Reviews
Booklist - A Tuba Christmas
Even though—or perhaps because—everyone else in her family plays strings or reeds, for better or worse, Ava takes up tuba. At first it’s definitely “worse,” as her sibs give her a hard time, her parents suggest something more portable, like flute, and her initial bbbwwWWWAHHHHHs and… View »
Kirkus Reviews - A Tuba Christmas
Kirkus Reviews – Starred review…
Excerpt: The wonderfully diverse cast of characters, from Rodney, an African-American with locs, to Ava’s schoolmates and the musicians who make up the tuba band, demonstrates the book’s embrace of ensemble participation. Watercolors cheerily splash across th View »
Kirkus Reviews - Hanukkah Hamster
Review: A new friendship born during the holiday season tugs on the heartstrings. December can be a hard month for those far away from their families. Edgar is a city cabbie kept busy driving passengers from one store to the next. After a nap in his back seat he discovers one more passenger: View »
Publisher's Weekly - Hanukkah Hamster
Who left the hamster in Edgar’s cab? No one has reported a missing pet to his cab company, so Edgar, a taxi driver from Israel, names the hamster Chickpea (after a beloved legume from his native land) and improvises a cozy temporary habitat for the critter in his apartment. But as the days… View »
School Library Journal - Red Velvet Cape
Readers will feel Mateo’s excitement as well as his disappointment when he thinks he’s not going to get what he imagined. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations are lively and cartoonish and the inclusion of a gender-neutral restroom and school posters in both English and Spanish are a nice… View »
School Library Journal - Bully
Life is pretty good for a bullfrog named Bully. He lives in a beautiful pond that is filled with fragrant water lilies. Some of the insects living in the pond find the taste of the flowers simply delicious and others enjoy their magnificent scent. Unfortunately, Bully wants the lilies all… View »
Kirkus Review - Mother Ghost
This collection of shivery Mother Goose rhymes is sure to put kids in the Halloween spirit. Opening with a spin on “Boys and Girls, Come out to Play,” Kolar sets kids up for the 12 to come: “Come with a whoop and come with a call; / Come with brave hearts or not at all.” All the favorites… View »
School Library Connection - The Princess and the Cafe of the Moat
Doesn’t everyone want to be kind and helpful to others? The princess in this new fairy tale sure does! Everyone at the castle is always so busy that she feels left out, so she goes on mission to find a way to be useful. After a day of helping an old man, babysitting children, and bandaging… View »
Booklist - Hot Dog! Eleanor Roosevelt throws a Picnic
Eleanor Roosevelt was known for lots of things, but her love of hot dogs probably isn’t one of them. This book remedies that by taking a little-known incident from history and turning it into a delightful picture book. When King George and Queen Elizabeth decided to visit the U.S.—the first… View »
Kirkus Review - Aim for the Skies
The straightforward narrative highlights the passion and determination of these two unknown women, who broke barriers and achieved their dreams. Tidbits, such as the fact that each had a good-luck charm, add human interest. View »