May 2022 Prime Picks

Reviewer's Choice

Crochet Wraps
Tammy Hildebrand
Stackpole Books
9780811771030 $11.95
www.stackpolebooks.com

Crochet Wraps: 7 Shawl Designs Plus Tutorials for New Stitches features different kinds of motifs and designs, and is designed to appeal to various levels of crochet experience.

This skill levels are provided in an at-a-glance scale that introduces each shawl project with an appealing color photo.

These attractive wraps help spark interest in progressive learning, as the projects' difficulty levels are juxtaposed throughout.

All that's required is a prior knowledge of basic crocheting and an ability to read the abbreviated directions for chaining, turning, and creating the pieces.

Everything else, including the basic attraction of contemporary, attractive, original designs, invites crochet makers to take the next step in their skills in a highly recommended, colorful array of diverse shawl projects.

John Severin: Two-Fisted Comic Book Artist
Greg Biga and Jon B. Cooke
TwoMorrows Publishing
9781605491066 $39.95
www.twomorrows.com

John Severin: Two-Fisted Comic Book Artist is recommended reading for anyone interested in comic book artist biographies. It captures the life, art, and influences of an artist who began his career in 1947 at the Simon & Kirby shop, progressing to a long history with Cracked Magazine, Marvel Comics, and other mainstays of comic creation.

Comic panels and images are presented mostly in full color, with black and white and duotone images peppered throughout as Greg Biga and Jon B. Cooke review the interactions between Severin and other comic artists and industry leaders.

The result is a survey that centers on Severin's art, but delves equally strongly into overall comic history and development. John Severin: Two-Fisted Comic Book Artist should be on the shelf of any library strong in comic history and artists.

Miller's Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2022-2023
Judith Miller
Mitchell Beazley/Octopus Publishing
9781784728304 $47.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Why does the updated edition of Miller's Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2022-2023 deserve an ongoing place in any collection where antiques pricing and identification is of interest? Because it packs in some 5,000 color photos and price ranges to represent the latest trends and collector focuses in the ever-changing antiques market.

There are other general antiques guides on the market which attempt the same thing, but Judith Miller's guide has earned a reputation in the industry. Its authority comes from a world-acclaimed antiques expert and it packs over 8,000 antiques into a guide that bases its prices on real-world sales rather than possibilities based on ideals.

The extensive sections covering ceramics, Asian antiques, furniture, clocks, textiles, toys and more are also a draw, providing a solid organization that lends to at-a-glance reference.

If only one general antiques price guide were to be chosen for a discriminating collection, Miller's Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2022-2023 should be at the top of the list.

The Presidency of Donald J. Trump
Julian E. Zelizer, Editor
Princeton University Press
9780691228945 $27.95
www.press.princeton.edu

The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: A First Historical Assessment features essays by leading political historians whose purpose is to craft factual, accurate assessments of President Trump's political approaches, legacy, and impact.

It reviews Trump's drama, successes, and failures in delivering on his promises, attending to supporting contentions with facts designed to provide balanced reviews of Trump's years: "The fiasco of 'infrastructure week' should not distract from recognition of the Trump administration's real achievements in mobilizing the legal, political, and physical networks of immigration enforcement at, as well as within, the nation's boundaries. The border wall stands as the signature piece of infrastructure built during the Trump presidency, a powerful example of how rhetoric successfully transformed reality."

Whether pro or con on Trump and his actions, The Presidency of Donald J. Trump strives for a balanced view, and certainly provides much food for thought and debate.

Racing Green
Kit Chapman
Bloomsbury
9781472982179 $30.00
www.bloomsbury.com

Racing Green: How Motorsport Science Can Save the World is a study in how an energy-consuming sport and pastime holds the technological promise for advancements in vehicular safety and ecological approaches to car creation.

It comes from a long-time motorsport fan who worked with Virgin Racing's Formula E team to develop and advance the science of their cars, and follows the author's worldwide encounters and experiences with engineering breakthroughs.

While this book sounds specific to motorsport audiences, Chapman incorporates a travelogue into his story that pairs motorsport history and technological development with ventures that move around the world in the pursuit of better vehicles and enhanced results.

The result is unexpectedly lively reading highly recommended even for non-racing audiences interested in the science and process of promoting ecological technological advancements around the world.

Salads Are More Than Leaves
Elena Silcock
Hamlyn/Octopus Publishing
9780600637424 $24.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Finally—a salad cookbook that focuses on how salads can be diverse and exciting, and how they can play a central role on the dinner table!

Elena Silcock focuses on the finer art of layering ingredients to create salads which are original and more of a main course than the usual notion of the salad as a side dish.

