I’m having so much fun reading stacks of new picture books. Here’s what I like and love about my favorites. I hope it’ll help you add tons of awesome books to your must-read pile. Which books are you most excited to read?
If you have a new PB releasing, check out how I’ll consider it for a future PB Buzz at the bottom of this post. 🙂
I hotlinked the covers to Goodreads, so you can easily search for your favorites in various stores and in some libraries.
In addition to discovering amazing new books, you can also enter to win prizes! If you’re a teacher, media specialist or parent and win a critique prize, I’d be happy to try to hook you up with a Zoom chat with a book reading and Q&A instead.
A Flood of Kindness by Ellen Leventhal, Blythe Russo (Illustrations)
“The night the river jumped its banks, everything changed.” So begins A Flood of Kindness, a poignant picture book that addresses grief and loss and demonstrates how kindness can bring hope. Written in spare prose and told from an intimate first-person point of view, the story follows Charlotte, a young girl who watches floodwaters rise in her home and is forced to evacuate to a shelter with her parents. Kind people she doesn’t know give her food, socks and shoes to keep her feet warm, and a place to sleep. As Charlotte adjusts to the shelter—a strange, crowded place that is not home—she grapples with feelings of anger and sadness. But as the days go by, Charlotte starts to realize how grateful she is for the things that she does have—her parents, a cot to sleep on, food to eat—and starts looking for ways to help others in the shelter.
All children deal with sadness and loss in some way, whether it stems from a natural disaster, the death of a pet, or moving to a new place. A Flood of Kindness acknowledges those difficult feelings and helps readers process them in a healthy way. Children will be encouraged to be kind to those who need a friend and to help others in whatever way they can, no matter how small.
This is such a powerful book. It takes the heartbreaking situation of a flood and shows how people help each other through a difficult time. How even someone small can make a huge difference.
I’m still tearing up…this story will not only help those going through a tough time, but also show the world how powerful kindness can be.
I fell in love with this story when the manuscript was a finalist in the PBParty contest I host and knew it needed to be shared with the world. Here’s a link to the Success Story for it…you can read the query that worked and how the author’s personal experiences made this story come alive. I’m so glad this much-needed book is out in the world!
Freaky, Funky Fish : Odd Facts about Fascinating Fish by Debra Kempf Shumaker
Claire Powell (Illustrations)
From zapping, stinging, even singing, to playing dead or having a see-through head, discover the interesting things different fish do to survive in this delightful non-fiction picture book.
Fish have fins and gills and tails. All fish swim and most have scales. But not all fish act or look the same. From zapping, stinging, even singing, Freaky, Funky Fish: Odd Facts about Fascinating Fish is an adorable picture book with a scientific—and child-friendly—underpinning. With examples of different fish for each description, as well as extensive backmatter explaining the fascinating science behind these variety of fish, this funky book captures the wonder of our ecosystem.
I absolutely LOVE this book! The text is short, snappy, and sings. I knew from the cover the illustrations would be amazing (I had trouble prying myself away from them to write this review). I had no idea I’d laugh my way through while learning so much about fish. Kids and adults should love meeting these amazing, incredibly surprising fish who sometimes do gross or creative things to thrive.
The freaky/funky rating system throughout is awesome. After reading this book, I need to see fish sing and dance. So cool! The back matter is full of fascinating facts that build on all the kinds of fish we meet.
Dancing in Thatha’s Footsteps by Srividhya Venkat, Kavita Ramchandran (Illustrations)
On Sundays, Varun has his karate lesson, and his sister Varsha heads to dance school with their grandfather. One weekend, Varun reluctantly accompanies his sister to her lesson. Bored of waiting, he peeks into the classroom, and almost immediately, he is fascinated by the rhythm and grace of bharatanatyam, a dance from India that Varsha is learning to perfect. Varun tries a few moves at home in secret because…well, boys don’t dance, do they? His grandfather is not so sure. Will Thatha be able to convince Varun to dance in his footsteps?
A heartwarming picture book about an intergenerational Indian-American family discovering a shared love for bharatanatyam, an ancient classical dance form that continues to fascinate young dancers across the globe.
What a sweet and inspiring story for two children and their grandpa that shows dance is for everyone. I loved learning about bharatanatyam, a dance from India…and how Varun saw/heard dance everywhere. The text and illustrations made the dance come alive. I’d love to see it in person!
I Want a Boat! by Liz Garton Scanlon, Kevan Atteberry (Illustrations)
A box is never just a box when you have a vivid imagination and a couple stuffed animal friends to join you on a fantastic ocean voyage.
I have a box,
I want a boat.
