More Upcoming Books I Love

I’m a huge fan of these titles coming to bookshelves in Spring of 2023 from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books! I highly recommend them all.

Title: Banana
Author: Zoey Abbott

Zoey Abbott’s hilarious and heartwarming tale of a child whose father becomes obsessed with a banana and shirks all of his previously beloved fatherly behaviors is sure to please. A stand-in for technology (or a relationship with anything that gets in the way of father-child interactions), the banana slowly takes over the father’s attention until the child has no choice but to get rid of it with the funniest of means and reclaim her father’s affections. Coming March 2023!

Title: The Care and Keeping of Grandmas
Author: Jennifer Mook-Sang
Illustrator: Yong Ling Kang

Jennifer Mook-Sang and illustrator Yong Ling Sang have created a stunning picture book about caring for grandmas as they experience change. With language usually reserved for plants, our protagonist tells about how they cared for their grandma when she came to live with their family. The story and illustrations are charming and unexpected in the best of ways. Coming April 2023!

Title: What Does Little Crocodile Say at the Beach?
Author: Eva Montanari

Who needs all of the Little Crocodile books? We all do! Sure thrill, this latest Eva Montanari tale (What Does Little Crocodile Say and What Does Little Crocodile Say at the Park) takes Little Crocodile to the beach and camping. It’s full of delightful read-aloud noises and sounds and engaging illustrations. This storylady laughed right out loud when she discovered what Little Crocodile finally says at the beach! Coming March 2023.

Title: The Song That Called Them Home
Author: David A. Robertson
Illustrator: Maya McKibbin

Another stunning example of David A. Robertson’s powerful storytelling and yet another reason to own everything he writes. With engaging illustrations from Maya McKibbin, this intriguing and compelling tale pulls the reader into the world of two grandchildren who find themselves lost and at the mercy of the Memekwesewak (“little people”) after their Moshom falls asleep at the water’s edge. Will they be forever lost in the music of the Memekwesewak or will their Grandfather call them home with a more alluring song? Coming April 2023 from Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra straight to your local storylady’s bookshelf.

ARCs from NetGalley.

Books I Love: One Thursday Afternoon

Title: One Thursday Afternoon
Author: Barbara DiLorenzo
Publisher: Flyaway Books
Storylady Says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read Aloud? NO (topic suited to one-on-one so the child can ask questions; in-depth conversation)
Tags: trauma, school lockdown, grandparents, mindfulness, art

Wondering how to start having conversations with kids about the after effects of school shooter lockdown drills? Barbara DiLorenzo has created a beautiful book to help start the discussion. The illustrations are gentle in both color and depiction. The modeled behavior and emotional availability of the granddad character are helpful for integrating creative mindfulness behaviors and talking with children about our own fears, while recognizing differences in what the child might be experiencing. 

Highly Recommended. This book will make its way into the Lightbulb Heart Lending Library as soon as it becomes available in September 2022.  

ARC provided by NetGalley.

NEW BOOKS!

I’ve been reading a lot of ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) on NetGalley lately. Want to know which ones I’m looking forward to seeing on bookstore and library shelves? Click the links to see my reviews.


When Daddy Tucks Me In
Sacha Cotter
available February 2023 (originally published as KEYS in NZ)


Alphabreaths, Too
Christopher Willard & Daniel Rechtschaffen
available September 2022


Human Town
Alan Durant
Available Now!


Dinos Driving
Lynn Leitch
Available August 2022


Just to See
Morgan de Cadier
Available Now!


A Perfect Wonderful Day With Friends
Philip Waechter
Available August 2022


Little Echo
Al Rodin
Available October 2022


If You Cry Like a Fountain
Noemi Vola
Available August 2022


The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism
Tiffany Jewell
Available September 2022
this one’s for middle grades and awesome 🙂

If you end up reading any of these books, would you let me know? I’d love to discuss them with you!

Books I Love: Human Town

Title: Human Town
Author: Alan Durant, illustrated by Anna Doherty
My Recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read-Aloud: Yes (followed by discussion/activities)
Tags: elephants, extinction, Anthropocene
Available in the Lending Library!

This thoughtful tale by Alan Durant flips the discussion of elephant extinction to that of human extinction, exploring reasons the humans are dying out, such as pollution, consumerism, and infighting (and poaching by big cats). Anna Doherty’s beguiling illustrations include many depictions of human and animal diversity. 

“Human Town” would be great for a read-aloud as part of a larger storytime on the theme of conservation, complete with activities. The text is simple to follow and contains multiple voices that would be of interest to both younger and older kids. Also rife with possibilities for one-on-one discussion. 

Books I Love: Just to See

Title: Just to See
Author: Morgan de Cadier, illustrated by Florian Pigé
My Recommendation ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This charming tale from Morgan de Cadier and illustrator Florian Pigé is both informative about male deer antler growth and draws the reader into a whole world of curiosities. “Just to See” is full of opportunities for laughter for kids and caregivers. 

The amount of text bubbles and details on each page would make for a challenging read-aloud with a group, but I think it’s great for one-on-ones.

The book is printed on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council with vegetable-based inks! I’ll definitely be adding this one to the Lightbulb Heart Lending Library in the future.

Topics: curiosity, nature, animals, deer, mice

ARC provided by NetGalley