Salads Are More Than Leaves: Salads to Get Excited About includes some 80 recipes for fare that ranges from Spiced Chicken with Minty Yogurt Salad to Leeks & Cannellini Beans, which use no lettuce leaves at all, and Grilled Nutty Greens, which features asparagus, green beans, broccoli, and spiced embellishments.

Yes, there are lettuce-based dishes. But the strength of this title lies in its overall approach to salads as main courses and sources of hearty appeal.

Salads Are More Than Leaves stands out from the crowd of salad recipe books with its full-page, inviting color photos. The accompanying a seasonal organization makes it easy to choose a salad based on fresh ingredients. Libraries and cooks will find it a high-value acquisition.

The State of Disbelief
Juliet Rosenfeld
Short Books (Octopus Publishing, Distributor)
9781780725444 $16.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

The State of Disbelief: A Therapist's Story of Love, Death and Mourning is a memoir about loss by a therapist who turns to Sigmund Freud to help her navigate the grief and recovery process.

Juliet Rosenfeld's husband died of lung cancer only seven months into their marriage, sending her in a tailspin and on a road in which all her prior teachings and thoughts seemed irrelevant.

Turning to Freud's essay 'Mourning and Melancholia', she used this as a starting point for re-envisioning her life, her values, her career, and her love.

The result is a powerful reevaluation and saga of therapy and its basic ideas about loss and stages of grief that will appeal to individuals on that road, libraries strong in self-help, memoirs, and psychological topics, and grief counselors alike.

Young Adult/Children

The Aristokittens: The Great Biscuit Bake-Off
Jennifer Castle
Disney Press
9781368069731 $14.99
www.disneybooks.com

Elementary-grade readers interested in a fun chapter book peppered with engaging black and white cat and dog drawings by Sydney Hanson will find The Aristokittens: The Great Biscuit Bake-Off an appealing choice.

Here, the three Aristokittens run a secret café for creatures in Paris, and have made new puppy friends.

When they decide to host a Dog Biscuit Bake-Off at their café, the competition divides friends and threatens relationships.

Can the Aristokittens solve the problems their fun idea causes?

Kids who love dogs and cats will relish this engaging story.

Candlewick Press
www.candlewickpress.com

These new arrivals from Candlewick Press represent some of the strongest picture books of this publisher's latest line-up, and are highly recommended for discriminating elementary-level libraries and adults who look for good read-aloud choices.

David Barclay Moore's Carrimebac: The Town That Walked (9781536213690, $18.99) tells of the Black residents of Walkerton, Georgia, who face a changed life after the Civil War.

Ol' Rootilla is wise, and addresses the needs of her people to earn a living without being slaves by providing them with a touch of magic...a magic that attracts the fear of white people.

When an angry crowd threatens to burn the town down, Rootilla and her grandson must protect it.

This fine original folk tale receives gorgeous, colorful embellishments by John Holyfield that does the inviting story justice by nearly leaping from the page.

Allan Wolf's Behold Our Magical Garden: Poems Fresh from a School Garden (9781536204551, $18.99) celebrates a magical garden project, providing information on natural history and gardening alike.

No staid collection of gardening tips alone, it captures the magic in making the effort to cultivate a school garden and considers the special attractions and uses of herbs, the help of garden volunteers, and the processes of growing beans, eggplant, and other products.

An added dash of whimsy, as in "Attilla the Hen and the Mystical Egg Plant," is added to the mix for lighthearted fun.

Elaine M. Alexander's Anglerfish: The Seadevil of the Deep (9781536213966, $17.99) enjoys darkly realistic illustrations by Fiona Fogg as it explores the natural history of one of the deep sea's strangest fish.

The anglerfish is still mysterious to scientists, but the few known facts are covered in an inviting survey designed to delight readers interested in deep sea creatures.

Hope Lim's Mommy's Hometown (9781536213324, $17.99) receives fun drawings by Jaime Kim, a New York Times award-winning illustrator who helps bring to life this tale of a young boy who loves to listen to his mother's stories of her childhood home.

A visit to this area proves eye-opening. Everything has changed. The rural milieu has been transformed into an urban city. How can the boy discover joy in the places his mother once loved, when they no longer exist?

But, maybe they do...

These are inviting stories highly recommended for elementary-level picture book readers and their read-aloud parents.

The Hair Book
Latonya Yvette & Amanda Jane Jones
Union Square Kids/Sterling
9781454944324 $14.99
www.unionsquareandco.com

The Hair Book appears in both paper-over-board and board book formats to illustrate different types of hair.

A very simple text and colorful graphic art captures Afros, hijab-covered hair, wavy hair, and all kinds of hair on all kinds of people.

