July 2018 Picture Book Recap
It's been a busy, wonderful summer break. We've traveled. We've been home bodies. We've explored our library. We've read mountains of books.
Here's what most stuck out from the JULY picture book releases that crossed my desk.
I wonder if you read and loved any of these? And I wonder which books weren't included on my list for one reason or another that definitely made it onto yours. (Be sure to share in the comments below!)
JULY 2018 Recap (selected picture books):
FOR A GENTLE REMINDER THAT WE'RE ALL A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT OUR FIRST DAY
Mae’s First Day of School by Kate Berube (ABRAMS BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS)
As Mae's first day of school approaches she decides she IS. NOT. GOING. School is scary! What if the other kids don't like her? Or what if she's the only one who doesn't know how to write? Or what if she misses her mom? Mae's anxiety only builds as she walks to school. But then she meets Rosie and Ms. Pearl. Will making new friends show her that they can conquer their fears together?
FOR BEING READY TO GREET THE WORLD ON YOUR FIRST DAY
It's Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! by Jody Jensen Shaffer and Claire Messer (BEACH LANE BOOKS)
It’s the first day of school! But is Busy Bus ready? Find out in this darling picture book that showcases the excitement and worries little ones experience as they prepare for their first day.
Today is the very first day of school! Busy Bus is excited, but he also has some first-day jitters. Will the children like him? Will he be homesick? What if he gets lost?! Luckily, bus driver Ben knows just what to do to make sure that the school year gets off to a great start.
FOR WELCOMING THE POTENTIAL OF EACH NEW DAY AND ALL OF THE EXCITING EXPERIENCES SCHOOL WILL OFFER
Hello School! by Priscilla Burris (NANCY PAULSEN BOOKS)
A diverse class of excited youngsters are about to start school and experience all its wonders! Small moments like discovering one's own cubby space and big moments like a first nature walk are all brought to life with inviting artwork. This is a great book to help familiarize children with all the activities they can expect at school, from circle time to snack time to goodbye time, all the while sharing the experiences with lots of great new friends.
FOR OBSERVING SCIENCE THROUGH THE SEASONS AND THROUGH THE CHANGES IN WEATHER
The Squirrels' Busy Year: A First Science Storybook (Science Storybooks) by Martin Jenkins and Richard Jones (CANDLEWICK)
It’s winter. It’s cold! The squirrels are digging up acorns to eat. But what will they eat in the spring, when the acorns are gone? As the bushy-tailed creatures weather snowstorms, thunderstorms, and hot summer days, this gentle story uses simple, clear language and beautiful illustrations to introduce very young readers to the seasons and the changing weather they bring. Basic questions at the end help children remember and expand on what they’ve learned, and back matter includes an index.
FOR THOSE WHO WOULD SEARCH HIGH AND LOW TO FIND A LOST FRIEND
Angel in Beijing by Belle Yang (CANDLEWICK)
In busy Beijing, New Year’s Eve firecrackers scare a stray white cat into the courtyard of a young girl. The two become fast friends, riding the girl’s bike through the city and seeing all kinds of people and things. Trrrring-trrrring! the girl chimes with her bicycle bell. Niaow-niaow! answers Kitty. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the girl and the cat watch the kites soaring above crowded, chaotic Tiananmen Square. Kitty is enthralled by the enormous, colorful dragon kite, and she leaps to catch it as it sails up into the sky — taking Kitty with it and carrying her out of sight! The girl searches the city, visiting all their favorite spots and ringing her bell along the way, but Kitty is nowhere to be found. Will the two ever be reunited? Or could another unexpected friendship be in store — for both of them?
FOR PLAYFUL OBSERVATIONS OF COLORS ALL AROUND
Vivid: Poems & Notes About Color by Julie Paschkis (HENRY HOLT AND CO.)
Playful poems and facts celebrate the colors of the rainbow in this beautiful nonfiction picture book.
Orange you sweet?
Orange you plump and juicy?
Orange you my favorite fruit?
Hey - you’re a tangerine!
B-lime-y.
With information about the science of sight and perception, pigment origins in art and textiles, colloquial expressions and word associations, there's so much to see in each vivid spread—a wonderfully sensory read.
