We have new books coming in all the time with them on display right as you enter the Trove.  Here’s some of our recent favorite new titles!

For Babies

My Hair is Like the Sun by St. Clair Detrick-Jules & Tabitha Brown
(Birth to 3 Years-Old)
Library Catalog

“I ask you, one and all, to take a good, long, hard look at this cover. This, my friends, is my perpetual frustration. This cover is not overly complicated and yet it is, in essence, incredibly well made. It’s beautiful, the colors are fantastic, and look at how well the photo itself was exposed in terms of contrast! How is it that we don’t have reams and reams of board books that look like this one? In lieu of that fact, we must be content with what we have, and what we have is a thoroughly charming creation. It’s a celebration of Black hair that compares a variety of styles to natural forces. So St. Clair Detrick-Jules not only wrote the text but took these photos as well and I want to honor the skill that went into this collection. This isn’t some haphazard smattering of children. It’s thought out, skillful, and a beautiful range of hair and skin tones. I’ve seen a lot of children’s books celebrating Black hair, but few board books, and what few I’ve seen tend to be illustrated. There’s something so enormously satisfying about seeing real hair on the page. A magnificent book, I don’t really understand why more publishers haven’t jumped on this bandwagon yet. In any case, this is one of my top board books of the year. Don’t miss out on it! Simply fantastic.” – Betsy Bird, School Library Journal

Alma and Her Family/Alma y su familia by Juana Martinez-Neal
(Birth to 3 Years-Old)
Library Catalog

“The world always needs a little more Alma. The Caldecott Honor winning character (from Alma and How She Got Her Name) returns in this new bilingual board book series. And considering how desperate the public is for bilingual books for younger readers, finding not just something bilingual in a board book form AND as high quality as Juana’s art and text, that’s pretty remarkable. Each book covers some fairly basic information. The one about her family goes through her family members one by one (including the world’s most patient abuelo). Extra points to Juana for also depicting the knitting her great-aunt does with great accuracy (no upside down knitting needles here!). Head to Toe/de pies a cabeza, meanwhile, goes through body parts and senses. Dang these are cute. You may wish to stock up.” – Betsy Bird, School Library Journal

Look, It’s Roar Roar Lion (Look , It’s…  Series) by Camilla Reid & Clare Youngs
(Birth to 3 Years-Old)
Library Catalog

“It’s not as though I’ve never seen foil used on a board book before. Of course I have! But until now I don’t think I’d seen it used as beautifully and artistically as it has by Clare Youngs. By all immediate appearances these aren’t all that different from your average Nosy Crow lift-the-flap/touch-and-feel board books. But once you get inside, you’ll find these enormously engaging shiny patterns on the animals. I think it’s the use of foil in patterns (and delicate ones at that) that really blew me away. It just sort of elevates everything a bit. Sort of makes the books just a bit more interesting, even as they walk the usual paces. So for primo use of foil (and some thoroughly charming animals to boot) this is the series to watch.” – Betsy Bird, School Library Journal

For Younger Readers

Dounia and the Magic Seeds by Marya Zarif
(Kindergarten to 3rd Grade)
Library Catalog

“A young girl and her grandparents must leave war-torn Aleppo, Syria, to find a new home. Dounia, whose name means the world in Arabic, goes to the souk to get baraka seeds for her grandmother Teta Mouneh. The spice seller, Abdo, gives her the seeds and tells her they are magic. At home, her neighbor Mrs. Dabbouss reads the coffee grounds in Teta Mouneh's cup and foresees an arduous journey that will end with ‘a blue house in a bright white country.’ Teta tells Dounia to hold on to some of the seeds. One night, as the two of them dry eggplant on the roof, a bomb explodes in the courtyard, breaking windows, destroying the fountain, and killing Kiki, the family's pet canary. Jeddo Darwish, Dounia's grandfather, announces that they must leave and gives her a dove carved from soap. As they travel, Dounia realizes she still has several of the baraka seeds, and each time she tosses one, something happens to ease them along on their trek. In this tale translated from French, Zarif captures the perilous journey well, blending grim elements–travel by boat, barbed wire fences, soldiers–with the fantastical. The artwork has a whimsical feeling that makes the tough subject matter manageable. In an author's note, Zarif discusses her sadness at seeing the devastating of Aleppo, where she grew up, and her hopes for her people… A moving refugee story laced with optimism and magic” – Kirkus Reviews

Og Meets Mog by Ame Dyckman & Elio
(Preschool to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog

