• Donovan's Literary Services
  • Recommended Reading
  • Pick of the Month
  • Author, Author!
  • Title, Title!
  • Author Comments & Accolades
  • How to Get Reviewed
  • Recommended Resources
  • Other Services
  • About
  • Copyright and Permissions
  • Contact
Donovan's Bookshelf

August  2023 Prime Picks

 
The Culinary Corner
Reviewer's Choice
Young Adult / Children
 

The Culinary Corner

Hamlyn
www.octopusbooksusa.com 

Natalie Thomson's The Grazing Table: How to Create Beautiful Butter Boards, Food Platters & More (9780600637967, $24.99) features all kinds of food 'boards' that expand the common notion of a meat-and-cheese-based side board of snacks. 

Some sixty recipes profile various themes, from fruit platters and dessert boards to charcuterie and antipasti, providing a wealth of ideas and recipes. Color photos display how such boards can be put together to visually enhance their contents and appeal. 

The result is highly recommended as a superior, creative twist on other cookbooks that have highlighted food boards for entertaining. 

Jeremy Pang's Simple Family Feasts (9780600637776, $26.99) holds some 80 recipes for family feasting that gathers influences from across Asia. 

Color photos on facing pages enhance the appeal of such dishes as Vietnamese Coconut Pork Belly & Eggs or the Garlic Fried Rice known as 'Filipino power'. 

The term 'feast' may translate to 'effort' in a cook's mind, but another value to this book is that it makes dishes easy to produce at home and not overly time-consuming. 

With access to a good Asian market for some of the ingredients, cooks will find new ways to introduce and integrate Asian fare into a family dinner. 

Both are top recommendations. 



Reviewer's Choice 

How to Say Goodbye
Wendy MacNaughton
Bloomsbury Publishing
9781639730858             $19.00
www.bloomsbury.com

How to Say Goodbye is an illustrated guide to final moments in life, adding the watercolors of best-selling New York Times artist Wendy MacNaughton that bring to life the process of creating a positive experience for end of life. 

It teaches how to have loving conversations during these times, providing not a single path of conclusion, but a wide array of approaches to last days, from arranging space and rooms to granting final wishes. 

Poignant and practical, How to Say Goodbye should be in the library collections and minds of anyone interested in end-of-life conversations and approaches. 


I Can Hear the Cuckoo
Kiran Sidhu
Gaia/Octopus Publishing
9781856755009             $19.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com 

I Can Hear the Cuckoo: Life in the Wilds of Wales follows the experiences of author Kiran Sidhu, who left London and her life there after her mother died to enter the milieu of Cellan, a remote Welsh village. 

There, she both experienced and came to appreciate the countryside and how local people both survived in and relished the nature around them. 

The combination of philosophical reflection, nature observation, and thoughts about grief, recovery, and family that make up this journey will appeal to a wide range of readers, from those with a special interest in Wales to others who look for uplifting memoirs of discovery. 


The Little Frog's Guide to Self-Care
Maybell Eequay
Summersdale
9781837991013             $11.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com 

The Little Frog's Guide to Self-Care gathers positive affirmations and presents them from a mushroom-capped frog created by California artist Maybell Eequay, which has proven an internet icon to many followers. 

Many other books discuss self-care, but this whimsical reminder of strategies to help identify, tailor, and fine-tune self-support and emotional states of mind provides those mired in turmoil with an easy, appealing way of adapting many of these ideas without the complexity of typical self-care guides. 

Attractive and fun, The Little Frog's Guide to Self-Care is highly recommended for those in the throes of emotional and physical challenges who need these reminders couched in a light-hearted, accessible form. 


New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com 

Three new arrivals from New World Library offer delightfully educational surveys of different subjects that should appeal widely to general-interest libraries. 

Estelle Erasmus's Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published (9781608688364, $19.95) differs from the wealth of writer's 'how-to' books on the market by gathering tips and examples that can apply to all kinds of writing. 

The focus is on not just honing exceptional pieces, but getting published. Advice turns from perfecting the finer art of creative writing to understanding how to identify and pitch a piece to the appropriate place, providing an upbeat series of examples on how, exactly, to achieve the goal of publishing an outstanding work. 

Sam Horn's Talking on Eggshells: Soft Skills for Hard Conversations (9781608688494, $19.95) promotes character-reinforcing conversations and situations that contain samples of how to strongly make a point in talking under all kinds of conditions. 

