April 2024 Prime Picks
The
Culinary Corner
Saladology
Theo Kirwan
Mitchell Beazley
9781784729158
$26.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
Saladology: Fresh Ideas for Delicious Salads
pairs lovely color
photos by Matt Russell with recipes that come from Sprout &
Co., a
Over a
hundred
recipes feature salads which move from side dishes to main dish
affairs,
offering ingredients that move far beyond the usual lettuce-centric
creation
with such creative ideas as Crispy Bombay Cauliflower; Thai Crispy
Salad with
onions, ginger, and bulgur wheat; or Peppers & Tofu with
Lime-Butter Pine
Nuts.
The heady
blend of international
influences and redefined notions of what defines a ‘salad’ make Saladology both a standout and a main
dish heartily recommended for vegetable cooks seeking to expand their
repertoire of original, creative fare.
Reviewer's Choice
The Camera
Bag
Companion
Benedict Brain
Ilex Press
9781781579299
$26.99
www.ilex.press
The Camera Bag Companion: Your Personal Photography
Tutor joins a
host of camera how-to guides on the market—but with a major difference.
Yes, it
comes from an award-winning photographer; but that doesn’t mean it’s
filled
with technical confusion.
Benedict
Brain’s
purpose is to provide easy access to tips, tricks, and keys to success
that the
professionals use. His tips cover the latest camera technology, from
smartphones to HDR photography, smoothing the gap between professional
and
novice picture-takers.
No
collection or
aspiring photographer should be without The
Camera Bag Companion. Above and beyond other introductions,
it should be
pulled from or added to one’s camera bag first.
Food and
Freedom
Sue Van Raes
New World
9781608688748
$21.95
www.newworldlibrary.com
Food and Freedom: Discover Your Personal Recipe to
Eat, Think, and Live
Well comes from a functional nutritionist and food psychology
specialist. Sue Van Raes maintains that relationships with food are changing, leading
to
biochemical-level changes in food choices, digestion, and spiritual
connection.
From how to
identify
and align personal biochemistry and body cycles to make better food
choices to
linking states of mind to food’s impact, Food
and Freedom advocates far more than dietary changes. It draws
important
connections between food and symptoms of ‘food stress’ that will prove
enlightening to many.
Health
libraries,
self-help collections, and readers interested in nutrition’s
bigger-picture
thinking will welcome Food and Freedom’s
outstanding, thought-provoking connections.
Young Adult/Children
Candlewick
Press
www.candlewick.com
Susannah
Buhrman-Deever’s Before the Seed
(9781536226577, $18.99) receives gorgeous illustration by Gina Triplett
and
Matt Curtius, providing picture book readers with a sense of discovery
on what
happens before seeds become plants.
Facts about
plant
propagation, pollen, the animals that move pollen between flowers, and
how
plants interact with and reward pollinators contribute to a lively
presentation
filled with facts. These pair nicely with vivid, colorful pictures of
birds and
flowers.
The survey
stands
above many other similar tales of botanical discovery for young readers.
Michelle
Knudson’s Luigi the Spider Who Wanted to Be a
Kitten (9781536219111,
$18.99) is illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. It is the fine story of a big,
hairy
spider who takes refuge in a nice, dark house, only to find that a
mysterious
benefactor thinks he’s a kitten.
He’s pretty
sure he’s
not. But how can he resist the treats and affection a kitten enjoys,
over a
spider’s typical life?
Appealing
drawings by
Kevin Hawkes brings this whimsical picture book tale to life in a way
many a
read-aloud adult will relish for its originality and fun.
Both are
excellent
library choices.
Wm. B.
Eerdmans
www.eerdmans.com
Two new
picture books
provide young readers with inviting stories that lend especially well
to
adult/child discussions.
J. Bradley
Wigger’s Thank You, God
(9780802856265, $10.99)
will attract the attention of young picture book enthusiasts up to age
4 with a
warm, lyrical celebration of God’s goodness in daily life.
This review,
illustrated by Jago, points out life attractions that can lead to
gratitude and
thanks. It links daily life with the feeling that God’s goodness is
reflected
in all the good things, from a cozy home to rain.
Isabelle
Simler’s Home (9780802856203,
$18.99) will reach
picture book audiences ages 5-9 with a poetic journey through animal
homes
around the world.
Vineet Lal
translates
this celebration from the French, making accessible Simler’s
illustrations and
lovely contrasts of different animal abodes, from the ‘lace citadel’ of
the
cross orbweaver spider to the ‘mossy miniature home’ of the hummingbird.
Natural
history meets
first-person description and gorgeous drawings, imparting not just a
lyrical
and warm welcome into the animal world, but facts about animal orders,
families, and science.
Both are
exceptional
standouts.
