Riot New Media

Happy Tuesday, Kid Lit friends!

Lots of picture books releasing today, which makes me so happy! The book descriptions are from Goodreads, but I’ll add a  if I particularly loved a title.

We’re giving away $500 of the year’s best YA! Click here, or on the image below to enter:

Picture Book New Releases

 Magnificent Creatures: Animals on the Move by Anna Wright

Not your average animal book – this book depicts animals that don’t feature in other children’s books, including: sea turtle, springbok, jellyfish, crab, zebra, starling, monarch butterfly, bumblebee, snow goose, herring, Southern Carmine bee-eater, and firefly. The selection of magnificent creatures will delight adults and children alike.

Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box by David Goodner, illustrated by Louis Thomas

Ginny Goblin has one simple rule to follow: She is not allowed to open this box. Not until dinnertime. But Ginny Goblin doesn’t like to follow the rules, so nothing will stop her from trying to open this box. Not a tall tower, not a misty mountain, not a frightful forest, and certainly not a murky moat filled with scaly, scary serpents . . .  But wait! What is in the box? You’ll have to open this book to find out! (Don’t worry, you’re allowed.)

Five Silly Ghosts by HMH, illustrated by Hilli Kushnir

Five silly ghosts floating by a gate. The first one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late.”

This board book features a classic rhyming read-aloud text with the five silly glittery ghosts in Halloween costumes as they peer through a die-cut cover. Each page turn provides a playfully ghoulish reveal. Join five silly ghosts in this fun counting caper!

Never Satisfied: The Story of the Stonecutter by Dave Horowitz

Have you ever wished you were someone else? Stanley the stonecutter has, because cutting stones is hard work for a frog! So Stanley wishes he could have it easy like the tea-drinking businessman . . . and, boom, he’s transformed. Then he decides he’d be better off as the majestic king. But even that isn’t good enough when he sees the radiant sun. Why, if he were the sun, everyone would look up to him, right? Hmm, will Stanley ever be satisfied?

The Secret Life of Squirrels: Back to School! by Nancy Rose

Mr. Peanuts’ teacher friend Rosie needs help preparing for the first day of school! The two squirrels go shopping for school supplies, set up the library and music corners, bring all the sports equipment out to the blacktop, and decorate the classroom. Mr. Peanuts even practices driving the school bus! But it’s not easy to be a teacher getting ready for a whole classroom of new faces. Will Mr. Peanuts and Rosie be able to pull together the room before the end of summer?

Middle Grade New Releases

 Rad Girls Can: Stories of Bold, Brave, and Brilliant Young Women by Kate Schatz, illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl

In Rad Girls Can, you’ll learn about a diverse group of young women who are living rad lives, whether excelling in male-dominated sports like boxing, rock climbing, or skateboarding; speaking out against injustice and discrimination; expressing themselves through dance, writing, and music; or advocating for girls around the world. Each profile is paired with the dynamic paper-cut art that made the authors’ first two books New York Times best sellers. Featuring both contemporary and historical figures, Rad Girls Can offers hope, inspiration, and motivation to readers of all ages and genders.

 To Pluto and Beyond by Elaine Scott

Elaine Scott tells the exciting story of everyone’s favorite planet, from Pluto’s discovery through the frustrating attempts to study such a distant object, the creation of the New Horizons project, scientists’ hopes and expectations for the mission, and what is being discovered. Her clear, engaging prose does more than narrate the events. By showing how scientists operate, their hypotheses, hopes, and disappointments, and how they make use of them, she gives readers an inspiring portrait of the scientific method itself.

Backlist Book Recommendations!

Picture Book Recommendation: Trombone Shorty by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier

Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest. Along with esteemed illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music.

Note from Karina: I love the liveliness of this book, and after reading it I promptly looked up all of Trombone Shorty’s music on Spotify. Check out the companion picture book, The Five O’Clock Band!

Middle Grade Recommendation: The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

Meet the Melendys! The four Melendy children live with their father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in a worn but comfortable brownstone in New York City. Tired of wasting Saturdays doing nothing but wishing for larger allowances, the four Melendys jump at Randy’s idea to start the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). If they pool their resources and take turns spending the whole amount, they can each have at least one memorable Saturday afternoon of their own. Before long, I.S.A.A.C. is in operation and every Saturday is definitely one to remember.

Note from Karina: I adore this book so much! I love reading about big families in New York City, and this book has so much charm and great family dynamics. There are four books in this series, and all of them are excellent.

I’d love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next week!
Karina

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Hi Kid Lit friends!

It’s a big day today, because we are doing our very first cover reveal in this newsletter! It’s a new book by Ame Dyckman (author of You Don’t Want a Unicorn!, Wolfie the Bunny, Horrible Bear!, Read the Book, Lemmings!) and illustrated by Charles Santoso (illustrator of The Snurtch and I Don’t Like Koala.

