Personal rating of 5 out of 5 stars
Illustrated by Hanna Cha 5 stars A stunning picture book that celebrates heritage, identity, and stories. Follow a young boy as he travels through his mother’s bedtime story to visit his grandmothers and learn their truths about dragons. A wonderful blend of Eastern and Western mythologies and a beautiful emphasis on the validity of both…
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5 stars Follow Meg and Carson through a year of humor, hijinks, pet ownership, and the occasional seriousness. A relatable collection of comics that covers seasons, holidays, family, mental health, relationships, body positivity, and everyday silliness. Wonderful artwork that is equally adorable and hilarious. The facial expressions get me every time. Throughout the humor and…
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Illustrated by Mae Waite 5 stars A poetic celebration of hula and Hawaiian culture and history. Follow a young girl’s journey to become a hula dancer, learning about her heritage, culture, folklore, and the natural world of her island home through dance. Absolutely gorgeous. The artwork is breathtaking. Each page is packed with color, emotion,…
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Translated by Amber Tamosaitis 5 stars Absolutely adorable. A nice, slow-paced story exploring human connections and overcoming past trauma. Yutaka has a hard time eating with other people. He isn’t close with his family and he finds it difficult to connect with others. But after a chance meeting with two brothers, their cooking sessions soon…
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Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita 5 stars Absolutely gorgeous. A beautiful celebration of heritage, family, nature, and the self. Told through accessible, poetic language, Doyon paints beautiful images of memories and little moments of celebration and joy, from watching a river to tasting a caramel apple, jumping in leaf piles to the marvel of a family…
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Illustrated by Bhagya Madanasinghe 5 stars Adorable, heartfelt, and delicious! Noor wants to have a samosa party with her friends, but keeps running into problems along the way. With reminders of her Dadijaan’s advice, she pushes through and puts her own unique spin on a family recipe. Such a sweet story. Great themes of perseverance,…
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Narrated by Hope Newhouse 5 stars A tree, a table, and a book. Three little tales have the unexpected power of connecting the past to the present in a whole new way. Absolutely beautiful. Sophie W. is 11 years old. Sophie G. is 88. Despite their age gap, they are best friends. When the elder…
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5 stars All Joana’s dreams are coming true. She’s secured her dream job as a potions maker in London. She makes friends, finds an apartment, and explores romantic pursuits. Everything should be perfect. But something feels off. She’s tired all the time and constantly plagued with doubt. She pushes down her emotions as best she…
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Illustrated by Geneva Bowers 5 stars A gorgeous, lush celebration of Black hair and self-confidence. Told through lyrical narration, a young girl shares some of her favorite hairstyles as she waits for her mother to reveal her latest creation. I loved the different facets expressed through different hair styles, from whimsical to majestic, mischievous to…
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5 stars Another absolutely wonderful collection from Tarpley! Little bits of warmth, encouragement, and positivity told through sweet stories featuring a delightful cast of animals. Adorable artwork. This collection features loveable favorites and brand new characters. I absolutely adore how the Cat’s Cafe world has grown. Includes stories centered around autumn, social distancing during COVID,…
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