follow-up to Kitchen Disco, get on down and get all groovy, come and join the bathroom boogie When the children go to school and the adults go to work . . . the Bathroom Boogie starts up - and all your favorite bathroom friends come alive The shower creates a rain dance, whilst the mouthwash back-flips and the toothbrushes bop and rave to the hot tap's funky beat A zany and hilarious rhyming picture book sequel to Kitchen Disco, with trademark cool artwork from Al Murphy.
CRUSHING ON THE NIMBLE AND HUMOROUS SCIENCE CONVERSATION TOLD THROUGH COMIC BOOK FORMAT FEATURING A PLANET'S IDENTITY CRISIS
Pluto Is Peeved: An Ex-Planet Searches for Answers by Jacqueline Jules and Dave Roman (SEAGRASS PRESS)
Pluto is peeved. And who can blame him? He was once considered one of the Solar System's nine planets but was unceremoniously demoted. "Why do scientists think it is all right to change things?" Is just one question Pluto asks as he roams the science museum in search of answers.
Pluto Is Peeved , a comic-book-style picture book, takes you on a scientific journey side-by-side with Pluto, who speaks with other museum inhabitants -- such as a dinosaur, a germ, and the Earth -- and learns what exactly scientists are interested in. The answer is: everything, including him.
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