July 2021 Prime Picks
Biography & Autobiography
A Cage Full
of
Monkeys
Richard Souza
Saudade Publications
9781736759707
$14.95
www.thecadencegrp.com
A Cage Full of Monkeys is a coming-of-age
memoir that presents
Richard Souza's life in Yuba City, California during the 1940s and 50s.
It represents
a slice of cultural inspection that will appeal to anyone interested in
the
moments that influenced Souza's growth and evolution and life during
this era.
More so than
most
memoirs, Souza's ability to juxtapose a feel of the times and their
moral,
political, and social challenges with his own evolution and family
relationships makes for a captivating inspection. Descriptions are
graphic,
whether exploring early homosexual encounters or experiences with women.
The rites of
spring
and coming of age receive a compelling contrast as Richard Souza
matures and
interprets the pivot points that led to his adulthood and
self-realization.
Readers
unafraid of
graphic description will welcome the candid tone and explorations of a
boy who
navigates his changing world of childhood and accepts new possibilities
for his
future, as an adult.
Ever Fallen
in Love
Pete Shelley and
Louie Shelley
Cassell
9781788402880
$24.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
Ever Fallen in Love: The Lost Buzzcocks Tapes
is a 'must' for any
collection strong in punk rock, reviewing newly discovered recordings
by an
icon who was the lead singer of the punk band Buzzcocks.
He passed
away in
2018, and seemingly his story was lost. But newly discovered recordings
of a
series of interviews with Pete Shelley have emerged to form the
foundation of
this song-by-song review and discussion of their inspiration and the
Buzzcocks.
A basic
familiarity
with punk rock in general and the band in particular is required for a
thorough
appreciation of this memoir, which captures in detail the recordings,
musicians, song themes, and how they came to be written.
Hemingway
and Me
Jeffrey Lyons
Lyons Press
9781493055340
$21.95
www.LyonsPress.com
Hemingway and Me: Letters, Anecdotes, and Memories
of Life-Changing
Friendship is recommended for Hemingway readers and anyone
more than
lightly interested in his works, influences, and life.
This memoir
reflects on
a quarter-century-long friendship between Hemingway and Leonard Lyons
and his
family, giving insights into Hemingway's personality and leisure
pursuits, and
offering an alternative, favorable inspection of his friendships.
Having a
very
different perspective on Hemingway from a journalist and his family who
became
his friends makes for a set of insights unavailable in the usual
Hemingway
biographical study. Hemingway and Me is
an important book for those who would thoroughly understand the man's
different
nuances and friendships.
It's a key
addition
for any authoritative Hemingway collection that goes beyond most
analytical
studies to provide a more personal series of insights into the man.
The Magic
Years
Jonathan Taplin
Heyday Books
9781597145251
$28.00
www.heydaybooks.com
The Magic Years: Scenes from a Rock-and-Roll Life
comes from a man
who was the tour manager for Bob Dylan and the Band in the '60s, a
producer of
major films in the '70s, a stock executive in the '80s, and more.
This
extensive
cultural background and experience lends to a rollicking journey
through modern
times like no other: a survey of the highlights of music, Hollywood,
and media that
pairs insights into the big stars he worked with and profiles of the
cultural
changes of his times.
Music
readers and
film aficionados, in particular, will find his observations astute and
thought-provoking: "What's so
astonishing about the music Dylan and the Hawks made in the eighteen
months
they were on tour is that it prefigured punk rock."
Collections
strong in
music and film history and cultural explorations will find The Magic Years: Scenes from a Rock-and-Roll Life
vivid and
intriguing.
The
Culinary Corner
The Ayurveda
Kitchen
Anne Heigham
Aster/Hachette Book
Group
9781783253616
$24.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
The Ayurveda Kitchen offers recipes based
on a holistic healing
process, and links Ayurveda practices to culinary achievements and home
cooking.
This
involves kitchen
cleanses, special spice mixtures, vegetarian recipes, and mindfulness
exercises
that support not just the meal, but the entire process of providing
sustenance
and healing.
