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PICTURE BOOK NONFICTION : To the Top of the World by Deborah Blumenthal & Anastasia Magloire Williams

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TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD Barbara Hillary, the First Black Woman to Reach the North and South Poles written by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Anastasia Magloire Williams Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-6659-2773-4 Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Go exploring with Barbara Hillary, the first Black woman to set foot on both the North and South Poles in this thrilling and inspiring picture book biography about perseverance, imagination, and following your dreams. As a young girl, Barbara Hillary imagined a life of adventure. Despite facing hardships in her childhood and illness as an adult, she never gave up on her to travel the world and explore hard-to-reach places. So, at age seventy-five, she became the first Black woman to set foot on the North Pole. Less than four years later, she did the same at the South Pole. Barbara loved everything the world has to of...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : It's My Bird-Day! words and pictures by Mo Willems (Available 3/31/2026)

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  IT'S MY BIRD-DAY! words and pictures by Mo Willems Union Square Kids, 2026 ISBN:9781454999621 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and illustrator Mo Willems, comes the highly anticipated annual event, The Pigeon’s BIRD-DAY! The Pigeon has the hat. And the hot dog cake! He is ready for the presents! But ... do YOU think The Pigeon can handle his BIG bird-day surprise!?! REVIEW As always, it's delightful to read another Pigeon book. It's time for Pigeon to celebrate his bird-day (birthday), and he intends to do it right. He even celebrates in the copyright information telling readers "published with gleeful anticipation and exceptionally unrealistic expectations". Pigeon's excitement for his bird-day is palpable, he's even prepared to showcase his fancy feathers for th...
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WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY : Forests by Nell Cross Beckerman & Kalen Chock

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  FORESTS written by Nell Cross Beckerman, illustrated by Kalen Chock Orchard Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-5461-3097-0 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK The team behind the acclaimed Caves returns with an enchanting exploration of one of Earth's most familiar ecosystems—forests! So much to see, to smell, to hear, to taste, to feel. So much to find… in the forest. Using evocative storytelling, Nell Cross Beckerman leads readers on an exciting adventure through the magic of forests! From kelp forests on the ocean floor to the wonders of the Amazon, Beckerman guides readers through these tree-filled ecosystems using dramatic, poetic language. Nonfiction text on every page allows for deeper understanding of the topic. Illustrator Kalen Chock's stunning illustrations have been praised as "atmospheric" and "striking." Readers will be delighted as...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : HairStory by Sope Martins & Briana Mukodiri Uchendu

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  HAIRSTORY written by Sope Martins, Briana Mukodiri Uchendu Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-6659-3810-5 Source: publisher for review (thanks!) Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Joy hums from this exquisite picture book celebration of the richness of the African heritage behind braids, locs, cornrows, and all manner of crowning glory, from ancient times to present day—perfect for fans of Sulwe and We Are the Ship. With the lushest of language, a young girl getting her hair styled tells an overall history of African hair. Beads. Feathers. Cowries. Threads of gold. Ivory. Charcoal. Pearls. Bantu knots. Cornrows. Goddess Braids. Maps. Seeds. Afros. Clay. Dreadlocks. Woven with the greatest care. Across different African cultures. Everything rich with meaning. - Centuries of meaning! Hair! It’s woven with history. - It is living art—can be adorned with intricate...
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EARLY READER REVIEW : Ling & Ting's Lunar New Year: Two Times Lucky

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  LING & TING'S LUNAR NEW YEAR Two Times Lucky written & illustrated by Grace Lin Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN:   9780316578073 Source: eARC from publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Ling and Ting are twins. They are Chinese and American. They celebrate the new year two times. Now they are preparing for Lunar New Year. They want a lucky year. What happens when Ting makes a mistake? Can their year still be lucky? REVIEW The latest entry in the Ling & Ting series finds the sisters celebrating the Lunar New Year. But when Ting accidentally tosses the dust (bad luck from the previous year) from the floor out the front door, the girls are frightened that the New Year will bring back the bad luck. In an effort to save their year the girls decide to welcome the new year through the side door by decorating there instead o...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : Claydate: A Playdate with the Claymates by Dev Petty & Lauren Eldridge

