Kevin’s Kwanzaa by Lisa Bullard

Illustrated by Constanza Basaluzzo 3 stars A nice introduction to the celebration of Kwanzaa. Told in four short chapters, this picture book goes through some of the basics of preparing and celebrating. This includes decorating a unity cup, enacting the seven principles, and setting up the candles and lighting them over seven days. It also…

Read More

My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee

5 stars What an adventure. It starts with tragedy then blooms into something magnificent. Mystery, adventure, secrets, feuds, and an agency bent on chaos. I want more of this world! Beautiful, imaginative artwork, which I’ve come to expect from Yee by now. She never disappoints. I absolutely loved Walteranne Hakim Whimsy’s character design and Safia…

Read More

Our Day of the Dead Celebration by Ana Aranda

5 stars For more bookish thoughts, see my blog: Craft-Cycle A delightful picture book depicting a family’s Day of the Dead celebration. There is so much joy packed into each page. It goes through various traditions such as making alters, decorating sugar skulls, writing poems, and sharing stories. With each task, the connection to family…

Read More

The Tin Forest by Helen Ward

Illustrated by Wayne Anderson 5 stars A wonderful book with a sweet story of hope and imagination. Ward’s lyrical text tells the tale of a man who lives alone in a place filled with waste. Each night he dreams of a tropical forest swarming with life, but each morning he awakes to the world of…

Read More

Holi Hai! by Chitra Soundar, Illustrated by Darshika Varma

5 stars A wonderful story to celebrate Holi. At first, Gauri is excited to celebrate with her family and welcome spring with colorful gulal. But when she doesn’t get her favorite color, her excitement turns to anger. A great story with an emphasis on forgiveness, acceptance, new beginnings, and love. The book shares various aspects…

Read More

The Terribles: Welcome to Stubtoe Elementary (The Terribles #1) by Travis Nichols

3 stars A hilarious collection of interconnected stories, comics, and infographics. Perfect for fans of anything Dav Pilkey and Mo O’Hara‘s My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish series. Venture to Creep’s Cove and meet the students of Stubtoe Elementary. From Frankie, the fringe scientist, to Quade, the politest sasquatch you’ll ever meet, to Lizzie the reptilian kaiju with anger problems, and…

Read More

The Wanderer by Peter Van den Ende

4 stars A wonderful and fantastical journey through dark and light, kindness and maliciousness, familiar and strange, hopeful and bleak, all to find the way home. This beautiful wordless art book is packed with detail and imagination. A real treat to explore the imagined worlds, meet fascinating creatures, and find friends and foes. Definitely worth…

Read More

Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai, Illustrated by Kerascoët

5 stars A powerful and inspiring picture book recounting Malala Yousafzai’s activism for education for all. The illustrations perfectly match the tone of the author’s words. They show the hardships in the environment but also the beauty of change and the power of people coming together. The story itself gives some of the basic details…

Read More