June 2019 Prime Picks
Science, Nature & Technology
The Handbook
of Bird
Families
Jonathan Elphick
Firefly Books
9780228101192
$35.00
www.fireflybooks.com
The Handbook of Bird Families surveys
birds around the world, considering
new classification changes to each of their orders as it covers their
behavior
and natural history.
Photos from
wildlife
photographer David Tipling and others accompany discussions that
represent a
complete update to and adaptation from Elphick's 2014 World
of Birds, pairing fact boxes and in-depth discussions of
orders with notes on bird appearance, habits, ranges, and differing
approaches
to obtaining food.
The Handbook of Bird Families is a lovely
survey of bird families
that belongs in any basic natural history collection, whether for
neo-professionals or newcomers to birding.
Young Adult/Childrens
Candlewick
Press
www.candlewick.com
Three new
picture
book titles are top recommendations for young readers seeking fun
drawings and
vivid stories, and are recommended for both read-aloud parents and
libraries
catering to them.
Meg
McKinlay's Let Me Sleep, Sheep!
(9781536205473,
$15.99) is illustrated by Leila Rudge, who tells of sleepless Amos. He
counts
sheep to get to sleep until suddenly there's a thud, and one lands in
his
bedroom.
It turns out
that
counting sheep holds an unexpected side effect with many complications
for not
just getting to sleep, but managing the impact of too many sheep and
rules
about counting them.
A fun story
evolves,
holding quite a different perspective than the usual bedtime tale.
Tania de
Regil's A New Home (9781536201932,
$16.99) tells
of moves to a new home which is completely unlike the old one.
A boy and a
girl
trade voices and experiences as they share stories about moving from
New York
City to Mexico City. Each explores fears and impressions of their new
home, and
each provides a different perspective on these old and new environments
that
encourages kids to think about the positive aspects of a move and
facing unfamiliar
territory.
Joyce
Dunbar's Grumpy Duck
(9781536204247, $16.99) is
illustrated by Petr Horáček and tells of a duck who is in a
very grumpy mood indeed.
The pond is
dry, and
she resists participating in other creatures' activities because she's
in such
a bad mood that everything seems pointless, dull, or awful.
How can her
friends
make her feel better when she resists all efforts to have fun?
A positive
story
evolves, with a not-so-subtle message for grumpy kids.
Lottie
& Walter
Anna Walker
Clarion Books
9781328470386
$17.99
www.hmhco.com
Lottie & Walter tells of Lottie,
who has a problem. She is
afraid to go to her swim class at the pool because she believes there's
a shark
in the water that has its hungry eye on her, specifically.
She's
stymied every
week until newcomer Walter appears and strikes up a friendship with
her. But
Walter isn't your ordinary friend, and his special skills may help
Lottie
overcome her fear, at last.
An
unexpectedly fun
tale evolves, holding a surprise not just for Lottie, but her young
fans.
The New
Neighbors
Sarah McIntyre
Penguin
9781524789961
$17.99
www.penguin.com/youngreaders
The New Neighbors tells of bunnies who
are excited about the new
neighbors who have moved into their building. But, the new neighbors
are rats!
The bunnies
are happy
about the news, but other residents aren't so sure that having neighbor
rats is
a good thing. As the bunny building residents hop and trot around the
building
spreading news, enthusiasm, and some degree of trepidation, kids
receive a fun
story of prejudice and speculation that gives message about
over-thinking a new
situation and different folk.
Parental
read-aloud
will help reinforce the message of the story and will help beginning
readers
navigate this fun tale of discovery.
Simon
& Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Three new
books will
appeal to libraries interested in attracting young adults and kids with
inviting reads.
Christian
Robinson's Another (9781534421677,
$17.99) comes
from an author and illustrator who encourages kids to view the world
differently, from other perspectives and viewpoints.
It's an
artistic
wordless picture book that features cats and a little girl who
literally turn
their worlds upside down by viewing life in an entirely different
manner, encouraging
kids and read-aloud parents to consider how changing viewpoints changes
the
world.
Young adults
receive
two teen reads which are standouts.
Peternelle
van
Arsdale's The Cold is in Her Bones
(9781481488440, $18.99) tells of Milla, whose world has been limited to
her
family's farm. She's not even allowed to travel to the local village,
and her
sole friend is her sibling.
When an
outsider,
Iris, comes to stay with them, it's a big revelation to Milla;
especially when
it's revealed that the local village is cursed by a demon who seems to
have
Iris in its sights.
This
involving story creates
a gripping read about friendship, loneliness, and a monstrous threat
that turns
out to be something far different in nature, in a saga that is hard to
put
down.
Kathi
Appelt's Angel Thieves
(9781442421097, $18.99)
will reach ages 14 and older with the story of teenager Cade, who is an
angel
thief. Under the direction of an antique store owner who gives Cade and
his
father free rent, Cade is instructed to steal marble angels from
graveyards.
When one
such angel
promises to prove particularly fruitful if it can be located, Cade
finds
himself on a mission that carries him into a very different world that
holds
meaning not only for the past, but his future.
All are
exceptional
reads.
Sleeping
Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com
Three new
picture
books for kids are recommended picks and deserve a spot in any
collection
seeking original, strong blends of appealing drawings and solid stories.
Board book
fans
receive Jennifer Sattler's Oink-Oink!
Moo! Cock-a-Doodle-Doo! (9781585363919, $7.99), featuring
nine crazy
animals who introduce basic animal sounds for kids. As the animals make
sounds
even while performing impossible routines (such as a dog riding a
bike), kids
will appreciate the fun survey.
Eve
Bunting's Little Yellow Truck
(9781585364077,
$16.99) tells of a little truck who feels he's not being assigned
meaningful
tasks compared to the larger trucks in the lumberyard.
Can Little
Yellow
Truck find something purposeful in his life?
This fun
story of
belonging and value receives colorful illustrations by Kevin Zimmer
which will
be reminiscent of the Cars animated
movies, appealing to a wide audience of young vehicle enthusiasts.
Sandy Feet! Whose Feet? by Susan Wood
(9781585364091, $16.99) is
illustrated by Steliyana Doneva and tells of a family that spends a day
at the
beach. The kids look in various footprints to see the creatures that
live along
the shore, and young readers will enjoy the a fun, simple story that
highlights
a seashore's natural history.
From
building sand
castles to observing other children at play, Sandy
Feet! Whose Feet? Enthusiastically celebrates the fun of a
seashore day.