Happy Tuesday, kidlit friends! Some of you may remember that last week was my daughter’s first day of preschool. Guess what? She came home with a stomach virus that made its rounds between all of us, and she missed a week of school, sigh. She’s now attending her second day of school, and I sure hope she doesn’t bring anything home beyond crafts this time. Since we’ve been quarantining the last 2.5 years, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s more susceptible to illnesses, but it’s been a pretty miserable week for us all. I know y’all can commiserate!
Bookish Goods
Bear Wallpaper – Lost Between The Pages by Spoonflower
We’re considering redecorating our daughter’s bedroom for her 5th birthday, and I came across this bookish wallpaper in my search for ideas. I think we’ll go with something cat-related instead, but I do love this! $7+
New Releases
Holding On by Sophia N. Lee, illustrated by Isabel Roxas
Set in the Philippines, this beautiful intergenerational picture book shows how a granddaughter helps her Lola, who has Alzheimer’s, by holding on to the music Lola taught her. Lola and the narrator hold on to many things when they’re together: they hold one another while dancing to Tagalog love songs, Lola holds on to the memories of when she first met Lolo, and the narrator holds onto the pot while Lola cooks and teaches her recipes. When Lola’s memory loss sets in, the young narrator helps her to hold on to the present through music. This is a gorgeous, joyful book.
Lunch from Home by Joshua David Stein, illustrated by Jing Li
On the first day of school, four students open their lunch boxes and reveal homemade food from their diverse cultures instead of the sandwiches everyone else is eating. The other students criticize and bully the students for their unique lunches, and while at first the four students change what they’re eating to sandwiches like everyone else, they soon realize how boring it is to eat the same thing every day. Based on the experiences of four chefs, this picture book is a great back-to-school read and a great place to start a conversation about lunchroom etiquette and culturally-diverse foods.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
With all of us sick this week, I thought I’d recommend four children’s books about illnesses and injuries.
All Better, Baby! by Sara Gillingham
This interactive board book is a lot of fun for toddlers. With bandaid flaps, a pop-up ice pack, and even a baby that can be taken out and cared for, this is such a good way for very young children to explore injuries and how to take care of them. It’s one of our most-read board books.
Tu Youyou’s Discovery: Finding a Cure for Malaria by Songju Ma Daemicke, illustrated by Lin
This picture book biography is a fascinating glimpse into the life of Tu Youyou, who became the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize after discovering a cure for malaria based on traditional Chinese medicine. After a childhood bout with tuberculosis, Tu Youyou became interested in viruses and how they worked. This eventually led her to studying medicine in college and to leading her own research team. This is an excellent addition to STEM and women in science collections.
Up Your Nose by Seth Fishman, illustrated by Isabel Greenberg
We’ve been reading this picture book a lot lately. From the five types of germs to how the immune system works, this book explains germs using simple, child-friendly language and silly illustrations. It’s an excellent introductory text to the topic that’s also a blast to read.
The Secret Life of Viruses by Mariona Tolosa Sisteré & the Ellas Educan Collective
This follow-up to The Secret Life of Boo-Boos is a more thorough introduction to viruses. It includes information about how viruses reproduce, the immune system, wearing masks, vaccines, and more. While more in-depth in its approach, it’s still child-friendly with cute illustrations, and would be a valuable addition to elementary school libraries.
If you’re looking for some easy science experiments to do at home, I have an idea for you. Put some baking soda in a muffin pan, a couple of drops of food coloring on top, then add another layer of baking soda. Have your child use a dropper or spoon to put vinegar in each circle. The two will fizzle and erupt to reveal the color. If you have an inventive little scientist like mine, this will lead to lots more experimenting with vinegar, baking soda, and food coloring, and things can get messy. That’s why we’re outside, where I can spray everything off with a hose afterward. 🙂 Goggles are not necessary; she insists on wearing them during all science experiments. I’ve done this experiment with kids ages 2-6.
If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.
Until next Tuesday!
Margaret Kingsbury