*Review* Seeking Shanti by Jesse Byrd and Sandy Kaur Gill

 

Genre: Children's 5-8 years

Published: May 30, 2023

Pages: 40

After Kavya and her family are flooded out of their home in Southeast Asia, they have to make the difficult decision to return and try to rebuild or move away from their native land.

The creators of Seeking Shanti is the same team behind the non-profit Create-Structure and Better Shelter. Over the past five years, Better Shelter has collaborated with leading UN organizations, NGOs, governmental donors and the private sector to provide shelter for the displaced due to climate crises. So far, they have provided 60,000 shelters that benefit displaced families, classrooms and health care facilities in over 60 countries.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story about a family that has to escape a big storm that mostly destroys their home. As an American from the midwest, this is not something that I can really relate to. You don't try to outrun tornadoes, and if they destroy your house, you rebuild or buy or rent somewhere else, but typically nearby. "I don't know if it even makes sense to try and rebuild here" is not a thing anyone thinks after a tornado. So this book took me into an experience that I didn't have before. It's simplistic and lacking nuance because it's a children's book, but it did help me to recognize at least some of my privilege a little bit better. 

The illustrations were gorgeous. Lots of cool colors which I'm personally drawn to, showing life and the dangers in Shanti. Considering the backlash against refugees that is so prominent in America from certain segments of society, I would absolutely be okay reading this story several times because I think it's important for people to understand different life experiences. Overall I give this book 4.85 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Jesse Byrd is an international award-winning children’s book author and the youngest NPR Board member. At 6’8”, Jesse pivoted from playing basketball at UCSB to pursue his passion for storytelling. After working at Google in Silicon Valley and later EY in Dubai as Director of Communications for Middle East and North Africa, Jesse turned all of his energy toward his deepest love: making stories for youth and families with a focus on supporting diverse creators and #own voices material. He’s written six children’s books and helped produce over 40 others as an editor, art director, and publishing consultant. Jesse is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Sandy Kaur Gill is a school teacher of Punjabi decent originally from Toronto, Ontario. Monica Paolo Rodriguez is a Puerto Rico based illustrator and animator who has created art for Scholastic, Marvel, and more.

*Review* Marina by Jesse Byrd

Genre: Children's 5-8 years

Published: March 28, 2023

Pages: 40

After Marina throws away the plastic wrapper on her sandwich, the plastic goes on a journey to disturb a series of sea creatures before, later, washing up on a beach where Marina and her family are playing. This experience is Marina’s introduction to the harmfulness of single-use plastics, lighting a spark within her to learn more and do more to help the planet.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story about a piece of plastic that was originally used to wrap a sandwich for a school lunch going on an ocean adventure before being recovered by the girl who originally threw it away. She is confused because she always throws her trash away and asks her parents about it and learns that plastic doesn't decompose, so they decide to stop using plastic for her lunches. There are additional facts about plastic and our oceans at the end of the story. 

The illustrations were bright and colorful and the pics for the plastic's ocean adventure were fun and imaginative. They'll definitely grab the attention of young children. I think this is a book with a message that most everyone should pay attention to, but I don't know that we'll ever get away from utilizing single use plastics. I wouldn't have a problem reading this book a few times though, because the message is important. Overall I give this book 4.13 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Jesse Byrd is an international award-winning children’s book author and the youngest NPR Board member. At 6’8”, Jesse pivoted from playing basketball at UCSB to pursue his passion for storytelling. After working at Google in Silicon Valley and later EY in Dubai as Director of Communications for Middle East and North Africa, Jesse turned all of his energy toward his deepest love: making stories for youth and families with a focus on supporting diverse creators and #own voices material. He’s written six children’s books and helped produce over 40 others as an editor, art director, and publishing consultant. Jesse is based in Los Angeles, CA.

*Review* I Grab the Mic by Malik Sickstein

 

Genre: Children's 5-8 years

Published: May 16, 2023

Pages: 32

I Grab the Mic is a series featuring kids and challenging scenarios, all written through the lyrical verse of a hip hop artist. In this first story, a young Black girl and her friends grapple with the nerves that comes with speaking/performing in front of a group.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a rhyming story about kids learning to overcome stage fright by remembering why they're on the stage to begin with. Some of the reasons they give for being on the stage are part of their imaginations as they are things like being the president giving the state of the union address, which as children they're not quite ready for yet. I felt like the story was a nice balance between "I'm afraid because..." and "I can do this because...", acknowledging that the fears are valid but showing that overcoming it can lead to really great things. They rhymes didn't follow the same patterns throughout. At some points they were in like consecutive couplets, in others they felt almost limericky. But even with switching up styles they flowed well. 

