January 2024 Prime Picks
The
Culinary Corner
Coffee Art
Masterclass
Dhan Tamang
Cassell/Octopus
Publishing
9781788404648 $14.99
www.octopuspublishingusa.com
Coffee Art Masterclass: 50 Incredible Coffee Designs for the Home
Barista is for coffee lovers who always admired the artistic bent of
professional coffee house drink creators, and who wish to create homemade
coffee using the same decorative skills.
Dhan Tamang provides
a surprisingly diverse set of creative options, from images based on
surrealistic elements and art to seasonal designs, animals and birds from
nature, and more.
The color options will surprise any who associate barista art with one-dimensional shades of brown, making Coffee Art Masterclass of particular interest to coffee fans that would put the time into finishing touches. No special equipment required is an added bonus, here!
Lisa McManus and
Hannah Corwley
America's Test
Kitchen
9781954210691 $40.00
www.americastestkitchen.com
Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Owner's Manual is especially highly
recommended for cooks who don't already have their kitchens outfitted with the
latest and greatest gadgets. It will save these novices a lot of time in the
kitchen as it recommends skillets that produce predictably easy results, ice
cream makers that churn out superior blends, coffee makers that excel in
high-quality flavor, and more.
Many may be surprised
to learn that the right tool, even in a kitchen environment, will make all the
difference not only in ease, but outcomes.
Kitchen Gear is packed with expert tips on what is and is not
useful in a kitchen. It should be the first book consulted when building a
kitchen from scratch (once the walls are up).
Wok for Less
Ching-He Huang
Kyle Books/Octopus
Publishing
9781804191590 $29.99
www.octopuspublishingus.com
So many books about
Chinese, Asian, and wok cooking are on the market that one might wonder at the
need for yet another, but Wok for Less:
Budget-Friendly Asian Meals in 30 Minutes or Less is ideal for the busy
cook who always presumed that making Asian food at home was too labor-intensive
(or special-ingredient-specific) to be worth the effort.
Ching-He Huang offers
new creative ideas on how to stretch the meat and seafood in Asian dishes to
make the most of a budget, organizing dishes into cook-friendly chapters, from
Budget Chop Suey to Entertaining, Sharing & Leftover Meals.
Dishes come with
full-color photos to entice all eaters with such fare as Spicy Sweet Oyster
Sauce Prawns with Pine Nuts or Roast Hoisin Chicken Wings—all of which can be
made in a snap.
Cooks looking for
Chinese cookbooks that are appealing, different, and which put the 'quick and
budget-minded' back into the kitchen and on the table will find Wok for Less a winning choice.
Reviewer's Choice
Barking Up the Right
Tree
Dr. Ian Dunbar
New World Library
9781608687718 $29.95
www.newworldlibrary.com
Now that positive
reinforcement training is widely accepted, his new book presents yet another
diversion to traditional thinking, arguing that the typical
"reward/punishment" routines dog trainers adopt too often fail ...
and Dr. Dunbar shows why.
Readers seeking different
training choices that embrace not just new routines, but an entirely different
way of viewing behavior management in canines, will welcome Barking Up the Right Tree as a lesson in
positivity thinking and training alike.
Notes for Neuro
Navigators
Jolene Stockman
Jessica Kingsley
Publishers
9781839978685 $13.95
www.jkp.com
Notes for Neuro Navigators: The Allies' Quick-Start Guide to
Championing Neurodivergent Brains celebrates neurodiversity and champions
its development in autistic loved ones, offering caregivers, helpers, and
friends concrete information on how to support their advocacy and aid
intentions.
From strategies for
fostering personal safety and understanding triggers and breaking points to
navigating life's challenges and typical family and public challenges, Jolene
Stockman considers a host of situations, support systems, and choices. These
will prove essential for understanding and aiding neurodivergent individuals in
all kinds of situations.
Libraries catering to
readers interested in psychology, neurodivergent issues, and autism in
particular will welcome this strategy guide.
Roadside Geology of
Kansas
James S. Aber, Susan
E.W. Aber, and Michael J. Everhart
Mountain Press
Publishing
9780878427154 $26.00
www.mountain-press.com
Roadside Geology of Kansas should be on any destination traveler's
reading list, to be used as a take-along tote for those planning to explore
Kansas, who harbor an appreciation of geology.
Sixteen roads,
including all the state's scenic byways, are covered in a trip that not only
points out geologic landmarks that might otherwise be missed, but discusses the
history and influences on their making, preservation, and appearance.