From email to remote work to learning how to speak up in a more effective manner, Talking on Eggshells presents a powerful set of communication scenarios which tend to be common, educating readers about more effective ways of dealing with them. 

Any struggling with communication challenges will find this a powerful series of important lessons. 

Marc Bekoff's Dogs Demystified: An A-to-A Guide to All Things Canine (9781608688166, $19.95) comes from a scientist and dog lover who covers everything from basic dog care and behavior to best ways of training, interacting with, and overseeing a dog's life. 

Canine questions come with lovely illustrations that add visual value to a practical set of insights on dog behavior that ranges from social relationships and traits to responses and training procedures. 

Readers will appreciate all these guides not just for their practical information, but for their uniformly lively presentation. 


Radar/Octopus Publishing
www.octopuspublishing.com 

Two new books from the Radar imprint provide uplifting sagas of friendship and adventure which generate healing and soothing feelings in the reader. Both are highly recommended for general-interest libraries and for readers under the gun who would receive a comforting package of distraction and insight in the guise of adventure. 

Travis Nelson's Sigrid Rides: The Story of an Extraordinary Friendship and An Adventure on Two Wheels (9781804191149, $26.99) is the journey of a software engineer and his deaf Norwegian Forest cat Sigrid, and opens as COVID-19 shuts down his new job in London and challenges his life with lockdowns. 

During this time, Travis decided to buy a bike and explore London with his cat. Surprisingly (to him), the adventures he documented on the internet proved an unexpected attraction to a wide audience of fellow would-be adventurers who were also locked down. His posts of the pair's rides on social media drew those who would find opportunity and promise in a world of hurt. 

Any general-interest library seeing popularity in inspiring stories of cats and people journeying together will find Sigrid Rides a compelling tale. 

Suzie Fletcher's The Sun Over the Mountains: A Story of Hope, Healing and Restoration (9781804190579, $24.99) is also inspiring and uplifting, but takes a very different approach to the subject. Fletcher's weekly program 'The Repair Shop' reflects her prowess at leatherwork and fixing things, but here she reveals her life story (involving her move from England to Colorado and back again) and how she overcame many life challenges to hone both her art and her love of horses. 

Her memoir about losing loved ones (both family and pets) and moving on into life offers hope and familiar feelings to any who would absorb her spirited tale of dreams, reality, and the life that evolves in-between. 

Libraries interested in uplifting memories of discovery and recovery will welcome her words. 



Young Adult/Children

Candlewick Press
www.candlewickpress.com 

These new picture book arrivals from Candlewick feature engaging stories and illustrations that deserve prominent placement on any library bookshelf. 

Moving the Millers' Minnie Moore Mine Mansion: A True Story by Dave Eggers (9781536215885, $19.99) enjoys vivid illustrations by Júlia Sardá and joins a very select circle of books about moving buildings which are rarely evidenced for adults, much less kids. 

What does a love of pig have to do with choosing to move a large mansion? Plenty, as kids will discover in this exceptionally whimsical history that explores the whys and hows of house-moving. 

Catherine Rayner's Molly, Olive, and Dexter Play Hide-and-Seek (9781536228410, $17.99) tells of three friends who play Molly's favorite game ... the wrong way. It's up to Molly to teach her friends. Perhaps she teaches them all too well. A fun story evolves about friendship, lessons, and life. 

Tom Brenner's And Then Comes School (9781536209136, $17.99) is illustrated by Jen Hill and provides a positive, fun ode to getting ready for a new school year, whether it be for the first time or after a vacation respite. 

The story of preparations for a new school year gives kids an overview of familiar rituals for getting ready for predictable changes. 

Jaime Kim's Shy Robin and the First Day of School (9781536209297, $17.99) tells of a little hippo that can be brave at home, but is shy and scared in public. 

Her mother gives her a new purple headband for her first day at school so she can find her bravery, but Robin promptly loses it. How can she find her courage all alone? 

Lovely illustrations enhance this compelling tale of finding not just courage, but new connections. 

Oti Mabuse's Dance With Oti: The Bird Jive (9781536225006, $17.99) receives enthusiastic and colorful illustrations by Samara Hardy as it explores sparkly, fun experiences in Mrs. Oti's dance class. 

Various students exhibit different skills for getting into the dance groove when a new visitor disrupts the class and threatens to introduce chaos. Can Mrs. Oti embrace such a change? Sure, she can! 

The lively story is filled with dance steps and fun. 

