Title: Angela’s Glacier
Author: Jordan Scott
Illustrator: Diana Sudyka
Publisher/Date:  Neal Porter Books (January 2, 2024)
The “gist”: Angela’s father introduced her to the Snæfellsjökull glacier when she was born and taught her through her formative years that it was a part of their life, but as her life grew busier, she forgot it was also part of her heart.
My favorite part: Usually there’s something in the plot of a book that strikes me, and the story here IS wonderful, but I can’t stop thinking about the images. My favorite colors are blues, greens and purples, and the watercolor illustrations here are just so evocative. They give an icy feel without being cold.
My response as a reader: I can’t think of any other picture books that feature Iceland and the Icelandic language so this is such a fun find. The concept is wonderful and can truly be adapted to any setting. The author has some great notes in the back and tells a story about meeting the “real” Angela in the book in a forest where she was soaking in the trees and birds. As a girl who grew up in rural Maine and has spent lots of time in forests, I feel this book.
My “take-away” as a writer: Ok, writers, let’s check the “rules” again, shall we? We do have a child protagonist, and she eventually has a problem (feeling too busy, etc.) but she doesn’t solve it herself and there’s no “rule of three.” Do I care? Nope. Carry on, readers and writers. This one works.

Title: Two Wheels
Author: David Gibb
Illustrator: Brizida Magro
Publisher/Date:  Candlewick (May 7, 2024)
The “gist”: Everyone bikes in this boy’s family, and he wants to take part, but not with a tricycle or with training wheels! It takes time and practice, but he is determined to bike on two wheels!
My favorite part: Everyone who’s learned to ride a bike knows that feeling when you look back and realize no one is holding you and you’re doing it all yourself.
My response as a reader: The illustration style evokes an earlier time — you know, when kids actually did ride bikes and dads could fix them? I know that sometimes still happens (and of course it does NOT need to be the dad!), but it’s so nice to see it raised up in a book!
My “take-away” as a writer: I love that this is told in the first person because it captures the determination and magic of wanting to learn a new skill and the pride of achieving it. It makes me wonder if this manuscript started out that way?

Title: Molly’s Tuxedo
Author: Vicki Johnson
Illustrator: Gillian Reid
Publisher/Date:  little bee books (June 27, 2023)
The “gist”: Picture day is coming, and Molly hates dresses. Can she convince her mom that her brother’s old tuxedo is actually the perfect outfit for her?
My favorite part: (Spoiler alert) I love that Molly doesn’t just sneak her tux into school — she finally does get her mom’s approval to do what makes her happy.
My response as a reader: Personally, I love dresses, but I hate the gendering of clothing. And boy am I with Molly on pockets! (Thankfully there are lots more dresses with pockets nowadays!!)
My “take-away” as a writer: I won’t be surprised if this book garners criticism from narrow-minded folks who see it as furthering a “LGBTQ+ agenda,” but that would be infuriating, because honestly, girls have been wearing pants for centuries now. Is it really that controversial to demand people be able to wear what they feel comfortable in? And honestly, this book is for all those with sensory issues, too. As a writer, I’m thankful the publishing industry is creating space for representing all types of kids.

Title: You’re going to LOVE this book!
Author: Jory John
Illustrator: Olivier Tallec
Publisher/Date:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (March 12, 2024)
The “gist”: The narrator insists readers will love this book because it contains all the things kids love: such as homework, the dentist, chores, etc.! How can he go wrong?
My favorite part: I’ll admit I got “caught” a bit here as both a nerd and a teacher, since the beginning mentioned homework, but I never did figure out exactly what the assignment was.
My response as a reader: If you’ve followed my blog, you know I like to highlight books that break rules and that I love books that break the fourth wall! This book reminds me a bit of “The Book with No Pictures” — and since it’s by Jory John, who also wrote “The Bad Seed,” “The Good Egg,” etc., it’s got a great quirky sense of humor. Definitely envious of that!
My “take-away” as a writer: The great writer and kid-lit guru Tara Lazar has an ever-growing list on her website of “things kids like” such as cupcakes, dinosaurs, unicorns, etc. so this book is sort of the antithesis of that list, except it’s done in a fun way kids would really enjoy.

Title: AHOY!
Author/Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Publisher/Date:   Anne Schwartz Books (April 2, 2024)
The “gist”:  Father and child spend an exciting afternoon imagining themselves on a ship with the carpet, vacuum, couch, etc. all standing in for the perils of the sea.
My favorite part: Although I’ve watched a lot of pirate movies, there was even a word or two that was unfamiliar to me, so I think kids would love all the ship lingo like mizzenmast, turnbuckle (?), jib, etc.
My response as a reader: Just like with the book “Two Wheels,” this book evokes a simpler time free of social media and screens when imagination and family time were all you needed for fun.
My “take-away” as a writer: This book is told entirely through dialog, which works particularly well since Sophie Blackall is an author illustrator. But dialog-only texts can certainly be done (and I have one), they just have to keep the action foremost which this absolutely does!