Happy Tuesday, kidlit friends! I have my window open listening to towhees call to one another in my backyard as I’m writing this, and it’s such a lovely springtime sound! Mother’s Day is this Sunday, so I have four new picture books I love with fantastic mothers, as well as two great new picture book releases.
Before we get to my reviews, did you know Book Riot has a new podcast? BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world: Interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books. One recent episode features Professor Erica Williams discussing American novelist Nella Larsen. Subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice.
Bookish Goods
Read Banned Books Tee by NewTrendsShirts
This banned book tee is what I’m getting myself for Mother’s Day. $13+
New Releases
Little Black Hole by Molly Webster, illustrated by Alex Willmore (picture book)
Radiolab correspondent Molly Webster makes her picture book debut with this adorable space-themed picture book about black holes. Little Black Hole is so sad and lonely. Every time she makes a friend, the friend disappears, and she has to wander space alone again. When she meets another black hole, she learns about her superpower: if she thinks about all the friends she loved, she can glow!
Sora’s Seashells by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Stella Lim & Ji-Hyuk Kim (picture book)
This beautiful intergenerational picture book addresses so many themes — the death of a loved one, bullying, connecting with your culture — with lyricism and grace. Every summer, Sora’s Halmoni (grandmother) visits from South Korea, and the two collect seashells along the beach. Halmoni likes to leave the prettiest seashells someplace where others can find them, which Sora doesn’t understand. When Sora starts kindergarten, the kids make fun of her South Korean name. When Halmoni dies, Sora despairs. By cherishing her memories of Halmoni, and by learning the meaning of her name, Sora understands why her grandmother left the prettiest shells for others, and she finds a way to connect with her class.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
Mother’s Day is this Sunday! There are so many wonderful mothers in picture books. Here are four recent picture books with fantastic moms.
The Shape of You by Mượn Thị Văn, illustrated by Miki Sato
This is such a tender and poetic ode to motherhood. A mother tells her daughter about the shapes of things. Some shapes are obvious: the spherical shape of the Earth, the square shape of their dining room table. But other shapes are more abstract: the quiet shape of thinking, the dog shape of a friend. At the end, the mother tells the daughter about the shape of her love for her.
My Mommies Built a Treehouse by Gareth Peter, illustrated by Izzy Evans
In this fun, rhythmic picture book, a young boy begs his two mothers for a treehouse. Mommy draws the plans and cuts the wood; Mom picks the tree and helps paint. When the treehouse is complete, it becomes a place for the community to gather. But when it’s time for everyone to leave, the treehouse is there for the child and his mom and mommy to enjoy together.
To My Panik by Nadia Sammurtok, illustrated by Pelin Turgut
In this beautiful picture book, an Inuit mother tells her daughter all the things she loves about her, from her fierce eyes, “like a purple saxifrage cutting through autumn’s first snow” to her voice, like a “comforting throat song.” The illustrations of the Arctic landscape are soft and lovely. The glossary in the back discusses the Inuktut languages and gives a translation of the Inuktut words used in the text.
One Day by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Faith Pray
I included this picture book in my most anticipated list back in January, but now that I’ve had the chance to read it, I wanted to include it here, too! Much like Ho’s previous three picture books, One Day is a beautifully poetic ode, this time from a mother to her son. She encourages her son to be gentle, soft, to take his time and feel his feelings. This and To My Panik would make great gifts for new moms.
Every weekend we try to go on outdoor adventures at parks. This past weekend we went to a spring festival. At one of the stations our favorite children’s librarian, Ms. Katie Sue, read springtime children’s books. We had a blast!
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