In the Night Garden by Carin Berger; illus. by the authorPreschool, Primary Porter/Holiday 40 pp.7/23 9780823449866 $18.99e-book ed. 9780823455379 $11.99Berger’s (Finding Spring, rev. 1/15) soothing, rhythmic text guides readers through the wonders of a garden at night, directly addressing them in hushed tones: “If you are very patient and very...
When Rubin Plays by Gracey Zhang; illus. by the authorPrimary Orchard/Scholastic 56 pp.7/23 9781338648263 $18.99In Zhang’s (The Big Bath House, rev. 11/21) latest picture book, a young child finds freedom in creating music his own way. Enamored of his village’s youth orchestra, Rubin asks to join. As soon as he...
How to Ride a Dragonfly by Kitty Donohoe; illus. by Anne WilsdorfPrimary Schwartz/Random 40 pp.5/23 9780593175644 $18.99Library ed. 9780593175651 $21.99e-book ed. 9780593175668 $10.99In this whimsical how-to, a young child in a red dress with white polka dots follows the offstage narrator’s instructions, beginning with how to shrink: “Put a rose...
Are We There Yet? by Sven Völker; illus. by the authorPrimary Cicada 32 pp.7/23 9781800660373 $16.99As Bear wakes from his “long, long sleep,” he receives an invitation from Butterfly to join her on a journey. Where to? “All journeys have a secret destination…The journey itself is the reward,” responds Butterfly...
Bábo: A Tale of Armenian Rug-Washing Day by Astrid Kamalyan; illus. by Anait SemirdzhyanPrimary Charlesbridge 32 pp.9/23 9781623543587 $17.99e-book ed. 9781632893307 $9.99A young girl describes a beloved summertime tradition for her Armenian family. Guided by Bábo, or Grandmother, four children jump into action to “soak, soap, and wash” their treasured...
Some of These Are Snails by Carter Higgins; illus. by the author Preschool Chronicle 48 pp. 5/23 9781797220185 $15.99 Higgins’s companion to Circle Under Berry (rev. 11/21) invites an encore exploration of shapes, colors, counting, and creatures with a healthy dose of rhythmic fun and conceptual play. Two circles inhabit...
I Touched the Sun by Leah Hayes; illus. by the authorPrimary Enchanted Lion 64 pp.6/23 9781592703906 $18.95Hayes tells a tender, surreal story about a young child in awe of the sun’s warmth. Despite family members’ naysaying, the boy decides to fly up and visit the sun “by myself.” The sun...
All About Nothing by Elizabeth Rusch; illus. by Elizabeth GossPreschool, Primary Charlesbridge 32 pp.4/23 9781623543525 $17.99e-book ed. 9781632893222 $9.99Rusch’s thought-provoking text begins: “Nothing is the space around and between everything.” The presence of nothing, cued by plain white areas in the cut-paper illustrations, appears first as physical space: the gap...
The Night Tent by Landis Blair; illus. by the authorPreschool Ferguson/Holiday 40 pp.4/23 9780823450985 $18.99e-book ed. 9780823455164 $11.99Blair offers viewers a fantastical nighttime adventure. Because “Watson wasn’t sleepy,” he worries about what might be hiding under the bed or in his closet. Suddenly, a beam of light appears from beneath...