November 2024 Prime Picks

Reviewer's Choice

Kingston Imperial
www.kingstonimperial.com

Three new books from Kingston Imperial provide readers with engrossing subjects that makes each a special recommendation for general-interest lending libraries.

Bobby Spears Jr.’s Queen Nanny & The White Witch of Rose Hall (9781954220645, $29.99) is a novel set in Jamaica. It tells of a sorceress and mystery surrounding the White Witch, who threatens Queen Nanny’s home. As leader of a community of Maroons, Queen Nanny has long provided stability and leadership to her people. But, are her powers enough to thwart the White Witch’s influence over the people themselves?

Fans of Jamaican cultural history will relish this vivid story of the arrogance of enemies and the fears of many:

There was no saving anyone. Not anymore. Not in this horror-infested new island world.

Trap Kitchen: Wah Gwaan Jamaican Cookbook by Malachi Jenkins and Roberto Smith (9781954220621, $29.99) holds over sixty Jamaican recipes that delve into the heart of the culture, bringing the dishes to the attention and tastes of those interested in a broader interpretation of Jamaican cuisine than the usual Jerk Chicken (though this is included).

Of special note are dishes such as an Angostura Bitters-infused June Plum Juice, a spicy Fricasseed Chicken, and a Ginger Beer Punch. The recipes are packed with flavor and nicely supplement any collection already featuring Caribbean cookbooks and culture.

Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks (9781954220669, $29.99) is the story of a man who became a prison icon when behind bars, whose fame expanded once he left prison on a mission to turn his life around.

From his childhood journeys and poverty to an adolescence marked by gang involvements and crime, Model Citizen is as much about the process of transformation as it is a foray into a former prisoner’s journey to hone a life that leads him away from anything he had grown up knowing or doing before.

These diverse titles will appeal to wide audiences, offering compelling subjects and approaches.

Larousse Cocktails
Larousse
Hamlyn
9780600638537 $50.00
www.octopuspublishingusa.com

Larousse Cocktails: The Ultimate Expert Guide With More Than 200 Recipes employs the well-respected Larousse name to promote an authoritative, comprehensive recipe collection of cocktails. Libraries and readers seeking definitive collections should consider Larousse Cocktails a mainstay of cocktail creation.

Nothing is left to wonder, here. Coverage includes the basics of selecting cocktail-making equipment, understanding bartending basics, employing rum, gin, vodka, cognac and more in cocktail classics, and creating non-alcoholic alternatives for those want the colorful allure of exotic cocktails without the booze.

Gorgeous full-page color photos further embellish recipes which are not only enlightening, but thoroughly inviting.

One Thousand Vines
Pascaline Lepeltier
Mitchell Beazley/Octopus Publishing
978174729233 $55.00
www.octopuspublishingusa.com

One Thousand Vines: A New Way to Understand Wine comes from a noted sommelier who provides a groundbreaking resource for better understanding the world of wines.

It consists of three main parts (Reading Vines, Reading Landscapes, and Reading Wines) that offer new ideas not just about wine tasting, but grape growing and how flavors and palates are developed. It also provides an in-depth history of changing perceptions of both, giving wine aficionados a foundation for contrasting past and present approaches to wine. Subjects range from a revolutionary reading of terroir and viticultural landscapes to understanding different types of fermentation and the difference between a wine defect and a characteristic.

Libraries and wine enthusiasts seeking to broaden their reference collections and knowledge will find One Thousand Vines: A New Way to Understand Wine stands out from any other wine guide on the market. It’s simply packed with maps, data, and lively discourses about the art and history of winemaking and wine consumption.

Preserving
Katie Caldesi & Giancarlo Caldesi
Kyle Books
9781804192405 $24.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Preserving: Pickling, Fermenting, Freezing, Drying, Curing and Canning represents the fruits of a two-year sojourn the authors undertook to collect various methods of conserving food.

The effort combined well with their interest in Italian cured charcuterie, inspired by Giancarlo’s family recipes. It thus expands the focus and variety of most similar-sounding preserving cookbooks to add an extra dimension of cultural influence and discovery to the subject, reviewing disparate preserving approaches from Turkey, Yemen, Japan, and beyond.