With nothing but spare text and a bright imagination, I Want a Boat! follows a girl as she finds a way to transform a plain old box in an ordinary room into a magical sailboat, complete with a rudder, sail, and anchor. She and her stuffed-animal friends take to the high seas, encounter raging storms, and make it to dry land, just in time for supper.
Award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon’s sprightly text and candy-colored, kid-friendly illustrations by Kevan Atteberry (Ghost Cat, Dear Beast) make this a perfect read-aloud for the youngest child.
Such a sweet dive into imagination. I love the illustrations—especially the expressions on the adorable stuffed animals. It ends with the perfect surprise twist. It’s amazing how much this book says with sparse text that encourages imaginations to soar.
30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag by Amanda Davis, Sally Wern Comport (Illustrations)
Discover the inspiring story of the American flag that flew over Ground Zero, traveled across all fifty states as it was repaired, and returned to New York as a restored symbol of unity.
In the days following September 11th, a 30-foot American flag hung torn and tattered at 90 West Street, across from Ground Zero. A few weeks later, the flag was taken down by a construction crew and tucked away in storage, where it stayed for nearly seven years.
The flag was brought out of storage in 2008 when the New York Says Thank You Foundation headed to Greensburg, Kansas, a town nearly destroyed by a tornado. NYSTY brought the flag with them, sparking a grassroots restoration effort that traveled over 120,000 miles across all fifty states, bringing together thousands of people, and helping America heal and rebuild . . . hand by hand, thread by thread, one stitch at a time.
This book is the story of that journey, a journey that ended at the opening of the National September 11 Museum, where the flag remains today. Along the way, the flag was restored using pieces of retired flags from every state—including a piece of the flag that Abraham Lincoln was laid on after he was shot at Ford’s Theater and threads from the original Star-Spangled Banner flag, which flew at Fort McHenry in the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem. The pieces and threads were stitched in by military veterans, first responders, educators, students, community-service heroes, and family members of 9/11 victims, among others. At each stop, communities came together to remember, to heal, and to unite.
Such a powerful and much-needed story. I love how kid-friendly the text is while showing the impact of 9/11. It follows our flag as it waved, faded, tattered…then traveled around America as heartfelt stitches turned it back into a symbol of hope and strength. I had no idea how many hands and hearts brought new life into our 9/11 flag, and hope everyone discovers this incredible story. It gives me chills every time I read it!
Rat Fair by Leah Rose Kessler, Cleonique Hilsaca (Illustrations)
A nearly-wordless picture book about a group of rats who mix up a sign for an Art Fair, and instead create a jolly Rat Fair. A compassionate young boy steps up to save them from the humans who would sweep their festivities away.
When a group of industrious, fun-loving rats find letters fallen from an Art Fair sign, they put the sign back together—with one small adjustment—and get to work creating a spectacular RAT FAIR. Their fair is ruined when humans sweep away everything the rats have created. Undaunted, the rats switch gears and start working on their very own Rat Art Fair. As they are wrapping up their first day of the Rat Art Fair, a human child who has been following their progress from the sidelines catches them red handed, and the rats must decide if they can trust the child. A nearly wordless tale about how misunderstandings can lead to wonderful creativity.
This book says so much in only a few words. Imaginations can soar while sharing this story with children. Having the sign changed from Art Fair to Rat Fair is so creative and can inspire playing around with other words to form something fun and unique.
The rats (and their heart-shaped noses), their fair, and art are all so adorable! And I love the sweet child who helps them—and the rat’s surprise for him at the end.
Sammy the Seasick Pirate by Janelle Springer-Willms, Damien Jones (Illustrations)
Sammy can’t wait to become a pirate just like his papa. He knows how to swim in the ocean, dig for treasure, and even shoot a bow and arrow. There is just one problem . . . when Sammy is on a boat, he gets seasick! But he is determined to not let his stomach get in the way of his dreams. Inspired by the real legend of Barbados pirate Sam Hall Lord, this humorous picture book shows how one boy’s cleverness leads him to become one of the most famous pirates in history.
Such a funny book! A great combination of humor and a heartfelt quest for a son to follow in his father’s footsteps…when a HUGE obstacle gets in the way. I like that it’s inspired by the legend of Barbados pirate Sam Hall Lord.
Ciao, Sandro! by Steven Varni, Luciano Lozano (Illustrations)
Follow the adventures of a lovable Venetian dog as he explores the streets and canals of his beloved city on a special mission
Meet Sandro!
As the loyal first mate to gondolier Nicola, Sandro knows everything about his home, the beautiful city of Venice. Sandro and Nicola go everywhere together. But today, Sandro is venturing out on his own for the first time. He is on a very important secret mission!
What is Sandro up to? And what friends will he meet along the way?