Readers
already
familiar with Ayurveda practices will be the best audience for this
supportive
cookbook, which moves from nurturing edible plants and understanding
different
taste sensations the body evolves to creating dishes that are
sustaining, such
as a Savoury Rice Bowl of rice, ginger, greens, and spices; or a
Butternut
Squash and Noodle Salad.
Introductions
to each
recipe discuss the special health purposes of the dish ("it helps to
keep
the respiratory tract clear by drawing out excess secretions"), making
for
a powerful synthesis of health and food choices that Ayurveda
practitioners
will find supportive and insightful.
Booze Cruise
André
Darlington
Running Press
9780762497850
$24.00
www.runningpress.com
Booze Cruise: A Tour of the World's Essential Mixed
Drinks comes
from a world traveler and drinks writer who offers a dual travelogue
and
cookbook, pairing recipes for easy drinks with discussions of some
forty
cocktail travel destinations.
André
Darlington's link between destinations and drinks goes above and beyond
most
cocktail recipe collections, choosing places and products one might not
ordinary associate with the Western image of a cocktail. One such
example is
Lebanon, where drinks include the Arak Cooler (made from cucumber,
mint, and
the anisette-flavored arak) and the Za'atar Fix (made with pomegranate
juice,
za'atar syrup and gin).
From
Shanghai in
China to Manilla in the Philippines and San Jose, Costa Rica, the
diverse range
of cocktail recipes linked with ethnic origins and the bright, colorful
photos which
support them all is sensational, creating a standout in the
usually-staid
literature of cocktail production.
Come On Over!
Elizabeth Heiskell
Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt
9780358248095
$30.00
www.hmhbooks.com
Come On Over! Southern Delicious for Every Day
& Every Occasion
will especially appeal to cooks who want to entertain by serving
comfort food
with a Southern flare, and offers recipes from a Mississippi caterer,
arranged
conveniently by type of event.
From beach
and diet
days to school and summer or party fare, each section offers a
different focus
and approach to putting a meal on the table.
Full-page
color
photos of finished dishes add attraction to recipes such as
Chili-Rubbed Pork
Shoulder, Moon Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches, White Peach Sangria, or
Pressed Ham
Sandwiches for school lunches.
Readers
interested in
Southern fare that's spiced and spruced up for both family meals and
entertainment will find Come On Over! an
appealing collection.
Sicilia
Ben Tish
Bloomsbury
9781472982759
$35.00
www.bloomsbury.com
Sicilia: A Love Letter to the Food of Sicily
not only embodies the
basic principles of the Mediterranean diet, but embraces international
influences and flavor combinations that Americans will find both
intriguingly
different and easy to duplicate at home, even if they aren't already
familiar
with Sicilian flavors.
Among the
recipes
that celebrate the inclusion of citrus and spices are a Pork, Orange
and Mint
Ragu with Fusilli; a vegetable spring Fritella filled with peas, broad
beans,
artichokes and mint; and a Lamb Tartare with Chilli, Capers, Pine Nuts
and
Mint.
Packed with
outstanding flavor combinations, easy recipes, full-page color photos,
and attractive
dishes, Sicilia is a 'must' for any
regional Italian cookbook collection and cooks looking for something
both different
and accessible.
Summersdale
www.summersdale.com
Two new
cookbooks
should be considered essential purchases for any vegan cook, and pair
recipes
with insights connecting social consciousnesses and planet-friendly
diets.
The Plant-Friendly Kitchen by Karen
Edwards (9781787836914, $11.99)
melds mindful thinking with advice on how to shop and cook with
planetary
health in mind. It promotes sustainable thinking and approaches to life
as it
surveys eco-friendly foods and preparations.
The book
includes
over thirty recipes, but its discussions of better choices,
environmental
awareness, and the link between cooking, food, and planetary
preservation are
what makes The Plant-Friendly Kitchen
especially invaluable; especially cooks new to such culinary awareness
and
choices.
Nomaste: The Mindful Plant-Based Kitchen
by Miranda Moore (9781787838192,
$17.99) is the logical second step for those newly embarking on the
vegan
journey, and presents a respectful consideration of how to produce
nourishing
food that supports well-being.
The
principles of
yoga, mindfulness, and health are incorporated into culinary choice
discussions
that include some sixty plant-base recipes.
