Agent Unicorn by Jenny Alvarado

3 stars A cute comic-style picture book about a unicorn that longs to be a special agent. The artwork was really cute. I loved the color palette. The story itself was fine. Unicorn is a real jerk for most of the book, but kind of learns a lesson at the end. There is some nice…

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A Little Like Magic by Sarah Kurpiel

5 stars An utterly stunning story of art, beauty, and permanence. The narrator is not happy about facing the cold weather, uncomfortable winter clothes, crowds, and an unfamiliar setting to attend the winter festival. She doesn’t see the point of making ice sculptures that are just going to melt. To make matters worse, on her…

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Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san, Vol. 1 by Honda

Translated by Amanda Haley 3 stars A humorous behind-the-scenes look at working in the manga department of a Japanese bookstore. Filled with relatable customer-service woes, Honda pulls from real-life experiences and shares a variety of interactions and issues such as out-of-stock items, staff recommendations, customer service training, and seriously awkward customer requests. The artwork is…

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Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen

3 stars Detective Beans is the best in the business. Or he likes to think so at least. One day, Beans sets out to solve the mystery of who’s leaving him encouraging notes only to discover… his detective hat is missing. Before he can solve the note-giver mystery, he must track down his hat and…

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Over the Garden Wall: Hollow Town by Celia Lowenthal

Illustrated by Jorge Monlongo 4 stars Delightfully spooky. After a series of unfortunate raft troubles, Wirt, Greg, Beatrice, and everyone’s favorite frog seek refuge in a quiet town filled with polite inhabitants. However, the longer they stay, the more sinister the town seems. Can they unlock its dark secrets, and if they do, will they…

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Old Clothes for Dinner?! by Nathalie Alonso

Illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro 4 stars A humorous picture book that explores the unique names we give certain dishes. Magaly loves her abuela’s cooking, but when she learns they’ll be eatin ropa vieja for dinner, she starts hiding her “old clothes” so they don’t end up in the pot. Delightful humor. Bright, warm illustrations….

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Blue Horses by Mary Oliver

3 stars Another beautiful collection of poems. This one didn’t resonate with me quite as strongly as the other collections I’ve read from her, but it was still a wonderful read. A nice exploration of life, nature, and relationships. Goodreads

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