The illustrations were very colorful and fun, and I liked how the text flowed through the images instead of being static at the top or bottom of the pages. The characters were also pretty diverse, and it seemed to me that there was more focus on POC characters than white characters. I could read this book several times because the rhymes flowed well, it has a good message for kids, and the pics were fun. Overall I give this book 4.75 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Malik Sickstein is a psychologist, Hip-Hop Historian, proud Bison, and recording artist who co-authored the critically acclaimed YA novel “Let Me Hear a Rhyme.” He is a committee panelist for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival and is passionate about writing children’s and adult non-fiction that express life lessons. He is the product of three places, Harlem NYC (where he was born), D.C. (his second home), and the SF Bay Area (where he lives).

*Review* Don't Be a Bully, Little Tiger by Carol Roth

 

Genre: Children's 4-8 years

Published: June 27, 2023

Pages: 32

For the youngest readers just starting school or day care, a playful story that teaches how a little kindness toward others can make a big difference.

Little Tiger is excited to go to school, but he doesn’t always know how to behave. Little Tiger can be quite bossy. If he wants something, he just takes it. His unruly nature intimidates everyone around him. But when his teacher gives him a gentle tip, he realizes that small changes can make a big difference and Little Tiger discovers that treating others well can be fun!

Carol Roth tells a sensitive story about a bully who learns to be considerate and yet remains true to himself. The Iranian-American artist Rashin illustrates the scenes with bold strokes and a pastel color palette.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is the story of a young tiger who is so excited to go to school, but he doesn't understand how to play and share with others. He expects to get everything he wants, and because he's a predator and his classmates are mostly prey animals, he gets what he wants (because he's just bigger and stronger I'm sure). But he soon realizes that even though he's always getting what he wants, he's sad because no one wants to play with him anymore. A bit of advice from the teacher leads to a major change in his behavior and his happiness. 

The illustrations felt kind of basic, using just a few colors for everything, like every character had some of the teal-blue color as part of their body or clothing. They kind of gave me Richard Scarry book vibes. The message in this book is definitely one that children, especially only children (probably) could definitely benefit from, so I'd be okay to read it a few times, but I personally wouldn't want to read it a whole lot. Overall I give this book 3.68 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Carol Roth has always loved writing. Carol’s many wonderful books include The Little School Bus, Who Will Tuck Me in Tonight?, Five Little Ducklings Go to School, and Hold Your Temper, Tiger! Her books have won a Children’s Choice Book Award (2005), the Missouri Building Block Award for Best Picture Book (2003), and the Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media Award for Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Books (1999). Carol lives in New Jersey (USA) with her husband, Mark.

Rashin Kheiriyeh was born in Iran and now lives in Washington, DC. She is one of the most outstanding young Iranian illustrators working today. She has been awarded the Golden Apple of Bratislava and was selected for the 2013 Bologna Book Fair Illustrators Exhibit and a 2014 IBBY Honor. Among her many books are Two Parrots, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, and The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor—her first books published in the United States.

*Review* We Waited for You by Cindy Chupack

 

Genre: Children's 3-6 years

Published: July 11, 2023

Pages: 32

A perfect gift for any parent celebrating the arrival of a child. With breathtaking illustrations and a sweet rhyming text, Golden Globe and Emmy-winning screenwriter and director Cindy Chupack's debut picture book celebrates the moment a child and parent form a family.

"We waited for you.

Sometimes it seemed everybody we knew even bears at the zoo had a baby or two

but we waited for you.

We dreamed about you.

Dreamed about all the adventures we'd share once you were there

safe in our care, sweet dreams of you."

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a somewhat rhyming book about parents waiting for their kid. There aren't rhyming couplets, but the rhymes appear multiple times through what could pass as stanzas were this straight up poetry. I would have liked rhyming couplets more because they make my brain happy, but that's clearly not what the author was going for here. 