Dishes such
as a
multi-flavored Gazpacho; fresh fruit Smoothies; and light, crispy Rice
Paper
Rolls With Alfalfa Sprouts and a peanut dipping sauce offer a fine
array of
flavors and accompanying advice on how to best enjoy them.
These are
recommended
for both vegans and newcomers to plant-based cooking.
Science, Nature & Technology
The Energy
Switch
Peter Kelly-Detwiler
Prometheus Books
9781633886667
$26.95
www.rowman.com
The Energy Switch will delight readers
interested in the
possibilities and future of various forms of energy for use in houses,
cars, or
other power needs. It provides a history of energy development and
distribution
that builds a foundation for understanding its future.
Readers
might
initially think this book a discussion of solar possibilities, but its
wider-ranging
topics also embrace electric vehicles, wind farms, and other forms of
energy.
Discussions
of
protecting energy sources, transformation processes that embrace
economic,
political, and social change, and how businesses and individuals can
understand
how power purchase agreements work and what makes energy 'clean' will
find
these topics and more in The Energy
Switch.
This book
should be
required reading for anyone who would better understand the past,
present, and
future of energy usage, sources, production, and distribution.
Falcons of
North
America, 2nd Edition
Kate Davis
Mountain Press
9780878427017
$28.00
www.mountain-press.com
This second
updated
edition of Falcons of North America
should be in the collection of anyone interested in raptors and bird
identification and natural history, and comes from a raptor advocate
whose
photographs compliment visual contributions by Nick Dunlop and Rob
Palmer.
The first
edition of
this book appeared over a decade ago, but many new studies and
advancements in
theory, discovery, and technique have evolved, since then.
Thus, this
edition's
new classifications (based on the latest DNA studies), new details of
falcon
conservation efforts, and discussions about their environment and
activities
represent major updates that will require any older editions be
replaced with
this authoritative new survey.
Keeping a
Nature
Journal, 3rd Edition
Clare Walker Leslie
Storey Publishing
9781635862287
$24.95
www.storey.com
The third
updated
edition of Keeping a Nature Journal:
Deepen Your Connection With the Natural World All Around You
is an
inspirational admonition for artists and writers to hone their nature
journaling skills, and has been fully revised to feature more
techniques for
capturing this world.
Leslie's
journal
pages, sketches, and watercolors supplement examples from her students
as she
provides a step-by-step coverage for newcomers to journaling and
nature, as
well as those who want to refine their techniques and scientific
approaches.
From how to
develop
observational skills and translate them to drawings and note-taking to
lessons
in capturing animals, plants, and nature in all its facets, Keeping a Nature Journal promotes
regular and effective journaling techniques that will reach all
ages—anyone
with an interest in observing and capturing nature.
Lizards of
the World
Mark O'Shea
Princeton University
Press
9780691198699
$29.95
www.press.princeton.edu
Lizards of the World: A Guide to Every Family
is a top
recommendation for any library interested in reptiles and herpetology,
and
comes from a professor of herpetology at the University of
Wolverhampton who
has produced numerous TV shows on snakes.
Mark
O'Shea's
in-depth natural history offers insights into the anatomy and lives of
lizards,
includes profiles of species from every family, and is packed with some
200
color photos that compliment the science.
Over 80
lizard
families and subfamilies are considered in a biological review that
will
attract not just students, but leisure browsers who will find the
colorful
photos a draw and the conservation discussions enlightening and packed
with
depth and detail.
Lizards of the World is a 'must' for any
definitive science library
and many a general-interest collection.
Reviewer's Choice
The
Borderline
Personality Disorder Workbook
Déborah
Ducasse, MD and Vérnonique
Brand-Arpon, MA
Johns Hopkins University
Press
9781421440323
$22.95
www.press.jhu.edu
The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook:
Understanding Your
Emotions, Managing Your Moods, and Forming Healthy Relationships
is an
informative, clear coverage directed to readers with borderline
personality
disorders and those who would better understand them. It uses an
interactive
workbook format to explore a therapeutic approach to managing
borderline
personality relationships and their particular brand of intensity that
is part
of daily living.