“Thinking turns out to be better than hitting. Og, unthreatening scion of a family of cartoonish, Popsicle-colored, Play-Doh-y monsters, all horned, with projecting teeth but goofy grins, is out helpfully collecting firewood when he spots a large block of ice with a blue lump inside it. Only two eyes are visible, and when one blinks, Og yelps. After futilely bashing the ice with sticks for a while, Og decides to use his brain instead of brute force. Lacking tools, he karate-chops two trees to make rollers, finds rope, slides the block onto the logs, and pulls it home. The tiny fire in his yard melts the huge ice block, and quite surprisingly something orange and furry begins to emerge. Somehow, the ice was hiding an enormous marmalade cat (in British nursery slang, a ‘mog’). Og is nice, Mog is nice, and together, Og and Mog are ‘twice as nice.’ Besides being big enough for Og to ride, as a bonus, helpful Mog chases off the mice that have been plaguing Og and his family. Rollicking rhymed verses, almost-monosyllabic vocabulary, and super-large type will attract beginning readers, who might also enjoy the wacky, harmless mini-monsters. Very easy words, a small hero, and enough action to keep the pages turning.” – Kirkus Reviews

Makeda Makes a Birthday Treat by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich & lydia Mba
(Kindergarten to 2nd Grade)
Library Catalog

“For her birthday celebration, Makeda is thrilled to make coconut drops for her classmates. Her siblings tell her kids will want cupcakes. But Makeda is determined to make coconut drops. Makeda, Momma, and Nana sing, dance, sip tea, and tell stories while they make their beloved coconut drops. Readers feel the nostalgia that Makeda and her family experience for their island homeland. When Makeda arrives at school, some kids ask where the cupcakes are. Others make faces, comments, and ask about potential mistakes. The coconut drops don't look like cupcakes. When Makeda's best friend, Glory, steps up and tries one, soon others follow. The class then launches into conversation about the foods, stories, and traditions they enjoy with their families. This early reader aptly illustrates what can occur when children are brave enough to share their family's culture and background. Illustrations and text work in tandem to show what students can do to foster awareness of individuals other than themselves, and how to talk about differences. Makeda and her family have brown skin, and her class includes children with a range of skin tones, body types, and abilities. VERDICT An inclusive early reader that celebrates dialogue about individual differences.” – School Library Journal

Fiction

The Cursed Moon by Angela Cervantes
(Grades 4-6)
Library Catalog

“A boy tells one scary story too many and must find his way to a happy ending–or else. Eleven-year-old Mexican American Rafael Fuentes loves writing horror stories. It comes easily to him despite his struggles in school because much of his life has been a different kind of scary story, one full of neglect and instability. For the past two years since their mom was sent to prison, Rafa and his younger sister, Brianna, have lived with their loving abuelos. But now Rafa is dreading his mom's upcoming early release. One day, neighbor Ms. Martin warns Rafa that he should not, under any circumstances, tell a scary story during the upcoming blood moon. But Rafa's storytelling has brought him social acceptance, so at his friends' urging, he tells one of his most frightening tales yet. Soon after, strange, unsettling things start happening. Rafa thinks his spooky story has something to do with this, and he tries to craft a new, happy ending for his story. With the support of his friends and help from a magical jaguar, he faces down the evil threat. Featuring excellent pacing and seamlessly centering a diverse, well-drawn community, Cervantes' latest deals with the complicated issues that arise from having an incarcerated parent and provides ample creep factor for young horror fans without ever losing sight of the fact that maintaining hope is key. The power of words lies at the heart of this heartwarming story.” – Kirkus Reviews

Awesome Orange Birthday (The Party Diaries #1) by Mitali Banerjee Ruths & Aaliya Jaleel
(Grades 1-4)
Library Catalog

“When Priya Chakraborty starts her own party-planning business, her community comes through to help her succeed—and to calm her anxiety. Priya, a young South Asian American girl, loves crafts, her best friend, Melissa (depicted as light-skinned in the illustrations), and quokkas, fuzzy Australian animals in danger of extinction. What she doesn’t love are surprises. So when her mother’s best friend, Layla Aunty, asks Priya to throw her birthday party, Priya uses her diary to stay organized and avoid the unexpected. While she’s excited about Layla Aunty’s orange-themed party, she’s also anxious and overwhelmed: There are orange snacks to prepare, orange decorations to make, and orange invitations to deliver. Luckily, Priya doesn’t have to do any of this alone: Melissa helps her deliver invitations, her Dida helps her make snacks, and, on the day of the party, her mother’s friends help her decorate. Thanks to Priya’s creativity, the day is a resounding success—such a success, in fact, that it leads to even more business for Priya’s Parties. Priya is a well-rounded, nuanced protagonist whose enthusiasm and anxiety will resonate with readers, and the narrative, peppered with bright images, is fast-moving. The text offers pronunciation guidance for potentially unfamiliar words, such as quokka or the various snacks for the party (jalebi, chevdo, etc.). A layered, upbeat tale starring a determined, relatable protagonist.” – Kirkus Reviews

