Geo Librarian

  CLOUD PUPPY Cloud Puppy #1 written & illustrated by Kelly Leigh Miller Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-6659-5582-9 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. Thanks to the publisher for arranging the interview and to Kelly Leigh Miller for answering my questions. ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR Kelly Leigh Miller is an illustrator and author who loves everything cute and whimsical. She is the author of I Love My Fangs!, I Love My Fur!, I Love My Magic!, and many more books. Visit her online at KellyLeighMiller.com . INTERVIEW with KELLY LEIGH MILLER What is the 'story behind the story'? The idea for Cloud Puppy came from me revisiting my old love of Tamagotchis and Sanrio characters. At the time, I had also been studying Japanese mascots, the ones that are for businesses and cities, for character design inspiration. The character of Cloud Puppy c...

  MYSTERIOUS, MARVELOUS OCTOPUS written by Paige Towler National Geographic Kids, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-4263-7667-2 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 Picture book nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Meet one of Earth’s most incredible ocean animals in this lyrical, whimsical picture book uniquely layered with photographs, rhyming text, and fascinating facts about octopuses. This playful book introduces young readers to the fascinating world of octopuses big and small, ink-squirting and shape-shifting, all around the planet. With their super smarts and awe-inspiring abilities, octopuses have captivated human imaginations. This book is a celebration of all things weird and wonderful about these beloved creatures—with their eight arms, nine brains, and one-of-a-kind personalities. Inside, find lyrical poetry paired with informational sidebars—perfect for a charming bedtime read or for pourin...

  THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA written and illustrated by Ed Vere Doubleday, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-525-58090-4 Source: Publisher through Blue Slip Media (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Blue Slip Media & Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK An inspiring, seafaring fable about a determined and brave elephant who reaches for his dreams, from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Ed Vere. "There is only one thing I want to do . . . So I will do it!" Gabriel the elephant dreams of being part of the lifeboat crew in his seaside town, but he is too young, and too little. But soon, Gabriel grows up and he is too . . . BIG! Disappointed but undaunted, Gabriel makes a plan. He hammers and chops, saws and sands, and builds his very own boat. One night, a great storm hits, and it's Gabriel's time to shine, pulling his oars alone against the crashing waves to save a crew in peril. Young children wi...

  UNICORN BOY Unicorn Boy #1 written & illustrated by Dave Roman color by Heather Mann First Second, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-250-37317-5 Source: purchased eBook Ages 8-11 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK The first few years of Brian Reyes’ life were unremarkable―nothing weird about this kid, no sir. Then, one day, a bump appeared on his head, and it grew…and grew…and grew until it was a full-blown, sparkling, SINGING unicorn horn. That’s absolutely the last thing a shy kid like Brian wants, but destiny waits for no unicorn boy. Luckily, Brian has his reassuring pal Avery to keep him grounded as weird occurrences start stacking up, like Brian’s breakfast muffin talking to him, or a bizarre black cat offering him a business card. But when shadowy creatures from another realm kidnap Avery, Brian has to embrace his fate to rescue his best friend. In the pages of Unicorn Boy, Dave Roman has create...

  BUTT OR FACE? Revenge of the Butts by Kari Lavelle Sourcebooks Explore, 2024 ISBN: 9781728271200 Ages 6 and up Picture book nonfiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Are you ready for round two of the hilarious guessing game picture book? Discover fascinating facts about animals while guessing if you're looking at a butt or a face! Butt or Face? Volume 2 continues the delightfully cheeky challenge with a whole new set of animals from all over the world. Examine a close-up photo of an animal and then guess whether you're looking at the top or the…um…bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a compete photo of the animal! Also included are factual animal details along with how these animals use camouflage or other trickery to engage with their home. Readers will discover animals like the alien butt spider who turns leaves into burrito-like hideaways, the leaf-tailed g...