The easy text and visual explorations of hair will delight adults seeking simple titles that help identify, celebrate, and illustrate differences among people.

Nobody Owns the Moon
Tohby Riddle
Berbay Publishing
9780994384195 $17.74
www.berbaybooks.com

Nobody Owns the Moon takes a walk on the whimsical side of picture book stories and presents the idea that the fox is "one of the only wild creatures in the world that can successfully make a life for itself in cities."

The fox in this story, Clive Pendergast, enjoys the trappings of human urban living because he is "quick-witted and able to eat a variety of foods." He lives in a one-room apartment in town, working in a factory during the day and "getting up to more foxy things" at night.

The fun story of animals in the big city takes a different, unexpected turn as it describes Clive's friendship with Humphrey the donkey, who struggles with employment, often lives on the streets, and is less successful than his foxy friend.

A fine story of friendship, differences, and urban living evolves, highly recommended for its unique approaches to all these themes.

Only One
Deborah Hopkinson and Chuck Groenink
Anne Schwartz Books/Random House
9780399557033 $17.99
www.rhcbooks.com

Only One starts with one concept and moves to explore the nature of the universe and the big bang that created it.

As a child narrator explores the vastness of space, stars, and astronomy, using vivid explorations and language designed to both educate and captivate, adults will find Only One the perfect medium for introducing young picture book readers to astronomy and Earth science.

Deborah Hopkinson and Chuck Groenink create connections between bigger-picture thinking of the wide universe and the personal inspections of a child's place in this milieu: "Though where are seven billion of us, we are each unique..."

It's the perfect introduction to a child's place in the universe, and will encourage dialogue between adults and kids interested in exploring diversity and the unique presence of individuals in the cosmos.

Penguin Putnam
www.penguin.com/kids

These new picture books provide leisure readers with explorations that entertain as well as educate.

Dave Keane and Rahele Jomepour Bell's The Treasure Box (9781984913183, $17.99) tells of a weekly bond of experience between a grandparent and grandchild as they search for and collect treasures from the world together, from snake skins to human creations. All these go into a secret box for the future.

When her grandpa becomes too sick to go exploring and then dies, the grandchild grieves for him and their lost, shared tradition until an unexpected change leads her to realize that she hasn't lost the memory of bonding with him.

Parents can use The Treasure Box to impart a valuable lesson not just on grief and recovery, but sharing quality time with adults.

Anna Dewdney's Everything Will Be OK (9780593206638, $18.99) features whimsical, fun drawings by Judy Schachner as it explores one rough day in the life of a little bunny.

Nothing seems to be going right, and every problem seems big, no matter what its original size. Bunny faces the world with fear, but eventually learns that it can contain much more in this fun, rhyming picture book story of adversity, perception, and fostering positivity.

Mônica Carnesi's There's a Lion in the Forest! (9780399167010, $17.99) tells of an impossibility. Lions don't reside in tropical forests. And yet, the growls and glimpses of a lion seem to say otherwise to forest animals that live in terror of the unknown.

A lovely rhyme about these possibilities and animals that jump to the wrong conclusion accents a story that will lend particularly well to read-aloud with its animal sounds and important message about fear and reality.

Rachel Tomlinson's A Blue Kind of Day (97805933240111, $17.99) pairs lovely illustrations by Tori-Jay Mordey with an intimate view of child Coen's experience with a "...blue kind of day...It was a slumping, sighing, sobbing kind of day."

Parents will want to choose this as a read-aloud interactive opportunity to explore depression and solutions to "muddled-up, blue feelings" as the story unfolds with a variety of proposals to mitigate the impact of sadness.

Gianna Marino's Waiting for Mama (9780425290705, $17.99) takes place on a cold Antarctic winter day, when a baby penguin awaits its mother.

A very simple story captures this feeling of a beloved parent's absence, as well as a little chick's experience of the Antarctic and his acknowledgment that "Papa misses Mama. Just like I do."

The Antarctic and penguin worlds come alive with glowing, colorful drawings and a simple portrait of the world from a little chick's point of view.

Elizabeth Partridge's Parks for the People: How Frederick Law Olmsted Designed America (9781984935154, $17.99) receives fine drawings by Becca Stadtlander as it surveys the life and vision of Frederick Law Olmsted, who used his goal of making the United States a better place for everyone by fostering parks and their attraction to all people.

This biography about his realizations and efforts to promote parks as an all-inclusive respite teaches kids about how one man virtually redesigned America, presenting the story in a picture book format to attract early elementary grade readers with its lively biography.