Eli Over Easy by Phil Stamper
(Grades 4-6)
Library Catalog

“Thirteen-year-old Eli Adams lives alone with his father, who has become stridently protective ever since Eli’s mother, a test kitchen chef, died of Covid months ago. And now that they’ve moved away from family and friends in Minnesota to New York City, and Dad refuses to talk about Mom, Eli feels lonelier than ever. While using his mother’s computer to research project ideas for his virtual summer coding bootcamp, Eli stumbles upon her YouTube channel, where, he learns, she had been uploading instructional cooking videos. With the help of his cute tween neighbor Mat, who is spending the summer with his grandmother, Eli uses his mom’s videos to teach himself how to cook, hoping to feel closer to her. After a lot of failures, he slowly hones his skills, but his sudden interest in cooking worries his dad, who believes that Eli is becoming trapped in grief. Eli’s burgeoning self-expression—through both his cooking and his sweetly developing relationship with Mat—shines through in this tender, low-conflict drama in which Stamper (Small Town Pride) portrays myriad grieving processes and experiences with sensitivity and care. Eli reads as white.” – Publishers Weekly

Nonfiction

A Kid’s Guide to the Chinese Zodiac: Animal Horoscopes, Legendary Myths, and Practical Uses for Ancient Wisdom by Aaron Hwang, art by Qu Lan
(Grades 3-6)
Library Catalog

“There's more to the nuanced Chinese zodiac calendar than figuring out whether your birth-year animal might be a tiger or dragon. Beginning with a creation story explaining the Jade Emperor's call for a calendar and an animal race that led to 12 animal cycles, this guide shows how the Chinese zodiac can be a tool for interpreting the world around you. The author further describes how this calendar is not simply comprised of one year but of the Four Pillars of Destiny (year, month, day, and hour), which each turn independently. In addition, energy also moves in patterns, so the zodiac founders combined the cycle of the 12 animals with the cycle of the 5 energy elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) for a total of 60 different types of energy. This user-friendly book, complemented by charts and graphics, is an engaging exploration of the strengths and weaknesses of each element and animal. The bulk of the text focuses on the animal cycles, including how to work through one's challenges in a particular animal cycle, especially with family and friends and in school, and how each animal fits into Chinese mythology. A final section looks at combinations of matching and opposite cycles to maximize harmony and avoid conflict. For those who observe the Chinese zodiac, this comprehensive resource fills a cultural void.” *Starred Review* – Booklist

Wow in the World: Wow in Space – A Galactic Guide to the Universe and Beyond by Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz
(Grades 3-6)
Library Catalog

“This eye-catching graphic exploration of outer space comes from the creators of the Wow in the World podcast series [Note – featured in the Library’s Great Podcasts for Kids, pt. 1].  Pages are filled with goofy illustrations, silly jokes, photos, lists, definitions, and lots of solid science about non-earthly entities: the universe, galaxies, stars, planets, asteroids, comets, alien life, and space exploration and explorers. Cartoon versions of the authors (also the podcast hosts) act as interstellar guides, organizing the onslaught of information into manageable topics and reinforcing main concepts (while never taking themselves too seriously). Misconceptions and seemingly silly questions abound, as do guest interviews (Jupiter gets understandably defensive when its Great Red Spot is repeatedly referred to as a pimple), facts and statistics, relatable examples, time lines, and tables. Kid-friendly sidebars broach topics such as stuff left on the moon, International Space Station pranks, and gruesome physical facts (spend enough time in space and your fingernails fall off). The generous back matter includes QR codes for Wow in the World podcasts, and while there are source notes for researchers, leave this book out for browsers, too.” – Booklist

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, art by Robert Sae Heng
(Preschool to 3rd Grade)
Library Catalog

“A dozen sustainable farms around the world offer intriguing possibilities for the future of agriculture. Simple four-beat rhyming couplets concisely describe a plethora of farming methods old and new around the world, many of which will be especially useful in light of climate change. A salt farm on Kaua, an urban food forest in Nairobi, a Yemeni honey farm, a garden on the roof of Boston's Fenway Park–all grow different edibles suited to their environment. A fish ‘farm’ in Brazil is made up of the Enawenê-Nawê people's handwoven fish traps held in place by a temporary dam. In contrast, the Solar Supertrees (among many vertical farms and gardens in Singapore) are technological marvels, providing solar power and collecting rainwater. A couple of underwater hydroponic biospheres in Italy and an Australian aquaculture oyster farm are followed by circular gardens in Senegal, ‘where Sahara and savanna meet,’ and Indian dobas that collect water for dry-season use. A helpful feature of the book is the pronunciation guidance, and on every page, unobtrusive insets define terms like erosion, compost, brood, and sustainable. Attractive collagelike compositions use vivid blue, green, tan, and other hues to depict diverse people, with just enough detail to grab the eye. The backmatter puts the various farms on a world map and compresses into a few pages a lot of information on the farms and techniques. A unique introduction to traditional and innovative agricultural options.” – Kirkus Reviews