ROAR-CHOO! written by Charlotte Cheng, art by Dan Santat Rocky Pond Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-53175-4 Source: Purchased Ages 4-8 Picture book -- Speculative (fantasy) fiction; folklore All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Patient, peaceful Phoenix tries to take care of rambunctious and cold-ridden Dragon, which leads to hilarious and sweet results (with vibrant illustrations by the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Beekle ). Everyone knows that dragons are fierce, capable of taking on the world! But this dragon can’t stop sneezing long enough to get a roar out. Even with friendly Phoenix insisting that Dragon get some rest, this powerful creature refuses to stop for any orange ginger tea or a drop of bone broth soup. It's only when Dragon realizes Phoenix has caught the same cold that they are both able to take the break they so badly need. This tale of helping your friends and valuing ...

ALL THAT GROWS words and pictures by Jack Wong Groundwood Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-77306-812-1 Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner Jack Wong, a story of a boy who discovers that the more he learns, the more there is to know! On their neighborhood walks together, a boy learns from his older sister all about the plants they see — magnolias that smell like lemon cake, creeping weeds that used to be planted for decoration, and even how dandelion greens can be eaten with spaghetti! But what makes a plant a flower, vegetable or weed, anyway? How can his sister tell, and how does she know so much? The boy’s head spins as he realizes how vast the universe is and how much there is to learn … until he resolves to let his knowledge grow in its own way and time, just like the mysterious plants he has decided to nurture in the garden. Award-winning creator ...

EVERYONE STARTS SMALL written by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Dominique Ramsey Candlewick Press, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-5362-2615-7 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 Sun and Grass, Water and Tree, Fire and Rain—nature’s cycle of creation unfolds in a compelling lyrical text and striking illustrations. Sun grows beams and Grass grows blades and Cloud cannot contain herself. Spring rains change Water from a tumbling creek to a roaring river and bring Tree nutrients it needs to stretch toward the sky. As Sun’s rays intensify, the sprouts and fruits and insects of the forest grow and bloom and develop, all working together in harmony. Even Fire, whose work causes Tree to ache from the inside, brings opportunity for the next generation of flora and fauna. Paired with the vivid, organic imagery of Dominique Ramsey, Liz Garton Scanlon’s poetic tribute to our p...

OH, ARE YOU AWAKE? written by Bob Shea, illustrated by Jarvis Candlewick Press, 2024 ISBN:  978-1-5362-2658-4 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 For anyone who has ever craved sleep—and anyone too full of energy to settle down—a comedy from Bob Shea, creator of the popular Dinosaur vs. series, and singular illustrator Jarvis. It’s sleepy time for Lion and Penguin. Correction: it should be sleepy time for Lion and Penguin, but Lion’s eyes aren’t tired, and his ears would like a story. Penguin, however, is tired and nods off into sweet candy dreams—until a noise wakes him. “Oh, are you awake?” asks Lion sweetly, seated before a drum set. “Let’s have that story, then!” “Not now. It is time to close your eyes and dream dreams.” And so it goes, with an ever-more-disgruntled Penguin trying to nod off while an exuberant Lion innocently practices his drummin...

EMBER AND THE ISLAND OF LOST CREATURES written & illustrated by Jason Pamment HarperAlley, 2023 ISBN: 978-0-06-306520-8 Source: purchased Graphic novel Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From Treasure in the Lake ’s Jason Pamment comes a story of friendship and self-discovery, in a gorgeously illustrated world perfect for fans of Hilda and Over the Garden Wall . Fitting in can be hard, especially when you’re as small as Ember, a tiny boy living alone in a city of giants. But Ember’s luck changes when he meets Lua, a kindly sea turtle, who escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on a wondrous island. ­Here, Ember learns that first days can be hard, too—especially when they involve bizarre, fantastical cave-dwellers, ferocious storms, and classmates that, from the very start, aren’t at all interested in making friends. As he struggles to adapt to this new wo...