The focus on using all parts of ingredients without throwing away something as innocuous as orange or lime peel translates to a preserving guide packed with inviting new possibilities. Preserving: Pickling, Fermenting, Freezing, Drying, Curing and Canning stands out from the crowd of typical recipes and Western-centric preserving approaches.

Wise Women
Sharon Blackie and Angharad Wynne
New World Library
9781608689668 $19.95
www.newworldlibrary.com

Wise Women: Myths and Stories for Midlife and Beyond gathers stories of older female characters who hold a variety of strengths, from confronting monsters and helping young women come into their powers to transmitting the wisdom imparted by their life choices and perceptions.

Sharon Blackie and Angharad Wynne move beyond the typical selection of familiar myths with an approach that represents many years of research on lesser-known European stories. These are organized by themes and accompanying commentary that links fables and legends with keys to understanding the challenges of being both female and strong.

Wise Women reachs beyond mythology enthusiasts to attract women interested in stories reflecting female strengths and challenges. It will also draw discussion groups strong in women’s history and issues and is a top recommendation for libraries, from general-interest public libraries to those collecting myths and stories for women-centric collections.

Young Adult/Children

At the Top of the World
Robin Jacobs and Ed J. Brown
Cicada Books Ltd.
9781800660472 $22.99
www.cicadabooks.co.uk

At the Top of the World: The Greatest Mountains on Earth (and How to Climb Them) will appeal to elementary to early middle grade readers with its vivid portrait of geography and the mechanics of mountain climbing.

Where other picture books focus entirely on science, At the Top of the World additionally covers the exciting art of mountaineering, surveying different alps around the world, discussing risks faced by climbers, and considering the mountain’s ecosystem as well as those who made extraordinary climbs.

Libraries seeking more than the usual account of mountain geography will find the adventure-infused presentation of At the Top of the World and its inviting illustrations to be thoroughly engrossing to all ages.

Candlewick Press
www.candlewickpress.com

These new arrivals from Candlewick are top picks for libraries and read-aloud adults seeking lasting value.

Jason Logan’s How to Be a Color Wizard: Forage and Experiment with Natural Art Making (9781536229400, $22.99) is a MIT Kids Press production that encourages exploration and discovery.

Kids receive a wide range of science experiments that emphasize color and better understanding of various concepts through hands-on applications. Supplies lists, step-by-step directions, and troubleshooting tips offer recipes for fun and learning that will be as important for home schooling as for classroom applications.

Camilla de la Bedoyere’s My First Guide to Space (9781536238341, $19.99) enjoys an oversized presentation and colorful embellishment by Aaron Cushley as it covers basic facts about space.

From a survey of stargazing in the north to details about each planet, libraries will appreciate both the educational contents and the oversized visual appeal of this expansive introduction.

Dr. Nick Crumpton’s Brown Bears (9781536238778, $18.99) surveys the life of a female grizzly bear as she awakens from hibernation with two cubs to raise.

Young readers who follow this small family through their first year receive inviting illustrations by Colleen Larmour and a warm, fuzzy exploration of bear habits, habitats, and growth.

Tony Piedra and Mackenzie Joy’s Pau: The Last Song of the Kaua’i ‘ō’ō (9781536219494, $18.99) follows a unique bird on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, the ‘ō’ō. As people begin to come to the island, the bird’s habitat becomes threatened.

Will there be room enough for all?

This simple, warm story should be in any collection strong in Hawaiian nature and natural history. Its large, colorful drawings add interest to the tale.

Atinuke’s Beti and the Little Round House (9781536225181, $18.99) is a collection of stories enlivened by black and white and color illustrations by Emily Hughes. It tells of a girl who lives in a little house in the woods with her family. She has her own tiny goat named Naughty, and experiences adventures and encounters that reflect living, giving, friendship, and growth.

Read-aloud adults who choose these stories will find that within their escapades lie nuggets of wisdom about life that young listeners will find intriguing—especially when guided by an adult who can point out their deeper impact, translating them into a child’s world of fantasy and real challenges.

All are excellent recommendations for home and elementary-level libraries, offering lasting value and outstanding opportunities for entertainment and understanding.

Elki is Not My Dog
Elena Arevalo Melville and Tonka Uzu
Scallywag Press Ltd.
9781915252661 $18.99
www.scallywagpress.com

Elki is Not My Dog tells of a group of children who adopt a stray dog. Illustrations by Tonka Uzu brighten the simple tale of a child who loves Elki, as does her group of friends.

