A close-up of a toe dipping in the water is followed by goggle adjustment, sitting on the pool edge, and finally a splash of water fountaining from the narrator’s exuberant immersion. “Under here, there is no top or bottom, no left or right—only fields of water to wander in as topsy-turvy as I like.”
Picture Book
Story Rug
Class 203 is “in a braiding CRAZE,” which poses a problem for Noah (white). “Noah has short hair. All the ponies are taken. His shoes don’t have laces.” Intrepid Ms. Morena has an idea: She cuts up a whiteboard rag, and Noah gets to braiding. “Left over center. Right over center. Left over center.”
And Then We Saw the Bag…
Two siblings return home from a weekend away with Grandpa. Their parents are happy and relaxed, which immediately unsettles the children. Mom and Dad are pleased that the clutter has been tidied and that there is a fresh smell in the home. But the siblings are suspicious. And then they see it: a big black plastic bag in the corner.
Starman: The Cosmic Voyage of David Bowie
A dazzling homage to David Bowie presents him as a traveler exploring vastly varied worlds of creative expression throughout his career as “a cosmic, celestial, musical artist.” Unlike the static sound of most musicians, Bowie “embraced change,” trying on different personas and shifting his musical style—often radically—whenever he grew restless.
Same Time, Next Week?
This offbeat and quietly tender picture book about star-gazing friends is a nocturnal ode to expectations and acceptance.
Kaleidoscope of Hope: How Butterfly Life Cycles Reflect Our World
The word “kaleidoscope” likely brings to mind symmetrical, psychedelic patterns; less commonly known is that “kaleidoscope” is also the collective noun for a group of butterflies. This fantastically illustrated account makes use of both definitions as it explores the life cycle of butterflies.
Navigating Night
Inspired by Leung’s own childhood, this story centers on a Chinese American girl who helps her father, Baba, deliver the takeout orders from their family’s Chinese restaurant. In a time before smartphones and GPS, the girl uses a notebook of addresses and a foldout map spread across her lap to navigate. On one rainy night, their dynamic plays out in a variety of impactful ways.
Silence Sounds Simple: A Day in the Life of John Cage
“Sound sorcerer” John Cage composed music, but he also made space—space to listen to what exists between the notes of a song. He delighted in and utilized ambient noise, the small sounds of everyday living, letting his audience find the sounds behind the silence. “Sounds within silence / silence in noise / music in both / life within all.”
Black Hands: Builders of Our Nation
Weatherford traces the impact of Black effort and achievement on U.S. history and culture in this powerful picture book utilizing the refrain “Black hands.”
The Blue House I Loved
“On a plot of grass off Maryland Avenue … on the east side of St. Paul, there was once a blue house that I loved.” The narrator, a Hmong refugee, recounts childhood memories big and small, describing in loving the detail the old house’s layout and the family members who lived there.