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AUTHOR GUEST POST & BOOK REVIEW : Maysoon Zayid, The Girl Who Can Can by Dr. Seema Yasmin & Noha Habaieb

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  MAYSOON ZAYID, THE GIRL WHO CAN CAN written by Dr. Seema Yasmin, illustrated by Noha Habaieb Salaam Reads, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-6659-5342-9 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 This is the story of the girl who could! Maysoon Zayid was just a girl from New Jersey. She might have sometimes felt like she was in the shadow of her three older sisters, but in her dreams, she was Mimi—an amazing actress, comedian, and dancer! The only problem? People kept telling Maysoon her dreams were impossible! Achieving her goals certainly wasn’t easy; as a Palestinian Muslim girl born with cerebral palsy, Maysoon faced all sorts of challenges—both physical and societal. But Maysoon didn’t dare give up. Instead, she followed her heart all the way to the screen and stage to become one of America’s first ever women Muslim comedians and an actress on her favorite ...

EARLY READER : The Monster and Puppet Show! by Kate Micucci (Arriving on February 24, 2026!)

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  THE MONSTER AND PUPPET SHOW! written & illustrated by Kate Micucci Union Square Kids, 2026 ISBN: 9781454951476 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-6 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Award-winning actor, comedian, musician, and artist Kate Micucci teams up with #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Mo Willems as part of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award–winning early reader series Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! When Monster meets Puppet, they decide to put on a show. Puppet knows what Monster should do! Monster should tell a joke! Monster should dance! Monster should sing! But the more Monster does, the more Puppet wants MORE. What should Monster do when The Monster and Puppet Show! is not fun any ... MORE!?! REVIEW Elephant & Piggie eagerly introduce this new beginning reader in the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series. A monster comes across ...

WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY : How to Have a Thought: A Walk with Charles Darwin by Nicholas Day & Hadley Hooper

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  HOW TO HAVE A THOUGHT A Walk with Charles Darwin written by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Hadley Hooper Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2026 ISBN: 978-0-8234-5850-9 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 Take a walk with Charles Darwin in this electrifying new picture book from Sibert Medalist Nicholas Day. How do you work through a complicated idea, solve a tricky problem, or make a big discovery? Charles Darwin had a lot of ways to do it. He paced in circles and hit rocks with a stick. He studied the bones of his dinner. He even rode around the world on a boat called The Beagle. These methods may sound unorthodox, but they led him to some pretty great thoughts—and discoveries about the origins of life as we know it. Sibert Medalist Nicholas Day’s conversational text has all the charm of a true story told by your smartest, most interesting friend. With Hadley ...

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : You and I are Stars and Night by Kate Hosford & Richard Jones

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YOU AND I ARE STARS AND NIGHT written by Kate Hosford, illustrated by Richard Jones Beach Lane Books, 2026 ISBN: 978-1-6659-4038-2 Source : Blue Slip Media/publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, summary, author information all provide by Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK This whimsical picture book celebrates the loving, playful, and imaginative relationship between caregiver and child through a shared dreamy journey before bedtime. The wind is calling. Hear it sweep through our village, fast asleep. Will you sail away with me? You and I are salt and sea… And so, bathtime turns into a magical expedition. A grown-up and child embark on the voyage together, meeting mermaids in the sea, playing hide-and-seek in an enchanted forest, and soaring with the birds before sailing home to read and snuggle in for bedtime, which they know is just another adventure beginning. Through it all, they cherish the most important thing in both dreamland and the re...

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION : Ms. Pennypickle's Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein

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  MS. PENNYPICKLE'S PUZZLE QUEST written by Chris Grabenstein Random House, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-70798-2 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK From the New York Times bestselling author of the Mr. Lemoncello series comes a race across the country full of rousing riddles and laugh-out-loud humor as two brothers try to solve the million-dollar puzzle of an eccentric genius! Benjamin and Ethan Broderick don't fit together. Twelve-year-old Ben loves retro arcade games and puzzles, while his older brother would rather play sports and hang out with his friends. The only thing they have in common is how much they resent being forced to go on a summer road trip. But at the quirky diner where the brothers make their very first stop, they discover a clue leading to a giant puzzle race with a million-dollar prize! Along with five other families, the Brodericks are thrus...

GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW : A Waffle Lot of Love by Ben Clanton

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  A WAFFLE LOT OF LOVE written & illustrated by Ben Clanton Tundra Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-77488-453-9 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 In this hilarious 10th book, Narwhal's PALentine's Day celebrations for Jelly go a little overboard! Includes bonus fun facts! Dive into three new stories with best buds Narwhal and Jelly! It's PALentine's Day and Jelly gives Narwhal a whaley nice card — but now Narwhal has no idea what to give him! One card isn't nearly enough, and soon Narwhal is flooding Jelly with gifts galore: waffles, a book about Jelly, more waffles, a song about Jelly . . . MORE waffles! Jelly is grateful, but would prefer the present of Narwhal's presence more than all of Narwhal's over-the-top displays of friendship. Can Narwhal realize what true friendship means before they go off the deep end trying to please their pal?...

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...

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...

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...

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...