This
step-by-step
program creates the foundation of a collaborative effort between reader
and
authors, presenting strategies that promote techniques which are key to
better
handle distressing feelings and situations.
A fictional
character, Candace, navigates her own responses as an example of the
basic keys
to success in resolving everyday problems common to borderline
personality
sufferers. Her examples link real-world situations to the types of
responses
and management tactics promoted in this workbook.
The result
is a top
pick for borderline personality readers who would become more proactive
and
effective in their self-help and interaction approaches.
The Digital
Darkroom
for Photoshop & Affinity Photo
James Abbott
Ilex/Octopus
Publishing
9781781578087
$29.99
www.octopusbooks.com
The Digital Darkroom for Photoshop &
Affinity Photo is a
definitive review of photo editing, especially recommended for
photographers
who shoot in RAW, and provides newcomers to photo manipulation with all
the
basics essential for learning how to mimic darkroom professional
results using
these two programs.
Readers
receive a
guide to the software's capabilities through a series of instructions
that
serve as building blocks to absorbing the fundamentals of image
manipulation.
The
attention to
using all the tools and effects to best advantage, and the focus on
handling
RAW files to produce the best digital results, is packed with color
visuals
throughout that leave nothing to wonder about the before-and-after
possibilities of each tool and application.
Even more
importantly, The Digital Darkroom for
Photoshop & Affinity Photo assumes no prior knowledge
of either photo
manipulation or either of the programs. The focus on achieving the best
results
from these tools translates to a superior 'best practices' guide for
handling
digital images that can apply throughout a photographer's lifetime no
matter
what camera, subject, or editing program they use.
The Galaxy,
and the
Ground Within
Becky Chambers
Harper Voyageur
9780062935042
$16.99
www.harpercollins.com
Space opera
and
sci-fi fans will relish the action presented in The
Galaxy, and the Ground Within, a vivid tale of three
intergalactic strangers thrown together when a technological snafu
strands them
at the Five-Hop One-Stop, run by a hospitable alien whose purpose is to
make
strangers feel at home.
Book 4 of
the
Wayfarer's Series is especially recommended for prior fans. Billed as a
'novel', this romp through space and different worlds is
character-centered,
which means that the psychology of interactions between different
species,
genders, and realities is especially well-detailed.
The usual
trappings
of action and division are set aside for a satisfying focus on
interpersonal
revelations and transformations. This approach will especially please
sci-fi
and novel readers looking for more than one-dimensional action.
Hungry Hill
Eileen Patricia
Curran
Kinsale Press
9781736075203
$26.99
www.kinsdalepress.com
Hungry Hill is a story about newly
widowed Grace Cavanaugh, whose
world comes to a sudden halt when her husband dies during a romantic
dinner
celebration.
She abandons
their
home and her social connections to live alone in a small apartment with
their
three dogs and is in the processing of removing herself from the world
when an
elderly great aunt taps her to be a caretaker.
The trip
home brings
her full circle as Grace begins to feel a newfound purpose by helping
Maggie,
even as that milieu once again threatens to come to an end.
Eileen
Patricia
Curran excels at painting a portrait of a woman forced to re-envision
herself
and her choices in the face of devastating tragedy.
Hers is a
compelling
story of loss, recovery, and newfound connections and life purpose
which will
especially appeal to women facing their own transformations.
Moomin' It
Harriet Shearsmith
Kyle Books
9780857839527
$16.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
Moomin' It is designed to be more
appealing than your usual guide
to parenting and life. It comes from a parenting blogger of Toby and
Roo who
provides not just tips, but experiences and 'hacks' for modern
motherhood.
Presented in
a much
more chatty, lively manner than most parenting guides, Moomin'
It addresses the ironies and realities of parenting in a
readable format that considers how families interact (for better or for
worse)
and how to apply different strategies to streamline, simplify, or
support a
family's lifestyle and experiences.
From
'Playroom Hacks'
(that tell how to create a better playroom that is easier to maintain
and for
parents to use to interact with children) to getting the most out of
traveling
with kids under various conditions and creating an active life that
embraces
"me, you, and a child, too," this modern take on parenting assumes a
much more active, wider-ranging role than books about motherhood
usually achieve.