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  CLAYDATE: A Playdate with the Claymates written by Dev Petty, illustrated by Lauren Eldridge Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2026 ISBN:9780316564540 Available April 7, 2026 Source: eARC from publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK When two clay friends decide to sculpt a unicorn-dragon and a potato-knight and try to tell an epic story with them, nothing goes quite how they planned. Unicorn-dragon isn't fearsome at all, and potato-knight keeps getting squished! Can the claymates work together to save their story and remember that a playdate doesn’t have to be perfect to be plenty of fun? Anything can happen in this laugh-out-loud adventure that celebrates friendship, storytelling, and endless creativity. REVIEW As a huge fan of the first book, Claymates , I was thrilled to have the chance to read the sequel. In this follow-up that highlights the...
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#MMGM : Secrets of the Broken House by Taryn Souders

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  SECRETS OF THE BROKEN HOUSE written by Taryn Souders Sourcebooks, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-4642-4497-1 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads,.com. ABOUT THE BOOK In the small, southern town of Everson, goats can run for mayor, the mail is always late, and nothing all that bad ever happens. That is, until thirteen-year-old Tucker finds Miss Geraldine dead at the bottom of her stairs. At first glance, it looks like an accident. But Tucker has always had a knack for noticing details that others overlook, and the details surrounding Miss Geraldine's death just aren't adding up. Miss Geraldine was miserable and mean. Miss Geraldine was murdered. The whole town seems to have reason to want her dead, which makes Tucker's search for the truth nearly impossible. The more he investigates for clues, the more danger he finds himself in, and the more he realizes that maybe...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : Humble Pie by Jory John & Pete Oswald

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THE HUMBLE PIE written by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald Harper, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-06-346973-0 Source: purchased Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK The Humble Pie likes to give others the spotlight. Aw, shucks!—they deserve it! But when he’s paired with his best friend, Jake the Cake, for a school project, he soon realizes that staying in the shadows isn’t always as sweet as pie. Readers of all ages will laugh along as their new pie pal discovers that letting your voice be heard always takes the cake! Jory John and Pete Oswald serve up another heaping plate of laughs and lessons with this empowering, witty, and charming addition to their #1 New York Times bestselling series! REVIEW Humble Pie doesn't mind letting others take the lead and get the credit. After all, who pays attention to pie when cake is available. However, when Jake the Cake doesn't provide the help Pie...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : The 13th Day of Christmas by Adam Rex

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  THE 13TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS written & illustrated by Adam Rex Neal Porter Books, Holiday Publishing Inc, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-8234-5653-6 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com ABOUT THE BOOK A partridge in a pear tree? Ten lords a-leaping? Now who would want such gifts? And more importantly—why would they be given? Adam Rex investigates in this hilariously heart-warming tale based on one of the best-loved Christmas carols. Our hero is having a lonesome Christmas away from his true love. So when she sends him a gift, of course he loves it—even if a partridge in a pear tree wasn’t exactly on his Wishlist. Twelve days later, his home is crowded with more birds, milkmaids, pipers, and other guests than he can possibly make sense of. Why would his true love think he’d like this?! His search for answers transforms the disaster into a source of joy for the whole town—complete with a parade...
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PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : It's Almost Time for Christmas! by Maisha Oso & Tom Knight

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  IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR CHRISTMAS! written by Maisha Oso, illustrated by Tom Knight Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-6659-8014-2 Source: publisher for review (thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK How to Catch Santa Claus meets The Night Before series in this present-wrapping, mistletoe-hanging picture book anticipating Christmas in the laugh-out-loud, rhyming It’s Almost time For… series. It’s almost time for Christmas, and excitement is running high! It might not be here yet, but there’s so much to do before the merry day arrives… From decorating the Christmas tree with ornaments to wrapping presents, baking cookies, and caroling, there are endless ways to celebrate! But not everyone can read the signs of the highly anticipated holiday on the way… It’s Almost Time for…Christmas! is a perfect blend of festive fun and read-aloud magic that will have young reade...
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