What initially appears to be a simple picture book dog story evolves to embrace bigger picture thinking, from insights on ownership and a place to call home to how a group of resourceful children each contribute to rescuing and helping the stray.

Adults interested in stories of cooperation, dogs and pets, and overcoming obstacles as a community begins to revolve around the dog will find the story as compelling as elementary-level libraries seeking dog stories that stand out from the crowd.

Esma Farouk, Lost in the Souk
Lisa Boersen and Hasna Elbaamrani
Floris Books
97811782508854 $18.95
www.florisbooks.co.uk

Esma Farouk, Lost in the Souk follows a child visiting family in Morocco for the summer. Esma is attracted to a giant market filled with cultural attractions, entertainment, and fun.

Esma is so entranced by these sights that she loses track of her mother and Auntie Fatima. How can she locate her mother? By standing out from the crowd. The kindness of strangers allows her to come up with an innovative plan to achieve the impossible.

Lisa Boersen and Hasna Elbaamrani excel in descriptive, atmospheric first-person observations:

I love it here! The souk is smelly: good smelly! Spicy smells and smoky smells and sizzling yummy food. Mama decides she does need one or two things after all : a cushion…a rug…a lamp…While she’s bargaining, I watch some snakes slinking and slithering and swaying to the music.

Add inviting colorful drawings by Annelies Vandenbosch for a story especially highly recommended for libraries seeking stories nicely rooted in cross-cultural experience.

Little Wolf’s Howl
Nelly Buchet and Mathias Ball
Marble Press
9781958325186 $19.99
www.marblepress.com

Little Wolf’s Howl is a picture book that tells of a young wolf separated from her family. Her mother has always told her to find North if she becomes lost … but what is North, and how does she find and employ it?

New friends help her find the answer—but even then, she is confused over how North will guide her so she can reconnect with her family.

Humor, lovely illustrations, and playful moments inject the tale with fun even as Little Wolf finds herself unexpectedly far from home, tasked with developing new abilities she’d never experienced before, in order to locate her loved ones.

Read-aloud adults and elementary-level libraries interested in stories of adventure and discovery will appreciate the problem-solving focus of this tale.

Out of My Dreams
Sharon M. Draper
Simon and Schuster
9781665949545 $18.99
www.simonandschuster.com

Out of My Dreams gives middle grade readers a sequel to the novels Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart, chronicling the further adventures of an eleven-year-old with cerebral palsy who won’t let physical limitations stop her.

Here, Melody flies to London to speak at a convention about differently-abled kids, even though her only way of communicating is with a communication board.

She never expected to save a life in the process, much less receive a reward that additional places her in the spotlight. This moving story of achievement and action returns a beloved character to middle grade readers in a highly recommended, new adventure.

All are exceptional recommendations for elementary-level libraries.

Penguin
www.penguin.com/kids

These picture book stories are highly recommended for libraries and young readers looking for novel, attractive new reads.

Isabel Allende’s Perla The Mighty Dog (9780593623595, $18.99) receives fun illustrations by Sandy Rodriguez as it explores a pet’s determination to halt her human brother’s bullying at school. But, what can a dog do to resolve matters?

Plenty, as it turns out in this warm story of a little dog’s big heart and the superpowers which place him in the perfect position to support his human brother.

I Am La Chiva! by Karol Hernández (9780593529201, $18.99) brings the world of Columbia to life with a focus on a colorful Andean bus that is the heart of this mountain world. Lorena Alvarez Gómez’s illustrations capture this bright world, supporting the rollicking rhyme that drives the bus and the story:

Marina brings onions, sweet corn and bananas.
She goes to the market to help her hermanos.
She greets her amigos and joins them in song.
When they’re in La Chiva, they all sing along.

When You Love a Book by Kaz Windness (9780593623220, $18.99) employs rhyming test and lovely art to review how books open up worlds and how stories bring children into them.

Ages 4-8 will appreciate the fun twists, while read-aloud adults will especially enjoy Windness’s novel, descriptive voice: “A book is a cookie you give to a mouse.”

Melissa Cristina Márquez’s Sea of Constellations (9780593523605, $19.99) receives inviting illustrations by Rocío Arreola Mendoza as it tells of an adventurous whale shark who loves her ocean home.

