Sarcastic shout-out to Katy, Texas for halting access to new library books because some fool with a megaphone and a soap box decided that this was transgender propaganda (and, like, even if it was-- literally, so what?). I didn't realize the World's Biggest Clown Awards were airing already, but it sounds like there's going to be some major contenders.
I heard about this book on TikTok and it is one of the cutest books I've read in ages. It made me cry. It's not even explicitly about gender, although it can be interpreted that way. The core of the story is a kitty who wants to be a unicorn but her two friends keep telling her she isn't and crushing her little dreams. Then she meets a unicorn who wishes he was a cat, and they decide to be kitty-corns together.
The end.
I think the beauty of stories like these is that everyone can probably relate to being told they can't like something or be something because of how they were born or what they look like. And while this could apply to kids who are trans, I think it also applies to things like boys wanting to wear pink or purple, or girls wanting to play with trucks. Kitty ends up ditching her negative friends and befriending a new friend who supports her, shares her interest/identity, and ends up making her feel seen (the book actually uses that language, that she feels seen).
How anyone could take issue with this sweet fluffy ball of a book is beyond me.
This was one of my favorite books as a kid. Ruth Heller had these amazing educational books about grammar and science and learning, which were always coupled with the most beautiful illustrations. The big poppy colors always reminded me of Lisa Frank and I wonder if you can get prints of these somewhere... I'd love to have some "many luscious lollipops" on my wall.
Highly recommend this to kids-- of all ages. I had a friend who taught high school who used this as a resource when talking about when talking about irregular comparatives and superlatives (good, better, best, etc.). It doesn't talk down to its audience and it has beautiful art. Plus, rhyming! It's so much fun.
I don't read a lot of children's books but I have fond memories of this series from when I was a kid, even though I never actually owned any of the books. One of my teachers had some in her class library and I remember really relating to Amelia, who is rather adorably self-conscious and uses her journals to obsess over the things that most kids her age worry and fret over (am I cool enough? what if I like things others don't? how can I get people to like me? why are my siblings so annoying? etc.)
In this book, Amelia wants to befriend the cool British girl who has come to her school. She also gets to go on an archaeological dig to look for Native American tools and pottery. There's usually a message in these books and here, it's basically that people like you best for being yourself (although her friend is pretty mean to her about trying to explore her identity). I liked the art a lot and love how Marissa Moss captures the voice of a young girl. She is for little kids what Meg Cabot was for so many teens. Love.
A NATURAL HISTORY OF MERMAIDS is a beautiful cloth-bound book that gives the fictitious account of a female explorer named Darcy Delamare who sneaks aboard the HMS Challenger while disguised as a man in order to conduct secret research on mermaids. The book is written in a pseudo-scientific style, recounting different types of mer-creatures from all over the world, with illustrations on what they look like, their life cycles, and even how they use different types of shells in their culture. The illustrations are nice and it's a cute premise. Books like these, I feel, tend to be geared towards whimsical adults and precocious children.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
What a fun and unexpected surprise this was. A MIND LIKE MINE is a collection of famous neurodivergent people who have accomplished great things, ranging from past notables like Ava Lovelace and Vincent Van Gogh, to contemporaneous ones, like Serena Williams and David Chang.
As someone who lives with a mood disorder, I wish books like these had been around when I was younger. To those who are neurodivergent or living with mental health conditions, it's so inspiring to not only see people talking about their conditions like it's NBD but also being wildly successful in spite of the obstacles they face as a result of their conditions.
A MIND LIKE MINE is beautifully illustrated, and profiles on the people chosen are alternated with toolboxes on how to talk about those with diagnoses and conditions without being ablelist, and also a little bit about the disorders and treatments themselves. This is the type of book that's great for both the neurodivergent and people who want to be allies, and I really enjoyed some of the facts showcased in this book.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
I'm still slowly getting back into reading after taking a bit of a hiatus to publish my newest book, and lucky for me, Chronicle Books seems to be having an online book sale as of my writing this because a pretty considerable amount of their library was $1.99 and $2.99 each when I checked, so cut to me immediately snatching up all of these amazingly weird books about fashion and art and other weird things, like the history of pencils.
MONSTERS YOU SHOULD KNOW is an illustrated beastiary of monsters from all over the world, from South America to the United Kingdom to Africa. The illustrations are gorgeous watercolors and it comes back full circle from the beginning in a fun and unexpected way that serves as a really nice callback.