These are fine library additions that picture book leisure readers will learn from.

Advanced elementary to middle grade readers will find Paul Acampora's In Honor of Broken Things (9781984816641, $17.99) an appealing story of three friends who meet during art class and become artists against all odds.

Oscar, Ellie, and Noah come from very different backgrounds. Each is confused about their lives, albeit in different ways.

Art brings them together and helps them foster new insights about themselves and each other; especially the psychic scars they bear from adversities that have changed the trajectory of their lives.

In Honor of Broken Things's involving story of interconnected experiences and art makes for a thought-provoking read.

Random House/Knopf
www.rhcbooks.com

Two picture books will attract elementary-level readers and library collections seeking superior and different themes for leisure readers and students alike.

Kate Hannigan's Blips on a Screen (9780593306710, $17.99) presents the picture book biography of Ralph Baer, who invented TV video gaming.

Fun illustrations by Zachariah Ohora accompany the detailed story of Baer's family history, his innovative tinkering, and how his early idea and a blip on a screen resulted in games that would change television forever.

Alone Like Me by Rebecca Evans (9780593181928, $17.99) tells of Liling, who has just moved to the big city to spend her days with her mother and grandmother, who work at factory jobs.

Liling feels quite alone in this new world, and faces prejudice from urban kids who tease her and tell her to go back to her farm.

A smiling girl might change everything...if Liling can find her again.

A fine story of hope, friendship, and tackling bullies and prejudice emerges in a gentle story that read-aloud parents will appreciate.

Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com

These new arrivals provide picture book readers with engrossing stories that adults should consider for read-aloud and engaging discussions.

Apryl Stott's Almost Always Best Friends (9781534499096, $17.99) reaches ages 4-8 with its story of friendship and healing.

Poppy is a fine best friend, spending every day with Clementine. They work well together, until Clementine spends an afternoon playing with Georgia instead, sparking the fear in Poppy that her best friend is moving away from her.

How can she open up to her best friend about her underlying concerns?

Lovely illustrations spice this story of early relationships and their conundrums.

Robert Quackenbush's Sherlock Chick and the Giant Egg Mystery (9781534415348, $17.99) will delight picture book readers who enjoy animal adventures and mystery.

Ages 4-8 will appreciate the queries revolving around a big box with a huge egg that contains unusual possibilities.

Nobody knows what this egg could be. Who can solve the problem?

It will take all the skills Sherlock Chick can employ to get at the bottom of the egg's contents.

Alyssa Satin Capucilli's The Library Fish (9781534477056, $17.99) receives large-sized, inviting illustrations by Gladys Jose as it surveys a library's discovery of a fishbowl on the library steps.

The bowl is introduced as a new arrival to the children's room. As Library Fish surveys the inviting bookish world outside her bowl, she decides to leave it so she can read the stories on her own...and a snowstorm that closes the library seems the perfect moment for such a change.

A whimsical story of extraordinary efforts to change invites adults to interact with kids about taking risks.

Acorn Was a Little Wild (by Jen Arena (9781534483156, $17.99) is a lovely picture book for ages 4-8 and follows a little acorn that wants to lead an adventure-filled life.

Determined to cultivate every experience, Acorn embraces life changes with enthusiasm, resolute about making the most of opportunities, even if they are a little scary.

When change beyond his control leads him to potential adversity, Acorn still finds a way to make the most of his life.

Jessica Gibson's lovely illustrations bring Jen Arena's whimsical story of positivity and courage to life in an appealing recommendation for picture book readers and parents who want an adventure with a message.

Harriet's Ruffled Feathers: The Woman Who Saved Millions of Birds by Joy McCullough (9781534486768, $17.99) features appealing and lively drawings by Romina Galotta as it gives ages 4-8 the involving picture book story of a woman who loves elaborate hats...especially those with feathers.

When she learns the real price of those feathered fancies, however, Harriet reconsiders her love of fashion and embarks on an effort to render illegal the practice of killing birds for fashion embellishments.

Eventually, she formed the Massachusetts Audubon Society, a national organization that protects birds to this day.

The bright illustrations accompany an important message not just on ecology, but proactive citizen efforts.

Tomie DePaola's Favorite Nursery Tales (9781534494831, $19.99) gathers the author's classic favorites. If this volume sounds familiar, that's because it first appeared in 1986, but is reprinted here for new generations to enjoy.

Packed with poems, fables, and tales filled with wisdom and entertainment value, Favorite Nursery Tales continues to prove as contemporary and appealing to modern audiences as it did some thirty years ago, and will also attract adults looking for read-aloud opportunities accompanied by exceptionally bright drawings.