Lively
illustrations
and an active attention to exploring family life in a more inclusive,
vibrant
manner than the usual parenting guide sets Moomin'
It apart from the crowd, making it much more readable and fun
for modern parents
and parents-to-be.
Overtourism
Martha Honey &
Kelsey Frenkiel, Editors
Island Press
9781642830767
$37.00
www.islandpress.org
Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future
should be in any social
issues or travel holding as an astute discussion of sustainable tourism
issues,
and comes from the former executive director and a program manager at
the
Center for Responsible Travel.
Overtourism
was
becoming a major issue, pre-Covid. Then travel shut down. Its slow
emergence
offers an unprecedented opportunity for changes in travel approaches,
outlined
here in a practical title that considers the needs of environment,
people, and
businesses alike.
The
intersection of
travel industry special interests and promotions with the bigger
pictures of
sustainability and impact make Overtourism:
Lessons for a Better Future a concrete assessment that should
be on the
reading lists and in discussion groups of a wide audience, from
students to
those actively participating in the travel industry.
The Rock
Cycle
Kevin Honold
University of New
Mexico Press
9780826362438
$19.95
www.unmpress.com
The Rock Cycle: Essays earned the River
Teeth Literary Nonfiction
Prize and is highly recommended not just for literary collections, but
those
strong in American history and philosophy.
Kevin Honold
focuses
on the deserts of the American Southwest and adds inspections of
historical
events, literature, philosophy, and spirituality to blend memoir and
travelogue.
As Honold
examines
the history and rich themes embedded in this region, he brings to life
the
landscapes and inspiration they offer to those who consider the
region's
atmosphere and past: "We entered a
causeway that crossed a vast and stony lake bed compassed by mountains.
As we
drove, I found no landmarks near enough to confirm that I was, in fact,
a body
in motion. The truck stormed over the level earth like a wooden ship
beating
against contrary winds. Corroded obelisks of stone, wasp-waisted
megaliths, and
twisted stone pillars sprouted in the middle distances."
The Rock Cycle: Essays is a literary,
geological, and historical achievement
that should not be missed.
Sentence.
Geraldine Woods
W.W. Norton
9780393714814
$29.95
www.wwnorton.com
Sentence. A Period-to-Period Guide to Building
Better Readers and
Writers belongs in any reference collection strong in grammar
and
punctuation. It provides a lively discourse on better approaches to
usage that
will appeal to students and teachers alike.
Hundreds of
sample
sentences, arranged in categories for thematic unit teaching, accompany
ideas
for classroom applications and analysis that will help teachers connect
with
students.
Examples
taken from
works of literature are accompanied by insights into usage, rhetoric,
structure, and details on writing and rewriting that lend especially
well to
English teaching and creative writing, as well as literary analysis.
Activities
and
assignments that emerge from the examples of what makes for a
well-constructed
sentence reinforce student understanding with a lively, important
primer that
will reach high school to college grades as well as adult seeking
accessible
refresher courses in grammar and usage.
Young Adult/Children
Candlewick
Press
www.candlewick.com
Two picture
book
readers are standouts recommended for home and lending libraries alike.
Shirley
Parenteau's Bears at the Beach
(9781536208582,
$16.99) enjoys colorful drawings by David Walker as it explores the
special
challenges a family of bears faces when trying to build a sand castle
on the
beach.
A rollicking
rhyme follows
Big Brown Bear and the four little ones as they face their greatest
challenging
making their sand castle a reality against all environmental odds.
The colorful
bear
drawings capture action and fun.
Juana
Martinez-Neal's
Zonia's Rain Forest (9781536208450,
$17.99) tells of Zonia's home just outside the rain forest.
Every
morning, the
forest calls to her and provides new wonders...but one morning, the
forest's
message is disturbingly different.
The forest's
diverse
friends help Zonia see the world in new ways. Can she, in turn, help
the wider
world see what she loves about the forest?
A fine story
emerges
with an important, tender message for young picture book readers.
Disney Press
www.disneybooks.com
These
picture books will
attract leisure reader attention with evocative messages and fun tales.
Ryan T.