I think this is probably being aimed and targeted to children, but adults will like it too, just because some of the creatures in here are so fascinating. My only qualm is that it's too short-- I wanted more monsters! More illustrations! More everything!
I can't help but feel that every teen who likes dark academia secretly has a copy of this book moldering somewhere in their bookcase. MATILDA is like the OG dark academia book, and so many things about it shaped tropes I still love today: shy and bookish heroines who are quietly brave; evil schools; strong female friendships; and off the wall crazysauce. It's a scathing criticism of the cruelty of English schools, but it's also a story of female empowerment.
Every once in a while I get criticism for my middle grade reviews. People will say things like, "What do you expect, this is a book for children?" Which, if you ask me, is rather condescending, because it suggests that some authors are assuming children are too dumb to recognize inferior goods when they come across them. Which, to be fair, some don't. There's no accounting for taste. But plenty of middle grade is good and does hold up, so the "it's a book for children and adults shouldn't criticize!" remark really doesn't add up, and age group really oughtn't to be a shield against criticism for things like character development and cohesiveness of the plot. Just my two cents.
MATILDA is one of those rare books where I actually think the movie is better, just because of the casting and how the movie adds some chilling scenes (such as when they sneak into Trunchbull's house) and answers some questions that the book really didn't. I also personally like the ending of the movie better, but I won't say why outright because spoilers. It's the eponymous story of a girl named Matilda who is incredibly brilliant and is already reading things like Dickens and doing large mathematical sums in her head before she even turns five. Her parents are awful people-- the mom makes money from playing bingo and the dad is a shady used car salesman-- and neither of them like her much at all, and at worst, their behavior could be considered neglectful and emotionally abusive.
Before she goes to Crunchem Hall, all of her education was self-taught, mostly from a kindly librarian who helped her pick out famous classics despite being quietly fascinated by her intelligence. School ought to have been the place where she felt like coming home, but because of the sadistic and abusive headmistress, it is a place of terror. I think Dahl did a good job making her seeing fantastically but believably evil. The chokey was always incredibly terrifying: it's a cupboard where Trunchbull would lock up "bad" students. The walls were paved with broken glass and the door had nails in it, so if you didn't stand perfectly straight in the airtight cupboard, you'd get all lacerated. Yikes. Then there's Miss Honey's story and the implied molestation and abuse there, and it's all honestly pretty chilling.
So you can get what happens. Matilda ends up in a war with the Trunchbull. The movie is way more emotionally intense but the book does a great job too and the ending is still pretty satisfying. I loved the characters of Matilda and Miss Honey and I thought Matilda's family was believably awful because we've all met oafish jerks like that. Roald Dahl is a great children's author but this has always been one of my favorite books of his, partially because it's more believable and partially because it features a girl protagonist who is allowed to be strong and victorious, and not beaten down, which makes the story feel both timeless and incredibly progressive, all at the same time.
I did not know that this was a children's book when I got it but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. First, NATURE'S TREASURES is a gorgeous book. The edges of the pages are gilt and it has marvelous full-color illustrations and photos on every page. It is divided into three sections: animals, plants, and minerals, with a bonus section at the end about natural oddities (such as honeycomb and fossils). This is basically a celebration of the natural world, praising everything from pyrite (which can form cube-like crystals) to the fruits and leaves of various plants to feathers to seashells to the humble egg.
NATURE'S TREASURES is packed with all sorts of trivia. For example, giant clams get as large as a double-bed and actually get so big that they lose the ability to close and can live for over one hundred years! Puffins are also apparently the only birds that molt their beaks (they have a summer beak and a winter beak). Fossilized trees are basically living spectroscopes and they are sometimes called rainbow wood because you can tell what type of minerals formed in them based on the color. Oh, and ginkgo is so old that it predates plants that flowered or bore fruit.