This charming story from Steven Varni and Luciano Lozano follows a dog-about-town (based on a real canine!) on a journey to a heartwarming surprise—teaching young readers all about Venice as he goes! The backmatter includes a glossary of Italian words and a pronunciation guide.
I love how the adorable pup is the perfect tour guide through Venice—it was fun following his pawprints to beautiful places I’d love to visit one day. I even learned a few Italian words.
Sister Wish by Giselle Potter
A playful look at sibling love that celebrates the special bond of sisters
A little sister envies her big sister: for being so tall, for having all her grown-up teeth, for swinging so high at the playground. But it turns out her big sister admires her just as much: for being so funny, for doing her famous wiggle dance, for being her little sister!
In this heartwarming and playful story of mutual sibling appreciation, Giselle Potter perfectly reflects how we all want to be someone else sometimes—but that at the end of the day, it’s best to be exactly who we are!
This sweet book explores universal sibling love and jealousy of all the things the other can do in such a fun way. I especially love the surprise twist toward the middle—I’m still laughing from the hysterical fish and horse illustrations.
I love books that show special sibling bonds.
More Than Sunny by Shelley Johannes
Rain or shine, two siblings always find the silver lining in this joyful, shining picture-book debut
Is there anything better than a sunny day?
How about a day that’s sunny . . . and birdy?
Or breezy and buzzy?
Blue and wishy?
Cloudy and fishy?
In this enchanting, buoyant picture-book debut from Shelley Johannes, a pair of siblings find the bright side during all the seasons of a year—bringing optimism, curiosity, and wonder to each situation they encounter, no matter the weather.
Two siblings make the best of everything through the seasons with lively language and sparse text. I love the way they see the world…so creative!
Not Now, Cow by Tammi Sauer, Troy Cummings (Illustrations)
In this hilarious picture book, all of the farm animals are ready for the seasons to change—but not Cow
Rooster and his farm friends are ready for springtime play. But not Cow, who can’t seem to dress for the weather. She’s decked out in a parka and mittens as the first flowers bloom, ski-pants and a wool hat as the summer sun beats down, and a bathing suit and flip-flops when snow starts to tumble. Readers will love shouting out the catchy refrain “Not NOW, Cow!” while learning all about the seasons!
This is such a creative way for kids to learn about the seasons…and hopefully help Cow understand them, too. The characters are so cute. The sparse, bouncy text and adorable illustrations had me smiling and laughing my way through this book.
Fun, fun, fun!
Thanks so much for reading PB Buzz! And a huge thanks to everyone who generously donated a prize on the two Rafflecopters below to help celebrate all of these amazing new books. All these prizes are on this Rafflecopter (you can view them by clicking the arrow under each prize). You have the opportunity to win:
PB critique or 30 minute Zoom chat with me [Winner: Hannah Roy LaGrone]
PB critique, Zoom chat, or virtual classroom visit with Ellen Leventhal, author of A FLOOD OF KINDNESS [Winner: Sarah Meade]
PB critique (1000 words or less) from Leah Rose Kessler, author of RAT FAIR [Winner: Heather Pierce Stigall]
Zoom chat with Amanda Davis, author of 30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag [Winner: Michaela Almeida]
*Everyone can enter the giveaways on this first Rafflecopter!*
This Rafflecopter has awesome new books you can win…and is open only to those in the US.
Copy of DANCING IN THATHA’S FOOTSTEPS by Srividhya Venkat, illustrated by Kavita Ramchandran plus a signed bookplate (US only) [WINNER: Rose Cappelli]
Copy of SAMMY THE SEASICK PIRATE by Janelle Springer-Willms, illustrated by Damien Jones (US only) [Winner: Wendy Greenley]
Signed copy of RAT FAIR by Leah Rose Kessler, illustrated by Cleonique Hilsaca (US only) [Winner: Erin Cleary]
*Everything you do for the first Rafflecopter can count for this one, too. So if you leave a blog comment, you get credit on both Rafflecopters. Just click that you did it on each Rafflecopter and enjoy the extra entries.*
a Rafflecopter giveawayWinners will be shown on this post and shouted out on Twitter on Wednesday, July 7. Good luck!
I can’t wait to share more amazing books with you next month!
If you have a recently released or upcoming picture book with a publisher on the SCBWI PAL list and would like me to read and consider it for PB Buzz, click here to fill out a Google form. I’m excited to read all of your books.
*I received so many amazing picture books to consider for PB Buzz. Thank you so much!!! Before sharing my thoughts, I read them multiple times, and haven’t been able to read all of them yet (I love them so much, I keep trying to read and review more…but if I hold off any longer, the June PB Buzz would post in July, LOL.) Starting next month, I should be able to keep up with the most recent releases, and will sprinkle amazing books that released a bit earlier this year in the next few PB Buzz posts.
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