The illustrations looked almost like children's drawings and gave a strong impression that this book is geared towards parents who have experienced fertility issues. There were lots of rainbows involved. That's not an experience I had so it didn't resonate with me personally. I think regardless of what type of pregnancy journey a family has, this book would be worth several re-reads because the ultimate message is that the parents waited for exactly the children they have. Overall I give this book 4.38 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Cindy Chupack is the Emmy Award-winning writer and executive producer of such shows as Sex and the City, Modern Family, and I’m Dying Up Here. She is the author of the New York Times nonfiction bestseller The Between Boyfriends Book: A Collection of Cautiously Hopeful Essays. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Emily Hamilton is an artist & illustrator based in North Devon, UK. In addition to illustrating children’s books, Emily designs greeting cards and prints.

*Review* Butt or Face by Kari Lavelle

 

Genre: Children's 4-8 years

Published: July 11, 2023

Pages: 40

Can YOU tell a butt from a face? Discover fascinating facts about animals with this hilarious guessing game picture book!

Butt or Face offers kids a delightfully cheeky challenge: examine a close-up photo of an animal, and then guess whether you're looking at the top or the…um…bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a compete photo of the animal! Also included are factual animal details along with how these animals use camouflage or other trickery to engage with their home. Readers will discover animals like the Cuyaba dwarf frog whose backside looks like a pair of eyes, the Mary River turtle that breathes through its butt, and many more!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

I am not supposed to be the target audience for this book, but I have the mentality of a 12 year old boy so...This book was a blast for me. And I'd love to say that I picked out all the butts and all the faces, but that would be a lie and I already told you that this review would be honest. After the zoomed in photos, you find out what part of the animal you were looking at, as well as some information about the animal and why scientists believe it looks the way it does. I really think the butt or face interactivity would keep kids interested through the facts so they're going to learn some things (I did). 

The illustrations were fun even when they weren't obvious what we were looking at. It was nice seeing the full animals as well (except the spiders, I didn't have fun seeing those). I imagine this book would lose it's appeal for me after the first couple of reads because by that point I'd remember what each of the pics are, but I think a kid would want to read it a lot because when else are Mom and Dad going to let you talk about butts all willy nilly? Overall I give this book 4.96 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Kari Lavelle is the author of We Move the World (HarperCollins) and Butt Or Face? (Sourcebooks 2023). She has always had a love of words: as a kid reading books, as a speech pathologist helping children communicate, and now as a writer creating stories. She lives in Austin, Texas with her human family and their dog, Dobby. Learn more about Kari and her books at karilavelle.com.

*Review* Wally and the Sweet Mountain Candy Factory by Meghan E. Christensen

 

Genre: Children's 2-7 years

Published: November 11, 2019

Pages: 38

Say Hi to Wally. He is a candy maker and today--YOU ARE TOO!

Put on your candy making hat and find a conveyor belt; there is work to be done!

Stretch, roll, and sprinkle!

Wally dreams of becoming a candy maker--just like his dad, his dad's dad, and his dad's dad's dad. It's his first day of work and all is awesome, until EVERYTHING GOES OUT OF CONTROL! Who is causing the candy making chaos, and what will Wally do when he learns the identity of the unlikely culprit?

Together pick and choose from a side column of suggested questions to ask or actions to do, to create a personal story and enrich the reading experience together.

*BONUS beyond the book activities in the back, including "Wally's Wacky Taffy" personalized by popular food blogger, THE GIRL WHO ATE EVERYTHING, and your own family tree to create and spark meaningful family conversations!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is an interactive story about a boy who goes to work in his family's candy factory (it's a family business which makes it perfectly legal even though he is a child, although being a factory that may not be quite true). He is excited to work in the factory though, and who wouldn't be because candy. There are questions and prompts along the way to encourage your child to take part in the adventure of a day working in a candy factory. 

I wish I could talk about the illustrations, but my version of the book from Netgalley didn't have them. All I got was the words so I don't know what to expect on that front unfortunately. My mind filled in the blanks with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory type images, because candy. As far as rereads go, this one would be a mixed bag. The story was fairly fun, but I could see the reading taking increasingly longer times as kids get more and more into the prompts, potentially using it to delay things like bedtime. Overall I give the book 3.46 out of 5 stars since I didn't get to see the illustrations. - Katie 

Amazon

Meghan Christensen finds great joy in reading to her three children. She can often be found with a full lap, behind piles of picture books, reading to the little members of her captivated audience. Meghan and her family live in Ohio. This is her first children's book.