Higgins' The Bruce Swap
(9781368028561, $17.99)
tells of Bruce the bear, who does not like fun. Bruce faces a special
challenge
when his fun-loving cousin Kevin comes to visit, thwarting Bruce's
grumpy view
of the world with a special version of pleasure that comes to 13 Go
Away Lane.
Bruce's
mouse friends
hope that Kevin will save the day, but before that can happen, there is
a lot
to overcome.
Even though
Kevin's
worldview is certainly more appealing, can there be such a thing as too
much
fun?
Some big
words and
thoughts blend into this story (existential questions and
doppelgangers), so
parents may wish to assist the very young not only with vocabulary, but
the
delightful bigger-picture thinking which this book embraces.
Disney's
Minnie Mouse
celebrates moving in Minnie's Fixer-Upper
(9781368055895, $7.99), a board book for the very young which
explores Minnie's
first house buy.
Despite
Minnie's
enthusiasm and goal, Daisy and Cuckoo-Loca are opposed to moving from
their
apartment. The secret is out, but it's not a good one. How can Minnie
convince
them that the new house is a good move?
Parents who
read this
story aloud will find its bright illustrations compelling and fun for
the very
young.
Not Yeti
Kelly DiPucchio
Viking Penguin
9780593114070
$17.99
www.penguin.com/kids
Not Yeti is a picture book story about
monsters, rudeness, and one
very different beast, Yeti, who belays the usual image of a monster.
Yeti is
monsterious,
but he's also polite, loving, and talented. And yet, he's still alone,
his
reputation hiding his loving nature. How can Yeti overcome the stigma
of his
race to find special friends?
Ages 4-8
will
appreciate a lovely story that is made even more compelling by Claire
Keane's colorful
drawings.
The
Pepperstorm
Rafael Ordóñez
and Marisa Morea
NubeOcho
9788417673802
$15.95
www.nubeocho.com
The Pepperstorm paints a different
picture of the elephant who's
afraid of a mouse as it tells of a history which begins with mice being
afraid
of elephants.
The
pepperstorm
changed this scenario, and is the subject of a whimsical fable that
paints a
very different picture of oblivious elephants and resourceful mice
determined
to conquer their (literally) biggest fear.
The solution
that
emerges is unpredictably amusing in a story young picture book readers
and
read-aloud parents alike will relish, especially with its intriguing
embellishments.
Random House
www.randomhouse.com/kids
Three
picture book
stories are entertaining reads that will provide lasting value to
parents and
lending collections alike.
Bea Birdsong
and Lucy
Fleming's How to Spot a Best Friend
(9780593179277, $17.99) outlines the difference between a friend and a
best
friend as it provides a whimsical survey on how to find the latter.
A little
girl
determined to find her best friend at school that day pursues her dream
of
spotting the perfect prospect.
As she
achieves her
goal, youngsters receive a whimsical, pleasurable story about kindness
and what
makes for an exception chum, with illustrations providing appealing
embellishments throughout.
Nicolò
Carozzi's Brave as a Mouse
(9780593181836, $17.99) is a standout story about friendship, courage,
and
risk-taking.
It tells of
a mouse's
very bold ideas and play, contrasting the notion of a good idea versus
what
constitutes a real risk.
Carozzi's
illustrations are dark but especially compelling and artistic as a
little mouse
bites off more than he can chew and learns some important lessons in
the
process.
Michael
Whaite's 100 Cats: Cute Kitties to Count
(9780593308332, $12.99) invites young picture book readers to test
their
rudimentary counting skills with a host of cute cats and rhymes that
follow
their antics.
Parents and
kids who
like kitties will find this exploration lively, vivid, and enchanting
as very
active cats of all types embark on exciting adventures.
These
wonderful books
are recommended for personal collections and libraries alike.
Scholastic
Press
www.scholastic.com
These new
books from
Scholastic offer picture book readers excellent, exciting themes
powered by
intriguing presentations.
Sam
Wedelich's Chicken Little and the Big Bad Wolf
(9781338359008, $17.99) marries two traditional tales into a new story
as it
explores a skeptical Chicken Little's encounter with a nightmare he
didn't
believe in. As his message spreads, Chicken Little inadvertently sparks
a
barnyard revolution that prompts him to investigate the Big Bad Wolf
legend in
more detail.