The Egg
Incident
Ziggy Hanaor and
Daisy Wynter
Cicada Books Ltd.
9781800660434
$19.99
www.cicadabooks.co.uk
The Egg Incident tells of Humphrey, an
egg who winds up in trouble.
It assumes the format and presentation of a graphic novel for the very
young as
show-off Humphrey demonstrates skills; any one of which could land him
in
trouble.
His
encounter with
Princess Jean introduces further conundrums in the egg’s life as
Humphrey faces
disasters and longs to go home.
This
hilarious story will
have young egg appreciators laughing and enjoying Humphrey’s mishaps
and
adventures.
Floris Books
www.florisbooks.co.uk
Lovely
stories for
elementary-level picture book audiences mark the latest releases from
Floris
Books.
Dawn Casey
and Stella
Lim’s The Bumblebee Garden
(97811782508625, $18.95) follows young Ben as he spots a bumblebee in
his
garden and learns about its changes throughout the seasons.
Lovely color
illustrations (full-sized, on facing pages) marry text with imagery as
bumblebees are appreciated and explored by Ben and his Grandpa, who
bond over their
shared wonder.
Cecilia
Heikkilä’s
Finding the Way to Faraway Valley
(9781782508540, $17.95) tells of a little bear who asks his Grandpa
about the
postcard of
This sparks
the goal
of sharing a long journey, during which grandfather and child study up
on their
beautiful destination and wonder, together, if it will truly be as
enchanting
as the postcard.
Nature and
wilderness
appreciation is embedded in this gentle tale of appreciation and wonder.
Both will
find active
patron interest in libraries interested in appealing stories that hold
the
potential for intergenerational interactions.
Nosy Crow
www.nosycrow.com
Nosy Crow
presents
picture books that are standouts highly recommended for
elementary-level
readers.
Laura Mucha
and Ed
Smith pen Welcome to Our Table: A
Celebration of What Children Eat All Around the World
(9788887770185,
$21.99). Harriet Lynas adds colorful illustrations to accent facts,
phrases,
insights on culture and food habits around the world, reviewing
traditions
which are food-based and interesting (such as the chapter ‘Pickles and
Ferments:
Do You Know What Sour Tastes Like?’).
In-depth
detail about
food textures, tastes, and cultural appreciation differences create
understanding while providing many facts for educational enlightenment.
Katrina
Charman’s Hen in the Bed
(979888770451, $17.99)
comes with a free audiobook opportunity, receives vivid illustrations
by
Guilherme Karsten, and includes a whimsical counting lesson for kids.
It opens
with 10 hens in a bed and follows how they roll over, flop, tumble out
of bed,
and interact.
As the bed
empties of
hens, readers enjoy and learn from a progressive countdown. Action
flaps
encourage interactive learning.
Both are
original,
creative productions highly recommended for library acquisition.
The
Observologist
Giselle Clarkson
Gecko Press
9781776575190
$24.99
www.geckopress.com
The Observologist: A Handbook for Mounting Very
Small Scientific
Expeditions blends a fun exploration of nature with a field
guide to the
very small worlds of wonder which often go unnoticed, right under our
noses.
Giselle
Clarkson
encourages kids to identify, examine, acknowledge, and explore these
diverse
worlds, from odd insects (such as centipedes and how they differ from
millipedes) to techniques such as saving a worm in danger of being
stomped on
(which requires a special approach and dexterity), or sneaking up on a
creature
(such as a frog or a grasshopper) to observe without frightening it.
These fun
explorations encourage kids to embark on adventures in their own small
worlds. The Observologist will
appeal both to
educators and libraries looking for practical advice and whimsical fun
for
instructing kids about the power and challenges of observing nature.
The Pinchers
and the
Diamond Heist
Anders Sparring &
Per Gustavsson
Gecko Press
9781776575664
$18.99
www.geckopress.com
The Pinchers and the Diamond Heist
provides advanced elementary to
middle grade readers with a fun adventure that contains many original
elements,
from vanishing socks and dynamite to a gold diamond.
Action
flavors these
events with a sense of unexpected encounters and fun revelations as
readers
receive their adventures delivered in unpredictable scenarios:
“The difficult thing about running away from jail
is that the door’s
locked from the outside. But Grandma has a lock pick, for picking
locks.”
Elementary-level
libraries will find it easy to recommend The
Pinchers and the Diamond Heist for leisure readers seeking
something
whimsically, refreshingly different.
