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…

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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…

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Emi Isn’t Scared of Monsters by Alina Tysoe

5 stars An absolutely adorable picture book from the creator of What’s Up, Beanie?: Acutely Relatable Comics. What a fun read. Perfect for reading aloud. Emi isn’t scared of monsters. In fact, she’s setting a trap to catch one. But when her beloved pup, Cookie, doesn’t follow the plan, her bravery is tested as she ventures…

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Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham

5 stars An absolutely beautiful time capsule of a book that captures both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments of lockdowns, quarantines, and the spread of Covid-19. Pham’s artwork perfectly captures the happiness, stress, hope, sorrow, and frustration of the time. Through empty streets, flourishing wildlife, and homebound scenes, Pham shows some of the changes to the…

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Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez, Illustrated by Jaime Kim

5 stars A gorgeous picture book with a powerful message. When the people in her life question where she’s really from, a little girl starts to question whether she belongs. She asks her wise abuelo for an answer. In beautifully illustrated spreads, he answers perfectly, asserting her belonging while also teaching her about various aspects of her…

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That’s Not My Name! by Anoosha Syed

5 stars A wonderful book with lush illustrations and a powerful message. Whether you have a name that’s deemed hard-to-pronounce by others or not, this is a great read and learning opportunity. At first, Mirha is excited for her first day of school. But when no one pronounces her name right, she feels unimportant. With…

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The Starkeeper by Faith Pray

4 stars A beautiful story with a heartfelt message. Through tiny acts of kindness that slowly spread, the world becomes less dark and lonely. I really enjoyed the progression of the story. At first, the main character relies on others to help the star shine. But then she realizes that change can start with her….

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Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers

5 stars A touching story with exceptional artwork. Follow Finn as he builds a boat and sets out to find the place of his grandfather’s stories. Taking the trip they’d always talked about going on together, Finn sees fantastic sights, travels to remarkable places, and deals with the loss of his grandfather. The Fan Brothers…

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