Sponsored by, Disney Publishing Worldwide.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Serafina series, Robert Beatty comes a thrilling new series set in the world of Serafina. Move without a sound. Steal without a trace. Willa, a young nightspirit of the Great Smoky Mountains, is her clan’s best thief. She creeps into the homes of day-folk in the cover of darkness and takes what they won’t miss. It’s dangerous work—the day-folk kill whatever they do not understand. But when Willa’s curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in a day-folk man’s home, everything she thought she knew about her people—and their greatest enemy—is forever changed.

Ready to hear about their new book, Dandy? Here goes:

When Daddy spots a solitary weed in his lawn, he’s appalled (along with all of his neighborhood friends). But his daughter Sweetie has fallen in love with the beautiful flower, even going so far as to name it Charlotte. Racing against time and the mockery of his friends, Daddy has to decide if getting rid of the errant dandelion is worth breaking his little girl’s heart.

I had the opportunity to ask author Ame Dyckman a few questions, and I’m pretty sure you’re going to want to read this book when you read her responses.

1. I’ve been told your old neighborhood inspired the story. Tell us more about that.

Yes! Dandy was inspired by our old neighborhood, a quiet New Jersey suburb where all the daddies (including my husband!) took their lawn care VERY seriously. If even ONE dandelion appeared, there was huge peer pressure on the lawn’s owner to “take care of” the dandelion before it spread to other lawns—or “THE UNIVERSE!”

Things got interesting when the neighborhood kids (including our kid!) decided they LOVED dandelions!

2. What did you think when you saw Charles Santoso’s illustrations for this story?

I’m a huge fan of Charles’s work—he can draw ANYTHING with great humor and heart—and he truly outdid himself with our book! His illustrations (especially Daddy Lion and the neighborhood daddies) are absolutely HILARIOUS, while the parent/child interactions are sweet. They’re a “HA-HA-HA!” and “AWWW!” roller coaster, and it’s SUCH a fun ride!

3. You’ve written picture books featuring lemmings, bears, unicorns, and a wolf in a bunny suit. What led you to choose to feature lions for Dandy?

Our neighborhood daddies are all different animals, but I requested Daddy (and daughter Sweetie) as lions because “ANIMAL vs. dandelion” was funnier with a big, strong animal. And I liked the “King of the Jungle” and suburban jungle comparison. Finally, the Dandy/lion/DANDELION play on words was just too good of a dad joke to pass up! HA!

Dandy will be released on April 2, 2019. You can preorder Dandy here.

If you want some books featuring dandelions while waiting for Dandy to come out, check these out:

Dandelion by Don Freeman

When Dandelion gets an invitation to a party, he’s excited. The invitation is extra fancy, so Dandelion decides to get himself all dressed up. But when he gets to the party, no one recognizes him! Fortunately, it all works out in the end, and Dandelion learns an important lesson about being true to who you are.

Sing to the Sun by Ashley Bryan

“Sing to the sun
It will listen
And warm your words.”

In this beautiful collection of art and poetry, Ashley bryan celebrates all aspects of life–from a rainshower at the seashore to a beloved grandmother gathering fruit.

Dandelions by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Greg Shed

Embarking on a new life, Zoe and her family journey west to the Nebraska Territory in the 1800s.
When Zoe and her family arrive at their claim, nothing distinguishes it from the miles and miles of surrounding prairie. Even after they build their soddie, the home can’t be seen from any distance. Zoe has never seen Papa so happy or Mama so sad. But when she takes a trip to the small prairie town with Papa, Zoe sees something that might make a difference to their new soddie, and to Mama’s life, too.

The Dandelion’s Tale by Kevin Sheehan and Rob Dunlavey

In this poignant story about the friendship between a dandelion and a sparrow, young readers are given a reassuring, yet emotionally powerful introduction to the natural cycle of life. One fine summer day, when Sparrow meets a dandelion with only 10 seed pods left, he asks how he can help. Dandelion laments that a short while ago, she was the brightest yellow, but now a strong wind could blow away her remaining pods and no one will remember her. Together, they decide to write Dandelion’s story in the dirt, and so Dandelion tells Sparrow all the things she has seen and loved. Later that night, a storm changes everything. . . . But the tale of Dandelion lives on.

The Never Girls #3: The Dandelion Wish by Kiki Thorpe, illustrated by Jana Christy

Kate, Mia, Lainey, and Gabby are special girls. They know how to travel between their hometown and Never Land—through a broken slat in a backyard fence. But what happens when the fence is repaired . . . with one of the girls stuck on the Never Land side?

So… what do you think about cover reveals in this newsletter? Take this one question survey to let me know!

Giveaway Alert! Win $500 of the year’s best YA fiction and nonfiction so far. Link to enter here. Contest ends on July 31st.

I’d love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next week!
Karina

Izzy hopes you’re having a wonderful day!

*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*