Quiet Night,
My
Astronaut
Oksana Lushchevska
Tilbury House
Publishers
9781668936818
$18.99
www.tilburyhouse.com
Oksana
Lushchevska’s Quiet Night, My Astronaut: The
First Days
(and Nights) of the War in
Best
employed by
adult read-aloud participants who can utilize its concepts and
opportunities
for discussion on all manner of topics,ranging from events in Ukraine
to war, Quiet Night, My Astronaut
covers life on
the front lines of war, the trauma involved in living near conflict,
the uncertainty
surrounding survival of self and home, and the hope that today (or
someday)
“there will be peace.”
The personal
perspective and enlightening words and images make for an accessible,
involving
story that should be in any elementary-level library.
Red Comet
Press
www.redcometpress.com
Two vivid
standouts
from Red Comet Press earn high marks for originality and illustration.
They
should be included in any elementary library’s collection.
Serenella
Quarello’s Extinctopedia
(9781636550725, $26.99)
enjoys captivating illustrations by Alessio Alcini, a solid translation
by
Margaret Greenan, and the distinction of the Smithsonian endorsement of
quality.
It explores species that have “left us”, from birds “Lost in the Skies”
(such
as the
Entries
simmer with
natural history insights, lively presentations, and vivid drawings.
Kaylin Melia
George
and Mae Waite work together on Aloha
Everything (9781636551128,$19.99), the magical story of a
young girl who
absorbs colorful facts and attractions in her island home.
Gorgeous
color
illustrations bring this world to life as an exploration of island
geology,
natural history, and human habits and culture intersect; from what hula
teaches
the girl, to island history and lore.
Aloha Everything’s unique appreciation of
Sleeping
Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com
New arrivals
from
Sleeping Bear Press provide picture book readers with engrossing
subjects
accented by lovely illustrations and captivating words.
Sheri M.
Bestor’s When You Go Into Nature
(9781534112896,
$18.99) will reach kids ages 4-8 with an inviting blend of natural
history and
lyrical accompaniment that draws kids into observing nature.
Sydney
Hanson
introduces early concepts of mindfulness and meditation to accompany
this foray
into nature. This approach will especially delight read-aloud adults
seeking
more than another picture book about outdoors discoveries.
From
learning to move
slowly (from the snail’s example) to lessons on teamwork (via the
bees), or
letting go (as do falling leaves), kids will benefit from a survey
steeped in
not just nature, but wisdom.
Lorna
Schultz
Nicholson’s The Girl Who Loved Poutine
(9781534113169, $18.99) explores a Canadian dish many Americans
(including
adults) might not be familiar with.
As young
Zoey
explores this traditional
Judy
Campbell-Smith’s
Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from
Around the World (9781534113084, $18.99) receives yummy,
delightful
illustrations by Lucy Semple as it explores the presence of ice cream
around
the world, from
There’s more
to the
story than ice cream varieties, however. Each country’s ice cream
habits are
accompanied by warm descriptions of family interactions and kids’
observations.
These reflect on taste, togetherness, and local history such as
The result
is a
delightful blend of history, flavors, and insights that works on
different
levels to bring young readers a fine, expansive survey.
Swallows Swirl by Christina Wilsdon
(9781534112742, $18.99)
provides ages 4-8 with a celebration of spring and barn swallows that
swirl
around, eating insects and looking for materials to build nests.
Here, one
little girl
develops a special attraction to them and follows their lives over a
year’s time,
learning their habits and relishing their presence.
Lovely
illustrations
by Jess Mason are especially delightful notes that capture swallows in
action.
Michelle
Schaub’s Leafy Landmarks: Travels With Trees
(9781534112872, $18.99) gives ages 6-10 an inviting blend of poetic and
travelogue observations of trees. It employs a range of poetic forms to
enhance
tree observations across
The facts
blend
geography, natural history, and arboreal facts in an inviting manner
supported
by Anne Lambelet’s lovely drawings. These illustrate everything from an
Arbor
Day oak planted by Morton in hopes of healing the earth to the creation
of a
cedar Wishing Tree, whose idea began in
The history
and tree
insights combine culture, nature, and bigger-picture thinking into a
presentation that moves far beyond most nature-oriented discussions of
trees to
consider their influence upon and meaning in human affairs.
All are
highly
recommended picks for elementary-level libraries seeking picture books
that
excel in creative, original subjects.
Song of the
Raven
Amanda Hall
Wisdom Tales
9781957670041
$19.95
www.wisdomtalespress.com
Song of the Raven: An Inujit Tale of Harmony With
Nature is the
lovely saga of a vanished sun, a hard life, and the efforts of ordinary
boy
Little Darkness to change everything when he decides to pick up a
strange
object.
As events
unfold,
this Inuit tale of respect for people, animals, and the natural world
teaches
kids important lessons. The boy may never have seen light before, but
holds the
ability to sing, trust in his voice, and ultimately change his world.
Attractive illustrations accompany a powerful message that should be in any picture book library where Indigenous wisdom and folktales are valued.