Sarai and the Meaning of Awesome (Sarai Gonzalez #1)

by Sarai Gonzalez and Monica Brown Illustrated by Christine Almeda 4 stars A nice, upbeat chapter book about working together, helping others, and what it means to be awesome. When she learns her grandparents will have to move from their home, Sarai Gonzalez uses her skills in baking, dance, and problem-solving to help them. I…

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Monster Hands by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan

Illustrated by Dion MBD 4 stars An adorable story of bravery, friendship, and helping others. Milo thinks there is a monster under his bed. He asks his best friend across the street for help. Luckily, Mel knows just what to do. Together, Milo and Mel use shadows to scare the monster away. Nicely written. A…

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One Cup at a Time: A Cat’s Café Collection by Gwen Tarpley

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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Someone Just Like You by Helen Docherty

Illustrated by David Roberts 3.5 stars Bright, colorful illustrations and a story that encourages empathy, kindness, and acceptance. The illustrations are wonderfully diverse, featuring characters with different skin colors, gender expressions, body types, disabilities, hair styles, and nationalities. I love how the pages mirror each other, showing the similarities among individuals, their likes and dislikes….

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Come Over to My House by Eliza Hull & Sally Rippin

Illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett 5 stars A delightful, rhyming picture book, perfect for reading aloud. Readers are invited into the homes of a variety of children to play and learn about how different families do things. From using Braille books and guide dogs to flashing doorbells to prosthetic limbs to noise-canceling headphones, this book shows…

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Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder

4 stars An energetic, rhythmic read to celebrate the human body. The simple text maintains an infectious rhythm and rhyme that is uplifting and fun. The words flow beautifully. And the detailed pictures pair wonderfully. Every character is completely unique. They vary in their skin tones, hair types, body sizes, clothing choices, and gender expressions….

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You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino

4 stars A powerful read about friendship and family with an emphasis on the continuous learning and action against prejudice, specifically racism and ableism. Nicely written. This book tackles quite a bit. From police shootings and microaggressions, to dissuading Deaf individuals from using ASL, to family making (intentional and unintentional) racist remarks. While it is…

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