Packed with inviting
glossy color photos, route suggestions, and science, Roadside Geology of Kansas is the perfect gift for any Kansas
resident and those looking to explore the state's wonders.
Young Adult/Children
Be More
Caroline Crowe and
Carlos Vélez
Floris Books
97811782508328 $17.95
www.florisbooks.co.uk
Be More: A Tail of Happiness tells of a happy dog who can find joy
even in bad smells and muddy places. His young owner, however, feels sadness
when his father leaves for work.
Can Sam transmit an
invaluable lesson to his young charge about feeling happy even when adversity
seems big?
This lovely picture
book story holds inviting lessons about adaptation and joy that read-aloud
adults will find perfect for discussions about life views and flexibility.
Brave Little Bear
Steve Small
Simon and Schuster
9781665951104 $18.99
www.simonandschuster.com
Brave Little Bear tells of a bear family waking from their long
winter nap, starting with Arlo, who is invited to follow his mother and sister
on a journey.
The only problem is:
Arlo loves his cozy winter home and doesn't want to leave the cave.
How can he be brave
when all he wants to do is nestle back into the comfort zone he's enjoyed all
winter?
Steve Small gives
readers 4-8 a lovely story about comfort, risk-taking, and discovery which will
especially serve adults seeking to raise questions about tackling new things in
life, no matter how scary they seem.
Candlewick Press
www.candlewick.com
Elementary-level
readers have a host of fine picture book choices from Candlewick's latest
arrivals, which deserve ongoing recommendation and library acquisition.
Jamie Michalak's Frank and Bean The Stinky Feet Monster
(9781536225464, $16.99) is a simple, colorful chapter book of a plan to find
the Stinky Feet Monster. Bean has all the new clothes (and a drum) and is ready
to embark on the endeavor, even though he doesn't think Frank's mission will
uncover a real monster.
As evidence comes to
light, the two make new discoveries.
Jarvis's Bear and Bird: The Stars and Other Stories
(9781536231380, $15.99) tells of best friends who don't necessarily understand
each other, but are invested in each other's happiness.
They are able to fix
each other's snafus in the four stories of a chapter book that succeeds in
outlining the facets that lend to a good friendship, which include give and
take, patience, and kind appreciation.
Adults seeking
examples of these qualities to teach kids will find this an outstanding set of
tales.
Rajani LaRocca's Masala Chai, Fast and Slow
(9781536219401, $17.99) is illustrated by Neha Rawat and tells of a fast kid
and his slow grandfather who participate in the family ritual of making chai in
different ways.
Thata's inability to
make chi one day leads Aarav to make an effort, only to find that chai-making
as not as simple as it looks. A warm story of shared experiences and different problem-solving
methods comes to light.
Joseph Coelho and 21
artist friends collaborate in Ten-Word
Tiny Tales to Inspire and Unsettle (9781536231359, $18.99), a collection of
stories only ten words long, supplemented by pictures that invite young readers
to fill in the creative blanks introduced in each story.
Adults seeking to
begin the creative writing process in the very young will appreciate the
inspirational and unexpected beginnings these stories provide.
Michael Rosen's I Am Happy! (9781536231281, $14.99) is
illustrated by Robert Starling, who provides large-size and appealing drawings
to illustrate a happy dog's joyful experiences in the world.
Kids are encouraged
to identify their own active sources of enjoyment through the eyes of this
world-hopping creature.
Ruth Whiting's Lonely Bird (9781536226188, $18.99) tells
of a small, doodled bird that comes to life with the knowledge that she is
meant to create. And so she does, crafting tales about objects and experiences to
bring a mundane household to life in a new way.
Oil paintings
accompany the inspirational story, encouraging connections between art and
seeing the world in a different way.
Leigh Hodgkinson's The Princess and the (Greedy) Pea
(9781536231328, $17.99) tells of a green pea who is so hungry, it swallows a
sprout, gobbles down an entire pie, and more.
As consumption just
leads to more hunger, the rollicking rhyme of stolen dinners and fading food
makes for a fun read-aloud that parents will especially appreciate for its
surprising blend of two classic fairy tales that enjoy new life here.
David Almond's A Way to the Stars (9781536231250,
$18.99) receives vivid illustrations by Gill Smith as it charts an uncommon
path to the stars.
Joe builds a ladder,
a tower, and even a rocket in his ongoing desire to reach the stars, with the
help of his supportive father. But when none of these efforts succeed, how can
father and son achieve their impossible goal together?