This would make a great gift for a precocious kid who's into life sciences, but it would also make a gorgeous coffee table book for a nerd who loves art (because the illustrations in this book are, again, gorgeous). It's on par with some of those Eyewitness books, but more artsy, just to give you an idea of how this book is constructed. I also like that it doesn't balk at defining the scientific terms for kids.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
This is kind of like the birds and the bees equivalent of EVERYBODY POOPS. It introduces the topic of reproduction for the elementary-age set, but does so in a way that is light on the details and strictly factual. It's pretty spare in terms of narration and honestly, this isn't really fun bedtime reading. It's more of a coming of age book you give a kid before setting them down for a Talk. I do like the line drawings of the animals (SUPER CUTE!), which for me is a big part of how I rate kids' books, but this really isn't all that, uh, entertaining. This is, as I said, more of a sort of visual aid/learning tool than a book.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
After reading so many bodice-rippers, I felt like mixing it up a little by reading something super empowering and wholesome. That's why I'm absolutely delighted to have been given a copy of RULE THE MUSIC SCENE LIKE BEYONCE KNOWLES. I have always thought Beyonce was really cool. I grew up listening to Destiny's Child and her solo career really started taking off when I was in college and her feminist songs ended up being anthems for me and my friends.
This is a kid-friendly biography of the pop star. It talks about how she got into dancing and how dancing helped bring her out of her shell as a shy kid. Then it goes into the girl groups she was a part of (Girls Tyme and Destiny's) before she went solo. There's even a section on her daughter, Blue Ivy, and her social activism, and commentary on the difficulty of having political opinions as someone in the spotlight.
The best thing about the book is definitely the art, though, which is by Sinem Erkas. It's paper art, I think, and it looks so good stylistically, transforming what would otherwise be a pretty average book into a magnificent work of art.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
From a purely aesthetic standpoint, this book is a five. The minimalism/pop-art illustrations done by Bobby C. Martin are exceptionally gorgeous and would make great posters (I would be surprised if posters of his work aren't available already). I would gladly purchase a coffee table book of his art at some point (and maybe even a print or two). From a readability standpoint, however, this book is more of a 3 or a 4, for several reasons.
While the message of the book is important and the way it is presented is lovely-- inspirational quotes in color block font, gorgeous illustrations-- it felt too short. I wish this was more of an art book, with even more quotes and illustrations. It doesn't help that the book feels very back-heavy because it has a bunch of micro-biographies of famous Black scientists, artists, politicians, etc. of note just crammed in very plain, very small text in the back half, which are fascinating to read but presented in such a plain, unadorned way in comparison to the vibrant presentation of the first half. It feels a bit anticlimactic!
I'm also not really 100% sure what the age range for this book is. The first half feels like a children's book but the language in the mini-biographies combined with the small font size feel like they're being targeted towards a much older audience, maybe middle grade as opposed to elementary. I think this would be a beautiful book to display in the home or have as a resource in a classroom, but as something to read over and over and use as a reference, it isn't all that accessible.
I'll definitely keep an eye out for more work by Bobby C. Martin, though!
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
For what it is, this book is incredibly cute. Adorable illustrations with fun details and bright colors that will appeal to child. The twisted definitions of traditional fashion terminology will appeal to parents who are fed up with more "basic" alphabet books.
That said, this is a book geared primarily towards children and not for adults. I got this, thinking it was one of those books that would work for adults as well, but it really isn't. The humor is cute and tongue-in-cheek but really doesn't wink at the audience in the way I was expecting, which is entirely on me.
If you're a parent looking for an alphabet book that's a bit different and won't make you want to pull out your hair and you've already had to hide your copy of CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM, I think this will be fun. But if you don't have kids and aren't a children's librarian, there's no point in getting this.
I will likely be gifting my copy to a parent friend with young children.
This is a beautifully illustrated book loosely based on the principles of reincarnation. It's about a boy in Tibet who grows up to be an old man and then dies, after spending a lifetime with his wife and family. During his life, he always yearned to travel and discover new worlds, so he is offered the chance to reincarnate. First he chooses a galaxy, a star, a planet, and then he gets to decide what animal he wants to be. Even though there are so many options, he chooses to be human. And despite all the regions out there, rich with culture and delicious food, he ends up going back to Tibet... only this time, as a girl.
THE MOUNTAINS OF TIBET is a beautiful story for several reasons. First, it introduces children to the concept of mortality in a non-threatening way. One day, all of us will die. It is an upsetting thought, but it is also the force that drives us to live as thoroughly and richly as we can, knowing that one day, we won't any longer. The main character of this story lives a long and happy life, and even though he never got to travel and explore, his family ended up making his entire world, which is sweet.