Happy Sloth Day! by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre (9781534453739, $17.99) is a very simple, photo-driven portrait of sloths which features evocative descriptions of their habits and natural history ("A tree is a sloth salad. Rip! Snip! Chew. Chew.").

The close-up sloth photos and bright color will attract young readers interested in lively portraits of sloth habits and environments.

Anita Lobel's 10 Hungry Rabbits (9781534470651, $17.99) comes from a Caldecott Honor recipient who presents a fun counting book as ten hungry rabbits find ten yummy ingredients in their mother's soup.

The counting lesson is accompanied by discovery and engaging drawings of rabbits and veggies that will attract ages 4-8 with its lively tone and early math lesson.

Sujean Rim's Take a Breath (9781534492530, $17.99) asks: "Ever feel like you're flapping your wings, and not getting anywhere?" The bird who poses this issue goes down as his friends go up.

The solution may be as simple as taking a breath.

Kids ages 4-8 receive a fine picture book exploration of empowerment and achievement as Bob the bird keeps himself busy on the ground while his peers learn to fly high.

Bob questions his abilities and future ("What if I never fly?"), but his solution will appeal to any adult looking to teach kids about patience and mindful, meditative thinking.

The delightful survey of how to cope with inability as peers move forward will appeal to any parent looking to help kids move towards self-acceptance and life coping methods.

Lauren Stohler's The Problem with Pajamas (9781534493438, $17.99) outlines a program with wearing clothing to bed. Young Cody already resists itchy, tight clothes, so she's determined not to wear pjs to bed.

Her father, however, has a plan to encourage otherwise.

A zany story emerges which will prove very familiar to kids who resist clothing for all kinds of reasons, presented in a whimsical manner that will delight read-aloud parents as well as kids looking for original, fun, thought-provoking reads.

All are fine leisure reading choices that hold important messages even as they entertain and educate.

Sleeping Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com

These new arrivals from Sleeping Bear Press are beautiful acquisitions that libraries will want to consider for their lasting lending value.

Laura K. Zimmerman's Mushroom Rain (9781534111509, $12.99) receives gorgeous illustrations by Jamie Green that power a compelling survey of mushroom life cycles and science.

Lovely artwork accents Zimmerman's focus on the strange and wonderful world of mushrooms, including the phenomenon of mushroom rain. She creates an artistic, scientifically compelling introduction to mushrooms that the very young will find visually and factually involving.

Amber Lynn Hellewell's Summer's Call: A Michigan Day (9781534111424, $17.99) might initially seem to be limited to Michigan libraries and residents, but its lovely story, accented by evocative drawings by Gretchen Ellen Powers, holds value beyond its Michigan roots.

The Michigan-based author and illustrator capture the experience of summer in the Great Lake state with lovely stories and artwork that harkens to older times.

Libraries can consider this celebration of Michigan's environment a fine compliment to the usual geographic informational text that students use to learn about Michigan's atmosphere and attractions.

Eve Bunting's Hello, Baby! I'm Your Mom (9781534111462, $17.99) explores mothers and children of all types, and the love which exists between them.

From humans to a whale and a bird, the love and care between these different mothers and children is emphasized in rhyme and lovely large-size illustrations by Jui Ishida, bringing the story to life.

Photos and facts about the animals featured compliment this journey through different kinds of motherhood.

Debbie Rovin Murphy's Jackie and the Mona Lisa (9781534111172, $17.99) features lovely drawings by Jen Bricking as it surveys First Lady Jackie Kennedy's interest in art, and her pursuit of making art accessible to all Americans.

Her program to bring the Mona Lisa to America's museums resulted in high museum attendance as patrons discovered more than the singularly famous art piece, and resulted in an appreciation of art that's here captured in a picture book for ages 6-10.

Helen L. Wilbur's bird alphabet F is for Feathers (9781534111400, $17.99) receives gorgeous illustrations by Andy Atkins as it pairs an A-Z alphabetic examination with discussions of bird habitat, identification, and bird watching.

This is done with a blend of lyrical rhyme and sidebars of accompanying information that, when paired with the outstanding, gorgeous drawings by Atkins, creates a superior blend of alphabet lesson and detailed bird guide.

Parents will want to choose this as a read-aloud for their own interest, as well as to guide younger readers who may be just learning about the alphabet and birds.

Wendy Hinote Lanier's Too Many Pigs in the Pool (9781534110601, $17.99) is illustrated by Iris Amaya and pairs a math lesson with a pig escapade that delights with whimsical piggy problems.

Ages 4-8 will appreciate the zany issues which emerge as one pig becomes way too many for pool play.

All are winning choices for discriminating picture book collections.