When, one day, the waters go dark, Maren and her best friend Remey the remora must journey across the ocean to contact an Aztec goddess to figure out what has gone wrong.

Shark science and facts entwine in a folktale that will delight all ages.

All are exceptional, highly recommended new arrivals.

Sleeping Bear Press
www.sleepingbearpress.com

These new picture books promise a sense of whimsy and magic for young readers, and are highly recommended for elementary-level libraries and read-aloud adults.

Helen Foster James’s I Love You Jingle Bell Baby (9781534113121, $18.99) reaches ages 0-4 with a seasonal story of love and discovery that centers around holiday activities that young rabbits enjoy.

There’s baking treats, singing carols, and “Building new buddies from fresh fallen snow./Making small snowballs, so perfect to throw,” but the real delight in the season lies in sharing all these activities with a loved one.

Petra Brown’s winning illustrations emphasize holiday wonder paired with and enhanced by love and family participation.

Paige Rowler collaborates with the Smithsonian Bat Lab for Baby Bat Bedtime (9781534113220, $18.99), blending scientific facts and photos into a bedtime story about small brown bats and their nocturnal habits.

The lives of bats take center stage as their family relationships and habits are reviewed via photos and lovely illustrations by Gavin Scott in a fine, rare blend of fiction and nonfiction.

Nicholas Solis’s The Littlest Grito (9781534112889, $18.99) is illustrated by Teresa Martinez. It follows a young girl’s excitement over Diez y Seis de Septiembre (Mexican Independence Day).

The hallmarks of the festivities power a story replete in Larino culture and traditions, while the tale of a family facing change when a father falls ill and can’t shout the opening grito adds further value that libraries interested in both the celebration and the foundations of Mexican family and culture will appreciate.

Apple Pie Tired by Beth Charles (9781534112735, $18.99) explores a seasonal Thanksgiving apple pie family business. This is the year young Lola plans to help, and she has four days to cook Thanksgiving dinner while the family is occupied with their business.

All hands need to be on deck for the pies, however, which places Lola at a great disadvantage. How can she be in two places at once?

Hannah Brinson’s illustrations add inviting color to the farm experience.

Bear at the Fair by Sophia Gholz (9781534112803, $18.99) tells of a grumpy bear that crashes the local fair with destruction and a bad attitude.

The animal fair-goers need to diffuse his behavior … but how can they do so while achieving their prime objective of creating a fun fair for all?

Susan Batori’s whimsical illustrations enhance a rollicking rhyme that shows how strangers come together to problem solve and … just perhaps … become friends in the process.

Even the bear.

All are fine choices for discriminating picture book readers and adults looking for picture books that are attractive and promise repeat interest and attention.

Teeth: You Only Get Two Sets
Magda Gargulakova and Marie Urbankova
Albatros
978-8000072470 $16.95
www.albatrosbooks.com

Teeth: You Only Get Two Sets is packed with toothy insights that will prove a big attraction to elementary-level readers. It goes above and beyond the typical focus on tooth care to offer detailed insights on how teeth grow and change from childhood to adulthood.

These are provided in a sturdy board book that will withstand the rigors of library lending, while insights include such basics as how to choose a toothbrush, what food and activities are good or bad for teeth, and how to pull out a wobbly tooth.

Libraries and young readers interested in teeth and health will find many insights in this compelling approach.

We’re Off to the Forest
Katarina Macurová
Albatros
9788000072890 $17.95
www.albatrosbooks.com

We’re Off to the Forest explores autumn, when the forest is getting colder and its animals prepare for winter.

A squirrel and his son visit the forest daily in an endeavor which involves acorns, a shared interest in buried treasure, and an ecological observation of forest changes. These topics will help read-aloud adults engage the very young in early ideas of conservation and environmental change.

The first-person discussions of the young squirrel impart new discoveries about personal responsibility for the environment … even a small segment that the squirrels impact by their choices and actions.

This appealing story and its colorful pages of a parent and child’s shared interests and involvements is especially highly recommended for adults seeking to spark beginning discussions about conservation and personal responsibility.

Within this bigger picture is a gentle story of a father/son experience that will delight those seeking uplifting, supportive stories of family connections, making We’re Off to the Forest a winning choice on many different levels.