Enjoyable,
simple
drawings embellish a very strong adaptation of the Big Bad Wolf/Chicken
Little classics.
Ross
Burach's The Little Butterfly That Could
(9781338615005, $17.99) is a companion to The
Very Impatient Caterpillar, yet stands nicely on its own for
newcomers
without prior familiarity with its predecessor.
Its humorous
review
of a butterfly challenged by flowers that lie beyond his flight
abilities
encourages kids to work through apparently impossible challenges in
their own
lives, even as it teaches them about butterfly migration.
Illustrations
are comical,
colorful embellishments as the little butterfly faces seemingly
insurmountable
obstacles.
Simon James
Green and
Garry Parsons's Llama Glamarama
(9781338736182, $14.99) tells of a llama's secret passion: dancing.
Larry keeps
his fun
secret until one day he discovers the Llama Glamarama, a celebration
that
encourages him to come out into the open with his talent and different
approach
to life.
A joyful,
colorful
story of self-acceptance and aptitude emerges to invite kids to embrace
and
celebrate their own unique abilities.
All are
inviting,
celebratory works about growth and discovery that kids will find both
entertaining and thought-provoking.
Simon and
Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com/kids
Simon and
Schuster's
latest publications are delightful attractions for collections seeking
superior
acquisitions.
Bear Can't Wait by Karma Wilson and Jane
Chapman (9781481459754,
$17.99) is a picture book story about a bear who is so excited about
throwing a
surprise party that he can't wait.
This causes
many
problems, some predictable and some unexpected, as Bear capitalizes on
his own
impatience to speed things up.
The
illustrations are
particularly well done and colorful, inviting kids with alluring, vivid
landscapes
and scenarios.
Kelly Leigh
Miller's I Love My Fur! (9781534478954,
$17.99)
is a picture book featuring Bigfoot, who sports a lot of fur that he's
actually
quite fond of.
Because he
loves his
appearance so much, and takes such good care of it, he imagines that
everyone
around him holds a similar view of his special features.
Imagine his
surprise
when a little fur gets to be too much! Is there ever too much of a good
thing?
The
whimsical tale
takes an unexpectedly delightful turn.
Teen readers
will
find compelling Bethany Mangle's Prepped
(9781534477506, $18.99), which tells of Becca, who grows up in a family
of
doomsday preppers in a neighborhood that encourages survivalist
training and
thinking.
For them,
doomsday is
just around the corner. They're even arranging Becca's marriage to Roy,
who is
totally immersed in this prepper world. But, are their community's
goals and
objectives real?
An accident
changes
everything and supports Becca's ideas that there is life beyond their
prepper
fanaticism, challenging Roy's certainty that his belief is the only
right
course of action.
All are
highly
recommended picks as standouts from the crowd.
Sleeping
Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com
Two new
arrivals will
delight picture book readers looking for something different, colorful,
and
discovery-oriented.
Barbara
Joosse's Lulu & Rocky in Rocky
Mountain National
Park (9781534111332, $16.99) will reach ages 4-8 with a fun
story that
takes them to the Rocky Mountains in the fourth installment of this
Lulu and
Rocky travel adventure series.
Here Rocky
and Lulu
go hiking, camping, and learn about the park and how best to explore
its
wonders without impacting them.
Renée
Graef's drawings of the two foxes and their penguin chaperone are
engaging,
providing full-page, bright embellishments that capture the park's
unique
qualities.
Nicholas
Solis's The Color Collector
(978153411`059,
$16.99) gives ages 4-8 the charming story of quiet new girl Violet, who
attracts
the attention of a fellow loner, as she is always alone and stays apart
from
her classmates.
One of them,
a boy,
notices that Violet is always picking up things from the ground...items
which
seem to hold no connection to one another What is she doing?
As the two
interact,
themes of appreciating the world in different ways, accepting
diversity, and
embarking on a friendship from shared experiences come to life; all
supported
by the lovely illustrations of Renia Mettallinou, who follows the kids
as they
move from a linear black-and-white world to one filled with color.
Both are standouts that deserve attention and acquisition.