A fine story of
combined strengths evolves.
Bob Graham's The Concrete Garden (9781536233803,
$18.99) tells of the end of winter and the efforts of urban children to build a
garden feel in their concrete world via pavement and chalk.
As a temporary
masterpiece evolves, the kids find their interests and efforts results in
unexpected community ties and participation in this engaging story of shared
experiences.
All are fine picture
books, highly recommended for discriminating libraries and readers.
Dance
Unde Ian Aurora
Flowerpot Press
9781486727759 $18.99
www.flowerpotpress.com
Dance is the inviting story of Uncle Ian and friends, who travel
around the world learning about dances of different cultures.
Adults who anticipate
that the journey will mirror other books about dance will find, here, a
cross-cultural focus and examination that offers a lesson in contrasts,
complete with colorful and active illustrations by Natalia Moore.
From Brazilian samba
to Ukraine Hopak dancing, these movements translate surprisingly well into
colorful, exuberant illustrations that bring different dances to life, making
for an informative, inviting survey.
Have You Seen
Dinosaur?
David Barrow
Gecko Press
9781776575138 $18.99
www.geckopress.com
Have You Seen Dinosaur? excels in amusement, fun, and whimsy as it
invites young picture book readers to join an elephant and a boy on their
contemporary urban search for dinosaurs in the big city.
Surely, they would
reside in a museum. Or, maybe they have gone underground.
The city and its
possibilities come to life in a delightful way in this engaging story of
discovery and possibility that libraries and read-aloud adults will find
inviting.
Heavy Metal Badger
Duncan Beedie
Tiger Tales
9781664300262 $18.99
www.tigertalesbooks.com
Unfortunately, the
different instruments offer their own challenges to both learning and
expression.
How can Badger
satisfy his heavy metal music inclinations when the rest of the world is less
passionate about noise?
Duncan Beedie's
whimsical, fun saga will appeal to any aspiring young musician searching for
the perfect form of expression.
If You See a Bluebird
Bahram Rahman and
Gabrielle Grimard
Pajama Press
9781772782844 $18.95
www.pajamapress.com
If You See a Bluebird tells of young Ali, who finds safety in
America, but still misses his native (less safe) Afghanistan.
As he contrasts facets
of his old home with his new life, Ali discovers that there are differences and
novel enjoyments to be found in this strange new world.
When Ali and his Nana
spot a bluebird and he makes a wish to go home, he discovers it fulfilled in an
unexpected manner.
This lovely picture
book is a top recommendation for a wide audience of young readers and listeners
who would absorb a different message about what makes for a home.
The Mellons Build an
Eco House
Robin Jacobs
Cicada Books Ltd.
9781800660355 $16.99
www.cicadabooks.co.uk
The Mellons Build an Eco House receives inviting illustrations by
Nick Neves as it surveys the process of designing and building a home that both
meets the Mellon family needs and supports the environment.
Kids learn many
building terms, from heat pumps to solar panels, as they absorb the lessons of
designing a home and the many options and considerations involved.
Adults will find The Mellons Build an Eco House a fine
example of introducing ecological thinking and decision-making to the very
young, who normally don't receive such messages this early in their lives.
A New Day for Umwell
the Gray
Nathaniel Jenks
Tilbury House
Publishers
9780884489443 $18.95
www.tilburyhouse.com
A New Day for Umwell the Gray is a picture book following young
William, whose moods, clothing, and world are gray.
Rebecca Evans
provides inviting illustrations that capture William's moping world and what
happens to transform it when a purple-raincoated stranger enters his life to
introduce new prospects for different thinking.
Adults seeking to
install basic ideas of positivity in the young will welcome A New Day for Umwell the Gray's
encouraging nature and tone of colorful discovery as William takes steps
towards alleviating his 'boring' view of life's similarities and begins to
observe the differences in it, which change him.
Tibbles the Cat
Michal Šanda
and David Dolenský
Albatros
9788000070056 $14.95
www.albatrosbooks.com
Tibbles the Cat follows a cat's move to the other side of the
world, from his London home to his guardian's new job as a lighthouse keeper.
As he explores
Stephens Island in New Zealand and discovers its diverse plants and animals, so
young followers of the cat's adventures receive an inviting natural history of
the country which is delightful in its presentation and solid in its real
information about the country.
Young feline fans thus will enjoy a lesson couched in a travelogue adventure.