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Picture Books February 2021
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Dreams for a Daughter
by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Brian Pinkney
What it's about: An award-winning team presents an evocative love letter from a Black mother to her daughter conveying messages about never giving up and knowing that her dreams will be lovingly supported from home anywhere she goes in the world.
Why read it? "This love letter from mother to daughter inspires young girls to follow their dreams, no matter what challenges life may bring. Young readers will be reminded that love and support from home will follow them as they venture out into the world."
About the author: "Since her literary debut with Juneteenth Jamboree in 1995, Carole’s books have received three Caldecott Honors, two NAACP Image Awards, an SCBWI Golden Kite Award, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor and many other honors" (from author website).
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| Don't Hug Doug (He Doesn't Like It) by Carrie Finison; illustrated by Daniel WisemanWhat it is: an upbeat and inclusive primer on consent and the various ways in which people do -- or don't -- prefer to show affection.
Starring: Doug, a kid who likes socks and rocks and chalk, and definitely likes you, but doesn't like hugs -- he'd much rather do high fives!
Want a taste? "Can you hug these people? There's only one way to find out. ASK!"
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Milo Imagines the World
by Matt de la Peña; illustrated by Christian Robinson
What it's about: Can you picture someone's life just by looking at them? That's what Milo does when he and his sister take the train to visit their mom in prison, but he soon realizes that there's more to every person than meets the eye.
Who it's for: Kids who are similarly separated from loved ones, as well as imaginative readers of all kinds will be taken with observant, bespectacled Milo in this latest collaboration from the creators of Last Stop on Market Street.
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| Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho; illustrated by Dung HoWhat it's about: After noticing how her appearance differs from her peers', a Chinese American girl finds comfort and confidence in recognizing how her eyes are beautiful just like Mama's, Amah's, and Mei-Mei's.
Read it for: poetic, affirming words, as well as sumptuous illustrations teeming with visual references to Chinese culture and mythology.
Try this next: Minh Lê's Drawn Together, another warm, fanciful story celebrating Asian identity and intergenerational bonds. |
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Laxmi's Mooch
by Shelly Anand; Illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
What happens: "Laxmi is a South Asian girl, sporting dark hair, tan skin, and tiny dark hairs above her upper lip. Her mooch, or mustache, becomes the topic of conversation one day at school, causing Laxmi to become extremely self-conscious about all of her body hair. At home, Laxmi asks her parents about her mooch; they, in return, quell Laxmi's insecurities by comparing her to other beautiful people and creatures who have hair elsewhere than their heads."
What's inside? "Mid-length text makes this story well suited to kids, whether as a read aloud or an independent read. Hindi words blend seamlessly into the dialogue, requiring no translation; however, these words also appear on the endpapers with accompanying visuals to reiterate this potentially new vocabulary" (from School Library Journal).
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Animal babies do the strangest things
by Charles Fuge
What it is: A classic children's picture book about the animal kingdom's youngest and most adorable members by the award-winning author of Bush Vark's First Day Out.
What's inside: Features unlikely pairings to demonstrate what makes different animals unique, complementing each spread with simple, laugh-out-loud rhymes.
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Splat and the new baby
by Rob Scotton
What happens: "Splat the Cat can't wait to be a big brother. So when his mom brings home a special little guest, Splat races from his room, slides down the banister, and skids across the hall, only to find his mom holding . . . a crocodile?! "
What it's about: "It's not the baby Splat was expecting, but he's determined, no matter how messy, smelly, and tricky it gets, to be the best big brother he can be!"
Series alert: Part of Scotton's Splat the Cat Series
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| Baby Animals Moving by Suzi EszterhasWhat it is: an accessible, photo-illustrated book that portrays a variety of wild animal babies in motion.
What's inside: photos of little leaping lemurs, warthog piglets running free, a sleepy sloth climbing, and many more, including bears, orangutans, otters, kangaroos, and other animal babies who are carried along by their mothers.
Further reading: Kids who love Baby Animals Moving won't want to miss Baby Animals With Their Families. |
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| Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents Live by Lita JudgeWhat it is: an overview of 26 different mammals and the dwellings they create to raise their babies.
Who it's for: Very young children can admire the expressive animal illustrations, while older picture book readers may relish the facts and examples provided in the more detailed spreads.
Further reading: Little ones who want additional cozy reads about animal homes may also enjoy Jennifer Ward's Mama Dug a Little Den or Mary Murphy's Good Night Like This. |
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| A Baby Like You by Catherine ThimmeshWhat it is: a compare-and-contrast collection of milestones -- such as eating, bathing, playing, and walking -- achieved by animal and human babies.
What's inside: Minimal text takes a backseat to adorable, diverse, up-close photographs of human infants, as well as baby foxes, hippos, lions, penguins, zebras, polar bears, and more.
Who it's for: babies who love to see themselves on the page, as well as preschoolers who can recognize the developmental stages they've already experienced. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 0-8!
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