I Am Hungry by Michael Rosen (9781536225105, $14.99) receives fun drawings by Robert Starling as it considers a hungry squirrel who exhibits an uncommon appetite for everything from popcorn to peas and peanuts. 

The zany story gets bigger and bigger as a squirrel's eyes prove larger than his stomach, right up to an unexpected conclusion that will keep read-aloud parents and kids entertained. 

All are exceptional picture books highly recommended for young audiences looking for original, refreshingly different reads. 


10 Cats
Emily Gravett
Boxer Books/Union Square & Co.
9781914912580             $16.99
www.boxerbooks.com 

Ten Cats profiles a family of playful kittens that have fun through number and color associations, allowing picture book readers to both enjoy a whimsical cat-filled adventure and absorb the rudiments of an early education at the same time. 

The ten cats include one white cat, two black cats, three cats with stripes, and more. 

Read-aloud parents and kids looking for feline fun will find Ten Cats a whimsical attraction perfect for beginners learning their numbers and colors. 


Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com 

Life lessons and skills are imparted in Simon and Schuster's latest picture book roundup, which encourages kids to be all they can be and are recommended for basic library inclusion. 

Salima Alikhan's I Can Be All Three (9781665901840, $18.99) is illustrated by Noor Sofi, who provides lovely, colorful embellishments to the tale of a young girl who tries to prepare for Multicultural Day at school to capture who she is and where she comes from. 

Hers is no singular pursuit, she finds, as she considers the three major cultural influences that make up who she is, and discovers how best to translate them in a way her peers can understand. 

The addition of various students who also employ unique ways to explain their heritages is lovely and understandable. 

Kaz Windness's Bitsy Bat, School Star (9781665905053, $18.99) Bitsy is a little bat with big dreams, and is ready to make new friends at school. 

There's one problem—her batty ways differ heavily from human habits. In fact, everything she is or wants to do is different from any student around her. 

A major meltdown results, and then she doesn't want anything more to do with a school in which she stands out in too many ways. It takes a wise family to not just convince her to return, but to help her arrive at a game plan for achieving friendship and connection. 

Adults can easily use Bitsy's example to illustrate kindness, perseverance, and understanding, along with other topics of problem-solving and adaptation. 

Mark Teague's We Are Going to Be Pals! (9781665911863, $18.99) tells of a rhino and egret who seemingly can't be more different in their makeup and interests. How can such disparate creatures be friends? 

A symbiotic relationship between the two contributes to connections which are unexpected and valuable for both in this engaging tale, which is based on real nature history. 

Anita Lobel's Playful Pigs from A to Z (9781534495036, $18.99) tells of 28 pigs who are ready for the day's events. 

An oinking good time evolves from an alphabet adventure that offers a fun and different way to learn ABCs, enhanced by engaging full-page illustrations and compelling actions. 

Jonny Leighton's Does a Bear Poo in the Woods? (9781665903479, $18.99) is illustrated by Mike Byrne and asks where a shy outdoor bear can poo in private. 

The woods are unexpectedly teaming with life and observers, and it seems that a large bear can find no place to hide, or poo, there. 

An engaging, unexpected problem-solving story evolves which entertains and proves thought-provoking. 

Rosemary Wells provides a fine story about kindergarten worries that Milo experiences in On the Night Before Kindergarten (9781665924894, $18.99). 

Milo falls asleep and dreams of what the school experience will bring, from showing up wearing only his red rubber boots (which earns laughter from his classmates) to runaway school buses that don't stop to pick him up at his house. 

Reality contrasts with these worries in an enchanting manner as Milo and his family learn to overcome school fears. 

Robert Quackenbush's Henry's School Days (9781534415560, $18.99) tells of Little Henry the Duck, who always seems to be in trouble at school over problems he inadvertently causes. 

As a series of mishaps and misadventures challenge Henry and those who are involved with school, Quackenbush provides a zany series of adventures that illustrate how Henry keeps getting into trouble despite the best efforts of adults to guide him. 

You Go First by Ariel Bernstein (9781665911511, $18.99) is illustrated by Marc Rosenthal and tells of good friends Cat and Duck, who look forward to playing on an extra-large slide. But, what if it's too big? 

As worries overtake fun and challenge the friendship with new experiences, Cat and Duck discover different ways to view and overcome obstacles, including their own imaginations, in this entertaining story of friends at play. 

Picture book readers ages 4-8 will find each of these stories original and engaging.