FOR SEEING AND VALUING OTHERS FOR THE WAYS WE'RE DIFFERENT AND THE WAYS WE'RE THE SAME
Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung (HENRY HOLT AND CO.)
In the beginning, there were three colors . . .
Reds,
Yellows,
and Blues.
All special in their own ways, all living in harmony—until one day, a Red says "Reds are the best!" and starts a color kerfuffle. When the colors decide to separate, is there anything that can change their minds?
A Yellow, a Blue, and a never-before-seen color might just save the day in this inspiring book about color, tolerance, and embracing differences.
FOR A PRE-LANGUAGE LOOK AT CODE AND MUSICAL PLAY
Baby Code! Music (Girls Who Code) by Sandra Horning and Melissa Crowton (PENGUIN WORKSHOP)
It's never too early to get little ones interested in computer coding with this unique series of board books!
How do you explain coding in music to a baby? By showing how it's all around them, and how they can take part in it, of course! By using experiences common in a baby's world, like hearing a melody from a mobile or tapping on an electronic xylophone, this charming board book full of bright, colorful illustrations is the perfect introduction to coding in music for babies and their caregivers--and is sure to leave them wanting to learn more!
FOR CELEBRATING GIRLS IN SCIENCE AND RECOGNIZING WOMEN OF SCIENCE
The Dinosaur Expert (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) by Margaret Mcnamara and G. Brian Karas (SCHWARTZ & WADE)
Mr. Tiffin and his students are back in another picture book, and this time the focus is on dinosaur-loving Kimmy. During a field trip to the natural history museum, Kimmy is thrilled to share what she knows about the Stegosaurus and the Archaeopteryx and even the ginormous Titanosaurus. That changes when one of her classmates questions whether girls can be paleontologists. Kimmy starts to feel shy. What if they can't? What if no one wants to hear what she has to say? It will take some help from Mr. Tiffin--and from a famous scientist--for Kimmy to find her voice again.
Join Mr. Tiffin's class as they learn about dinosaurs big and small, feathered and scaly, winged and ocean-dwelling. And root for Kimmy, the dinosaur expert . . . who might just learn something about herself.
FOR SEEING THE WONDERS OUTSTRETCHED ACROSS OUR UNIVERSE
Tiny Little Rocket by Richard Collingridge (DAVID FICKLING BOOKS)
There's a tiny little rocket that will take you to the stars.
It only flies there once a year but zips you out past Mars.
Its fins are solid silver with a door made out of gold.
There's a cozy pilot seat inside for a person young or old.
Climb aboard for a bedtime picture book sure to appeal to every kid's sense of wonder. Young readers will love stepping into the cockpit of a wonderful rocket ship that takes them zipping through the planets, stars, and space, all the way back home to Earth and their cozy beds!
FOR SURPRISES FROM THE LEAST EXPECTED PLACES
Samurai Scarecrow: A Very Ninja Halloween by Rubin Pingk (SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS)
A young ninja and his adorable younger sister who wants to be just like him are in for the Halloween of their lives in this tender sibling story with graphic novel–inspired illustrations, Samurai style. It is Halloween, and Yukio is excited to celebrate! But whatever Yukio does, his younger sister Kashi follows. When Yukio carves a pumpkin, Kashi carves a similar one. When Yukio maps out his trick-or-treat route, Kashi maps the same one. But when Kashi goes too far, Yukio says some things he doesn’t really mean. Can Yukio make it up to his adoring little sister? Or will Yukio find tricks instead of treats on his Halloween night?
FOR EXPLORING FEARS WITH ONE OF THE MOST FEARED VILLAINS IN THE GALAXY
Star Wars: Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex (DISNEY LUCASFILM PRESS)
It's midnight and the moon is full, but Darth Vader isn't scared. OF COURSE I AM NOT SCARED. Nothing can scare Lord Vader CORRECT. Not monsters or witches or ghosts, and especially not the dark. So what is Darth Vader scared of? Read on in Adam Rex's hilarious and spooky Star Wars tale to find out YOU WILL LEARN NOTHING.
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