Second, in the age of #fomo, it is more relevant than ever, because it teaches kids that even though we might yearn for what we don't have, it's often the familiar that we come back to again and again because that's what makes us feel good and loved. The man stayed home to be with his family because they loved him and made him happy. When he had the chance to start over, he went back to Tibet, because the happy memories he had there persisted over his lifetime, and filled him with joy. This book isn't saying that novel experiences aren't worth it, but that we don't need them to be happy, and that even after we have them, they might not be the things that keep us satisfied and content.
Lastly, it shows that we're all part of a rich, elegant tapestry. All living things are valid and beautiful in their own way, and when we die, we're still part of that tapestry-- just not in the way we used to be. I am not religious but I think that's a message that transcends religion: understanding that our lives are short and finite, and that death is simply a natural process that happens to all of us, whether we're plant, animal, or even the universe itself. All things, eventually, come to an end.
I used to love this book when I was a kid and rereading it now, as an adult, I enjoyed it still. Definitely recommend it for kids and it's also a nice book for adults. I have a friend who read this together with a loved one who was in hospice, and it really gave the two of them some much-needed closure, as it enabled them to find some beauty and hope during what was a really sad time.
One day, all of us will die. The knowledge of our own mortality is perhaps one of the cruelest twists of human cognition, and yet, it's also the strongest motivator for us to go out and fully live our lives and make meaningful connections with others, despite knowing that one day, our lives will end and so will those of our loved ones. I remember when I first realized that my life would not be infinite, and my parents read me a truly lovely book based on Buddhist beliefs, called THE MOUNTAINS OF TIBET. It's a book about life, and death, and how living to one's natural end just makes you a part of the ever-growing tapestry of the continual life cycle.
THE IMMORTAL JELLYFISH is a book that takes a similar concept in introducing mortality to children in a way that isn't scary or intimidating. The premise begins with a species of jellyfish colloquially known as "The Immortal Jellyfish," or cnidarians, which can revert back to an earlier phase in their life cycle and re-mature indefinitely and are essentially immortal in a biological sense (although they can still be killed).
Our hero is a little boy listening in fascination as his grandfather tells him about these wonderful jellyfish. He wants to know if he can be immortal too, and his grandfather tells him no, not in that sense, although there are other ways, he adds-- mysteriously. Before the boy can get any closure, his grandfather disappears, and then his parents tell him that the reason his grandfather hasn't come to visit him is because he is dead. The boy is devastated until he goes to sleep one night and sees his grandfather again in a dream. His grandfather takes him to a magical place called the Life Transfer Station where beings can retire to take on another physical form to revisit loved ones in dreams.
I thought this story was absolutely beautiful for multiple reason. First, the art is beautiful and worth buying the book for by that measure alone. Second, it borrows the same tenets of reincarnation and interconnectedness from Buddhism that made THE MOUNTAINS OF TIBET one of my favorite reads as a child. Third, it introduces the concept of mortality to children in a very gentle way. Fourth, it shows how our love for those who are dead can not only go on to live on through the life cycle (although in this case it is more metaphorical), but also they live on through us in our memories, and also live on in us through our actions. That's such a great, and bittersweet, idea. I almost cried.
Lastly, it teaches children about a very interesting animal that actually does live forever. Cnidarians (pronounced "nye-deer-ians") are really cool and I love the idea of a kid reading this book and then using it as a jumping off point to gain more knowledge about these fascinating creatures. Definitely a great book for children, especially as a teaching tool or for giving comfort in a period of grief. I'd also recommend this to adults who like children's books, especially children's books with great art.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
I love Joyce Wan's art. My friend and I were looking over this at the supermarket together and giggling over the adorable illustrations. Peep is the outgoing older one and Egg is the younger little sh*t that acts like a brat. In this book, Peep tries to convince their younger sibling, Egg, to go with them for trick-or-treating, while Egg basically trashes all their ideas and says, "No! I don't want to go! I'm afraid! That sounds boring!"
Honestly, I'd buy these for the art alone. In fact, I want to get a copy of WE BELONG TOGETHER for my desk. The art is so cute.
If I ever have children, I'm going to buy up Wan's entire collection for my kids. Cute art, fun colors, and decent messages in most of the stories. How can you possibly go wrong with that?
Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨
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